BBTF's Transaction Oracle Discussion :: Devil Rays - Signed Hee Seop, Andrade, Mohr, others

Transaction Oracle
— A Timely Look at Transactions as They Happen

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Devil Rays - Signed Hee Seop, Andrade, Mohr, others

Tampa Bay Devil Rays - Signed 1B Hee Seop Choi, P Steve Andrade, OF Dustan Mohr, IF Jorge Velandia, and C Yamid Haad to minor-league contracts.

See? Adding AAA depth/role player depth isn’t that hard. Choi has the clearest shot at a job here although he didn’t hit very well in the minors. He’s not horribly blocked in Tampa Bay and this is likely his last chance. Mohr still can be a decent 4th outfielder, though the Devil Rays have enough of those, and Andrade should be a serviceable 11th or 12th man.

2006 ZiPS Projections
——————————————————————————————-

Player         W   L   G  GS   IP    H   ER  HR  BB  SO   ERA
——————————————————————————————-

Andrade        2   2  36   0   57   54   29   6  28  50  4.58

2007 ZiPS Projections  
———————————————————————————————————

Player        AB   R    H  2B 3B  HR RBI  BB  SO  SB    BA   OBP   SLG 
———————————————————————————————————

Choi         287  37   66  14  1  12  39  46  76   1  .230  .341  .411

Haad         234  26   54  12  0   6  23  11  44   1  .231  .269  .359

Mohr         281  32   61  13  2  11  30  37 102   1  .217  .311  .395

Velandia     405  43   98  20  1   5  37  27  78   5  .242  .291  .333

Dan Szymborski Posted: December 03, 2006 at 02:49 AM | 16 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
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1. ShoeGrit Posted: December 03, 2006 at 04:27 AM (#2250393)

Anyone remember THIS THREAD?

2. Mike Emeigh

Posted: December 03, 2006 at 04:33 AM (#2250398)

Oh boy. Fun times in Durham next year.

-- MWE

3. baudib Posted: December 03, 2006 at 05:01 AM (#2250411)

I still say Choi's Mike Epstein, but without the really big 400 at-bat year (so far).

4. ShoeGrit Posted: December 03, 2006 at 05:14 AM (#2250416)

I still say Choi's Mike Epstein, but without the really big 400 at-bat year (so far).

You are still wrong...or did you not see that .207/.347/.361 line at age 27 in Pawtucket?

When Epstein was 26 he was putting up a 175 OPS+ line in the majors in 500 Plate Appearances.

Good comp

5. baudib Posted: December 03, 2006 at 07:08 AM (#2250463)

Did you miss the part where I said "without the really big 400 at-bat year (so far)"?

6. ShoeGrit Posted: December 03, 2006 at 04:15 PM (#2250669)

I know.....but he had 416 PA in 2004 and 368 in 2005, so it's not like he got ZERO chance either.
I don't think getting another 50 or 100 plate appearances during those two seasons was going to turn him into a guy capable of putting up a 160-170 OPS+ and logging in a 129 Career OPS+

In fact, in 980 major league PA vs. right handers only he still has managed just an .808 OPS, which is well below league average for a starting first baseman.

For his time, Epstein was not really that bad against lefties either (.658 OPS vs. lefties compared to league OPS .682)

I realize the "types" are very similar, big hulking lefty first baseman that walk alot and have homerun power. But Choi is not, nor ever will be nearly as valuable as Epstein was.

7. Mister High Standards Posted: December 03, 2006 at 04:29 PM (#2250680)

I think these are pretty good movies since they are on minor league deals. That said none of these guys will break with the team I think Mohr held out a little longer looking for a team he had a better chance at making the club since it seems doubtful it will work here for him.

Andrade, got the best chance to be the best guy here. I've not been as ga ga over this guy as some of our fellow primates - but this is a great local for him to get a shot and if he doesn't get it done it is on him.

8. Dag Nabbit has the talking pillow Posted: December 03, 2006 at 05:33 PM (#2250703)

Interesting. According to this article, the D-Rays now employee ex-prospectus author James Click as coordinator of baseball operations. Now here they are signing some sabermetric darlings. I'm thinking there's a connection.

9. Excel Hearts Choi Posted: December 03, 2006 at 06:34 PM (#2250743)

Excellent, my namesake lives on.

10. Andere Richtingen

Posted: December 03, 2006 at 09:12 PM (#2250830)

Tampa Bay can afford to take a chance on someone like Choi, despite all indications that his career is on the ropes. When Choi was coming up with the Cubs the first time, he was considered an athletic first baseman, quick for a guy of his size, with tremendous power, who only needed to make better contact and tighten up his swing to become a complete player. He was in the absolutely worst organization in baseball for helping him through that task; the Cubs had absolutely no idea what to do with someone with his skillset. While he may never have had the makeup to become a legitimate major league player, the Cubs never expressed any confidence at all in him and that may have rubbed off. It's a shame, because the guy really had a lot of talent, and I had hopes that he would become a player like Jim Thome. I hope he can turn it around in this last chance, but I'll be surprised if he does.

11. greenback

Posted: December 03, 2006 at 10:02 PM (#2250849)

According to this article, the D-Rays now employee ex-prospectus author James Click as coordinator of baseball operations.

I did not know that</Carson>. He's listed as part of the front office on the D-Rays site, and former BPro-er Chaim Bloom is there with him.

12. buddy Posted: December 03, 2006 at 10:20 PM (#2250861)

choi could be a big surprise. there certainly isn't anyone claiming 1B for the rays at this moment. let him play, bat him 7th or 8th and see what happens. if any team can afford to do that, it's the rays.

13. Dr. Vaux Posted: December 03, 2006 at 10:38 PM (#2250870)

Or the Orioles, instead of signing Scabby.

14. IronChef Chris Wok Posted: December 04, 2006 at 03:13 AM (#2251011)

Dammit.

15. baudib Posted: December 04, 2006 at 05:14 AM (#2251071)

I know.....but he had 416 PA in 2004 and 368 in 2005, so it's not like he got ZERO chance either.
I don't think getting another 50 or 100 plate appearances during those two seasons was going to turn him into a guy capable of putting up a 160-170 OPS+ and logging in a 129 Career OPS+

In fact, in 980 major league PA vs. right handers only he still has managed just an .808 OPS, which is well below league average for a starting first baseman.

For his time, Epstein was not really that bad against lefties either (.658 OPS vs. lefties compared to league OPS .682)

I realize the "types" are very similar, big hulking lefty first baseman that walk alot and have homerun power. But Choi is not, nor ever will be nearly as valuable as Epstein was.

Maybe I should restate this: Choi is just like Mike Epstein, but without the really big year.

as in, "overhype prospect who failed to meet expectations but kicked around as a lefty platoon first baseman capable of hitting 20-25 homers a year with walks and a low average."

OK?

16. ShoeGrit Posted: December 04, 2006 at 05:24 AM (#2251073)

Gotcha.....LOL

Sorry, didn't mean to be so anal

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Sunday, December 03, 2006

Devil Rays - Signed Hee Seop, Andrade, Mohr, others

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