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Monday, December 19, 2011

Kubel, D-backs reach two-year deal

Heyman says 2 years, $15 million. That is one expensive pinch hitter!

The D-backs have agreed to terms with free-agent outfielder Jason Kubel on a two-year contract with an option, a baseball source confirmed Monday.

The move is somewhat surprising in that the D-backs had not been linked in any rumors to Kubel, nor had they been rumored to be in the market for an outfielder.

Kubel, 29, hit .273 with 12 home runs and 58 RBIs for the Twins in 2011. He was originally drafted by Minnesota in the 12th round of the 2000 First-Year Player Draft…

Over his career, Kubel has split his time between the outfield corners. With the D-backs, it would appear that he would become the starting left fielder with Gerardo Parra being shifted to a fourth outfield position, or used in a trade to acquire another position of need.

RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: December 19, 2011 at 03:10 PM | 31 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: arizona, twins

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1. JJ1986 Posted: December 19, 2011 at 04:25 PM (#4019298)

Why do NL teams with two corner outfielders keep signing Twins DHs?

2. Davo Posted: December 19, 2011 at 04:28 PM (#4019299)

I don't think he'll be better than Geraldo Parra over the next two years.

I KNOW he won't be $15MM better than Geraldo Parra over the next two years.

Can Kubel play first at all? That's what they need.

3. DL from MN Posted: December 19, 2011 at 04:37 PM (#4019309)

Kubel can probably fake it at 1B but he won't be very good. The Twins didn't think he was better than having Cuddyer or Luke Hughes play 1B and neither of those guys was all that good.

4. Ben Broussard Ramjet Posted: December 19, 2011 at 04:38 PM (#4019313)

Do the D-backs not like Goldschmidt at 1st? My fantasy baseball team is keen to know these things.

5. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: December 19, 2011 at 04:46 PM (#4019320)

D-Backs already have Paul Goldschmidt, who is good, and Lyle Overbay, who is not, at first base.

Could Parra handle CF? He doesn't really hit enough to be a great corner OF. I know the D-Backs have Young there already, but I was thinking about Parra's value in a trade.

6. Enrico Pallazzo Posted: December 19, 2011 at 05:21 PM (#4019347)

Parra won a Gold Glove. From what I've seen (albeit limited), he could easily handle CF. Smooth looking fielder with great range and positioning. Fans never have a reason to worry about a ball hit near the track.

He could be a David Murphy-type with better D. Aren't the Nats looking for a CF?

7. Davo Posted: December 19, 2011 at 05:36 PM (#4019359)

I mean, ok, you sign Kubel to make Parra 4th outfielder. Cool.

So....Captain Obvious....why wouldn't you just sign a regular 4th outfielder? Nate McLouth signed for $1.75M. Why not do that?

8. WhoWantsTeixeiraDessert Posted: December 19, 2011 at 05:37 PM (#4019361)

The Nats trading for Parra would make too much sense.

9. Walt Davis Posted: December 19, 2011 at 05:47 PM (#4019371)

It's not often you see GGers lose their job. It's not often you see GGers lose their job when they also put up average offense for their position. By OPS+, Parra out-hit Kubel last year ... then again, by Rfield, Kubel was a smidgen better defensively. Baseball is a funny game.

Chone suggests he would be below-average but not awful in CF ... but his handful of innings in CF suggest he'd be pretty awful.

10. DL from MN Posted: December 19, 2011 at 06:31 PM (#4019394)

Kubel will hit better in Arizona. Target Field was not kind to Jason Kubel.

Kubel also isn't an everyday player with his history of knee problems. He needs a break a couple days a week.

11. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: December 19, 2011 at 06:37 PM (#4019398)

Kubel also isn't an everyday player with his history of knee problems. He needs a break a couple days a week.

Unfortunately, both he and Parra are LH.

12. DL from MN Posted: December 19, 2011 at 06:39 PM (#4019402)

Upton and Young are both RH. Doesn't seem like a huge problem.

13. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: December 19, 2011 at 06:44 PM (#4019407)

Upton and Young are both RH. Doesn't seem like a huge problem.

But don't Upton and Young play virtually every day? At their ages, you'd hope they'd give you 155 Gs or so.

I don't think you want to sit either one of them to get Kubel or Parra in the lineup.

Makes more sense to trade Parra somewhere he can start, and get a RH 4th OF.

14. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: December 19, 2011 at 06:46 PM (#4019408)

Makes more sense to trade Parra somewhere he can start, and get a RH 4th OF.

Ah, Parra for Alfonso Soriano?

15. DL from MN Posted: December 19, 2011 at 06:51 PM (#4019413)

A RH caddy for Kubel makes a ton of sense. He's going to give you 140 games if everything goes well. He also has a nasty platoon split.

16. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: December 19, 2011 at 06:58 PM (#4019419)

A RH caddy for Kubel makes a ton of sense. He's going to give you 140 games if everything goes well. He also has a nasty platoon split.

If Parra was RH, this would work out great. Give Kubel ~80-90 G's in LF, 40 at 1B, all vs. RHP. Parra replaces Kubel for D in late innings.

So, basically, they need to trade Parra for a RH version of himself.

17. JJ1986 Posted: December 19, 2011 at 07:07 PM (#4019427)

So, basically, they need to trade Parra for a RH version of himself.

They just traded one to Oakland.

18. valuearbitrageur Posted: December 19, 2011 at 08:46 PM (#4019535)

Parra finally had a break-through season at an age where it probably isn't a fluke (24), and you can reasonably expect him to improve. Now they are going to replace him with a 30 year old with bad knees and a career OPS+ worse than Parra's last season.

Are the DBacks afraid of Parra in arbitration?

19. Jobu is silent on the changeup Posted: December 19, 2011 at 09:00 PM (#4019545)

Gibby says he's not gritty enough. Doesn't score on popups to second, marry strippers, speak English...

20. Jack Sommers Posted: July 22, 2012 at 02:09 AM (#4189011)

Right is right and wrong is wrong

The guy hit 3 homers tonight, driving in 6

Jason Kubel was the signing off the off season. Towers came up aces with this signing. He's having a career year, and doing a large chunk of the damage at lefty friendly Chase. Good call by Towers to believe Kubel would thrive in Chase field.

Home 182 PA .331/.412/.713 15 HR, 50 RBI, 22 BB, 45 K
Away 169 PA .257/.320/.414 5 HR, 20 RBI, 15 BB, 44 K

21. Laser Man Posted: July 22, 2012 at 02:23 AM (#4189012)

Kubel has been great. But the signing of the offseason could actually be his teammate Aaron Hill, who is hitting .308/.362/.516 with excellent defense, and signed for just $5.5M.

22. Jim Wisinski

Posted: July 22, 2012 at 03:18 AM (#4189014)

That seems like pretty high praise considering that the Diamondbacks play half their games on the road and Kubel is probably around replacement level there accounting for defense and baserunning, two things Kubel has never been any good at.

23. Rally Posted: July 22, 2012 at 10:10 AM (#4189034)

Games at home count in the standings too. If Kubel is better suited to take advantage of his park than others, great for him and the team.

24. Howie Menckel Posted: July 22, 2012 at 10:42 AM (#4189044)

1.125 OPS at home - Parra's got to chase down a LOT of balls, like every single one hit in the air past the infield all season, to make up for that.

:)

25. Tom Nawrocki Posted: July 22, 2012 at 11:40 AM (#4189058)

It's kind of impressive that Arizona could win the division last year, add two guys who are being described as "the signing of the offseason" - and sit under .500, looking dead in the water.

26. Jim Wisinski

Posted: July 22, 2012 at 12:50 PM (#4189071)

Games at home count in the standings too. If Kubel is better suited to take advantage of his park than others, great for him and the team.

Sure, but they're only half of them. Kubel has obviously been amazing at home and apparently takes advantage of Chase Field really well but I find "signing of the offseason" to be excessive praise for someone who is only good because of a park effect. It puts a significant limit on the value he can produce.

27. Laser Man Posted: July 22, 2012 at 01:13 PM (#4189075)

Well, if Kubel/Hill were not the best free agent signings of the year, then who were? One of the the big name signings, like Pujols/Fielder/Reyes/CJ Wilson? I don't think so. Maybe someone like Josh Willingham with the Twins, or Carlos Beltran with the Cardinals? Kubel and Hill have to be pretty high on the list.

28. Jack Sommers Posted: July 22, 2012 at 03:29 PM (#4189218)

It's kind of impressive that Arizona could win the division last year, add two guys who are being described as "the signing of the offseason" - and sit under .500, looking dead in the water.

What is this, the ESPN message board or something ? No need to slap down us uppity D Bbacks fans. We are thoroughly aware of how regression in other areas has turned this team into a disappointment. But this thread deserved to be bumped because the Kubel signing was almost universally panned as a bad one in sabermetric circles, and even though I am not on record in this particular thread, I was in agreement with much if not most of the sentiment that felt the signing was redundant at best. I was wrong too.

Example 1 and Example 2 There were more

someone who is only good because of a park effect.

The ball park ain't swinging the bat.

29. PreservedFish Posted: July 22, 2012 at 03:46 PM (#4189224)

Kubel has obviously been amazing at home and apparently takes advantage of Chase Field really well but I find "signing of the offseason" to be excessive praise for someone who is only good because of a park effect.

I also object to this. Kubel may not have been the signing of the year, but saying that he's "only good because of a park effect" is a ridiculous way to characterize his season.

30. Jack Sommers Posted: July 22, 2012 at 04:05 PM (#4189235)

He was talking about the batters eye the other day, and really that is probably the single biggest factor that make Chase such a hitters paradise. Yes, it's the desert, but it aint Coors field. It's 1000 ft. elevation. It's dry, but indoors most of the time in AC.

That stadium probably has the best hitters background in MLB. If they ever want to turn the park into a more neutral ballpark, all they have to do is break up the hitters background a bit. (Although I'm not sure exactly how they would do that).

31. The District Attorney Posted: July 22, 2012 at 04:25 PM (#4189242)

It's not often you see GGers lose their job.

To be fair, prior to last year, Parra wouldn't have won a Gold Glove.

It seems quite likely that, going forward, the Gold Glove LF or RF will be more likely to lose his job than the old Gold Glove "OF" (who was usually a CF) was.

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Monday, December 19, 2011

Kubel, D-backs reach two-year deal

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