Kemp and the Quest for 1 bWAR

[nsacpi]

I'd much rather have Kemp than Mallex. Mallex isn't a bad player, but 3 lefty OFs with no power is not good. We tried the all slap-hitters lineup a few years ago and it didn't work out so well. Kemp is sucking at the plate right now, but he's still got HR pop. We just need to stick him on the DL and let him heal.

If the choice is between 3 solid lefties and diversifying with a righty who can barely move, the choice to me is obvious.

[sturg33]

Kemp's BWar is now -0.6

Wow

[msstate7]

Kemp's BWar is now -0.6

Wow

When he injured his hamstring it was 0.5 or 0.4. Playing him through this was incredibly dumb and a -1.1 or -1.0 bWAR is the proof. Great job, FO/snit... we'll never get rid of him now

[WaitingFor2017]

I just don't get it. If you had placed Kemp on the DL on Monday after the Oakland series, he'd be fresh and ready for Arizona right after the break. He is hurting the team more than helping, and the team is only 1-3 in those games since the Oakland series.

[Enscheff]

When he injured his hamstring it was 0.5 or 0.4. Playing him through this was incredibly dumb and a -1.1 or -1.0 bWAR is the proof. Great job, FO/snit... we'll never get rid of him now

Properly managing his innings in LF would have possibly prevented these injuries.

Everyone knows Kemp has injury issues. Limiting his work in LF should have been a top priority from opening day.

[Garmel]

Markakis has a -0.1 bWAR as well. Hard to win with crappy corner outfielders.

[gilesfan]

I wanted to believe Kemp could do it.......

[msstate7]

I wanted to believe Kemp could do it.......

Kemp is taking a trip back to Oklahoma this week to rekindle his childhood love of the braves. Kemp gonna make a run at 1.0.

[thewupk]

Markakis has a -0.1 bWAR as well. Hard to win with crappy corner outfielders.

I had them projected as the worst corner outfield duo in baseball. Not sure if anyone else is worse but my god is that horrible.

[nsacpi]

I had them projected as the worst corner outfield duo in baseball. Not sure if anyone else is worse but my god is that horrible.

we can live with one of them if the other corner outfielder has good range...shift ender over as necessary...but two is a problem

[thewupk]

we can live with one of them if the other corner outfielder has good range...shift ender over as necessary...but two is a problem

Agreed. It's really been an issue lately. Fangraphs has the Braves at 26th in RF WAR and 29th in LF WAR. Truly horrible.

[thewupk]

So here we are at the all-star break and Matt Kemp has a WRC+ of 113. From 2013-2016 Kemp had a WRC+ of 117. When are some people going to realize that is just the type of hitter he is now and that he's a poor player overall?

[Enscheff]

So here we are at the all-star break and Matt Kemp has a WRC+ of 113. From 2013-2016 Kemp had a WRC+ of 117. When are some people going to realize that is just the type of hitter he is now and that he's a poor player overall?

Never. Pozzies and Derpies will cling to his next hot streak as proof he is turning it around. They will point to his next running catch in LF as evidence he isn't such a terrible defender.

The real issue is why was the FO so blind in the first place? I expect fans to be ignorant, but I would prefer the FO to be somewhat smarter than the average fan commenting on the Braves Facebook posts.

[Southcack77]

Never. Pozzies and Derpies will cling to his next hot streak as proof he is turning it around. They will point to his next running catch in LF as evidence he isn't such a terrible defender.

The real issue is why was the FO so blind in the first place? I expect fans to be ignorant, but I would prefer the FO to be somewhat smarter than the average fan commenting on the Braves Facebook posts.

You've answered that question before in the past. They were looking for a someone they could put in the middle of the order with a recognizable name and some power.

He's been better than he was in San Diego, but it looks like nagging injuries are permanent and will continue to sap him of his usefulness.

I think the front office felt that they were acquiring something for the fans at no cost but money. What I want to know is whether Coppy believed the absurd framing they sold fans on -- that he was really cheap because Oliveira's money was a sunk cost.

I go back and forth as to whether I hate this trade or the trade to acquire Oliveira more. I don't have any issue with Kemp's effect on any of the Braves teams to date (I think he's helped a little regardless of what defense influenced WAR suggests), but the fact he has two years remaining on his deal is painful.

[Southcack77]

So here we are at the all-star break and Matt Kemp has a WRC+ of 113. From 2013-2016 Kemp had a WRC+ of 117. When are some people going to realize that is just the type of hitter he is now and that he's a poor player overall?

Well there is a 141 season in your sample that throws things off a bit. Maybe he continues to regress, but he's been better than he was in San Diego thus far.

[thewupk]

Well there is a 141 season in your sample that throws things off a bit. Maybe he continues to regress, but he's been better than he was in San Diego thus far.

We will see how it shakes out the rest of the year but I just think Kemp is merely an above average to good hitter these days and that with his defense makes him a poor player overall.

[Enscheff]

You've answered that question before in the past. They were looking for a someone they could put in the middle of the order with a recognizable name and some power.

He's been better than he was in San Diego, but it looks like nagging injuries are permanent and will continue to sap him of his usefulness.

I think the front office felt that they were acquiring something for the fans at no cost but money. What I want to know is whether Coppy believed the absurd framing they sold fans on -- that he was really cheap because Oliveira's money was a sunk cost.

I go back and forth as to whether I hate this trade or the trade to acquire Oliveira more. I don't have any issue with Kemp's effect on any of the Braves teams to date (I think he's helped a little regardless of what defense influenced WAR suggests), but the fact he has two years remaining on his deal is painful.

I truly believe the Braves FO thinks Kemp and Markakis are positive members of the roster. They are among the least analytical teams in the modern game, and I am confident they don't value defense properly. There is probably some young kid in the analytics department who is being ignored by the good ol' boys club when he points out the same issues we talk about here daily.

If this wasn't the case, Kemp wouldn't play every inning in LF. If they understood defensive value, Simmons would still be on this team. Freeman would not be playing 3B even temporarily since they would realize no other MLB team would be fooled into thinking Freeman was a real option at 3B as leverage to increase Adams' trade value. If they understood the value of defense, the HO trade would have never happened because they would have scouted his recent work at 3B if they saw defense as a priority.

Kemp in LF can work in 2018, but they need to limit his innings in LF aggressively. They can EASILY reduce the number of innings he runs around out there by 10%-20% at a cost of ~5% fewer PAs just by pinch running for him or putting in a defensive substitution in LF after his 4th AB of most games. They need to be proactive and do this from day 1 to keep his legs healthy rather than wait for the nagging injuries to force him to take time off.

The fact they have failed to do this should be alarming to Braves fans. It shows a complete and utter lack of player valuation skill by this FO.

Call me negi all you want, but I see no way the FO can be defended in its utilization of Matt Kemp.

[nsacpi]

I truly believe the Braves FO thinks Kemp and Markakis are positive members of the roster. They are among the least analytical teams in the modern game, and I am confident they don't value defense properly. There is probably some young kid in the analytics department who is being ignored by the good ol' boys club when he points out the same issues we talk about here daily.

If this wasn't the case, Kemp wouldn't play every inning in LF. If they understood defensive value, Simmons would still be on this team. Freeman would not be playing 3B even temporarily since they would realize no other MLB team would be fooled into thinking Freeman was a real option at 3B as leverage to increase Adams' trade value. If they understood the value of defense, the HO trade would have never happened because they would have scouted his recent work at 3B if they saw defense as a priority.

Kemp in LF can work in 2018, but they need to limit his innings in LF aggressively. They can EASILY reduce the number of innings he runs around out there by 10%-20% at a cost of ~5% fewer PAs just by pinch running for him or putting in a defensive substitution in LF after his 4th AB of most games. They need to be proactive and do this from day 1 to keep his legs healthy rather than wait for the nagging injuries to force him to take time off.

The fact they have failed to do this should be alarming to Braves fans. It shows a complete and utter lack of player valuation skill by this FO.

Call me negi all you want, but I see no way the FO can be defended in its utilization of Matt Kemp.

negi

[TheBravos]

So....if they were to eat half of his remaining contract, could they trade him to the AL for a decent prospect. Better do it now before he stays hurt , because the more he stays hurt....the fatter he becomes.

[nsacpi]

So....if they were to eat half of his remaining contract, could they trade him to the AL for a decent prospect. Better do it now before he stays hurt , because the more he stays hurt....the fatter he becomes.

Colon has offered to do this