11 replies to this topic

[Hector Villanueva]

Can some please explain to me why the Cubs front office doesn't view TC as a viable option at lead off? I think he could steal 75 bases, hit 275 and play a mean D in CF. production we have not had since Bob Dernier.

[Crockett]

Because he'll never hit .275 and his OBP will probably be under .300. That's...awful.

I'm unsure how you think he'll ever get on enough? All he does is slap and bunt? He needs to get on base at LEAST 35% of the time to be a decent leadoff hitter, preferably over 37%. He only did that twice in the minors. And yes, he has a lot of range in CF, but his arm is worse than my grandmothers. It discounts his defensive value significantly.

[Hector Villanueva]

Because he'll never hit .275 and his OBP will probably be under .300. That's...awful.

I'm unsure how you think he'll ever get on enough? All he does is slap and bunt? He needs to get on base at LEAST 35% of the time to be a decent leadoff hitter, preferably over 37%. He only did that twice in the minors. And yes, he has a lot of range in CF, but his arm is worse than my grandmothers. It discounts his defensive value significantly.

I think 275 is not a stretch for him since he has decent numbers in minors and he could learn a little patience at the plate to bump up his OB%. I don't see the harm in running him out there everyday to see what materializes. His arm is not a concern for me...see Juan Pierre. Certainly a better option than Joe retread Mather. Worst case you find out he's not an everyday player. Let him play and let the numbers decide.

[Crockett]

Because he'll never hit .275 and his OBP will probably be under .300. That's...awful.

I'm unsure how you think he'll ever get on enough? All he does is slap and bunt? He needs to get on base at LEAST 35% of the time to be a decent leadoff hitter, preferably over 37%. He only did that twice in the minors. And yes, he has a lot of range in CF, but his arm is worse than my grandmothers. It discounts his defensive value significantly.

I think 275 is not a stretch for him since he has decent numbers in minors and he could learn a little patience at the plate to bump up his OB%. I don't see the harm in running him out there everyday to see what materializes. His arm is not a concern for me...see Juan Pierre. Certainly a better option than Joe retread Mather. Worst case you find out he's not an everyday player. Let him play and let the numbers decide.

At 26, he isn't going to magically learn a little patience. He's susceptible to high heat and at 5'7...that isn't good. If he played every day? I'd expect a .240/.280 line.

[Drew]

Although we usually dont agree on much, Im w Crockett here.

Campana IS fast, but that doesnt mean he should lead off. When hitting at the top ( or any spot, for that matter) his average mean nothing; what matters is his ability to get on base, preferably w a bit of pop. Campana has neither of those skills and has never shown them.

IF you must give him a roster spot, hes a reserve, where you can use his 1 tool selectively

[Crockett]

Although we usually dont agree on much, Im w Crockett here.

Campana IS fast, but that doesnt mean he should lead off. When hitting at the top ( or any spot, for that matter) his average mean nothing; what matters is his ability to get on base, preferably w a bit of pop. Campana has neither of those skills and has never shown them.

IF you must give him a roster spot, hes a reserve, where you can use his 1 tool selectively

We don't agree on much? Hmm...

[Drew]

Although we usually dont agree on much, Im w Crockett here.

Campana IS fast, but that doesnt mean he should lead off. When hitting at the top ( or any spot, for that matter) his average mean nothing; what matters is his ability to get on base, preferably w a bit of pop. Campana has neither of those skills and has never shown them.

IF you must give him a roster spot, hes a reserve, where you can use his 1 tool selectively

We don't agree on much? Hmm...

That may have been a little harsh, but meant to be taken w a little jest!

Im a lot more bullish on Jackson and Szczur than you are, but other than that I think we're mostly on the same page.

[Spencer]

His arm in center is not good. DeJesus needs to stay in the lead off spot. He does everything you want from a #1 hitter

[King Jeff]

I'd rather see him as a super sub/ spot starter. His defense is not that of an everyday center fielder. He might be ok in left, but he does need to work on getting on base more often if he wants to be an everyday player. He's a pretty valuable 4th outfielder. For now, he's fine playing spot duty. I'd definitely rather see him out there than Joe Mather, but I'd rather not have to watch Reed Johnson, Jeff Baker, and Koyie Hill get regular starts either.

[Crockett]

This is a fair point, King. The roster is really bad with quite a few retreads/over-the-hill types and I guess Campana at least provides some excitement.

That being said, my words are typically meant towards a roster that has a chance at competing for the NL Central, so when the Cubs are to that point, no way should Campana be near an everyday lineup card.

[King Jeff]

This is a fair point, King. The roster is really bad with quite a few retreads/over-the-hill types and I guess Campana at least provides some excitement.

That being said, my words are typically meant towards a roster that has a chance at competing for the NL Central, so when the Cubs are to that point, no way should Campana be near an everyday lineup card.

Absolutely, he's a very valuable player to a contender as a pinch runner/ spot starter, but as an everyday guy, he's not someone that a contender is going to start 150+ times a year. He is not a prospect anymore, and his wheels might not last long enough for him to learn some plate discipline, but I'd still rather watch him play over pretty much any of the other Cubs backups.

[MichiganGoat]

Yeah, Campana is fast, BUT that's is where his above average abilities stop. And can we please stop referring to Campana and defense in the same sentence. He cannot throw a runner out, the hotrible routes he runs are often hidden by the fact that he can speed up the hide his bad jumps/routes. He is a passable singles hitter but he just isn't a threat to do anything outside of running out a grounder. For him to be a serious regular player heist play better defense and be able up drive the ball outside of the infield.