Good morning all. I hope your week is off to a good start.
I was trying to think of something positive to write about after we fell to 12-13 after yesterday’s loss to Max Scherzer and the Nationals, and my eyes fell on Aledmys Diaz and his .405/.437/.705 slash line.
Wow.
Remember when we all had a few questions about this kid?
I realize, of course, this is a very small sample size (74 AB’s) but it’s nice to see.
In a related story, Jhonny Peralta took groundballs for the first time since his surgery, and is a few weeks away.
All of this raises a question: Where is Diaz is hitting when Peralta comes back?
While he has surprised with his glove, Peralta was signed for his bat and hasn’t disappointed. Perhaps he and Diaz could platoon for a little bit while Peralta eases back into the lineup. That’s only a short term solution though.
The solution for the rest of the season may lie in a utility role.
Kolten Wong currently has a .232/.308/.232 line, which indicates he’s been struggling. Mix in Diaz there, along with those AB’s as short while Peralta is resting. Heck add in some AB’s for days when Matt Carpenter actually takes a day off.
Of course, we already have a utility player: Jedd Gyorko. Gyorko hasn’t been much better than Wong, carrying a line of .224/.386/.483. A bit more pop to be sure, but very low average and obp.
Of course, all of this assumes that Diaz continues to rake and Wong and Gyorko don’t. Given the small sample size, that seems unlikely. Diaz will eventually cool down and the other two will warm up. Still, this hot start by Diaz gives me hope for his future with the Cardinals.
Quick Hits
1) Maybe not signing David Price was a good thing after all? Article on that here. Part of it focuses on Fenway Park, but since he’s done well there in the past, I’m taking that aspect of it with a grain of salt. If you pitch bad, you pitch bad, no matter where you’re at (unless it’s Coors field, of course.)
2) I love it when a pitcher does all the work, even if it’s a mortasl enemy. Introducing Clayton Kershaw: Two Way Star.
3) Ken Rosenthal’s thought’s on April trends for this year.
As always, thanks for reading.
