Yeah, that's a bummer. I always liked me some Rajai. Unfortunately because of his splits he will probably never be a full-time player.
Blue Jays Off Season 2013/14
- Thread starter Ironhead
- Start date
The problem is, he doesn't get on base enough (lifetime .316 OBP, under .300 with the Jays) to justify being in the lineup as anything other than a 4th (or 5th, his defence is quite poor) OF/pinch runner...
Hopefully he can find the plate discipline he had in 2007 (small sample size in SF/PIT) and in 2009 for Oakland.
Well, he batted .260 in an outrageously weak BO. Given more support, he could well have batted a respectable .280. The issue is the lack of walks and that's just plate discipline.
Not sure what a weak lineup has to do with batting average (I know what you're saying, but then he should either be walking more or hitting for a higher average if he has no lineup protection, right?)
But if he continues to show no plate discipline, one of, if not THE most important attributes - and that is the 4-year trend - he has virtually no value, as his speed (his only real weapon) is nullified.
Let's face it, he is what he is. A FAST guy who, 2013 aside, gets caught stealing too often, with a below-average bat, virtually no plate discipline and a below-average glove/arm. Plus he's 32 - a time when speed-first guys tend to fade badly.
2009 was the aberration.
Remember when they tried Davis in Centre when they first got him,lol.
That was an adventure in futility too say the least.
The Jays gave him every chance to be a full time player but he let each opportunity slip through his fingers.
5 Mil for a part time player is just outrageous if you ask me.
That was an adventure in futility too say the least.
The Jays gave him every chance to be a full time player but he let each opportunity slip through his fingers.
5 Mil for a part time player is just outrageous if you ask me.
A weak batting order means the pitcher throws fewer pitches, is fresher, is less rattled and can save up his best stuff for 1 or 2 stars in the opposing lineup and take the chance of walking them on base, because he knows they will likely not get batted in. With a stronger batting order, a batter will hit for a higher average and walk more as the opposing pitcher is worn down.
Funnily enough, I didn't see Rajai "starting to fade" last year. Quite the contrary. When did Rickey "fade"?
Rajai caused chaos in the opposing defence and pitcher whenever he got on. He virtually stole at will, not rarely more than 1 base when he was on. He manufactured runs for a weak-ass offence that often couldn't get them any other way. When he was on base, the game suddenly got energized and the fans got interested.
Rajai Davis has no plate discipline and a terrible lack of understanding of the strike zone. He has never shown the ability to grind out ABs and do what speed guys with few/no other skills must do: get on base. No amount of lineup protection is going to help that. He is one of the weak links that pitchers can take an AB off with. His 400 PA 2009 season appears to be a complete aberration.
LOL! You do realize that you just compared Rajai Davis to one of the greatest players of all time, right?
Rickey Henderson was a superfreak. Speed. Power. GREAT batting eye (.401 career OBP.)
Speed guys with few/no other skills bring little to the table and generally do tend to fade. Vince Coleman, a better baserunner but otherwise similar player, was finished at 33 and out of baseball at 35. (Correction to earlier post: Davis is currently 33.)
Yes, he was great base stealer... When he got on base, which was at a pathetic .312 clip in 2013.
Listen, the Jays absolutely sucked last year and Rajai's stolen bases (a remarkable 45 for 51) were fantastic - possibly one of the team's few bright spots - and gave the fans something to cheer about. But let's try to be objective and look at the guy in his proper context: he's a glorified pinch runner who brings little/nothing else to the team.
For $5 million/season, I hope Detroit gets more than the .252/.299/.369 (OPS+ of 81) that the Jays did for the past three seasons. I also hope Rajai proves me (and others in baseball much smarter than me) wrong and reverts back to the 2009 version of himself in his age 33 & 34 seasons.
Please stop invoking Rickey Henderson when discussing Rajai Davis - it's hard to take any discussion seriously. As mentioned, Vince Coleman is a better comp.
How about this? In an otherwise stacked lineup as a #9 hitter, Rajai Davis would make for a perfectly adequate player on a decent team. So if Detroit finds a 3B (or prospect Nick Castellanos is ready and meets the hype) and everyone else plays to/exceeds their potential, Davis' numerous flaws will be hidden and his one strength will be noteworthy.
I wish the Jays would be a little more active this off season. I suspect there will be some kind of trade, I'd hate to think we are going into next season with what we have now. Merry Christmas to you Jennifer and all the other wonderful ladies on TERB.Jays just signed Kawasaki! Merry Christmas gift to those of who love him
I honestly think there will be one big signing but I'm not all that worried...
If they stay healthy- we have the same core team that everyone had high expectations for last year.
They will all be motivated to erase the memories of last year- we have great depth in pitching if everyone is healthy and we have a smart catcher. I wish there were a few bug signings and wish Rogers wasn't so cheap but I feel positive.
I know people think Kawasaki is a waste but I heartily-disagree.
I'm happy he will be back- I saw mets fans and other teams bigging him up- he is an asset and in thrilled that he will be back
Merry Christmas.
Ya man, after 2 straight Lost Seasons full of excuses...
The Jays don't have a single starting pitcher that would make the 1992 Jays staff.
AA is the Bryan Colangelo of baseball...
Once he is gone... it will take 5 years to rebuild the Jays farm system.
AA did a good job in restock piling our propsects. However, he took the gamble and put all eggs in one basket.
This is all irrelevant.
There is a Fine Art to building teams with winning chemistry...
It's on the order of Grandmaster Chess... not wheeling and dealing used cars...
That only a mature, highly experienced, genius GM will master.
Both BC and AA have consistently assembled "talented" teams that underperformed...
Often making a trades for short-sighted reasons, often overpaying, etc...
And saddled second-rate Coaches with these dysfunctional teams.
Did you know that with SportsVu...
We now know that Bargs in the 6th slowest player out of 400 in the NBA.
What kind of idiot would waste a #1 pick for the slowest player on the floor...
Which hurts your team in countless intangible ways?
It's just the most basic misunderstanding of how to build an NBA team.
Just like building your pitching staff around a knuckleballer...
Which has never been done before because it's nuts.
At least Dickey could beat Bargs in a footrace, maybe, I'll give AA that.
