Thursday, January 29, 2009

Ten Early Thoughts on Jeff Clement

Note: This post is for catcher trolls.

  • He could get 500 at bats from the catcher position, as he will probably play DH most of the time and then sub in for Johjima once a week or so.

  • Bill James projects 520 at bats, 20 home runs, and a .256 batting average

  • Ranked as the 27th-best catcher here and 20th-best here

  • Hit .337 with 14 HRs, 35 walks, 30 Ks, and a 1.131 OPS in 173 Triple-A at bats last year

  • Clement is 25 years old and just had his second knee surgery. Don't expect a single stolen base from this guy

  • "The knee feels great. I have been working with a physical therapist and am making steady progress. I haven't had any setbacks and now it's a matter of getting back into catching shape." --Jeff Clement on 1/28/09

  • Clement prefers catching regularly because it helps his offense. He went 8-for-72 (.111) with no home runs and two RBIs last season as the DH, compared to 34-for-129 (.264) with five home runs and 21 RBIs when he started games at catcher.

  • No one is talking about this guy, so it's not like anyone would ever need to reach to get him (and in one-catcher leagues he'll go undrafted)

  • 500-plus good at bats from the catcher position would be huge

  • Look, he probably won't hit better than .260, but should be watched closely because of his at-bat potential
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    3 comments:

    1. AnonymousThu Jan 29, 12:09:00 PM 2009

      Is this the same guy who was predicting big things from J.R. Towles last year? What do you think of Towles this year?

      I also seem to remember you having an affinity for Carlos Ruiz, too.

      ReplyDelete
    2. DrGraviteeThu Jan 29, 12:13:00 PM 2009

      Good point, Nell. But it worked out well enough as our team ended up picking up Bengie Molina off the wire. I still say a shot-in-the-dark catcher can either really help your or slightly hurt your team. I just hate spending a high pick on 450 at bats with 18 home runs and a .280 batting average.

      ReplyDelete
    3. AntiBionicsThu Jan 29, 06:35:00 PM 2009

      By all accounts, Clement believes in nothing but baseball and women, whereas Towles puts his faith in blond locks and his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Does this have anything to do with fantasy baseball? Probably.

      ReplyDelete