Starting this season we had two catchers more than capable of managing a big-league pitching staff. One was a stud prospect, solid behind the plate and even better with the bat. The other is a 1st ballot hall of famer at the twilight of his career. It seemed like it wouldn't be too long before Pudge was sent away to a contender, until he turned into a clutch monster.
In addition to his catching acumen (throwing out 5 of 12 baserunners), Pudge has turned out to be a pretty solid hitter - in spite of a dreadful slashline of .238/.284/.397. When it counts, is when Pudge decided to hit the ball with some authority.
Join me, Pudge has 15 hits on the year, with 14 RBI. Of those 15 hits, 7 of them have come with runners in scoring position accounting for 13 of his 14 RBI. The lone exception is the solo bomb he hit back against Derek Lowe last weekend.
With runners in scoring position, the Nationals are hitting an absolutely dreadful .233, but our veteran catcher is hitting a whopping .350.
Some Splits:
With runners on 2nd and 3rd, he is hitting 2 for 3 - with a HR and 6 RBI.
With a runner on 3rd and 2 outs, Pudge is a staggering 4 for 7.
With the bases loaded, he is 2 for 2 - 4 RBI.
On a team struggling to score runs in the clutch, there is no one that you would rather see up than Pudge. Maybe, just maybe, our Catching tandem isn't quite finished.
What say you CapBallers? Do you want to see Pudge stick around a little bit longer, or should we trade him while the value is high???
I think Pudge should finish his career here - Ramos still needs a mentor - so does our young pitching staff. He has a lot of knowledge to offer them. He can go straight from the dugout to a coaching position. Not to mention the clutch hitting. What is his trade value, really ? Is it high enough for us to let him go? If Rizzo gets just the right deal, maybe. If it's not the perfect deal - let him stay here.
ReplyDeleteThat is a good/tough question. I like what Pudge brings to the team, veteran presence and accepting his part time role and excelling in it. I also think highly of Jesus Flores and would love for him to get another chance and compete with Ramos and see them push each other for playing time. Competition is good as no one gets comfortable. If the Nats can get something good in return for Pudge then do it.
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