Quote:
Originally Posted by Male29Dan
To me, play your best guys in the positions they are best suited. Why does Murphy have to be a 4th outfielder behind Borbon when he does everything better than Borbon except run? Make Borbon make enough noise with his bat in 4th outfielder duty like Murphy has to DESERVE the starting OF spot. What Murphy did this past year puts him in the starting lineup as far as I am concerned, minus a trade or FA signing. Keeping Borbon as the 4th OF spot is somehow beneath him? Is it beneath Murphy? Give me a break.
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Borbon is a much better defensive outfielder than Murphy. So it's not as clear cut as you're making it out to be.
My main reason for wanting to play Borbon is that I don't want Hamilton in center. Hamilton in left and Boron in center is a defensive upgrade at both positions, and if Borbon can come close to carrying his weight offensively I think it's worth doing.
Borbon's situation is different than Murph's. Murph had already established himself as what he was, a borderline 3/4 outfielder. Borbon is a well above average defensive outfielder, a first rounder pick and a guy that if he can hit will be an above average starting centerfielder for a long time. You're going to stunt his growth by making him a reserve.
Now, obviously at this point player growth is not the focus. But you need to balance the priorities a little bit so you don't turn a potentially valuable piece into a career utility outfielder.
This argument is also why I don't want to bring Vlad back. I want the DH spot to be open so that all of our outfielders get enough playing time.