Feeling down about the Browns: While We’re Waiting…
December 3, 2015Cleveland State falls to Toledo, now 2-5 on the season
December 3, 2015No, the Cleveland Indians didn’t sign David Price. And no, they aren’t adding Yasiel Puig. But fear not: They have added a right-handed bat and corner outfielder to their roster when they acquired the rights to Collin Cowgill from the Los Angeles Angels for cash considerations on Wednesday night. The Indians also agreed to a one-year, one million dollar contract with Cowgill.
The former fifth-round draft pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks out of the University of Kentucky will be turning 30 years old in the 2016 season, which will be his sixth season in MLB.
Defensively, Cowgill will not embarrass himself in center field, but his true position is either corner position (left or right field) where he has proven to be well above average. MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian reported the defensive statistics.
Cowgill's career defensively
LF: 21.4 UZR/150, 12 DRS, 790.2 Inn
CF: -13.6 UZR/150, 0 DRS, 369.2 Inn
RF: 25.9 UZR/150, 16 DRS, 542 Inn— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) December 3, 2015
Offensively, Cowgill is coming off his worst MLB season in which he hit .188/.233/.290 in 55 games (47 OPS+, 45 wRC+). His career numbers confirm he will not be the acquistion to likely fix the Indians issues hitting the ball as he is a mere .236/.299/.334 hitter (80 OPS+, 81 wRC+) making him a below average MLB hitter.1
However, Cowgill is a significantly better hitter against left-handed pitchers (131 tOPS+, 108 wRC+) than against RHP (65 tOPS+, 53 wRC+) making him an ideal platoon partner with Lonnie Chisenhall in right field. Chisenhall broke out in the 2015 season as an outstanding right fielder, and he was hitting the ball extremely well while manager Terry Francona limited him to right-handed pitchers.
In order to make room for Cowgill on the 40-man roster, the Indians designated Nick Hagadone for assignment, which also meant non-tendering him. Thus, Hagadone is currently a free agent while he continues his rehabilitation from elbow surgery this past July. Hagadone had previously been activated from the 60-day DL and has been able to begin throwing at Driveline Baseball. Chris Antonetti noted he is interested in bringing Hagadone back to the team despite the designation on Wednesday.
https://twitter.com/drivelinebases/status/663826029870321664
Wednesday night was the deadline for tendering contracts to all arbitration eligible players for MLB teams. The Cleveland Indians tendered contracts to right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall, relief pitchers Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Jeff Manship, and Zach McAllister, and starting pitcher Josh Tomlin. Tendered players can file for arbitration on January 12 before the team and players can begin negotiating contracts on January 15. If the two sides cannot agree, then MLB will hold arbitration hearings in February.
Todd Paquette of Indians in Depth sent out the expected arbitration numbers for these players:
https://twitter.com/tpaquette_IID/status/672181804569403393
All statistics taken from fangraphs.com and baseball-reference.com unless otherwise noted.
- Note: For both OPS+ and wRC+, 100 is MLB average. Anything above 100 is above average and anything below 100 is below average. The further away, the more extreme. [↩]
28 Comments
Um… k
Exactly. But, more significant than Joba.
Fair enough but neither move has me pre-ordering World Series Ring Polish ™.
Not a sexy move, but a smart one. I like it.
Indians fans drink their WS ring polish during hot stove season. It keeps us warm.
It was close though.
Indians will need an additional operator when season tickets go on sale.
http://i.imgur.com/LVlIz.gif
After careful consideration I think the move that would excite me the most would be firing Ty Van Burkleo and replacing him with Rouglas Odor (Sweet baby Jesus I cannot believe I am not making up either of these names). Do it before spring. Do it now.
Not at all. Cowgill is a good piece to have on the MLB club. He’ll contribute positive on defense and offense (against only LHP), while allowing Chisenhall to only need to face RHP.
He’s probably only an add of about 1-win to the club, but Joba would be negative if we let him out of Columbus, so not close at all 🙂
I hope that Rouglas has a child named with a “B” as the first letter.
“Hey Odor, come over here”
Please, don’t call me odor.
“Fine, B-O, get over here.”
Don’t spoil the new Star Wars for me.
I can’t decide which is worse, Odor or Rouglas… Is it like Rug-less or Roo-glass or Ruggles?
I can’t stop… Row-gulls? Roo-gals? Rog-lass?
I was kidding but please don’t do this to yourself, Indians fans, again. Don’t overstate the kind of player Cowgill is because once you see him play more and more just like so many others the joy will disappear. Yes he’s a nice role player. Yes he can play defense at the corners but so could Drew Stubbs. Actually Stubbs could play CF too. Both have limited bats.
I am hoping the Indians add some arms for the bullpen. Power arms specifically and no not Joba The Hutt. I mean guys who can actually pitch who have power arms.
I’d love to add an arm to the bullpen (though we were top6 by almost all metrics last year for RP). But, the need for hitting is too great. Have to take chances on what we have in AAA or maybe we move TJ House to the bullpen too.
Metrics didn’t fool me. House is interesting at least he’d be a lefty but he’d be another soft tosser. Of course if the starters all throw hard I guess softies out of the bullpen are okay. I don’t know. I agree I’d like to see another arm, or two, added for the bullpen.
That’s actually a pretty darn good half-a-player they just landed. Murphy and Raburn made a decent platoon at the plate but the defense was awful. It’s nice they could find guy who could be half of a good player on both sides of the ball. He may be in LF to start the season rather than platooned with Chiz in RF, but I sure hope they’ve got somebody else to trot out there against RHP, even temporarily.
Metrics include the numbers you like:
-4th best MLB ERA for a bullpen
But yeah, we are 2nd in FIP, 10th in K%, 8th in K:BB%, 5th in HR/9, all with a .299 BABIP (so, not luck).
Not sure why you think the bullpen is full of soft tossers either. Indians were 5th in fastball velocity from the bullpen.
Who is overstating Cowgill? He’s been called a decent part time contributor and about a one win player. He’s a good complement to Chisenhall in RF, and came at a cost of next to nothing.
No House to the pen please, unless he can take on a few more MPH. Otherwise you’re absolutely on the nose about the pen.
If Cody Allen’s .382 BABIP against w/ RISP was at a more reasonable, expected level, the pen would have looked fantastic.
Since it sounds like a dominican name, it may be pronounced who glass?
Who-gulls? Hug-lass? Huggles?!
5 years in majors career averages of .236/.299/.334/.633, 12 HR, 83 R, 160 H, 57 RBI and 14 SB. Also 308 G, 745 PA and 677 AB.
I’d say “decent part time contributor” is generous. But you just watch and see. There’s a reason he was part time and there was a reason he cost next to nothing. Yadda yadda yadda same old same old.
The dark side wins ‘cuz people are involved!
I’d offer the reasons I consider him a decent part time contributor, but you ignored them the first time when bode put them up.
I watched the Angels he barely played. That wasn’t an accident. But you’ll see. Enjoy.
uber ugh