Kyle Skipworth, C

[HUGG]

Lou, unless he just completely falls apart again, don't you have to send him to AAA? I think it sends him the wrong message to send him back to AA for a 3rd season.

[HUGG]

As for moving him, I think C is the only spot he can realistically play and have his bat be worth anything. You can justify a guy hitting .230 at C if he hits 15-20hr. That's just a pile of shit at 1b.

[lou]

Lou, unless he just completely falls apart again, don't you have to send him to AAA? I think it sends him the wrong message to send him back to AA for a 3rd season.

I see it more like, the catcher depth chart is

MLB - Buck, Hayes/Free Agent
AAA - Brantly, gotta get the AB
AA - Skipworth, gotta get the AB
A+ - Realmuto, gotta get the AB

I think it's really dumb to move Skipworth up to AAA just to play 1B (to get the AB) because he's "blocked" at C by a better prospect. I think he moves up when the Marlins decide to move on from Buck and try Brantly (probably midseason if not contending, or if contending roll 2014).

Also let's put into perspective, Skipworth right now is hitting .213/.284/.408 (.693) in AA in 2012. It's not like he has earned that promotion despite the recent bomb surge. Realmuto is also .254/.320/.352 (.672) in Jupiter. Yes it's a pitchers park, but that isn't exactly inspiring. For as cool as we all think Brantly is, he is hitting .282/.319/.362 (.681) in AAA in 2012. These guys haven't exactly grown into their level yet, and 4-5 more months (nearly a full year) between now and June/July next year, only helps them.
--------------------

I didn't take it as "He will never play catcher again!"

I took it as "Let's Ryan Doumit him, and see if he can fill a couple of roles on the team long-term, including the big half of the platoon at catcher, plus RHB off the bench."

We criticize the team for not trying players out at other positions in the minors, but instead waiting until they get to the majors to do so. Wouldn't this be a fairly rare example of foresight on the part of the organization?

I think this is a cool idea. Plus if indeed Brantly works out and is "better" than Skipworth next few years, but Skipworth still ends up a rosterable player and can hit righties a bit, it would be really nice to have him as a young cost controlled C/1B/C-OF, better Jake Fox type, in say 2015/2016. You never know which catcher is going to stick long term so it would be only beneficial to have him there.

But still, saying that. He needs 4-5 starts per week as catcher (prime position) and then just start testing waters 1-2 a week out at 1B and/or corner OF spot. That just isn't going to happen sharing a level with Brantly or Realmuto. And I really hope the Marlins don't rush Brantly just because Buck is underwhelming this year.

[HUGG]

The depth chart thing is a fair point, but unless we totally overhaul our FO this fall, I think you're dreaming when you say Free Agent C in Miami instead of Brantly. They'll call him up in September and he'll be on the roster opening day.

We're not usually a model of patience (unless you're named Josh Willingham).


.238/.297/.467, his vR split, is the only line that really matters for Skipworth to me. I've written him off completely vs. lefties.

He was .205/.278/.333 vs. R last season.

[Miamarlin21]

I understand the depth chart thing, and it makes sense to me, but it still would suck for him being in Double-A for three years if he somehow continues to tear it up. Then again, he should have been in Jupiter last year.

[Erick]

Don't laugh but they are considering using him at 1B next year and keeping LoMo in LF

Some guys in the FO want this while others say NO

Hopefully the people who want this get fired.

[lou]

The depth chart thing is a fair point, but unless we totally overhaul our FO this fall, I think you're dreaming when you say Free Agent C in Miami instead of Brantly. They'll call him up in September and he'll be on the roster opening day.

We're not usually a model of patience (unless you're named Josh Willingham).


.238/.297/.467, his vR split, is the only line that really matters for Skipworth to me. I've written him off completely vs. lefties.

He was .205/.278/.333 vs. R last season.

I don't disagree the Marlins may be aggressive and promote him, but I'd also like to add service time. The way baseball finances are structured, there is no incentive to call up top prospects in September for more than a game or two, nor during the first few months of a year. Avoiding Super2/Arb1 is huge, and saves teams millions and millions. If Brantly is the future catcher of the team, it makes absolutely no sense to bring him up until mid June 2013. He isn't making or breaking the 2013 squad being in NOLA for 2 1/2 months. He isn't a Fernandez/Yelich/Turner level guy you throw into the fire and hope Trout/Harper/M. Moore performances happen.

I literally love the catcher depth chart MLB-A+. Leave them all alone, let them all get the AB which they all need, hope Buck's BABIP averages out, and reassess July 15th.

[Erick]

I'm not really sure how it is.

Some indeterminate number of people in the front office maybe or maybe not thinks he should learn another position, in case he cannot hack it as an everyday player behind the plate? That is ?

How is his offense valuable at 1B? He must be horrendous defensively as a catcher if they're considering that.

Why would they do that? To make room for Brantly? Aside from the fact that this idea kinda sucks, I feel like people (some fans and apparently some people in the front office) are overrating Brantly tremendously at this point.

[lou]

How is his offense valuable at 1B? He must be horrendous defensively as a catcher if they're considering that.

Why would they do that? To make room for Brantly? Aside from the fact that this idea kinda sucks, I feel like people (some fans and apparently some people in the front office) are overrating Brantly tremendously at this point.

I think you missed bobs other post about playing him all around in the minors just to see what he can do, ala mini Ryan Doumit. I also think its a bit overreacting based on a fleeting comment from tj to talk about what they think of Brantly.

I also think your mind is boxing yourself in thinking, if they play him at 1B, then they only consider him a 1B. No shit his offense probably doesn't make him a starter there, but if Brantly works out, and Skipworth can act as a backup catcher and also cover 1B and god willingly LF (Marlins are a NL team you know) off the bench, that is a cool player to have around if he is hitting bombs off RHP. It creates value to the team having him get experience in another spot or two.

[Miamarlin21]

He could replace Dobbs!

[Ramp]

I like how the article talks about how much he's improved defensively and yet there's talks of moving him to 1b next year

[Bobbob1313]

Well, "there's talks." you know?

[HUGG]

It also could be as simple as they do plan on moving him to AAA next year and if Brantly's still there, they have to get him ABs somehow.

So Skip plays 1B some. DHs some. Brantly DHs some. Combos to get them both in the lineup as much as possible.

Of course, I don't like the idea of taking C innings away from either of them, but what can you do.

I just can't see them making him go to AA again.

[Bobbob1313]

Brantley catches against all LHP and 33% of RHP. Skip gets the rest of them, plus you stick him in LF and 1B once a week?

Essentially, it means they think he's not a starting catcher, but he has more organizational worth than the typical Brett Hayes/Brad Davis pure backup catcher crap. Which seems like the right idea.

They think he can be a viable bench bat (ala Greg Dobbs, like MM21 said), plus he can catch a few times a week. I'm totally fine with that thought process.

[HUGG]

I just put every PA he's had since July 12 in a spreadsheet.

89pa .256/.360/.654 9hr 11.2bb% 31.5k%

Going inside the numbers:
vs. L: 20pa .313/.450/.688 2hr 20.0bb% 35.0k%
vs. R: 69pa .242/.333/.645 7hr 8.7bb% 30.4k%

@_@

these numbers are more accurate than the other ones, couple HBP increased his OBP/added a couple PA

I'll keep updating this one unless he gives me a reason to stop. Since he's way more interesting than the Marlins are right now.