Is Gathright still a commodity?

by StickRat on May 26, 2006 1:29 AM EDT

It's only May, but should the Rays be concerned about Joey Gathright's ability to hit at the big-league level? The good news is he is taking walks, stealing bases, and playing good defense. The glaring bad news is he is currently hitting .189, and a mere .136 at home. My thoughts going into the season were that the Rays were holding onto him in hopes of swinging a deadline trade with a competitor for a bounty a low-level prospects. Now I'm wondering if passing on the proposed Bill Bray deal with the Nats was a bad idea for Tampa.

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Of course the DRO is concerned....................

So are the fans. He is hitting poorly, and may be benched when Baldelli comes back, though will likely platoon with Damon Hollins. The only good he's done this year is getting on base through walks.....a lot of walks.

www.draysbay.com

by Patrick L. Kennedy on May 26, 2006 2:08 AM EDT reply actions

I'd say....

given the current state of the Rays bullpen, Bray would have been a nice fit. I'm encouraged by the walks but it is his best shot at getting on base of late. Lefties still give him fits and he can't seem to lay off the high outside pitch for some reason.

I'll give him credit in the field too - he's come a long way since last season where every fly ball was an adventure.

by UCFKnights on May 26, 2006 6:26 AM EDT reply actions

Vs. lefties?

Do lefties really give him fits? Because, his lifetime average against lefties is better than his lifetime average against right-handers. I haven't seen him play on a regular basis and am only going by the stats. Is he merely utilizing his speed from the left side to beat out grounders to the left side of the infield to increase his numbers?

by StickRat on May 26, 2006 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions

I get to watch him

whenever the local TV contract permits...which isn't often. I see him bailing out on a lot of leftties and seems unable to pull any of them.

If he plays tonight vs Wells, I'd expect a heavy diet of curves. On that note, Gomes is hitting around .025 vs Wells in his career and the Jays and Sox have done a good job over the last few games feeding him breaking balls low and away that he simply cannot lay off of.

by UCFKnights on May 26, 2006 3:00 PM EDT up reply actions

I gave Gathright too much credit

I likened him to Alex Sanchez offensively and said he would be a 4th OF - at this point he will be a AAAA player if he doesn't watch out.

I never see him as more than a situational 4th OF and pinch runner. He can only hit single (which right now he can't even do) and is only good in small doses.

by slickwdb on May 26, 2006 6:40 AM EDT reply actions

Poor question

The question "Is Gathright still a commodity" implies that at some point he was one.

by delmonfan on May 26, 2006 10:48 AM EDT reply actions

And if you think

he was a career long non-commodity youre being asinine

by nms on May 26, 2006 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, well ...

Gathright hasn't chucked any equipment at an umpire to jock for ESPN's flavor-of-the-week award, but he has been considered one of the Rays' top prospects by many experts for a few years now.

by StickRat on May 26, 2006 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions

comedy

All it will take is 1 good month with the stick and Gathright will be around .250 AVG with a .350 OBP.

I'm sure a few teams would be interested in a guy with a .350 OBP who can steal 50 bases and show great range in centerfield.

The guy amazingly has a .300+ OBP even though he is only hitting .189

Rays in '08....

by youALREADYknow on May 26, 2006 12:18 PM EDT reply actions

Gathright

I'm higher on him now than I was at the beginning of the season. Even good players have horrible stretches, but Gathright is proving my thoughts on him wrong. I thought that his entire value was centered on his ability to hit for good average. But he's been a marginally valuable player this year despite hitting .130.

Despite his horrible hitting, Gathright has been able to put together a very impressive 19:25 K:BB this year, improving on his Patterson-like 12:53 during the last two years.

Don't forget the 113 Rate (5 FRAA already) and ridiculous range in center field. His arm has even been a little better than advertised.

I don't think he'll hit .130 forever; .270 is more like it. If he can maintain his improvement in plate discipline with a hike in the batting average, he's one of the more valuable leadoff guys in the league.

by limozeen on May 26, 2006 1:10 PM EDT reply actions

Run production

Also, thus far in '06 he has scored 23 runs. That is a pretty amazing run total for a part-time player.

by StickRat on May 26, 2006 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions

thin ice

only known mendoza line players get absulutely no atbats so gathright hasn't been tossed in the sewer yet

but getting close, i suspect.

redeeming qualities: showing good eye, good d, accepting role as a pure leadoff hitter via nice ability to draw walks especially when representing no threat..

that can't be easy and represents a special skill only a few like freel,etc. have.

luck component hit rate down, so still may come around, If he can get up to his expected 260-270.. will make someone a nice player.

by dryice on May 26, 2006 6:31 PM EDT reply actions

extremes

I don't think Gathright will necessarily maintain this .110 IsoD he has if he raises that BA. He may remain right in that vicinity - but let's not talk like it's a given.

Sometimes these players with extreme IsoD who also have extremely low BA can only break out of the slump by being more aggressive (putting fastballs in play early in the count), and this can be counter productive to drawing walks.

I think that's a trap people sometimes get into when evaluating a player. They think if a player improves in one area that it's a given everything else about them you liked will stay just as good or also improve. Doesn't always work that way. Atleast he's got some minor league track record to suggest it's worth riding out a little longer.

"I may not be a class act, but I'm an American." Ron Artest on wanting to play for the Olympic team

by natsfan2005 @ Minor League Ball on May 26, 2006 7:33 PM EDT reply actions

good point

remains to be seen if a decent average gaithright is a good obp gaithright.

right now gaithright needs to get head out of the noose. American league teams don't need this..if they want a 200 av in the ninth spot, they'd leave the pitcher in and save the roster spot.

The best bet for Gaith is get his av and trade value up enuf to get traded to the nl. A smart nl team would be more than happy to play a center fielder with Gaithright's potential skills at leadoff. With the two auto outs (catcher, pitcher)at the end of the batting order in the nl, his value as a leadoff hitter, ground coverer centerfielder is amplified.

by dryice on May 28, 2006 9:57 AM EDT up reply actions