Quote:
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho
Gordon is a better hitter than Craig, and he has proven quite durable, something Craig has yet to really do. He's a .300/.370 OBP guy who is going to hit around 20 HR and 40 2B (and that's in a lineup where he has much less help than he would in St. Louis, and much more pressure). If you don't like him 4th, hit him 2nd or 3rd and drop Beltran and Holliday down a slot.
Or forget about Gordon at 1st or 3rd. Play Matt Holliday at 1B and leave Gordon in left. Keeps Holliday's bat in the lineup and moves him off of a position where he is below- to fringe-average. Holliday might also be able to avoid the nagging injuries that always seem to steal a couple of weeks from each of his seasons.
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Gordon also hits lefthanded.
It hasn't mattered this year, but for his career there is a noticeable split there. Good, RH, RBI bats are really in short supply,
especially in the Cardinals system.
I'd be extremely reluctant to take a RH bat out of the lineup in favor of another LHer.
I'm also FAR from willing to just concede that Alex Gordon is a better hitter than Allen Craig. Craig's going to hit for more power year in, year out, IMO. Additionally, while Gordon's more likely to draw a walk, he's also more likely to strike out. Seeing as how Craig is used as an RBI/Cleanup hitter, his ability to make contact more frequently is largely what makes him such an outstanding RBI guy. I know RBI is team dependent, but if all things are equal, Craig is a better RBI hitter due to his approach.
In the end, they're comparable hitters, but Gordon is a better athlete/baserunner. I think it's hard to go wrong with either one, but given the difficulty in finding a premier RH RBI bat, I'd prefer keep the righty and sacrifice the athleticism, especially if we're talking about a scenario where either player is at 1b.
Matt Adams? Pft - Gordon in a walk. Adams may be great someday, but the book on him is out right now (hard in, hard in, soft away; take a seat). He needs to adjust to pitchers adjusting to him before I start including him in any of these conversations.