Hamilton getting on base enough to be a threat is as always the key with him...

But Mondesi should see a ton of fastballs if Hamilton and Merrifield are hitting in front of him (I would hit Hamilton 9th and Merrifield first, with Mondesi hitting 2nd). It’s an interesting roster construction.

He’s not really blocking anyone at this point, so nothing is hurt.

1) 2B Merrifield
2) SS Mondesi
3) C Perez
4) 1B O'Hearn
5) DH Soler
6) LF Gordon
7) RF Bonifacio
8) 3B Dozier
9) CF Hamilton

A lineup similar to this with Owings, Goodwin, Phillips, and Gallagher behind them seems decent enough for Opening Day. It's not going to push us past 500, but again, we'll be incredibly fun to watch IF we get on base.

Don't think you'll see Bonifacio, Goodwin and Phillips all on the 25-man, especially with Owings, Whit and Soler able to play the OF.

Phillips and Boni have options left -- one of them is going to the minors. Unless they just decide to dump Goodwin.

I'm a big fan of Phillips, and I'd love to see a Gordon-Hamilton-Phillips OF just for the D. Phillips had a good rookie year in Milwaukee in 2017, hopefully he can regain that after an awful 2018 with the bat.

I do like this Hamilton deal.

Sorry.

We can't all offer super insightful commentary like "Oh man they'll have two monster contracts underperforming" in reference to the Padres signing Hosmer and considering Machado.

If Ozzie Smith didn't do flips , would he be in the HOF? :)

I answered that.

^^^^^^
THIS

Plus, who are some of our most-promising and young assets? Junis, Keller, Lopez, Fillmyer. What is the best friend of developing pitchers that you don't want worrying about whether pitching to contact will constantly kill them? Defense. Specifically, outfield defense. This is a developmental move as much as anything - for the pitchers. I'm all for any move that helps those guys out as they mature.

Unless Phillips looks dreadful in ST and Boni is just crushing the ball, I think Boni goes down without question and they start with the all-world outfield defense of Gordon, Hamilton and Phillips. Not likely to look the same all year, but it's a good strategy to start things off. Plus, I THINK we know what Boni is...but Phillips just needs to be given a ton of at-bats and see if he can figure it out at the plate while making highlight reel throws from RF.

I agree with you completely about Harold Baines. I’m glad I visited Cooperstown when I was a kid before it became the Hall of Pretty Good. So many sportswriters suck!

It is easy enough to skip the stuff honoring the pretty good and focus on the great. Cooperstown is a magical place that every baseball fan should visit.

Really bad signing IMO just for the fact it will take away at bats from guys we want to see perform such as Phillips. If they are planning to go Gordon/Boni, Hamilton, Phillips EVERYDAY I guess I'll listen but I Don't trust them to do that.

Honest question. Do you REALLY think any of the above will be key contributors to our next championship run? Many of our best outfielders will be at Wilmington this year, w/ the likely exception of Khalil Lee. Hamilton upgrades our outfield defense, which is key to winning for us - it helps out our pitchers and takes us back to the defensive culture we need to rebuild. This is a transition outfield - kinda like the Gordon, Cabrera, Francona outfield was (except this one will be better).

Besides, he's only on a one year deal Even if you do think Boni and/or Phillips will be key contributors to our next championship run, with options, it's not like Phillips or Boni are going to rot on the bench. They'll get at-bats at the MLB level or the MILB level. It's just a matter of which for 2019.

Phillips could definitely be part of our next run. He could be the next Alex Gordon. Great defensively, decent power, can walk. The only question is can he hit.