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Friday, December 04, 2009
Who is a replacement-level player?
4-letter chat:
Cesare (Jet City, Washington) According to Fangraphs, Polanco was worth 50 million over the last three years ... does anyone seriously think their valuations have any basis in reality?
Klaw (1:33 PM)
My favorite line on those came from a GM: “Their replacement level is, like, me.”
Excuse me, mr. GM, if I may be so bold, unless you are a young Billy Beane, you’ve been misinformed. From 2006-2009, Jose Guillen is marked on Fangraphs as being close to 0 WAR (while somehow accumulating 1872 PA). Willie Bloomquist, in his career (1857 PA) has a grand total of 1 WAR. Those are the replacement level players.
You may certainly, and possibly fairly, take issue with the multiplier of wins to dollars.
But, 11 wins from Placido Polanco over the last 3 years (according to Fangraphs) is going to be worth the same as the 11 wins from Brandon Phillips (also according to Fangraphs… I’m not necessarily agreeing with that accounting, just putting out there what their evaluations show). Obviously, going forward, the young Phillips is going to (likely) generate more wins than the older Polanco.
Mr Cesare: yes, they have a basis in reality.
Keith: if you are going to quote one side against it (to I presume support your position), then quote the other side as well, to be fair.