The Cleveland Guardians usually are not bashful about their emotions concerning Andres Gimenez. They're fairly enamored with him, in reality. Day by day, like dutiful marketing campaign managers, they take to Twitter to succeed in out to their trustworthy constituency and past, shaking timber, trying to find votes and voters in an effort to make their second baseman an All-Star.
From Wednesday: “You, informal followers of baseball, are actually going to let Andres Gimenez, one of the best second baseman within the American League, sit in third place in All-Star voting, huh? Even when this can be a reputation contest, we like our man one of the best.”
From Thursday: “Have you ever voted for one of the best second baseman within the American League, Andres Gimenez, right this moment?”
Right here’s the factor: This isn’t simply hometown boosterism. Gimenez is having a terrific yr, as one of many cogs on a Guardians workforce with perhaps probably the most enjoyable offense in baseball. He's 23 years previous, which nearly makes him grizzled on the youngest workforce in MLB. He was hitting .302 heading into Thursday’s recreation with the Twins. His OPS was .834, his OPS+ a stout 137.
We carry this up, in fact, as a result of Gimenez was a Met, and a well-thought-of Met, earlier than he was used as a chip within the commerce that introduced Francisco Lindor to New York. And Lindor, via Thursday’s off-day is hitting .243, with an OPS of .731, and an OPS+ of 108. He's additionally incomes $34.1 million this yr.
Giminez is making $706,600.
OK: There was a time once we used to yell as loudly as anybody concerning the Mets’ penny-pinching, so that actually shouldn’t issue even slightly bit into this dialogue. Steve Cohen can shake unfastened a number of couch cushions to pay Lindor, and can achieve this unabashedly and unapologetically.
However this isn’t the final time this dialog will happen.
It isn’t the primary time, both. In spite of everything, as a lot as Lindor might have struggled final yr in his New York debut, there weren’t lots of people pining for Gimenez, who hit however .218 with an OPS+ of 73 in 188 big-league at-bats.
And there's no denying that whereas Lindor’s numbers aren’t the place anybody would need them, he has been a lot better as a sophomore with the Mets, driving in 52 runs out of the No. 3 gap (on tempo for round 110 or so) whereas enjoying glorious protection.
“I'm way more comfy this yr,” Lindor insisted a number of days in the past. “All that occurred final yr is final yr. I’ve put that each one behind me.”
And there have been stretches of this season when that has been absolutely evident. However there have additionally been stretches — and he’s in a single now — the place it once more looks as if he’s in his personal head manner an excessive amount of, making an attempt to do manner an excessive amount of. That has resulted in an offensive season that isn’t simply streaky however in plenty of methods downright schizophrenic:
After 17 video games, Lindor had a slash line of .313/.408/.563.
Via his subsequent 21 video games, it was .161/.239/.259.
Throughout his subsequent 14: .352/.422/.574
And over his final 18: .192/.244/.329.
Half the time he’s enjoying at an MVP stage. Half the time he’s barely at substitute stage. That isn’t precisely what Cohen signed up for when he obtained Lindor’s identify on the backside of a 10-year, $341 million contract.
Nonetheless, the Mets are in first place, their offense stays potent, and supervisor Buck Showalter is firmly of the assumption that Lindor is likely one of the the reason why.
“He involves work day-after-day and asks, ‘What can I do to assist us win right this moment,’” Showalter stated. “We now have plenty of guys like that.”
The comparisons gained’t merely disappear. They by no means do when there’s a commerce concerned. Lindor is definitely fortunate that the opposite key determine within the swap, Amed Rosario, has had largely pedestrian numbers (he has an OPS+ of 98 in Cleveland). For now, it's inconceivable to declare something definitive based mostly on 55 terrific video games, in addition to Gimenez might have performed in these video games.
The Guardians can stump for his or her man, and so they have a hell of a case. The Mets will take their probabilities with Lindor, and hope they see extra of the nice model than the unhealthy. With 9 ½ years to go in that marriage, they actually don’t have another option to root.
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