FAN Projection Targets: Five Batters Traded This Offseason

Earlier today, FanGraphs CEO and founder David Appelman announced that the ballots for the 2015 FAN Projections are now available for the tender ministrations of this site’s readership. With a view to ensuring that all notable players are addressed sufficiently — and also towards producing the number of posts he’s required to publish each week — the present author is highlighting certain players whose ballots are of some particular interest.

Before casting a ballot, don’t forget this note from Appelman’s announcement post:

Please note that everything this year is a rate stat. You’re projecting 2B+3B, HR, SB, and Fielding as a measure of 150 games (basically a full season). The player’s previous stats are shown per 150 games in the projection ballot too. This will make changing playing time projections much easier as you’ll only have to change the games played portion.

Now, here are five players for the reader’s consideration — batters who’ve been traded during the 2014-15 offseason. Note: listed age is for 2015.

Player: Dee Gordon, 27, 2B (Profile)
2014 Line: 650 PA, .289/.326/.378, 4.8% BB, 16.5% K, 101 wRC+ at MLB
Notes: Parlayed .346 BABIP into career year in 2014, stealing major-league-best 64 bases and producing three-plus wins. Sent by Dodgers to Miami this offseason (with Dan Haren) in exchange for Austin Barnes and Andrew Heaney and Enrique Hernandez and likely other prospects. Expected to start at second base in Miami.

¡Submit Projection for Dee Gordon!

Player: Didi Gregorious, 25, SS (Profile)
2014 Line: 299 PA, .226/.290/.363, 7.4% BB, 17.4% K, 76 wRC+ at MLB
Notes: Received fewer major-league at-bats in 2014 with Arizona than in -13, largely due to presence of other shortstop Chris Owings. Traded to Yankees this offseason in three-team deal also including Detroit. Is likely to start at short for New York, although is candidate to platoon with Brendan Ryan.

¡Submit Projection for Didi Gregorious!

Player: Brett Lawrie, 25, 3B (Profile)
2014 Line: 282 PA, .247/.301/.421, 5.7% BB, 17.4% K, 101 wRC+ at MLB
Notes: Posted strong rates in another injury-shortened season. Sent from Toronto to Oakland at end of Novemeber. Expected to take third-base spot vacated by Josh Donaldson in same deal.

¡Submit Projection for Brett Lawrie!

Player: Marcus Semien, 24, 2B/3B (Profile)
2014 Line: 255 PA, .234/.300/.372, 8.2% BB, 27.5% K, 88 wRC+ at MLB
Notes: Struggled to make contact at major-league level, eliciting demotion to Triple-A for June through August. Traded to Oakland in deal that sent Jeff Samardzija to White Sox. Was candidate to start season at shortstop before Oakland’s acquisition of Yunel Escobar and Ben Zobrist.

¡Submit Projection for Marcus Semien!

Player: Steven Souza, OF, 26 (Profile)
2014 Line: 407 PA, .350/.432/.590, 12.8% BB, 18.4% K, 180 wRC+ at Triple-A
Notes: Once again exhibited impressive combination of power and speed — although did it once again in the minor leagues. Sent from Washington to Tampa in three-team deal that also included San Diego. Would appear to sit atop right-field depth chart for Rays.

¡Submit Projection for Steven Souza!





Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.

2 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
walkish
9 years ago

Hi Carson, your intro says “Earlier today, FanGraphs CEO and founder David Appelman announced that the ballots for the 2014 FAN Projections”. I think it should be 2015 rather than 2014 (though the depth charts are all for 2014, so maybe you are right).