Off-Topic » atoon bat who could be much more than meets the eye.

A pl"Neil Walker immediately brings three facets to the 2019 Miami Marlins: veteran leadership Jose Canseco Jersey , position flexibility, and pop from the left side of the plate. A late-January signing, he is expected to primarily platoon with Peter O’Brien at first base, via President of Baseball Operations Mike Hill. Although signs of decline were present during his time with the Yankees, his history of putting up productive numbers makes him an intriguing candidate for a bounce-back season. How did he get here: Signed a one-year free agent contract on Tuesday2018 MLB Stats: .219/.309/.354, 11 HR, 79 OPS+ in 113 G2019 Projection:* .244/.327/.404, 15 HR in 444 PAZiPS is yet to issue a team-based projection; as such, this projection is provided by Baseball Reference.Walker made his mark as a bat-first infielder who established himself as the Pirates’ longtime second baseman, and has since expanded his versatility. Most of his starts in 2019 should come against favorable matchups—career .271/.344/.450 vs. RHP—while getting his rest on days where left-handers take the mound.As we look forward and consider what Miami envisions from Walker in a Marlins uniform, there are a few elements to explore about his most recent play. First Jed Lowrie Jersey , the hope is that he can build off what was a solid second half of the 2018 campaign. In 52 games played following the All-Star break, Walker produced a .247/.346/.442 slash, with 8 home runs and a 116 OPS+ for the Yankees, who were in the middle of a critical playoff race. Comparable numbers would make him a bargain for the Marlins after guaranteeing him just $2 million on a free-agent deal. If Walker hits his stride during the first half of 2019, he could be flipped to a contender at the trade deadline in exchange for a more controllable asset. We must also keep in mind Walker’s larger body of work since turning 30 years old. It’s been a period dinged by injuries and inconsistency, but his overall contribution of 4.0 Wins Above Replacement compares favorably to an old friend. Dee Gordon, for example, is a 4.7 WAR player over those same three seasons. Their offensive WAR (oWAR) output is identical since 2016 at 4.7 oWAR. This is not to say that they will continue to be the same players, but there is no basis for dismissing Walker as washed up or destined to fail. The Miami Marlins see Walker as a low-risk/high-reward signing. In a worst-case scenario where his bat doesn’t come alive in Miami and he hemorrhages runs defensively, at least that $2 million went toward proven leadership, a platoon partner to mentor/protect O’Brien http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-khris-davis-jersey , and a willing substitute across the diamond. With that being said, if the offensive numbers hold up and Walker’s second half performance is a sign of things to come, then Miami should have a desirable piece to maneuver at the trade deadline. The Chicago White Sox will try to win their third game in a row when they host the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.Chicago (56-82) is coming off a dramatic 4-2 win in Monday’s series opener. The White Sox trailed 2-1 entering the ninth inning but tied the score on a home run by Daniel Palka before winning it with a two-run shot by Matt Davidson.The victory pushed the White Sox into sole possession of third place — something few thought possible as the White Sox flirted with baseball’s worst record a month ago. But Chicago has rallied by winning eight of their last 11, 14 of 20 and 19 of 31.Article continues below ...White Sox manager Rick Renteria said everyone on the team deserves credit for the success. But it’s hard not to notice the stellar performance of the starting rotation as of late, which has helped to lead the charge.“They’ve been great,” Renteria said. “I think these guys are settling in, learning about themselves, knowing what they’re capable of doing. I think they’re starting to trust themselves. I think their confidence level continues to rise.“We’re trying to get through the back end of ballgames to complete what those guys on the front end have done. Right now, we’re going to try to find out a lot, so we’ll see how it goes.“But it doesn’t ever take away, regardless of the outcome at the end Walt Weiss Jersey , it never takes away from what those guys have done at the beginning of the ballgame. We have a lot of guys that have thrown a lot of quality starts for us, up and down (the rotation).”A prime example is right-hander Lucas Giolito (10-9, 5.66 ERA), who is scheduled to make his 28th start in the second game of a three-game set against Detroit.Giolito is 3-0 with a 2.84 ERA in his last three starts, limiting opponents to a .191 batting average (18-for-94) during that span. He tied a season high with eight strikeouts his last time out against the Boston Red Sox.In five career starts against Detroit, Giolito is 3-1 with a 4.06 ERA. He has walked 10 and struck out 27 in 31 innings.As Chicago enjoys a hot streak, the same cannot be said for Detroit (55-83). The Tigers’ latest walk-off defeat sent them to fourth place in the AL Central and marked their eighth loss in the past 10 games.Tigers left-hander Francisco Liriano (3-9, 4.96 ERA) will try to stop the skid when he makes his 22nd start. Liriano gave up five runs (four earned) and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings his last time out against the New York Yankees but did not pick up a decision.In 19 appearances against the White Sox, including 13 as a starter, Liriano is 6-5 with a 4.66 ERA. He drew the loss in his last outing against Chicago as he surrendered five runs and six hits in five innings. He has a 6.38 ERA at Guaranteed Rate Field.