Mayberry making rightfield even more of a conundrum
Even before his heroics to beat the Marlins, John Mayberry Jr. was making a case to be a better choice than Delmon Young.
TRYING to figure out the Phillies' proper course of action in rightfield was a brain-scrambling endeavor even before last night. Now, you probably feel as if you could pour a steaming cup of bisque out of your ears.
John Mayberry Jr. is the man responsible for the conundrum, thanks in part to the pair of home runs he launched to power the Phillies to a 7-3 11th-inning victory over the woeful Marlins. The first, a game-tying solo shot, came in the 10th inning. The second, a walk-off grand slam, came with two out in the 11th.
This, from a player who spent the first seven innings on the bench.
Even before his heroics, Mayberry could make a solid case that he should garner most of the playing time in rightfield. Granted, Delmon Young was one of the few Phillies who had success against Marlins righthander Ricky Nolasco, who held them to two runs in 6 2/3 innings while striking out six. In fact, Young played a direct role in both of those runs, hitting an RBI double and later scoring from second in a seventh inning that tied the game at 2-2 and ended Nolasco's night. But then manager Charlie Manuel switched him out of the game with Mayberry, who had just pinch-hit, and you were right back where you started.
The question: If a player who requires a defensive substitution in a tight game isn't going to give a team better than a .220 batting average, a .699 OPS and a home run every 20 at-bats, does that player belong on the field to begin with? Especially when the team has a righthanded-hitting corner outfielder who offers a similar offensive skill set with better defense?
It's a question the Phillies need to contemplate over the next 3 days. If Young is on the team on Saturday, his 40th day on the active roster, his contract calls for him to be paid a $100,000 bonus. Keeping him around will represent a six-figure bet that he gets hot within the next 40 days, after which the Phillies will owe him another $100,000 bonus.
Chances are, they will look at it as a value bet. They've already invested at least $1 million in Young - a guaranteed $750,000 salary, a $250,000 roster bonus, and potentially some weight-related bonuses - so why not throw a few more chips in the pot and hope that they land a wild card?
Well, there are two reasons. Neither of them is a slam dunk. But they are reasons, and they must be considered. First and foremost, at no point over the last 2 1/2 years has Young offered a reason to believe there is a difference-making hitter lurking inside of him. The last time that happened was May through July in 2010. In those 3 months, Young finally performed like the hitter many scouts projected him to be as a young prospect with the Rays. He hit .360 with a .384 on-base percentage, a .587 slugging percentage, 12 home runs and 72 RBI in 305 plate appearances. But in the final 2 months of that season, he hit as he did in the first month (.240/.280./.403 with seven home runs), which is exactly as he hit in his first month of this season, and in 5 of the 6 months of last season (August the lone exception).
The second reason is that this isn't about money. The Phillies can afford to burn another $100,000. What they can't do is stick with the status quo if they hope to qualify for the postseason. At some point, they might need to start scratching lottery tickets, and they do have a few of them at Triple A. If the combination of Mayberry and Young isn't going to result in the offensive production they need out of rightfield, then maybe a combination of Mayberry and Darin Ruf or Mayberry and Josh Fields or even Mayberry and Leandro Castro is worth exploring.
One thing is clear: The numbers say Mayberry has been every bit as productive as Young since the start of the 2011 season.
Young since 2011 (before last night): .263/.297/.404, 35 home runs, 222 strikeouts, 1,144 at-bats.
Mayberry: .256/.316/.433, 31 home runs, 196 strikeouts, 824 at-bats.
Mayberry has been more productive against lefties, more productive as a pinch-hitter, and more effective as a defender. So while the Phillies might be inclined to give Young more than 30 more games to prove himself, his previous 305 games suggest that the wait will be in vain.
Nobody will argue that Mayberry has shown himself to be a long-term solution in the Phillies' unsettled outfield equation. But if his presence on the field prevents a couple of more runs between now and whenever the front office decides it needs to call in a Hail Mary from Triple A, that might be the wisest route to go.
Today on PhillyDailyNews.com: Ben Revere is quietly catching fire.
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