About Eduardo Nunez
-
-
- November
- 28
-
While we’re waiting for something more than rumors and hypotheticals on the hot stove, I thought we might try looking occasionally at some of the new members of the 40-man roster. We’ll start with Eduardo Nunez.
In his career, Nunez has been almost exclusively a shortstop with a handful of starts at second and third. He was once highly touted by Baseball America, but the magazine has since written that it overvalued him back when it put him in the Yankees Top 10. The bat came along the past two years, though, and that led the Yankees to protect him from the Rule 5. I saw him in the Triple-A playoffs, but he spent all of the regular season in Trenton.
Naturally, I asked Mike Ashmore for his take. Here’s what Ashmore wrote…
———
Realistically, Eduardo Nunez is at least a year away from the big leagues. He needs a lot of work defensively, but if his defensive skills can ever catch up to his bat, he’ll be a solid big leaguer that can probably start on some teams.
Defensively, Nunez has an outstanding arm that he doesn’t always seem to be able to harness. Whether it’s issues with footwork or just getting lazy on a few throws, errors have plagued him throughout his career, and last season was no different. Nunez’s 33 errors were good enough to earn him the Eastern League’s Pewter Glove… he led the league with his penchant for the E-6. Nunez likely needs to develop a bit of a better work ethic in the field as well, as for someone who clearly needs to improve defensively, I’d often see him not taking his time in the infield during batting practice as seriously as he should.
Offensively, Nunez had what must be considered his best season in 2009, hitting a career high .322 with nine home runs and 55 RBI. Nunez is a relatively free swinger who makes contact more often than not. While you can’t argue with a batting average like the one he posted, 22 walks in 497 at-bats would suggest he might be better served to improve his plate discipline as well. He doesn’t have a ton of power, and primarily hits for singles, but he did connect for a career high in home runs last season, and his bat may overshadow his glove enough to where he may get a big league look at some point in the near future. While his speed is slightly above average, I can remember him running the Thunder out of several innings last season, sometimes at key points in the game. The speed is there, the instincts aren’t necessarily always connected to his feet.
This entry was posted
on Saturday, November 28th, 2009 at 8:45 am by Chad Jennings.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Print This Post
| 
Email This Post
Sam Borden
Josh Thomson
Sounds like he could be a speedier, poor man’s Robinson Cano in due time?
Seems like he needs serious help re: defense. I also don’t enjoy reading about a less than stellar work ethic. Disappointing for a promising bat. Hopefully he gets a kick in the pants and turns that around.
On another note, you guys have been awesome with this blog thus far. Threads such as this one represents one of the brighter spots of this blog since you three joined us.
Continue to stimulate healthy, debate worthy discussions, especially during the oft-eventless offseason! Great job!
Sawx are looking for a SS,call Epstein.
Chad,you saw de Caster play at Scranton.And I know he left because he wanted to play for the most beautiful country in the world so you can’t blame him
But do you know where he’s gonne play next season and if he might come back to Scranton?And do you think he’s good enough to be a utility man for the Yankees in the future?
He hits LH pitching better than RH pitching:
2009:
v. L: .345/.382/.489/.871
v.R: .306/.331/.402/.733
Career:
v. L: .284/.321/.393/.714
v. R: .262/.308/.350/.658
So being a platoon player or using him only against LH pitching as a UI is a possiblity.
Back to the last thread-
If the Jays trading partners are limited I would give up only a similar deal given up by the Phillies to get lefty Cliff Lee for 1 and 1/2 years. I only consider Hughes or Joba in a trade for Josh Johnson.
McAllister, Nunez, any catcher not named Romine or Montero, and a choice of an A level prospect. The extension itself will cost 23-25M/year x 4 years to age 38.
Robinsom Cano 2.0
I think you’d have to give up more than that, maybe AJack and Melancon, but you’re right that Joba, Hughes, or Montero is too much for Halladay.
Cano showed a lot more SLG than Nunez in MiLB (.425 v. .367) and was better defensively.
Wow, sounds like a great prospect (that’s sarcasm for those that cannot tell). He certainly isn’t sounding like Cano 2.0 to me, more like a guy that can play some infield position in Kansas City in the future, maybe with Duncan at 1st base…
Ouch – and this is a guy that is our future SS? No thanks – if Ashmore is to believed. What a qualifier – if he improves his D, he may start one day for a major league team (obviously implying he could start for a bad team like the Pirates, but not for a team with championship aspirations like the Yankees). The Yankees need to stop drafting catchers already and start drafting infielders.
LOL 22 walks in nearly 500 at bats and he’s a singles hitter…..some prospect.
“Robinson Cano 2.0″
Sounds more like Angel Berroa 2.0.
Even if Doc wants to come to the Yankees, the Jays are not going to take a crappy package for him – they’d hold onto him and take the picks for him. If he really wants to come to the Yankees, he will refuse to sign an extension with any other team………even if he ends up agreeing to a 1 year rental. Of course, a 1 year rental wouldn’t bring back much of anything for the Jays, so in that case, they would also likely hold onto him.
Might not be in Toronto’s best interest to wait for two draft picks.
Let’s say they made a trade with the Yankees and got Ajax, ZMac plus a couple of lower level prospects, that’s infinitely better than waiting until Doc becomes a free agent and hoping that a team that doesn’t draft 1-15 signs him.
If they can get at least two near major league ready prospects and a couple of highly valued prospects in the lower minors for Doc they’d be much further ahead then if they simply waited for draft picks.
Also, what if the Yankees sign Doc? The Yankees typically pick near the end of the first round, how good a pick is that going to be? How close to the majors is the guy they get going to be?
Anyway, I agree with Yankee Trader, there’s no way I trade Joba, Phil or Montero for Halladay.
This is a pivitol time for Roy Halladay. His value will drop if he waits for free agency at the age of 33.
He’s better off to waive his no-trade clause now, take the 72-hour window and sign the best deal which will not be Boston. There’s more candy in the Yankee candy store with both Halladay and the Jays aware of it.
As others have proposed, a deal of Joba, IPK, and a young catcher not named Montero or Romine relieves Toronto of $15.75M and with cost controlled players for a number of years.
Jays fans are resigned to the fact that Halladay is leaving.
Halladay lives only a 20-minute ride to Steinbrenner Field.
This is a surprise:
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/.....bronx.html
SATURDAY 8:31am: ESPN’s Buster Olney hears that Halladay’s preferred destinations are the Yankees, Red Sox, Angels, or Phillies.
**honestly, the Angels? I guess because they are a contender, but I didn’t think Doc would go to a West Coast team. I think he’ll end up there…..and with a nice extension. There’s no reason for the Jays to trade Doc within the division.
Ray, that’s true…….and I agree with your reasoning. No one knows what the Jays are thinking, though. Stan, if Doc has another very good year, how is his value going to drop? The Yankees are not going to trade Joba, Phil or Montero – that’s just not Cashman’s MO. Now that the Angels are on his list, he’s a sure bet to go there. The teams almost had a deal at the deadline last year.
My Thanksgiving continues today. Never thought I’d say this, but I’m thankful I’m not Tiger Woods.
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....crash.html
Is Le Tigre turning into A-Rod, pre-Kate of course? When are rich athletes going to learn to stay away from hostesses and strippers?
And further in the Thanks Department: Chad, greeeaaaaat topic for the post. I really don’t think a dedicated fan on any other team gets what you, Josh and Sam are putting out there. Followed up at Ashmore’s blog – also tremendous.
I also think Roy is going to the Angels.
The more I think about it, the more I think that the Toronto GM would be foolish not to trade Halladay now and get what he can get.
Waiting on draft picks is a foolish road to take in my opinion. They might not sign the draft picks they do take and if they do sign them they’d have to develop them from A ball on up.
Trading for established minor league players is much more sound reasoning.
Toronto doesn’t have to pay any bonuses, and the players they receive will already have pro ball experience.
That’s much better than praying some kid you draft will make it.
If I’m Cashman, I call the boy wonder in Toronto and offer him Kennedy, Ajax, Zmac, Miranda and anybody else not named Montero.
That’s 4 players who will be in the majors either this year or next plus another high end prospect.
The two picks they’ll get won’t be nearly as valuable.
murphydog,
Another drive into the trees for Tiger. When he said he had to work on his driving, I actually thought he was talking about golf. Who knew?
“I guess because they are a contender, but I didn’t think Doc would go to a West Coast team. I think he’ll end up there…..and with a nice extension. There’s no reason for the Jays to trade Doc within the division”
I’ve read a couple times the Jays are bullish on Erick Aybar. The Halos have Macier Izturis and Brandon Wood, but apparently weren’t willing to include Aybar when they talked to the Jays last summer. Aybar and Santana might get it done, though Santana makes real money, which may not appeal to the Jays. Who knows?
I hardly believe the Daily News or TMZ, which is where the News got their report from…..
I really don’t think that the Yankees get Doc without giving up either Joba or Hughes along with some prospects.
Just as the Sox don’t get taken seriously without throwing Bucholtz with prospects in the offer.
It all comes down to money just like with Johan. What team is going to extend Doc at the dollars and years he wants.
I see two teams that will pay top dollar for his services.
The Yankees and the Mets.
The Red Sox will not give up top prospects and then give Doc a long term deal at close to 20 million a season.
Neither will the Angels.
Doc is already making 16 million next year. That’s about as high as the Red Sox and Angels would go and both would only want to go to that money for 3-4 years maybe.
The Yankees and the Mets will give him close to 20 million and give him that 5th to 6th year he’s going to want.
Remember, the Angels talk a big game but when it comes time to write the big check they always bow out.
The Red Sox are a completely different animal. Theo thinks he’s bigger than the game and the team derives success from his decisions.
By giving up the farm for Doc and then paying him 20 million a year for more than 4 years, he throws off the Red Sox salary structure and flexibility.
Right now their highest paid player is Drew at 14 million.
Giving Doc 20 million a year would give Beckett who has won a title with them leverage that would make them choose to walk away from him.
You think Beckett is going to take less than Hallyday? He’s got a ring.
It also gives Lester a glimmer of hope when he is able renegotiate.
Boston also doesn’t believe in long term contracts for pitchers.
The Yankees or the Mets won’t have a problem giving him 5-6 years.
I think any other team in the league will balk at that and that’s why I think it’s a 1 horse race (the Yankees) with a dark horse (the Mets) possibly getting into the mix.
As for what you give up, you trust Cashman at this point. He hasn’t overpaid in talent in a long time and these kind of money motivated deals he always comes out smelling like a rose in. He’s great at negotiating when the other team doesn’t want to pay the player anymore.
I read that the Jays moved off of Aybar, but I don’t think anyone really knows for sure……
Ray, I don’t think that’s a package the Jays are likely to accept. Kennedy has a lot to prove and it’s not like he has a great arm like Joba or Phil. I can see the Jays liking McAllister and Jackson (though what will they do with Vernon Wells?), but Kennedy would be the big name in that deal and the last the Jays heard of him, he was getting torched in the big leagues.
murphydog-that’s an interesting article on Tiger. There’s something about that original story that didn’t add up. His wife supposedly went out and saved him when she heard the crash but the police found him laying in the middle of the road. I don’t know if the Daily News report is accuarate about him having an affair, but in any case there’s probably more to the story.
Betsy,
I’m of the belief that a guy who has Kennedy’s track record of pitching is going to be a quality major league pitcher.
If not for the Yankees them definitely for someone else. The guy has been a very good pitcher his entire life. I don’t believe the 60 innings he’s thrown in the majors thus far accurately reflect his pitching ability.
I also don’t believe any team is willing to trade any major league parts for Halladay.
GLove, I absolutely trust Cash, but I disagree on the Angels and Sox.
Scoscia was very defiant a few weeks ago when he insisted that the Angels would beat the Yankees in 2010. I’m sure he and Moreno are itching to do something. They don’t appear to be overly interested in re-signing Lackey (which is a big red flag to stay away from this guy)……
The Sox are desperate – I think they really want Doc and I don’t think they will let Beckett stand in the way.
The Yankees are not giving Doc 6 years, nor should they. 5? That would hurt, too. If getting Doc is not good for the Sox payroll flexibility, then how is it good for the Yankees?
I don’t know where Le Roy is headed, but he ain’t going nowhere until Cashman makes an offer. When the richest kid on the block has yet to speak, everybody else waits.
The Sawx can’t be expecting too much from Dice K next year, nor Wakes. And Beckett seems to have lost some Mojo when it comes to the Yankees. They could really use Halladay, but may lack the young talent to match a package from the Yankees.
IMO, the Yankees’ offer will either set the price to beat or they will make an offer that doesn’t compete/make no offer. Either way, the Yankees delay holds everybody else back.
Angel flirting with Halladay drives Lackey’s price down. They won’t sign both. Maybe they really just want Lackey back and aren’t that serious about Roy.
The Phillies? Fine, let Roy go there where he cannot take any regular season wins away from the Yankees. It will cost the phillies mucho dinero, many pieces and it still only gives the Phils two starters capable of beating a powerful AL contender if the Phils get back to the WS.
IMO, the key to the Yankees decision is how much of the unknown they are willing to put up with. Do Hughes and/or Joba breakout in 2010? Does Andy come back and have anything like his 2009 season? Do they try to piece a rotation together with re-tread, low risk/high reward guys? Do you risk so much money/contract years and so many pieces for a 33 year old pitcher who may be peaking right now? Given the need to sign a long term extension with Roy, they will be buying Roy’s down years too.
IMO, it’s not a no-brainer that Roy is the pinstriped answer. They need a starter, but do they need Roy?
Ray, I’m rooting for Kennedy, so I hope you’re right..and he’s still a kid. I guess we’ll see – this thing is going to play out over months. I hope we don’t have to go through this again next year with some other big free agent pitcher, lol.
Nunez may be a late bloomer. He was originally a switch hitter, and they had him stop hitting lefty two years ago. This past season, just like with Austin Jackson, they were working really hard on shortening his swing. That and playing in Trenton might have made him appear less powerful than he is. He needs to walk more, but it will be interesting to see what both he and AJack do this year having spent this season working on their swings.
There is a lot of love here for Josh Johnson, and I do remember how he blew away the Yankees. He has great stuff, but we should not believe he is is the same category of pitcher as Halladay. Johnson is talented, but as of yet not fully proven. Hallady is proven. Expensive but proven.
Somewhere, Alex Rodriguez is reading all about Tiger Woods, and smiling to himself, “This time, it’s not me.” (I wonder how well Kate swings a baseball bat?) On a more serious note…
G.Love, I disagree only with your idea about the Mets being a serious suitor for Doc. The latest estimates of the Wilpon’s losses are now up to $800M; the total dollars spent on signing draft picks was the lowest in MLB; and I remember reading a few weeks ago they had disbanded their intstructional league team, and are cutting back on MiL coaching. Sounds like a franchise in heavy contraction mode. All the Mets’ talk about signing players is just talk, I think. Personally, I think they are shrinking expenses to get the team ready to put on the market within the next 12 months.
The Angels will not be serious, either. Yeah, the have the talent to deal, but not the stomach for the contract that will be needed. And the Red Sox have the issues that you discussed.
Having won the WS, Cash is under much less pressure to abandon his long range plan. For that reason, I think Josh Johnson is more likely to come to the Bronx, though, if the Marlins demand more than Cash is comfortable giving up, Cash might go for Doc and the contract – it’s only money.
This echoes what Mike’s told me in person, that he’s not all that high on Nuñez.
I think what you ended up with in 2009 was a mediocre Trenton team outside of Montero and McAllister (no I probably did not spell that right), and thus people look at the best players on that team as inherently being really good…when that’s not necessarily so.
Erin:
It’s sad all around. I’m sorry to hear of the trouble at Tiger’s house. But there are real criminal liability issues here.
If he was driving under the influence of prescription drugs on a public road he could be locked up for DUI. The prescription is no defense, at least not in NY and Fl. should be similar. Fleeing from a homicidal wife wielding a deadly weapon could be a mitigating factor, however. Striking property is an aggravating factor.
Scratching your spouse’s face and drawing blood is a domestic violence misdemeanor assault at least. When a man does that to a woman, he goes to jail on the express bus – none of this “we’ll wait to talk with the victim stuff.” Nail scratches don’t look like injuries received in a car crash. Police know that.
Chasing someone with a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument is menacing or attempted assault with a deadly weapon. Hitting the car with the club if not to rescue Tiger is criminal mischief, even if they both own the car.
A woman doesn’t “deserve” a beating or getting her face scratched. Neither does a man. A man can’t beat up his wife’s car and get away with it. She shouldn’t either. Whether the “other woman” story is true or not, this is an example of the double standard regarding gender in domestic violence cases.
It’s also about different justice for rich and poor. Poor people don’t get the chance to talk their way out of scenarios like this or send police away because the “victim” is too tired to talk. Poor people get locked up instantly on “mandatory arrest” polices in effect in most jurisdictions for domestic violence. By the time I meet my DV clients, they are already in cuffs, in jail and we are trying to get them a plea bargain regardless of the backstory.
I feel sorry for Tiger’s troubles, but this is rich people’s justice.
Off topic-
Betsy, I finally watched Seems Like Old Times last night-I LOVED it!! Thank you so much for the recommendation. That scene where they’re in front of the judge towards the end was a riot. Chevy and Goldie were both excellent, but I think Charles Grodin stole that movie! He was hilarious.
So Murphy, you are believing a gossip site like TMZ?
Erin – lol, I’m soooooo glad! LOL I LOVE that scene; the guy that plays judge was on the Golden Girls for years, so I love him. I think my favorite part was the dinner party in the house, where the chauffeur gets drunk, so Chevy Chase has to be the butler. I LOVE Charles Grodin because he’s got that very dry wit – he’s particularly good in The Great Muppet Caper where he falls in love with Ms. Piggy (gross, lol).
murphydog – sad but true. You spell out the issues clearly.
that said, Murphy – very good post. I just hate to speculate based on some sleazy tabloid’s version of things.
I’m in the group that wants the Tiger story to be a bad dream. Still, the “feel” of the reports about the late night driving fiasco are all too true. Hope it’s not.
anyone concerned that in his last 9 starts Josh Johnson got into the 7th inning 1 time? Does anyone know if this was to limit his innings or something like that?
Betsy – high on pie
November 28th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Erin – lol, I’m soooooo glad! LOL I LOVE that scene; the guy that plays judge was on the Golden Girls for years, so I love him. I think my favorite part was the dinner party in the house, where the chauffeur gets drunk, so Chevy Chase has to be the butler. I LOVE Charles Grodin because he’s got that very dry wit – he’s particularly good in The Great Muppet Caper where he falls in love with Ms. Piggy (gross, lol).
**********************
Betsy-I’ve always had a soft spot for Charles Grodin because of The Great Muppet Caper. Just about anybody who was in a movie with the muppets is just fine with me!
I was really excited that Miles from The Golden Girls was the judge-I’ve only ever seen him on the show. I get excited over weird stuff like that. LOL
BTW, Lupica has already jumped in on the Tiger thing
http://www.nydailynews.com/spo.....azard.html
how old is he?
murphydog-excellent post. It’ll be interesting to see what happens. I’m sure more and more details will start to come out now.
Nick Swisher on college gameday-
Swisher on espn college gameday
Murphydog,
Excellent take on the whole domestic violence issue and the difference between poor people and rich people justice.
Swish pretty good up there, knew his stuff-
Roberto for Paul
November 28th, 2009 at 11:53 am
Nick Swisher on college gameday-
**************
Thanks!! Swish is looking good!
TMZ, whether people like gossip or not, is more right than wrong in its track record. And at this point, gets the facts straight better than “legit” news sources.
Nick looked great. Bet he’s never been a place he couldn’t have a blast.
Oh no, I missed Swish, lol – I’m sure he had a blast. Where’d he go to school?
So far the police are saying alchohol wasn’t involved and if that’s true along with no drugs then as long as Tiger and his wife stick to whatever story they’re telling the police then there isn’t much else we’re going to find out. I really doubt that reckless driving charge will be given since he was driving too slow for the airbags to deploy and with the lawyers he has working for him Tiger will be fine as long as alcohol/drugs weren’t involved. If push comes to shove, he pays for the hydrant and tree damage.
I know alot of people like to assume the worse when it comes to other people, particularly the rich and the famous because it makes them feel better about themselves, but I’m going to let the process work itself out before I make some assumptions about Tiger based on TMZ, The Daily News or the National Inquirer.
Swish went to The Ohio State University but his girlfriend is a UF Gator fan.
By the way, police arrived on the scene after Tiger was already pulled from the vehicle by his wife so we’ll see if there are any other witnesses besides Tiger and his wife.
Nunez sounds like a headache.
include him in a trade and let someone else deal with that crap.
Erin, did you ever see the Incredible Shrinking Woman? Grodin is hilarious…….
Best not to make assumptions about people one way or the other, whether its based on TMZ or some award they were given based on being a nice person. No one knows what goes on behind closed doors.
I take it all, the good and the bad, with a grain of salt and move on. People aren’t 100% good or 100% bad.
Tala, thanks!
Betsy – high on pie
November 28th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Erin, did you ever see the Incredible Shrinking Woman? Grodin is hilarious…….
******************
No, I haven’t. I’ll have to check that one out too!!
“Somewhere, Alex Rodriguez is reading all about Tiger Woods, and smiling to himself, “This time, it’s not me.”
To date, I’m not aware of law enforcement wanting to speak with Alex the day after he made headlines. Big difference between stupid and allegedly criminal.
100% of what TMZ or any tabloid says should be taken with a grain of salt but….when it comes to law enforcement and the courts being involved, TMZ is usually pretty accurate.
The guy who runs the show and owns the website is an attorney (Harvey Levin) and does seem to be able to get his hands on legal paperwork and info (lawyers and cops talk?).
He would also understand the parameters of slander, libel and defamation in a way the average gossip columnist might not.
Very sad for the Woods family if true.
Yet, the only legal papers they might have access to is the accident report as the police haven’t interviewed Tiger or his wife yet. We’re not even sure if a blood test was given to Tiger.
Leave Tiger alone.
Sounds like he was having a fight with Erin, drove off and hit the hydrant and the tree. The Escalade has no rear visibility–why he’s driving that piece of … is beyond me, other than responsibilities to his sponsors. And please get off your high horse about “responsibilities” and “DUI”–come on, chill out.
Sounds like Roy (Le Roy) wants the Yankees, and they want him (in 2011, of course). Sox do not have the prospects–Yankees could beat them without using Joba, Montero, or Hughes–sorry Sox fans, but your minor league cupboard is bare. Casey Kelly? Low A player who can’t decide what to play? Come on, get real. Maybe McAllister, Ajax, and two more get it done for the Yankees–think Mets for Johan, and Phillies for Cliff Lee.
Here’s thinking outside the box…Igawa for Wells as a side deal!
I’m not so sure I like what’s been mentioned. The average is great, but other than that, what’s there to like? Other than his strong arm to go with it, it’s ALL downhill. I’m not sure I like the move to save this guy.