Update: MLB Trade Rumors just posted that the Rays DFA’d Hideki Matsui. About the transaction, Ben Nicholson Smith said,
The Rays announced that they designated Hideki Matsui for assignment to create roster space for newly-acquired infielder Ryan Roberts. They now have ten days to trade Matsui, release him or place him on waivers.
The Rays signed Matsui to a minor league deal in April and he appeared in 34 games with the team. The 38-year-old posted a .147/.214/.221 batting line with two home runs in 103 plate appearances.
Another day, another spot on performance by one of the Rays starters, and another tough loss at the hands of an offense that wasn’t able to string together scoring opportunities, or push runners across the plate. This sounds all too familiar, and it’s happening all too often. I think there are a bunch of reasons why the Rays aren’t producing, and we here at Raysbaseball.co have hit on a few of them already. Amidst the production woes, one man that has left us frustrated in wRISP opportunities time and again sticks out like a sore thumb: Hideki Matsui. A question begs to be answered. Why the hell is he still a Ray, much less playing baseball? I’ll try to plead my case against him.
Over his 10 year MLB career, Matsui has put up good numbers. A career .282 BA/.360 OBP/.462 SLG/.822 OPS hitter, Matsui has driven in 760 RBI, scored 656 runs, and hit 175 homers over the course of the last ten years. To his credit, he’s hit 20-plus homers in a season five times. Surely when you factor in those numbers with his career numbers in Japan, you see why Maddon and Friedman were psyched on signing the free agent. But the 2012 Hideki Matsui doesn’t hold a candle to even the 2011 Matsui. That fact becomes even more obvious with every failed at bat. One needs only to look at a graph of his wOBA to add yet another bit of evidence to illuminate that sad fact.
Godzilla has underperformed even lackluster projections. Matsui has both driven in and scored seven runs on 14 hits and eight walks, including two homers and a walk in 94 official at-bats. In July alone, Matsui is a whopping 2-20 with one run and one RBI on the backs of two singles and a pair of walks. Matsui has come to bat nine times off the bench, yet has only a hit to show for his efforts. Maddon said that Matsui is here for those kind of opportunities, and hoped he could come through. Those kind of opportunities being high leverage, pinch hit situations. But Matsui is hitting all of .182 with men on, and his batting average drops to .148 with men in scoring position. And in 27 at-bats with men in scoring position, Matsui’s driven in five runs on four hits (three singles and a home run). That’s not good by even Brooks Conrad standards. What’s more, his strikeout percentage is up while his walk percentage is down.
Some other fun Matsui facts:
- Matsui is 0-16 in his last 16 at bats.
- Matsui has now had 26 plate appearances since June with runners on base, yet only one has scored.
When all is said and done, Matsui ranks beneath Pat Burrell, Dioner Navarro, and Reid Brignac, some of the bigger stinkers in the history of the Rays organization, in wOBA (weighted on base average) and wRC (runs created).
I’m really at a loss when it comes to why Matsui is still a Ray, much less a professional baseball player. Dude, it’s time to hang up your cleats. In the words of Jonah Keri, author of The Extra 2%, “Much respect for Hideki Matsui and his impressive career. But…it’s time.” ‘Nuff said.
Brandon Gomes was optioned back to Triple-A Durham after Sunday’s offensive zombie fest. A corresponding move should be be announced either Monday or Tuesday. Sam Fuld is expected to be reactivated, and one would assume that another bat would be called up to fill Luke’s spot on the roster, assuming the Rays don’t fill Luke’s spot with Fuld for the time being. Who could get the call-up? Allen? Anderson? Gimenez? I guess time will only tell.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDKO6XYXioc]
Shh baby, shh….it’s all you, not me. I know…I know, you’ve tried your hardest to make things right. What’s that? There’s a hole in your bat. That’s aight. A “Hole in bat” must be a euphemism for a decreased bat speed.
-Joe Maddon