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Is there room for Chone Figgins?
December 23rd, 2008, 12:20 pm · 20 Comments · posted by Sam Miller, The Orange County Register
“Figgins is the starting third baseman and a good one at that! Get over it!”
“Figgins needs to be traded.”
Regardless of what happened this off season, the Angels had a decision to make regarding Chone Figgins. Two, actually. Brandon Wood or Figgins at third base? And if Wood is at third, where would Figgins play?
Angels fans are hardly united on what to do with Figgins. Play him! Trade him! Move him! Rove him!
No surprise for the mixed opinions, as Figgins has had a mixed career as an Angel. Three years in the past five he’s received down-ballot MVP votes. The other two years, he was among the worst hitters in baseball.
He bounced back from his worst season (in 2006) to have his best season (in 2007). So it’d be easy to say the Angels shouldn’t give up on him after an awful 2008, which, on the surface, resembled what he did in 2006.
But that would be wrong. Figgins’ 2006 season and 2008 season really weren’t similar at all.
First, the power. Figgins hasn’t ever been a power hitter, but here are his home runs per at bat figures for the past five years:
- 2004: 2.8 percent
- 2005: 4.1 percent
- 2006: 5.1 percent
- 2007: 3.2 percent
- 2008: 0.9 percent
He’d always pop a few, until 2008, when he hit just one home run.
It gets worse. Here are his extra-base hit rates in those years:
- 2004: 7.6 percent
- 2005: 6.7 percent
- 2006: 6.6 percent
- 2007: 7.5 percent
- 2008: 3.5 percent
Tremendously consistent until 2008, when he lost it all. This is a guy who is one of the fastest players in baseball, and he hit one triple. In fact, his past five years totals for triples: 17, 10, 8, 6, 1. One.
Indeed, that lonely triple is part of the second cause for concern with Figgins: He’s not really game-changing fast anymore. His total stolen bases have gone down three straight years, from 62 in 2005 to 34 this year. His success rate has gone down, from 79 percent to 72 percent.
(It could be that he was slowed by his hamstring problems last year. But there are a lot better bets than speed guys in their 30s with leg problems.)
So Chone Figgins in 2006 — some power, lots of speed — was by 2008 a player with as little power as anybody in baseball, and just some speed. Both seasons looked bad because his batting average dipped, but in fact, Figgins was still doing some things to make himself a moderately valuable hitter in 2006. By 2008, he wasn’t adding anything to the lineup.
But here’s the biggest difference between 2006 and 2008:
In 2006 Figgins was extremely unlucky, and was a much better player than we thought.
In 2008, he was actually luckier than he should have been and was probably worse than we though.
A month ago, I wrote about the unluckiest Angels. To sum up that post, fluctuations in batting average from year to year are often the product of luck — some at ‘em balls here, some Texas leaguers there. By looking at player’s power, speed, type of hits, ball park and overall approach, we can get a decent idea of what he “should” have batted on balls that land in play — that is, at bats that don’t result in walks, strikeouts or home runs.
In 2006, Figgins hit .299 on balls in play, and “should” have hit .316. Give him that expected average on balls in play and he’d have had almost the exact same season he had in 2005, when he finished 17th in MVP voting.
In 2008, though, Figgins hit .329 on balls in play, and “should” have hit .295. If not for good luck, Figgins could have hit under .250 overall, and slugged below .300.
Figgins does enough things right — plays multiple positions resaonably, including high-skill positions in the middle infield; steals bases; takes pitches and draws walks — that I still think he gives the Angels good value as a utility player. But the only way he contributes as a third baseman or full-time outfielder is if he hits like he did in 2007. It’s possible. It really is. But, wow, are the odds ever against it.
Previous Angels news:
- Is Juan Rivera worth $12 million?
- Sox have ’some’ interest in Peavy
- Living in a post-Teixeira world
- Angels direction after Teixeira not clear
20 Comments
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C- napoli
1B- morales
2B-kendrick
SS-aybar
3B-wood
RF-rivera
CF-hunter
LF-figgins
DH-guererro
I hope that’s not our team next year.
Figgins’ hamstring problems were more than parenthetical.
No doubt, Mark. The main thing is I don’t know whether his hamstring problems should make me more optimistic for him (an excuse for last year’s struggles) or less optimistic, because once the speed goes so goes his reason for playing, and leg problems have a nasty history of repeating. We’ll find out in ‘09.
Figgins isn’t hitting homers. Jean-Sebastien Giguere isn’t scoring goals. So what?
He (Figgins, not Eli) had a down year in ‘08 after a sensational year in ‘07 (.825 OPS, .330 average).
The Angels need him to steal a better percentage than 34 of 47. However, his job is OBP. Of the eight AL players who stole 30 or more bases, his OBP of .367 was fifth among them, and 20th overall, and first on the Angels who played here all year. It was 71 points better than Carlos Gomez’s, by the way.
The one triple indicates he couldn’t run well. Most triples are borne out of an outfield misplay that the fastest guys exploit with their speed. Very few are fast enough to turn a routine double into a triple. It’s a bit of a deceptive stat, but it does show that Figgins was slowed.
I don’t care how many homers he hits, or even how many bases he steals. The Angels need him to get on base and pressure the defense, and make pitchers think twice about those sinkers in the dirt.
I have to agree with Mark this time around. Hes obviously not the player we saw in 07, but there really is no other reasonable candidate to lead off for this team.
bsmash’ lineup is close. Guerrero isnt going to DH. So Chone will have to play SS. Aybar? C’mon.
I blame it all on letting the Rays steal Nathan Haynes. He was Figgins’ good luck charm. Can’t we get him back and make him Figgins’ personal hitting coach? He stunk until Nathan joined the Angels in 2007. Then he’s gone in 2008 and back to mediocre Figgins.
Figgins as the starting left fielder is an eye sore in bsmash’ line-up. He doesn’t bring enough offense for a corner outfielder, or 3rd base for that matter. He was and still is best as a supersub. However, he must return to his old form on his basestealling percentage, and numbers.
I don’t know where you’re coming from chuck. Yes, Figgins had a poor year, but his clutch hitting and base stealing makes him an important part of Scos. game plan. He’s one of the few players I get disappointed about NOT seeing in the line-up when I go to a game.
Sorry, but I find no excitement in Aybar, Wood, Kendrick, and Morales.
And until this year Napoli as well.
I think bsmash lineup is going to be a disappointing reality. Oh yeah, we may get a mild dose of Matthew jr. now & then. Whoopee.
Anyone who thinks Aybar is the starting shortstop simply didn’t pay attention last year. Izturis is our starting shortstop and he’s our lead-off batter if Figgins is included in a trade somewhere.
Any lineup card with Robb Quinlan is one that I’d stop and cheer for - please don’t forget Quinny! hahaha
I can’t understand some of the fan responses here. Numbers don’t lie. Figgins has been on the decline and 2008 was a pitiful year for him. One home run and 22 rbi’s is unacceptable from a third baseman or a leftfielder. These are power positions on a team. Without Tex in the lineup, the Angels can’t afford to have the weak hitting Figgins playing full-time. They need all the offense they can get. As you correctly point out, his speed numbers are on the decline so what is to like about him at this stage in his career. There are plenty of other options available that will provide more offense. It’s time to move Figgins in a trade while he still has some value remaining.
2009 Halo’s as it stands now:
1-Figgins…245-avg, 330-obp, 40-sb
2-Izturis…270-avg (good def.)
3-Guerrero…285, 24-hr, 90-rbi (more poor def. and baserunning)
4-Hunter…275-avg, 18-hr, 80-rbi (the least productive cleanup hitter in baseball)
5-Rivera…270-avg, 22-hr, 75-rbi
6-Morales…255-avg, 18-hr, 70-rbi
7-Kendrick…310-avg, 9-hr, 65-rbi (still a dissapointment)
8-Matthews jr…265-avg, 15-hr, 60-rbi (10 mil a year, he’s gonna play)
9-Napoli…235-avg, 22-hr, 55-rbi
Lackey (Not an Ace, but He’s the Angels)
Santana (good again tho not as good)
Saunders (more like his second half stats, huge dissapointment)
Weaver (a lil better)
Moseley, Adenhart etc (a year long revolving door of junk)
plus a league average bully.
88-74 in the weak AL West…bow out yet again in first round of ALDS
But Remember what matters most…3.4 million in the seats. Get used to it Halo fans.
Merry Xmas
Angels should get rid of Figgins and Aybar. Both are not ready for prime time players. Trade them now while they still have some value.
Put Wood ant third and Issy at short. Use them along with Adenhart to get Peavy.
Figgy for his size and speed should have learned to bun,hit line drives and balls on the ground instead of allways looking like his trying to hit homers.we don’t need a leadoff hitter who keeps hitting balls in the air.As for him playing 3rd of left field doesn’t make any sense either. You need someone who hits for power in those positions.I say include him in a trade for Peavy but don’t trade Wood or Morales you will be sorry if you do.Give these two a chance.Lot of people are down on them but have we really given them a chace to show what they can do? You can’t play a guy a couple of days a week and expect them to do good.
I like figgins,but not at 3rd base.The angels need pop in the lineup.TheAngels are built for a marthon,doing all the little things right over and over again.But come playoff time the pitching is not dominate enough,and small ball against graet pitching and solid defense hasnt proven to be the answer.Instead of the ocasional blooper or bunt single, I`ll take the double off the wall or homer from the 245 hitter than the excuse me bloop single from the 290 hitter.WE NEED POP
Figgie i love you man! But it’s time go in a different direction. We need some punch in the line up. Little ball has not gotten us anywhere! trade figgie while he’s got value. Rivera is a good athlete he can play first, wood at third and swallow your pride, stop being stubborn Arte sign Manny. or even talk to Detroit about cabrera, you know they have no money (the city is not doing well)..
Chone’s father fell ill, IIRC, in 2008. Figgins really seemed distracted during a lot of that. Give the guy a break and hopefully, it was related to those off-the-field issues he was facing.
Also, I hope Chone’s dad’s condition improves instead of declines. Best wishes to the Figgins family.
Figgins is good, maybe not at his prime but really good all around still. The fact that he can play anywhere is a plus for him, so let’s keep him and see where he goes next season.Chone Figgins should play SS put wood at third and morales at first?
[...] Something has to give, as they say, because the Angels’ infield is full and Wood seems to deserve a chance (his recent Dominican Winter League showing notwithstanding). [...]