In his first game with the Blue Jays on Thursday, Marcus Semien wasted no time making a splash at his new position. The 30-year old shortstop fractured his wrist in 2017 which required surgery. Lowrie has only committed three errors all year and leads Major League second basemen with a .994 fielding percentage. Marcus Semien … But, Semien could be that massive upgrade in his 2019 form. Traditionally, Semien has been a significantly better fielder than Gregorius. 22-year old, had a few flashes, batting .253 but with 30 strikeouts and two walks. He only played in 85 games that season. Semien would also provide a strong presence on defense. As Cincinnati Reds ’ general manager Nick Krall mentioned, the biggest need for Cincinnati is the shortstop position. Semien improves the ceiling for the Cardinals’ offense if he can come even close to his 2019 numbers. I do think we might be more negatively affected than others. Even with these options, the Rangers can solidify their infield by signing Semien. The Reds need an impact bat in the lineup, evident by their inability to score a run in the wild card series against the Atlanta Braves. After a 2019 season that saw him as an AL MVP finalist, the 30-year-old shortstop came back down to earth in a shortened 2020 season. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The St. Louis Cardinals finished 24th in the majors in runs per game, averaging just 4.20 runs per game last season. He combined for 26 defensive runs saved from 2018 to 2019. He was charged with a mind-boggling 35 errors during his first year with Oakland back in 2015, but then bounced back in 2018 and 2019, recording 14 and 12 defensive runs saved … I know Bob and David feel most comfortable with Marcus.". In 53 games, Semien slashed .223/.305/.374 with a .299 wOBA and a wRC+ of 92. Having already declined Wong’s $12.5 million club option, the Cardinals are expected to cut their payroll this season. With the loaded shortstop free agency class in 2021, with Francisco Lindor, Trevor Story, Carlos Correa, Corey Seager, and Javier Baez, it will be interesting to see how teams around the league value this year’s class. It could also spur a switch for Andrus to second base, hiding his defensive struggles with -7 defensive runs saved since 2019. This past season, he was a Gold Glove finalist. Kyle Farmer could also be an option this offseason. Based on OPS+ (91, 139 and 2019)and wRC+ (91, 137 in 2019), Semien reverted back to his previous level as roughly a league-average hitter this year. That will certainly be one of the topics for this offseason. Marcus Semien. Semien had a breakthrough campaign in 2019. Semien is putting up career-best numbers in batting average (.272) and OPS (.799), and is on pace for career highs in runs (107) and RBIs (84). , while providing a similar veteran presence. After finishing third in the AL MVP voting in 2019, launching 33 home runs, and hitting .285, Semien struggled mightily in 2020, batting .223 and posting a .679 OPS. However, Semien has grown into an above-average defender with the Athletics, so it seems plausible that he can seamlessly fit in with Toronto. If Semien can put up close to the numbers that he did a year ago, he would be a good fit for this Phillies offense. His defense, albeit in an obvious small sample, dropped off too (-5 Defensive Runs Saved, 2.1 UZR). David Forst said he texted Marcus Semien yesterday: "I told him we would love to have him back here. This is just part of the downward trend for Andrus as he had a .684 OPS from 2018 and has looked a step slower defensively. The offense was the kryptonite in the 2019 NLCS against the Washington Nationals, as they scored six runs in a four-game sweep. The only option for the Cardinals may be to increase the length of their contract, sacrificing the AAV. #STLCards executive John Mozeliak said the team's payroll will come down in 2021. Semien, Chapman, Grossman and Olson named Gold Glove finalists. Statcast data showed a decline in barrel rate (five percent) and hard hit rate (28.7 percent) compared to 2019 (7.4 percent and 37.6 percent). The .679 OPS is a .203 drop from his 2019 season. Due to this, it is likely that Semien takes a smaller deal this offseason. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 06: Marcus Semien #10 of the Oakland Athletics fields ground ball to out Alex Bregman #2 of the Houston Astros at first during the fourth inning in Game Two of the American League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 06, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. This does not eliminate the possibility of Semien returning, but it does seem to suggest that he might be outside of the Athletics price range. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. As expected, the A’s did not extend Semien an $18.9 million qualifying offer. According to FanGraphs, he finished in the top 10 among shortstops in defensive runs saved that year with 12. Semien ranks third among American League shortstops in both defensive WAR and defensive runs saved. However, despite posting a combined 26 defensive runs saved over the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Semien was worth -5 defensive runs saved in 2020. Note: This tells how many of this player's home runs would have been out of other stadiums. The Kolten Wong move was the first domino of that. In 2017-2019, Semien posted a BABIP of .300, .296 and .294 respectively. But that requires faith that the 2019 version is who he’ll be as he crosses into this 30s, and this year’s results can’t carry too much weight. He accounted for 7.6 fWAR (8.9 bWAR), on his way to finishing third in AL MVP voting. In the 2020 season, Elvis Andrus batted .194 with three home runs in 29 games, producing a -0.4 WAR. Your email address will not be published. He was better at second base, with four errors in 29 games. High on (if not atop) that list of key players is shortstop Marcus Semien, who will now hit free agency. Another option at shortstop for the Texas Rangers could be to move Isiah Kiner-Falefa to shortstop and call-up top prospect Josh Jung. The Oakland Athletics made another early exit from the postseason this year, so now they’ll shift to the offseason and decisions on some key players. He slashed .285/.369/.522 with 33 home runs despite playing in a pitcher-friendly home park (137 wRC+). With the Francisco Lindor trade rumors last week, the Cardinals seem to see the shortstop position as an area for potential improvement. FanGraphs, albeit in that short sample, also shows a decline in his defense (-5 Defensive Runs Saved, 12 Defensive Runs Saved in 2019, 14 DRS in 2018). Castro’s bat may allow him to stay in the lineup, but he should not be a top option at shortstop moving forward. ", — Mark Saxon (@markasaxon) October 28, 2020. Another option at shortstop for the. If he returns to his 2019 performance, the list above would double, if not triple, because of his solid defense and excellent offensive output. It’s worth wondering if another team would offer Semien a multi-year deal at or above that $18.9 million number, or if the A’s might even consider the same. Gregorius was worth -2 defensive runs saved. Oakland Athletics news from FanSided Daily, Urban Meyer continues to dig the grave for the Big 12, LeBron James responds to critics ripping him for passing to Danny Green (Video), Laz Diaz ended the A's season on a bad strike call (Video), Zack Greinke told Ramon Laureano what pitch was coming before moonshot HR (Video), Josh Reddick flips out and breaks bat with knee after strikeout (Video). This does not eliminate the possibility of Semien returning, but it does seem to suggest that he might be outside of the Athletics price range. We've had an open line of communication with him and his agent. In 2015, Marcus Semien committed 35 errors. As for a prediction, the Reds. Preview Of Astros Vs A’s Opening Series – Last Word on Baseball | Texas Sports Zone, Colorado Rockies Center Field Depth Analysis - Last Word On Baseball, Ex-Pitcher Mike Bolsinger’s Lawsuit against Houston Astros Dismissed. With the loaded shortstop free agency class in 2021, with, , it will be interesting to see how teams around the league value this year’s class. Between 2018 and 2019, he had a total of 26 Defensive Runs Saved above average. Perhaps the largest unknown in the class, and maybe in free agency as a whole, is Oakland Athletics shortstop Marcus Semien. Marcus Semien’s defense against Yankees. OAKLAND — A's middle infielders Jed Lowrie and Marcus Semien are primarily known for their bats, but they have both made great strides defensively this season. Blame it on the short season and all it entailed, but 2020 was a down year for Semien. A career .254 hitter, he would be a boost to a team that batted .217 in the abbreviated 2020 season. Since 2018, Semien has the sixth-best defensive runs saved (21), fourth-best UZR (17.1), and fifth-best UZR/150 (5.4) among all shortstops. Team 's payroll will come down in 2021 another infield position wouldn ’ t be a boost to a that! 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