Mark Shapiro
Mark Shapiro
anyone extremely last pace since surprised ton
I wouldn't say I'm surprised by Cliff's development, but I am a little surprised by the pace of it. He's an extremely competitive guy. He's made a ton of adjustments since last season, but I don't think anyone could have anticipated (that he'd get this good, this fast).
bigger including
I think it had a big impact. Bigger than any of us realized, including him.
good played
He's a little more experienced than Jose Hernandez was, having played in the American League. I just feel good about him in that role.
approach corner definitely fits game good league local major next played power size
He's definitely played the game the way we want it played. He has the power, size and athleticism combo to be a corner outfielder at the Major League level. His approach fits with our approach, and he's a local kid. It's a pretty good match. But he's still got to go to the next level, which he really hasn't been to yet.
best career definitely
He's definitely an option. This is the best he's pitched in his career with us.
character fits job three versatile
He's done the job before, he's versatile and he can play all three positions. His make-up fits the character of our team.
ability bigger help options situation team
His options situation is not going to be an overriding factor. His long-term ability to help the team will be a bigger factor.
impress order talent
His talent is obvious. But right now we want to get him comfortable in our organization. We don't want him to feel like he has to have a day like that (4-for-4 day vs. Toronto) in order to impress us.
camp great help knowing left
Particularly down in the zone. But it was a great camp by him. He left here knowing he'll be back to help us.
fact plays valuable
Part of what makes Peralta even more valuable to us is the fact that he plays up the middle.
average fastball lots major paul pitch
Paul had an average fastball and average curve. He was going to pitch in the major leagues, but there was nothing that would particularly distinguish him from lots of other guys.
eighth moved ninth offense player responsibility rough sixth year
Our offense got going after he moved to third. We moved him from ninth to eighth to sixth to third, which is a rough responsibility for a player in his first year in the big leagues, and he hasn't blinked.
aiming bottom dipping margins pool seen
Our margins need to be better. Bottom line. Now that we're aiming for the families, we should be dipping into a whole other pool that we've never seen before.
davis guys improve money opportunity original plan player playing role rotation saw signing slate spend spot team unable upgrade younger
Our original plan in the off-season was to slate the No. 5 spot in the rotation for a younger player (Jason Davis or Fausto Carmona) and to spend money to upgrade elsewhere. When we were unable to get some other things done, we saw an opportunity to improve the team by signing Jason. The young guys still could end up playing a role for us in 2006.