Miami Palms Blog

Johnny Giavotella had a fine season in his first year as a starter for the Palms, but his .284 average and 9 home runs rang hollow for a team that had recently seen Jaspero Gonzalez hit in the 20s, and his back up, Kelly Johnson, hit .316 with 11 homers. He was overshadowed by better alternatives, is the only problem. Giavotella will be relegated to a bench role when Gonzalez returns this year, but there is no fear that he will be incapable of handling the task.

The Palms' newest utility infielder has one knack at the plate, and that is reaching base on balls in play. His BABIP has historically been in the mid .300s, reflecting Garcia's speed. He also has versatility, which will allow him to be used around the diamond in support of his new team. The Palms have always leaned heavily on their utility infielders and Garcia should expect to see quite a bit of work.

The Palms got what they paid for in Edwin Encarnacion last year. He clubbed 40 home runs while hitting for a .283 average and driving in 112 runs. Not only was it one of the better seasons the Palms saw last year (his OPS was lower than only Tony Abreu, and even then, only by 1 point), but it was one of the best seasons that Encarnacion has ever had. He will continue to be an anchor in the middle of the Palms lineup as they hope to gain a few more wins this year and claim a spot in the post season.

Coco Crisp is one of the longest tenured Palms at this point in his career, with 8 years under his belt in Miami. He's beginning to break down physically, but he continues to be a stable defender in center, and he is still good enough not to be a complete liability at the plate. Now, however, he is going to be challenged by Travis Jankowski, who appears to be the next in line for the center field position. Crisp's veteran leadership will be relied upon in 2017 more than any of his previous years in Miami.

Miami struck gold with their rookie pitcher last year, and have decided to add a new player that didn't perform as well in his first year with the expectation that he will, in fact, become a reliable starter towards the top of the rotation. Archie Bradley is definitely a buy-low opportunity. His outcomes, as they say in the sabremetric world, weren't great, but a 9 k/9 rate and a fairly low HR/9 rate coupled with some bad luck on balls in play and runners left on suggest a much better pitcher than numbers indicate. The Palms expect to have a stud atop their rotation for years to come.