Currently have a bit of a hole at 1B (Olmedo Guzman) and looking at possible call-ups.  At AAA I have Chad Ford who could be one of the best hitters in the league, but is definitely a DH type (maxes out at around 20/20 range/glove with 40 pitch-calling).  I've learned the hard way of the importance of having good defense (especially at SS/2B/3B), but now wondering if it makes a huge difference at 1B as well...  I'm not going anywhere this season so may just test it out, but was hoping for some insight from someone with more experience.

He could play RF.    He'd kill you at 1B.  

I'll bump the RF thread. 

Thanks, interesting read.  My current RF is producing pretty well (offensively), but I could move him to 1B.  Alternatively, his contract is up after this season, so that gives me some options for upcoming seasons as well.

Chad Ford isn't very good.

Posted by willsauve on 9/9/2013 4:15:00 PM (view original):
Chad Ford isn't very good.

Why do you say that?  I'm open to the possibility he isn't, but he seems like a terror on offense at least, while being a defensive liability.  The idea behind this post was to see if there was any realistic way I could take advantage of his offense without destroying my defense or if I needed to trade him to an AL team.  Am I missing something or is there some reason I wouldn't want to try getting his bat into the lineup?

If a batter's best hitting rating is VsL, you're asking for trouble over the long haul of a season. I do agree with playing him in RF over 1B, but I'm not sure that his bat is big enough to warrant doing that.

Posted by krindor on 9/9/2013 4:29:00 PM (view original):

Posted by willsauve on 9/9/2013 4:15:00 PM (view original):
Chad Ford isn't very good.

Why do you say that?  I'm open to the possibility he isn't, but he seems like a terror on offense at least, while being a defensive liability.  The idea behind this post was to see if there was any realistic way I could take advantage of his offense without destroying my defense or if I needed to trade him to an AL team.  Am I missing something or is there some reason I wouldn't want to try getting his bat into the lineup?

Looking at his ratings progressions, his contact will most likely top out in the high 60's. power in the low 70's, vsR in the mid 60's, and batting eye in the low 80's.  

He'll be a decent enough hitter, but nowhere near "one of the best hitters in the league".  

His defensive liabilities also work against him in terms of value.  A DH who is average at best against RHP (which will comprise around 60-65% of all his PA's) is fairly easy and inexpensive to find in FA.

 Octavio Carrasco is probably a guideline of the absolute ceiling of what you can expect from Ford in Oklahoma.

Fair enough.  If he can hit .290 with 20 HR per season for 10 years, he's got some value to me.  Obviously I'd rather trade him (ideally to a team with a DH spot), but so far the best offers have been guys who project (or are older and already have toppd out as) somewhere between career minor leaguer and ML bench-filler.  Just trying to see if there is a way I can use a very useful (albeit not best in the league) hitter.

Oh yea, not unhappy with Carrasco, but it's because I'm paying him $3M.

There are probably more productive 1B in my league, and there would DEFINITELY be more productive DHs, which is what Ford will be.

Ford is a LH hitter.  He's got the oppo splits, which makes him better than his ratings might suggest at first glance.

Carrasco is very close to what I would think Ford would mature to.

We can't see his projections, of course....but something like 72-75-91-67-82 is reasonable, I suppose.

280-.350-.470 to .290-.360-.490 would be my guess.  His Makeup will help, but 2/3 of his AB's against his weaker split.

I think I would actually think he might be closer to the bigger numbers.

He's nice.  He isn't one of the best hitters in any league.

1) I don't think he'll get where moe has him; I've got 68-70-87-64-75.  82 eye, for example, has a 0% chance of happening.  That projects, neutral park, to roughly .275/.350/.490, which in OKC is going to look more like .275/.350/.440, which would certainly play for an average defensive RF but is kind of marginal for this guy.

2) Disagree with Jonas.  Ford would be a very sweet platoon player if he had traditional splits; he'd hit RHP enough to make up for the (-) plays in RF and you could pair him with an easily-found lefty masher.  Even if he were right-handed he'd be that lefty masher... as it is you really shouldn't want to start him for a championship team.  For a good team, he's a bench player, playing RF to rest your RF/LF/1B when you have a high GB pitcher on the mound, and maybe as a 2nd or 3rd catcher against teams that don't run.

Well yeah he would be better with a 80+ RH split, that wasn't my point.  The point is you look at a 60 RH 80 LH split and you think can only hit lefties, but RHP have lower splits vs. LHB so his 60 split is of much higher value because he is LH and not RH with a 60 split.

There has to be someone available as a free agent in the league who can play a decent 1b and be an offensive improvement on your current guy.
I agree with the majority of the comments here - Ford will be a decent ML hitter, but I don't think hes worth playing out of position.