I am a CF short of a real solid team and have worked the trade route but cannot broker a deal to this point that makes sense for me just to get some range/glove in centerfield.  Hardball Dynasty – Fantasy Baseball Sim Games - Player Profile: Tomo Tamura has no current position and I really like him, but he is not quite good enough to snag a corner OF spot yet on this team but I want to play him for his batting eye alone.  He is a good player getting better (I reckon almost done progressing though) with incredible plat discipline and is cheap so I don't want to trade him, although I would for a CF.

The question is....am I totally correct in wincing every time I think about this guy patrolling CF for me this year?  Will his OBP make up for his glove??

At this point I don't have many upgrade options for CF, but plan to keep looking.....

I wouldn't play him regularly in CF, maybe to give the starter a rest but that's it.  Plus his offense is not going to be enough to make up for the poor defense in CF.
If you could trade him for a CF, I would do it. 

I wouldn't let that guy warm up my bullpen pitchers much less look like an idiot in CF. :-)

He should be able to swing an OBP of .360 or better, which will make his offense near the top of the league.  Regardless of home runs and AVG, he is going to be an offensive force, I just don't know if he will kill that with his CF play.

he is a bench player at best

Wacko.

He would be a stud LF; stud because of good offense and great defense at that position.   I wouldn't let him touch CF as his defense will give back all he gains on offense.

30+ errors and another 15+ minus plays at least...and I think you are over-valuing his offense a bit ;) He'll be a solid #6 or 7 bat...package him for a CFer.

Edit: Or if you cant find the right trade put Franco in CF and TT at 2B.  You wont have many minus plays(maybe 2-3 if that) and probably under 20 errors at 2B.  I find CF far more defensive intensive than 2B for range and glove, i never like to go below 80 range for +/- plays and 75 glove at worst for errors.  70 range 70 glove do just fine at 2B and he'd be right around that.  The low glove tends to end up with a bunch of those botched fly balls that score a bunch a runs in CF. Kicking one in the infield is far less problematic.

On your current team I'd take cdc80uf's advice.  The 30-40 kicked GBs are respectably balanced by the bat at 2B, and Franco's proven to be able to handle CF.  While in the abstract I think I'd rather deal with the only OK bat for LF than the terrible glove at 2B, your team needs him to play up the middle, and considering both the bat and the  glove he won't be the worst starting 2B in your world.

My view on Tomo is that he isnt good enough to be a full time player at all.  I might have him as the 25th man if I have a particularly stacked pitching staff in terms of dur sta.  If I can easily go with 12 pitchers I might have this guy as my 13th batter.  His defense is really only suitable as a LF but his bat is only good as a CF or SS.  Really, these types are a dime a dozen on the FA list, you should never pay him more then league minimum.

I really dont see any reason to play this guy.  he would be a stud if he was an awesome defensive shortstop - but he can only play left field, first base, DH or a very very bad second base.  mid-60s offensive ratinsg are way too low (despite the great eye) for those positions.  He is the last man on the bench at best for any team with a playoff shot.

I've seen plenty of 2B with mid 60s glove with less than 15 errors in a season.  He'd far better at 2B than CF if you dont have better options. plus your pitching staff is one of the best in the NL so they will more than make up for his short comings both in the field and at the plate.  The Gold Rush will push Salem for the division and end up as the 5th seed/#1 WC. Once the playoffs hit you all know, all bets are off...

I have been toying with the idea of lobbing Franco in CF and Tomo at 2B, just have not committed to it yet.  I would be willing to deal Tomo for a lesser offensive player with better CF ratings defensively.  

It boggles my mind how a lot of people don't see him as an offensive force though.  Looking at splits and power and not paying enough attention to batting eye and other ratings is a mistake IMO.  Not that I want anyone to change their viewpoint, as it is currently allowing me to outrace most of the worlds I am in.  I'm not calling him a hall of famer, but if I had 9 Tomo's in the lineup I would bet good money I would win a WS pronto.

Here is a similar player to show what Tomo will probably do offensively.  http://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/PlayerProfile.aspx?pid=2994449  Cruz had 2 so-so seasons, then 2 Silver Slugger RF seasons and now a terrible start 1/4 of the way into his fifth season.  Up and down, all over the map.  Never know what I'm going to get out of him.  When he is good, he is almost All-Star good.  When bad, really bad.

Posted by dyoungquist on 8/23/2011 10:03:00 PM (view original):
Here is a similar player to show what Tomo will probably do offensively.  http://www.whatifsports.com/HBD/Pages/Popups/PlayerProfile.aspx?pid=2994449  Cruz had 2 so-so seasons, then 2 Silver Slugger RF seasons and now a terrible start 1/4 of the way into his fifth season.  Up and down, all over the map.  Never know what I'm going to get out of him.  When he is good, he is almost All-Star good.  When bad, really bad.

QCruz is ever so slightly worse than Tamura, and he's got a career line of .280/.380/.420, which is exactly what I would have projected for Tamura.

Tamura's just NOT a 25th man-- on a WS-quality team I'd use him as a super-utility guy, leading off and resting just about everybody by playing LF or 2B or even 3B.  But you're just wasting a talent if you say "he doesn't hit as well as I want my LF to hit, and his glove won't play at 2B, so he sucks."  Even though he is, in fact, only an OK hitting LF and the glove doesn't play at 2B.