We all know what Dan Uggla can bring to the table—a lead pipe for a bat and a lead glove to match it. With the rumors swirling of a possible trade that would land the All-Star second baseman in Atlanta, many concerns have arose, mainly about his defense, or lack thereof.
Is Uggla's defense as bad as it is perceived to be? The simple answer is no.
Although he has never been or will never be a Gold Glove caliber defender, he is far from having the "lead" glove eluded to earlier. The fans misconception of Uggla started back in 2008.
During the 2008 All-Star Game, played in Yankee Stadium, Uggla committed two consecutive errors on easily playable balls. Fortunately for him (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it), neither of those runners scored allowing the game to continue.
For any fans who weren't convinced that Uggla was a horrid fielder at that point, more was yet to come. Uggla drove the final nail in the coffin in the 13th inning when he committed a third error, setting a new All-Star Game record, and sealing his fate.
Now many Atlanta fans believe that Uggla would be moved to LF allowing Prado to maintain his position at second base. This could be a very risky endeavour, considering he has never played a single MLB game outside of second base. Uggla has, however, played 20 games in the minor leagues committing one error in 23 chances (.957).
Prado has played 23 Major League innings with zero errors and boasting a 2.74 range factor compared to Uggla's 1.10. This is not all surprising considering Prado is the faster player.
Many fans have asked "Why move Prado from his best position, where he is clearly a superior defender to Uggla?" Well the answer is neither of those statements are true.
Based on Ultimate Zone Rating 150 (UZR/150), a stat that shows the number of runs above or below average a fielder is, per 150 defensive games, Prado's worst position is second base.
Martin Prado
1b (+7.4), 2b (-15.2), 3b (+0.7)
The following positions have too little data to be considered an accurate depiction.
SS (+11.6), LF (+91.5), RF (+7.9)
Last season Prado's UZR/150 at second base was -3.6 which was the best in his young career. Most people believe this to be more indicative of how well he can play the position. Now compared with Dan Uggla, who's career UZR/150 is -2.9, Prado's best season is still worse than Uggla's average season.
Uggla's main concern is his lack of consistency with the glove. He has some very good seasons and some very bad seasons, and they seem to alternate.
Dan Uggla UZR/150:
2006 (+7.1), 2007 (-11.3), 2008 (+2.0), 2009 (-9.6)
Based on this pattern 2010 should be a good season with the glove from Uggla, making his value even higher.
If the Braves were to acquire Dan Uggla moving Prado to LF may be their best option. Although Prado's bat may not play like a typical corner outfielder, Uggla's is well above average for a second baseman, essentially making it a wash.
Prado has a better range factor and more experience in LF, while Uggla's glove projects better at second base, making it seem like the safest choice going forward. Will the Braves see it the same way, only time will tell.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com
- Login to post comments