In the interests of equal time, I report good news relating to both my own team, the Braves, and my team’s quasi-nemesis, the Mets.
For the Braves, it’s FanGraph’s David Cameron opining that one of the team’s putative weaknesses -- Melky Cabrera in leftfield -- will actually be a positive:
He may not look like a classic corner outfielder, but Cabrera can play, and I think Braves fans will be pleasantly surprised with what he offers. His defense is going to be a solid plus in a corner, and he’s not far from being a quintessential #2 hitter. Given his physical skills and age, don’t be surprised if he locks down an outfield spot in Atlanta for the next several years.
I’ll admit I’m worried, so it’s nice to hear one of the smartest baseball analysts in the business rocking the Melky optimism.
The Mets don’t have a smart analyst in their corner, but they do have an off-brand t-shirt shop showing an even greater optimism, and that’s not too bad seeing what they have to work with this year.