Slumping MLB Stars Who Need to Be Benched in 2018 Pennant Races
The heat of a pennant race can drive an MLB team to make big decisions.
Among them is moving an established contributor who is slumping into a part-time role for the sake of the squad's short-term success. It's not always easy, but oftentimes the move has to be made for the good of the team.
Ahead we'll take a closer look at five slumping players who need to be benched.
In order to be considered for inclusion, a player needed to have a realistic chance of being benched, not just reduced production of late.
For example, Carlos Correa is hitting .107/.219/.143 for the Houston Astros in eight games since returning from a back injury. Those numbers aren't pretty, but there's zero chance he'll be benched.
Players also needed to have a viable in-house replacement for a benching to be considered.
Yonder Alonso is the perfect example here. The Cleveland Indians first baseman is hitting .167/.211/.273 in August, but with Edwin Encarnacion on the disabled list and no potential minor league help, his spot in the lineup is safe.
Make sense? Let's get started.
Greg Bird, New York Yankees
1 of 5
Season Stats: 274 PA, .211/.303/.414, 11 HR, 35 RBI
Second-Half Stats: 110 PA, .206/.282/.351, 3 HR, 14 RBI
August Stats: 68 PA, .148/.235/.295, 2 HR, 8 RBI
It's not that Greg Bird is in a slump so much as this entire season has been a trying one for the young first baseman.
After missing the 2016 season recovering from surgery on a torn labrum, Bird was shelved once again last year with an ankle injury that cost him nearly four months. However, he returned to post an .846 OPS with six home runs and 16 RBI in September and then homered three times and posted a .426 on-base percentage and .938 OPS in 13 postseason games.
The 25-year-old looked primed to deliver a long-awaited breakout season in 2018. Instead, he's struggled mightily—particularly of late—en route to a 91 OPS+ and minus-0.2 WAR.
Back-to-back games with a home run Saturday and Sunday have provided some hope that he might be gearing up for another late-season surge, but the Yankees would be wise to have a backup plan lined up.
Potential Replacement: Mike Ford
Ford, 26, is hitting a modest .252/.326/.437 with 14 home runs and 43 RBI at Triple-A this season.
While that might not seem like an upgrade at surface level, he's been red-hot of late, hitting .318/.375/.515 in August with nine extra-base hits in 72 plate appearances.
Giving him a call-up and a handful of starts to see if his hot hitting will carry over to the next level looks like a worthwhile move.
Ian Desmond, Colorado Rockies
2 of 5
Season Stats: 470 PA, .233/.302/.434, 19 HR, 67 RBI
Second-Half Stats: 100 PA, .228/.280/.359, 1 HR, 11 RBI
August Stats: 62 PA, .190/.226/.293, 0 HR, 8 RBI
The Colorado Rockies no doubt feel a sense of obligation to continue giving Ian Desmond playing time.
After all, his $22 million salary makes him the highest-paid player on the roster, and he's scheduled to earn another $38 million over the next three years.
The 32-year-old debuted with a thud last season after signing a five-year, $70 million deal in free agency, posting a 73 OPS+ in 373 plate appearances and a minus-1.1 WAR.
While his numbers are up a bit this season and he's managed to stay healthy, he's still been a below-average performer offensively (84 OPS+) and a negative-value player (-0.3 WAR).
As the Rockies look to chase down a playoff berth, it's getting harder and harder to justify playing him regularly.
Potential Replacement: Matt Holliday
Holliday began his pro career in the Colorado organization as a seventh-round pick in the 1998 draft. He spent his first five MLB seasons with the Rockies and finished second in NL MVP voting in 2007 when he led the NL in batting average (.340), hits (216), doubles (50) and RBI (137).
After spending last season with the New York Yankees on a one-year deal, Holliday lingered in free agency this offseason until rejoining the Rockies with a minor league pact July 29.
The 38-year-old has quickly shaken off the rust, hitting .347/.458/.612 with four doubles, three home runs and 13 RBI in 14 games at Triple-A Albuquerque.
He's a potential in-house upgrade over Desmond at first base, and he brings a veteran presence with plenty of big-game experience to a relatively young locker room.
Odubel Herrera, Philadelphia Phillies
3 of 5
Season Stats: 494 PA, .268/.320/.441, 19 HR, 62 RBI
Second-Half Stats: 101 PA, .237/.297/.366, 3 HR, 10 RBI
August Stats: 50 PA, .184/.200/.224, 0 HR, 4 RBI
The wheels are already in motion on a diminished role for Odubel Herrera.
The 2016 NL All-Star started the season strong with an excellent .313/.377/.485 line over the first two months, but his production has been steadily declining since.
He was finally dropped from third in the batting order to sixth on Aug. 5, and he slid to seventh on Aug. 14 and eighth for the first time Sunday.
A move down to eighth in the batting order helped spark Maikel Franco earlier this season, but he didn't have someone breathing down his neck for playing time.
Herrera does.
Potential Replacement: Roman Quinn
Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, "It's time to sit Herrera and give Roman Quinn a chance in an expanded role."
He has a point.
Quinn is hitting .293/.310/.415 with four extra-base hits and four stolen bases in 42 plate appearances since being recalled from the minors July 27. With game-changing speed and excellent defense, he has a chance to be a real spark plug for the contending Phillies.
The 25-year-old has had a tough time staying healthy in recent seasons, but now that he's at 100 percent, it's time to see what he can do with a regular role.
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Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers
4 of 5
Season Stats: 424 PA, .284/.335/.477, 18 HR, 69 RBI
Second-Half Stats: 100 PA, .195/.280/.322, 3 HR, 9 RBI
August Stats: 54 PA, .188/.259/.271, 1 HR, 5 RBI
This is more about keeping Matt Kemp fresh than it is about relegating him to the bench.
The 33-year-old was nothing short of a savior for the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first half of the season, shouldering the run production load when Corey Seager was lost for the season and Justin Turner was also watching from the sidelines.
However, his production has fallen off dramatically since the All-Star break, and that's not a unique phenomenon.
Last season, he hit .293/.340/.486 with 12 home runs and 40 RBI for the Atlanta Braves in the first half, but those numbers dipped to .243/.272/.417 after the break—including a brutal .170/.182/.396 line over the final month of the season.
While his production has taken a similar turn this season, he's still capable of making an impact, as evidenced by his 4-for-12 showing that included a home run this past weekend in a three-game series against the Seattle Mariners.
It's just a matter of figuring out how to get the most out of him going forward, and regular rest could be the answer.
Potential Replacement: Alex Verdugo
Verdugo has nothing left to prove in the minors.
The 22-year-old is a .310/.367/.445 hitter over parts of five minor league seasons, including a .335/.390/.481 line at Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2018.
He's also held his own in big league action this year, posting a .280/.345/.440 line with five doubles and one home run in 56 plate appearances.
Recalling him from the minors and using him as a fourth starting outfielder of sorts to keep everyone fresh for the stretch run would give the Dodgers an opportunity to get his bat into the lineup and provide Kemp with some needed rest.
Two birds, one stone.
Mitch Moreland, Boston Red Sox
5 of 5
Season Stats: 370 PA, .256/.322/.467, 14 HR, 63 RBI
Second-Half Stats: 84 PA, .188/.214/.363, 3 HR, 17 RBI
August Stats: 55 PA, .212/.236/.423, 2 HR, 15 RBI
Mitch Moreland was an All-Star for the first time this season on the strength of a .278/.353/.500 line that included 11 home runs and 46 RBI.
However, he's gone ice-cold at the plate since the break.
The 32-year-old still provides value with his strong defense at first base, and the Red Sox boast the best offense in baseball, so they aren't hurting for production.
Still, as they gear up for a potential World Series run, it might be worth exploring other options.
Potential Replacements: Steve Pearce and Sam Travis
The Red Sox acquired Steve Pearce from the Toronto Blue Jays on June 28, and he's proved to be a huge addition, hitting .301/.422/.616 with six home runs and 15 RBI in 26 games.
As usual, Pearce has crushed left-handed pitching to the tune of a .338/.420/.620 line on the year. However, he's also holding his own against righties, posting a .259/.358/.519 line that includes six home runs in 95 plate appearances.
Giving him an expanded role could be one way to increase production at the first base position.
The Red Sox could also turn to Sam Travis, a former top prospect who has seen his star fade in recent seasons but has been swinging it well of late.
The 24-year-old is hitting .320/.341/.416 in 31 games at Triple-A since returning from a brief promotion to the majors July 16. He's already on the 40-man roster, so at least a September call-up seems likely.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs and accurate through Aug. 19.
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