Also - I actually really like Laird. I always did before. Hate his bat, sure. But with how effective he is behind the dish having a shitty #9 hitter in your lineup is a fair trade off. Obviously I have a major man crush on Avila so I'm not saying Laird should start, but I'm more than ok with Laird being on the roster. Guy knows how to handle a pitching staff and handle being a C defensively as well as anyone. It's something that so often gets missed with C, but Porcello obviously really likes pitching to him, and he seemed pretty apt at calming down Scherzer after Max came out missing his spots all over the place.
Let's be honest - a backup C is never going to be a good hitter. It's an almost exclusively defensive position, and they won't get the reps to be effective at the plate. So how much we love to rag on him for his bat, it's unrealistic and just plain missing the point on his massive utility as a player.
(not to mention when this offense finally does click, the marginal utility of having a good defensive player will even more so outweigh having a little bit better hitter. But again I'm talking about him being the backup, it was a disaster when he was our starter. Thank god for Alex.)
Also - let's not pretend that guys like him just sit around eating Dorito's while not in the lineup. He works with the rest of the team throughout the season, and is a genuine asset to have around, even when he's not blocking balls in the dirt during the game.
<message edited by portnoy311 on Sunday, April 29, 2012 3:27 PM>