So I was reading Derrick Goold's story about Ty Kelly -- here's an excerpt ...
It's a curious trait for a player who has had considerable success at the plate, especially when it comes to getting on base. Kelly has a career .387 on-base percentage in the minors, and 2014 was the first season since 2011 that his OBP was less than .400. He paired that however with a career-high slugging percentage. He doesn't swing much but when he does he connects with intent, and when he doesn't he often reaches via a walk. He has had a walk rate better than 14 percent in each of the previous three seasons, and one year he topped 20 percent, walking once out of every five plate appearances.
... and I was wondering, Why did the Mariners let this guy get away? Why sign Rickie Weeks as a super-utility guy when they had this guy in their system already?
Well, my spies tell me that Kelly's largely unplayable at every position. Granted, so is Rickie Weeks. Granted, you have to wonder why there's room on the roster for Weeks and Willie Bloomquist, but not a 26-year-old utlity guy who gets on base a ton (or at least has consistently done that in the minors).
Obviously it's a small thing. I just like to see the young(er) and cheap(er) guys get a shot. Which it seems Kelly's getting from the Cardinals.
