Hindsight 2014: Could we have seen this Disaster Coming?

Chris Johnson (23). Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

Beyond Freeman/Johnson, no regular hit above 250’s in 2013.

So why no offensive changes?

I’ll repeat the injuries theme… and there were crazy injuries in 2013:

• Jason Heyward:  jaw and appendix
• Tyler Pastornicky:  bumps into Jason, out for year (ACL)
• Tim Hudson: ankle
• Both Uptons:  legs
• Freddie Freeman: oblique
• McCann:  slow-to-heal shoulder
• Reed Johnson:  achilles

In all seriousness, the offense was decent in 2013 – despite these injuries.  The 2013 squad scored 688 runs.   This one – missing essentially only Brian McCann – is now at 554.  That’s an incredible drop-off for a team that was substantially injury-free having similar personnel.

So what would you have changed?  The biggest regression candidates were… maybe Freeman and Johnson though their declines have been much more than you might have guessed.  Still:  who would have replaced them?  Especially at first base!

Almost every other player could have been guessed to improve over their 2013 numbers.  Yes, Uggla was bad, but he still had 22 home runs and an OBP over .300.  And there was a ‘Plan B’ for Uggla, since Tommy La Stella ate up a lot of innings during Spring Training.

Bench production was perceived as an area of need:

• Reed Johnson had an off year, probably resulting in his option being declined.
• Ramiro Pena was hurt, so we had to rely on guys named Paul Janish or Eliot Johnson for bench production
• Jordan Schafer (.247) actually did reasonably well, but Joey Terdoslavich didn’t (.215)

So the bench response for 2014 was:

• a healthy Pena
• a trade for Ryan Doumit… which seemed reasonable, given his history and flexibility.

That wasn’t a lot, but once again, it made sense.