Thu Dec 29, 2016 4:03 pm
Well, honestly, I don't think you would go wrong with any of them.
My take:
Marte: the best card among all of them vs lhp, but since you can't expect your dh to face only lefties, and considering that he is weaker vs rhp, overall I have him 3rd best card for dh vs lhp. That said, he has the best card to hold the 5th spot in your batting lineup vs lhp if this is really what you need, considering his power and his clutch.
Lowrie: I have him second best card, but he could be the best card if you have someone on the bench who is not an automatic out vs lhp to replace him when he's hurt. His on-base, power, gbA profile, and clutch is good enough to hold any position in your lineup card, so he gives your lineup flexibility.
Semien: The best card to hold a dh-job vs lhp, once you factor a minimum of at-bats vs rhp and the running game. His awful clutch prevents his use as a 5th hitter though. I would go for him if you feel you have a strong lineup and only need to fulfill a spot down the lineup card (say 7th, 8th spot...). Could be an option for leadoff too vs lhp.
Gyorko: He has the better card vs rhp. Good enough to be a backup for Pedroia (despite being a 4, his defense is only 3 "runs allowed" behind Turner for a full season). I would go with him if you think he might start 20-30 games vs rhp due to injury proneness,
Turner: The nicest leadoff option vs lhp if this is what you need on your lineup card---although I would put red light on his basepaths to prevent him to try to steal a base. His star will nevertheless attract a hold from the defense, which is a nice feature to have for a leadoff. He can backup Pedroia. I would choose him over Gyorko if you can make sense of the extra dollars (for example, by improving your pitching...)
