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2007 Kielty was the odd man in the outfield picture when the season opened, but as something of a lefty-killer--he entered 2006 with an 886 career OPS against southpaws--Kielty figured to work his way into the lineup at least a third of the time. He actually played more than that, thanks to all the injuries, and gave the A`s exactly the sort of production you`d want from your fourth outfielder. Kielty`s never going to hit as many homers as you`d expect from a 220-pound gardener, but as long as he hits .260 or .270 he`ll have a job as some team`s `professional hitter.` It probably would help if he`d just stop switch-hitting, as he`s batting just .230/.333/.350 in his career from the left side of the plate. 2006 Kielty is emblematic of a certain type of player who might fare well if evaluated on a production-per-dollar basis, but doesn`t really help you win championships if he`s in the lineup for more than half a year at a time. On the bright side, he`s developed a significant preference for left-handed pitching, and freeing him up to be Dan Johnson`s platoon partner is one of the more underrated benefits of the Milton Bradley trade. 2005 When they traded Ted Lilly to the Jays, the A's felt they might be getting the new Mitch Webster. What they got was Ron Roenicke, which isn't terrible as your fourth or fifth outfielder, but it's also not the sort of thing you put on your Amazon wish list. Beane remains optimistic about finally getting Kielty v2002, but hoping that Kielty would match his 2002 production over 400 at-bats would be a bit much. It's more likely that he'll end up being a great platoon partner for Charles Thomas in left should the A's deal Byrnes, which would at least be an upgrade in Roenickes from Ron to Gary. 2003 Kielty had a choice to sign wherever he pleased after being the Cape Cod League MVP in 1998, and he made a point of signing where he felt he’d get an opportunity. He obviously picked wisely, getting to the playoffs in his fourth year as a professional. He might get typecast as a fourth outfielder because he’s a switch-hitter with power and patience who can handle center on a team that has Torii Hunter. That would be unfortunate, because Kielty’s good enough to play every day, and he doesn’t have any platoon issues. 2002 He's ready to tackle a major-league job. Kielty is a tweener risk, but he can probably hit enough to handle a corner outfield spot. His plate discipline is good, and he has a quick bat, good foot speed, and solid mechanics in the outfield. He's facing an uphill battle for playing time, as the Twins have a veritable avalanche of corner outfielders who will be clawing for at-bats. Kielty probably offers the best mix of offense and defense available. Look for him to peak somewhere in the vicinity of .310/.400/.520 or so, while playing good defense in left field. 2001 Bobby Kielty struggled with allergy and contact-lens problems in 1999, after which he had LASIK surgery, skipped a level, and handled Double-A just fine. He’s a true switch-hitter, batting well from both sides of the plate. In center field, he gets good jumps and seems to cover the alleys well, but range is an issue. He has a Dave Henderson problem, too: his throws to the plate tail up the third-base line. With Hunter and Jones able to play center field, Kielty will move to a corner when he’s called up this year. There’s a lot to like here, and while he may not solve the team’s power problems, he will give them another useful bat. 2000 His signing was a major coup for Twins’ player development. After his senior season at Mississippi was marred by a skiing accident, he went undrafted in 1998. He went on to star in the Cape Cod League, then chose to sign with the Twins because he thinks his best shot at the majors is with them. Remember that the next time you hear somebody argue that only “big market” teams would be able to sign great amateur talent without the draft. Guys want to end up in the majors, not rotting in Columbus waiting for Darryl Strawberry’s next indictment. Kielty will stay in center field until he proves he can’t play there; so far, he gets a good jump on the ball.
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