You don't become a better OF defensively as you hit your mid 30's. LOL. He has limited range, and is not much of a fielder, those are the facts. The stats say it, the eyes say it. And effort doesn't change it. And defensive war when it is that over the top negative that is all I need to know we got a horrific defender on our hands. And my eyes have confirmed that over the years.
By the way, their is something to be said about making player comfortable. 2014 he played alot more DH, whether that is rest, or whether that is simply he doesn't have to worry about going out in the field everyday, was the best year of his career (so the DH helped him, once again the facts). Yet I haven't seen and answer to that question. All I hear is this year he is hitting way better in the OF then DH, so lets him play the OF everyday, forget the defense. The thing your forgetting is the rest every other day is helping him be effective overall, and not break down. In years past when he played the OF and didn't DH, he was far more injury prone, also his numbers weren't nearly as good.
Duda development happened over the last year and 1/2. Now why is that? Because of instead of playing LF where he was a butcher, they moved him to 1b and he is a good fielder their, and suddenly he started hitting. Whether it is comfort or stress on the body maybe with cruz, putting players in the position where their comfortable can help their performance. Yes I'm talking to the mariners manager leave Brad Miller alone play him at SS, he is a good young hitter, you know who isn't chris Taylor he hits like Didi and that is not a complement. LOL.
