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Post by rjp313jr on Dec 15, 2013 13:50:53 GMT -5
I'm a little surprised people are concerned about this. Holt is a young(ish) guy who I think deserves a utility role if the alternative is a scrub veteran. If there is anything that can be had on the cheap during the year it's a utility guy. Don't get me wrong, I value a really good utility player, but I don't feel one was available via free agency.
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Post by larrycook on Dec 15, 2013 13:56:02 GMT -5
This hasn't seemed to me to be a well-handled off-season for the last few spots on the roster. Losing Kalish and maybe Castellanos while Morales, Wilson, and Butler (or Lavarnway) remain obvious trade candidates seems inefficient, and maybe they've waited too long on the backup SS market, too. I think it is the exact opposite, the trade market has not developed yet and Cherrington is not going to make a move just to to make a move (he'd probably wind up overpaying if he did.) I think he is confident in Bogey and Middlebrooks, and right now he has Holt and Checchini in the wings. Plus Marreno charging hard/being rushed. Any trade he makes has to upgrade the team over what he has without blocking his prospects long term.
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Post by rjp313jr on Dec 15, 2013 14:12:29 GMT -5
^ well said... Sign a guy now, even for a couple million, you're more or less rolling with him. Perhaps, part of the upcoming Dempster trade will be a more expensive utility player that a team wants to move as part of the deal.
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Post by mredsox89 on Dec 15, 2013 18:30:25 GMT -5
I'm a little surprised people are concerned about this. Holt is a young(ish) guy who I think deserves a utility role if the alternative is a scrub veteran. If there is anything that can be had on the cheap during the year it's a utility guy. Don't get me wrong, I value a really good utility player, but I don't feel one was available via free agency. I think the real reason people are "concerned" is that the team doesn't exactly have many other question marks. I mean what other things are there to fix with this team right now? Maybe a question in LF. Maybe getting Drew back and moving WMB? Maybe moving one of the back end SP? It's not like they have a massive hole anywhere on their roster. They've picked up a catcher, have their guy back at 1B, have arguable the #1 prospect in baseball to take over at SS, and a legit prospect to fill the hole in CF
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Post by jmei on Dec 15, 2013 18:56:35 GMT -5
I'm a little surprised people are concerned about this. Holt is a young(ish) guy who I think deserves a utility role if the alternative is a scrub veteran. If there is anything that can be had on the cheap during the year it's a utility guy. Don't get me wrong, I value a really good utility player, but I don't feel one was available via free agency. It's because he's not much better than replacement level and the Red Sox have no other MLB-ready infield depth. I mean, maybe Cecchini is ready by midseason or you jump Marrero or Betts two levels, but that's asking a lot. If our injury-prone, undersized 2B gets injured or either of the young, relatively unproven left-side infielders gets hurt or underperforms, I want a better backup option. Nick Punto would have been perfect (his prorated performance has been league average or better the last few years, and he doesn't have much of a platoon split), but he got taken early in free agency.
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Post by rjp313jr on Dec 15, 2013 20:34:41 GMT -5
Punto I could get behind, but that was one guy and like you said, he went quick. The other "options", aren't real losses in my mind. Trade may be best way to go.
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Post by joshv02 on Dec 15, 2013 20:42:19 GMT -5
If our injury-prone, undersized 2B gets injured ... Agreed otherwise, but he averaged 155 games the past three years.
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Post by jmei on Dec 15, 2013 21:15:44 GMT -5
If our injury-prone, undersized 2B gets injured ... Agreed otherwise, but he averaged 155 games the past three years. Yeah, but two of those seasons he played through pretty serious injuries (torn adductor muscle, hyperextended thumb, broken ring finger in 2012, torn thumb UCL in 2013). Sooner or later he's going to suffer an injury he can't play through.
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