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Post by jimed14 on May 15, 2014 11:00:29 GMT -5
Wow, Swihart has a 12% K-rate this year.
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Post by taftreign on May 15, 2014 14:10:43 GMT -5
I'm still inclined to believe it would be best to have both on the MLB roster splitting catching duties with Vazquez on the heavy side for two reasons. I believe Vazquez is the better defensive option and as stated above I'm not convinced Swihart can handle 75% + of the workload with his body type. Question is if he only catches two out of every five games then where does he play best as an alternate position. First base, right field, DH?
I've been quite impressed with his defensive development but there is clearly a "good" body type and a "not so good" body type for the longevity of the position. Swihart seems to be a little more Mauer or Posey who have shown they could play the position but ultimately found it best to move off the position. If you manage Swiharts appearances behind the plate from the beginning I don't believe you run into the long term wear and tear issues. Personally I wouldn't consider moving either under any scenario because I see them as the perfect complement as a backstop duo.
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nomar
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Post by nomar on May 15, 2014 14:16:44 GMT -5
Swihart has a ton of potential, but he absolutely needs to get bigger, or he will certainly be injury prone as a catcher.
The smallest catcher I can think of that was healthy was Jason Kendall at 6'0", 195.
There's no question that you keep CV no matter what. He's not going to be a guy with much trade value, and would make a great backup catcher for Swihart. I think Swihart may be on the verge of blowing up as a prospect, and deservedly so, but I wouldn't be against trading Swihart in the right deal (I don't want him traded, but he isn't untouchable).
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Post by godot on May 15, 2014 14:46:39 GMT -5
Would not be surprised in Swihart gets some work at third in the near outre.
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Post by jimed14 on May 15, 2014 14:50:15 GMT -5
Maybe we can make Swihart the new improved version of Zobrist who can catch too.
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Post by thelavarnwayguy on May 15, 2014 14:51:05 GMT -5
I like thew fact that Swihart catches most of the games and is still hitting .300. He seems to be able to carry the load of a starting catcher. Lots of guys just can't do that well.
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Post by okin15 on May 15, 2014 17:40:40 GMT -5
Would not be surprised in Swihart gets some work at third in the near outre. what makes you say that?
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radiohix
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'At the end of the day, we bang. We bang. We're going to swing.' Alex Verdugo
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Post by radiohix on May 15, 2014 18:11:56 GMT -5
After the season, the Red Sox asked him to put on some weight. So between the end of the season and the beginning of camp, he added 20 pounds, going from 180 to 200. “It was just lifting every day, doing the right workouts, eating right,” he said. “It’ll give me more durability and endurance. I’ll be more capable of handling every-day catching. That’s what they wanted me to do, so I did it. I can still move like I did. I worked to where I still have the capability of running and moving and being athletic.” m.espn.go.com/general/blogs/blogpost?blogname=bostonred-sox&id=34578&tag=blake-swihart&city=bostonEnvoyé de mon SM-T211 en utilisant Tapatalk
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Post by godot on May 15, 2014 18:52:28 GMT -5
Would not be surprised in Swihart gets some work at third in the near outre. what makes you say that? Basically, a hunch. Kid is very athletic and seems to have a good arm. If Vasquez can hit some, perhaps Swihart could also play third, assuming he keeps on improving with the bat. It is not as if Middlebrooks would be blocking him or Cecchini. Didn't Biggio start out as a catcher?
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Post by rjp313jr on May 15, 2014 18:57:53 GMT -5
Swihart has a ton of potential, but he absolutely needs to get bigger, or he will certainly be injury prone as a catcher. The smallest catcher I can think of that was healthy was Jason Kendall at 6'0", 195. There's no question that you keep CV no matter what. He's not going to be a guy with much trade value, and would make a great backup catcher for Swihart. I think Swihart may be on the verge of blowing up as a prospect, and deservedly so, but I wouldn't be against trading Swihart in the right deal (I don't want him traded, but he isn't untouchable). Might want to avoid words like "absolutely" and "certainly"
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Post by chavopepe2 on May 15, 2014 18:59:08 GMT -5
There is zero chance Swihart plays anywhere but catcher (and DH) this year. There a near zero chance he plays anywhere but catcher (and DH) next year. The only chance he plays somewhere other than catcher after that is if he completely busts defensively as a catcher, and that is looking exceedingly unlikely.
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jimoh
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Posts: 3,962
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Post by jimoh on May 16, 2014 6:35:49 GMT -5
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Post by okin15 on May 16, 2014 9:20:15 GMT -5
Basically, a hunch. Kid is very athletic and seems to have a good arm. If Vasquez can hit some, perhaps Swihart could also play third, assuming he keeps on improving with the bat. It is not as if Middlebrooks would be blocking him or Cecchini. Didn't Biggio start out as a catcher? What Chavo said. It's generally bad policy to move guys down the defensive spectrum unless they can't handle the glove at their current position. I guess maybe if you have a huge need, but we don't at 3B and we do at C... and so does the rest of the MLB.
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Post by azblue on May 16, 2014 9:30:27 GMT -5
Yogi Berra, 5-6 (or 5-7, depending on source), 185.
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Post by brianthetaoist on May 16, 2014 9:36:50 GMT -5
6'1" 200 pounds is pretty big ... he'll likely boost that by 10-15 pounds naturally as he gets deeper into his 20s, too. Not worried too much about it ... hey, besides, we don't have to worry about collisions at the plate anymore.
Pretty soon, the Sox are only going to have three position players: Mookie, Swihart, and an aging Zobrist. They'll just play all the positions.
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Post by azblue on May 16, 2014 9:41:30 GMT -5
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Post by geezergeek on May 16, 2014 11:26:55 GMT -5
If Vazquez exceeds his scouting report and is a strong starting MLB catcher, I think Swihart is athletic enough to handle just about any other position. Nice problem to have. He seems to be Biggioesque and could follow suit to 2nd base. Oh I forgot about Pedroia and the Red Sox 2nd base prospects which are hitting something north of 370 as a group.
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Post by jmei on May 16, 2014 12:38:19 GMT -5
My issue with Swihart is not that he's too short, but that he's too tall. He just doesn't look much like a catcher, on account of his lean and lithe body type. Yogi Berra was short, but he was also built like a gnome-- stocky and wide. This is a pretty nit-picky criticism, and one that is probably unfounded. He did catch 100+ games last year, his defense is pretty well-regarded, and there are plenty of tall, skinny catchers these days (think Wieters, Posey, etc). As Jason Parks alludes to here, stereotyping players by build is a pretty outdated way of thinking about things, one of the Moneyball criticisms of scouts that made a lot of sense. Still, I can't quite shake the feeling that he needs to adds some weight to his lower half if he's going to spend three hours squatting in the dirt 120+ times a year.
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Post by godot on May 16, 2014 17:05:43 GMT -5
We are getting ahead of ourselves. No doubt talent, but let's see what he does at AAA, and what Vasquez can do with the bat. Have a feeling Vasquez may be up before September.
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Post by fenwaythehardway on May 16, 2014 21:26:29 GMT -5
My issue with Swihart is not that he's too short, but that he's too tall. He just doesn't look much like a catcher, on account of his lean and lithe body type. Yogi Berra was short, but he was also built like a gnome-- stocky and wide. This is a pretty nit-picky criticism, and one that is probably unfounded. He did catch 100+ games last year, his defense is pretty well-regarded, and there are plenty of tall, skinny catchers these days (think Wieters, Posey, etc). As Jason Parks alludes to here, stereotyping players by build is a pretty outdated way of thinking about things, one of the Moneyball criticisms of scouts that made a lot of sense. Still, I can't quite shake the feeling that he needs to adds some weight to his lower half if he's going to spend three hours squatting in the dirt 120+ times a year. Even granting that durability may be an issue for him, it doesn't bother me that much. If he hits his upside but he's limited to 100 games a year behind the plate... whatever. You can work around that and still get a ton of value out of those 100 games.
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cdj
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Posts: 13,873
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Post by cdj on May 16, 2014 23:59:26 GMT -5
Long time reader, just registered tonight. Hfboards (hockey) just isn't for me. Too many morons unlike you fellas.
Anyway, I can see Vazquez replacing Ross in September when the rosters expand (in other words, relegating Ross to a clubhouse leader/3rd catcher). Love the kids defensive game, and it really seems like he is starting to figure it out at the plate. People may not like the comparison I'm about to make but he seems pretty similar to Einar Diaz early in his career. Makes good contact and he's a damn fine defender, and that in itself is quite valuable from the catchers position.
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jimoh
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Posts: 3,962
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Post by jimoh on May 17, 2014 7:53:34 GMT -5
My issue with Swihart is not that he's too short, but that he's too tall. He just doesn't look much like a catcher, on account of his lean and lithe body type. Yogi Berra was short, but he was also built like a gnome-- stocky and wide. This is a pretty nit-picky criticism, and one that is probably unfounded. He did catch 100+ games last year, his defense is pretty well-regarded, and there are plenty of tall, skinny catchers these days (think Wieters, Posey, etc). As Jason Parks alludes to here, stereotyping players by build is a pretty outdated way of thinking about things, one of the Moneyball criticisms of scouts that made a lot of sense. Still, I can't quite shake the feeling that he needs to adds some weight to his lower half if he's going to spend three hours squatting in the dirt 120+ times a year. Yeah, he looks almost as skinny as this guy: www.scalpem.com/images/thumbs/baseball_csu_posey_2006.jpgcapecodbaseball.org/news/league/?article_id=1059www.baseballamerica.com/today/draft/news/2008/266273.htmlPosey is 6' 1" and was listed as 200 lbs in college, 205 at the draft, 220 now at age 27 edit: pic when he was 180 lbs coming out of high school: www.perfectgame.org/players/playerprofile.aspx?ID=5533
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jimoh
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Post by jimoh on May 17, 2014 8:01:55 GMT -5
also: Tony Pena Height: 6' 0", Weight: 175 lb. Caught 2000 games
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Post by wskeleton76 on May 17, 2014 8:17:54 GMT -5
The issue with Swihart is not his size but how much he could improve on plate discipline. He should be pretty good behind the plate over time considering his athletism and workethic. He has excellent contact skill. He should be stronger over age. The only question is his plate discipline. He just needs to be more selective at the plate.
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Post by sibbysisti on May 17, 2014 10:01:12 GMT -5
The Sox might do well to extend Pierczinski for one more year to mentor Vasquez. Then, in 2016, when Swihart is expected to make the ML roster, they'll be an experienced catcher there to help him with the transition..
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