Red Sox outfield roster crunch

I'll believe it when I see it regarding Ben's willingness to give up his backup DH depth.

This has a ways to go before it plays out as Victorino doesn't feel all that close to a return. Let's see how everyone does over the next couple weeks. If JBjr keeps hitting and putting together good ABs, then he will be here.

He didn't play well during the spring and it was the right decision to send him down, JB got lucky with Vic's injury and got a second chance sooner than expected. So far he's seizing the opportunity and he should be rewarded for that if he keeps it up. Much like in the same way, he didn't earn it the first time around and wasn't rewarded.

The best defensive outfield the Sox could put out there would have Sizemore, Bradley, and Victorino - from left to right. That's something I've suggested for a while. It may very well be their best offensive outfield also, though Nava will probably have a bit to say about that. None of the "earning it" and "seizing the opportunity" talk does much for me. That's because of the extreme variability in batter numbers which don't even start to stabilize till there are a few hundred at bats to work from. If a team believes it's properly evaluated a player, that his skills have been identified, and his potential value is what they think it is, the player should be given a chance to play.

Now that's a bloodless analysis. The fact is the game is played by people, those in the dugout and those in the field. There's always a dynamic in play and that needs to be taken into account. This team had great success last year and they need to acknowledge the players who helped them get to that level. But the season has started, there are games to be won, and decisions will be made accordingly. On a lot of other teams, Bradley would simply be told to go out and play. Given the glove and what I believe his bat is, he also might very well contend for the ROY. But more than that, I think he would give the team real value at the centerfield position. He's the best they have.

Yeah, I'm starting to shift to Jimed's, too ... the biggest thing to me is Sizemore's defense. He really has looked a step slow out in CF to me. He's CLEARLY the third best OFer on a team with Bradley and Victorino playing. And he just can't cover enough ground to play between Nava and Gomes.

And, Carp looked far worse in LF than I remember. I really don't want him out there anymore. Which makes him a poor man's Papi, and a modern team with 12 pitchers can barely afford one Papi on the roster ...

Moved this to its own thread.

Also, Victorino reportedly lost 8-12 pounds battling a nasty flu. If that figure is anywhere close to accurate, it's going to be at least another few weeks before he's really in full baseball shape, and he's going to need a few rehab games too. Between that and making sure his hamstring is fully healed up, I'd be surprised to see Victorino back before the last week or so of April.

If they move Carp and Papi (go forbid) goes down, you ride it out til June 5 then you sign Morales to an adumbrated 1-year deal and don't give up a draft pick. Meanwhile, instead of sitting Sizemore every 4th day you DH him on the 4th day to "rest" his legs and play Nava/Gomes in LF on those days. Easy-peasy.

There are a lot of "ifs" still, but theses are the options when Victorino is ready:

1. Another OF/1b/DH hits the DL (maybe Grady needs a maintenance vacation)
2. Bradley gets sent down
3. Nava gets sent down
4. Someone is traded (most likely Carp w/ Nava a distant second)
5. Someone is DFA'd. (Basically no chance but technically an option)

So 1, 4 and 5 are what they are and not really worth discussing. Then it does down to how well guys are playing and how much longer of a sample. Dont confuse production with how well a guy is playing. Nava isn't playing well. Struck out looking 3 times last night as just one example. He's all out of sorts. But it's only 35 PA so virtually meaningless. Nava should basically be what he is and they have a good handle on that.

Bradley is the guy who is the developing changing ball player who really needs to be keyed in on. He's also the guy with the most worth to the organization. If he continues to have good ABs, I don't really care about number of hits, then he's probably ready to be in the majors and contribute so he should stay.

It sucks for him but Nava might have to take one for the team and use that final option. Him and Carp are very similar and while Nava is a little better I'd rather send him down and keep Carp as the 5th OF. If Bradley stays the starting OF is:

LF - Sizemore (LHH)
CF - Bradley (LHH)
RF - Victorino (RHH)

Gomes is still the 4th OF who will get ABs vs lefties while spelling Sizemore and Bradley and that 5th guy gets barely any playing time so it doesn't much matter if Nava is marginally better then Carp. I'd rather Nava get full time ABs and keep the depth. Plus, it'd be fairly entertaining reading the reactions of everyone if Nava got sent to AAA.

So you'd rather trade Nava than send him down?  I don't understand what the issue is with optioning him.

Well, 2 and 3 certainly aren't worth discussing so what are we even talking about?

4 & 5 are worth discussing.  That's what I've been preaching since it was clear that Sizemore was healthy enough to play.  Carp needs to go.  JBJ will win this team a whole lot more games than Carp will.  He already was the difference in the 4-1 win over Texas.  At this point, I don't even care what we get for Carp.  JBJ is the real deal.  There's a reason why he was a top 30 prospect.  There's a reason why everyone said he was the best defensive outfielder in the minors and there's a reason why he has raked at every level of the minors.  I would predict him to win Rookie of the Year if they let him play.  It's as if everything ever said about JBJ was thrown out the window because he only hit .189 last year in the majors in 100 PAs.

I cannot imagine 3 happening over 2.  There's just no way.

As mentioned previously, I would be sad to see Carp go, because I think he has an awesome beard, and I do think it matters what we get for him (he is too good to just be traded away for a PTBNL), he is ultimately just a poor fit for the Red Sox roster construction and should be traded when the other options are exhausted (and Nava being sent down is not really an option in this context).

This makes sense to me. It's not just the weight loss that is at issue. A flu severe enough to cause that amount of weight loss debilitates the body. Recovery to full strength will take some additional time. In the long run, given his injury, that might be something of a disguised blessing.