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Post by klostrophobic on Apr 23, 2014 15:30:21 GMT -5
He's 15th. You're only including catchers who have logged enough atbats. And one of them is Mike Napoli who doesn't catch. He's hideous to watch and I can't wait until he's gone either, but he's not that terrible
League average catcher last year hit .245/.310/.388. Maybe he won't reach that, but it's not a high threshold.
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Post by FenwayFanatic on Apr 23, 2014 15:36:46 GMT -5
I'm just going to say I'm glad we have Ben in control right now. Can you imagine if we had a GM look Ruben Amaro Jr in control of this franchise? Imagine the damage they could do.
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Post by Guidas on Apr 23, 2014 15:37:53 GMT -5
That's slightly misleading, because there are only 21 qualified catchers, but 30 teams. If you filter for >800 PAs, rather than qualified players, Pierzynski is 16th of 30. I didn't love the signing either, though. My thought was that if they were going to move on from Saltalamacchia, they should either a) go big or b) go cheap and allocate those resources elsewhere. Saltalamacchia to Pierzynski really did seem like a lateral move at best. I'm skeptical Butler is an upgrade, though. I think the best fix is just to play David Ross more. Ross is one foul ball to head from retirement. And he hasn't played more than 62 games in a single season since 2008. Salty couldn't throw out anyone, but he could frame a pitch and he killed righties. I completely agree about allocation of resources. I've always believed if you're going to lose OBP in your roster construction lose it at SS and catcher in a trade for superior D and get it elsewhere. If you have an offensive performer who cancels out the lost D at either of those positions, fine. That ain't this guy. Now if you'll pardon me I have to write a letter to MLB explaining how I saw AJ injecting PEDs into his body at The Gap.
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Post by templeusox on Apr 23, 2014 16:09:26 GMT -5
This kind of sums up my biggest concern on the team right now:
Something has to be done.
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Post by Guidas on Apr 23, 2014 16:12:21 GMT -5
This kind of sums up my biggest concern on the team right now: Something has to be done. Could bite the bullet on "value," move Xander to LF and sign Drew to a 1 yr with the conceit that Marrero is your likely 2015 SS. Hey - he said "had to be done" - not me!
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Post by jmei on Apr 23, 2014 16:14:04 GMT -5
Along the same lines, via Alex Speier: Costing your team half a win defensively in three weeks-- no bueno.
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Post by Oregon Norm on Apr 23, 2014 16:17:11 GMT -5
... The genuine screw-ups, IMHO, were Damon and Beltre... I'll disagree with that. He had a fantastic year with the Sox, valuable enough that Texas was eager to sign him away despite the lost draft picks. It was a bet that worked, for both sides. Those picks brought Bradley and Swihart into the fold. Obviously the jury's still out and it will be for a while. But starters at CF and catcher, with maybe a few all-star years between them? I'd hope they'd do it every time. They both have a good chance they'll still be playing when Beltre is telling Josh Hamilton stories to the grand kids. Add: Sizemore is pretty terrible. I guess I'd give him another 200 atbats just to be sure, though. Sizemore had been out of circulation for over two years. You bet they might want to give him some time to catch up to big league pitching again. A Sizemore-Bradley-Victorino outfield will soon be sighted. That gives the team some defensive cred at the very least. Lots of good points in the thread: - I think Butler would have been a better choice than Pierzynski, something I felt from the get go. They could have built some ML value for him, and the defense would likely have been better (I'm understating here). The unwillingness to do that is probably tied to the fact they already have two rookies getting regular time, and a third player - Middlebrooks - who barely has one complete season under his belt. That made it a non-starter given the magnifying glass the team lives under.
- Bogaerts is being given an opportunity to find out for himself what being an ML shorstop is all about, for good or bad. He deserved that, though it can be painful to watch at times. It just may be something we, as fans, will have to put up with for the bulk of this year. It's not as if they don't have future options with Marrero, who's as smooth as silk at the position, or Betts who's toolkit may allow him play there as well.
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Post by thelavarnwayguy on Apr 23, 2014 16:37:56 GMT -5
For some inexplicable reason some people seem to think Ellsbury had two options: yankees or red sox. I guess some people forget the Mariners actually offered Ellsbury more money than the Yankees did? Ellsbury really wanted to be a Yankee. Yankee stadium is perfect for Ellsbury's game. I've been projecting him to be a top 10 BA player since last winter. Maybe even top 5. He is not going to get pitched inside as much and that large LF is perfect for his preferred hitting approach of slapping the outside pitch to LF. I think Ellsbury being a Yank was preordained for the past 4 years at least. The expansive CF even probably helps his defensive metrics IMO. Ellsbury as a Yank is a problem on many levels.
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Post by Oregon Norm on Apr 23, 2014 16:44:08 GMT -5
...Ellsbury as a Yank is a problem on many levels. Unless you're his investment counselor...
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Post by Guidas on Apr 23, 2014 16:46:17 GMT -5
... The genuine screw-ups, IMHO, were Damon and Beltre... I'll disagree with that. He had a fantastic year with the Sox, valuable enough that Texas was eager to sign him away despite the lost draft picks. It was a bet that worked, for both sides. Those picks brought Bradley and Swihart into the fold. Obviously the jury's still out and it will be for a while. But starters at CF and catcher, with maybe a few all-star years between them? I'd hope they'd do it every time. They both have a good chance they'll still be playing when Beltre is telling Josh Hamilton stories to the grand kids. Could be, but balance that potential - which has yet to be realized - with Beltre production from 2011-13. Also - and I have no data on this obviously, just reports of Beltre's clubhouse presence - I believe that if you'd had Beltre in 2011 there would've been less of a chance of a meltdown in that clubhouse 1) because of his attitude and 2) because it would've meant no Crawford as 2/3s of his money would've already been spent. You keep the 24th pick in that draft so you still get Swihart if you want him and then you're making a value judgement between Owens and Bradley at 36. With the savings on not acquiring Crawford the Sox would've also had more financial resources to add pitching either in the post 2010 off season or at the deadline. Personally I take all that every time and pick Bradley over Owens at 36 because I thought then (and think now) Bradley will have the better career and was the better player on the board. Anyway, total barstool conversation but fun thought/value exercise.
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Post by thelavarnwayguy on Apr 23, 2014 16:58:56 GMT -5
If the choice was Ellsbury or Tanaka I would have picked Tanaka but we ended up not being in the running for either of them. And losing both to the Yanks, enabling them to get back in the game.
Or Abreu, ...etc. This just doesn't appear to be the year for them to spend.
I know they still have one of the top budgets in baseball but my point is that they logically didn't want to go over the luxury tax limit this year and maybe lose $50 mil in revenue sharing. They apparently put some money into their Liverpool team instead, which is now #1 in the premier league so maybe they made the right choices overall.
In 2016, when the Sox have no chance at revenue sharing, they may be a lot more willing to go over the luxury tax thresh hold. And it's interesting that except for our young guys and Pedroia, we have very little under contract even at that point. Maybe they think it's much better to have the flexibility to create a team from scratch almost, ala the Marlins. It's been done several times now. And they will have an exceptional talent base of young players to work with on a cost controlled basis.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 23, 2014 17:28:31 GMT -5
For some inexplicable reason some people seem to think Ellsbury had two options: yankees or red sox. I guess some people forget the Mariners actually offered Ellsbury more money than the Yankees did? Ellsbury really wanted to be a Yankee. Do you have a link for this? Count me among those who never saw anything regarding any concrete offer made by the Mariners for Ellsbury.
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Post by fenwaythehardway on Apr 23, 2014 17:44:53 GMT -5
This kind of sums up my biggest concern on the team right now: Something has to be done. Impossible. They have to keep third base open for future HOFer Will Middlebrooks at all costs.
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Post by bsout2 on Apr 23, 2014 18:14:02 GMT -5
This kind of sums up my biggest concern on the team right now: Something has to be done. Impossible. They have to keep third base open for future HOFer Will Middlebrooks at all costs. Good point, he comes back this weekend.
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Post by mgoetze on Apr 23, 2014 18:15:26 GMT -5
Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network: "Farrell doesn't shift as much with Lackey and Peavy on the mound because they like to pitch up and away."
When's the last time Don and Jerry talked about anything as interesting as that?
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Post by mgoetze on Apr 23, 2014 18:21:25 GMT -5
Good time for Sizemore to turn it on.
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Post by jmei on Apr 23, 2014 18:21:32 GMT -5
Grady Sizemore, Good Player.
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Post by Guidas on Apr 23, 2014 18:23:01 GMT -5
Now THAT''S a tripple - unlike that umpire assisted deal last night.
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Post by jmei on Apr 23, 2014 18:24:49 GMT -5
LOLJeter.
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Post by FenwayFanatic on Apr 23, 2014 18:27:12 GMT -5
For some inexplicable reason some people seem to think Ellsbury had two options: yankees or red sox. I guess some people forget the Mariners actually offered Ellsbury more money than the Yankees did? Ellsbury really wanted to be a Yankee. Do you have a link for this? Count me among those who never saw anything regarding any concrete offer made by the Mariners for Ellsbury. nypost.com/2013/12/04/how-jacoby-ellsbury-became-a-yankee/
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Post by jmei on Apr 23, 2014 18:37:14 GMT -5
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Post by mredsox89 on Apr 23, 2014 18:39:10 GMT -5
Wow Jeter, just wow
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Post by mgoetze on Apr 23, 2014 18:51:32 GMT -5
Oh wow.
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Post by jmei on Apr 23, 2014 18:52:07 GMT -5
WOW. I CANNOT believe that actually happened.
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Post by ibsmith85 on Apr 23, 2014 18:52:27 GMT -5
JF gettin all tough.
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