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2016 Red Sox Spring Training News/Discussion
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Post by soxfanatic on Apr 1, 2016 13:22:26 GMT -5
Red Sox have signed OF Justin Maxwell. Solid AAA depth IMO.
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Post by jimed14 on Apr 1, 2016 13:32:25 GMT -5
Because Holt will fill in at 2B/SS, Castillo would get as much playing time as your classic fourth outfielder. He fills in for Bradley and Betts to give them days off and fills in for Holt when Holt is playing 2B/SS and there's a RHP on the mound. Let's say Marrero or Murphy were on the roster instead of Sandoval. If Castillo is still an OK player versus RHP, I don't think either of them would ever get any real playing time, because moving Holt over and starting Castillo would probably be the better option. Castillo is just such a better defender than Murphy and a better enough hitter than Marrero. Yeah, you're right. I'm just praying that they do it that way and limit Young vs. RHP. I'm not sure what they're going to do with injuries. Hurry up Benintendi! And while I've just talked through this, there is almost zero chance that they trade Castillo because of the lack of depth.
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Post by Oregon Norm on Apr 1, 2016 13:39:21 GMT -5
I think that's correct. I can easily see Castillo getting 200-300 plate appearances over the season. Holt is too important to be sticking him in left field whenever there's a right-handed pitcher. He is the primary backup at both second (good defender) and shortstop (adequate). There's no way Bogaerts or Pedroia are playing every day. The former will probably get up over 150 games, but Pedroia has averaged 132 over the last four years, and that includes a 160 game season three years ago. He just can't do that any more. I think a reasonable assumption is 135-140 games for him. That gives Holt something along the lines of 30+ games in the infield. Castillo will be spelling the outfielders for at least some of those games. He'll get additional time in both center and right. Neither Bradley nor Betts should be expected to go 162 games. There's easily another 25 games there. Add in late-inning replacement and he's a real asset, I believe.
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Post by jimed14 on Apr 1, 2016 13:41:30 GMT -5
I think that's correct. I can easily see Castillo getting 200-300 plate appearances over the season. Holt is too important to be sticking him in left field whenever there's a right-handed pitcher. He is the primary backup at both second (good defender) and shortstop (adequate). There's no way Bogaerts or Pedroia are playing every day. The former will probably get up over 150 games, but Pedroia has averaged 132 over the last four years, and that includes a 160 game season three years ago. He just can't do that any more. I think a reasonable assumption is 135-140 games for him. That gives Holt something along the lines of 30+ games in the infield. Castillo will be spelling the outfielders for at least some of those games. He'll get additional time in both center and right. Neither Bradley nor Betts should be expected to go 162 games. There's easily another 25 games there. Add in late-inning replacement and he's a real asset, I believe. That's another risk right there. We're relying on Pedroia being healthy to keep our OF depth. Yikes. They might have to be super aggressive with Benintendi. A single long term injury could kill them.
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Post by umassgrad2005 on Apr 1, 2016 16:39:24 GMT -5
A Pedroia injury could make our OF better in my opinion. It would give Castillo the playing time he needs. I just feel that if you gave both Holt and Castillo both 400 AB in OF Castillo would give you more value. Holt's Bat does not play as well in OF as it does in infield.
We also have good depth in minors of players that can play 2b and SS.
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Post by mgoetze on Apr 1, 2016 16:46:31 GMT -5
A Pedroia injury could make our OF better in my opinion. It would give Castillo the playing time he needs. I just feel that if you gave both Holt and Castillo both 400 AB in OF Castillo would give you more value. Holt's Bat does not play as well in OF as it does in infield. So what you're saying is, if we replace Pedroia's bat in the lineup with Castillo's, then the lineup will improve, because somehow line drives singles to shallow center field are worth much more when they're hit by an infielder, whereas pulled groundouts are really good when they're hit by an outfielder? Yeah, happy April Fool's to you too.
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Post by umassgrad2005 on Apr 1, 2016 17:51:50 GMT -5
A Pedroia injury could make our OF better in my opinion. It would give Castillo the playing time he needs. I just feel that if you gave both Holt and Castillo both 400 AB in OF Castillo would give you more value. Holt's Bat does not play as well in OF as it does in infield. So what you're saying is, if we replace Pedroia's bat in the lineup with Castillo's, then the lineup will improve, because somehow line drives singles to shallow center field are worth much more when they're hit by an infielder, whereas pulled groundouts are really good when they're hit by an outfielder? Yeah, happy April Fool's to you too. I clearly said It could make our OF better, replacing Holt with Castillo. I said nothing about it improving our lineup. Clearly Holt is not as good as Pedroia. I just think Castillo has power he has only shown in limited stretches so far. Look at Castillo numbers in Cuba he had a slugging % just about .475 in 5 years. How did you get "So what you're saying is, if we replace Pedroia's bat in lineup with Castillo's, then the lineup will improve"??
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Post by mgoetze on Apr 1, 2016 18:04:22 GMT -5
How did you get "So what you're saying is, if we replace Pedroia's bat in lineup with Castillo's, then the lineup will improve"?? You keep writing stuff like "Holt's Bat does not play as well in OF as it does in infield," which just makes no sense at all, Holt's bat is the same no matter which position he's playing. And if Pedroia gets injured you don't replace Holt's bat with Castillo's, but rather Pedroia's. If you think Castillo is better than Holt then just sub them, no need for Pedroia to get injured to do that. (Obviously, not many people agree with you that Castillo projects for more offensive production than Holt.)
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Apr 1, 2016 18:36:47 GMT -5
Pete Abraham @peteabe Mar 30 #RedSox optioned Roenis Elias. So it seems Noe Ramirez has the last bullpen Not singing middle relievers and leaving two spot for 2 relievers with FIP north of 5 is scary. I mean, Ramirez only made the team because both Rodriguez and Smith are hurt. I think as far as 9th options in the bullpen go, you're not going to get much better than Ramirez. And if he sucks, they send him down in two weeks and call up one of Hembree, Light, Escobar, Martin, etc.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Apr 1, 2016 18:40:59 GMT -5
It would give Castillo the playing time he needs. How much more playing time in the United States do you think Castillo needs though? He's 28 and has been in the U.S. for a year and a half. He got 289 plate appearances in the majors last year after getting another 172 in Triple-A. When he was healthy, he played. It's not like his development has been stunted because he's been rotting on the bench. And when you think about it, try to separate the player from the contract he got.
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Post by thelavarnwayguy on Apr 1, 2016 22:10:38 GMT -5
If we didn't have 2 solid center fielders already available on this team, Castillo would be starting in CF for us. We would have to pick up some of his contract at this point which is mainly what keeps a deal from happening in my view but if we were willing to pick up 1/3 of it I think he would move. And that would be a good measure if they think he's a 5th outfielder going forward.
Hopefully he does produce and we can move his entire salary but I don't like being in such an unproven position and I bet Dombrowski doesn't like being in that position either. It's not his style. Personally, I can't wait for Bennie Ball to hit Fenway. What a story that would be for Benintendi to take over in Fenway's storied left field. No pressure there.
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Post by umassgrad2005 on Apr 1, 2016 22:29:33 GMT -5
How did you get "So what you're saying is, if we replace Pedroia's bat in lineup with Castillo's, then the lineup will improve"?? You keep writing stuff like "Holt's Bat does not play as well in OF as it does in infield," which just makes no sense at all, Holt's bat is the same no matter which position he's playing. And if Pedroia gets injured you don't replace Holt's bat with Castillo's, but rather Pedroia's. If you think Castillo is better than Holt then just sub them, no need for Pedroia to get injured to do that. (Obviously, not many people agree with you that Castillo projects for more offensive production than Holt.) Read the post before mine, if you did my post makes perfect sense. I was replying to Jimed post about Pedroia injury and OF depth. A Pedroia injury forces Holt to 2b and moves Castillo into Holt's spot. If it was my choice Holt is our super sup and Castillo gets 75% of lf AB, but the Red Sox went with Holt. Based on bwar projections Holt's Bat is worth more in infield then outfield. Sure his bat is the same, but replacement level bat for infield is less then it is for the OF. I don't care that most people don't think Castillo can out produce Holt in OF. It's my opinion. I want more power in LF then Holt and I really think Castillo can be that guy. Have a wonderful day!
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Post by umassgrad2005 on Apr 1, 2016 23:24:00 GMT -5
It would give Castillo the playing time he needs. How much more playing time in the United States do you think Castillo needs though? He's 28 and has been in the U.S. for a year and a half. He got 289 plate appearances in the majors last year after getting another 172 in Triple-A. When he was healthy, he played. It's not like his development has been stunted because he's been rotting on the bench. And when you think about it, try to separate the player from the contract he got. His contract has nothing to do with my thinking. It's his Cuban stats and the way Castillo played to end last year. I believe the player we saw for a month and a half after being recalled from minors is closer to the true Castillo. That player showed power inline with his Cuban stats. I just think a player that didn't play for two years needs more then 289 major league AB before we can say that's who he is. Have to think going from majors to minors, then getting injured, return to minors, then majors didn't help. I would say if you gave him regular playing time and 300 ABs without him being sent to minors or getting injured you get a good understanding of how good he is. This just reminds me of Jacky Bradley. A lot of people wanted to trade him before he got a real shot to show what he could do in majors. They thought his limited AB in majors was the hitter he was. Overlooking that those AB were all in short stints or before he was ready for majors. 300 AB in 3 months is not the same as 300 AB in 6 months with trips to minors in between. I just don't see how a guy with an almost .475 career slugging % in Cuba over 5 years can't slug over .400 in the majors. He's in his prime, at a time when a lot of player see spikes in their numbers and have career years. So I chalk up this year to rust, the up and down from majors to minors and an injury in between. Only time will tell who's right.
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Post by jimed14 on Apr 2, 2016 7:42:12 GMT -5
If Pedroia gets hurt, Holt becomes the 2B. Who is the 5th OF then? I didn't say anything that outlandish or difficult to understand. The OF depth is relying on Pedroia's health.
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Post by fenwaythehardway on Apr 2, 2016 9:40:40 GMT -5
So you guys don't like the idea of trading Castillo to some team that needs a CF? That just seems optimal to me. He doesn't have to hit that well to be an acceptable CF on a lot of teams and he may still have some upside. It would seem that they want to give him more time in the hopes that he still might be worth his contract but if some team bites for most of his salary I'd bail in a heartbeat. It would seem that 5th OF is not acceptable. If we have an opportunity to do better we should and in order to do that he needs to be sold as a CF. Again, the other part of a trade is that another team needs to want the player. What exactly do you think you're getting in return for him? Based on what he's shown in the majors, what team is saying "You know who we need? Rusney Castillo." At least Sandoval has shown something at some point in the past. And as Umassgrad points out, this organization's outfield depth is abysmal. And if you think about it, not only an outfield injury, but a Pedroia injury puts Castillo back in the lineup. I'm still baffled how anyone talked themselves into all the "Manuel Margot is expendable" nonsense I heard all winter. Margot would be PERFECT for this team right now.
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Post by umassgrad2005 on Apr 2, 2016 9:46:10 GMT -5
I would say Brock Holt is 5th OF if there is a Pedroia injury. You then call up one of Marreo, Hernandez or Coyle. I pick the player that is playing best at the time.
For me the big issue would be a Pedroia injury and then an injury in OF. In that case you'd be looking at Craig and Maxwell as the best options and that does worry me.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Apr 2, 2016 10:00:36 GMT -5
Tim Britton @timbritton 26s27 seconds ago Rodriguez threw a live BP session this morning. Scheduled for two more of those before hopefully some kind of game action.
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Post by umassgrad2005 on Apr 2, 2016 10:09:07 GMT -5
Again, the other part of a trade is that another team needs to want the player. What exactly do you think you're getting in return for him? Based on what he's shown in the majors, what team is saying "You know who we need? Rusney Castillo." At least Sandoval has shown something at some point in the past. And as Umassgrad points out, this organization's outfield depth is abysmal. And if you think about it, not only an outfield injury, but a Pedroia injury puts Castillo back in the lineup. I'm still baffled how anyone talked themselves into all the "Manuel Margot is expendable" nonsense I heard all winter. Margot would be PERFECT for this team right now. Because he was expendable. I don't think Margot is currently ready for majors with only 250 ABs in AA at age 20. By the time Margot is ready chances are Benintendi would be ready for majors. Benintendi is the guy making minor league player of the year lists, not Margot. Do you think Margot is better than Benintendi?
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Apr 2, 2016 10:48:16 GMT -5
I don't know who this is but...
Aaron McFarling @aaronmcfarling All 3 of Boston's top prospects -- Moncada (1), Devers (2) and Benintendi (3) will begin season in Salem. Official roster release Monday.
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Post by jimed14 on Apr 2, 2016 10:56:44 GMT -5
I'm still baffled how anyone talked themselves into all the "Manuel Margot is expendable" nonsense I heard all winter. Margot would be PERFECT for this team right now. Because he was expendable. I don't think Margot is currently ready for majors with only 250 ABs in AA at age 20. By the time Margot is ready chances are Benintendi would be ready for majors. Benintendi is the guy making minor league player of the year lists, not Margot. Do you think Margot is better than Benintendi? He's completely ready to fill in as emergency depth. And yeah, a better option than Benintendi this year more than likely. He's 2 levels higher.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Apr 2, 2016 11:24:30 GMT -5
I don't know who this is but... Aaron McFarling @aaronmcfarling All 3 of Boston's top prospects -- Moncada (1), Devers (2) and Benintendi (3) will begin season in Salem. Official roster release Monday. Local newspaper guy in Salem. That said, we were saying this when we got back from camp, so...
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ericmvan
Veteran
Supposed to be working on something more important
Posts: 8,952
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Post by ericmvan on Apr 2, 2016 13:59:16 GMT -5
I think that's correct. I can easily see Castillo getting 200-300 plate appearances over the season. Holt is too important to be sticking him in left field whenever there's a right-handed pitcher. He is the primary backup at both second (good defender) and shortstop (adequate). There's no way Bogaerts or Pedroia are playing every day. The former will probably get up over 150 games, but Pedroia has averaged 132 over the last four years, and that includes a 160 game season three years ago. He just can't do that any more. I think a reasonable assumption is 135-140 games for him. That gives Holt something along the lines of 30+ games in the infield. Castillo will be spelling the outfielders for at least some of those games. He'll get additional time in both center and right. Neither Bradley nor Betts should be expected to go 162 games. There's easily another 25 games there. Add in late-inning replacement and he's a real asset, I believe. And if he were a 24 y/o rookie making MLB minimum, we'd be very happy to have him on the team as the backup CF. At the very least a mild plus defender there, and maybe a good deal better than that, and he's already mastered the very tricky LF corner and wall. Bat with plus raw power; a flawed swing which limits its game usefulness but which we assume he is still working to fix. He has better tools to do that here in MLB (video analysis, more extensive coaching) but will have fewer live reps to practice what he's learning, and that's probably a wash. And in the meantime, he's plenty useful. I am completely agnostic about whether Holt's first / second-half splits are real. If they are, though, this is probably the right move in the long run as well as the short term. I've already suggested what the key is: Castillo has to continue to work on a fix to his swing that will reduce his GB rate and unlock the power.
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Post by umassgrad2005 on Apr 2, 2016 14:01:32 GMT -5
Because he was expendable. I don't think Margot is currently ready for majors with only 250 ABs in AA at age 20. By the time Margot is ready chances are Benintendi would be ready for majors. Benintendi is the guy making minor league player of the year lists, not Margot. Do you think Margot is better than Benintendi? He's completely ready to fill in as emergency depth. And yeah, a better option than Benintendi this year more than likely. He's 2 levels higher. I just don't see it. If Margot was to play right now in majors I just don't see his bat being better then newly signed Maxwell or even Craig. I just think he would really struggle. I believe the only thing that is major league ready at this point is his D. By midseason Margot and Benintendi could both be in AA. Sure Margot is two levels above currently, but Benintendi does have those 2 years of college ball. Benintendi is currently the popular pick of a player that could reach majors a year after being drafted. He's seen as a polished hitter that will move very quickly through system.
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Post by jimed14 on Apr 2, 2016 14:08:15 GMT -5
He's completely ready to fill in as emergency depth. And yeah, a better option than Benintendi this year more than likely. He's 2 levels higher. I just don't see it. If Margot was to play right now in majors I just don't see his bat being better then newly signed Maxwell or even Craig. I just think he would really struggle. I believe the only thing that is major league ready at this point is his D. By midseason Margot and Benintendi could both be in AA. Sure Margot is two levels above currently, but Benintendi does have those 2 years of college ball. Benintendi is currently the popular pick of a player that could reach majors a year after being drafted. He's seen as a polished hitter that will move very quickly through system. When you're talking about emergency depth, I'll take the defense and baserunning of Margot without question. I'm sure Benintendi will go fast, but he couldn't possibly be counted on in the early part of the season the way Margot could be today. ZiPS projects Margot to be a 1.8 fWAR player this year if he played in the majors, even with a .293 OBP.
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Post by umassgrad2005 on Apr 2, 2016 14:15:00 GMT -5
I think that's correct. I can easily see Castillo getting 200-300 plate appearances over the season. Holt is too important to be sticking him in left field whenever there's a right-handed pitcher. He is the primary backup at both second (good defender) and shortstop (adequate). There's no way Bogaerts or Pedroia are playing every day. The former will probably get up over 150 games, but Pedroia has averaged 132 over the last four years, and that includes a 160 game season three years ago. He just can't do that any more. I think a reasonable assumption is 135-140 games for him. That gives Holt something along the lines of 30+ games in the infield. Castillo will be spelling the outfielders for at least some of those games. He'll get additional time in both center and right. Neither Bradley nor Betts should be expected to go 162 games. There's easily another 25 games there. Add in late-inning replacement and he's a real asset, I believe. And if he were a 24 y/o rookie making MLB minimum, we'd be very happy to have him on the team as the backup CF. At the very least a mild plus defender there, and maybe a good deal better than that, and he's already mastered the very tricky LF corner and wall. Bat with plus raw power; a flawed swing which limits its game usefulness but which we assume he is still working to fix. He has better tools to do that here in MLB (video analysis, more extensive coaching) but will have fewer live reps to practice what he's learning, and that's probably a wash. And in the meantime, he's plenty useful. I am completely agnostic about whether Holt's first / second-half splits are real. If they are, though, this is probably the right move in the long run as well as the short term. I've already suggested what the key is: Castillo has to continue to work on a fix to his swing that will reduce his GB rate and unlock the power. Not sure he has to fix swing as much as maintain it. For a month and a half after being recalled from minors his swing was fine and he showed power. He was the hitter we thought he was, but then he went completely cold for last two plus weeks of season.
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