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Post by joshv02 on Dec 9, 2016 8:03:02 GMT -5
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Post by sox fan in nc on Dec 9, 2016 9:00:54 GMT -5
Gonna be interesting facing Koji at Fenway in late October.
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Post by rjp313jr on Dec 9, 2016 9:17:19 GMT -5
There most certainly is a big use for someone like Hembree who's great against righties. Especially come playoff time. Looks like Barnes is in AAA once again...
Money aside, I think Clay and Pomeranz in the pen would be great. If Pomeranz can't go more than 6 ever then I'd rather Wright and Rodriguez in the rotation but it probably makes more sense to have Wright as a swing man.
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Post by rjp313jr on Dec 9, 2016 9:28:20 GMT -5
So anyone have any lineup predictions? It's certainly going to be RHH heavy. Here is my best guess.
1. Pedey (2b) RHH 2. Benintendi (LF) LHH 3. Bogaerts (SS) RHH 4. Betts (RF) RHH 5. Hanley (DH) RHH 6. Moreland (1b) LHH 7. Sandoval (3b) SH 8. Leon (c) RHH 9. Bradley (cf) LHH
Other than 3-5 it's a balanced lineup and I think your strongest. I don't really see a good way to breakup Bogaerts, Betts and Hanley...
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Post by Costigan on Dec 9, 2016 9:48:17 GMT -5
So anyone have any lineup predictions? It's certainly going to be RHH heavy. Here is my best guess. 1. Pedey (2b) RHH 2. Benintendi (LF) LHH 3. Bogaerts (SS) RHH 4. Betts (RF) RHH 5. Hanley (DH) RHH 6. Moreland (1b) LHH 7. Sandoval (3b) SH 8. Leon (c) RHH 9. Bradley (cf) LHH Other than 3-5 it's a balanced lineup and I think your strongest. I don't really see a good way to breakup Bogaerts, Betts and Hanley... For what it's worth Leon is a switch hitter as well.
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Post by kman22 on Dec 9, 2016 10:59:50 GMT -5
So anyone have any lineup predictions? It's certainly going to be RHH heavy. Here is my best guess. 1. Pedey (2b) RHH 2. Benintendi (LF) LHH 3. Bogaerts (SS) RHH 4. Betts (RF) RHH 5. Hanley (DH) RHH 6. Moreland (1b) LHH 7. Sandoval (3b) SH 8. Leon (c) RHH 9. Bradley (cf) LHH Other than 3-5 it's a balanced lineup and I think your strongest. I don't really see a good way to breakup Bogaerts, Betts and Hanley... It will be interesting to see if the new Pablo Sandoval can become an effective switch-hitter again.
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Post by jimed14 on Dec 9, 2016 11:02:26 GMT -5
So anyone have any lineup predictions? It's certainly going to be RHH heavy. Here is my best guess. 1. Pedey (2b) RHH 2. Benintendi (LF) LHH 3. Bogaerts (SS) RHH 4. Betts (RF) RHH 5. Hanley (DH) RHH 6. Moreland (1b) LHH 7. Sandoval (3b) SH 8. Leon (c) RHH 9. Bradley (cf) LHH Other than 3-5 it's a balanced lineup and I think your strongest. I don't really see a good way to breakup Bogaerts, Betts and Hanley... It will be interesting to see if the new Pablo Sandoval can become an effective switch-hitter again. It will be interesting to see how long of a rope Farrell gives him vs. LHP.
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Post by Coreno on Dec 9, 2016 11:29:47 GMT -5
It will be interesting to see if the new Pablo Sandoval can become an effective switch-hitter again. It will be interesting to see how long of a rope Farrell gives him vs. LHP. *whispers* Hwang or Plooooooouffe...
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Post by James Dunne on Dec 9, 2016 11:56:02 GMT -5
It will be interesting to see how long of a rope Farrell gives him vs. LHP. *whispers* Hwang or Plooooooouffe... There really aren't any roster spots left unless they go with a six-man bullpen. A bench of the backup catcher (likely Vazquez), Chris Young, Brock Holt, and Josh Rutledge is pretty much set. That was kind of my issue with the Moreland signing: It's hard to have a platoon 1B on your roster who doesn't provide positional flexibility in the days of 12-man pitching staffs.
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Post by jmei on Dec 9, 2016 12:22:56 GMT -5
Plouffe would presumably replace Rutledge on the roster. Holt would then have to be the backup SS, but he's done so in the past, and Bogaerts shouldn't need too many days off.
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Post by James Dunne on Dec 9, 2016 12:45:44 GMT -5
I guess Plouffe would give insurance if Sandoval fails, which would enable Holt to take over shortstop on off days. Holt's also the backup outfielder though on days where Young is DHing.
I actually think there's some merit to this team using a six-man bullpen when the top three starters are all healthy. In a situation where they did sign Plouffe, I'd argue Rutledge offers more to the team than Abad. I know I've been fighting that losing battle for years, but I can't help it.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Dec 9, 2016 12:48:58 GMT -5
For me, I prefer Hernandez to Rutledge. We'd need some AAA depth though if we lost Rutledge to waivers now that Dubon is gone.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Dec 9, 2016 14:19:40 GMT -5
So anyone have any lineup predictions? It's certainly going to be RHH heavy. Here is my best guess. 1. Pedey (2b) RHH 2. Benintendi (LF) LHH 3. Bogaerts (SS) RHH 4. Betts (RF) RHH 5. Hanley (DH) RHH 6. Moreland (1b) LHH 7. Sandoval (3b) SH 8. Leon (c) RHH 9. Bradley (cf) LHH Other than 3-5 it's a balanced lineup and I think your strongest. I don't really see a good way to breakup Bogaerts, Betts and Hanley... I think Farrell goes with this lineup: Pedroia Benintendi Betts Ramirez Sandoval Bogaerts Moreland Leon Bradley If it were me I'd go with: Pedroia Benintendi (or Bradley) Betts Ramirez Bradley (or Benintendi) Bogaerts Sandoval Moreland Leon By the end of the season it could be: Pedroia Benintendi Betts Ramirez Bradley Bogaerts Sandoval Travis (if Moreland continues to struggle) Swihart Of course Chris Young would get a lot of DH ABs vs southpaws, with Hanley at 1b and Moreland on the bench. And if Sandoval struggles against lefties, Rutledge would some ABs there.
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Post by umassgrad2005 on Dec 9, 2016 15:42:53 GMT -5
Give me Plouffe all day long, he just makes a ton of sense. He kills lefties for his career, well ok hits lefties well. He can also play league average D at third. It would add much needed insurance for Sandoval. If Rutledge could play good D i might be ok with him, but even with limited data he sure looks well below average at SS, 2B and 3B.
If something happens to Sandoval, I'd much rather have Plouffe taking over than Holt, Rutledge or Hernandez. Hernandez needs to be kept in minors for depth.
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Post by Coreno on Dec 9, 2016 15:48:50 GMT -5
I know it's been like 5 years since he has played more than a couple games outside of 1B, but couldn't Moreland play some LF if we needed him to, sliding AB to one of the other OF spots. I don't see it happening often, but if the only other OF depth on the active roster is Young, who should see a lot of DH, and Holt, who has so many other positions to back up, I wouldn't rule it out.
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Post by carmenfanzone on Dec 9, 2016 17:02:00 GMT -5
Sorry if it has already been discussed on this board and I missed it, but does anyone know where the Red Sox stand as to getting under the salary cap for next year? Would trading Pomeranz do it or would it take trading Buchholz?
I think there are significant benefits in getting under the cap for one year before going over it again and this year seems like it might be their best shot at getting under.
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Post by mattpicard on Dec 9, 2016 17:06:07 GMT -5
Chris Cotillo @chriscotillo 7s7 seconds ago Red Sox agree to minor-league deal with outfielder Junior Lake, source tells SB Nation.
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Post by p23w on Dec 9, 2016 17:25:43 GMT -5
So what are people's thoughts on this bullpen? How good do we think it will be? Who will be in it? Will Carson Smith be ready for the start of the year? My guess is he starts on the DL.. Closer: Kimbrel (R) 8th: Thornburg (R) 7/8: Kelly (R) 6/7: Barnes (R) 6/7: Ross (L) Lefty: Abad (L) Swing: Wright (R) TJ surgery is a 12-month recovery, minimum, and there's a reasonable body of evidence that correlates early return (12-14 months) with poorer outcomes. I'd imagine late July/early August at the earliest, with an outside chance he's back before the end of June. Starting the year on the team an active would be unprecedented. Point of reference (and take it with a grain of salt, because Lackey was 35, not 25), Lackey had surgery in early Nov 2011 and came back in (late?) April 2013, almost 17 months. Carson Smith had his May 24, 2016. So think July 24, 2017 if he's a fast healer. He's unlikely to be very effective at first, too. So it probably won't be until the playoffs that he'll be a major factor, provided he's lucky and hard-working. Recovery from TJ surgery is dependent on two primary factors. A) The quality of the surgeon and B) The ability of the patient to withstand pain. Part A is akin to the skill level of the surgeon, his/her technique and experience. Part B is more personality dependent than age dependent. What is of concern to me is the health of this bullpen. Kimbrell, Smith, and Thornburg in particular. I think we are going to miss a rubber armed relief pitcher. Wright may qualify, but as he himself says his money pitch is not their in high humidity situations. It may have been wise to keep Ziegler in the mix for 2017.
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Post by jmei on Dec 9, 2016 18:28:55 GMT -5
Sorry if it has already been discussed on this board and I missed it, but does anyone know where the Red Sox stand as to getting under the salary cap for next year? Would trading Pomeranz do it or would it take trading Buchholz? I think there are significant benefits in getting under the cap for one year before going over it again and this year seems like it might be their best shot at getting under. Here's Alex Speier's newsletter from the other day:
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Post by jmei on Dec 9, 2016 18:33:38 GMT -5
Recovery from TJ surgery is dependent on two primary factors. A) The quality of the surgeon and B) The ability of the patient to withstand pain. Part A is akin to the skill level of the surgeon, his/her technique and experience. Part B is more personality dependent than age dependent. Yeah, that's not really true. Pain tolerance is not really a driving factor behind how soon a player returns from Tommy John surgery.
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Post by pedrofanforever45 on Dec 10, 2016 4:37:51 GMT -5
For all the people that love the draft, the Sox already moved up 2 spots in the draft in the 2017 draft and Jansen, Trumbo, Encarnacion, and Bautista hasn't even signed with a team yet.
I believe the Sox went from pick number 26 to pick number 24 already.
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Post by pedrofanforever45 on Dec 10, 2016 4:43:20 GMT -5
Give me Plouffe all day long, he just makes a ton of sense. He kills lefties for his career, well ok hits lefties well. He can also play league average D at third. It would add much needed insurance for Sandoval. If Rutledge could play good D i might be ok with him, but even with limited data he sure looks well below average at SS, 2B and 3B. If something happens to Sandoval, I'd much rather have Plouffe taking over than Holt, Rutledge or Hernandez. Hernandez needs to be kept in minors for depth. It's up to Plouffe to decide what he prefers at this point in his career. Does he want to accept a bench role on a winning team at this point like the Sox will be? Or does he want to hook onto a team that might give him the best chance to earn a everyday job by the end of spring training possibly? If he just wants to win, then Boston is his place but the Sox can't throw a lot of cash at him. So he won't even be doing it for financial reasons if he came here also. It's up to him and the Sox really (we will see if the Sox are actually interested in signing Plouffe, they should be). If I was Plouffe, it would a little too early to just accept a bench role. It wasn't all that long ago that he was a decent hitter. Maybe in a year or two from now if he doesn't rebound or something. So from my standpoint I don't think he will be coming here. I could be wrong and Plouffe might just be focused on winning after being on the terrible Twins his whole career to this point.
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Post by umassgrad2005 on Dec 10, 2016 5:38:34 GMT -5
Give me Plouffe all day long, he just makes a ton of sense. He kills lefties for his career, well ok hits lefties well. He can also play league average D at third. It would add much needed insurance for Sandoval. If Rutledge could play good D i might be ok with him, but even with limited data he sure looks well below average at SS, 2B and 3B. If something happens to Sandoval, I'd much rather have Plouffe taking over than Holt, Rutledge or Hernandez. Hernandez needs to be kept in minors for depth. It's up to Plouffe to decide what he prefers at this point in his career. Does he want to accept a bench role on a winning team at this point like the Sox will be? Or does he want to hook onto a team that might give him the best chance to earn a everyday job by the end of spring training possibly? If he just wants to win, then Boston is his place but the Sox can't throw a lot of cash at him. So he won't even be doing it for financial reasons if he came here also. It's up to him and the Sox really (we will see if the Sox are actually interested in signing Plouffe, they should be). If I was Plouffe, it would a little too early to just accept a bench role. It wasn't all that long ago that he was a decent hitter. Maybe in a year or two from now if he doesn't rebound or something. So from my standpoint I don't think he will be coming here. I could be wrong and Plouffe might just be focused on winning after being on the terrible Twins his whole career to this point. Sure if another team wants to give him a better chance at playing everyday he's most likely going there. If we trade Buchholz we can offer him a good size deal, like Moreland just got. For me it's telling no team would traded for him, so Twins release him rather than pay him 8-9 million. He might jump on a 5.5 million deal rather than wait to see if an opening or opportunity opens up. It's also not a lock that Sandoval can bounce back or he might get injured. So chances are decent he gets a lot of playing time. Its probably not happening, but it would be awesome to have Plouffe as insurance for Sandoval. Maybe even someone that could platoon with Sandoval if need be.
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Post by pedrofanforever45 on Dec 10, 2016 7:04:59 GMT -5
It's up to Plouffe to decide what he prefers at this point in his career. Does he want to accept a bench role on a winning team at this point like the Sox will be? Or does he want to hook onto a team that might give him the best chance to earn a everyday job by the end of spring training possibly? If he just wants to win, then Boston is his place but the Sox can't throw a lot of cash at him. So he won't even be doing it for financial reasons if he came here also. It's up to him and the Sox really (we will see if the Sox are actually interested in signing Plouffe, they should be). If I was Plouffe, it would a little too early to just accept a bench role. It wasn't all that long ago that he was a decent hitter. Maybe in a year or two from now if he doesn't rebound or something. So from my standpoint I don't think he will be coming here. I could be wrong and Plouffe might just be focused on winning after being on the terrible Twins his whole career to this point. Sure if another team wants to give him a better chance at playing everyday he's most likely going there. If we trade Buchholz we can offer him a good size deal, like Moreland just got. For me it's telling no team would traded for him, so Twins release him rather than pay him 8-9 million. He might jump on a 5.5 million deal rather than wait to see if an opening or opportunity opens up. It's also not a lock that Sandoval can bounce back or he might get injured. So chances are decent he gets a lot of playing time. Its probably not happening, but it would be awesome to have Plouffe as insurance for Sandoval. Maybe even someone that could platoon with Sandoval if need be. I'm not going to break the bank on a platoon option at third base. I doubt the Sox would too. There's no point in offering Plouffe more than 2-3 million to come and be a platoon option if he'd like. I'd rather save my money on a trade option at the trade deadline or better yet for David Ortiz if he ever changes his mind if the Sox are rolling into July and he feels like coming back at one last chance at a ring.
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Post by rjp313jr on Dec 10, 2016 7:35:13 GMT -5
Why is staying under the tax line such a big deal this year? I know they signed a new CBA and I'm not up to speed on it so I figured one of you may know. How bad are the penalties? I mean there is a very good team here and I'd hate for them to not go the extra mile for minimal reasons.
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