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Post by brendan98 on Feb 11, 2021 12:35:58 GMT -5
Maybe I am mistaken, but a platoon of Cordero/Renfroe in a corner OF spot seems like it could be extremely productive, albeit with the potential for a lot of strikeouts.
I'm hoping to watch Duran in CF, Verdugo in RF and those 2 in LF by the time we get to June, I could get excited about that OF.
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Post by Oregon Norm on Feb 11, 2021 12:43:12 GMT -5
I'm sure that's the master plan. The tactic has been so successful over so many years, and it's one that Tampa Bay moved in with a long time ago. Bloom probably had some role in the details of that strategy.
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gerry
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Post by gerry on Feb 11, 2021 14:57:09 GMT -5
What a practical topic. Haven’t yet seen Cordero’s spray chart, but with his prodigious power to all fields it may not matter.
Based on Renfroe’s spray chart, if Franchy hits well to the opposite field and the triangle, LF could become a significant source of doubles, triples (a Cordero specialty) and HR like we haven’t seen for years. Replacing Beni’s many doubles will be good. Augmenting that with increased 3B and HR is a plus. Adding power to the already powerful Sox lineup is also a plus, despite the K issue.
Renfroe is also a solid defender with a strong arm who could handle Fenway’s RF adequately. Having him in LF might be a net positive. Don’t know Cordero’s defensive chops, but reports indicate he is an above average athlete, which in itself would be special in this LF. If not, Renfroe could be a late inning defensive replacement.
In 2018 we had arguably the best OF in baseball, the killer B’s. In 2019, with slumps from Beni and JBJ we didn’t. In the weird 2020 Beni was ineffective, JBJ was vintage JBJ and Verdugo was the team’s MVP. Head-spinning. We are just starting to see what the 2021 and 2022 OF will look like, IMO it will be better than 2020 (as will the Rotation, the Bullpen and 2B).
We may also be entering an era of platoons and almost platoons: Cordero/Renfroe? Arroyo (reverse splits)/Enrique, Duran/Enrique?, Dalbec/ MM? For the Sox a new style of strategizing at the granular level, a lot for fans to embrace.
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cdj
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Post by cdj on Feb 11, 2021 17:27:47 GMT -5
I’m a big fan of platoons, especially now that LOOGY’s are basically extinct and can’t throw a wrench into the middle of a game
You can get elite production from the correct combo of specifically flawed players
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Post by umassgrad2005 on Feb 11, 2021 18:24:15 GMT -5
Cordero has a .786 OPS versus RHP in the majors. That's certainly not horrible. Yet at LF with his defensive numbers it's not going to be great either. Yet it's all very limited sample sizes.
Kinda similar to Nomar Mazara, yet he's a lot less proven also.
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Post by Coreno on Feb 11, 2021 19:36:04 GMT -5
One note on Franchy's defense: he was signed out of DR as a SS, and played there throughout the low minors. When he got to the majors he had only been playing the OF for about 2 years. I would imagine he was in a similar position as Duran is currently, waiting for the experience to catch up to the skills.
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ericmvan
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Post by ericmvan on Feb 12, 2021 4:14:45 GMT -5
One note on Franchy's defense: he was signed out of DR as a SS, and played there throughout the low minors. When he got to the majors he had only been playing the OF for about 2 years. I would imagine he was in a similar position as Duran is currently, waiting for the experience to catch up to the skills. He had 197 games in CF before his pre-rookie season in 2017. He was in the 97.9th percentile in Sprint Speed, and in a small sample of 192 CF innings, was about +30 R/150. His rank in Sprint Speed has since gone 94.2, 89.2, 67.6, the last number seemingly the result of injuries. He's been just below average in CF in the three subsequent years, but in just 152 innings. Overall he's about +13 / 150 G, in the equivalent of about 40 G. He should be at least a +5 defender out there if he can get his foot speed back close to 90th percentile.
In 2018 he was used mostly in LF since the Padres had Manny Margot in CF. He had played 68 G there in 2015, when he was first moved to the OF, and 51 G (including AFL and winter ball) in the following 2 years. If you figure that the first 68 games were largely about learning the OF in general, that's a lot less experience running routes than he brought to his CF debut. And he was really bad -- roughly -20 / 150 G, but in just 195 innings. He's only played 8 MLB innings there since, but 37 G in winter ball. So he should be somewhat better.
He's only played 22 games in RF in the minors etc., and 86 innings in MLB.
Assuming he gets his foot speed back, you would definitely play him in CF and Verdugo in RF rather than the opposite. But there will be a leaning curve for him to get reads and run routes in the corners.
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