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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Apr 12, 2016 16:30:39 GMT -5
The team sort of painted itself into a corner. They promised Young a mess of plate appearances, while emphasizing that Betts would play right field exclusively. Unless they really want to hurt themselves, they won't play him in center either, which is a position he's completely unsuited for. That doesn't leave much outside of a left-field platoon and pinch-hitting, or leaving him in against right handers which can get very ugly as we've seen. The answer, I think, is to rotate him into right and put Betts in center every once in a while, and to let him spell Betts in right every once in another while, along with his other duties. It seems to me that they need to be flexibile as the season proceeds. Hard to be flexible when they're up against a wall. Would not be shocking if Buch, Kelly and Porcello all lost these next few games.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Apr 12, 2016 16:02:36 GMT -5
Somewhere Cherington has a grin on his face "My department drafted a great guy in Benintendi, and I can proudly say, that he will help them when they need to trade him to acquire a starting pitcher to undo the cluster I left"
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Apr 12, 2016 14:59:58 GMT -5
Why would Sandoval accept a minor league assignment when he could instead elect free agency? He has no incentive to do so. Sandoval also has more of a role than you think. He's effectively the backup at 3B, 1B and DH, which means he likely gets at least a start or two a week even when everyone's healthy. He's also valuable injury depth-- without him on the roster, if any of Shaw, Hanley or Ortiz get hurt, it's some combination of Marrero, Castillo, Allen Craig or Bryce Brentz getting the playing time, which are all worse options. He also should be used as a bat off the bench to pinch-hit for Young (and maybe Bradley/Castillo or Swihart/Hanigan), yesterday's game notwithstanding. I'm really wondering if he's going to be gaining weight riding pine. This roster is very strangely constructed currently. I'm not a huge fan of constantly PHing for our 6th hitter in the 6th/7th innings.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Apr 10, 2016 21:56:23 GMT -5
I seriously doubt the Sox trade from their catching depth right now, unless it's some minor deal like Leon. Lucroy seems a better fit.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Apr 10, 2016 0:08:00 GMT -5
I think maybe Kelly should be moved to the pen. He could be great there. I agree with you, but wanted to know why you think that. What do you thin he brings to the bullpen that could make him great? Yeah I don't buy it. His fastball doesn't miss bats, and he doesn't throw a consistent enough slider. At times yesterday his slider was awesome, but it still didn't help the fastball.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Apr 10, 2016 0:06:12 GMT -5
Lol this is by far the most misguided argument. "Greinke/Kluber got lit up too!" Umm, Greinke/Kluber/insert real ace/ has recent track records of not being dogsh!t So did Panda. So did Hanley and what did all that win him from those on here last fall? Panda did not have a good track record. He 4 steady years of declining OPS. Hanley hit 10 homeruns before he destroyed his shoulder.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Apr 9, 2016 20:48:19 GMT -5
Trade candidate Tyson Ross on DL with "shoulder inflammation". Calling it mostly precautionary, but that might just be to preserve trade value.
Also old friend Carl Crawford goes on the DL with some sort of back injury.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Apr 9, 2016 20:29:47 GMT -5
Schwarber did himself in playing left field. He tripped over Fowler and he had to be helped up, and driven of the field. Looked like a knee. lol @ this and "lack of communication" ball was scalded into the gap and they collided at full speed moving back on a ball. To chalk this injury up to poor communication or the player's fault is pretty laughable. Hustle play and bad luck.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Apr 9, 2016 20:25:13 GMT -5
What? Trade for the guy who needs major reconstructive knee surgery?
If Swihart goes it'll be for pitching. Not some dude who might be hobbled forever.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Apr 9, 2016 20:13:09 GMT -5
Look, you can make excuses all you want, Mr Blue Skies, but the fact remains that outside of Price there's only been 1 (one!) starting pitcher who pitched into the sixth inning THIS WHOLE SEASON. Yea, and Cleveland's aces n Toronto's got 1 out in the 6th or didn't get there either? Guess all those aces need to be discarded too. Lol this is by far the most misguided argument. "Greinke/Kluber got lit up too!" Umm, Greinke/Kluber/insert real ace/ has recent track records of not being dogsh!t
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Apr 9, 2016 20:11:51 GMT -5
Or, they watched the last few years and get that Clay B is a year older, Joe Kelly is pushing 30{to be fair 28 in June} and still hasn't got it, Porcello is what he is, and Wright is still unproven. Did you miss what happened in the 2nd half of the year last year with Kelly and Porcello? Oh jeez. Porcello switches to a mix involving his sinker more for his last 8 starts and gets good results. But go back and look at the vertical drop numbers on that sinker during those starts and today. Not anywhere even close to what it once was when he was pitching to his strengths. Until he gets that sinker back, I don't see why we expect good things from him. Joe Kelly goes out the other day and throws the best slider of his career, and still cannot get more than one swing and miss on his fastball. There is legitimate reason to worry about these two. We don't need to sell off Salem just yet to replace them, but we can at least be honest and not pretend like these two look overly promising.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Apr 5, 2016 14:57:09 GMT -5
Turned on the game and the first minute of listening to Dave O'Brien was literally better than any minute of Orsillo's career. I think we'll appreciate Dave O'Brien if this team is in contention and in crazy competitive games. His call on Ortiz' homer in Detroit in 2013 was phenomenal. However, he tends to put me to sleep when the games not on the line. And I think that's where Don shined. For the moments you needed someone to engage you, even if it was just jokes or whatever, I was always entertained.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Apr 5, 2016 14:17:57 GMT -5
I think it's probably a product of your bad reading comprehension, but you're attaching sentiment to my statement that isn't there. Next time take a deep breath, read better, and try not let your insecurities about David Price and the Red Sox dictate that you spring into kneejerk defense mode. Yeah, clearly you weren't complaining or voicing concern. smh I wasn't complaining, I was starting a discussion. Is it because of him going mostly to cutters? Why during that huge inning did he suddenly stop throwing fastballs? A lot of great minds on this website, and I'd like some insight.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Apr 5, 2016 13:46:13 GMT -5
Cold weather/first game, but Price's velocity is topping out at what, 92? 8 K's in 4 innings isn't good enough for you? I think it's probably a product of your bad reading comprehension, but you're attaching sentiment to my statement that isn't there. Next time take a deep breath, read better, and try not let your insecurities about David Price and the Red Sox dictate that you spring into kneejerk defense mode.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Apr 5, 2016 13:39:05 GMT -5
Trevor Story has taken Greinke deep twice tonight. Just came here to post this. Good for him. He had an up and down prospect career, but at his peak he looked like one hell of a player. He's 23 and basically only struggled when he moved up a level, which is quite common. 70xbh in 130 minor league games last year.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Apr 5, 2016 13:35:35 GMT -5
Cold weather/first game, but Price's velocity is topping out at what, 92?
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Apr 4, 2016 18:27:06 GMT -5
apparently old friend Felix Doubront has some "fibrous tearing" in his UCL.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Mar 31, 2016 14:21:42 GMT -5
I don't understand why people like Murphy so much. Castillo would be better than he is in almost a worst case scenario. Well, it probably has something to do with the .200 point ops difference between the two players versus RHP, and the idea to use Young already against lefties. David Murphy *might* see two balls a game in left field, but might see 4 at bats. If Rusney's not capable of playing everyday, and your OF already has JBJ and Mookie in it, and you need a mental fielder more than an athletic one, I don't see it as a huge problem carrying Murphy while Rusney gets at bats. Then again, I also didn't watch Murphy that much in left this spring training, not sure if he looked fine or atrocious.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Mar 31, 2016 14:16:07 GMT -5
I think Pablo will have his job back by May 1st to be honest. Not that I want him to, I'm just not sold on Shaw. It seems our revolving door has simply moved one position to the left
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Mar 31, 2016 12:42:52 GMT -5
What is Shaw, 0 for his last 17?
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Mar 31, 2016 12:39:25 GMT -5
We will not be an optimal team as long as we have Holt as our starting left fielder. That should be addressed now. No. There is no such thing as an "optimal" team. Sox are awarding guys who did their due diligence and performed, this is good for teaching players to work and perform. Do I think Shaw and Holt will be starters at the halfway point? Nope. But with Holt hitting out of his mind in the first halves of the last two years, I'm fine with it.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Mar 31, 2016 12:35:36 GMT -5
Well, I was wrong about that. Not the first time, and I'll bet it won't be the last either. He had even less time to make good than I thought he did, and that's despite the fact that Shaw has cooled a little and that Sandoval has had an ok spring, with his defense tightening up over the last few games. I think the biggest takeaway is something that's been thrown around. This is no longer just the Manager, but probably a team of people led by Dombrowski, who are making these decisions. This doesn't feel like anyone forced Farrell's hand at all.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Mar 31, 2016 12:25:26 GMT -5
The vaunted NY bullpen is thinning out fast. Miller with a chip-fracture in his right wrist. He'll be out for at least a little while. Shouldn't announce news that isn't technically correct yet. Word is he wants to pitch through it as it's his non pitching hand. Unknown as of yet what they'll let him do.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Mar 29, 2016 12:18:03 GMT -5
I think it's a fair question to ask whether Castillo or Marrero should fill that last roster spot, but I think it still goes to Castillo. Assuming that everyone else is healthy, that player will effectively be the backups at CF, RF, SS and 2B (with Holt moving around as necessary) and I'd estimate will start somewhere around 20-30% of the games. I think the team is better off on the field with Castillo in that role-- I think he's likely to be a better hitter than Marrero, and not that much worse of a defender/baserunner. The argument for Marrero would be based on the idea that Castillo is better off getting full playing time in Pawtucket instead of being a part-time player in Boston. I don't really buy it, though. Castillo turns 29 this year and is entering his second full season in the system. I don't know how much upside he really has left. At this point, I think his development (and Boston's evaluation of him) is probably better served getting fewer reps against higher-quality competition as opposed to getting more reps against lower-quality competition. Plus, if there's a decent chance he's a fourth outfielder long-term (as appears increasingly likely), he might as well start getting used to that role. Not to mention Castillo seems to be habitually plagued by little nagging injuries. The "he needs to play everyday" mantra isn't a good fit here.
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Post by pokeyreesespieces on Mar 28, 2016 20:40:22 GMT -5
200IP & 216K sounds good with Shields.
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