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Recent Posts
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Post by brendan98 on Jul 28, 2023 19:35:34 GMT -5
Does anyone know why Story was replaced?
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Post by brendan98 on May 18, 2023 14:21:43 GMT -5
The thing that excites me even more about Duran is that, since becoming a professional he has converted from infielder to outfielder and has totally revamped his swing mechanics, I believe that there is a ton more room for him to improve offensively and defensively.
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Post by brendan98 on May 18, 2023 14:10:26 GMT -5
Big "What if", but what if Drohan dominates AAA hitters like he did AA, realistically how long would the Sox leave him in the minors?
I know that development plays a role in that determination, but the Sox biggest weakness at this point is the #4 & #5 starters, if Drohan pitches like he did in AA could we see him in Boston before the All Star break?
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Post by brendan98 on May 3, 2023 10:59:20 GMT -5
Kind of crazy that through the first month of the season, all 4 of our starting outfielders (Verdugo, Yoshida, Duvall/Duran) have a higher OPS than Raffy.
I know that it won't hold up, but regardless how unlikely is that?
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Post by brendan98 on Apr 25, 2023 20:48:15 GMT -5
Sorry, but if the Sox lose this game Cora should be canned as well. This is inexcusable! I'm sorry but this is a terrible take. You are right, speaking (or typing to be more accurate) out of frustration is never a good idea. I’m going to have a party when Ort and Brasier are no longer on this roster!
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Post by brendan98 on Apr 25, 2023 20:14:03 GMT -5
Sorry, but if the Sox lose this game Cora should be canned as well. This is inexcusable!
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Post by brendan98 on Apr 25, 2023 20:11:57 GMT -5
If you can’t even use Ort in mop up, what good is he?
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Post by brendan98 on Apr 12, 2023 12:39:13 GMT -5
It sure feels like the pitching staff is going to have to carry this team until the offense gets some reinforcements (Mondesi, Duvall, Story, maybe Hamilton), and while I seriously doubt this is what is going to happen, I think the pitchers could be there in a few weeks to construct a dominant staff:
Rotation: Sale, Bello, Kluber, Pivetta, Paxton Multi Inning: Whitlock, Houck, Winchowski, Crawford (maybe Kelly) Short Guys: Schreiber, Martin, (Rodriguez or Bleir), Jansen
Time for the Sox to go with the best guys they have, see if they can stay in it until they get some help, and that means no more Brasier and no more Ort, with those multi inning guys you can afford to take the starter out an inning early (which isn't a bad thing considering you have some injury risk and age in the rotation) and keep opponents off the board in the middle innings. If this team can play .500 ball until the All Star break by winning a lot of low scoring games, maybe they can get some guys back and do something in the 2nd half.
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Post by brendan98 on Apr 4, 2023 14:17:05 GMT -5
Crawford was bad last night and wasn't pitching the same as he did in spring training. all his pitches that were bombed leaked to the middle of the plate. He was spotting his fastball well in the spring, but last night his pitches were too middle middle. sloppy sliders and the cutter was a little flat. I am not too concerend with one outing, but the whole pitching staff has caught the first time through bug. His last outing in the spring was not very good I remember though.
Exactly, he was missing his spot by a lot on a lot of his pitches, command was almost non existent.
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Post by brendan98 on Mar 28, 2023 14:38:54 GMT -5
Obviously what happens over the course of the season will decide it, but protecting Kaleb Ort over Thad Ward is looking like a terrible decision both short term and long term.
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Post by brendan98 on Mar 23, 2023 12:26:13 GMT -5
I'd really like to see the Sox put Houck back in the bullpen for good, I just think he is so much better in that role. I think they could piggyback Whitlock and Bello for the first couple of starts until they've built up.
Start the season: Kluber / Sale / Pivetta / Whitlock-Bello / Crawford or Winchowski
I'd much rather see Whitlock and Bello toss 3-4 innings each for the Sox than the WooSox.
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Post by brendan98 on Mar 22, 2023 12:02:19 GMT -5
In this era of baseball I don't know if Yoshida's offensive profile is valued like it would have been 10-15 years ago, and I may be in the minority, but I am really high on what Yoshida brings to the Red Sox lineup. I think the addition of Yoshida and Turner, and a full season of Casas, give the Sox 3 guys in the lineup who are really going to make the opposing pitcher work to get them out, and that is something I thought last years Red Sox were lacking offensively.
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Post by brendan98 on Mar 6, 2023 21:36:22 GMT -5
There's an inordinate amount of storylines this year so I think it would be inciteful to see people's opinion on which story they are most interested in. Other than the obvious health storyline.... For me: 1. The development of Rafaela. I think he's got superstar potential. He seems to have a high "baseball IQ" and multiple times, he's made statements that he's bought into the concept of waiting for a hitters pitch. Fast hands, quick bat, Pedroiaesqe hand eye coordination and speed give him a 70 grade hit tool ceiling. 2. The development of Mata. If Mata can pound the zone like he's been doing this spring, watch out. He's also going to need to build up his innings after far too many injuries. You can't rush that. 3. Duran. The adjustments he's made seem to have helped a lot. He's back to driving the ball to all field like he did in Salem. He also no longer looks like a deer in headlights in the outfield. Starting CF and leadoff hitter potential is waiting to be unlocked. 4. Bleis, the second coming of Ryan Westmoreland. Will he be able to handle upper level pitching ? There are more reasons to be optimistic than pessimistic here but it's a long long road. I like Walter just about as much as Mata, his stuff might not be quite as nasty, but that strike throwing closes the gap some. With the possibility of Turner missing some time, I wonder if Dalbec can take advantage of what could be his last opportunity. If he can continue to demonstrate that opposite field approach I like his chances, there will always be swing and miss but the approach he’s had this spring is what he needs to do during the regular season to be successful. I know Bobby has been a spring training God before, but this feels a little different. Hoping to see both Bleis and Mayer earn early promotions this season, maybe both be top 10 prospects in baseball by seasons end.
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Post by brendan98 on Feb 3, 2023 13:24:44 GMT -5
I know comps are pretty useless, but does anyone see a lot of similarities to Nomar in Mayer? Nomar had a career 9.1% K rate and Mayer has been striking out almost 3x as much as that in A ball. Mayer was actually only in the 38th percentile for Z-contact% this past year, which IMO is his biggest red/yellow flag. His Z Contact was ~76%, and only 3 players in the MLB made less contact in the zone and had a wRC+ over 100 this year: Morel 68.9% 108, JD Davis 71.1% 119, and Stanton 74.7 115. If Mayer doesn’t start making more contact in zone (he likely will, he’s very young), he’s in trouble. Thanks for the stats. I was talking in much more general terms, body type, athleticism, how easy the game seems to be for them, etc..
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Post by brendan98 on Feb 3, 2023 12:37:39 GMT -5
I know comps are pretty useless, but does anyone see a lot of similarities to Nomar in Mayer?
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Post by brendan98 on Feb 1, 2023 12:20:51 GMT -5
To my way of thinking, the most important single factor in how good the Sox are offensively this year is whether or not Casas is, or develops into, a legitimate #5 hitter in the lineup. If he does, he helps provide protection for Devers, and he slides Verdugo down to the #7 slot, where he looks much more like a positive force relative to the expectations for that spot in the lineup. What if Casas continues walking close to the rate he did last year? If so, I think you need him to hit 2nd or 3rd right, at the very least against RHP?
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Post by brendan98 on Jan 11, 2023 15:26:29 GMT -5
It is unfortunate that the Sox have put themselves in this spot with the roster so thin re: star players, but that is the reality of this team as it now stands. Even with a healthy Trevor Story this team was going to need A LOT of things go right in order for them to make the playoffs in 2023. With Story likely out for a big chunk of the season as the best case scenario, the Sox need to be realistic, it sucks for us fans, but 2023 is likely a bridge year.
If I'm Bloom, I move Kiké to SS, play Duran/Refsnyder as a L/R platoon in CF. Sign Andrew McCutcheon as a hopeful bounceback candidate and a RH platoon corner OF, sign Iglesias as a backup 2B/SS. I'd love to find a way to sign Nelson Cruz as another potential bounceback guy but I don't see how the Sox get him enough AB's to make it worthwhile.
If the Sox stay in the race through the All Star break and get lucky with Story possible back early, then add via trade, if not continue to build for 2024.
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Post by brendan98 on Dec 29, 2022 17:43:20 GMT -5
I’m by no means rooting against Mikey Romero, but there is nothing in their scouting reports nationally or on this site that would even slightly indicate that Romero has a higher floor, higher ceiling, or a better chance of reaching either. Most scouting reports I’ve seen including Soxprospects say Romero is a fringe average defender at SS and a move to 2B may be in his future, while Mayer is likely to stay at SS with an above average to elite defensive profile. Mayer appears to be the superior hitter as well, while I’d love to see Romero develop into a STUD, I think Mayer is much more likely to be the guy who develops into the Sox long term SS. Everyone is in love with Mayer because he was ranked so high, and because he has done nothing but live up to and exceed the expectations of those rankings! STUD. Love the sarcasm, hope you eat your words. Absolutely no sarcasm intended. I hope Romero becomes a superstar, just saying there is nothing right now that points to him becoming better than Mayer.
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Post by brendan98 on Dec 29, 2022 14:28:47 GMT -5
In a few years Mikey Romero will be the next great SS in Red Sox history. I 100% agree with this. I think he’s going to be better then Mayer. Everyone is in love with Mayer since he was ranked so high but Romero is a STUD! I’m by no means rooting against Mikey Romero, but there is nothing in their scouting reports nationally or on this site that would even slightly indicate that Romero has a higher floor, higher ceiling, or a better chance of reaching either. Most scouting reports I’ve seen including Soxprospects say Romero is a fringe average defender at SS and a move to 2B may be in his future, while Mayer is likely to stay at SS with an above average to elite defensive profile. Mayer appears to be the superior hitter as well, while I’d love to see Romero develop into a STUD, I think Mayer is much more likely to be the guy who develops into the Sox long term SS. Everyone is in love with Mayer because he was ranked so high, and because he has done nothing but live up to and exceed the expectations of those rankings!
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Post by brendan98 on Dec 28, 2022 12:11:15 GMT -5
Just asking a question here, I didn't see the game he played at SS last year, so how did Bobby Dalbec look defensively at Short?
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Post by brendan98 on Dec 12, 2022 14:30:16 GMT -5
Honestly, I kind of wonder if the Red Sox could steal Correa for 3 years by front loading a deal and then let him opt for free agency once Mayer is supposedly ready. In an ideal world you'd get Correa for the gap and then get a draft pick for when he leaves and Mayer can take over. If he turns out to be a bust, try to actually re-sign the player this time. Do you really think Correa is thinking he'll get a better deal as 31 year old compared to his now 28 year old self? Sounds incredibly risky if I were him. Not to mention, the only scenario I see this happening is if he's getting $40+ million/year for the first 3 years before the opt out which is an insane overpay.
Maybe. Let's say Correa's value right now is 10 year $300M, that is a little light in terms of years based upon what Turner and Bogaerts got, but higher in AAV. If you signed Correa to a straight up 3 year $105M contract now, he would have to get a 7 year $195M as a 31 year old free agent to match that, after what Bogey and Turner got this offseason at 30 years old, I don't think that is a very high bar 3 years in the future.
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Post by brendan98 on Dec 12, 2022 12:40:50 GMT -5
I have not read this whole thread, so sorry in advance if this is repeating another post.
Correa simply makes too much sense for this team.
I think the Sox should overpay on AAV to try to add Correa on a 2-3 year deal, I wonder if Correa would sign for something in the neighborhood of 2 years $70M with a player option for a 3rd year at $35M? From Correa's standpoint he is going to making a higher AAV than the other SS from this class, and he is going to have the option of becoming a free agent again still in his prime (30-31 years old), which with the way contracts are going up every year could make him more money long term, but he still has $105M guaranteed as security if he wants it. For the Sox, they get an excellent albeit expensive bridge to Mayer, who will instantly slot in next to Raffy in the lineup and should come close to or possibly exceed what Xander gave the Red Sox on the field.
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Post by brendan98 on Sept 26, 2022 14:45:17 GMT -5
Chaim Bloom has positioned the Red Sox payroll wise with a huge opportunity this upcoming offseason, the Sox currently have about $68M committed in salary if you assume Xander will opt out. With the available money the Sox have to spend under next years $233M luxury tax, Bloom and the Red Sox could reasonably do all of the below and still have a lot of money to spend on the pen:
Re-sign Wacha 2 for $24m - $12m per Re-sign Eovaldi 2 for $30m - $15m per Re-sign Xander 6 for $156m - $26m per Re-sign Devers 10 for $325m - $32.5m per Sign Aaron Judge 8 for $280m - $35m per
To be clear, I'm not saying that I am in favor of paying Judge that kind of money, but it blew me away that we have so much financial flexibility this offseason, there are no excuses for Bloom if he does not take advantage of this situation and put an outstanding roster together for 2023.
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Post by brendan98 on Sept 21, 2022 11:24:38 GMT -5
The Sox will have a lot of money to play with this offseason, for me priority 1 is to extend Devers, after that they really need to either re-sign Xander or sign/trade for a big bat to replace/exceed Xander's production. The best available free agent is Judge, he is 5 months older than Xander and IMO will not age as well as Xander. I think it is highly likely that he is going to get an 8 year deal at over $30M a year, coming off such a historic season that is probably conservative. I think the Xander can probably get 6 years at maybe a little over $25M per year. Of these 2 options give me Xander, I don't mind him becoming a DH or moving to a corner when Mayer is ready, I believe that the Sox will get plenty of value out of re-signing Xander, I can't say that I think the team that signs Judge is going to get the bang for their buck that they hope for and I hope he re-signs with the Yanks for 10 years $400M and they choke on that contract for a decade.
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Post by brendan98 on Sept 7, 2022 13:21:19 GMT -5
I apologize if this has been discussed elsewhere, moderators feel free to move or delete if it has, but I was wondering what the thinking behind who the Sox should put the Qualifying Offer on, and who would likely acccept/decline.
As I see it, there are 3 realistic possibilities - JD, Wacha and Eovaldi.
I'd like to see the Sox offer on Wacha and Eovaldi, and let JD walk.
I think if we did offer it to JD he'd accept, I am really uncertain whether or not Wacha or Eovaldi would accept or decline.
Thoughts?
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