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2014-15 offseason discussion
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Post by larrycook on Aug 1, 2014 22:56:09 GMT -5
Where does cherrington find the left handed power bat this offseason?
We have six potential outfielders on the roster now.
Who would be willing to give up a power left handed bat for a bundle of outfielders and pitching prospects?
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Post by klostrophobic on Aug 1, 2014 23:16:11 GMT -5
What kind of left handed power bat? Like Brandon Moss, Anthony Rizzo, Adrian Gonzalez or Pedro Alvarez? Good luck getting any of those guys.
But for real, why the desire for left handed power bat? Between Cespedes, Ortiz, Napoli, Middlebrooks, Craig and Bogaerts there is a lot of potential power in this lineup. Every one of those guys has the potential for a .200 ISO, which I would consider 'power-bat' level. Now, Middlebrooks could suck, Craig could suck and Bogaerts might not reach that power either, but Cespedes, Ortiz and Napoli have a ton of power and odds are that at least one of the Middlebrooks/Craig/Bogaerts trio will provide plenty of power.
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Post by bmitchsox on Aug 2, 2014 0:36:22 GMT -5
I still think Lester is coming back as long as we offer him a competitve deal. Il guess 6yrs 130. QO Koji, hopefully he comes back. Sign Russell Martin for 1yr until Swihart is ready. Sign Andrew Miller for 3yrs. Sign Sergio Romo for 3yrs. I'm guessing a Stanton trade happens this offseason, and we have arguably the best offer. Stanton for Betts, Vazquez, Middlebrooks, Barnes, Workman.
CF Bradley Jr 2B Pedroia LF Stanton DH Ortiz RF Cespedes 1B Napoli SS Bogaerts C Martin 3B Cecchini
Lester - Buccholz - Kelly - De La Rosa - Ranaudo
Koji - Romo - Tazawa - Miller - Escobar - Noe Ramirez
Holt - Craig - Nava - Victorino - Ross
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Post by moonstone2 on Aug 2, 2014 3:02:29 GMT -5
I agree but with a caveat. Selling high is easier said than done. It's not like GMs make deals based on a player's slash line. If the Red Sox don't think a player is as good as his numbers then most GMs will probably agree. That's true of selling high in the abstract, and probably true as it applied to Carp - I really doubt there was as much of a market for him as we thought there was last offseason. Maybe I'm being a Pollyanna, but that's one I'm willing to give the FO the benefit of the doubt on. As it applies to Holt, though, I agree with you. His offensive profile - even as he regresses - is probably still a second-tier MLB second baseman. I know people fall in love with these super-utility types but he's more valuable to a team that needs a second baseman, and there's a real chance the Sox can get something for him from a team with a need there. I'm not talking about a Grade A prospect or anything, but someone who projects as an MLB reliever, sure. Baseball GMs make the same mistakes that everyone else does by over emphasizing short term performance that may not be sustainable. Those numbers maybe boosted by scouting reports which may also be unsustainable. You won't get as much for Cecchini as you could have a year ago for example. I think Carp is a perfect example as to why you have to move on from these guys. The Red Sox likely could have gotten something valuable for Carp over the winter. Not a top prospect, but something. Now they'll get nothing. I am not saying that they can trade Holt for Byron Buxton but if somone thinks he's a cheap year2 regular, they need to use him to fill other needs and if they don't they'll be sorry. He is kinda redundant with Betts anyways as Betts can do everything that he does only better.
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nomar
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Post by nomar on Aug 2, 2014 4:03:35 GMT -5
I still think Lester is coming back as long as we offer him a competitve deal. Il guess 6yrs 130. QO Koji, hopefully he comes back. Sign Russell Martin for 1yr until Swihart is ready. Sign Andrew Miller for 3yrs. Sign Sergio Romo for 3yrs. I'm guessing a Stanton trade happens this offseason, and we have arguably the best offer. Stanton for Betts, Vazquez, Middlebrooks, Barnes, Workman. CF Bradley Jr 2B Pedroia LF Stanton DH Ortiz RF Cespedes 1B Napoli SS Bogaerts C Martin 3B Cecchini Lester - Buccholz - Kelly - De La Rosa - Ranaudo Koji - Romo - Tazawa - Miller - Escobar - Noe Ramirez Holt - Craig - Nava - Victorino - Ross No way anyone gives Romo a 3 year deal. That HR/9 is horrible especially for a SF pitcher. I wouldn't want him for anything more than 3M for one year.
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Post by chavopepe2 on Aug 2, 2014 7:02:36 GMT -5
I think this team is going to make a big splash in the offseason. I don't think they are going to want to go into next year with so many righties in the everyday lineup. The current roster lays out like this:
LF: (RHH) Craig should be playing close to everyday. Nava is a good 4th outfielder in this situation because if Craig doesn't return to 2013 form you can platoon them. RF: (RHH) Cespedes should play everyday. 1B: (RHH) Napoli should play everyday. 2B: (RHH) Pedroia should play everyday. SS: (RHH) Bogaerts should play everyday. C: (RHH) Vazquez will be the primary catcher. It is likely the backup is also a (RHH).
DH: (LHH) Ortiz will play everyday. CF: (LHH) Bradley should play everyday.
3B: Unknown, but options include (RHH) WMB, (LHH) Holt, or a free agent (Headley and Sandoval are both switch hitters)
AAA options are: LF/RF/CF/2B: (RHH) Betts SS: (RHH) Marrero 2B/3B: (RHH) Coyle RF/LF: (RHH) Brentz RF/LF/1B: (RHH) Hassan
C: (Switch) Swihart LF/3B: (LHH) Cecchini 1B: (LHH) Shaw
RHH Starters career wRC+ (righties vs. lefties): Craig: 118 vs. 136 Cespedes: 111 vs. 132 Napoli: 124 vs. 143 Pedroia: 112 vs. 130 Bogaerts: 73 vs. 119 Vazquez: (minor league career .752 OPS vs RHP; .824 OPS vs LHP)
The team is absolutely stacked against LHP, but I think they're susceptible to RHP and other teams will be able to take advantage of this.
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ericmvan
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Post by ericmvan on Aug 3, 2014 4:38:21 GMT -5
I think this team is going to make a big splash in the offseason. I don't think they are going to want to go into next year with so many righties in the everyday lineup. ... RHH Starters career wRC+ (righties vs. lefties): Craig: 118 vs. 136 Cespedes: 111 vs. 132 Napoli: 124 vs. 143 Pedroia: 112 vs. 130 Bogaerts: 73 vs. 119 Vazquez: (minor league career .752 OPS vs RHP; .824 OPS vs LHP) The team is absolutely stacked against LHP, but I think they're susceptible to RHP and other teams will be able to take advantage of this. There's another big reason to get an extra LHB for the middle of the order. The current projected lineup is essentially inviting abuse by opposing bullpens. Many 6th/7th inning RHR types are limited to that role because they have trouble versus LHB, and thus need to be matched up against opposing lineups rather than simply given the 8th. And with Ortiz as the only dangerous LHB in the lineup, you're pretty much guaranteeing that he sees almost exclusively LHR. If they had Carlos Gonzalez or Jason Heyward to bat 6th, that would go a long way to fixing this.
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ericmvan
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Post by ericmvan on Aug 3, 2014 6:01:51 GMT -5
First, the notion that Cespedes can be a classic Fenway RF is unsupported by any data. He is not a guy who can play an adequate CF like Evans, Nixon, Drew, and Victorino; he's merely a very good LF whose range in RF will be a tick above average.
Now, obviously they can live with this, but it seems clear to me that Cespedes in LF and a healthy Victorino in RF is a better lineup than one with Craig in LF and Cespedes in RF.
So, we have:
C Vazquez 1B Napoli 2B Pedroia SS Bogaerts 3B Middlebrooks, perhaps with some Holt LF Cespedes / (Craig) CF Bradley RF Victorino / (Cespedes)
plus Nava and a catcher TBD on the bench.
Now, we want to add a LHB, and we want to make this lineup just plain better.
The two obvious ways to make it better are to get a better 3B, and to trade Craig, who is good enough to start in LF for most clubs, and get a LHB to play RF. That relegates Victorino to the backup role, which is where we'd all be much more comfortable with him given his health. Hassan increasingly looks like a a decent candidate to be his alternative when disabled.
In theory, there's a trade for Jason Heyward that the Braves simply couldn't refuse, and there's a good chance that we're so deep that we wouldn't be giving up anyone with significant marginal value. He'd be a perfect defensive fit in RF.
One obvious candidate for a better 3B is Betts. It boggles my mind that they have him in Boston sharing the 4th OF spot when he very likely has no future in the OF with the Sox, and could be in Pawtucket trying on 3B for size, while Hassan could be in Boston gaining MLB experience.
It's understandable that we haven't been talking much about obtaining a 3B from outside the organization, given the presence of Middlebrooks, Marrero (moving Xander to 3B), Cecchini, Coyle, Holt, and possibly Betts as internal options. I think some folks have mentioned bringing Beltre back, an idea I like (although not as much as I like trying to move Betts there).
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ericmvan
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Post by ericmvan on Aug 3, 2014 6:41:12 GMT -5
More than ever, I'm on the try-Mookie-at-SS train. It goes without saying that his bat will play best at an up-the-middle position, and it seems like the skills that made him a plus-plus defensive second baseman will reflect well to the other side of the bag, supported by his arm playing at least serviceably for the position. I'm of the opinion that if Mookie isn't already a superior defensive shortstop to Bogaerts, he will be with a couple months played there this season and in ST. I could get behind that idea, but I keep hearing that Betts' arm doesn't play for a SS. If it did, I'd really like your idea. It's been well established that Betts was moved off of SS because his arm was too erratic, not because it wasn't strong enough. There were a lot of scouting reports that said his arm strength was sufficient for the left side of the infield, and then he came up and made a couple of throws from RF and it became instantly obvious that that was the case. Now: 1) 3B, it seems to me, is a position (like 2B) with less variety of throwing angles than SS. Both positions require throwing while charging slow rollers and/or bunts, but SS is the position which also requires throwing on the run, from all sorts of unusual angles and foot plantings, and often without a lot of time to set oneself. The ball gets to 3B quicker and there's more time to set and throw. An erratic arm is going to play a good deal better at 3B, I think, than at SS. How many of Bett's throwing errors at SS do you think came on balls he got to set himself and then throw, versus balls he was trying to get rid of too quickly after making a great stop? 2) We think of range as a function of quickness, but it is also a function of length of stride. Big SS can be "rangy" for precisely that reason. Bogaerts is not particularly quick and especially does not have a quick first step, but he's shown decent range at SS nevertheless, because he covers plus ground per stride. I think that playing him at 3B completely negates his assets / tools and amplifies his weaknesses. Scouts who looked at him and saw below-average quickness for a SS, and hence projected him as better at 3B (a position that requires, all things being equal, less quickness), were just going with the general scheme of things and not thinking through his specific case.* Betts, in contrast, with his explosive first-step quickness, should be a good fit when the heat comes to the proverbial hot corner. His hands may be quicker than Xander's, too. I just don't see any argument for Betts at SS and Bogaerts at 3B being better than the other way around. 3) Xander now has played 554 innings at SS and 442.2 at 3B. Those totals are above the (surprisingly low) threshold where UZR numbers start to correlate meaningfully from year to year. UZR has Xander at -1.5 at SS and -31.2 at 3B. DRS has him at -12 at SS and -30 at 3B. TZ has him at -9 at SS and -12 at 3B. (Logically, TZ should be less reliable in small samples than the zone-based metrics.) 4a) While Betts has at current no obvious defensive role on this club, he is an obvious solution at leadoff, and in fact one of the best potential leadoff guys in all of pro ball. 4b) I don't see anyone I want that we'd need to trade Betts for this winter. So finding a defensive position for him seems a much better choice than trading him. So what are waiting for? * When I studied the performance of guys who played both SS and 3B in the same season, I was surprised at how little difference there was: guys were just 2 or 3 runs better (IIRC) at 3B than at SS. (Contrast guys being 12 runs better in LF than in CF.) This small difference is not consistent with the simple notion that quality of play at the two positions is just a function of quickness, arm strength, and other things that are part of Tango's fan ratings (all of which score better for SS than for 3B). You can only explain that small difference if there are factors other than the traditional tools that are helpful at SS but are largely negated at 3B -- and I think that length of stride may be one such factor.
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Post by Guidas on Aug 3, 2014 8:40:58 GMT -5
Agree, Betts is being underused/misused right now. Farrell seems to view him to be a OF vs. LHP right now. They prob want one more good look at Middlebrooks before making a decision on him (or perhaps the decision has been made and they are hoping he'll burnish his value in the next two months. It's a roster logjam that will shake out in the off season. Sadly, Nava, whom I love vs RHP, will prob be an odd man out as well.
Also the Victorino situation bears close watching. If that does turn out to be a disc operation it may be a year-long rehab or career-ending.
Betts and Swihart are the only guys in AA/AAA I would strongly hesitate to trade.
And I agree that Cespedes may be no solution in RF. he has a great arm but I'm not sold on the range or his routes. Also, that's not as easy a transition as many people assume. The perspective on the ball and the way it comes off the bat is a tough adjustment. Most guys lose a step making that initial adjustment. Cespedes doesn't seem to have the speed to make up for that until he gains comfort with it.
Good stuff, Eric.
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Post by Guidas on Aug 3, 2014 8:46:24 GMT -5
Interesting piece today by Scot Lauber: bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox_mlb/boston_red_sox/2014/08/hey_ben_cherington_keep_it_goingI agree with the spirit of what he says - if not every move. Among the deals is a proposed Chris Sale trade. People say, "Chicago would never do that!" But I'm a huge believer in making proposals and posing deals that people say, "They'll never do that!" You don't know until you ask. And with a system that the industry and experts say is loaded, you need to leverage some of these assets while they still hold potential, especially in the eyes of others.
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Post by gregblossersbelly on Aug 3, 2014 9:29:39 GMT -5
I could get behind that idea, but I keep hearing that Betts' arm doesn't play for a SS. If it did, I'd really like your idea. It's been well established that Betts was moved off of SS because his arm was too erratic, not because it wasn't strong enough. There were a lot of scouting reports that said his arm strength was sufficient for the left side of the infield, and then he came up and made a couple of throws from RF and it became instantly obvious that that was the case. Now: 1) 3B, it seems to me, is a position (like 2B) with less variety of throwing angles than SS. Both positions require throwing while charging slow rollers and/or bunts, but SS is the position which also requires throwing on the run, from all sorts of unusual angles and foot plantings, and often without a lot of time to set oneself. The ball gets to 3B quicker and there's more time to set and throw. An erratic arm is going to play a good deal better at 3B, I think, than at SS. How many of Bett's throwing errors at SS do you think came on balls he got to set himself and then throw, versus balls he was trying to get rid of too quickly after making a great stop? 2) We think of range as a function of quickness, but it is also a function of length of stride. Big SS can be "rangy" for precisely that reason. Bogaerts is not particularly quick and especially does not have a quick first step, but he's shown decent range at SS nevertheless, because he covers plus ground per stride. I think that playing him at 3B completely negates his assets / tools and amplifies his weaknesses. Scouts who looked at him and saw below-average quickness for a SS, and hence projected him as better at 3B (a position that requires, all things being equal, less quickness), were just going with the general scheme of things and not thinking through his specific case.* Betts, in contrast, with his explosive first-step quickness, should be a good fit when the heat comes to the proverbial hot corner. His hands may be quicker than Xander's, too. I just don't see any argument for Betts at SS and Bogaerts at 3B being better than the other way around. 3) Xander now has played 554 innings at SS and 442.2 at 3B. Those totals are above the (surprisingly low) threshold where UZR numbers start to correlate meaningfully from year to year. UZR has Xander at -1.5 at SS and -31.2 at 3B. DRS has him at -12 at SS and -30 at 3B. TZ has him at -9 at SS and -12 at 3B. (Logically, TZ should be less reliable in small samples than the zone-based metrics.) 4a) While Betts has at current no obvious defensive role on this club, he is an obvious solution at leadoff, and in fact one of the best potential leadoff guys in all of pro ball. 4b) I don't see anyone I want that we'd need to trade Betts for this winter. So finding a defensive position for him seems a much better choice than trading him. So what are waiting for? * When I studied the performance of guys who played both SS and 3B in the same season, I was surprised at how little difference there was: guys were just 2 or 3 runs better (IIRC) at 3B than at SS. (Contrast guys being 12 runs better in LF than in CF.) This small difference is not consistent with the simple notion that quality of play at the two positions is just a function of quickness, arm strength, and other things that are part of Tango's fan ratings (all of which score better for SS than for 3B). You can only explain that small difference if there are factors other than the traditional tools that are helpful at SS but are largely negated at 3B -- and I think that length of stride may be one such factor. I think your point 4a is the key Eric. He's profiling to be one of the better leadoff hitters in baseball. If we're getting plus power at shortstop, It's a no-brainer to me. Play him at 3b. As others have mentioned, WMB can't identify breaking pitches. Good kid. Might figure it out somewhere. Probably, not here. I like Craig's bat when he's healthy. We only have Napoli signed for one more year, I wonder if they just plan on playing him in LF for one year. Then move him to 1b and Cespedes back to LF. Assuming we extend Cespedes. Heyward could still be the third of in that scenario; Cespedes-Bradley-Heyward. We just wouldn't trade for him until the 2015 season is over or at the deadline next July. Victorino and Napoli's salaries will be off the books after the 2015 season. Craig's contract allows some smaller market teams to consider trading for him. We could get our LH of bat in such a trade. Maybe Victorino can be dealt next spring if he's healthy. Even if we keep him, that's a heckuva 4th of. Platoon with JBJ against every lefty and he can give Cespedes and Craig time off. And,also be a late-inning defensive replacement/pinch-hitter/pinch-runner.
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Post by bluechip on Aug 3, 2014 9:48:18 GMT -5
I think they see Craig's bat in the lineup. he is here for a while and they gave up a valuable asset to get him. Accordingly, Craig is in left.
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danr
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Post by danr on Aug 3, 2014 10:01:30 GMT -5
Eric's analysis is very persuasive. I wonder why the Sox haven't tried Betts at 3B? It is the only position really open right now, and the existing contenders are not as promising.
I am sure the Sox are hoping that Middlebrooks will make it because of his power. If he had better pitch recognition he probably would hit 30 HRs, but that probably is not going to happen. Cecchini not only doesn't have much power - Betts has more - he isn't even hitting very well.
It makes perfect sense, so to repeat what Eric wrote: What are they waiting for?
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Post by chavopepe2 on Aug 3, 2014 10:14:42 GMT -5
Is there any precedent for a good team having 7 of their 9 spots in the lineup filled with right handed hitters? Especially when one of the two lefties is a defense-first hitter that should be hitting in the 9-hole. None of them would be candidates to be the short side of a platoon. All of them perform better against left handed pitching.
This team needs AT LEAST one more lefty (or switch hitter) at 3rd or a corner outfield spot. If they are sticking with Craig and Cespedes as the corners next year than I think they sign either Headley or Sandoval for 3rd (or someone I'm not thinking of).
I think there is a decent chance that either Craig or Cespedes is moved in a bigger deal this offseason. And as much as I love Mookie, it makes a ton of sense to move him this offseason if a premium bat becomes available.
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Post by Guidas on Aug 3, 2014 11:03:28 GMT -5
I think this team is going to make a big splash in the offseason. I don't think they are going to want to go into next year with so many righties in the everyday lineup. ... RHH Starters career wRC+ (righties vs. lefties): Craig: 118 vs. 136 Cespedes: 111 vs. 132 Napoli: 124 vs. 143 Pedroia: 112 vs. 130 Bogaerts: 73 vs. 119 Vazquez: (minor league career .752 OPS vs RHP; .824 OPS vs LHP) The team is absolutely stacked against LHP, but I think they're susceptible to RHP and other teams will be able to take advantage of this. There's another big reason to get an extra LHB for the middle of the order. The current projected lineup is essentially inviting abuse by opposing bullpens. Many 6th/7th inning RHR types are limited to that role because they have trouble versus LHB, and thus need to be matched up against opposing lineups rather than simply given the 8th. And with Ortiz as the only dangerous LHB in the lineup, you're pretty much guaranteeing that he sees almost exclusively LHR. If they had Carlos Gonzalez or Jason Heyward to bat 6th, that would go a long way to fixing this.I think having either of those guys - though I strongly prefer Heyward - would fix a LOT of things.
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Post by godot on Aug 3, 2014 11:18:16 GMT -5
Xander may not have that quick first step but does have long strides. However,he seems to trip over his own feet and dos not seem to be that coordinated. Just a superficial observation by an amateur, but he is not a gazelle. He may not all that much at both short and third, perhaps a little better at short. He was "growing into" short before the switch. If Marreno can hit, he should be at short. Eric's reasons for Betts at third is intriguing, but he also said the league would catch up up to Abreu for he discovered a weakness through stats. I guess he did not share the info with the rest of the league. They did not get or read him memo.
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Post by mantush on Aug 3, 2014 11:22:55 GMT -5
Would Jay Bruce represent a good buy-low candidate if we get both him and Latos in a deal?
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Post by tonyj1973 on Aug 3, 2014 11:33:02 GMT -5
I really miss the 2004 & 2007 talent, pitching, Offense & defense ( Real Balance ). We had real clutchers ( Manny, Trot, Nomar, Papi, Millar, Mueller, Lowell ). So starting with that our current ball club has to prove Aa lot due to the adittion of Cespedes & Craig not necessarily means we are going to be No 1 offense in AL in 2015. Red Sox need a lot more higher Napoli production and detrmine IF AND VERY IF WMB, JBJ & XB CAN BE PRODUCTIVE AGAINST MLB PITCHING ( I DOUBT IT ). Need a left handed power bat and resurgence of Pedroia. What I mean is that Ben must be creative in additions to line up ( DO NOT RULE OUT ANYTHING ) if you want to defeat your league and then A's & DET
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Post by oleary25 on Aug 3, 2014 11:41:27 GMT -5
I'm curious as to what this offseason holds for the Red Sox. I think it's safe to say nobody saw Cespedes to the Red Sox for Lester and Gomes coming plus comp pick to us. The Red Sox have a great problem to have in too many upper level prospects. Also the pitching free agent market is flush with talent. They seem to be going for it next year so their signing someone most likely or trading for an ace. I'm really torn with what to do in the Outfield. JBJ defense is superb and I think he can be an all star type cf. Mookie Betts is just electric in all facets of the game. He does need some time though to work on being an outfielder. Odds are one of those 2 won't be here next season. Holt can be a fantastic super utility player playing 4-5 games a week. I don't see him going anywhere. Victorino is probably gone as well after the season. When healthy he's a great asset. To me it's imperative that the Red Sox extend Cespedes. With Ortiz getting older and going on his last year (I believe)of his deal plus Napoli on the last year of his. They need to retain his power bat. I do love the kids we have coming up pitching esp Ranaudo. He's just got that Bull dog mentality of the guy we just traded John Lackey. Ultimately I'm excited to see what transpires this off season. Btw guy you do a hell of a job running this site Thank You!
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Post by James Dunne on Aug 3, 2014 12:01:31 GMT -5
Is there any precedent for a good team having 7 of their 9 spots in the lineup filled with right handed hitters? Especially when one of the two lefties is a defense-first hitter that should be hitting in the 9-hole. None of them would be candidates to be the short side of a platoon. All of them perform better against left handed pitching. This team needs AT LEAST one more lefty (or switch hitter) at 3rd or a corner outfield spot. If they are sticking with Craig and Cespedes as the corners next year than I think they sign either Headley or Sandoval for 3rd (or someone I'm not thinking of). I think there is a decent chance that either Craig or Cespedes is moved in a bigger deal this offseason. And as much as I love Mookie, it makes a ton of sense to move him this offseason if a premium bat becomes available. I'm sure there are more examples out there, but the 2011-12 Rangers would frequently start eight lefties in their lineup (Torrealba, Napoli, Kinsler, Andrus, Beltre, Cruz, Gentry, Young), with Josh Hamilton at the center. Lefties David Murphy, Mitch Moreland and Endy Chavez got a lot of playing time as well though.
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Post by chavopepe2 on Aug 3, 2014 12:21:50 GMT -5
Is there any precedent for a good team having 7 of their 9 spots in the lineup filled with right handed hitters? Especially when one of the two lefties is a defense-first hitter that should be hitting in the 9-hole. None of them would be candidates to be the short side of a platoon. All of them perform better against left handed pitching. This team needs AT LEAST one more lefty (or switch hitter) at 3rd or a corner outfield spot. If they are sticking with Craig and Cespedes as the corners next year than I think they sign either Headley or Sandoval for 3rd (or someone I'm not thinking of). I think there is a decent chance that either Craig or Cespedes is moved in a bigger deal this offseason. And as much as I love Mookie, it makes a ton of sense to move him this offseason if a premium bat becomes available. I'm sure there are more examples out there, but the 2011-12 Rangers would frequently start eight lefties in their lineup (Torrealba, Napoli, Kinsler, Andrus, Beltre, Cruz, Gentry, Young), with Josh Hamilton at the center. Lefties David Murphy, Mitch Moreland and Endy Chavez got a lot of playing time as well though. Nice. It may be more common than I thought. I haven't done any research on it, but it at least seems less than optimal.
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danr
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Post by danr on Aug 3, 2014 13:24:18 GMT -5
I see a couple possibilities for correcting the RH imbalance going forward. Travis Shaw might be the replacement for Napoli and Swihart may become the starting catcher.
Assuming that The DH position continues to be filled by a LH hitter, and there is a LH hitter in CF, the issue really sort of disappears - so long as the LH hitters hit.
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Post by mattpicard on Aug 3, 2014 13:44:49 GMT -5
I'm sure there are more examples out there, but the 2011-12 Rangers would frequently start eight lefties in their lineup (Torrealba, Napoli, Kinsler, Andrus, Beltre, Cruz, Gentry, Young), with Josh Hamilton at the center. Lefties David Murphy, Mitch Moreland and Endy Chavez got a lot of playing time as well though. Nice. It may be more common than I thought. I haven't done any research on it, but it at least seems less than optimal. Not necessarily "good teams," but the Brewers have made a habit the last few seasons of being extremely right-handed. Braun, Hart, Weeks, Lucroy, Gomez, Reynolds, Ramirez, Segura, etc. Overall, they've made out pretty well offensively with them, with a 103 wRC+ against LHP vs. 97 against RHP from 2012-14. I agree that between SS/3B, you need a LHH at one of them. Nava's presence could prove vital, particularly if Craig is unable to reemerge as a plus hitter against righties. Also, and this won't be too popular, but if JBJ continues to be a shockingly unproductive hitter vs. RHP as a LHH, a Craig/Cespedes/Nava OF sprinkled in here and there could bolster the lineup. Holt (L) [Agree with looking to add a Headley or Sandoval type here, but you have to be pretty sure that XB is a SS, and I'm not] Pedroia (R) Ortiz (L) Cespedes (R) Napoli (R) Nava (S, but basically L) Bogaerts (R) Bradley (L) Vazquez (R) One thing's for sure -- Betts absolutely cannot fit into a workable outfield alignment unless there's a trade (two, really, if you include SHANF). I maintain that it'll be a big mistake to not take advantage of these last few weeks to get him some action on the left side of the infield in AAA.
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Post by amfox1 on Aug 3, 2014 13:47:40 GMT -5
Would Jay Bruce represent a good buy-low candidate if we get both him and Latos in a deal? So, let's assume we are in buy-low mode for Jay Bruce, who is owed $25.5mm over the next two years. Are you then going to trade one of Cespedes or Craig? Bruce is a RFer. He hasn't played CF since his rookie year.
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