danr
Veteran
Posts: 1,871
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Post by danr on Aug 24, 2014 19:12:50 GMT -5
Stop it, they are doing the right thing by having him bat in his present position. Do you forgot your misplaced enthusiasm for Jr. and Xander? He actually should be finishing up AAA if the Sox were not so desperate. Egad Sparky. You probably are right, although I was not among those greatly enthusiastic about JBJ except for his throwing arm. I do think there is something special about Betts. I don't think he can get screwed up the way JBJ has been.
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Post by godot on Aug 24, 2014 19:41:32 GMT -5
Agree about Betts. Don't want to jink him though. Still, let him get comfortable at the end of the order. Regarding Bradley, keep reading insinuations that he did not take well to coaching, whatever that means (sometimes you can get too much advise from so many.). If so,was he banished?
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Post by suttree on Aug 24, 2014 19:53:42 GMT -5
Betts is settling in nicely, seems to take about 10 games at each level.
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Post by ethanbein on Aug 24, 2014 19:56:27 GMT -5
Mookie's now up to 9.7% BBs and down to 12.5% Ks. Just waiting for a little more power to show and his BABIP to be back up and he'll be the great player we're all expecting. He's probably gone this offseason because he has no spot, but I'll be sad to see him go. He's so much fun to watch out there.
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Post by soxcentral on Aug 24, 2014 20:16:05 GMT -5
Mookie is not necessarily gone this offseason just because he doesn't have a place to play. The fact that he's 21 and is a good enough athlete to be moved to several positions is to me more of a sign he will eventually fit somewhere. I doubt a team as dreadful as this one won't have at least one glaring hole in the field (RF, SS, 3B) that Mookie won't be able to fill.
He is a valuable trade chip though, just saying he doesn't have to be the guy to go just because its not obvious where he'll play next year.
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Post by zimmerdown on Aug 24, 2014 20:46:02 GMT -5
I'd love for Mookie to be their super-sup until he's ready to step in for Pedroia
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Post by ethanbein on Aug 24, 2014 20:58:52 GMT -5
I think it will be telling what happens in a few weeks if/when Castillo comes up to the majors and starts taking most of the playing time in CF. Do they just give Mookie playing time between the three outfield spots and 2B, where he's played before? Or do they try him at SS and/or 3B? If it's the latter, I'll feel a lot better about his chances of remaining in the organization come next year.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 24, 2014 20:59:31 GMT -5
Mookie is not necessarily gone this offseason just because he doesn't have a place to play. The fact that he's 21 and is a good enough athlete to be moved to several positions is to me more of a sign he will eventually fit somewhere. I doubt a team as dreadful as this one won't have at least one glaring hole in the field (RF, SS, 3B) that Mookie won't be able to fill. He is a valuable trade chip though, just saying he doesn't have to be the guy to go just because its not obvious where he'll play next year. I'm a big Mookie fan, but I don't see where he plays. He's a 5th OF next season unless Victorino and Craig get hurt, which there is a legit shot of. The Red Sox have showed no inclination to try him on the left side of the infield yet, so I have to assume they don't see him as a SS or a 3b. The Sox certainly have had issues in both places, too, but they moved him to the OF. I hope you're right about the Sox not necessarily dealing him. They really don't have a guy like Betts that fits his profile. He has enough plate discipline, speed, and hit tool to be a very effective leadoff hitter, which is something the Sox really need. They do miss what Ellsbury gave them. I don't feel he's a very easily replaceable or expendable talent.
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Post by zil on Aug 24, 2014 21:33:18 GMT -5
Cherington's comments about needing two CF capable outfielders in Fenway leads me to believe that maybe they see Mookie in right. Does anyone feel comfortable with either of Craig or Cespedes in right field? Because I sure don't. And Victorino's only got one year left and is no guarantee to stay healthy and perform.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 24, 2014 21:43:10 GMT -5
Cherington's comments about needing two CF capable outfielders in Fenway leads me to believe that maybe they see Mookie in right. Does anyone feel comfortable with either of Craig or Cespedes in right field? Because I sure don't. And Victorino's only got one year left and is no guarantee to stay healthy and perform. It certainly makes sense, but if Craig is healthy (big if of course) and they have Cespedes next year and we know Castillo will be in CF, then Betts won't be in RF. I can't imagine they dealt Lackey for a lesser pitcher in Kelly and for Craig to be a bench player. And this scenario doesn't even include Victorino in the equation.
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Post by johnsilver52 on Aug 24, 2014 21:47:35 GMT -5
Crisp was getting 400PA as a 4th OF. The team can move 2 of Nava/Craig/Victorino, pick up nearly all of the salary of victorino if need be if it's him and that's the way they go. No reason to move him for a veteran pitcher.
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Post by mattpicard on Aug 25, 2014 0:57:42 GMT -5
Mookie is not necessarily gone this offseason just because he doesn't have a place to play. The fact that he's 21 and is a good enough athlete to be moved to several positions is to me more of a sign he will eventually fit somewhere. I doubt a team as dreadful as this one won't have at least one glaring hole in the field (RF, SS, 3B) that Mookie won't be able to fill. He is a valuable trade chip though, just saying he doesn't have to be the guy to go just because its not obvious where he'll play next year. I'm a big Mookie fan, but I don't see where he plays. He's a 5th OF next season unless Victorino and Craig get hurt, which there is a legit shot of. The Red Sox have showed no inclination to try him on the left side of the infield yet, so I have to assume they don't see him as a SS or a 3b. The Sox certainly have had issues in both places, too, but they moved him to the OF. I hope you're right about the Sox not necessarily dealing him. They really don't have a guy like Betts that fits his profile. He has enough plate discipline, speed, and hit tool to be a very effective leadoff hitter, which is something the Sox really need. They do miss what Ellsbury gave them. I don't feel he's a very easily replaceable or expendable talent. Yet I really wish that they'd, at the very least, give him a look there this season. I'll keep this short because I feel like I've beaten this point into the ground, but Betts' reportedly had the makings of a plus-plus defensive second baseman whose concerns about his playability on the left side stemmed primarily from throwing concerns. Seeing him throw from the outfield has shown me that his arm is adequate, at worst, at any position. Not saying Betts definitely would offer a great glove at short or third, but I don't see why we can't try it. The outfield is pretty crowded, and in September we're going to have Castillo and JBJ needing playing time as well. Having Betts start doing some drills and pregame practice on the left side of the infield, and getting him 15 or so games in September would be greatly beneficial towards projecting how we can optimize the 2015 roster. And playing time allocation-wise, it'd only help smooth things out this season -- WMB is not part of an "optimal" roster and shouldn't be a guy blocking an important experiment. I'm sorry, but Mookie is just not a guy I'm OK trading away because of a logjam of players.
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Post by zil on Aug 25, 2014 1:04:03 GMT -5
I think there's at least a chance Napoli gets flipped and Craig goes to first base.
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Post by mgoetze on Aug 25, 2014 7:13:06 GMT -5
I think there's at least a chance Napoli gets flipped and Craig goes to first base. Why? Do you think that it will improve the team, or do you just think Cherington is stupid?
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Post by zil on Aug 25, 2014 7:30:09 GMT -5
Why? Do you think that it will improve the team, or do you just think Cherington is stupid? I'm just trying to parse out the possible logic behind the Lackey deal, which I still find somewhat baffling. Craig doesn't really fit anywhere right now. He certainly doesn't mesh with Cherington's stated goal of having a center field capable outfielder to cover Fenway's enormous right field. And the dearth of hitters on the free agent market might allow the Red Sox to capitalize on Napoli's value. I have no idea what they'd be looking to acquire for him though.
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Post by mgoetze on Aug 25, 2014 8:00:25 GMT -5
Brock Holt has surpassed Mike Napoli - he now has the 4th most plate appearances for the Red Sox this season. Raise your hand if you saw that one coming before the season. (He's also 4th in WAR, though Napoli is ahead of him there.)
JBJ has, according to Fangraphs, been not just above replacement level but also above average this season:
Offense -15.8 RAA Defense +16.8 RAA Baserunning +1.3 RAA
Vazquez, after a hot start, has been pretty feeble with the bat, now averaging 49 wRC+. Nevertheless, Fangraphs pegs him at +0.2 WAR - and that's without even considering pitch framing.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 25, 2014 12:52:01 GMT -5
I think there's at least a chance Napoli gets flipped and Craig goes to first base. I've seen that thought process elsewhere, but I don't really get it. Offensively, Napoli is better than Craig. Defensively, Napoli is better than Craig. Napoli's contract is very flexible for the Sox. They can seek out a new 1b in 2016 instead of having one on the decline. I really never understood the Sox getting Craig other than Cherington throwing up possibilities against the wall to try to see what stuck. Hard to believe that's the best they could do for John Lackey.
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Post by Guidas on Aug 25, 2014 15:27:36 GMT -5
I actually think they like Napoli as Papi's replacement when the big guy finally retires in 2025.
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