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Catcher in 2019 (4/16: Swihart DFA'd)
ericmvan
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Post by ericmvan on Dec 16, 2018 0:12:58 GMT -5
He was injured this year. I'm ok with him. He hit pretty well in the playoffs. Had some really hard outs, too. He may hit any empty .250, but I'm more than fine with his offense. I want the more defense from our catcher. I'm ok if they trade Leon and let Blake and CVaz split time, though. My biggest issue with trading Swihart is that it’s sell-low. Before his injury, he hit reasonably well. In just under 400 PA, he was worth 1.8 fWAR and he OPSed just over .710 in 103 games. He was unfairly demoted because, you know, John Farrell. His defense needed work, but he’s always had a strong arm and good pop times. His framing and calling has clearly gotten better. Given his use this year and erratic playing time, I’m inclined to put down the overall 64 wRC+ as a product largely of that, particularly since his performance improved quite a bit after Vazquez went down. He had 6 2b and 3 hr while hitting .250 in the second half, vs just 4 2b while hitting .207 in the first half. I think all the time off probably hurt him to start the year, too. Extrapolate his second half numbers over 400-450 PA (and I think that’s absolutely reasonable given that they were quite similar to his early-career numbers), and you’re looking at .250 with 25 or so 2b and 10-15 HR. And given that he’s still had just 600 MLB PA, he’s probably got a bit more coming. He hits a good number of LD (24% career, though that’s prob not stabilized yet, the eyeball test supports it), so his high career BABIP of .342 is probably less fluke and more just his batted ball style (the good speed obviously helps). He hits to all fields with a 40/30/30 breakdown. What all of that says to me is that he’s probably a true-talent .260-.275/.330/.400 hitter, which is quite good for a catcher. I can easily see him OPSing .800 at peak. He has a plus arm, plus pop times, throws runners out at 35-40%, and is a good base runner despite being a catcher. He’s also an above-average framer. He probably needs a lot of work calling games, and he has intermittently had problems blocking the ball. But I also think all the tools to be an above-average *defensive* catcher are there. And if it all comes together (and I really don’t think he’s all that far away, plus he’s still young for a C), you’re talking an above-average overall C who’s a 2.5-3 WAR player, possibly more. Again, pre-injury he was worth 1.8 fWAR/400 PA, or 2 fWAR per 450 PA/110-115 games...as a called-up-early-due-to-need 23 y/o. I just don’t see any way it makes sense to trade an asset like that at his near-lowest value, especially not for a team trying to limit future expenditures to extend their own players. All true, but if there are two teams that think like you do, in theory you can get them to bid his price up to what he's worth. That's probably the second likeliest outcome, after dealing Leon to a club that wants a pennant-caliber backup who's a defensive whiz and a guy who can teach a younger regular how to call pitches.
I've said all along that I'm all for a Swihart trade, but only if the general reaction, is "hey, they got that for Swihart ... someone thinks he's as good as we do!"
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Post by umassgrad2005 on Dec 16, 2018 0:29:28 GMT -5
I just think surprised they got that much and getting what I think his value is are two completely different things.
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ericmvan
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Post by ericmvan on Dec 16, 2018 1:43:03 GMT -5
Here's the list with details on the needs, adding the Rays and longshots Reds and Padres, who were not listed but are still said to be in on Realmuto. Numbers in parentheses are my best estimate of WAR per 400 for 2018.
Mets - starter, Realmuto frontrunner. He's just 3.2, thanks to bad pitch-calling.
Dodgers -- starter, primary competition for Realmuto. White Sox - starter (linked to Grandal, 3.9). All they have is Welington Castillo (-0.2).
Angels - starter (linked to Ramos, 2.6). Non-prospect Jose Briceno had an improbable 1.7 (in 128 PA); it's unlikely that they'd trust him with the starting job. Athletics -starter (have Chris Herrmann as backup).
After the three big names go, there's a Red Sox catcher and Martin Maldanado, who was 1.1 (not 1.5 as I reported before).
Reds -- to upgrade Tucker Barnhart (-0.1) via Realmuto. They should be looking for a starter; I don't think the MLB.com writer realized how much of a defensive butcher Barnhart is. If they are, then it's even more of a sellers' market.
Brewers - looking to upgrade Manny Pina (1.7) / Eric Kratz (2.5) with Realmuto. They'd deal one of these guys if they did so, so it wouldn't change the market.
Rays -- to upgrade Zunino (2.3) with Realmuto. They'd deal Zunino.
Padres -- to upgrade Austin Hedges (3.1) with Realmuto. They'd deal Hedges. Makes no sense, but they're the Padres.
Cardinals -- backup to Yadi (vacant) Cubs -- backup to Contreras (upgrade to Victor Caratini, -0.3) Giants -- backup to Posey (upgrade to Aramis Garcia, 2.3 but questions as to whether he can catch) Rockies -- backup to Iannetta (upgrade to Tony Wolters, 1.8. I think the MLB.com writer doesn't know how good a defender he is.)
Tigers - "3rd string." They have no one of starting caliber, but don't look to contend.
Market analysis:
You figure that the Mets and Dodgers will end up with two of the three prizes.
It looks to me like the A's, the Angels or White Sox, and the Reds would have very serious interest in Swihart.
If none of them pony up, all three plus the Cardinals and Cubs would be five clubs wanting either Leon or Maldonado. The market is so thin that you could see some good backup catchers like Kratz and Wolters traded into starting roles.
If no one knocks us out for Swihart, it seems as if Leon would be a perfect fit for both the Cubs and Cardinals, who value his skill set. If only they were divisional rivals or something ... And the other three teams left out of the big three sweepstakes could do worse than grab him as a starter.
Looks like we picked the right day to give up having just enough catchers.
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ericmvan
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Post by ericmvan on Dec 16, 2018 1:44:36 GMT -5
I just think surprised they got that much and getting what I think his value is are two completely different things. I didn't use the word "surprised." I defined my reaction in terms of the latter.
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Post by umassgrad2005 on Dec 16, 2018 2:00:19 GMT -5
I just think surprised they got that much and getting what I think his value is are two completely different things. I didn't use the word "surprised." I defined my reaction in terms of the latter. There is a zero percent chance of that happening. You can get the wow they got that for him, your not getting true value on a 2-3 war catcher with four years service time. That is a massive package. Hence what I said.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Dec 16, 2018 2:18:58 GMT -5
Here's the list with details on the needs, adding the Rays and longshots Reds and Padres, who were not listed but are still said to be in on Realmuto. Numbers in parentheses are my best estimate of WAR per 400 for 2018.
Mets - starter, Realmuto frontrunner. He's just 3.2, thanks to bad pitch-calling.
Dodgers -- starter, primary competition for Realmuto. White Sox - starter (linked to Grandal, 3.9). All they have is Welington Castillo (-0.2).
Angels - starter (linked to Ramos, 2.6). Non-prospect Jose Briceno had an improbable 1.7 (in 128 PA); it's unlikely that they'd trust him with the starting job. Athletics -starter (have Chris Herrmann as backup). After the three big names go, there's a Red Sox catcher and Martin Maldanado, who was 1.1 (not 1.5 as I reported before).
Reds -- to upgrade Tucker Barnhart (-0.1) via Realmuto. They should be looking for a starter; I don't think the MLB.com writer realized how much of a defensive butcher Barnhart is. If they are, then it's even more of a sellers' market. Brewers - looking to upgrade Manny Pina (1.7) / Eric Kratz (2.5) with Realmuto. They'd deal one of these guys if they did so, so it wouldn't change the market.
Rays -- to upgrade Zunino (2.3) with Realmuto. They'd deal Zunino.
Padres -- to upgrade Austin Hedges (3.1) with Realmuto. They'd deal Hedges. Makes no sense, but they're the Padres.
Cardinals -- backup to Yadi (vacant) Cubs -- backup to Contreras (upgrade to Victor Caratini, -0.3) Giants -- backup to Posey (upgrade to Aramis Garcia, 2.3 but questions as to whether he can catch) Rockies -- backup to Iannetta (upgrade to Tony Wolters, 1.8. I think the MLB.com writer doesn't know how good a defender he is.) Tigers - "3rd string." They have no one of starting caliber, but don't look to contend. Market analysis:
You figure that the Mets and Dodgers will end up with two of the three prizes.
It looks to me like the A's, the Angels or White Sox, and the Reds would have very serious interest in Swihart. If none of them pony up, all three plus the Cardinals and Cubs would be five clubs wanting either Leon or Maldonado. The market is so thin that you could see some good backup catchers like Kratz and Wolters traded into starting roles.
If no one knocks us out for Swihart, it seems as if Leon would be a perfect fit for both the Cubs and Cardinals, who value his skill set. If only they were divisional rivals or something ... And the other three teams left out of the big three sweepstakes could do worse than grab him as a starter.
Looks like we picked the right day to give up having just enough catchers.
Based on what Theo said at the Winter Meetings that they recognized the loss of Ross' pitching leadership and the need to replace that, I would put Leon over Swihart (or Moldonaro) in their search.
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ericmvan
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Post by ericmvan on Dec 16, 2018 3:27:30 GMT -5
Here's the list with details on the needs, adding the Rays and longshots Reds and Padres, who were not listed but are still said to be in on Realmuto. Numbers in parentheses are my best estimate of WAR per 400 for 2018.
Mets - starter, Realmuto frontrunner. He's just 3.2, thanks to bad pitch-calling.
Dodgers -- starter, primary competition for Realmuto. White Sox - starter (linked to Grandal, 3.9). All they have is Welington Castillo (-0.2).
Angels - starter (linked to Ramos, 2.6). Non-prospect Jose Briceno had an improbable 1.7 (in 128 PA); it's unlikely that they'd trust him with the starting job. Athletics -starter (have Chris Herrmann as backup). After the three big names go, there's a Red Sox catcher and Martin Maldanado, who was 1.1 (not 1.5 as I reported before).
Reds -- to upgrade Tucker Barnhart (-0.1) via Realmuto. They should be looking for a starter; I don't think the MLB.com writer realized how much of a defensive butcher Barnhart is. If they are, then it's even more of a sellers' market. Brewers - looking to upgrade Manny Pina (1.7) / Eric Kratz (2.5) with Realmuto. They'd deal one of these guys if they did so, so it wouldn't change the market.
Rays -- to upgrade Zunino (2.3) with Realmuto. They'd deal Zunino.
Padres -- to upgrade Austin Hedges (3.1) with Realmuto. They'd deal Hedges. Makes no sense, but they're the Padres.
Cardinals -- backup to Yadi (vacant) Cubs -- backup to Contreras (upgrade to Victor Caratini, -0.3) Giants -- backup to Posey (upgrade to Aramis Garcia, 2.3 but questions as to whether he can catch) Rockies -- backup to Iannetta (upgrade to Tony Wolters, 1.8. I think the MLB.com writer doesn't know how good a defender he is.) Tigers - "3rd string." They have no one of starting caliber, but don't look to contend. Market analysis:
You figure that the Mets and Dodgers will end up with two of the three prizes.
It looks to me like the A's, the Angels or White Sox, and the Reds would have very serious interest in Swihart. If none of them pony up, all three plus the Cardinals and Cubs would be five clubs wanting either Leon or Maldonado. The market is so thin that you could see some good backup catchers like Kratz and Wolters traded into starting roles.
If no one knocks us out for Swihart, it seems as if Leon would be a perfect fit for both the Cubs and Cardinals, who value his skill set. If only they were divisional rivals or something ... And the other three teams left out of the big three sweepstakes could do worse than grab him as a starter.
Looks like we picked the right day to give up having just enough catchers.
Based on what Theo said at the Winter Meetings that they recognized the loss of Ross' pitching leadership and the need to replace that, I would put Leon over Swihart (or Moldonaro) in their search. I don't have them interested in Swihart at all, which I apparently didn't make clear. The three teams that don't have a starter and couldn't land one would be interested in Swihart and Leon; the Cubs and Cardinals would be interested in just Sandy. The four remaining clubs would be interested in Maldanado and three of them have to settle for guys like Wieters (0.4), Mesoraco (-0.2), or take a shot on a Lucroy (-1.1) comeback, or overpay for a good team's quality backup.
I agree with you: if I had to bet money on what happens, it's Leon to the Cubs for a surprisingly actual prospect.
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ericmvan
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Post by ericmvan on Dec 16, 2018 3:35:30 GMT -5
I didn't use the word "surprised." I defined my reaction in terms of the latter. There is a zero percent chance of that happening. You can get the wow they got that for him, your not getting true value on a 2-3 war catcher with four years service time. That is a massive package. Hence what I said. I didn't even say it was possible. I was defining the conditions I would trade him under.
What folks are forgetting is that when he was the #17 prospect in MLB he was viewed as Buster Posey light, and a guy whose ceiling was borderline All-Star. That really hasn't changed in terms of perceived tools. telson's 2-3 WAR projection is just extrapolating from what he's actually accomplished; it's much closer to what teams could reasonably expect, rather than what they hope for.
I do think it's possible given that he projects to be much better than the fourth best option out there, and there are six teams who need a starting catcher. I think it'll be rendered moot because it makes more sense to trade Leon.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Dec 16, 2018 7:59:21 GMT -5
Based on what Theo said at the Winter Meetings that they recognized the loss of Ross' pitching leadership and the need to replace that, I would put Leon over Swihart (or Moldonaro) in their search. I don't have them interested in Swihart at all, which I apparently didn't make clear. The three teams that don't have a starter and couldn't land one would be interested in Swihart and Leon; the Cubs and Cardinals would be interested in just Sandy. The four remaining clubs would be interested in Maldanado and three of them have to settle for guys like Wieters (0.4), Mesoraco (-0.2), or take a shot on a Lucroy (-1.1) comeback, or overpay for a good team's quality backup. I agree with you: if I had to bet money on what happens, it's Leon to the Cubs for a surprisingly actual prospect. Actually, I worded it badly, I meant Leon to the Cubs will probably trump (no pun intended ) Swihart anyplace else.
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Post by costpet on Dec 16, 2018 8:02:54 GMT -5
A good catcher will make the pitching staff better than they are by calling for the right pitches in the right spot at the right time. They're not back there just to catch the ball. They call the game. They can control the game. I don't care if they can hit or not. With the Sox lineup, they can afford a hole. Pitching wins championships and a good catcher will contribute to that. Therefore, I want them to keep Leon. The other two can be traded. I don't care which.
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Post by ryan24 on Dec 16, 2018 9:41:36 GMT -5
You have all listed pro's and con's for each one of the 3 catchers. I personally like swihart and leon as the backup. You have 3 people for 2 spots. One of the goals is to do the best possible for the team for 2019? Swihart would go? Or long term? Swihart probably stays? Does salary have anything to do with who you let go? Swihart stays because he is the cheapest? Second goal if making a trade to let one of the catchers go seems to be what you would get back. You are looking for a WOW return? Sounds like swihart would get the best return. But what would the sox get? A top 100 pitching prospect? What can you expect to get for CV? Sounds like the cubs would give you something for Leon. But what? Class A prospect? Would any of them give you a major league ready controllable asset? If you keep 11 pitchers and run the train back and fourth to pawsox you could keep 3 catchers? Not saying I want to.Looking for a reasonable expectation of what the sox would get back to help the organization from trading any of them.
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Post by GyIantosca on Dec 16, 2018 10:41:01 GMT -5
I thought about it and I think you keep Vasquez because he has a team friendly deal and closest to complete catcher they have. I think you also keep Swihart this will be his second spring training the more I saw him the more I liked. It’s simple put him with one guy and go from there. He is the best offensive catcher. He improved a lot defensively. I saw him nailing runners. They have a lot of control with him.
The one that goes is Leon and it’s not easy but this is his last arbitration year. No offense. Great pitch framing. Plus there will be a change over with the staff. So you can work in Swihart.
Plus I always favored Swihart. I believe the Sox will offset the change in the coming years you look at catcher and 3b extra offense potential there. I think Devers that was nothing what we saw.
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Post by umassgrad2005 on Dec 16, 2018 16:13:30 GMT -5
There is a zero percent chance of that happening. You can get the wow they got that for him, your not getting true value on a 2-3 war catcher with four years service time. That is a massive package. Hence what I said. I didn't even say it was possible. I was defining the conditions I would trade him under.
What folks are forgetting is that when he was the #17 prospect in MLB he was viewed as Buster Posey light, and a guy whose ceiling was borderline All-Star. That really hasn't changed in terms of perceived tools. telson's 2-3 WAR projection is just extrapolating from what he's actually accomplished; it's much closer to what teams could reasonably expect, rather than what they hope for.
I do think it's possible given that he projects to be much better than the fourth best option out there, and there are six teams who need a starting catcher. I think it'll be rendered moot because it makes more sense to trade Leon.
You said it was the second likeliest outcome. It won't happen, you'll either sell low or you keep him. No team is trading a Paxton offer times two or a Goldy package times two for Swihart. Which is my whole point! The conditions you'd trade him under will never be met. I don't care if four teams want him, it will never reach that level till he produces a 2-3 war season playing big minutes.
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Dec 16, 2018 16:25:32 GMT -5
What folks are forgetting is that when he was the #17 prospect in MLB he was viewed as Buster Posey light, and a guy whose ceiling was borderline All-Star. That really hasn't changed in terms of perceived tools. telson's 2-3 WAR projection is just extrapolating from what he's actually accomplished; it's much closer to what teams could reasonably expect, rather than what they hope for. [/div][/quote] For the record, he was a top-20 prospect entering the 2015 season. A lot can change in that time. For example, the #21 prospect that year, on BA's list at least, was Rusney freaking Castillo. I presume you agree that his perception has changed right? There is no chance his perception across the game hasn't changed. If that were true, the Red Sox were then insane to stash him like a Rule 5 pick all last season when they should've gone out and gotten the great trade package he undoubtedly would've returned (or, y'know, played him, which is a line of thinking I actually agree with up to the suggestion that his perception hasn't changed in four years).
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Post by telson13 on Dec 16, 2018 21:19:03 GMT -5
A good catcher will make the pitching staff better than they are by calling for the right pitches in the right spot at the right time. They're not back there just to catch the ball. They call the game. They can control the game. I don't care if they can hit or not. With the Sox lineup, they can afford a hole. Pitching wins championships and a good catcher will contribute to that. Therefore, I want them to keep Leon. The other two can be traded. I don't care which. I tend to agree with your line of thinking here to a degree, hence my preference that they trade Vazquez. I prefer Swihart to Vazquez overall (both for their remaining control years and what I think their careers will ultimately look like). To me, Swihart looked significantly improved defensively this year, too. He has significant offensive upside, too, and while they don’t “need” that, if he’s playing solid-avg or better defense and can further improve his game-calling, that’s an incredibly valuable asset. I think the Leon-Swihart combo is ideal, because they’re highly complementary in their skill sets. León could serve as an ideal game-calling mentor, and provide rest and a pitching advantage on days when the Sox have fewer offensive holes beyond him in the lineup. Vazquez doesn’t have a complementary skillset to either, and he’s also got the most expensive contract (though still probably very reasonable for his projected performance).
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ericmvan
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Post by ericmvan on Dec 17, 2018 3:56:02 GMT -5
Market update:
First the Braves were the Realmuto leaders, then they dropped out. That left the Mets as the leaders, and they signed Ramos. It certainly seems as if the Marlins are asking too much.
Given that, it's hard to see the Dodgers paying their asking price when Austin Barnes is really good (2.3 WAR/400 last year). They would need to add a backup, though, so you can add them to the Leon list.
The Reds have never made sense to me as a target, given that they seem at least a year from contending. Nor do any of the rumored teams that already have a solid catcher -- Brewers, Rays, Padres -- make sense if the asking price is currently high.
That might well leave the Marlins with just two suitors, the A's and the Angels, neither of whom have been linked to him yet. The Marlins will have to bite the bullet if they want to avoid getting even less value for him later.
Meanwhile, the Indians' mini-rebuild leaves that division wide open and makes the rumored Grandal to the White Sox still likely.
The way I therefore read it, you have the Dodgers, Angels / A's Realmuto loser, Cardinals, and Cubs all hot on Leon, with the losers competing for Maldonado. Or vice versa. There may be other teams looking for a quality backup, but that's already a good situation.
With just one team in real need for a starting catcher (Realmuto loser), I don't see any chance of a Swihart trade.
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ericmvan
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Post by ericmvan on Dec 17, 2018 4:51:49 GMT -5
I didn't even say it was possible. I was defining the conditions I would trade him under.
What folks are forgetting is that when he was the #17 prospect in MLB he was viewed as Buster Posey light, and a guy whose ceiling was borderline All-Star. That really hasn't changed in terms of perceived tools. telson's 2-3 WAR projection is just extrapolating from what he's actually accomplished; it's much closer to what teams could reasonably expect, rather than what they hope for.
I do think it's possible given that he projects to be much better than the fourth best option out there, and there are six teams who need a starting catcher. I think it'll be rendered moot because it makes more sense to trade Leon.
You said it was the second likeliest outcome. It won't happen, you'll either sell low or you keep him. No team is trading a Paxton offer times two or a Goldy package times two for Swihart. Which is my whole point! The conditions you'd trade him under will never be met. I don't care if four teams want him, it will never reach that level till he produces a 2-3 war season playing big minutes. Paxton's got nearly 7 WAR of projected value, Goldschmidt nearly 5, and Swihart, if he's a 2 WAR player, has 8. But WAR isn't really linear; a 5 WAR season is more valuable than two 2.5 WAR seasons because they're harder to find, and it leaves you with another season to possibly upgrade. So your comparable packages aren't remotely in the ballpark.
In any case, it's moot. It would take two clubs who have both always lusted after Swihart and see the same tools that got him ranked #17. (*) There was never more than a very small chance of that being the case, and right now it doesn't even seem likely that two clubs will be looking for a starting catcher of any sort.
(*) I loved Chris's detailed breakdown of Swihart's tools as perceived then, and how they've been downgraded subsequently. Oh, wait ...
BTW, BP has Swihart at +7 runs defensively overall had he gotten an average starting catcher's number of framing chances. That would have ranked him 9th in MLB, tied with Manny Pina and ahead of Zunino, Maldonado, Molina, and Posey. Leon did rank 2nd (per chance rate) and CV 5th.
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Post by ryan24 on Dec 17, 2018 7:16:45 GMT -5
So, no one has answered the question yet? What should / can we expect to receive for any of these 3 if the sox trade them? Heath type RP? High A prospect? Mike Trout/ LOL nothing of impact?
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Post by costpet on Dec 17, 2018 8:22:22 GMT -5
I think DD might just wait on the Pety situation before dealing a catcher. They might need a good 2b. If Pety's good to go, then logically it would be a RP. Or a good AAA prospect. You never know with DD. Did anyone expect the Rameriz dump last year?
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Dec 17, 2018 9:43:18 GMT -5
I don't think a catcher is going to net you a quality starting second baseman better than the Holt/Lin combo so I doubt if that will be the wait. I do think the way the market is shaping up, one of our catchers, specifically Leon, might be the last remaining decent catching option that fills the needs of the buyers. Teams will want their catchers to report on pitcher/catcher reporting day.I had hopes for a decent power reliever with at least 4 years of control but the way the market is shaping up, we might get more.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Dec 17, 2018 9:53:02 GMT -5
So, no one has answered the question yet? What should / can we expect to receive for any of these 3 if the sox trade them? Heath type RP? High A prospect? Mike Trout/ LOL nothing of impact? I wouldn't anticipate much. Maybe a reliever you can bring back and forth between Boston and Pawtucket. At this stage, Vazquez might have the most value just because he is signed for peanuts and has some established performance. Nobody knows how acceptable Swihart is as a catcher and he really hasn't proven anything much with his bat. He really hasn't had the opportunity. Nobody is going to give much based on potential, especially for a 26 year old. Leon is ticketed for being a backup catcher. He's a great defensive catcher but if his offense continues to deteriorate you're talking a .150 hitting catcher. That's not something you give up a lot for. I think with Leon eventually being arbitration eligible you trade him for whatever you can get and go with Swihart/Vazquez and let them battle it out. I would think you'd start with Vazquez and if his bat goes south Swihart gets an opportunity. It's not ideal because at this stage Swihart needs to play a lot more often. Hopefully in the future Swihart plays 4 - 5 days/week and Vazquez backs him up playing more than a normal backup. That would mean that Swihart has hit and is acceptable defensively. If he flops then you have to go with a defensively stable Vazquez who at this point is more likely a better game caller than Swihart. But again this hinges on how Vazquez hits because if it's acceptable and his defense is solid, then you take the safer bet in Vazquez. I think that's what Cora did during the post-season opting for Vazquez over Leon and Swihart. In a perfect world you keep Leon to back up either Swihart or Vazquez (make a decision who you want to start), but given Leon's eventual arbitration eligible situation and awful offense he should be the one that goes and you still have an undecided battle on your hands with two guys who have capability of being a starter, something Leon at this point can't do.
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Post by jimed14 on Dec 17, 2018 10:32:48 GMT -5
I think the most interesting thing about trading a catcher is what they do with the extra roster spot. I'm not even sure what they need. Maybe a real 4th outfielder?
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Dec 17, 2018 10:50:29 GMT -5
I think the most interesting thing about trading a catcher is what they do with the extra roster spot. I'm not even sure what they need. Maybe a real 4th outfielder? It's more like a reduction to the slots they need: 2 catchers Moreland, Pearce Pedroia Bogaerts Devers Holt Nunez Benintendi JBJ Betts JDM That's 13 with no Lin.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Dec 17, 2018 11:03:33 GMT -5
I think the most interesting thing about trading a catcher is what they do with the extra roster spot. I'm not even sure what they need. Maybe a real 4th outfielder? Wouldn't Pedroia simply replace the 3rd catcher on the roster? He was off the roster for 99% plus of the season. If he's healthy, he's back on, except this time there's no Hanley Ramirez needing to be released. They'll go with 4 backups (Nunez, Holt, Pearce, and catcher). They'll go with 12 pitchers. I would think Brian Johnson remains on the roster the entire year. If Pedroia gets hurt then we probably see Lin.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Dec 17, 2018 11:09:22 GMT -5
I think the most interesting thing about trading a catcher is what they do with the extra roster spot. I'm not even sure what they need. Maybe a real 4th outfielder? Wouldn't Pedroia simply replace the 3rd catcher on the roster? He was off the roster for 99% plus of the season. If he's healthy, he's back on, except this time there's no Hanley Ramirez needing to be released. They'll go with 4 backups (Nunez, Holt, Pearce, and catcher). They'll go with 12 pitchers. I would think Brian Johnson remains on the roster the entire year. If Pedroia gets hurt then we probably see Lin. Johnson has no options. Velazquez has options.
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