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8/4 Gameday Thread: Bobby Bombs Takes on AAA + Mata & Ward
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Post by iakovos11 on Aug 4, 2019 7:56:27 GMT -5
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Post by carmenfanzone on Aug 4, 2019 16:36:00 GMT -5
Duran up to .265 at Portland. While it took him a little while, it looks like he has figured out how to hit at the AA level. While I am content to let him finish the year at Portland and hopefully have some more success there, I am beginning to believe he will be ready for AAA next year. And if successful in AAA next year he would be ready for the majors when Bradley becomes a free agent.
Still not hitting with any power. Does any one else think of Ellsbury when they see Duran? Fairly big yet limited power. Very fast. Not a strong arm. Uses speed in the outfield to cover a lot of group. I would be happy if he turned out that well.
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Post by telson13 on Aug 4, 2019 16:42:59 GMT -5
Ward having some trouble with walks in Salem, but he’s been really solid since the promotion. Here’s hoping he gets to the AFL this year (tho he’s probably more likely next year).
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Post by Addam603 on Aug 4, 2019 17:01:05 GMT -5
Josh Ockimey has 4 HR in his past six games. Gives him 21 on the year with 27 games left. Could see him making a run at 30.
.939 OPS against righties on the year. Wonder if they give him a shot at platooning 1B at some point next year with the major league club.
More time sensitive, protect him from Rule 5? If not, does he get drafted this year?
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cdj
Veteran
Posts: 13,395
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Post by cdj on Aug 4, 2019 17:23:23 GMT -5
I could see him being stashed as the LHB end of a platoon for a team like the marlins or royals. Good to see him getting over his annual slump though
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Post by telson13 on Aug 4, 2019 17:23:59 GMT -5
Duran up to .265 at Portland. While it took him a little while, it looks like he has figured out how to hit at the AA level. While I am content to let him finish the year at Portland and hopefully have some more success there, I am beginning to believe he will be ready for AAA next year. And if successful in AAA next year he would be ready for the majors when Bradley becomes a free agent. Still not hitting with any power. Does any one else think of Ellsbury when they see Duran? Fairly big yet limited power. Very fast. Not a strong arm. Uses speed in the outfield to cover a lot of group. I would be happy if he turned out that well. He’s been a little better of late, hitting some doubles. I think his lack of power is much more swing path/approach than inability to make hard contact. I’m more concerned with the big drop in walk rate and the rising whiff rate. He’s carrying a more-like-himself .360 or so BABIP now, and I genuinely think he’ll be a true-talent .330-.350 guy in MLB, just by nature of his speed, swing, and ability to go oppo. But if he’s not hitting HR, he’s going to need to get on base a lot more and strike out substantially less to be productive. Something like a 10% walk rate and a 15-18% K rate (closer to what he did in Salem). That’s going to be tough. I’m sure a lot of it right now is just the big jump in quality of pitching he’s facing that’s hurting his SLG (and discipline). I’m optimistic that as he adjusts, gets a little more selectively aggressive and maybe hunts pitches he can drive, the power will show up a bit more in games. Prob never going to hit many HR without another swing change, but I do think he can rack up some XBH to the gaps with an all-fields LD approach. I remember other Sox players talking about how strong Ellsbury was, that he was a beast in the weight room, but his approach obviously limited his power. He only put up a .129 isoP in AA, but that’s still a lot higher than Duran’s is. Ells also struck out far less, and walked more in AA. He was a more refined hitter out of college, so it’s understandable, and Duran’s already made some changes that Ells didn’t have to. I’m hoping Duran refines his swing for a little more loft, and learns to be more discerning of pitches he can do something with, beyond just making contact. Just shrinking his zone, laying off chases and even pitches in the zone that he can’t do damage with (both Devers and Bogey have been doing that this year; Bogey avoiding is SL away bugaboo, and Devers has dropped his K rate 30%, so it’s possible). I think an AFL stint would be really good for him. It’s at least encouraging that he’s heating up, and a strong finish in AA (and a strong AFL showing, if he goes) probably means he still starts 2020 in AA but with a low threshold for promotion (similar to Ellsbury). I also think his defense will continue improving as he gains experience. He’s 38-11 on SB this year, too (Ellsbury was 41-17 his first full professional season), and 20-6 in AA, which is a really nice development. So yeah, ideally he’s in AAA by June 2020 and hits well enough to get a late-season call-up, and shows he’s capable of similar (if slightly less) production to JBJ...1.5-2 WAR. The savings on JBJ’s salary ($10-12M maybe?) should help them make up or exceed the difference by allocating it elsewhere. Long-term, I still believe Duran has a reasonable shot at sort of doing what Scooter Gennett did, and just refining things to the point where the power comes. In fairness, Duran’s most likely an average regular or a very good 4th OF, but I do think there’s real upside there, and he could be at best a 60-hit, 40-45 game power guy with 55+ defense. If he walks enough and utilizes his speed well enough, that’s a first-division starting CF.
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Post by telson13 on Aug 4, 2019 17:27:46 GMT -5
Ugh, brutal start for Mata though. Five straight hits and ZERO outs. That hurts.
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Post by Addam603 on Aug 4, 2019 17:36:58 GMT -5
Ugh, brutal start for Mata though. Five straight hits and ZERO outs. That hurts. Hatfield posted on Twitter that he was 93-94 and topping at 96. One inning sample size, but he’s usually 95-96, T 98. Fatigue maybe?
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thecb
New Member
Posts: 3
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Post by thecb on Aug 4, 2019 17:41:58 GMT -5
Got a chance to see Dalbec in Pawtucket today.
He did a good job staying back against Bray ( who didnt get past 91 on the gun) with a nice single. Otherwise he fit his scouting report to a tee as Rochester went after him with off speed stuff low in the zone and he struggled. On a few swings didn't look good at all so I'm guessinghe had trouble picking up the pitches. He did make a couple nice defensive plays where he had to charge the ball and made an accurate throws.
Other notes Josh Ock had a no doubt home run of the starter and a single off of a side arm righty.
Kyle Hart was effective and had a couple good curves that made batters look silly. He had a decent rhythm going until almost getiting hit in the head by a broken bat and gave up a couple more singles before leaving the game with the bases loaded. He then came jumping out of dugout when Sturgeon robbed Rochester of a grand slam.
Lakins & Brasier struggled with finding the strike zone. It looked like Lakins took a little off to find the zone and gave up some hard contact. Brasier was up to 96 but wild loading the bases (single and hitting a couple players) before getting out of it.
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Post by telson13 on Aug 4, 2019 17:51:33 GMT -5
Ugh, brutal start for Mata though. Five straight hits and ZERO outs. That hurts. Hatfield posted on Twitter that he was 93-94 and topping at 96. One inning sample size, but he’s usually 95-96, T 98. Fatigue maybe? Let’s hope so. He’s at 80+ innings, and the past two years he’s only had mid-70s, so that would make sense. I just hope it’s not an injury, he’s had a lot of little nagging ones during his career. I’d like to see him get to 110 IP this year. Another AFL candidate.
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Post by sittingstill on Aug 4, 2019 21:34:14 GMT -5
I rarely have the chance to appreciate how fast Gilberto Jimenez is--watching through the lens can limit your overall perspective--but in the ninth today, I watched him ground out, except for the part where he got to the base while the ball was still approaching the first baseman's glove. You know the timing of these things by instinct, and then he's just... faster. It's crazy.
Spinners put up a good fight in the late innings but just couldn't get the runs across. Hitting coach Nate Spears was apparently not a fan of he weekend's officiating crew.
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Post by James Dunne on Aug 4, 2019 22:59:25 GMT -5
Hatfield posted on Twitter that he was 93-94 and topping at 96. One inning sample size, but he’s usually 95-96, T 98. Fatigue maybe? Let’s hope so. He’s at 80+ innings, and the past two years he’s only had mid-70s, so that would make sense. I just hope it’s not an injury, he’s had a lot of little nagging ones during his career. I’d like to see him get to 110 IP this year. Another AFL candidate.I disagree strongly. Not sure there's anyone in the organization that I want getting a full offseason of rest as him.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Aug 5, 2019 0:16:31 GMT -5
Two down games in a row for Shugart after a long string of decent starts.
Thad Ward had a decent start in the SalSox loss.
A rarity, Duran and Wilson both had errors in the same game. Duran (2) and Wilson (3) only have 5 errors for the entire season
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Post by jbsox on Aug 5, 2019 7:05:35 GMT -5
Duran up to .265 at Portland. While it took him a little while, it looks like he has figured out how to hit at the AA level. While I am content to let him finish the year at Portland and hopefully have some more success there, I am beginning to believe he will be ready for AAA next year. And if successful in AAA next year he would be ready for the majors when Bradley becomes a free agent. Still not hitting with any power. Does any one else think of Ellsbury when they see Duran? Fairly big yet limited power. Very fast. Not a strong arm. Uses speed in the outfield to cover a lot of group. I would be happy if he turned out that well. He’s been a little better of late, hitting some doubles. I think his lack of power is much more swing path/approach than inability to make hard contact. I’m more concerned with the big drop in walk rate and the rising whiff rate. He’s carrying a more-like-himself .360 or so BABIP now, and I genuinely think he’ll be a true-talent .330-.350 guy in MLB, just by nature of his speed, swing, and ability to go oppo. But if he’s not hitting HR, he’s going to need to get on base a lot more and strike out substantially less to be productive. Something like a 10% walk rate and a 15-18% K rate (closer to what he did in Salem). That’s going to be tough. I’m sure a lot of it right now is just the big jump in quality of pitching he’s facing that’s hurting his SLG (and discipline). I’m optimistic that as he adjusts, gets a little more selectively aggressive and maybe hunts pitches he can drive, the power will show up a bit more in games. Prob never going to hit many HR without another swing change, but I do think he can rack up some XBH to the gaps with an all-fields LD approach. I remember other Sox players talking about how strong Ellsbury was, that he was a beast in the weight room, but his approach obviously limited his power. He only put up a .129 isoP in AA, but that’s still a lot higher than Duran’s is. Ells also struck out far less, and walked more in AA. He was a more refined hitter out of college, so it’s understandable, and Duran’s already made some changes that Ells didn’t have to. I’m hoping Duran refines his swing for a little more loft, and learns to be more discerning of pitches he can do something with, beyond just making contact. Just shrinking his zone, laying off chases and even pitches in the zone that he can’t do damage with (both Devers and Bogey have been doing that this year; Bogey avoiding is SL away bugaboo, and Devers has dropped his K rate 30%, so it’s possible). I think an AFL stint would be really good for him. It’s at least encouraging that he’s heating up, and a strong finish in AA (and a strong AFL showing, if he goes) probably means he still starts 2020 in AA but with a low threshold for promotion (similar to Ellsbury). I also think his defense will continue improving as he gains experience. He’s 38-11 on SB this year, too (Ellsbury was 41-17 his first full professional season), and 20-6 in AA, which is a really nice development. So yeah, ideally he’s in AAA by June 2020 and hits well enough to get a late-season call-up, and shows he’s capable of similar (if slightly less) production to JBJ...1.5-2 WAR. The savings on JBJ’s salary ($10-12M maybe?) should help them make up or exceed the difference by allocating it elsewhere. Long-term, I still believe Duran has a reasonable shot at sort of doing what Scooter Gennett did, and just refining things to the point where the power comes. In fairness, Duran’s most likely an average regular or a very good 4th OF, but I do think there’s real upside there, and he could be at best a 60-hit, 40-45 game power guy with 55+ defense. If he walks enough and utilizes his speed well enough, that’s a first-division starting CF. Just curious if you are completely out for giving JBJ an extension? My thought is JD Martínez probably shouldn’t be playing the outfield in a couple years, and we have been pretty lucky with injuries with our outfielders. Having both Duran and JBJ on the team where you can rotate a little bit might work initially. IF Duran really shows he’s worthy of full time play and not just a 4th outfielder, we could deal one of them later on. If we trade JBJ beforehand or let just him walk, and Duran happens to flame out then we are in a bind. JBJ’s new contract may not be a hindrance for other moves we make if we sign him to a reasonable deal as we have money coming off the books this offseason.
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Post by DesignatedForAssignment on Aug 5, 2019 7:37:46 GMT -5
As far as I'm concerned, Wilson is ahead of Duran on the timetable. Being rhb is an asset for Wilson.
Rusney is also rhb.
Sox oughta hang onto Ockimey.
Unlikely events could put both Ockimey & Wilson in Boston in Sept. (Good performance in August, Sox drop out of race, Sox injuries.) I'm dreaming.
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pd
Rookie
Posts: 236
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Post by pd on Aug 5, 2019 9:17:13 GMT -5
As far as I'm concerned, Wilson is ahead of Duran on the timetable. Being rhb is an asset for Wilson. Rusney is also rhb. Sox oughta hang onto Ockimey. Unlikely events could put both Ockimey & Wilson in Boston in Sept. (Good performance in August, Sox drop out of race, Sox injuries.) I'm dreaming. Neither Ockimey or Wilson are on the 40 man though.
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Post by soxin8 on Aug 5, 2019 10:45:02 GMT -5
So I did some traveling this weekend, first up to Soulfest at Gunstock mountain in Gilford NH www.thesoulfest.com/lineup. It's about 60 performers on three different stages from 10 am to 11 pm, Thursday thru Saturday, along with opportunities to learn about and get involved in mission activities. One WIHS radio announcer called it the Christian Woodstock. On the trip back to CT, I stopped in Lowell and waited for the Sunday night game. Was pleased to get a look at Jeferjahn, even if it was only for one inning. The fastball was 93-95 and no one squared it up. Fuller got sawed off and blooped a single just in front of Jimenez and former Sox Espinal grounded one that first hit the dirt in front of home plate but rolled through the right side between first and second. He hung an 84 mph slider to the 23 year old Figueroa who crushed it over the right center wall. He K'd Pages swinging and Gomez looking on fastballs. I think he will start in Greenville next year and do well. Sanchez was sitting at 88, touching 91 a couple times. Jackson had the same velocity as Sanchez but I was impressed with the movement on his pitches. His fastball moved 6 inches in on righthanders and his curve 18 inches away from them. The curve was 77 and he also had an 83-84 mph change that broke down. The Spinners were hitting against 17th rounder YaSenka who was quite impressive, spotting 92 on the corners and carrying that velocity into the 7th. Scott broke up the no-hitter with two down in the 6th when he lined a drive that hit the top of the 10 ft wall in right at the 301 ft foul pole. Davis then reached out to get an outside curve into left field for the RBI. Flores hit all four at-bats to right field. His triple was well hit to right center. The State College relievers had a little trouble closing out the game which made it fun. With two on and two out in the 9th, Scott lined a drive at the 301 ft foul poll that I (and many in the crowd) first though was a game winner. But the ball hooked then dropped a few feet foul. After he drew a walk, Erro would end it with a fly out.
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Post by soxin8 on Aug 5, 2019 11:44:01 GMT -5
Some more stuff about the game and LeLacheur (pronounced le la sure) park. I thought it was neat that there was a plaque with the names of everyone who played for the Spinners who has reached the majors (119 and counting) with the team they are on if still active. Later in the game, they awarded the former Spinner of the day to Jose Iglesias for his current hot streak with the Reds.
One game I was at Hartford I watched the scouts radar guns and compared them to the stadium gun. The Hartford stadium was running an average of 1 mph fast (sometimes matched, sometimes plus two). The gun at LeLacheur is really a problem if you want any information about the pitcher. It's most likely outcome was 4 mph slow with one Zeferjahn fastball showing 95 on the scout gun and 88 on the stadium.
The one scout in the stands was there only to write about the Cardinals players. He said he took no notice of the Spinners, they were just the other team. His team would have someone else scouting the Sox players.
I thought it was interesting that the professional scout and the Spinners player in the stands had identical guns that sometimes registered one mph differently.
In the third, Jimenez squared to bunt then pulled his bat back. The catcher appealed for a swing and the first base ump (only two umpires NYPL) ruled it an attempt then tossed Spears for arguing from the dugout.
Leading off the fifth for State, Luis Flores hit a sinking liner to Jimenez in center. Jimenez charged and dove forward in what was ruled a catch but looked like a trap. A great play to "steal" a hit. Jimenez infield hit was a high chop to short in the ninth and he was very close to another in the 7th with a roller to third. He didn't hit the ball hard on Sunday but he is going to get a lot of hits with bad contact or well placed grounders when he is not hitting line drives.
sittingstill, I am sorry I didn't know you were there to tell you how great your pictures are. You really add a lot to this site.
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Post by sittingstill on Aug 5, 2019 12:46:22 GMT -5
Aw, thanks! Likewise sorry not to have the chance to say hello and put a face to a name. Bit of a crazy day for me as I shot Pawtucket first--I was hoping Zeferjahn would get a second inning as I missed the top of the first but also felt lucky only to miss that much. Got Kris Jackson in a Spinners uni, at least--I'd somehow missed him in every home appearance so far. Wil Dalton similarly rarely plays when I'm there. The catcher appealed for a swing and the first base ump (only two umpires NYPL) ruled it an attempt then tossed Spears for arguing from the dugout. I have rarely seen Nate get angry, and he was furious--came out on the field to say (yell) his piece. Indicated it was a problem with calls all weekend. I've gotta check the photos. I did not get my finger on the shutter in time--I was chatting with a Spikes catcher in their dugout--but it looked like a catch to me in what I saw before the first frame I did get.
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Post by soxin8 on Aug 5, 2019 14:32:17 GMT -5
I wasn't sure if it was a catch or not so I asked the scout in front of me and he said he thought it bounced. It was the field umps call but he wasn't sure and didn't make it looking to home plate for help. The HP ump stepped in front of home plate giving the out sign. There was no argument from State so maybe it was a catch. The scout who was there yesterday also mentioned the questionable umpiring. It does make sense when you consider these are also rookie league umps and some will not move up. What a nice shot of Jimenez! Anything you can share with us about your conversation with the State catcher?
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Post by sittingstill on Aug 5, 2019 16:33:27 GMT -5
Nothing in particular--the Spikes in general were swarming the far end of the dugout where the photographers usually work more than most teams do so I had to jockey for space a bit. He was more solicitous than a lot of players in making sure I had room. He then promised to try to catch any balls headed in my direction, which led to him telling me about a photog in Mahoning Valley who took a foul ball off his hand and camera in a way that blew up the camera and cut his hand. And then the ball was heading for Jimenez too quickly for me to get in position. Diving catch right at me with no obstacles... ah well. On the day I had already missed Kyle Hart nearly getting taken out by a ball and a shattered bat simultaneously (something I can only say would have been a cool shot because he was OK!) and in the same inning decided to move back downstairs at McCoy with two outs and thereby missed Sturgeon robbing Rochester of a home run. Some days you just figure you'll get 'em tomorrow.
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Post by telson13 on Aug 6, 2019 10:38:38 GMT -5
Let’s hope so. He’s at 80+ innings, and the past two years he’s only had mid-70s, so that would make sense. I just hope it’s not an injury, he’s had a lot of little nagging ones during his career. I’d like to see him get to 110 IP this year. Another AFL candidate.I disagree strongly. Not sure there's anyone in the organization that I want getting a full offseason of rest as him. Is there a specific concern for you? I mean, I can understand why you might but I’m curious about your thinking. My concern for him is limited innings due to injury the last two years, though at his age I’m not sure that’s actually a bad thing. At 20, I’m hoping he gets to 110 this year and can hit 140-150 next, which sets him up for a full MLB season (180 ip, if things work out) in 2021 at age 22. Would you limit his innings from here out? Or just keep going as is through season’s end and shut down for a couple months after?
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Post by James Dunne on Aug 6, 2019 10:49:57 GMT -5
I just don't see any advantage in him going to the AFL in terms of workload, competition level, or injury risk. He doesn't fit the profile of a guy that goes whatsoever. You don't extend a 20-year-old's season like that by 4-6 weeks because he falls like 11 innings short of what might've been considered ideal. Top pitching prospects don't go to the AFL unless their innings total was diminished for a reason (injury that they've recovered from, worked out of the bullpen for awhile like McGrath, transitioning to the bullpen like Houck). And extremely age-advanced pitchers basically never go.
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Post by telson13 on Aug 6, 2019 11:18:56 GMT -5
He’s been a little better of late, hitting some doubles. I think his lack of power is much more swing path/approach than inability to make hard contact. I’m more concerned with the big drop in walk rate and the rising whiff rate. He’s carrying a more-like-himself .360 or so BABIP now, and I genuinely think he’ll be a true-talent .330-.350 guy in MLB, just by nature of his speed, swing, and ability to go oppo. But if he’s not hitting HR, he’s going to need to get on base a lot more and strike out substantially less to be productive. Something like a 10% walk rate and a 15-18% K rate (closer to what he did in Salem). That’s going to be tough. I’m sure a lot of it right now is just the big jump in quality of pitching he’s facing that’s hurting his SLG (and discipline). I’m optimistic that as he adjusts, gets a little more selectively aggressive and maybe hunts pitches he can drive, the power will show up a bit more in games. Prob never going to hit many HR without another swing change, but I do think he can rack up some XBH to the gaps with an all-fields LD approach. I remember other Sox players talking about how strong Ellsbury was, that he was a beast in the weight room, but his approach obviously limited his power. He only put up a .129 isoP in AA, but that’s still a lot higher than Duran’s is. Ells also struck out far less, and walked more in AA. He was a more refined hitter out of college, so it’s understandable, and Duran’s already made some changes that Ells didn’t have to. I’m hoping Duran refines his swing for a little more loft, and learns to be more discerning of pitches he can do something with, beyond just making contact. Just shrinking his zone, laying off chases and even pitches in the zone that he can’t do damage with (both Devers and Bogey have been doing that this year; Bogey avoiding is SL away bugaboo, and Devers has dropped his K rate 30%, so it’s possible). I think an AFL stint would be really good for him. It’s at least encouraging that he’s heating up, and a strong finish in AA (and a strong AFL showing, if he goes) probably means he still starts 2020 in AA but with a low threshold for promotion (similar to Ellsbury). I also think his defense will continue improving as he gains experience. He’s 38-11 on SB this year, too (Ellsbury was 41-17 his first full professional season), and 20-6 in AA, which is a really nice development. So yeah, ideally he’s in AAA by June 2020 and hits well enough to get a late-season call-up, and shows he’s capable of similar (if slightly less) production to JBJ...1.5-2 WAR. The savings on JBJ’s salary ($10-12M maybe?) should help them make up or exceed the difference by allocating it elsewhere. Long-term, I still believe Duran has a reasonable shot at sort of doing what Scooter Gennett did, and just refining things to the point where the power comes. In fairness, Duran’s most likely an average regular or a very good 4th OF, but I do think there’s real upside there, and he could be at best a 60-hit, 40-45 game power guy with 55+ defense. If he walks enough and utilizes his speed well enough, that’s a first-division starting CF. Just curious if you are completely out for giving JBJ an extension? My thought is JD Martínez probably shouldn’t be playing the outfield in a couple years, and we have been pretty lucky with injuries with our outfielders. Having both Duran and JBJ on the team where you can rotate a little bit might work initially. IF Duran really shows he’s worthy of full time play and not just a 4th outfielder, we could deal one of them later on. If we trade JBJ beforehand or let just him walk, and Duran happens to flame out then we are in a bind. JBJ’s new contract may not be a hindrance for other moves we make if we sign him to a reasonable deal as we have money coming off the books this offseason. I’d absolutely extend JBJ on a reasonable deal, for exactly the reasons you mention. I think he still has a little bit of offensive upside; he’s always been held back by inconsistency. He’s relatively slow for a CF but I believe his first step is very quick, and he doesn’t have to correct his routes so much. Tbh, I’d have to look at the Statcast metrics to see exactly how his route-running ends up being effective, but he’s not especially reliant on speed, and he has a terrific arm. So I think defensively he’ll age fairly well. The question is, what’s “reasonable?” Pollock is a better offensive player with a higher peak, and slightly worse defense, and he got 4/$55M at 31. Aaron Hicks did a 7/$70M extension at 28, with a slightly better offensive profile, more injury problems (as Pollock has had; JBJ’s actually been remarkably durable), and a couple years to FA. Hicks was also coming off an excellent season. JBJ has put up just 0.5 WAR and has been trending down offensively (even if I believe he still has the ability to improve, as he’s just 29...probably won’t re:power, which peaks around 27-28, but could re: BABIP and thus BA, as well as BB rate). So market for him is probably closer to Hicks AAV-wise but Pollock years-wise. At barely above replacement level, he probably won’t be tradeable for much at all, especially with any significant $ attached, and certainly on an extended deal. I have trouble gauging his market because FA has been very weird lately, but he could get nothing more than a pillow deal for $5-$10M. Or, he might get 3/27-4/40. Idk; I wouldn’t do much more than 4th OF money, 3/24-4/32. But on a fairly team-friendly deal, I think it would be great to keep him around. Tbh tho, it might be best to let him get to FA, let the market develop, and decide if he’s worth bringing him back.
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Post by thegoodthebadthesox on Aug 6, 2019 11:38:41 GMT -5
I disagree strongly. Not sure there's anyone in the organization that I want getting a full offseason of rest as him. Is there a specific concern for you? I mean, I can understand why you might but I’m curious about your thinking. My concern for him is limited innings due to injury the last two years, though at his age I’m not sure that’s actually a bad thing. At 20, I’m hoping he gets to 110 this year and can hit 140-150 next, which sets him up for a full MLB season (180 ip, if things work out) in 2021 at age 22. Would you limit his innings from here out? Or just keep going as is through season’s end and shut down for a couple months after? I think a lot of it is that your concern about his limited innings doesn't really mean as much due to his age. Even if the Red Sox take a little more conservative of an approach than you're suggesting and extend his development curve to where he debuts in 2022, he's still making the majors at 23. The Red Sox would have control of him until he's... 29? And getting cost-controlled talent in prime years is exactly the point of player development so with someone who has a chance to be legitimately good as a starter like Mata does, I definitely wouldn't mind being cautious.
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