Kotsay resigns with red sox

[jacksonianmarch]

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view.bg?&articleid=1144153&format=&page=1&listingType=sox#articleFull

[Coco's Disciples]

Meh. This probably rounds out the bench as: Bard, Kotsay, Lugo, Baldelli. Can't say I'm thrilled though.

[Sox Fan on Cape]

This wasn't the big bat that you had in mind ?

[Coco's Disciples]

This wasn't the big bat that you had in mind ?

Even as a reserve I'm not excited. He's a below average fielder and hasn't put up a good offensive season since 2004. I would have gone with Jeff Bailey, though he can't play CF.


EDIT: Rethinking this signing. I'll pretend we signed Jamie Kotsay.
http://cdn.faniq.com/images/photos/photo_large/83/79783-81.jpg

[riverside sluggers]

I was hoping for Jeff Bailey to get a shot, oh well. Kotsay has some pop and displayed a good glove playing at 1st base. This offseason the Sox have upgraded (and then some) their bench

2008 opening day (combined 9 HRs, with Casey and Cora going 0 for)
Catcher- Kevin Cash
1st Base- Sean Casey
Infield- Alex Cora
Outfield- Coco Crisp

2009 opening day
Catcher- Josh Bard/George Kottaras
1st Base- Mark Kotsay
Infield- Julio Lugo/Jed Lowrie
Outfield- Rocco Baldelli

[BSN07]

With the Baldelli signing, I told you guys Kotsay would have a good chance at resigning with the Sox. Although I did think he would sign closer to ST, or after one of the farm hands got a shot.

[BoSox21]

its not a bad signing, our backup 1B can also play the outfield in case two known health risks, Drew and Baldelli, go down.

[riverside sluggers]

This now gives the Red Sox 6 free agents after the 09 season- Jason Bay, Mark Kotsay, Rocco Baldelli, Brad Penny, John Smoltz, Hideki Okajima

Wakefield and Bard have option years for '10

[BSN07]

This now gives the Red Sox 6 free agents after the 09 season- Jason Bay, Mark Kotsay, Rocco Baldelli, Brad Penny, John Smoltz, Hideki Okahima

Wakefield and Bard have option years for '10

Not really sure how good next season FA class is though.

[YAZMAN]

Even as a reserve I'm not excited. He's a below average fielder and hasn't put up a good offensive season since 2004. I would have gone with Jeff Bailey, though he can't play CF.


EDIT: Rethinking this signing. I'll pretend we signed Jamie Kotsay.
http://cdn.faniq.com/images/photos/photo_large/83/79783-81.jpg

Is she available? I'd like to go out and get her right now.

I don't mind the signing at a buck and a half if he accepts his role as utility fielder. I think he's not a bad bat to have in a pinch hitting situation that requires contact. He has pretty good at bats and makes great contact but he has no pop. So hit and run and move guys around with him.

[The Bloody Sox]

I remember Kotsay having a decent stretch where he was one of our best hitters. He's not a bad option to have on the bench, we can't expect superstars rounding out our bench anyway. He's versatile and can play multiple positions, I'm happy we resigned him.

[BoSox21]

Its somewhat impressive that both Kotsay and Baldelli are signed for as much combined as Alex Cora made

[BSN07]

Even as a reserve I'm not excited. He's a below average fielder and hasn't put up a good offensive season since 2004. I would have gone with Jeff Bailey, though he can't play CF.


EDIT: Rethinking this signing. I'll pretend we signed Jamie Kotsay.
http://cdn.faniq.com/images/photos/photo_large/83/79783-81.jpg

That's seriously a sweet piece of booty. :thumbsup:


Is that his wife or daughter? LOL

[YAZMAN]

That's seriously a sweet piece of booty. :thumbsup:


Is that his wife or daughter? LOL

WTF, she's of age, right? I don't want to be ogling some 15 year old girl.

(not publicly, anyway);)

[YAZMAN]

I remember Kotsay having a decent stretch where he was one of our best hitters. He's not a bad option to have on the bench, we can't expect superstars rounding out our bench anyway. He's versatile and can play multiple positions, I'm happy we resigned him.

I'm happy we signed him and happy with his role as well. But the issue will be if he is happy with it due to the reduced amount of PT he'll get.

[Dojji]

. Kotsay has some pop a

Where? When? Not last year anyway. The guy hasn't hit since 3 years ago and we're contemplating seriously playing him as a reserve 1B.

The guy is Mientkiewicz with a bit of useful flexibility. NOT worthy of a spot on this roster and we DO have better options, two of them!

[BoSox21]

The guy is Mientkiewicz with a bit of useful flexibility. NOT worthy of a spot on this roster and we DO have better options, two of them!

While Kotsay didn't embarass the position the way a lot of us thought he would, he's nowhere near the defensive ability Mientkiewicz has/had

[Dojji]

I'm talking about offensively. The fact that he's still questioned on his defense as a1B just makes it worse.

PLEASE tell me this isn't a guaranteed deal and we might have a chance to see an actual power hitter like Bailey backing up 1B.

We've basically landed ourselves Ross Gload plus the ability to play right field. Whoopee.

[BoSox21]

Looks like its guaranteed

yea, id much rather Bailey

[Coco's Disciples]

That's seriously a sweet piece of booty. :thumbsup:


Is that his wife or daughter? LOL


WTF, she's of age, right? I don't want to be ogling some 15 year old girl.

(not publicly, anyway);)

LOL it's his wife, don't worry.

[Coco's Disciples]

I remember Kotsay having a decent stretch where he was one of our best hitters. He's not a bad option to have on the bench, we can't expect superstars rounding out our bench anyway. He's versatile and can play multiple positions, I'm happy we resigned him.

The best stretches he had in Boston were 5 for 14 in his first 3 games, and 5 for 13 in his last 4 games.

[rician blast]

The best stretches he had in Boston were 5 for 14 in his first 3 games, and 5 for 13 in his last 4 games.

Sounds like something you see in boxing:

start the round strong...
Finish the round strong....
and it's ok to kinda suck in between.

[jacksonianmarch]

Not really sure how good next season FA class is though.

if you consider Bay as being potentially the best player on the market, it aint all that good.

[Coco's Disciples]

Best of the 2009-10 FA Class (extensions pending, of course):
C
Victor Martinez (Club option, will be exercised)

1B
Carlos Delgado
Adam LaRoche
Nick Johnson
Chad Tracy

2B
Mark DeRosa
Felipe Lopez
Brian Roberts
Placido Polanco

SS
Miguel Tejada
Khalil Greene

3B
Chipper Jones
Adrian Beltre
Chone Figgins
Troy Glaus

LF
Matt Holliday
Jason Bay
Johnny Damon
Carl Crawford (10MM team option)

CF
Rick Ankiel
Mike Cameron
Andruw Jones
Reed Johnson

RF
Vladimir Guerrero
Jermaine Dye (12MM mutual option)
Magglio Ordonez (15MM club/vesting option)
Xavier Nady
Jason Werth
Brian Giles

DH
Aubrey Huff
Gary Sheffield
Jim Thome
Hideki Matsui
Hank Blalock

For hitters, anyway.

[diony]

Among those, the Yanks will be interested in Holliday, Bay and probably Crawford.

[riverside sluggers]

Where? When? Not last year anyway. The guy hasn't hit since 3 years ago and we're contemplating seriously playing him as a reserve 1B.

The guy is Mientkiewicz with a bit of useful flexibility. NOT worthy of a spot on this roster and we DO have better options, two of them!



yea its not like ive been openly in favor of jeff bailey for the past couple of seasons...

[Dipre]

With all the health question marks the Sox have right now, positional flexibility is a blessing, Bailey will get his chance as soon as they need him, and i'm betting it's around the time Drew inevitably falls to injury during the season.

[a700hitter]

After signing Baldelli, I didn't see the need for getting Kotsay who is not a very good offensive player.

[riverside sluggers]

Sean Casey to Mark Kotsay is still an upgrade, and thats saying something :lol:

Kotsay had 12 RBIs with the Sox in little over a month. Casey couldnt even get to 20 and he was with them for the entire seaso

[example1]

Kotsay is a fine bench player. He's better and more accomplished than Gabe Kaplar ever was, and I'm pretty sure Kaplar ultimately proved to be useful to some pretty good clubs.

[Coco's Disciples]

Kapler was insane (relatively speaking) last year in 229 at bats: .301/.340/.498, 8 HR. He doesn't play 1B though.

[Soxfan#1]

Back on the roids perhaps.

[Dojji]

Hopefully this is like Kielty last year -- a deal for insurance's sake sake that never really turns into much actual playing time because eventually Baldelli proves that he's healthy.

[Coco's Disciples]

Kotsay is currently the only bench player with 1B experience.

[Dojji]

But if it turns out that we don't need a 5th OF, it wouldn't be that hard to find a player with 1B experience -- starting with Jeff Bailey.

[Coco's Disciples]

Why not just start out with Bailey? He's probably better.

[Dojji]

Definitely agree there but the FO might have Kotsay as Baldelli insurance in case he has one of those aggrivating out-for-a-week-to-10-days kind of injuries where you don't want to put him on the DL but you need someone to stand in for Drew.