Bloom finally listened to us (just kidding). But is it coincidence that Cora, Bogaerts and Vazquez told the media just this week that they wanted reinforcements?
Bloom finally listened to us (just kidding). But is it coincidence that Cora, Bogaerts and Vazquez told the media just this week that they wanted reinforcements?
Let's just hope (as the ESPN article notes) that his numbers are similar to those he got at Coors field, where there is essentially no air, rather than the rather pedestrian ones he put up at every other ballpark where there is.
"Fans have become more entitled than anything. So they're starting to question our motives for the game, or how we approach the game. The ones that do question -- like who are you? Just shut up and watch the game tonight." --Kevin Durant on players' lack of effort in regular season games.
That’s a negative take. A lot of players don’t perform well on the road.Originally Posted by jad
The King of TalkSox has Spoken.
So finally we see the lineup. We now know/believe:
1. Hernandez full time CF
2. Bradley to RF
3. Duran to Worcester
4. Arroyo to the bench and not in a platoon
5. The Sox do need a backup OF, preferably a RHH CF/RF one. (Pham?)
Agree on most, I'm feeling kinda Phamished. Maybe 3. Duran to Oakland.
Watch Cora also play Story at short and third on occasion to rest the regulars and give Arroyo some PT at second.
This is akin to the Dodgers dealing for Turner knowing Seager was gonna leave. I would assume it's too late to move Bogaerts, but if the sox drop from contention, he gets dealt for a massive haul and you've got your long term SS waiting in the wings. Of all the big SS's, Story was the least desirable due to his Coors effect and poor away splits, but a700 does have a point that most players do have a home skew Coors or not.
Hal sucks
Duran for Manaea?
Ok.
Duran plus for Manaea and Trivino?
Better!!
Why not just play Arroyo at 3rd and SS for off days for Devers and Bogaerts? Let Story learn his new role..
Now we’ll see how he can handle another position. He made a lot of throwing errors last year, and more important is how he can handle playing in Boston. Big difference in the scrutiny between Boston, and Colorado, and especially after signing a big contract.
Interesting Reading
Trevor Story -- SS, free agent
Key number: 37.4 xHR
Much like Nolan Arenado experienced the year before, Story had an underwhelming campaign with the Rockies amid swirling trade rumors in 2021. While Story did hit 24 home runs and steal 20 bases, his overall production at the plate was well off his norms -- he hit .251/.329/.471 (103 OPS+) in 142 games, whereas from 2018-20, he slashed .292/.355/.554 (123 OPS+).
There is plenty of reason to anticipate a bounce-back year from Story, however. First, there’s the proverbial “let’s see what happens when he doesn’t have to deal with the ‘Coors Hangover’” rationale. Without having to come down from altitude for a dozen or so road trips every season and wrestling with the resulting change in the break on pitches after seeing breaking balls flattened out by the thin air in Denver, Story could put up numbers we haven’t seen from him before.
Story was also hurt in 2021, with an injured elbow that caused him problems not just offensively, but defensively as well. A fully healthy Story has the potential for rejuvenation at the plate. He’s also still only entering his age-29 season, right in the middle of his prime.
And then there are some interesting peripheral stats from last season that suggest Story is not far from returning to form offensively. Nobody had a larger disparity between actual home runs and Statcast expected home runs than Story, whose xHR total was 13 more than his actual total. He also had a higher expected weighted on-base average (.336) than he did in 2020 (.334), when his OPS was 73 points higher. His 42.6% hard-hit rate and 9.9% barrel rate were also higher than in ’20.
The Story-lines abound as we head into the 2022 season: He may very well be starting a new chapter in a new uniform, all the while looking to show he’s still one of the best all-around shortstops in baseball after a down year by his standards in ’21.
-- Manny Randhawa
Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz & Boston Red Sox
There is an opt out, where the Sox can choose to keep him at a higher rate.
While Story certainly helps the team, I have to say this makes little sense to me. To choose this guy to go large and long on after going so long passing on better fits is a bit confounding. His Home -Away splits are frightening.
The plan has been announced to use the much better defender at 2B and keep Bogey at SS. I'm sorry but this kills me, and it puts an enormous strain on Bogey. If he was "a true team player," he'd agree to play 2B. Why force this on him (and Cora?)
Now, the bright side. We have a SS going forward. We can now play Kike in CF full time. Arroyo and Duran go to the bench FT, which greatly strengthens that area. One signing improved 2B, CF, the bench and our back-up SS situation.
That being said, I had thought I'd rather have had Baez at the exact same money. He's a very good defensive SS, too, but he has better H-A splits, but when you look more closely, they are pretty close. Story's away numbers are just slightly worse than Baez's. The defense looks pretty even.
Career comp: (Both almost the exact same ages)
.264/.307/.477/.783 Baez (.777 Home/.789 Away & .752 v R/.882 v L)
.272/.340/.523/.863 Story (.972 Home/.752 Away & .809 v R/1.002 v L)
2018-2021
.270/.311/.508/.819 Baez
.281/.348/.532/.880 Story
Defense:
3.5 UZR/150 Baez 69 DRS in 6305 innings
2.8 UZR/150 Story 49 DRS in 3650 innings
0.3 UZR/150 Bogey -47 DRS in 6847 innings
Makes me wonder if trading Bogey, now or at the deadline, is being looked or and discussed internally.
When you say it's gonna happen now
When exactly do you mean?
I've suggested just that trade on BTV.
I also added some players to try and pry a young catcher in the deal.
When you say it's gonna happen now
When exactly do you mean?
One big plus to this signing is that it will end Old Red's endless repeating of Kennedy's quote about not spending.
When you say it's gonna happen now
When exactly do you mean?
Why do you keep saying trade Bogey. He’s not going anywhere in any trade unless he wants to. Getting Bogey off SS, or staying at SS is not going to make, or break the season. Story had 11 throwing errors last year which is a lot, and what is the enormous strain on Bogey. SS is where he wants to be.
Think Trevor will be ok hitting in Fenway? Just some quick calculations (which somebody will a better math brain may soon refute)...
Bogaerts career road splits: 556 games, 198 extra-base hits = one XBH every 2.8 games.
Story career road splits: 370 games, 149 extra-base hits = one XBH every 2.5 games.
Speed could also be underrated; Story led the NL in both triples and stolen bases in 2020, playing in 98% of his team's games (59 -- ha).
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