Trot Nixons Power Outage

[SCM33]

Granted, he is having a good season, but when Crisp gets healty...I think Nixons playing time should decrease with the emergence of WMP. Nixons power numbers are down, and it is clear that WMP can produce more than Trot Nixon does, and with the fact that WMP is the RF next year and Trot probably wont return unless he signs a deal which he undersatnds his playing time will be cut, he wont be back.

 

With both players hitting the ball well, who should get the majority of the playing time?

 

It sucks that Nixon is a lefty, because the current platoon will give Nixon at least 2/3 of the playing time, and it is clear WMP is ready to play everyday, and he continues to get better and better with the coaching and playing time.

[The Monster is my Mom]

Yup, it will be the same problem (except worse) that Cincy had. Where to play everyone when you have 4 good outfielders?

[SCM33]

I think there is no way Nixon is back, they should just play the kid. I love Nixon, but I think WMP is more valuable and can hit both lefty and righty, and tonight was another great example of him as a growing superstar. Takes two pretty good pitches on the outer half and hits them to RF for basehits.

 

A month ago he takes an ugly hack at the deuce and heads back to the dugout with a K.

[ORS]

Let's see how WMP does in the field in RF before we say he should start taking over Trot's job incrementally. He should be getting a chance one of the next two days with two straight against LHP (Chen and Bedard). While I'm sold on his bat, I'm not totally sold on his glove in RF. He historically plays CF better since he gets better reads on the ball (less slice).

[CrespoBlows]

Nixon's OPS is .886. That's 53rd in the MLB, 25th in the AL, or 9th for AL outfielders.

 

He may not be hitting them out, but why would you take away PA's from a guy who probably gives you the best AB's. Throw in his 19/11 K/BB ratio, his superior defense to Pena, and he's the better player.

 

Next year, no doubt about it. Pena's our guy. But, as long as Nixon is playing like this, he deserves the playing time.

[SCM33]

Let's see how WMP does in the field in RF before we say he should start taking over Trot's job incrementally. He should be getting a chance one of the next two days with two straight against LHP (Chen and Bedard). While I'm sold on his bat, I'm not totally sold on his glove in RF. He historically plays CF better since he gets better reads on the ball (less slice).

 

 

This is true, but since day one...he has imporved with playing time. I imagine he is still taking balls in RF in BP, and the only way to learn is with experience. Let him play, let him make mistakes in RF, and let him make up for it with his bat. It is the only way he will learn.

[SCM33]

Nixon's OPS is .886. That's 53rd in the MLB, 25th in the AL, or 9th for AL outfielders.

 

He may not be hitting them out, but why would you take away PA's from a guy who probably gives you the best AB's. Throw in his 19/11 K/BB ratio, his superior defense to Pena, and he's the better player.

 

Next year, no doubt about it. Pena's our guy. But, as long as Nixon is playing like this, he deserves the playing time.

 

 

I wouldnt say the best AB's anymore. Why live with his mistakes next year, when he can learn from them now? Nixon is going to be hurt by the club sometime, whether its the offseason or this season, and to be honest, I would rather see how good he can be now, instead of taking his AB's away.

 

EDIT: If you take away WMP's numbers from the first couple weeks of the season, his OPS would be higher than Nixons today, he really struggled early on with bad AB's, but it has been pretty clear that WMP is the better offensive player. Nixon is a better OB% type guy, but WMP is the more complete hitter as of right now.

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

Although I like Willy Mo Pena he will mostly get at-bats against lefty pitching. We can't have too many righty hitters in against a righty pitcher.

 

I'm going to throw out a couple thoughts though. What happens if Manny Ramirez asks to be traded again mid-season? I'm not saying Willy Mo is Manny Ramirez but I could imagine the man could take over for Manny in LF. I even think with his power he could hit cleanup for the Red Sox. If we walk into that situation the Red Sox could look for more pitching depth or a different power bat. Maybe a superior SS??

 

Its just a thought since I love the makeup of this team at the moment and wouldn't change it but it gives us more choices to make should Manny be Manny again.

[SCM33]

Although I like Willy Mo Pena he will mostly get at-bats against lefty pitching. We can't have too many righty hitters in against a righty pitcher.

 

I'm going to throw out a couple thoughts though. What happens if Manny Ramirez asks to be traded again mid-season? I'm not saying Willy Mo is Manny Ramirez but I could imagine the man could take over for Manny in LF. I even think with his power he could hit cleanup for the Red Sox. If we walk into that situation the Red Sox could look for more pitching depth or a different power bat. Maybe a superior SS??

 

Its just a thought since I love the makeup of this team at the moment and wouldn't change it but it gives us more choices to make should Manny be Manny again.

 

The older Manny gets, the less likely a team is going to take his salary. Manny Ramirez is not going anywhere. If a team were going to take him, they already would have. Remember, two years ago any team in baseball had their chance, and nobody put in a claim. I know his salary was the issue, but he is turing 34 in 15 days, and will play most of next year being 35 years old. I dont think anyone will pay him that money, especially when they had a chance when he was in his prime.

[mtbykr]

Let's see how WMP does in the field in RF before we say he should start taking over Trot's job incrementally. He should be getting a chance one of the next two days with two straight against LHP (Chen and Bedard). While I'm sold on his bat, I'm not totally sold on his glove in RF. He historically plays CF better since he gets better reads on the ball (less slice).

 

 

 

 

I agree. He has looked great at the plate--and seems to get better with more ab's. He's also looked good in the field, center that is! Let's not forget his antics in RF. Playing right in fenway is crazy and trot does it very well--let's not dump trot just yet!

[Mr Crunchy]

i went out of my mind when they traded arroyo for pena

absolutley ballistic

2 months later i need to reevaluate my thinking

im not 100% sold on pena yet and his work in right field scares the children but he has pounded the ball to the point where adam stern and mohr are now after thoughts rather than coco's replacements

 

now when coco comes back we'll be in need of another gun and someone will be available

do we move nixon who is a free agent?

do we move the performing pena who's rather cheap

do we move mohr and stern??

 

lots of questions but the good news is we're dealing from strength

[americantrotter]

Remember when we had too many starters last year? Or when we had too many in ST? These things work themselves out. No need to go trading anyone or benching people yet. Coco isnt even swinging a bat yet.

 

When Coco is back, it will just mean that Wily Mo will face all Left Handers, DH to give Ortiz a rest, play CF to give Coco a rest, and god knows he'll get LF duty on road games for Manny to rest his hamstrings.

 

Until Coco and Trot prove they are healthy, this is not an issue. (I bring trot into this because he's not exactly the enegizer bunny)

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

Its really amazing how quickly we jump on people....I hope everyone realizes that. So Trot Nixon hasnt hit a home run in a month.....he has only struckout 11 times this season....his OBP is .433. Nixon has been batting over .300 pretty much all year.

 

I dont think this is an issue. Trot Nixon is a starting outfielder and Willy Mo Pena is a fantastic backup for the time being. Chances are Nixon will get hurt again and Crisp could always be injured after he gets back. Depth is important (ask the Yanks) so lets just leave it that way.....I promise we can win with Trot Nixon. Not to mention it gives us a very dangerous bat late in the game for a pinch run situation.....last thing we want is Gonzalez batting to win the game.

[SCM33]

Its really amazing how quickly we jump on people....I hope everyone realizes that. So Trot Nixon hasnt hit a home run in a month.....he has only struckout 11 times this season....his OBP is .433. Nixon has been batting over .300 pretty much all year.

 

I dont think this is an issue. Trot Nixon is a starting outfielder and Willy Mo Pena is a fantastic backup for the time being. Chances are Nixon will get hurt again and Crisp could always be injured after he gets back. Depth is important (ask the Yanks) so lets just leave it that way.....I promise we can win with Trot Nixon. Not to mention it gives us a very dangerous bat late in the game for a pinch run situation.....last thing we want is Gonzalez batting to win the game.

 

 

Lets be realistic. We have been let down by Trot Nixon for years. He gets a free pass because he plays hard. He has never lived up to his expectations, and he is an injury waiting to happen. Last season he was every bit as bad as Millar and did anyone say anything about his poor season? No. Look at his season last year, it was pretty sad. Besides the year he had in 2003, he has been a disappointment. He is a average major league OF, thats all. Here in Sox Nation I think we think of him as being a little better than he truly is because he has that "dirt Dog" persona.

 

WMP has more upside, more talent, and will be the RF of the future. What Nixon can do, is give us what we dont have right now.....a VERY good LH pinch hitting option off the bench. He may not start in RF everyday, but I can picture him hitting for Gonzo at least once in every single game for the rest of the season in the late innings.

 

I am not saying he is not valuable, just that I think he gets a free pass, and we in Sox nation think of him as being a little better than he truly is.

 

Nixon : 13 HR 67 RBI .275 BA .357 OB% .446 SLG

Millar : 9 HR 50 RBI .272 BA .355 OB% .399 SLG

[Mr Crunchy]

millar couldnt catch a cold however while nixon plays a solid right field

dont get me wrong

im not a nixon guy but i wont sink so low as to compare him with millar just yet

 

anyone notice how his power#s plummeted and his injuries began since the roid testing started?

coincidence?

perhaps...perhaps not

if wily mo can hit .280 with consistant power,knock his k's down 25-50% and learn how to handle the corner in right nixons going to sit an awful lot

however

wily,when i last checked was hitting 150 against lefties

[ahhchon]

trot nixon right now is far more valuable than willy mo in RF. you can't compare the two. other than hr and slg% nixon is superior in the important category OB%. not to mention he's much better defensively. willy mo still hasn't adjusted to playing the fenway RF well. nixon has been doing it for years.

 

willy mo would be a great bat off the bench when we need power vs left handed pitching, to give manny, crisp or nixon a day off and if ortiz needs a day off.

 

john

[Cocos Disciples]

This guy is a platoon/defensive specialist player playing everyday

[HeadOfSoxNation]

now when coco comes back we'll be in need of another gun and someone will be available

do we move nixon who is a free agent?

do we move the performing pena who's rather cheap

do we move mohr and stern??

 

...there's no way they'd move Pena. When they made the deal to get Pena for Arroyo, it was clear the potential they saw in this guy. They made an investment in the future offensive production of the Red Sox, and they aren't going to let it go. And I don't want them to. This guy was a huge peice of raw, unrefined talent when he came to the Sox, and we've seen what a few at-bats, some playing time, and some coaching has done to his skills. There's still more things that need to be fine-tuned, but we have a diamond here guys. I'm in favor of WMP getting starts whenever possible so we can get him used to the defensive side of Fenway Park before next year. I think with Coco gone he'll get a lot of starts, and when Coco comes back (which, who freaking knows when that's going to be now), we could still use him when Manny gets a day off or when Crisp wants a day off or whatever.

 

Trot was great while he was here, and I'm totally in favor of the Sox resigning him this coming off season if he's ok with being a backup outfielder. With the skills that Trot has, I don't think he'll be ok with that, and I think he'll grab another couple of good years somewhere else. Let's just hope it's not in NY

[KeepTheFaith1229]

Really crazy idea and wouldn't work, would be a disaster but...Crisp was drafted as a shortstop. See what I am getting at here?

[Dana Kiecker]

Interesting topic..

 

Here is MY OPINION..

 

I think he was on the juice. I think the odds of him playing 120 games this year, WMP or not, are slim.

 

Wasnt he a free agent after the 03 season when he hit the cover off the ball?

 

There are few things I hate more in sports than someone overperforming in a contract year. But as was previously noted, if all four of these guys keep it up and play all year, what a wonderful problem to have..

[SCM33]

Really crazy idea and wouldn't work, would be a disaster but...Crisp was drafted as a shortstop. See what I am getting at here?

 

 

So was Albert "Joey" Belle.

Bobby Bo was drafted as a 3B

Tim Wakefield as a 1B

Sheffield as a SS

Hillenbrand as a C

Troy Glaus as a SS

McGwire as a 3B

Millar as a 3B

Offerman as a SS

Knoblauch as a SS

Ron Gant as a 2B

Chipper Jones as a SS

Troy Percival as a C

Renterria as a SS.....I know, its unbelievable that guy once played SS and committed 30 errors....wait, he still plays SS....nevermind.

 

Its crazy when you think of positions players played in college.

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

Lets be realistic. We have been let down by Trot Nixon for years. He gets a free pass because he plays hard. He has never lived up to his expectations, and he is an injury waiting to happen. Last season he was every bit as bad as Millar and did anyone say anything about his poor season? No. Look at his season last year, it was pretty sad. Besides the year he had in 2003, he has been a disappointment. He is a average major league OF, thats all. Here in Sox Nation I think we think of him as being a little better than he truly is because he has that "dirt Dog" persona.

 

Trot Nixon is a good baseball player. He is not a All-Star but thats ok. Not everyone needs to be at that level. The offense moves well with him. Willy Mo Pena has some good pop to his bat but he still strikes out a lot. Nixon does a much better job working the count, making the pitcher work, getting on base, hitting when players are on base, and plays excellent defense.

 

I'm not sure where you see he should lose his job to a 24 year old who needs work on his defense and still has to work on his plate discipline. Give Willy Mo some more time to continue adjusting. Our offense won't suffer with Trot Nixon in the lineup.

 

I can understand though that things are going well for the Red Sox someone needs to get down on someone. Its truely amazing....Manny Ramirez has a slow start, Coco Crisp stuggles with his injury, David Wells struggles with his injury, Rudy Seanez struggles in his first month, David Ortiz was batting around .260, Mark Loretta and Alex Gonzalez can't hit, Keith Foulke made people frustrated at times early.....

 

and we are fighting for 1st place. Don't mess with it.

[SCM33]

Trot Nixon is a good baseball player. He is not a All-Star but thats ok. Not everyone needs to be at that level. The offense moves well with him. Willy Mo Pena has some good pop to his bat but he still strikes out a lot. Nixon does a much better job working the count, making the pitcher work, getting on base, hitting when players are on base, and plays excellent defense.

 

I'm not sure where you see he should lose his job to a 24 year old who needs work on his defense and still has to work on his plate discipline. Give Willy Mo some more time to continue adjusting. Our offense won't suffer with Trot Nixon in the lineup.

 

I can understand though that things are going well for the Red Sox someone needs to get down on someone. Its truely amazing....Manny Ramirez has a slow start, Coco Crisp stuggles with his injury, David Wells struggles with his injury, Rudy Seanez struggles in his first month, David Ortiz was batting around .260, Mark Loretta and Alex Gonzalez can't hit, Keith Foulke made people frustrated at times early.....

 

and we are fighting for 1st place. Don't mess with it.

 

Actually...I never have suggested anything negetive towards any of those other players. In fact, I have been one of the few who is pulling for Rudy Seanez, and I pulled for WMP during his early struggles. They (Nixon and WMP) are both good players. Never said Nixon was not a good player. I never said he sucked, I said he is an average baseball player....I think that WMP is the better of the two, thats all. I said he had a poor season last year, and in the first post of this thread I said that Nixon was having a good season.

 

I never said anything about Coco, David Wells, Manny Ramirez, Big Papi, Loretta or Gonzo.

[monty]

Well, Trot Nixon just put the sox up 2-0 with a homer-run.

[SCM33]

Well, Trot Nixon just put the sox up 2-0 with a homer-run.

 

Any Willy Mo laid off a high fastball and two curveballs in the dirt to work the walk....when a month ago he woulda went down hacking...

[MANNYHOF24]

Im responding to the Nixon-Millar Comparison. First off lets remember that Trot was having a great season before he had a freak injury last season. Millar was healthy he just plain sucked. I do think they will let Nixon walk next year, however it will be a sad sight he has been here the longest for a position player and he always gives 110%, he will always be remembered in RSN. But he plays until he no longer has a contract with this team, plus he just hit a HR

[YazYaz04]

i thing that trot was listening.

 

sox lead again!

[SchillingIsTheNatural]

i thing that trot was listening.

 

sox lead again!

 

Agreed...pretty good game by Trot Nixon...that homer was against a lefty as well.

[Ray10]

Well so much for his power outage with the huge HR tonight.

[guapo34]

Good to see the Homer, but Chen isn't a lefty killer. His career numbers against lefties are actually worse than his numbers against righties. These are the types of lefties Trot can hit. Any lefty who is better on lefties owns him, and i think he should be watching against most lefties once coco is back.