Suggestions For Theo On Improving The Team In June And July

[mosox]

I think they still need to deal for a solid lefty in the pen. Lopez was a good shot but he is not the guy to get a hitter like Giambi out in a crucial situation in September.

[riverside sluggers]

trade idea here

 

The San Diego Padres are all but ready to deal off 1st baseman Ryan Klesko, their main concern is relief pitching. Klesko could be a good lefty bat off the bench. Rudy Seanez was a solid set up man for them especially in PETCO Partk. Both sides win :dunno:

 

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/20060711-9999-1s11padres.html

[Beckett95]

trade idea here

 

The San Diego Padres are all but ready to deal off 1st baseman Ryan Klesko, their main concern is relief pitching. Klesko could be a good lefty bat off the bench. Rudy Seanez was a solid set up man for them especially in PETCO Partk. Both sides win :dunno:

 

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/20060711-9999-1s11padres.html

 

if they take some of his contract id be interested

[Papelbon58]

he would definitely be a good pickup if they go for Seanez

[RoyNHSox]

If WMP wasn’t coming back soon then I’d say the trade would make more sense. A 35 year old guy coming off shoulder surgery in April doesn’t fill me with any confidence that he’s going to be much of a power threat this year.

[riverside sluggers]

trade idea here

 

The San Diego Padres are all but ready to deal off 1st baseman Ryan Klesko, their main concern is relief pitching. Klesko could be a good lefty bat off the bench. Rudy Seanez was a solid set up man for them especially in PETCO Partk. Both sides win :dunno:

 

http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/padres/20060711-9999-1s11padres.html

 

its now on mlbtraderumors, guess i was onto something

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

[seabeachfred]

I'd take a bag of oranges for Seanez. I think this guy is a travesty for our team and if he stays around as sure as God made little green applies he is going to cost us a few crucial games this summer. Francona has no intention of letting a bad situation like Seanez alone; he will be stubborn and keep using him to try and prove to himself that this guy can do it. We've seen this before with Embree and Mantei last year. The only relief came when Theo finally got off his ass and took these two toys away from Tito and released them. It had already cost us about seven games that I can remember and with it the ALK East Title.

[rician blast]

Francona has no intention of letting a bad situation like Seanez alone; he will be stubborn and keep using him to try and prove to himself that this guy can do it. We've seen this before with Embree and Mantei last year.

 

It's Tito's job to utilize the staff THEO and the FO provides him with...he did not sign Seanez. What's he to do? Not use part of his bullpen at the expense of the other members of the staff, wearing them out by early September?

[americanoutlaw]

pitching

Call up Craig Breslow

trade Julian Tavarez

trade Rudy Seanez

maybe try trade for a vet starter like John Smoltz if possible

 

Bench

trade Willie Harris"nice guy but dosen't give a lot to the sox"

try to maybe get Tony Graffanino back

[Papelbon58]

pitching

Call up Craig Breslow

trade Julian Tavarez

trade Rudy Seanez

maybe try trade for a vet starter like John Smoltz if possible

 

Bench

trade Willie Harris"nice guy but dosen't give a lot to the sox"

try to maybe get Tony Graffanino back

 

I agree with getting rid of Seanez and tavrez

J. Ban Buren will be up before Breslow

but why Graffanino? we do not really need an infielder on the bench, we need a bench outfielder, which we will soon get with Wily Mo. Loretta is really an everyday player. If Gonzo needs a break, bring in cora, if lowell needs a break, move Youk to third, Loretta to first (no kidding, Francona said Loretta is the backup 1st baseman) and Cora to 2nd. Wily Mo is also looking to play 1st some. And we have Hee Sop in the minors. Stern is also a possibility if needed, so pitching is a bigger deal that hitting.

[jsinger121]

right now this team needs tavarez. he has pitched very well of late in long relief and is a better option than craig breslow who is another loogy. I wouldn't be shocked to see the red sox try to stretch out tavarez a bit and maybe start him because he has pitched much better when he pitched in longer stints.

[Papelbon58]

right now this team needs tavarez. he has pitched very well of late in long relief and is a better option than craig breslow who is another loogy. I wouldn't be shocked to see the red sox try to stretch out tavarez a bit and maybe start him because he has pitched much better when he pitched in longer stints.

it still worries me a little, but he is worth a shot, and while he is a starter, they would probly bring up Van Buren to take his bullpen role, correct?

[jsinger121]

it still worries me a little, but he is worth a shot, and while he is a starter, they would probly bring up Van Buren to take his bullpen role, correct?

 

it all depends on the other roster moves but yes Van buren would be the next pitcher called up.

[seabeachfred]

It's Tito's job to utilize the staff THEO and the FO provides him with...he did not sign Seanez. What's he to do? Not use part of his bullpen at the expense of the other members of the staff, wearing them out by early September?

 

Rician, it is not Tito's right to use Seanez in critical situations. The other guys have done well enough that Seanez can now be used in mop-up work when he are far far ahead or way way behind. When the game is on the line, he needs to be a far from the madding crowd as can be allowed.:thumbdown :dunno: :thumbsup:

[RoyNHSox]

Rician, it is not Tito's right to use Seanez in critical situations. The other guys have done well enough that Seanez can now be used in mop-up work when he are far far ahead or way way behind. When the game is on the line, he needs to be a far from the madding crowd as can be allowed.:thumbdown :dunno: :thumbsup:

 

For the most part Tito has avoided using Seanez lately. Up until the extra innings game he hadn’t pitched in almost 2 weeks. He was the last arm in the pen when he came into the last CWS game. Tito had given Seanez several chances to prove he’s worthy of being used in high lev situations, and when he failed to perform, he eventually found his way to the dog house. As long as Theo keeps Seanez on the roster, Tito has no choice but to use him, albeit sparingly.

 

[seabeachfred]

For the most part Tito has avoided using Seanez lately. Up until the extra innings game he hadn’t pitched in almost 2 weeks. He was the last arm in the pen when he came into the last CWS game. Tito had given Seanez several chances to prove he’s worthy of being used in high lev situations, and when he failed to perform, he eventually found his way to the dog house. As long as Theo keeps Seanez on the roster, Tito has no choice but to use him, albeit sparingly.

 

 

Roy, you're right on that one; Tito has used Seanez sparingly and he must continue to do so until in some mop up operations he shows something that resembles effectiveness. With the second half starting tomorrow it behooves Francona to utilize his bullpen wisely and not take chances with pitchers who have not been able to handle the pressure, and that means Seanez for one. <_ src="//d1mqtyoopj0gsc.cloudfront.net/emoticons/default_blink.png" alt=":blink:">

[rician blast]

Rician, it is not Tito's right to use Seanez in critical situations. The other guys have done well enough that Seanez can now be used in mop-up work when he are far far ahead or way way behind. When the game is on the line, he needs to be a far from the madding crowd as can be allowed.:thumbdown :dunno: :thumbsup:

 

and I think Tito does this wherever possible...but there have been cases where the pen is taxed and he has to go with someone else on the roster...again, I reiterate, Tito has use of the guys that the FO puts on the roster...and there are times Rudy is gonna have to pitch, sometimes when it matters, because you can't burn out the rest of the pen to avoid Rudy. Until he is replaced, I'm afraid there is a chance...one that Tito will avoid when possible...that Seanez will be used and will cost the team. Fact of life right now.

[Mr Crunchy]

inevitably your weakest link will have to hold the chain together

its a fact of life

anyone remember who shut down the sox with the bases loaded with 0 out for chicago last october

 

anyone need a reminder who won game 4 of the 2004 alcs?

 

even blind chickens catch worms now and then

[Mr Crunchy]

and another thing

didnt shag crawford win 2 games in the 86 playoffs??

[rician blast]

and another thing

didnt shag crawford win 2 games in the 86 playoffs??

 

I believe so

[Mr Crunchy]

it goes to show

you can have hursty and clemens and dennis boyd and al nipper but sometimes in the game of baseball shag crawford has the ball in the 8th inning with the game on the line

 

you can have petey and schill and a lites out lowe and an untouchable foulke but occasionally its destined to come down to curtis leskanic with the ball in the 14th inning

 

you gotta be prepared for 25 men to contribute if youre sincere in winning a world series unless youre playing against the astros where your 4 starters all go the distance

[Cocos Disciples]

Breslow called up, taking place of Johnson until Monday, when Snyder will come up.

[RavenOfProphecy]

If I were to be tasked with the improvement of the Boston Red Sox baseball club, I'd probably first evaluate the team without bias. I'd look at the offense and then the defense.

 

At catcher, Jason Varitek is sagging offensively and as is Doug Mirabelli. It's a hard position to fill offensively, but on defense they are above average and I would probably keep them around while looking for someone who might be cheaper than Varitek with the same production offensively (of which there are surely numerous alternatives.) However, it isn't time to get rid of the captain of the club in the middle of a pennant race, and so I would keep him around at least until the end of the year. We need prospects at the position, and we should convert anyone who might be able to play there.

 

First base is a relatively low-priority position in my opinion. Kevin Youkilis has been a solid producer this year, getting on base a lot and posting decent hitting numbers while showing a strong glove, which led to the release of the very talented J.T. Snow (someone I would not cut against their will, but he asked, so...) David Ortiz obviously is the best power hitter in the major leagues right now, and with a $6.5 million salary, he stays as well as Youkilis. Hee Seop Choi can be a valuable pinch hitter against right-handers and is disciplined.

 

At second base, Mark Loretta is definitely a good player as well, having a season far better than he did last year. He stays, and Dustin Pedroia is tabbed as the future of the position. Loretta has a club option this offseason, and while I'm not familiar with the salary he would get if the option were picked up, or the buyout cost, I would probably renew if it were for a reasonable price, and then groom Pedroia a bit more in the minors.

 

Alex Gonzalez has been having a good offensive season, batting around .276, and Alex Cora has been a good pinch hitter. Alejandro Machado can be a solid player in the future and plays here, so I have a pretty good group of guys playing there, especially on defense. Someone like Cesar Izturis or Julio Lugo is not needed here because they are not the balanced ballplayers that Alex Gonzalez has been this year.

 

Mike Lowell is expensive at $9 million per year, and he's agining, so although he's batting close to .300 and could win a Gold Glove at third (but it'll be tough with the season Eric Chavez is having), I'm looking to fill holes with this guy. I love him as a player and a person, but Youkilis is a natural third basemen and it opens up a lot of options if I move him. Youkilis at third, Ortiz at first, Manny DHs, or Youk at third, Choi at first, Ortiz DHs, and that's not including trades. I'm looking for a right fielder with him or a quality pitcher (either starter or setup man.) Chad Spann represents a bright future at the position in the minors.

 

In left field, Manny Ramirez is not the liability we all see him as defensively. He's got a strong arm (he led the league in outfield assists in '03 or '04) and makes some good catches from time to time, but might benefit from playing DH. Wily Mo Pena is batting over .300 this year and is a faster player than Man-Ram, so I might try and get him some playing time in left as opposed to right and improve that defense. This could happen if Lowell was traded to fill a need. We have a lot of prospects to try out in left, including David Murphy, Jason Place, and Brandon Moss in the future.

 

In center, Coco Crisp hasn't been the player that I thought he'd be when he comes in from Cleveland for Andy Marte, who was probably the team's best prospect at the time of the trade. He's batting .260 with a .317 on-base, and this isn't what I expected to get. He's missed games due to injury and his arm and fielding haven't lived up to expectations. He's a fast player on a team that doesn't value speed as much as most. However, there are not many alternatives and I would stick with him until at least the end of the season and perhaps further down the road. Jacoby Ellsbury has an extremely bright future as a Johnny Damon-type, and we're set for the long-term.

 

In right, Trot Nixon has been having a drought, and his average has fallen below .300. He's a free agent at the end of the season and I'm trying to move him to another team because I want to get a right fielder who can produce more runs for me, or land a quality pitcher. Him and Mike Lowell are the biggest names I can offer on the trade block on offense. Wily Mo Pena might not have the fielding ability and arm strength to play right, but he currently does, so I have alternatives. Someone like Bobby Abreu would be nice, but his contract is massive.

 

I already went over a lot of the starting pitching staff in a topic about David Wells (you can check my posts if you'd like to read it), but to summarize: Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield are players that I value and with expiring contracts, it's important for me to extend their tenures with the team (Wakefield having the longest run with the club of any player.) Josh Beckett is a great young pitcher who has a relatively cheap deal (less than A.J. Burnett), and he's won 13 games while losing just five, so he stays.

 

My #4 and #5 spots are up for grabs, though, and I've got a lot of options to fit but no great ones. Jon Lester seems like the best person to play in the #4 spot. He's young, left-handed, 5-0, but has struggled in his last start coming off of a one-hitter against (I believe) Kansas City. Matt Clement was an All-Star last year after winning his first nine decisions, but he's struggled and been injured, so I am looking to move him to a team in need of a starter that'll take on his contract and give me something I need in return. A team like Philaldelphia might be willing to move Abreu for him, and that helps me. Perhaps a four-player deal where I give up Nixon and Clement for Abreu and Lieber, a proven winner in New York?

 

David Wells is set to retire after the year and has made two starts, so I look for a #5 guy. If Wells is healthy, he's a league-average #4 or 5 guy who can really help us, but long-term, I need someone. Abe Alvarez and Kason Gabbard are other lefties with talent, and Kyle Snyder has put together some solid starts as well. Alvarez would be my first choice for a #5 starter for next year, but if a cheap and underrated free agent is available, I want to add him as insurance while dumping Jason Johnson.

 

The bullpen was the team's weakest link in 2005, and while there has been improvement this year, it still needs to be fixed up. Jon Papelbon has been as good a closer as I could ask for, and I would like to keep him there despite his potential as a starter. Craig Hansen is a player I really like, and I would like him to be my setup man of the future, or closer, should Papelbon have to move back to a starter.

 

Mike Timlin and Manny Delcarmen have shown me something, and I believe they are two good middle relievers. Keith Foulke has really tailed off after a good 2004, so I can't count on him and get rid of him in free agency. I'm sure there's a more consistent and durable free agent to be signed that can take over his role.

 

Rudy Seanez and Julian Tavarez are the problems in this bullpen. I went over this in another post as well, so I will just summarize that quickly. Trade Tavarez for whatever you can get bullpen-wise, and then leave Seanez in the mopup role. Javier Lopez can be a one-out lefty in some situations, and I want players who have playoff experience and won't struggle in front of big crowds. Alright, well, there's my analysis. Hopefully this was helpful to someone!

[SoxFan02]

When did u start that post, Raven of Prophecy?

[MANNYHOF24]

If I were to be tasked with the improvement of the Boston Red Sox baseball club, I'd probably first evaluate the team without bias. I'd look at the offense and then the defense.

 

At catcher, Jason Varitek is sagging offensively and as is Doug Mirabelli. It's a hard position to fill offensively, but on defense they are above average and I would probably keep them around while looking for someone who might be cheaper than Varitek with the same production offensively (of which there are surely numerous alternatives.) However, it isn't time to get rid of the captain of the club in the middle of a pennant race, and so I would keep him around at least until the end of the year. We need prospects at the position, and we should convert anyone who might be able to play there.

 

First base is a relatively low-priority position in my opinion. Kevin Youkilis has been a solid producer this year, getting on base a lot and posting decent hitting numbers while showing a strong glove, which led to the release of the very talented J.T. Snow (someone I would not cut against their will, but he asked, so...) David Ortiz obviously is the best power hitter in the major leagues right now, and with a $6.5 million salary, he stays as well as Youkilis. Hee Seop Choi can be a valuable pinch hitter against right-handers and is disciplined.

 

At second base, Mark Loretta is definitely a good player as well, having a season far better than he did last year. He stays, and Dustin Pedroia is tabbed as the future of the position. Loretta has a club option this offseason, and while I'm not familiar with the salary he would get if the option were picked up, or the buyout cost, I would probably renew if it were for a reasonable price, and then groom Pedroia a bit more in the minors.

 

Alex Gonzalez has been having a good offensive season, batting around .276, and Alex Cora has been a good pinch hitter. Alejandro Machado can be a solid player in the future and plays here, so I have a pretty good group of guys playing there, especially on defense. Someone like Cesar Izturis or Julio Lugo is not needed here because they are not the balanced ballplayers that Alex Gonzalez has been this year.

 

Mike Lowell is expensive at $9 million per year, and he's agining, so although he's batting close to .300 and could win a Gold Glove at third (but it'll be tough with the season Eric Chavez is having), I'm looking to fill holes with this guy. I love him as a player and a person, but Youkilis is a natural third basemen and it opens up a lot of options if I move him. Youkilis at third, Ortiz at first, Manny DHs, or Youk at third, Choi at first, Ortiz DHs, and that's not including trades. I'm looking for a right fielder with him or a quality pitcher (either starter or setup man.) Chad Spann represents a bright future at the position in the minors.

 

In left field, Manny Ramirez is not the liability we all see him as defensively. He's got a strong arm (he led the league in outfield assists in '03 or '04) and makes some good catches from time to time, but might benefit from playing DH. Wily Mo Pena is batting over .300 this year and is a faster player than Man-Ram, so I might try and get him some playing time in left as opposed to right and improve that defense. This could happen if Lowell was traded to fill a need. We have a lot of prospects to try out in left, including David Murphy, Jason Place, and Brandon Moss in the future.

 

In center, Coco Crisp hasn't been the player that I thought he'd be when he comes in from Cleveland for Andy Marte, who was probably the team's best prospect at the time of the trade. He's batting .260 with a .317 on-base, and this isn't what I expected to get. He's missed games due to injury and his arm and fielding haven't lived up to expectations. He's a fast player on a team that doesn't value speed as much as most. However, there are not many alternatives and I would stick with him until at least the end of the season and perhaps further down the road. Jacoby Ellsbury has an extremely bright future as a Johnny Damon-type, and we're set for the long-term.

 

In right, Trot Nixon has been having a drought, and his average has fallen below .300. He's a free agent at the end of the season and I'm trying to move him to another team because I want to get a right fielder who can produce more runs for me, or land a quality pitcher. Him and Mike Lowell are the biggest names I can offer on the trade block on offense. Wily Mo Pena might not have the fielding ability and arm strength to play right, but he currently does, so I have alternatives. Someone like Bobby Abreu would be nice, but his contract is massive.

 

I already went over a lot of the starting pitching staff in a topic about David Wells (you can check my posts if you'd like to read it), but to summarize: Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield are players that I value and with expiring contracts, it's important for me to extend their tenures with the team (Wakefield having the longest run with the club of any player.) Josh Beckett is a great young pitcher who has a relatively cheap deal (less than A.J. Burnett), and he's won 13 games while losing just five, so he stays.

 

My #4 and #5 spots are up for grabs, though, and I've got a lot of options to fit but no great ones. Jon Lester seems like the best person to play in the #4 spot. He's young, left-handed, 5-0, but has struggled in his last start coming off of a one-hitter against (I believe) Kansas City. Matt Clement was an All-Star last year after winning his first nine decisions, but he's struggled and been injured, so I am looking to move him to a team in need of a starter that'll take on his contract and give me something I need in return. A team like Philaldelphia might be willing to move Abreu for him, and that helps me. Perhaps a four-player deal where I give up Nixon and Clement for Abreu and Lieber, a proven winner in New York?

 

David Wells is set to retire after the year and has made two starts, so I look for a #5 guy. If Wells is healthy, he's a league-average #4 or 5 guy who can really help us, but long-term, I need someone. Abe Alvarez and Kason Gabbard are other lefties with talent, and Kyle Snyder has put together some solid starts as well. Alvarez would be my first choice for a #5 starter for next year, but if a cheap and underrated free agent is available, I want to add him as insurance while dumping Jason Johnson.

 

The bullpen was the team's weakest link in 2005, and while there has been improvement this year, it still needs to be fixed up. Jon Papelbon has been as good a closer as I could ask for, and I would like to keep him there despite his potential as a starter. Craig Hansen is a player I really like, and I would like him to be my setup man of the future, or closer, should Papelbon have to move back to a starter.

 

Mike Timlin and Manny Delcarmen have shown me something, and I believe they are two good middle relievers. Keith Foulke has really tailed off after a good 2004, so I can't count on him and get rid of him in free agency. I'm sure there's a more consistent and durable free agent to be signed that can take over his role.

 

Rudy Seanez and Julian Tavarez are the problems in this bullpen. I went over this in another post as well, so I will just summarize that quickly. Trade Tavarez for whatever you can get bullpen-wise, and then leave Seanez in the mopup role. Javier Lopez can be a one-out lefty in some situations, and I want players who have playoff experience and won't struggle in front of big crowds. Alright, well, there's my analysis. Hopefully this was helpful to someone!

 

First off Varitek will hit and has really picked it up since the break. I believe Doug Mirabelli has like 11 Rbis in his last 6 starts. So I think the catcher situation is fine. Also Curt Schillings Option for 07 was picked up after the 04 win, and Wakefield has a mutal option for the rest off his life with the sox, that if he does not retire(which is actually a possibility) will be picked up. Coco is STILL injured, so I am going to completely wash this season for him. Paps obvious starter in 07!

[RavenOfProphecy]

First off Varitek will hit and has really picked it up since the break. I believe Doug Mirabelli has like 11 Rbis in his last 6 starts. So I think the catcher situation is fine. Also Curt Schillings Option for 07 was picked up after the 04 win, and Wakefield has a mutal option for the rest off his life with the sox, that if he does not retire(which is actually a possibility) will be picked up. Coco is STILL injured, so I am going to completely wash this season for him. Paps obvious starter in 07!

 

I hope you're right with Varitek picking it up, but I believe that RBIs are really a stat of opportunity (depends on the rest of your team, basically), and Mirabelli's .189 average and .274 on-base are both terrible. By the way, he has 14 RBIs in 41 games, so, not that great. Nice to see that Schilling's option was picked up (I don't really follow contract situations as closely as some here), and that'll probably be his last year, as he's said that he plans to retire and spend time with his family (but if he were to come back, it'd only be for the Sox.) I was aware of Wakefield's option, and I hope he comes back for a few more years. I pretty much said that Crisp would get a second chance unless he really deteriorated even further, which covers that, and as far as Papelbon, it's a tough call because every 100 runs saved by a starter is worth far less than every 100 saved by a reliever (as Bill James will surely attest. Check out the Historical Baseball Abstract for more on that, I believe the 1960's is where he talks about it.) Also, you don't want to mess with a good thing, so I would probably keep Papelbon as a closer unless we got someone like Tom Gordon, but that might just be me.

[Cocos Disciples]

You're right about the RBI's, one gets one for a groundout with runners at second and third, and doesn't for a double with a man at first when he doesnt' score. However, if Varitek does not improve, the catcher's situation is not fine. Maybe he is just over the hill, he is old, and catchers wear and tear earlier than most. I sure hope he has a few solid years left, but you have to wonder.

[ORS]

I hope you're right with Varitek picking it up, but I believe that RBIs are really a stat of opportunity (depends on the rest of your team, basically), and Mirabelli's .189 average and .274 on-base are both terrible. By the way, he has 14 RBIs in 41 games, so, not that great. Nice to see that Schilling's option was picked up (I don't really follow contract situations as closely as some here), and that'll probably be his last year, as he's said that he plans to retire and spend time with his family (but if he were to come back, it'd only be for the Sox.) I was aware of Wakefield's option, and I hope he comes back for a few more years. I pretty much said that Crisp would get a second chance unless he really deteriorated even further, which covers that, and as far as Papelbon, it's a tough call because every 100 runs saved by a starter is worth far less than every 100 saved by a reliever (as Bill James will surely attest. Check out the Historical Baseball Abstract for more on that, I believe the 1960's is where he talks about it.) Also, you don't want to mess with a good thing, so I would probably keep Papelbon as a closer unless we got someone like Tom Gordon, but that might just be me.

Absolutely true. However, good injury-free SPs typically pitch about 2.5 times as many innings as good RPs, so the 1:1 ratio goes away. There are strong arguments for not fixing what isn't broken. That said, I think it would be wasteful to not see if Papelbon can succeed as a SP on this level. If it doesn't work out, he can always move back.

[seabeachfred]

I hope you're right with Varitek picking it up, but I believe that RBIs are really a stat of opportunity (depends on the rest of your team, basically), and Mirabelli's .189 average and .274 on-base are both terrible. By the way, he has 14 RBIs in 41 games, so, not that great. Nice to see that Schilling's option was picked up (I don't really follow contract situations as closely as some here), and that'll probably be his last year, as he's said that he plans to retire and spend time with his family (but if he were to come back, it'd only be for the Sox.) I was aware of Wakefield's option, and I hope he comes back for a few more years. I pretty much said that Crisp would get a second chance unless he really deteriorated even further, which covers that, and as far as Papelbon, it's a tough call because every 100 runs saved by a starter is worth far less than every 100 saved by a reliever (as Bill James will surely attest. Check out the Historical Baseball Abstract for more on that, I believe the 1960's is where he talks about it.) Also, you don't want to mess with a good thing, so I would probably keep Papelbon as a closer unless we got someone like Tom Gordon, but that might just be me.

 

You were doing a pretty damn good job until you suggested that Hee Seop Choi could be our first baseman next year. You have to be absolutely nuts to even suggest that. I saw this guy for the better part of two seasons out here in LA and take it from me, he sucks big time. He strikes out in record numbers, is rotten in the clutch, is hitting very poorly down AAA Ball, is a poor fielder and a dumb base runner. He is, in short, a loser. As for Abreu, he has hit exactly 14 homers since last July. He is no improvement over Nixon and is an attitude case of the first order. Aside from that, not bad.

[RavenOfProphecy]

You were doing a pretty damn good job until you suggested that Hee Seop Choi could be our first baseman next year. You have to be absolutely nuts to even suggest that. I saw this guy for the better part of two seasons out here in LA and take it from me, he sucks big time. He strikes out in record numbers, is rotten in the clutch, is hitting very poorly down AAA Ball, is a poor fielder and a dumb base runner. He is, in short, a loser. As for Abreu, he has hit exactly 14 homers since last July. He is no improvement over Nixon and is an attitude case of the first order. Aside from that, not bad.

 

I think you might be underrated Hee Seop a little bit. He's not a terrific player, but he's only struck out 262 times in 915 ABs, so I dunno where you're getting that from. It's a little high, but it's not Mark Bellhorn or Jim Thome high. In 601 ABs over the past two years, he has 30 home runs, which isn't bad at all, with 82 RBIs and 88 runs. He's also 27, so he's going to improve. His career on-base is .349, and in 2004, it was .388. Also, Youkilis wasn't considered to be a good fielder or baserunner either, and Bellhorn was basically the past version of Hee Seop (only with a strength vs. lefties rather than righties) and he stuck around for a while.

 

Also, Abreu is definitely an upgrade over Chistopher Trotman. He's a gold glove outfielder, former silver slugger winner, and has a ton of walks (some record about having 100+ walks in seven straight seasons or something.) He missed SEVEN games from 2003-2005, while Trot missed twenty one more in his most durable season of the three (2003.) Abreu is also a much better baserunner, as he averages 30 steals compared to Trot's five. Bobby's also #8 among active players in OBP with .413. Trot has an OBP of .369 career. Nothing against Trot, but Abreu is the better player.