Wily Mo's Future

[seabeachfred]

this arroyo for pena deal looks worse by the hour

this is difficult to say after the perfomances of lenny dinardo jj johnson and the 10 other guys we used to replace arroyo and wakefield

 

Crunch, good to see some others taking a critical look at Pena besides me. In fact, I think I have been on his case a little too much and am trying to see if there are any positives to having this guy on our club. He does have light-tower power and can actually play a decent CF. It is after this that the wheels come off the truck. I keep hearing his work habits are s*****, that he seems to regress as fast as he improves, that we cannot send him to the minors because he is out of options. What's left? The only thing I can suggest that makes any sense to me is for the guy to TRY and learn some 1B play. That could get him some extra at-bats besides those he gets when he spells the other three guys in the OF. If he can get enough of those and the Red Sox keep working on his mechanics at the plate and his work in the OF, maybe by 2009 when Manny is gone we will have a decent replacement out there in the guy. The only wild idea besides that would be to put him in CF for a year, trade Crisp as part of a trade for a closer, and hope he does the job out there. BTW, I just suggested the latter; I'm not in favor of it.

[Mr Crunchy]

wmp has had 300abs every year

he hasnt gotten any more patient in that time

i say name him the starting right fielder and give him a legit chance and if he fails dump his ass and chase a marquis name come next november

 

id rather watch him whiff 200 times(he will) than see jd drew and his grace pms his way around the outfield at 14M per

[seabeachfred]

thats all well and good but when drew signs and if ortiz holds out for fair market value will the sox tell him to shove it with a straight face??

 

sure you won us a world series and have been the biggest clutch hitter the sport has seen maybe ever but youre not jd drew

take it or leave it??

 

if we were talking about anyone with an ego this would be a problem

luckily we're talking about ortiz here

 

how many more games would the sox won last year with arroyo as their 5 as opposed to the s*** heels we marched out their every 5th day

not to mention the beating the bullpen took because of the futility of the replacements

 

No one is disagreeing with you on the barfbags we trooped out there on the mound via Theo's waiver wire last summer Crunch, but what's done is done. All we'll get is more pissed off thinking about that debacle. Our pitching looks vastly improved over last season, minus the important item of a good closer. It is still possible that Theo will put either Coco or Wily Mo up for trade if a quality one is still available. Aside from that, we can only hope that if that is not forthcoming, Pena does well enough not to embarass himself and the club gets something of value out of him on our team. Besides, barring injury he will not be a starter so we don't have to keep our fingers tightly crossed that much when a fly ball goes his way in the outfield.

[rician blast]

fred, instead (assuming they settle things with Drew) we'll be cringing every time a ball goes JD Drew's way, collectively saying "please don't let him break a nail and miss 20 games".

[jacksonianmarch]

JDL Drew would miss the season with a broken nail. Do you have any idea how long cuticle takes to grow back!!

[Mr Crunchy]

i do

and after 9 years im still waiting for the nail to grow back on my right ring finger

[hoke3182]

Is that 14 million guaranteed, he hasn't signed yet. What are the chances we get him a little cheaper? I was thinking like 10 mill with incentives that could push it to 14mill. I think he needs the Sox,I don't recall even hearing about any other teams showing intrest this off season.

[KeepTheFaith1229]

An incentive loaded contract would definitely be best for a guy like Drew who gets hurt a lot. Make him earn his paycheck. That's probably what's holding the deal back, Sox want incentives while Boras knows he may get burned on this and holds out for guaranteed cash.

[seabeachfred]

fred' date=' instead (assuming they settle things with Drew) we'll be cringing every time a ball goes JD Drew's way, collectively saying "please don't let him break a nail and miss 20 games".[/quote']

 

Rician, most of you are pretty down on Drew. I really think the guy has gotten a bum rap and will be a very solid player for us. I know a lot of Dodger fans are pissed off he wiggled out of his contract there and a lot of this anti-Drew stuff has been coming from the West Coast where I live. I saw this guy many times last year and what you guys are describing is not what I saw, especially in September when it seemed every hit he got drove in a run. Yes, I will be putting myself up against the wall if he falls on his face because I have been one of his biggest boosters, but knowing what Fenway Park does for me when I see it and sit in the place, and how the fans react to their team, I think Drew will find this place much to his liking and will be swept along with the enthusiasm he sees. I really believe that.

[hoke3182]

Rician' date=' most of you are pretty down on Drew. I really think the guy has gotten a bum rap and will be a very solid player for us. I know a lot of Dodger fans are pissed off he wiggled out of his contract there and a lot of this anti-Drew stuff has been coming from the West Coast where I live. I saw this guy many times last year and what you guys are describing is not what I saw, especially in September when it seemed every hit he got drove in a run. Yes, I will be putting myself up against the wall if he falls on his face because I have been one of his biggest boosters, but knowing what Fenway Park does for me when I see it and sit in the place, and how the fans react to their team, I think Drew will find this place much to his liking and will be swept along with the enthusiasm he sees. I really believe that.[/quote']You are falling to mention all the times you didn't see him play because he was hurt. I think that and the 14 mill is what brings us down on Drew.

[seabeachfred]

You are falling to mention all the times you didn't see him play because he was hurt. I think that and the 14 mill is what brings us down on Drew.

 

He played 146 games last year and could have played more but Grady Little tried to keep him strong and injury free and gave him a few extra days off. Again, I think we need a RF who can play at Fenway Park, hit well, and drive in runs with decent power. Drew has those tools. If I'm wrong I will catch it for sure. I think I have this one right.

[hoke3182]

He played 146 games last year and could have played more but Grady Little tried to keep him strong and injury free and gave him a few extra days off. Again' date=' I think we need a RF who can play at Fenway Park, hit well, and drive in runs with decent power. Drew has those tools. If I'm wrong I will catch it for sure. I think I have this one right.[/quote']I agree with all that you mentioned above, I hope does play 150 games hits 25 hr and drives in 90 runs while playing great d, but I believe it when I see it.

[Mr Crunchy]

2-13 against the mets in the playoffs who used 50 year old tom glavine as their ace??'

who was the mets #2??

joe maine??

0rbi,0bb .154 avg against perhaps the worst post season pitching staff ever assembled??

clutch hitter you say??

 

sure

pay him 2M more than ortiz

[rician blast]

Rician' date=' most of you are pretty down on Drew. I really think the guy has gotten a bum rap and will be a very solid player for us. I know a lot of Dodger fans are pissed off he wiggled out of his contract there and a lot of this anti-Drew stuff has been coming from the West Coast where I live. I saw this guy many times last year and what you guys are describing is not what I saw, especially in September when it seemed every hit he got drove in a run. Yes, I will be putting myself up against the wall if he falls on his face because I have been one of his biggest boosters, but knowing what Fenway Park does for me when I see it and sit in the place, and how the fans react to their team, I think Drew will find this place much to his liking and will be swept along with the enthusiasm he sees. I really believe that.[/quote']

 

I don't think he'll suck if he plays.

 

My concern is twofold:

 

Will he play in enough games to justify his contract?

Will he struggle to hit 15-18 HRs in Fenway, as RF is extremely tough to hit 'em out.

 

Not that I personally care about the money...but its possible that money could be/could have been better spent on other ways to improve the team rather than adding an oft-injured RF who, IMO, will be a .285, 18, 85 rbi guy.