Adam LaRoche traded to the Red Sox

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

And no plane crashes either!

WE KOOD SEE OUR FEET IN TEH OSHINZ!!!

[RedSoxRooter]

and he could very well be a guy who will thrive in a situation where he's actually playing for something for the first time in his career

 

he played for the Braves when they were winning divisions.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

He'll be back haha

Hopefully before 6, which the time I've set for myself before I can fall asleep (I'm working on about 30 sleepless hours right now).

[The_Destroyah]

A few?

 

honestly there are alot of rural places where you see that behavior but you cant condemn the whole state, i lived in MS for 3 years and i met 2 honest to god racists and their life was s***** as hell anyways just goes to show that Karma exists i garauntee that there are more good ppl in Bama than there are cross burning bigots.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

honestly there are alot of rural places where you see that behavior but you cant condemn the whole state' date=' i lived in MS for 3 years and i met 2 honest to god racists and their life was s***** as hell anyways just goes to show that Karma exists i garauntee that there are more good ppl in Bama than there are cross burning bigots.[/quote']

Ehh Alabama just rolled off the keyboard nicely... nicer than Tennessee would have.

[The_Destroyah]

well and there are more of KKK members in Bama than Tennessee...i get what you are saying though, i having lived in the south all my life dont like to be lumped in with mindless bigots who honestly think god hates anything that isnt white...

[pedroia_the_destroyah53]

That Do your Civic Duty thread is good entertainment. That guy deserves to be banned. When he comes back can we just bait him and get him banned again?

[The_Destroyah]

That Do your Civic Duty thread is good entertainment. That guy deserves to be banned. When he comes back can we just bait him and get him banned again?

 

it might be awhile, he has to finish blowing Steinbrenner before he can create a new account.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

That Do your Civic Duty thread is good entertainment. That guy deserves to be banned. When he comes back can we just bait him and get him banned again?

What we usually do.

[BoSox21]

he played for the Braves when they were winning divisions.

 

he was fantastic in his last season in Atlanta, which was only his third season in the majors:

 

.285/.354, 32 HRs, 90 RBIs, .915 OPS

[jacksonianmarch]

Thats the thing about LaRoche. He's 29, so its not like he's going to break out and be a 1.000OPS guy. Hell, he isnt even average when it comes to his position. But, getting a guy who will likely have an OPS from .770 and .850 is useful however you slice it. Especially when LaRoche has a history of being better in the second half and Lowell has an injury and a history of sucking in the second half. I would disagree with someone who calls this an over the top move. This is not, because LaRoche is not starting off the bat and is not an upgrade over Lowell offensively. But it is a good contingency move if Lowell goes down. Cause the downgrade from Lowell to LaRoche is a hell of a lot less than the downgrade from Lowell to Bates

[The_Destroyah]

Thats the thing about LaRoche. He's 29' date=' so its not like he's going to break out and be a 1.000OPS guy. Hell, he isnt even average when it comes to his position. But, getting a guy who will likely have an OPS from .770 and .850 is useful however you slice it. Especially when LaRoche has a history of being better in the second half and Lowell has an injury and a history of sucking in the second half. I would disagree with someone who calls this an over the top move. This is not, because LaRoche is not starting off the bat and is not an upgrade over Lowell offensively. But it is a good contingency move if Lowell goes down. Cause the downgrade from Lowell to LaRoche is a hell of a lot less than the downgrade from Lowell to Bates[/quote']

 

true and he is a lefty in a RHH heavy lineup so thats a nice little bonus, i think it helps shore up our depth at the corner infield and is a small piece to a large puzzle, LaRoche alone is not spectacular but he can really help us in the lineup, if you get what I mean.

[BoSox21]

makes for a hell of a pinch hitting option too regardless of whether Lowell, LaRoche or Youk is on the bench on a given night

[Cocos Disciples]

I guess this was BOY's boiling point. For the record, we knew it was him for a while.

[italstallianion]

Dang it. I missed the epic troll. Oh well, I could just go to the ESPN boards and see 50 of them.

[VA Sox Fan]

LaRoche trade synopsis

 

Posted by Adam Kilgore, Globe Staff July 22, 2009 02:24 PM

 

A brief breakdown of what the Red Sox' acquisition of Adam LaRoche means:

 

WHAT THEY GOT

With the Sox staggering after the All-Star, the need for an additional bat became more glaring. The Sox have hit .194 since the All-Star break while scoring 12 runs in five games and falling a game behind the New York Yankees in the American League East. The Sox have lost four straight; they haven’t lost five straight since April 23 to April 27 last year.

 

LaRoche’s substandard stats so far this season -- a .247 batting average, a .329 on-base percentage, and a .441 slugging percentage -- should not be taken as cause for alarm based on his career history. Before the All-Star break in his career, LaRoche has batted .252 with a .326 on-base and a .447 slugging. After the break, he is .296/.357/.544, which equates to an OPS jump of .773 to .901. Simply: LaRoche has been nearly a minor league player before the break and virtually an All-Star after it. LaRoche could add also some power. He has 12 home runs this season, and in 2006 with the Atlanta Braves, he hit a career-best 32 home runs.

 

In adding LaRoche, the Red Sox will have to alter their major league roster, meaning a Red Sox position player will likely be optioned or placed on the disabled list whenever LaRoche arrives. This is purely speculative, but Mark Kotsay has been battling a calf injury, and while it improved over the All-Star break, the Sox could give him more rest without sacrificing any infield versatility by putting him on the DL.

 

WHAT THEY GAVE

Neither Argenis Diaz nor Hunter Strickland were considered cornerstones of the Red Sox farm system. Diaz, 22, was on the 40-man roster. Diaz entered spring training in major league widely considered the best defensive player in the Red Sox system. He proved able at making flashy plays, but he consistently failed to make routine plays, a problem that followed him to Double A Portland. Diaz committed 18 errors this year.

 

Trading Diaz, in one sense, shows the Red Sox’ faith in Yamaico Navarro, who was promoted from Class A Salem this afternoon to take over in Portland. The Red Sox signed Navarro, 21, out of the Dominican Republic in 2005. In 23 games with Salem this season, Navarro hit .319 with a .915 OPS and made five errors. The Red Sox also recently Cuban defector Jose Iglesias, which might have helped make Diaz expendable.

 

Strickland, 20, had pitched for Greenville this year. The Red Sox drafted him out of high school in the 18th round in 2007. Strickland, who is 6-feet-5-inches, went 5-4 with Greenville this year with a 3.35 ERA and a 51-13 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He throws his fastball in the low-to-mid 90s.

[TheKilo]

I guess this was BOY's boiling point. For the record' date=' we knew it was him for a while.[/quote']

 

How long?

[Gom]

first off.....dumbass....NL Central

 

secondly, if Jason Bay could make the same transition seamlessly, why couldnt LaRoche?

Same difference.

 

How is Jason Bay now? Right around his career OPS. However, his OPS month by month reads as follows:

 

1.124

.978

.701

.699

 

I can't wait for you guys to sign him to a long-term extension. The guy is garbage.

 

LaRoche didn't cost you anything, but he isn't much either. A marginal move, like our Hinske move. If LaRoche sees more than 1-2 games a week, your team has a problem.

[Cocos Disciples]

How long?

 

We didn't actually know for sure until a little bit ago, but we had a pretty good idea for a while. I don't know how long exactly.

[Cocos Disciples]

By the way, those who said this is LaRoche's first time in a race are wrong. He was on the Braves in 2004 and 2005.

[Rdsxmbnt]

Same difference.

 

How is Jason Bay now? Right around his career OPS. However, his OPS month by month reads as follows:

 

1.124

.978

.701

.699

 

I can't wait for you guys to sign him to a long-term extension. The guy is garbage.

 

LaRoche didn't cost you anything, but he isn't much either. A marginal move, like our Hinske move. If LaRoche sees more than 1-2 games a week, your team has a problem.

 

He's had 1 and a half bad months totaling 150 AB yet he's garbage.

 

Lets just go ahead and ignore the 1.042 OPS he put up in his first two months that landed him a starting spot in the all-star game.

 

Lets just ignore that over 3000 AB he's a career .890 OPS hitter.

 

Lets ignore that he's only 30 years old and in his prime.

 

Yes, lets ignore all that and look at the past 150 AB rather than the last 3000. Sounds good, quality s*** there Gom!

[Dipre]

Same difference.

 

How is Jason Bay now? Right around his career OPS. However, his OPS month by month reads as follows:

 

1.124

.978

.701

.699

 

I can't wait for you guys to sign him to a long-term extension. The guy is garbage.

 

LaRoche didn't cost you anything, but he isn't much either. A marginal move, like our Hinske move. If LaRoche sees more than 1-2 games a week, your team has a problem.

 

Sure, he's garbage.

 

The fact that he's averaged 270-30-100 for most of his career means nothing because he's slumping now.

 

If he were on the Yankees, you'd probably come up with some ******** excuse as to why he's struggling and why he'll bounce back.

 

You're really shoving your so-called "objectivity" over your own ass lately.

[The_Destroyah]

Same difference.

 

How is Jason Bay now? Right around his career OPS. However, his OPS month by month reads as follows:

 

1.124

.978

.701

.699

 

I can't wait for you guys to sign him to a long-term extension. The guy is garbage.

 

LaRoche didn't cost you anything, but he isn't much either. A marginal move, like our Hinske move. If LaRoche sees more than 1-2 games a week, your team has a problem.

 

now that you are done trolling you wanna be a little more honest with yourself?

you should know baseball better than that Gom, I honestly trust that you are smarter than you are making yourself look with this statement.:thumbdown

[VA Sox Fan]

Epstein on trade

 

Posted by Adam Kilgore, Globe Staff July 22, 2009 04:49 PM

 

Quick hits from Theo Epstein's conference call about Adam LaRoche:

 

-The Red Sox had "been in a market for a player who can do some damage against righthanded pitching and can help our team's depth in the corner infield" Epstein said. The Sox had been batting .257 against righthanders this season, compared to .271 against lefties.

 

-The Pirates and Sox had been in discussions about LaRoche for months, and the trade was "not in the least bit a reaction" to the Sox' post-All Star break struggles. The Sox have scored 12 runs the past five games, the low-point of their month-long slump.

 

-LaRoche will join the Red Sox in Boston on Friday, and at that point the Red Sox will make their corresponding roster move to make room for LaRoche. "It’ll give us time to sort out our healthy bodies from our not-so-healthy ones," Epstein said. Epstein acknowleded that LaRoche shares some "redundacy" with Mark Kotsay, but also pointed out that Kotsay can play right and centerfield and has value as a pinch hitter. The Sox do not have to make room on the 40-man roster, because shortstop Argenis Diaz was on the 40-man.

 

-Epstein called giving up Diaz and pitcher Hunter Strickland a "very reasonable acquisition cost," which will allow the Sox to continue to seek additional trades. Epstein said the Sox want to make more moves before the July 31 deadline.

 

"I think we plan to be very active in discussions in talking to just about every club out there and persuing every player that can make us better now and in the future," Epstein said. "Certainly, there are no guarantees. Certainly, we hope to make another move between now and the deadline."

 

Epstein has no precise profile in mind for the kind of player he might want to add, although he stuck to wanting to further upgrade the Sox' position player depth and performance against righthanded pitching.

 

"Then there's a second category of player that we're certainly going to pursue where we can find significant impact on the roster," Epstein said. "Those trades are hard to make and hard to make without surrendering your entire foundation for the future. Which doesn't mean you don't still pursue them."

 

Epstein said any trade would be made with "the outlook of the organization" in mind. "It’s not all about 2009. It’s about subsequent years as well."

 

-LaRoche's impressive seconds half splits are "nice," Epstein said, but they were not a "key component" in the decision. Epstein believes playing at Fenway will help LaRoche, because his natural swing drives the ball to left-centerfield.

 

-Epstein asked around the Red Sox clubhouse about LaRoche. Jason Bay played with him in Pittsburgh, and John Smoltz played with him in Atlanta. Epstein charaterized LaRoche as a "solid support teammate."

 

-Epstein on the offense: "I think we’re a good offensive club having a horrific month. When you go through slumps like this, one, it’s important to assess any areas where you can improve without overreacting, and two, to put in perspective. We have the potential to be really, really good. But we’re not the most prolific offensive club in recent Red Sox history. We certainly have the ability to score enough runs to get where we want to go."

 

-When the front office assessed the Red Sox in the AL East race at the break, he considered them even in a three team race despite leading the division by three games. "You look at the underlying performances of the clubs, there was basically nothing separating them," Epstein said. "We looked at ourselves in a dead-even, three-way race. Five days later, we look it at exactly the same way. We’re in a three-way dead heat."

[Gom]

I never really liked the guy all that much. Yeah yeah, nice homerun off of Mariano. However, he has a lot of holes in his swing, and he doesn't scare me much. I see him as a .825-.850 OPS hitter from now on. That's it.

 

For what it's worth, I hated Nady as well. I thought the Yankees bought high on him, and I was hoping the Yankees would trade him to the Braves for a few prospects. In retrospect, it would have been a great move.

[Cocos Disciples]

I disagree. He's only OPS'd below .895 once in his career (not including this year because it's not over). Obviously he isn't as good as he was in the first two months, but I think he's a very good middle of the order hitter. His career line is .280/.375/.515. I'll take that.

[TheKilo]

Doesn't matter what your newfangled stats say. Gom SEES him as an .825-.850 OPS hitter the rest of the way because he watches the gamezzz

[jacksonianmarch]

I never really liked the guy all that much. Yeah yeah, nice homerun off of Mariano. However, he has a lot of holes in his swing, and he doesn't scare me much. I see him as a .825-.850 OPS hitter from now on. That's it.

 

For what it's worth, I hated Nady as well. I thought the Yankees bought high on him, and I was hoping the Yankees would trade him to the Braves for a few prospects. In retrospect, it would have been a great move.

 

Well, it is an armchair move because you cannot be proven right or wrong. Nobody knew he'd blow out his UCL and need Tommy John. Its not like he's here and underachieving.

[Gom]

I hope you sign him to a 10- year deal.

[Gom]

Doesn't matter what your newfangled stats say. Gom SEES him as an .825-.850 OPS hitter the rest of the way because he watches the gamezzz

 

What do your spreadsheets tell you?