Red Sox Spring Training thread

[yeszir]

How bout you move it....gasp....outside of Boston?? Easier to get to' date=' and the majority of your buyers are going to be suburbians anyway. Put it outside of a green line stop a few miles outside of Boston. It isnt like downtown Boston needs sprucing up. But moving Fenway or Red Sox Stadium or what-have you to a developing neighborhood could significantly improve the neighborhood. Hell, just look at Foxboro for the Pats at Patriots Place. That place is a hub for shopping, food, etc, even when the Pats arent playing.[/quote']

They tried floating the idea of moving it out to Newton maybe 10 years ago. Terrible idea.

 

I love Fenway and I think it has plenty of years left. When the time eventually comes for a new ballpark, I think the logical location is the South Boston waterfront. It' the only way to infuse life into that desolate crapville loaded with ugly buildings. Maybe it would convince the city to scrap the idea of buses on the Silver Line too.

 

Also, green monster in spring training facility? Terrible idea.

[TheMino007]

I really don't want another Green Monster, same for the ST complex, but damn it sure does look nice

[Imperial59]

Jed Lowrie said Friday that his left wrist is fully recovered.

Lowrie battled the wrist injury for most of last season and made just 76 total plate appearances. "This is the best I’ve felt in a long time," said Lowrie. "Obviously last year it wasn’t ready to go." He is hoping to land on Boston's Opening Day roster as a backup middle infielder.

 

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=MLB&id=4212

 

I know a lot of people think that Iglesias may be the SS of the future. But Lowrie has a ton of talent as well. He hit .282/.378/.442 in 1354 at bats in the minors and had a UZR/150 of +27 in 75 games at shortstop in the majors. Now if he could only stay healthy...

[Red Foreman]

http://www.rotoworld.com/content/playerpages/player_main.aspx?sport=MLB&id=4212

 

I know a lot of people think that Iglesias may be the catcher of the future. But Lowrie has a ton of talent as well. He hit .282/.378/.442 in 1354 at bats in the minors and had a UZR/150 of +27 in 75 games at shortstop in the majors. Now if he could only stay healthy...

 

Iglesias and Lowrie? I didn't realize our catching depth was THAT bad.

[Dojji]

Lowrie's defense at SS has been consistently good when he's been healthy enough to be in the field, although I'm not sure his playing sample rates a "consistently." In fact he's looked excellent at SS defensively in both samples we have for him at that position, so if he can live up to his offensive potential this Spring, I'd have to say he has an advantage in winning a job.

 

Scutaro is a veteran plugin until some young SS claims the prize. Personally my money's on Lowrie, since he's got the best chance of being a 2-way SS. I'm certainly not writing off Iglesias though. There's something to be said for elite D, as long as Iglesias doesn't pull an Argenis Diaz.

[BSN07]

I've always felt Lowrie was best suited for a super utility role. I know he wants to be on the opening day roster, but he will be in AAA. Because he needs the AB's and needs to prove he can handle a full season before he is back in Boston. it will do him no good to come and sit on the bench now. He needs to play.

 

I think he had a good shot at being the utility guy opening day of the 2011 season.

[Dojji]

UZR/150 at SS

 

2008 24.6

2009 32.0

 

That's over a total of about 60 games -- not a negligible sample.

 

I'm not saying he won't regress over a full season, but this is a legitimate, starting caliber defensive shortstop here, to put it mildly. Add to that that he's a switch hitter with .280/.350/.420 offensive potential easily when healthy, psossibly as many as 12-15 HR's a year in a good year too. This guy was a rival with Pedroia for talent both in college and in the minors, and was viewed as a similar ceiling of prospect before he got hurt (and of course, before Pedroia exploded). He still has every chance to at least get to the benchmark I set in this paragraph.

 

UTILITY man? Well, maybe if he keeps getting hurt, or if we get hold of Hanley Ramirez somehow, but if he ever gets healthy and stays that way he'll be a worthy starter in his own right. I say a fair ceiling for him is John Valentin if he can stay on the field. May be a bit optimistic with Valentin's career performance in 1995 to his record, but the overall career arc is something Lowrie could potentially manage

[BSN07]

He's an injury risk IMO. So like Lowell, the less time he see's, the more likely he is to stay healthy over the course of a full season. Thus making him a more useful player.

 

He could get a good number of AB's backing up 3/4 of the IF.

[Dojji]

I don't think you can label him an injury risk just because he's been hurt. I think you need more information to draw that conclusion. I am nervous about Lowrie's health too, but it seems like he basically had one really big injury, not a bunch of little ones where "injury risk" is a fair label.

[Imperial59]

Iglesias and Lowrie? I didn't realize our catching depth was THAT bad.

 

Oops

[Dojji]

Believe me, I've done worse here.

[Imperial59]

Believe me' date=' I've done worse here. [/quote']

 

Sometimes the fingers just start working too fast for the brain to keep up.

[Keeper]

I don't think you can label him an injury risk just because he's been hurt. I think you need more information to draw that conclusion. I am nervous about Lowrie's health too' date=' but it seems like he basically had one really big injury, not a bunch of little ones where "injury risk" is a fair label.[/quote']

 

Since April of 2009, he has had two left wrist injuries and one left forearm injury. That's three injuries to parts of his left arm in a span of a year. Injury risk is definitely a fair label. And I don't know where you're getting .280/.350/.420 from.

[Dojji]

And I don't know where you're getting .280/.350/.420 from.

 

It's only about the level he was hitting at before the injury started taking a toll on him from the left side.

[a700hitter]

It's only about the level he was hitting at before the injury started taking a toll on him from the left side.

If healthy, Lowrie can hit.

[Dojji]

Since April of 2009' date=' he has had two left wrist injuries and one left forearm injury.[/quote']

 

Actually, he had one left wrist injury and two complications with that left wrist injury.

[Keeper]

Actually' date=' he had one left wrist injury and two complications with that left wrist injury.[/quote']

 

Bit of a spin job there, Dojji.

 

Sep 7, 2009: Missed 29 games (left wrist injury).

Aug 8, 2009: Left wrist injury, 15-day DL (retroactive to August 7).

Aug 7, 2009: Left forearm injury, day-to-day.

Jul 18, 2009: Recalled from Pawtucket (AAA).

Jul 8, 2009: Missed 78 games (left wrist injury) and optioned to Lowell (A).

Jul 6, 2009: Transferred from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL (left wrist injury).

Apr 13, 2009: Left wrist injury, 15-day DL (retroactive to April 12).

[Dojji]

They're both spin jobs. Actually IIRC what was damaged wasn't Lowrie's wrist, it was a bone in his forearm just above the wrist. A "wrist area injury" would be more apt.

 

So he came back too soon and reinjured it. I wouldn't call that a whole different injury. Maybe that's just me. Either way, I'm pretty sure the Sox will learn their lesson and not let the player make the call on when he comes back -- if the wrist is fully healed THIS time, reinjury is a concern but not a huge one.

[jacksonianmarch]

He fractured the tip of the ulnar styloid, which is technically part of one of the bones in your forearm.

[Imperial59]

To sum up my opinion on the matters, he's had some serious injury issues with his wrist/arm. But he has shown an ability to be a great hitting shortstop when he's healthy. He hit .282/.378/.442 in the minors and he hit .310/.340/.476 with the Red Sox before he got hurt (in a small sample size).

[Dojji]

Combine that with his UZR/150 over his current big league sample and you have not a good shortstop, but glimmers of an elite one.

[jacksonianmarch]

Jed Lowrie and elite MLB shortstop. Really, stop it.

[YAZMAN]

Jed Lowrie and elite MLB shortstop. Really' date=' stop it.[/quote']

 

That would be a stretch, even for you if he played in NY.

[Dojji]

I said "glimmers." Hints, flashes, evidence. That's all you can really say about a SSS anyway. But his 2008 sample showed elite potential, and his 2009 sample, small as it was, reaffirmed the defensive side of things at least.

 

This guy is a good defensive SS, if his offense comes in a bit slower than expected he'd still be a starting caliber as long as he could stay on the field.

 

Unless his injuries make him tentative, I'd expect him to continue to be an above average defensive shortstop, and that can cover a lot of offensive sins. Which is all the better because I don't expect Lowrie to need to cover many offensive sins at all.

 

A player who's solidly above average in all facets of his game IMHO jumps up into "elite" on the strength of the entire package. If Lowrie combined defense near the level he showed in 2008, with a .350 OBP or more and 15 HR's, all of which are within Lowrie's demonstrated potential, "elite" might not be an understatement.

 

As for his injury's effects on his offense, worst case scenario IMHO is that Lowrie has to give up switch hitting and become a straight RHH, which I have little reason to doubt that he could adjust to. RHH has been his stronger side for awhile anyway.

[YAZMAN]

A player who's solidly above average in all facets of his game IMHO jumps up into "elite" on the strength of the entire package. If Lowrie combined defense near the level he showed in 2008' date=' with a .350 OBP or more and 15 HR's, all of which are within Lowrie's demonstrated potential, "elite" might not be an understatement.[/quote']

 

He's only played in about 120 games. He has played around 550 innings, which means he's really only "played" the equivalent of about 60 games. Even if he were healthy the entire time, it's still not enough to use his stats for anything other than rudimentary analysis. I really like the kid, he's solid, but let's not get carried away.

[Dojji]

People are much too cool on Lowrie than they should be right now on the basis of one injured year. You need people like me to balance that.

[Keeper]

Good God man, stop. If anything, with these injuries Lowrie is on the decline. Now is not the time hype this guy.

[Dojji]

Decline? Plenty of reason to fear it, but no direct evidence yet. i'm gonna hold to my initial prejudice on the kid unless I'm given a reason to think otherwise.

 

Besides, there's no reason to fear for his defense, or his ability to hit from the right side, so I'm not that worried.

[Spudboy]

Admittedly, I'm a fan of the guy. He has shown all the defensive skills to be a very solid MLB SS. If the wrist injury had not happened, who knows what he may have accomplished by now?

 

Unfortunately, the wrist/arm injury has deprived us of having seen any of this. I'm worried about the numbness that he experiences. If there is a nerve that has been permanently damaged he may never be more than what he is now.

 

Any Sox fan should be hoping that he is fully recovered. What happens if he rakes in spring training? Especially if Bill Hall can't demonstrate proficiency at shortstop and or still can't hit? Who is our back up shortstop?

[Dojji]

Tug Hulett :harhar:

 

Actually bringing in Hulett or another 2B type, and letting Pedroia "do a Youk" could work.