06/02 A's @Sox

[TedWilliams101]

This team is playing great ball right now with out our leadoff hitter, 2 of our starting OF, Lackey struggling, Pedroia slumping, and Beckett on the DL. If the team can get healthy and all start performing up to their abilities, they might be down right scary.

 

On another note, Welker was at OTA running around, running hard, and doing drills. The guy is an absolute freak!

[a700hitter]

Don't make stuff up' date=' counselor, it ruins your credibility. As for V-Mart, he's a catcher, and he will catch. Opponent's running game has been greatly neutralized. I see no issue with having V-Mart catch five days a week.[/quote']If his offense doesn't suffer in late July/August, I don't care either. However, the Guardians were convinced that he wears down and it affects his offense.

[Dipre]

If his offense doesn't suffer in late July/August' date=' I don't care either. However, the Guardians were convinced that he wears down and it affects his offense.[/quote']

 

If he catches 100+ games, which seems to be the threshold according to them. He's getting plenty of rest with Tek catching 2-3 times a week, so i don't really see the problem.

[suns]

If his offense doesn't suffer in late July/August' date=' I don't care either. However, the Guardians were convinced that he wears down and it affects his offense.[/quote']

 

No they weren't.

[a700hitter]

If he catches 100+ games' date=' which seems to be the threshold according to them. He's getting plenty of rest with Tek catching 2-3 times a week, so i don't really see the problem.[/quote']If they are willing to trot Tek out there twice a week, it shouldn't be a problem. Will they be willing to do that, and will VMart want to sit twice a week in his FA walk year. We will have to see. Nevertheless, until Lowell gets traded and replace with a good backup MIF, there will continue to be a logjam and the roster will continue to be poorly constructed. Does this mean that they will not keep winning? No, but a good FO (and I think the Sox have a good FO) will not sit on its hands just because the team is winning and the fans are happy for the moment. They will seek to address weaknesses. The weaknesses have not disappeared. They are just not aggravating when the team is winning.

[Dipre]

No they weren't.

 

suns, it has been widely reported that the Guardians were concerned with V-Mart's decline in offense after 100+ games were caught in a season.

[Dipre]

If they are willing to trot Tek out there twice a week' date=' it shouldn't be a problem. Will they be willing to do that, and will VMart want to sit twice a week in his FA walk year. We will have to see. Nevertheless, until Lowell gets traded and replace with a good backup MIF, there will continue to be a logjam and the roster will continue to be poorly constructed. Does this mean that they will not keep winning? No, but a good FO (and I think the Sox have a good FO) will not sit on its hands just because the team is winning and the fans are happy for the moment. They will seek to address weaknesses. The weaknesses have not disappeared. They are just not aggravating when the team is winning.[/quote']

 

The sole reason why Lowell hadn't been actively shopped was because Ortiz hadn't turned it around and they needed the insurance. Well Ortiz is tearing the cover off the ball and conveniently, a number of AL teams now have a need for a CIF who can hit and DH.

[a700hitter]

The sole reason why Lowell hadn't been actively shopped was because Ortiz hadn't turned it around and they needed the insurance. Well Ortiz is tearing the cover off the ball and conveniently' date=' a number of AL teams now have a need for a CIF who can hit and DH.[/quote']Lowell was actively shopped before the season. There were no takers, because there was a lot of doubt that he could still play. He showed glimpses of being able to play again, but his playing time has been sporadic, so there is still not much of a market. Teams will not trust that he can play full time. I think your assumption is erroneous. They would have moved Lowell if they could even if Ortiz continued his slump. The DH spot could have been rotated between VMArt, Youk, and Hermida.

[Dipre]

Lowell was actively shopped before the season. There were no takers' date=' because there was a lot of doubt that he could still play. He showed glimpses of being able to play again, but his playing time has been sporadic, so there is still not much of a market. Teams will not trust that he can play full time. I think your assumption is erroneous. They would have moved Lowell if they could even if Ortiz continued his slump. The DH spot could have been rotated between VMArt, Youk, and Hermida.[/quote']

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=5241918&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines

 

While the Angels are not a possible destination, it does appear the Red Sox are listening to Lowell's request to try to move him. A baseball source with knowledge of the situation told ESPNBoston.com that there are a number of clubs that have contacted the Red Sox about the possibility of acquiring Lowell, including the Chicago White Sox, Seattle Mariners and Texas Rangers.

 

Add to that the Rangers again, who just lost Guerrero to an eye injury, and Minessota, who need a RH bat to play 3B and DH against lefties, and while this is speculation on my part, there is no doubt reported interest from at least those three teams in Lowell. I'm not making it up.

[a700hitter]

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/news/story?id=5241918&campaign=rss&source=MLBHeadlines

 

 

 

Add to that the Rangers again, who just lost Guerrero to an eye injury, and Minessota, who need a RH bat to play 3B and DH against lefties, and while this is speculation on my part, there is no doubt reported interest from at least those three teams in Lowell. I'm not making it up.

Lots of teams would like to have him, but they don't want to pay his salary or give up any talent for him. His value is higher now than at the beginning of the season being that teams have suffered injuries.

[Dipre]

Lots of teams would like to have him' date=' but they don't want to pay his salary or give up any talent for him. His value is higher now than at the beginning of the season being that teams have suffered injuries.[/quote']

 

Isn't the point getting rid of him and clearing the logjam? Your initial point was that there were no takers for Lowell, as evidecend here:

 

Lowell was actively shopped before the season. There were no takers' date=' because there was a lot of doubt that he could still play[/b'].

 

First off, there was a taker in Texas, but it fell through because of the finger issue, now with that cleared up, there is renewed interest in Lowell, and with the Sox willing to eat a huge chunk of his salary, there is no need for the receiving team to pay his salary, and the Sox aren't asking for high-level talent in return. He'll get traded, and the roster spot will be freed up. I don't know why you keep making such a fuss about the famous logjam issue. For one, Bill Hall has looked acceptable when given the chance to play MIF, because, after all, he is an utility player, and i don't see how the fact that we don't have a Glove McNoodlebat to back up 2B/SS is actively hampering the Sox' chance of winnin. Just saying.

[BoSox21]

Game is at 1:35pm today, JimEd. Just saying...

[a700hitter]

Isn't the point getting rid of him and clearing the logjam? Your initial point was that there were no takers for Lowell, as evidecend here:

 

 

 

First off, there was a taker in Texas, but it fell through because of the finger issue, now with that cleared up, there is renewed interest in Lowell, and with the Sox willing to eat a huge chunk of his salary, there is no need for the receiving team to pay his salary, and the Sox aren't asking for high-level talent in return. He'll get traded, and the roster spot will be freed up. I don't know why you keep making such a fuss about the famous logjam issue. For one, Bill Hall has looked acceptable when given the chance to play MIF, because, after all, he is an utility player, and i don't see how the fact that we don't have a Glove McNoodlebat to back up 2B/SS is actively hampering the Sox' chance of winnin. Just saying.

The Sox FO doesn't want to give their opposition a free player who could hurt them down the road. Anyone would take him for free. The Sox are trying to get something, not a lot, in return. That market is still not there. If it were, he'd be gone already.

 

BTW, I am not "making a fuss" about the logjam. I am just noting that one exists. Lowell has no role. It would be optimal if VMart could catch 4 or 5 times a week and DH or play first the other games. That's not making a fuss. In some ways it can be a positive, because you have some good protection if there is an injury to Youk, Ortiz or Beltre, but it is a challenge to the manager and it makes for some inflexibility in other ways. If Scutaro gets a bump or bruise, I really don't want to see Hall at SS for a week. Do you?

[yeszir]

WHERE IS JIMED

[a700hitter]

What was the news on Cameron today? If he is going to be fighting this hernia all season long' date=' they may need to keep Darnell around. They already traded Van Every. If they DFA Darnell, when Ellsbury comes back, they could find themselves with no CF option if both Ellsbury and Cameron go down again.[/quote']Any word on Cameron's condition today?

[suns]

Always late on the gamethreads JimEd.

[yeszir]

Administrator gamethread override in 15 minutes if no thread gets created before then.

[Dipre]

The Sox FO doesn't want to give their opposition a free player who could hurt them down the road. Anyone would take him for free. The Sox are trying to get something' date=' not a lot, in return. That market is still not there. If it were, he'd be gone already.[/quote']

 

Or the market is there, but they're waiting for a return that seems convenient given the fact that both middle infielders are healthy, and Hall's doing an acceptable job of playing all around the field.

 

BTW, I am not "making a fuss" about the logjam. I am just noting that one exists. Lowell has no role. It would be optimal if VMart could catch 4 or 5 times a week and DH or play first the other games. That's not making a fuss. In some ways it can be a positive, because you have some good protection if there is an injury to Youk, Ortiz or Beltre, but it is a challenge to the manager and it makes for some inflexibility in other ways. If Scutaro gets a bump or bruise, I really don't want to see Hall at SS for a week. Do you?

 

You've been whining about the infamous logjam all year long, and this is a completely different stance from your initial statement, which referred to Beltre being an ill-advised signing, well Beltre's helping carry the club both offensively and defensively, and there hasn't been an actual issue that would create the need for Lowell to be dropped from the roster. The team is functioning correctly, and if Scutaro gets a bump or bruise as you said, and the situation calls for it, then they can grant Lowell his release. For there to be a logjam, there has to be an impasse with no firsthand solution to the issue, this is a complete turnaround from your earlier take on the "logjam" issue, which was a criticism of the FO for the Beltre signing, and now that his performance has caught up to the press clippings, you need another take on the issue to continue complaining. <_>