2011 Trade Deadline Thread

[a700hitter]

Absolutely agree with this. I'm sure you've noticed' date=' but the bench has seriously underperformed this year. Mike Cameron, Darnell Mcdonald, Jason Varitek, Jed Lowrie... They may have had a good stretch here or there, but they've been absolutely terrible for the long haul, with more 0-fers than any bench I could remember, and not a single one of them has been strong defensively this year either.[/quote']Our bench has sucked this year, but the answer for the stretch run is not a kid that started the season in AA. Theo was supposed to build a bench by the trading deadline and all he came up with was Aviles. He did,'t get any insurance like Quentin or Francuoer. He had better hope the big man's heel heals fast or the last 5 weeks will be a roller coster ride. Lavarnway might help. He couldn't be worse offensively than the current bench. I am not getting my hopes up that he will be the shot in the arm that we need.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Our bench has sucked this year' date=' but the answer for the stretch run is not a kid that started the season in AA. Theo was supposed to build a bench by the trading deadline and all he came up with was Aviles. He did,'t get any insurance like Quentin or Francuoer. He had better hope the big man's heel heals fast or the last 5 weeks will be a roller coster ride. Lavarnway might help. He couldn't be worse offensively than the current bench. I am not getting my hopes up that he will be the shot in the arm that we need.[/quote']

 

I don't know man. How many times have we seen guys come up and play outrageously good baseball for a few weeks, often times well outside of their talent level? Daniel Nava, Darnell McDonald, etc all last year came up and did that. Josh Reddick came up and did that this season. A lot of times a minor league guy who is just amped up to get to the bigs is all a team needs to get that spark they need. I'm hoping that Lavarnway can do that, even if it's just for 2 weeks while Ortiz lets his foot heal up.

[a700hitter]

I don't know man. How many times have we seen guys come up and play outrageously good baseball for a few weeks' date=' often times well outside of their talent level? Daniel Nava, Darnell McDonald, etc all last year came up and did that. Josh Reddick came up and did that this season. A lot of times a minor league guy who is just amped up to get to the bigs is all a team needs to get that spark they need. I'm hoping that Lavarnway can do that, even if it's just for 2 weeks while Ortiz lets his foot heal up.[/quote']Daniel Nava had a good week. That was about it. After that he pretty much sucked. DMacs and guys lilke that are good for mid-season call ups, but not for the stretch run and certanly not as important post season components.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Daniel Nava had a good week. That was about it. After that he pretty much sucked. DMacs and guys lilke that are good for mid-season call ups' date=' but not for the stretch run and certanly not as important post season components.[/quote']

 

Right, what I'm arguing is that if Ortiz is out for 1-2 weeks, Lavarnway could be a guy who comes up and lives off his adrenaline and gets us through that time without missing much of a beat. I'm not saying he's going to be an everyday player during a PS run, just that he can help us through the dog days. But at the same time, I wouldn't mind having his bat to come off the bench in a post season game either. Not starting at DH, but in a situation when Varitek is coming to the plate in a close game and RISP, he could be a huge asset.

[Palodios]

Daniel Nava had a good week. That was about it. After that he pretty much sucked. DMacs and guys lilke that are good for mid-season call ups' date=' but not for the stretch run and certanly not as important post season components.[/quote']

 

Lavarnway has been a 35 HR, 1.000 OPS guys in the minors. Even if he is a .800 OPS guy with 15 HR a season with the Red Sox, can you think of one single guy coming off this bench that could provide that kind of offense?

[a700hitter]

Right' date=' what I'm arguing is that if Ortiz is out for 1-2 weeks, Lavarnway could be a guy who comes up and lives off his adrenaline and gets us through that time without missing much of a beat. I'm not saying he's going to be an everyday player during a PS run, just that he can help us through the dog days. But at the same time, I wouldn't mind having his bat to come off the bench in a post season game either. Not starting at DH, but in a situation when Varitek is coming to the plate in a close game and RISP, he could be a huge asset.[/quote']I agree with everything you say in your post, but I wouldn't want him to be our best PHing option coming off the bench in the post season. Theo failed to provide this team with a competent professional bench.

[a700hitter]

Lavarnway has been a 35 HR' date=' 1.000 OPS guys in the minors. Even if he is a .800 OPS guy with 15 HR a season with the Red Sox, can you think of one single guy coming off this bench that could provide that kind of offense?[/quote']I agree that he would probably be an improvement, but he shouldn't be option #1 off the bench. He hasn't had any major league ABs. To put that kind of expectation on him highlights the fact that Theo should have done more than pick up Aviles.

[BeepBeepYoureDumb]

I agree that he would probably be an improvement' date=' but he shouldn't be option #1 off the bench. He hasn't had any major league ABs. To put that kind of expectation on him highlights the fact that Theo should have done more than pick up Aviles.[/quote']

 

Sometimes a guy like that can provide a big spark. We put that kind of pressure on Ellsbury and to a lesser extent Pedroia, who had AB's in '06 but very few.

 

Aviles is a fine bench player, I'm really not sure what your problem with him is. What do you expect Theo to get for a bench player? Aviles has hit .300 in a couple different seasons and he seems ok. Maybe getting an OFer so we could have moved Reddick to the bench would be nice. Maybe a better RHH to bump McDonald off the roster would be nice. A Bobby Kielty type, but for all we know at this point Aviles could step up and be that guy.

[a700hitter]

Sometimes a guy like that can provide a big spark. We put that kind of pressure on Ellsbury and to a lesser extent Pedroia, who had AB's in '06 but very few.

 

Aviles is a fine bench player, I'm really not sure what your problem with him is. What do you expect Theo to get for a bench player? Aviles has hit .300 in a couple different seasons and he seems ok. Maybe getting an OFer so we could have moved Reddick to the bench would be nice. Maybe a better RHH to bump McDonald off the roster would be nice. A Bobby Kielty type, but for all we know at this point Aviles could step up and be that guy.

He couldn't crack the starting lineup in KC and his fielding is atrocious. He has botched several plays for the Sox already at 2B, SS, 3B and RF. Did you see how he executed that run down the other night while playing SS. He looked like a little leaguer.

 

Pedroia wasn't brought up from the minors after 2/3 of the season and thrown into a pennant chase and a post season. When he came up in 2006, the team was out of it. And he was terrible in 2006.

[Palodios]

Sometimes a guy like that can provide a big spark. We put that kind of pressure on Ellsbury and to a lesser extent Pedroia, who had AB's in '06 but very few.

 

Aviles is a fine bench player, I'm really not sure what your problem with him is. What do you expect Theo to get for a bench player? Aviles has hit .300 in a couple different seasons and he seems ok. Maybe getting an OFer so we could have moved Reddick to the bench would be nice. Maybe a better RHH to bump McDonald off the roster would be nice. A Bobby Kielty type, but for all we know at this point Aviles could step up and be that guy.

 

Many teams tend to get that extra aging 1B/DH/OF type to come off the bench and do some damage. Or, an elite defensive guy with poor offensive skills. Between all of their bench guys, they have none of that.

 

The one thing Aviles does, and does well--which a700 likes to ignore-- is that he kills lefties, something the team absolutely needed. The problem is, he hasn't done a whole let else this season. In general, the bench hasn't really been good at a lot of things, besides Lowrie in May, and Varitek in June.

[a700hitter]

Many teams tend to get that extra aging 1B/DH/OF type to come off the bench and do some damage. Or, an elite defensive guy with poor offensive skills. Between all of their bench guys, they have none of that.

 

The one thing Aviles does, and does well--which a700 likes to ignore-- is that he kills lefties, something the team absolutely needed. The problem is, he hasn't done a whole let else this season. In general, the bench hasn't really been good at a lot of things, besides Lowrie in May, and Varitek in June.

I'm not ignoring how he hits lefties. They got him to be a utility player, not a big bench bat and not a platoon player. As a utility player, he plays all positions poorly. As a bat coming off the bench, I really don't like him as the #1 PHing option off the bench. I'd rather have a Jeff Francuoer or Carlos Quentin for that.

[RedSoxfanforlife305]

You may want to grab a bucket, because this is going to make you want to throw up...

 

Lowrie + McDonald + Cameron + Varitek = .217/.281/.370/.651.

 

What s*** my god that's terrible.

[SoxFanForsyth]

What s*** my god that's terrible.

 

Especially because I remember arguing with my friend who is a NYY fan that the bench was a major strength for the Red Sox this year.

[a700hitter]

Francuoer is no longer a waiver wire possibility. The Royals have signed him to a 2 year extension.

 

http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/08/18/the-royals-sign-jeff-francoeur-to-a-two-year-extension/

[Palodios]

I really liked the idea of JF, but he really wanted to stay in KC, and he was worth more to them than he is to any team on the field. It sounds like he's a leader in their clubhouse, and since their team is so young, getting rid of him for middle level prospects just never made sense to KC.

[a700hitter]

Since the trading deadline, Reddick is hitting .238 with a .289 OBP and an OPS of .670.

 

Edit: The hot hand is no longer hot, but there are no alternatives.

[Palodios]

Since the trading deadline' date=' [b']Beltran[/b] is hitting .244 with a .261 OBP and an OPS of .616.

 

Seeing as this was your favorite alternative, what difference does it make?

[SoxFanForsyth]

I gotta side with Pal here. Reddick may not be crushing it, but at the same time, which of the alternatives are hitting better than him? I don't think we were ever in on Pence, Franceour never wanted to leave and it appears now that the Royals never considered trading him, as they just locked him up.

[Spitball]

It seems as though some of the most active teams at the deadline have been the most ineffective since. The Giants, Guardians, Cardinals, and Pirates have all lost ground in their pennant races.

[iortiz]

Seeing as this was your favorite alternative' date=' what difference does it make?[/quote']

 

we didn't give up prospects? hehehe:lol:

 

Seriously, The kid is doing just fine, and just as everyone else does at some point off a season, he will go through some downs.

[a700hitter]

Seeing as this was your favorite alternative' date=' what difference does it make?[/quote']He's got some mystery hand injury. It's not a lack of performance.

[Palodios]

He's got some mystery hand injury. It's not a lack of performance.

 

Generally, when a guy is on the DL, his team is lacking the performance he should be giving them.

[a700hitter]

Generally' date=' when a guy is on the DL, his team is lacking the performance he should be giving them.[/quote']He might not have suffered that injury had he been traded to the Red Sox. The injury was not foreseeable. A rookie going into a slump in his second time around the league is to be expected.

[Spitball]

I see the Astros placed Wandy Rodriguez on waivers this afternoon. He is owed something like $23 million over the next two years and there is an additional option year at $13 million. With that kind of money owed, he could pass through waivers until the Red Sox' turn. He is not a bad pitcher.

[a700hitter]

I see the Astros placed Wandy Rodriguez on waivers this afternoon. He is owed something like $23 million over the next two years and there is an additional option year at $13 million. With that kind of money owed' date=' he could pass through waivers until the Red Sox' turn. He is not a bad pitcher.[/quote']He's better than Andrew Miller at this point.

[Palodios]

Wandy has had an ERA of 3.50/3.60/3.02/3.54 in 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008. He'd be a great pickup, but I'd be surprised if they want to spend that kind of money on him. He very easily could end up with the Yankees, since they were pushing for him before.

[a700hitter]

Wandy has had an ERA of 3.50/3.60/3.02/3.54 in 2011' date=' 2010, 2009 and 2008. He'd be a great pickup, but I'd be surprised if they want to spend that kind of money on him. He very easily could end up with the Yankees, since they were pushing for him before.[/quote']The Sox could block the Yanks since they come before the Yanks in the waiver order.

[mvp 78]

Wandy scares me as he's had issues with home/road splits for much of his career. I wouldn't pick him up just to block the Yankees.

[BeepBeepYoureDumb]

Since the trading deadline, Reddick is hitting .238 with a .289 OBP and an OPS of .670.

 

Edit: The hot hand is no longer hot, but there are no alternatives.

 

At some point you have to commit to letting a young player play his way out of a slump anyways. If you're ever going to make it as an every day player in the bigs you need to make an adjustment when the league gets the book on you. That's a learning process. If he's got as much promise as some people think, he might figure it out soon and maybe we could get lucky and have him hot going into the playoffs.

[a700hitter]

At some point you have to commit to letting a young player play his way out of a slump anyways. If you're ever going to make it as an every day player in the bigs you need to make an adjustment when the league gets the book on you. That's a learning process. If he's got as much promise as some people think' date=' he might figure it out soon and maybe we could get lucky and have him hot going into the playoffs.[/quote']I think the time to do that is April thru July and not late August and September of a pennant drive. Furthermore, I have not read or heard anything that the Red Sox are committed to Reddick in RF next season.