2011-2012 Offseason Thread

[User Name]

Nothing, because that's exactly the salary he was projected to receive.

[ForeverYoung]

What does the Ellsbury arbitration settlement do to the cap assumptions that we have been seeing?

 

It means that when you look at the depth chart as it stands, that is what we march into Spring Training with.

[jung]

I've played both positions, and there is a lot more movement at first base. You are involved in so many more plays at 1B., and even on the groundballs that go through the IF, the first baseman is running to cover the bag at the crack of the bat.

 

Come on, how can you make this argument? "Running to cover the bag". A good many of them are waddling to cover the bag and if they are holding somebody on they are already there. Think Prince Fielder could play 3rd, Frank Howard, George Scott, Jim Thome, Frank Thomas who actually DH'ed finally more than he played first, on and on and on. Have we not seen players time and again tried at 1st in order to improve their longevity and keep them able to come to the plate? Seen that much at 3rd? When people talk about ways to keep Ortiz in inter-league games do they talk about the possibility of putting him at 3rd or at 1st?

 

Once again just like the issue of the possibility that Youk might have injured himself batting being just as strong as fielding, it does not matter whether his injuries to date can be traced to throwing. 3rd is less taxing on the body than 1st.

 

In addition, especially for baseball players it is the accumulation of dings and knocks and pulls and strains that occur over the course of the season that eventually makes things like diving right, taking one in the chest and then scrambling to one's feet to make a throw that much more challenging. Those players are not going to back off even if they should. They are going to try to make that play even if they are already nursing some injury that makes that play much more difficult. The result sometimes is that they injure themselves further because the overtax one part of the body to protect the injury or injuries. In fact another opportunity that is often discussed relative to moving a player to 1st base is a player coming off of injury....why....because it is less taxing with more opportunity to protect the healing/recovering body.

[a700hitter]

Come on, how can you make this argument? "Running to cover the bag". A good many of them are waddling to cover the bag and if they are holding somebody on they are already there. Think Prince Fielder could play 3rd, Frank Howard, George Scott, Jim Thome, Frank Thomas who actually DH'ed finally more than he played first, on and on and on. Have we not seen players time and again tried at 1st in order to improve their longevity and keep them able to come to the plate? Seen that much at 3rd? When people talk about ways to keep Ortiz in inter-league games do they talk about the possibility of putting him at 3rd or at 1st?

 

Once again just like the issue of the possibility that Youk might have injured himself batting being just as strong as fielding, it does not matter whether his injuries to date can be traced to throwing. 3rd is less taxing on the body than 1st.

 

In addition, especially for baseball players it is the accumulation of dings and knocks and pulls and strains that occur over the course of the season that eventually makes things like diving right, taking one in the chest and then scrambling to one's feet to make a throw that much more challenging. Those players are not going to back off even if they should. They are going to try to make that play even if they are already nursing some injury that makes that play much more difficult. The result sometimes is that they injure themselves further because the overtax one part of the body to protect the injury or injuries. In fact another opportunity that is often discussed relative to moving a player to 1st base is a player coming off of injury....why....because it is less taxing with more opportunity to protect the healing/recovering body.

The major league game is very fast. Even the slow guys could outrun the normal person. If a first baseman is playing toward the back of the skin IF, he can't waddle too slowly to first base. The other risk at first base is contact with the runner. You get lots of throws into the baseline and you get stepped on a fair amount too. You are right that it is the accumulation if dings, but I think it is a fair argument that you get as many dings at 1st as at 3rd. There are some games where a third baseman gets few if any plays.

[Spitball]

Think Prince Fielder could play 3rd' date=' Frank Howard, George Scott...[/quote']

 

Actually, George Scott was a pretty good minor league third baseman who was moved to first to make room for Joe Foy. As a first baseman, Scott was a very athletic fielder.

 

This has little to do with the discussion, but I just wanted to point that out.

[User Name]

Actually, George Scott was a pretty good minor league third baseman who was moved to first to make room for Joe Foy. As a first baseman, Scott was a very athletic fielder.

 

This has little to do with the discussion, but I just wanted to point that out.

 

Wasn't Thome also an above-average 3B in the Minors and at the start of his career in the Majors?

[a700hitter]

Actually, George Scott was a pretty good minor league third baseman who was moved to first to make room for Joe Foy. As a first baseman, Scott was a very athletic fielder.

 

This has little to do with the discussion, but I just wanted to point that out.

He actually played over 200 major league games at 3B. Harmon Killebrew played a lot o third base too. I think those players who have a problem with 3B as opposed to 1B is due to their throwing arms, not due to position being more physically demanding regarding wear and tear.

 

I would agree that 3B is the more difficult position to play, because of the skills required. You need a strong arm and very quick reflexes, but I don't think third basemen are more susceptible to injury.

 

Most catchers can't play the OF. That doesn't mean that the OF is the more physically demanding position.

 

BTW: The worst injury in Killebrew's career was at !B during an All Star game. He did a full out split stretching for a throw and he tore a groin muscle.

[jung]

Did they ever move back to 3rd?

 

By the way I have pointed to the throw from 3rd as being the most difficult and glaring difference to begin with.

 

Saving wear due to throwing is probably the greatest benefit you get making a move from 3rd to 1st.

[a700hitter]

Did they ever move back to 3rd?

Killebrew, Scott and Johnny Bench all moved back and forth between 1st and 3rd base.

[Station 13]

 

Wrist surgery for Carl Crawford

By Peter Abraham, Globe Staff

 

Red Sox left fielder Carl Crawford had surgery on his left wrist in Arizona today. GM Ben Cherington said Crawford should be recovered to play "the bulk" of the season.

 

Crawford felt soreness when he started his offseason hitting workouts. He had an MRI that showed cartilage damage and arthroscopic surgery was recommended.

 

Cherington did not rule Crawford being eligible for Opening Day. But it sounds like he could miss the early part of the season.

 

More to come on this.

[Station 13]

I think that is thread worthy itself.

[a700hitter]

This Crawford news is disastrous. We are down to 2 outfielders.

[redsoxrules]

Wonderfull, the signing gets worse

[Station 13]

This Crawford news is disastrous. We are down to 2 outfielders.

 

two?

[a700hitter]

two?

Ellsbury and Sweeney.

[User Name]

Now they need to sign an OF. Fantastic.

[jung]

Killebrew, Scott and Johnny Bench all moved back and forth between 1st and 3rd base.

 

Actually I had thought that the injury Youk suffered before the abdomen was to his throwing shoulder which is why I was concentrating on the throw. But I went to look for that injury specifically and it was a thumb injury.

 

My bad.

[User Name]

Left fielders

Pat Burrell (35) - Type B, no arbitration offer

Johnny Damon (37)

Jay Gibbons (35)

Jonny Gomes (31)

Carlos Guillen (36)

Bill Hall (32)

Willie Harris (34)

Raul Ibanez (40) - Type B, offered arbitration

Conor Jackson (30)

Austin Kearns (32)

Fred Lewis (31)

Juan Pierre (34) - Type B, no arbitration offer

Ryan Spilborghs (32)

Marcus Thames (35)

 

Center fielders

Rick Ankiel (32)

Yoenis Cespedes (26)

Corey Patterson (32)

Cody Ross (31) - Type B, no arbitration offer

 

Right fielders

Milton Bradley (34)

J.D. Drew (36)

Kosuke Fukudome (35)

Willie Harris (34)

Brad Hawpe (33)

Xavier Nady (33)

Magglio Ordonez (38) - Type B

Cody Ross (31) - Type B, no arbitration offer

Ryan Spilborghs (32)

 

This is the list of All-Stars left in the FA market.

[a700hitter]

Cherington said he was comfortable with the team's outfield depth. If Ryan Sweeney is in right field, the Red Sox would have Darnell McDonald and Mike Aviles available in left field.

This is truly pathetic.

[Station 13]

Sweeney.

Wasn't good enough in the eyes of Billy Beane. Awesome.

[User Name]

They have to sign someone unless it's a minor procedure.

[jung]

Well at least it is a scope job and not a really ugly and invasive surgery. Wish he found it at the end of last year. If the whole procedure is just going to be a scope then he might have not lost that much time.

 

Would be hard to imagine him able to do anything until it completely heals though.

 

Who did we have though that never really came back from a wrist? Haven't we had one of those?

[Station 13]

They have to sign someone unless it's a minor procedure.

 

You know how it with this team. He'll be almost non existent again.

[User Name]

You know how it with this team. He'll be almost non existence again.

 

They did change the medical and strength and conditioning team though. Maybe it's not going to be a clusterf*** for once. One can only hope.

[a700hitter]

Well at least it is a scope job and not a really ugly and invasive surgery. Wish he found it at the end of last year. If the whole procedure is just going to be a scope then he might have not lost that much time.

 

Would be hard to imagine him able to do anything until it completely heals though.

 

Who did we have though that never really came back from a wrist? Haven't we had one of those?

Maybe if he had returned his calls we'd have found out about the soreness earlier in the off season.

[User Name]

Apple,meet orange.

[jung]

Maybe if he had returned his calls we'd have found out about the soreness earlier in the off season.

 

Ouch....that one hurt!

[a700hitter]

The biggest break that Darnell McDonald got in his life was getting picked up by the Red Sox. By now, this guy would have been given a 1-way ticket to Palooka-ville from any other organization.

[a700hitter]

Ouch....that one hurt!

I can be brutal.

[a700hitter]

D'Backs To Sign Joe Saunders

By Ben Nicholson-Smith [January 17 at 3:22pm CST]

 

The D'Backs have agreed to sign Joe Saunders, Steve Henson of Yahoo Sports tweets.