2012 Potential Starting Lineup

[dominicanredsox]

So here's my offseason -

 

1. Re-sign Papelbon, and then make Bard a starter. Yeah. I said it. Aceves is the new set-up guy, sign Papelbon, and Bard is your #5 starter. It's a hell of a lot cheaper than going out and spending on a new SP.

 

2. Trade Lackey for Bay. Straight up, no cash or anything. Bay hits LHP well, and makes this team much less lefty-heavy.

 

3. Three-team trade. Ellsbury to Atlanta for top prospects. Top prospects from ATL + Ranaudo to SEA for Felix.

 

Rotation:

 

Felix

Lester

Buchholz

Beckett

Bard

 

Lineup:

 

Crawford CF

Pedroia 2B

Gonzalez 1B

Bay LF

Ortiz DH

Youkilis 3B

Lavarnway/Salty C

Scutaro SS

Kalish RF

 

 

 

sounds good

[example1]

I think they will resign Papelbon in part because they do not have a lot of confidence in Bard in that role. I realize that wins-losses is not the best measure of a pitchers success' date=' but 2-9 is astonishingly bad. It seems that Bard would like to give starting a shot. He couldn't be worse than Wakefield, Miller, and Dice K. If he takes the ball every 5th day that would be a big improvement. The 5th spot has lacked consistency since Bronson Arroyo. To fill the 8th inning slot, I would pursue Heath Bell.[/quote']

 

I like the Heath Bell idea.

 

I also like the idea of trading Youkilis. He's mentioned Cincinatti as a place he wouldn't mind going.

 

Any chance they could get a combination of players including Aroldis Chapman? Youks would really bolster that lineup and the Sox could use the lefty version of Bard.

[Station 13]

I think they will resign Papelbon in part because they do not have a lot of confidence in Bard in that role. I realize that wins-losses is not the best measure of a pitchers success' date=' but 2-9 is astonishingly bad. It seems that Bard would like to give starting a shot. He couldn't be worse than Wakefield, Miller, and Dice K. If he takes the ball every 5th day that would be a big improvement. The 5th spot has lacked consistency since Bronson Arroyo. To fill the 8th inning slot, I would pursue Heath Bell.[/quote']

 

Looking at Bard's groundballs rate, it's 53% this year, 50% over this career. Very good numbers. Give it a shot in spring training if someone else fill the 8th inning.

[jung]

These damn interleague games makes it real hard to stay dedicated to the idea that the Sox don't transition to the more contemporary DH perspective. These days even if you don't get to the post season you get hurt by having a full time DH that has to sit for those games.

 

Plus AGons is already squawking about how difficult the schedule is and how it wore him out blah blah blah. He clearly declined in the second half and I am not sure conditioning will change that in his case. So particularly now this Red Sox team will need to park AGons for several games per year and/or have him DH. If Youk stayed he would DH on some days as well. All by way of saying that both to rest players and to get out from under the hole you are left in if you have a dedicated full time DH I cannot justify penciling in Dave for that role going forward.

 

If Dave wants to stay here for really short money, maybe. However the Sox may decide that anybody that did anything wacky in 2011, like Dave's invasion of Tito's press conference is just gone, much like the Patriots take guys that slip like that and just let them go. If the rumblings about Youk and his role in the divisive clubhouse are true then he might well have signed his own travel documents as well.

 

That would be interesting wouldn't it.....if the Sox players knew with the same certainty that Patriots know that you can basically write your own transportation papers right out of town very easily.

[Palodios]

Any chance they could get a combination of players including Aroldis Chapman? Youks would really bolster that lineup and the Sox could use the lefty version of Bard.

 

I would say Chapman is an untouchable right now-- one of those players worth significantly more to a team than another team trying to trade for him. They did risk 30 million dollars on him afterall.

[johndango]

I would say Chapman is an untouchable right now-- one of those players worth significantly more to a team than another team trying to trade for him. They did risk 30 million dollars on him afterall.

 

Definitely. I say if you're realistically trying to target someone in trade, you can't look at the aces. Look at the second tier of players. The 2-3s. Arizona has some interesting pitching talent- a lot of depth- and would maybe do a deal for some hitting, for example.

 

Linecum, Cain, Felix, Chapman, Strausburg... I would eat my hat if you had a realistic chance of landing these guys.

[example1]

Definitely. I say if you're realistically trying to target someone in trade, you can't look at the aces. Look at the second tier of players. The 2-3s. Arizona has some interesting pitching talent- a lot of depth- and would maybe do a deal for some hitting, for example.

 

Linecum, Cain, Felix, Chapman, Strausburg... I would eat my hat if you had a realistic chance of landing these guys.

 

How is Chapman an ace? He throws really hard but his WHIP wasn't untouchable this year, nor was his ERA.

 

He may have a really bright future, but he's not in the same league as the players you listed above. Not even close.

[johndango]

How is Chapman an ace? He throws really hard but his WHIP wasn't untouchable this year, nor was his ERA.

 

He may have a really bright future, but he's not in the same league as the players you listed above. Not even close.

 

No he's not an ace, but to his value to a team with no pitching and all hitting is pretty damn high.

[Palodios]

How is Chapman an ace? He throws really hard but his WHIP wasn't untouchable this year, nor was his ERA.

 

He may have a really bright future, but he's not in the same league as the players you listed above. Not even close.

 

Maybe not, but if the Reds were the team that were wiling to pay so much for an unproven player who had never played a single MLB game, they must be incredibly high on him. He has "untouchable unless absolutely overwhelmed in a deal" status, and I don't think Chapman is the guy you give up Ranaudo, Lavarnway +1 for.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Definitely. I say if you're realistically trying to target someone in trade, you can't look at the aces. Look at the second tier of players. The 2-3s. Arizona has some interesting pitching talent- a lot of depth- and would maybe do a deal for some hitting, for example.

 

Linecum, Cain, Felix, Chapman, Strausburg... I would eat my hat if you had a realistic chance of landing these guys.

 

If the Sox dish Ellsbury for some solid, can't miss prospects from Atlanta, and then dish someone like Boegarts, Jacobs, or Iglesias with the prospects they get from ATL to SEA for Felix, they absolutely have a shot at it, no doubt about it.

[Spitball]

Maybe not' date=' but if the Reds were the team that were wiling to pay so much for an unproven player who had never played a single MLB game, they must be incredibly high on him. He has "untouchable unless absolutely overwhelmed in a deal" status, and I don't think Chapman is the guy you give up Ranaudo, Lavarnway +1 for.[/quote']

 

I agree. Chapman is untouchable. They gambled money that Cincinnati simply does not spend. Plus, they don't want Lavarnway because they are blessed at the catching position. They have an option year on .290 hitting Ramon Hernadez. The also have have 2008 number one draft pick Meseroca who is further along and better offensively/defensively than Lavarnway. Plus, they have Ryan Hanigan signed reasonably for two more years.

[vjcsmoke]

Anyway' date=' point being, we won't be as competitive as we could be for awhile, and that means we need to stop regarding ourselves as peak contenders, probably for the duration of those two contracts.[/quote']

 

You're kidding right? the Red Sox are just supposed to sit there and wait for those two bad contracts to expire? Alright, we're not gonna compete cos we have 2 bad contracts for the next 7 years, Sorry Boston!

 

That's not gonna cut it. Henry and Theo will compete. There are gonna be some moves that need to be made, but they'll find a way. The standard is just too high now.

 

Our most glaring needs - RF, SS, Starting pitching. That's what we're going to need to look at. Also if there's nobody from the farm who can make the leap to the bigs we're in trouble. If Middlebrooks can come up and play 3rd that would be great because then we could DH Youkilis and save him some wear and tear. Papi might not be back, not because he isn't productive, but because we need that DH spot.

 

My 2012 lineup:

 

1. Crawford

2. Pedroia

3. Ellsbury

4. Gonzalez

5. Youkilis DH

6. RF Reddick?

7. 3B Middlebrooks?

8. Saltalmacchia

9. SS Iglesias?

 

So I've got 3 questionmarks in my lineup. With Ellsbury's newfound power, does it make more sense to bat him 3rd? Crawford is really the square peg that is messing up the lineup right now. He has great speed but usually doesn't like batting leadoff. But it would be more benefiical for us if he could do it, although his career OBP of only .333 doesn't really favor that. We could bat Crawford 6th but he doesn't really have a lot of power but then it would give us a middle of the order basestealer.

 

All I know is that the Red Sox need help and they need at least 1 guy to make the jump from the minors and essentially be a starter for us in 2012.

[a700hitter]

Here's my lineup for next season:

 

1. Crawford -LF

2. Pedroia - 2B

3. Ellsbury - CF

4. AGon - 1B

5. Youkilis - 3B

6. Ortiz -DH

7. Cuddyer -RF

8. Salty/Lavarnway -C

9. Scutaro SS

 

SP. Beckett

SP. C.J. Wilson

SP. Lester

SP. Bucholz

SP. Bard

 

CL Papelbon

Setup Heath Bell

[Palodios]

a700... did you just put Crawford at shortstop?

[a700hitter]

a700... did you just put Crawford at shortstop?

LOL!!! I had originally penciled in Reyes, but then I thought that the last thing this team needs is another often injured selfish star player. Fixed.

[Dawgma]

Crawford, Ortiz and Youk...... need to go.

The beer drinkers in the bullpen need to go too.

Time to rebuild a respectful team.

Jim Rice for manager...........................................................