Red Sox 2012/2013 Offseason Thread

[mvp 78]

Career .280 hitter with only 2 hr's since the start of 2010.

 

Gross. It's not like he's Vince Coleman on the base paths.

[mvp 78]

At least Lars isn't coming back, just signed with ChiSox.

[wyo-sox]

Does being a poor home run hitter automatically mean you are a bad player..... let alone a bench fill in guy?

[mvp 78]

It means that there are players with higher upside that should take a roster spot.

[SoxFanForsyth]

It means that there are players with higher upside that should take a roster spot.

 

Like who? I'm not being a smart ass, I just don't know who else is available

[wyo-sox]

It means that there are players with higher upside that should take a roster spot.

 

Certainly possible.

[mvp 78]

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions/free-agents?&_1:col_1=1&_1:col_2=4

[jacksonianmarch]

Apparently Pettitte and Kuroda weren't top 90 in the FA pool. Laughable

[Palodios]

Apparently Pettitte and Kuroda weren't top 90 in the FA pool. Laughable

 

You must be looking at the position player list

[jacksonianmarch]

Ah, well Pettitte did not make the list at all, even on the pitchers side

[Palodios]

Ah, well Pettitte did not make the list at all, even on the pitchers side

 

Probably based on an assumption that he would retire.

[seabeachfred]

Does being a poor home run hitter automatically mean you are a bad player..... let alone a bench fill in guy?

 

In Sweeney's case, YES!!!!!! The guy can't run, has no power or run producing potential and is a singles hitter playing in a power position. Cherington signing this dodo simply confirms the low regard I have for him as a GM. A crappy signing. OTOH, at least we don't have to face the spectre of seeing "Lazy Lars" Anderson polluting our lineup ever again. Chances are his stay in Chicago won't be too long either.

[Bellhorn04]

Sweeney's only bright spots at the plate last year were in April. In his last 151 plate appearances before hitting the self-destruct button on his season at the end of July, he posted a remarkably bad line of 200/253/271.

[wyo-sox]

What makes some defensive positions a "power position" and others not?

[wyo-sox]

Sweeney's only bright spots at the plate last year were in April. In his last 151 plate appearances before hitting the self-destruct button on his season at the end of July, he posted a remarkably bad line of 200/253/271.

 

 

I thought he hit well through most of May, and didn't he have a concussion at the end of May? Not arguing, seriously asking????

[mvp 78]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/gamelog/_/id/28578/ryan-sweeney

 

He hit .250 in May. His average was tanking before the concussion.

[BSN07]

What makes some defensive positions a "power position" and others not?

 

SS, 2B, CF are known as "up the middle" defensive positions. Typically defense is valued higher in these spots as they cover the most "fair" ground on the field and because of that get more defensive attempts over the course of a season. Power is not a must, just a plus at these spots. Inherently if your lacking at power in those "defensive" spots you look to add power in the less demanding defensive positions.

 

That's pretty much the basics of it. Obviously there are exceptions like Hanley, where his glove was passable at the high priority defensive position because his bat was so good.

[wyo-sox]

SS, 2B, CF are known as "up the middle" defensive positions. Typically defense is valued higher in these spots as they cover the most "fair" ground on the field and because of that get more defensive attempts over the course of a season. Power is not a must, just a plus at these spots. Inherently if your lacking at power in those "defensive" spots you look to add power in the less demanding defensive positions.

 

That's pretty much the basics of it. Obviously there are exceptions like Hanley, where his glove was passable at the high priority defensive position because his bat was so good.

 

Thank you.

[Dojji]

Well it's not quite that simple obviously. That's a good place to start understanding the issue, but if it was about number of defensive attempts, first base would be the biggest defensive position on the field instead of one of the presumptively less important.

 

It comes down to where you need your rangiest people and the fact that your rangiest people tend to be quick and light on their fight, which tends to contradict the possibility of also being a power bat. Usually your shortstop is one of your smaller, leaner players, and that makes it harder to muster the ballast to really put a charge into the ball.

 

That said if you have freak like Pedroia who is small, light and fast, but also knows how to sting the ball VERY hard, that's great, and if you have a big guy who's athletic enough to maintain decent range, like Tulowitzki, and maintain himself as a solid to elite up the middle defender, rock on. We're hoping Xander Bogaerts is going to turn into that kind of shortstop, and he's got a fighting chance. But your up the middle guys have to be able to move.

[redsoxfan3]

The addition of Sweeney is just a fill-in to compete with Nava as the backup LF. Just because we signed Sweeney does not mean anything. We can still sign another LF OF, even if the odds are slim. I just don't like the fact that we only have Nava and Sweeney competing for time in LF. I would much rather have a healthy Kalish over a door punching Sweeney.

[seabeachfred]

Sweeney's only bright spots at the plate last year were in April. In his last 151 plate appearances before hitting the self-destruct button on his season at the end of July, he posted a remarkably bad line of 200/253/271.

 

You know Bellhorn, I'm still waiting for someone to tell me that I am wrong, that Sweeney will be fine as a possible platoon partner for lefty crushing but righty pansy Gomes. No one has come forth so that tells me this is one time just about all of us are on the same page. Of course, it might turn out that Sweeney will not be the one but rather Nava. Wow!!!!!! Some improvement there.

:dunno::dunno::dunno::dunno::dunno::dunno::dunno::dunno:

[seabeachfred]

I thought he hit well through most of May, and didn't he have a concussion at the end of May? Not arguing, seriously asking????

 

For a short time I was convinced you were just trying to provoke some of us with some of the questions you asked, but no more. You're a straight shooter all the way so I will try to give you my take on why Sweeney is not what we need. He is a big guy but he has NO power---two home runs since 2010 according to MVP 78, who pretty much always knows about these kind of things. He has putrid speed so he can't run. Can't run and hit for power and he is a corner outfielder? Pardone senior but that is not what you need out in a corner outfield position. He is a good fielder and singles hitter but we saw how he faded even before he committed self hari-kari last summer. We can do better and we need a little more power out there that he can give---which is next to nothing.

[seabeachfred]

Well it's not quite that simple obviously. That's a good place to start understanding the issue, but if it was about number of defensive attempts, first base would be the biggest defensive position on the field instead of one of the presumptively less important.

 

It comes down to where you need your rangiest people and the fact that your rangiest people tend to be quick and light on their fight, which tends to contradict the possibility of also being a power bat. Usually your shortstop is one of your smaller, leaner players, and that makes it harder to muster the ballast to really put a charge into the ball.

 

That said if you have freak like Pedroia who is small, light and fast, but also knows how to sting the ball VERY hard, that's great, and if you have a big guy who's athletic enough to maintain decent range, like Tulowitzki, and maintain himself as a solid to elite up the middle defender, rock on. We're hoping Xander Bogaerts is going to turn into that kind of shortstop, and he's got a fighting chance. But your up the middle guys have to be able to move.

 

With our questionable starting pitching Doj, I would think our middle guys have to be able to hit as well. See ya Jose.

[Dojji]

It would help, but the big thing the big defensive players at the big defensive positions provide is a chende to make the pitching look better. If we weren't so obsessed with shortstops who "at least hit a little" we'd have taken a different and arguably better direction at short over the last several years, especially since the "offensive" shortstops we've brought since 07 (Lugo, Aviles) in have only been "offensive" in the sense that it offends me to watch them try to hit.

[Palodios]

It would help, but the big thing the big defensive players at the big defensive positions provide is a chende to make the pitching look better. If we weren't so obsessed with shortstops who "at least hit a little" we'd have taken a different and arguably better direction at short over the last several years, especially since the "offensive" shortstops we've brought since 07 (Lugo, Aviles) in have only been "offensive" in the sense that it offends me to watch them try to hit.

 

Since Lugo left, most of the shortstops we've seen have been average defensively. If you look at UZR or any of those advanced stats, they're all very much dead-center average.

 

The real problem has been catchers-- all of which have been significantly below average defensively, and that does include Tek.

[jung]

Tek was great at handling pitchers and game prep. He was average to tolerable as a defensive catcher for a period but as he aged he went from tolerable to "what was that" status. His throwing really tanked as he aged.

[wyo-sox]

 

The real problem has been catchers-- all of which have been significantly below average defensively, and that does include Tek.

 

[Palodios]

 

Your outrage doesn't make it any less true.

[wyo-sox]

Your outrage doesn't make it any less true.

 

No personal outrage, lol. I generally agreed with you. For some odd reason Arty Spooners "how dare you" jumped into my mind as the reaction of Sox fans to you saying something negative about Tek.

[Bellhorn04]

Varitek's CERA and W-L record were oustanding his last 2 seasons, in spite of his defensive problems.