Red Sox 2012/2013 Offseason Thread

[jung]

To be honest I don't think either side of the argument is totally valid. Maybe with one side a bit more credible than the other.

 

As for the side of the argument that says nobody is blocked....it is predicated on the idea that the Sox will just make room for a player if need be. However at least IMO that flies in the face of what the Sox do. They will not bring a guy up and make a spot for him because the minute they do that it smacks of "season over"...."post season effort kaput"...time to look at the kids. The Sox have to be dragged to that sort of conclusion kicking and screaming. So I don't buy into the idea that they will just make a spot for a player or players.

 

However looking at the other side of the argument, you have to look at the players that we are discussing. I was all set to be unhappy about Kalish not finally getting his chance to play and what happens....he's injured again and I have to be from Missouri on him now. I will believe it when I see it if he is ready by anything close to opening day. Iggy...I think time has passed him by. He has got B's climbing all over his butt hole and he is an atypical Red Sox SS to boot. So while I was ready to be all unhappy about Iggy I have to be realistic about his chances of actually being a Sox SS. The one left that bothers me is Lavs and if Salty is still here that one is really going to bother me.

 

So thats my take on the "who is blocked deal". Now if we put that one aside we are still left with the three choices they had:

- not spend the money and just have the kids playing everywhere (there was never a snowballs chance in hell of them doing that)

- spending the money on some big name talent and a few longer term deals mixed in(Meh....maybe). I sort of liked that idea but maybe there was less opportunity to do that than I perceived

- doing what they did.

 

My biggest complaint about what they did is that they had some opportunities to do more about the starting pitching than they did and they just didn't do it. So they have what in truth amounts to a middling bunch of everyday players mated to a middling or less rotation with a super pen. Well whoopty-fing-do on the super pen for my money. I have taken to calling this team the Boston mid-packs cause that is what I think they are....at best.

 

To be honest though, other than wishing they had done more with the starting pitching what the heck else were they going to do? This is Boston so IMO not spending the money was out of the question. I wish they had done it a bit differently but what I wanted went out the window pretty early and I could just as easily been all wet with my approach.

 

I do not understand spending like they did without doing more for the SP even given the AAV boost that you end up with in short term contracts. It does smack of a half way plan....not enough of anything to make any real sense while spending a pile of money.

 

The end result IMO.....I will not be at all surprised at any position from 3-5 in the AL East and no post season. I will be super surprised if they end up really competing for very long for one of the WC spots and will absolutely fall down without being able to get up if they end up contending for the division. I just don't find anything comforting in having all of our eggs in the Lester/Buch basket while being in complete agreement that this is where we are.

[Palodios]

Ideally, I'd have picked up 2 pitchers not named Dempster.

 

My biggest complaint about what they did is that they had some opportunities to do more about the starting pitching than they did and they just didn't do it.

 

It seems like this is the trend, and I agree with it. Another pitcher would have been great.

 

I think that the important thing to remember is that the team does actually know more about the make-up of the team than we do. They know the prognosis of Lackey's elbow, the progress and projections for MB/AW/RDLR/FM/AA. They also had medical reports on guys like Brendan Mccarthy, Dan Haren, Shaun Marcum, and Jair Jurrgens-- players we all wanted, but may have had health issues.

[a700hitter]

It seems like this is the trend, and I agree with it. Another pitcher would have been great.

 

I think that the important thing to remember is that the team does actually know more about the make-up of the team than we do. They know the prognosis of Lackey's elbow, the progress and projections for MB/AW/RDLR/FM/AA. They also had medical reports on guys like Brendan Mccarthy, Dan Haren, Shaun Marcum, and Jair Jurrgens-- players we all wanted, but may have had health issues.

And we will see how it works out for the Sox and the teams that signed these pitchers. Some will be busts and some might be very helpful.

[dupree]

And we will see how it works out for the Sox and the teams that signed these pitchers. Some will be busts and some might be very helpful.

 

Yes and out of those pitchers, Dan Haren and Brendan McCarthy will most likey benefit from going from the American League to the National league.

 

Agreed the medical staff has each players medical records and clearly know more than we do, im just in a wait and see mentality with the pitching staff. I think the long, middle relief and the closing staff should be a definite strength for this club. Most of all i hope that one or two of the young prospects shines and adds depth because injuries do happen.

 

Farrell and Pedro is our X factors in turning this staff around tho. Im putting a lot of faith in that for 2013 and hope we dont have another 2012, or by July most of us will be waiting on football to start and hearing and watching a downward spiral again.

[jopete19]

Hope everyone is the Massachusetts area is ok with Winter Storm Nemo! I'm sure a lot of you "found" it... Too soon???

[BSN07]

My Aunt has 3' in Maine already. With the wind they had snow drifts covering the doors this morning. Hope everyone is safe and warm

[a700hitter]

My Aunt has 3' in Maine already. With the wind they had snow drifts covering the doors this morning. Hope everyone is safe and warm

I'm fine. Thanks for asking.

[SoxSport]

I see that Cherington was interviewed today about the catching situation, and the interpretation is he has just about written off Lavernway:

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/02/red-sox-notes-.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

I think what he said was overinterpreted--it's looks like Lav will open the season in Pawtucket, but I doubt they will deal him. He still has a ton of upside, and is probably better right now defensively than Salty. But Salty is a kid who tries hard, and can be expected to improve his game even more this year. You look for improvement in his game calling--and his target placement for the pitchers. He has to get that glove off the middle of the plate, and target the corners more.

 

It would be a mistake to deal Lav now. The kid has too much potential and catchers don't grow on trees.

Hold onto those kids.

[seabeachfred]

I see that Cherington was interviewed today about the catching situation, and the interpretation is he has just about written off Lavernway:

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/02/red-sox-notes-.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

I think what he said was overinterpreted--it's looks like Lav will open the season in Pawtucket, but I doubt they will deal him. He still has a ton of upside, and is probably better right now defensively than Salty. But Salty is a kid who tries hard, and can be expected to improve his game even more this year. You look for improvement in his game calling--and his target placement for the pitchers. He has to get that glove off the middle of the plate, and target the corners more.

 

It would be a mistake to deal Lav now. The kid has too much potential and catchers don't grow on trees.

Hold onto those kids.

 

Again, I'm not surprised at all. I have never been a fan of Cherington and have been a critic of his since he took the team's GM spot over. His disastrous signings last off season has been improved somewhat this year but apparently he still has stars in his eyes when it comes to Satalamacchia. Ever notice in a close game when we're behind by a run or so in the late innings. Five gets you ten that Salty strikes out. He does not drive in runs very well and we all know his poor receiving. Trying hard is fine but the road to hell is paved with good intentions and Lavarnway is not getting any younger. We keep our kids tied down in the minors too long and sooner or later they either get hurt (Kalish), fade badly (Anderson) or are traded away for trash (Reddick for the garbage we got for him last winter). If the Red Sox are ever going to become relevant again the young prospects must be given the chance Pedroia, Ellsbury, Papelbon and Lester got before the front office went postal and decided on the "more damn seasoning kick".

 

Lavarnway is our best all around catcher and must be given that job before 2013 is out.

[seabeachfred]

I'm fine. Thanks for asking.

 

That's great to hear Ted. I was a little concerned you might be in the line of fire of that damn blizzard rocking the Northeast. Try to stay warm and out of harm's way.

[Dojji]

 

Lavarnway is our best all around catcher

 

That doesn't mean he's any good. I don't see any reason to rush Lavarnway as it stands right now.

 

The call for Lavarnway sounds more like a plea for an alternative to the guy everyone has decided is terrible (Salty), than it is any real analysis of Lavarnway's own readiness. That being the case I'm all for slamming the brakes on the groupthink and giving the kid the time he needs to develop properly before we try to cram him into Varitek's armor the way we did with Salty himself (who everyone DAMN WELL SHOULD HAVE KNOWN was going to be a project with a lot of work ahead of him!)

[SoxSport]

Again, I'm not surprised at all. I have never been a fan of Cherington and have been a critic of his since he took the team's GM spot over. His disastrous signings last off season has been improved somewhat this year but apparently he still has stars in his eyes when it comes to Satalamacchia. Ever notice in a close game when we're behind by a run or so in the late innings. Five gets you ten that Salty strikes out. He does not drive in runs very well and we all know his poor receiving. Trying hard is fine but the road to hell is paved with good intentions and Lavarnway is not getting any younger. We keep our kids tied down in the minors too long and sooner or later they either get hurt (Kalish), fade badly (Anderson) or are traded away for trash (Reddick for the garbage we got for him last winter). If the Red Sox are ever going to become relevant again the young prospects must be given the chance Pedroia, Ellsbury, Papelbon and Lester got before the front office went postal and decided on the "more damn seasoning kick".

 

Lavarnway is our best all around catcher and must be given that job before 2013 is out.

 

 

Ben was in the middle of the pack in the FO before Hoyer and Byrnes left. I just hope he hasn't been Peter Principled up to GM because Henry didn't want to spend more money hiring on the outside.

[a700hitter]

Ben was in the middle of the pack in the FO before Hoyer and Byrnes left. I just hope he hasn't been Peter Principled up to GM because Henry didn't want to spend more money hiring on the outside.

Whether he is better or worse than Hoyer, Byrnes and others is to be determined, but he shared the same institutional philosophy of that FO team. When an organization goes into a tailspin of fail, the leadership needs to change. It hasn't. Cherries was a protege of Theo. the owners needed to clean house of the leadership on baseball operations to change course. We are getting more of the same type of inadequate leadership.

[who]

I actually keep forgetting they picked up Dempster. He could be a wild card.

[BSN07]

That doesn't mean he's any good. I don't see any reason to rush Lavarnway as it stands right now.

 

The call for Lavarnway sounds more like a plea for an alternative to the guy everyone has decided is terrible (Salty), than it is any real analysis of Lavarnway's own readiness. That being the case I'm all for slamming the brakes on the groupthink and giving the kid the time he needs to develop properly before we try to cram him into Varitek's armor the way we did with Salty himself (who everyone DAMN WELL SHOULD HAVE KNOWN was going to be a project with a lot of work ahead of him!)

 

This could very well be true. I'm not against them holding onto him for now and seeing if he gets hot and increases his trade value. Lavs starting in AAA isn't a bad thing either. Of course my tune could change slightly if he goes on a hitting rampage in Florida

[jung]

The Salty "project" is an effort to fit a square peg in a round hole. They should send him packing so somebody else can enjoy the project. At this rate when is he actually going to become a catcher? He will be 28 in May. That makes him 2.5 years older than Lavarnway and Lavarnway is ahead of him on the developmental path even with all the seasoning Salty has gotten at the major league level.

 

And where are those HR's going to go once Salty's legs start to go? Then what will you have....a guy that does not possess some of the basic rudimentary skills of a catcher that no longer even hits HR's but probably still K's about has much as Salty K's now.

 

Is anybody going to try to make the case that we will be someday be pining for Jarrod Saltamachia? If that happens the Sox FO is even more inept than even its most vocal critics suggest.

[mvp 78]

Lavarnway hasn't shown that he can hit MLB pitching. His defense is below average. I don't know why people can't see this.

 

Salty stinks, but right now Lavs is worse than Salty.

[Dojji]

The Salty "project" is an effort to fit a square peg in a round hole. They should send him packing so somebody else can enjoy the project. At this rate when is he actually going to become a catcher? He will be 28 in May. That makes him 2.5 years older than Lavarnway and Lavarnway is ahead of him on the developmental path even with all the seasoning Salty has gotten at the major league level.

 

And where are those HR's going to go once Salty's legs start to go? Then what will you have....a guy that does not possess some of the basic rudimentary skills of a catcher that no longer even hits HR's but probably still K's about has much as Salty K's now.

 

Is anybody going to try to make the case that we will be someday be pining for Jarrod Saltamachia? If that happens the Sox FO is even more inept than even its most vocal critics suggest.

 

 

And that's your reason to replace him with Lavarnway? Good god, you said maybe one sentence about Lavarnway and 3 paragraphs about how you hate Salty. WHICH IS MY FREAKING POINT.

 

People are trying to pretend Lavarnway is ready and demand the FO rush him into service because it's easier to do that than to put up with Salty. And disregarding any argument you might want to make for or against Salty, that is entirely unfair to Lavarnway, because it sets him up 2 years from now to be in the same position Salty himself currently occupies.

 

Salty was rushed into immediate service by the Rangers because he could hit a little, and never developed the skills he should have as a result, largely because he was never able to become tolerable at the big league level as the full time starting catcher, and thus never got consistent reps starting at about age 23 onward. Pretty critical years for a young catcher. Do you really want Lavarnway to go the same route? To back up in the big leagues because you've given yourself only 2 big league caliber catchers and he's not ready to start, and thus he never gets the reps to become what he could be? Or even risk that when we have a guy who's putting up a win or so above replacement and a pretty solid backup?

 

If you can analyze Lavarnway's own body of work, regardless of Salty -- in fact forget Salty entirely for just this next few seconds and focus entirely on Lavarnway -- and tell me that a catcher who has done what Lavarnway has done is ready -- not "worth a shot," not "you never know," not "better than the horrible incumbent," but ACTUALLY READY -- then we can talk about whether we might want to consider moving Saltalamacchia. And only then. And maybe not even then, depending on what Napoli's hip does. We could need Salty as an emergency option at first base.

 

And that's all besides the point that this is Spring freaking Training. The time of the year, of all times of the year, when you're trying to give yourself options. As opposed to straitjacketing yourself into precisely one starting catcher and precisely one backup.

[Bellhorn04]

Varitek's second full season was at age 28. And it took him a few years to become a good defensive catcher.

[Dojji]

Oh and before I forget -- I'm going to be interested, if I get a chance at all to do this, in seeing how Dan Butler performs this year as a catcher. He's kind of the dark horse right now but he's the best defensive catching prospect we've got in the high minors, and I've heard praise of his stuff for the last few years. If he can improve at the dish and gain a bit of proficiency overall, he could be an interesting dark horse.

[a700hitter]

I don't want Lavarnway to replace Salty just because Salty sucks. I don't know if Lavarnway will suck too. I want them to give Lavarnway a shot to see what he has. We're going to be a 4 th place or last place team anyway, so it would be a good time to see if Lavarnway can play at this level. There's no reason to hang onto Salty. Tree him while he has some value.

[Dojji]

I don't want Lavarnway to replace Salty just because Salty sucks. I don't know if Lavarnway will suck too. I want them to give Lavarnway a shot to see what he has.

 

And I'd take this chance if it weren't a game of Russian Roulette with Lavarnway's career. If you force him into the bigs before he's had the reps to develop solid fundamental skills, it's going to come back to bite both him and us. That's the lion's share of what went wrong with Salty.

 

And Lavarnway is by no means a natural defensive catcher. He spent half his career in college as an outfielder and DH'd a lot in the minors, became a full time catcher pretty late in life compared to a lot of young catching prospects and is correspondingly raw for his age. If there's one thing he doesn't need, it's having his minor league reps cut short.

[mvp 78]

If Lavs goes to AAA and hits like WMB did last year, then he should be brought up. Frankly, Lavs wasn't even that good at Pawtucket last year.

[Dojji]

If Lavs goes to AAA and hits like WMB did last year, then he should be brought up. Frankly, Lavs wasn't even that good at Pawtucket last year.

Right, my only point is that people who want Lavs to break camp with the team are doing so on the basis of a vendetta, rather than based on common sense.

[jung]

You cannot look at any ballplayer in your system without considering the other options in your system. That is just plain lunacy. I don't spend much time on Lavs because what he has should be easy for anybody with a pair of eyes to see.

 

If we had a good option at catcher I would say, leave Lavarnway where he is or move him. We don't have a good option at catcher. We have the ever hideous Salty and his back up which dooms us to Salty getting most of the work......Why?... For the possibility of those 25 HR even at the expense of 200K's....terrific....how Red Sox is that! Lets not forget that Salty generated those 25 HR's by swinging for the fences on every swing...a final concession on his part to the fact that a more balanced hitting posture would not yield enough walks and hits to be a reasonable approach. So Salty has already hoisted the white flag on a more balanced hitting posture.

 

As for Lavarnway's deficiencies....he is still ahead of Salty on the developmental curve and 2.5 years younger. He is already a better defensive catcher that has way more upside to become an even better catcher than Salty could ever hope to become. He is much quicker moving around behind the plate...much more agile, faster and capable of getting up out of his crouch to make plays. His agility alone makes it easier for him to make plays that are just beyond Salty's capability and makes his tasks from the crouch easier than they will ever be for Salty. I don't think Lavarnway has a great arm but at least he already throws with a natural rhythm. He does not have to think about throwing in rhythm unlike the aforementioned Salty.

 

Visibly Lavs is already better as a battery mate as Salty is...clearly gives the pitchers better targets than Salty which would not be hard since Salty gives the worst targets of any supposed front line catcher I have ever seen. Lavs has a much more supple glove hand making it easier for him to receive the ball and frame pitches as he can catch the ball without jerking his glove all over creation....again something that is beyond Salty's physical capabilities.

 

Lavs has not had much success at the plate as yet at the major league level which is why the Reddick comment is relevant. The Sox NEVER simply determine that there are often guys who they have had faith in....have confidence in....have invested in that do not finally bloom until they gets the job....that is the only difference between Riddick/Oakland and Riddick/Boston and it makes no sense if what you have already is Salty. That is particularly true when LL himself has already anointed this as a bridge year. Bridge to what....at this rate. Is this what bridge means to the Red Sox.....you bring in a bunch of broken down, on the mend vets without letting one single guy in the system move up including Lavs! Fine I can take the broken down vets but I can't take another year of Salty.

 

Why isn't Salty down there in the minors since he is less developed as a catcher than even Lavs......why because its the Red Sox, the idiots that suckered themselves into thinking they were going to turn Salty into a catcher in what three years...four years....any number of years! Anybody who thinks Salty is going to overcome his liabilities in one more year is drinking the same tonic that the Sox were drinking when they signed him. The optics are better that this team is actually going someplace this season if Salty, the catcher of residence in the Red Sox system remains the catcher this season and because of the potential of another 25 HR performance.... and we wonder why we can only generate two championships in a zillion years.

 

For the record.....Tek was NEVER a good defensive catcher. Tek was a fantastic handler of pitchers.....he was a terrific battery mate but he was never more than adequate as a defensive catcher and later in his career turned into a terrible defensive catcher. So Tek did not turn into a good defensive catcher in five years, ten years or one hundred years. Salty is neither a good battery mate nor is he a good defensive catcher. Lavs is already better in both categories though not fully developed in either.

 

All Salty has to recommend him is those 25 home runs....as I have often said before....only in Boston!

[Bellhorn04]

For the record.....Tek was NEVER a good defensive catcher. Tek was a fantastic handler of pitchers.....he was a terrific battery mate but he was never more than adequate as a defensive catcher and later in his career turned into a terrible defensive catcher.

 

Yes, and Tek's handling of the pitching appears to have been more of a plus than any physical defensive problems were a minus.

 

I can only assume that the Sox think that Salty has improved enough as a handler of pitchers to give him the starting job again this year.

 

Hopefully Ross will catch 40% of the games or so. That will give us lots of data to compare the two and see if Salty is in fact getting better.

[a700hitter]

You cannot look at any ballplayer in your system without considering the other options in your system. That is just plain lunacy. I don't spend much time on Lavs because what he has should be easy for anybody with a pair of eyes to see.

 

If we had a good option at catcher I would say, leave Lavarnway where he is or move him. We don't have a good option at catcher. We have the ever hideous Salty and his back up which dooms us to Salty getting most of the work......Why?... For the possibility of those 25 HR even at the expense of 200K's....terrific....how Red Sox is that! Lets not forget that Salty generated those 25 HR's by swinging for the fences on every swing...a final concession on his part to the fact that a more balanced hitting posture would not yield enough walks and hits to be a reasonable approach. So Salty has already hoisted the white flag on a more balanced hitting posture.

 

As for Lavarnway's deficiencies....he is still ahead of Salty on the developmental curve and 2.5 years younger. He is already a better defensive catcher that has way more upside to become an even better catcher than Salty could ever hope to become. He is much quicker moving around behind the plate...much more agile, faster and capable of getting up out of his crouch to make plays. His agility alone makes it easier for him to make plays that are just beyond Salty's capability and makes his tasks from the crouch easier than they will ever be for Salty. I don't think Lavarnway has a great arm but at least he already throws with a natural rhythm. He does not have to think about throwing in rhythm unlike the aforementioned Salty.

 

Visibly Lavs is already better as a battery mate as Salty is...clearly gives the pitchers better targets than Salty which would not be hard since Salty gives the worst targets of any supposed front line catcher I have ever seen. Lavs has a much more supple glove hand making it easier for him to receive the ball and frame pitches as he can catch the ball without jerking his glove all over creation....again something that is beyond Salty's physical capabilities.

 

Lavs has not had much success at the plate as yet at the major league level which is why the Reddick comment is relevant. The Sox NEVER simply determine that there are often guys who they have had faith in....have confidence in....have invested in that do not finally bloom until they gets the job....that is the only difference between Riddick/Oakland and Riddick/Boston and it makes no sense if what you have already is Salty. That is particularly true when LL himself has already anointed this as a bridge year. Bridge to what....at this rate. Is this what bridge means to the Red Sox.....you bring in a bunch of broken down, on the mend vets without letting one single guy in the system move up including Lavs! Fine I can take the broken down vets but I can't take another year of Salty.

 

Why isn't Salty down there in the minors since he is less developed as a catcher than even Lavs......why because its the Red Sox, the idiots that suckered themselves into thinking they were going to turn Salty into a catcher in what three years...four years....any number of years! Anybody who thinks Salty is going to overcome his liabilities in one more year is drinking the same tonic that the Sox were drinking when they signed him. The optics are better that this team is actually going someplace this season if Salty, the catcher of residence in the Red Sox system remains the catcher this season and because of the potential of another 25 HR performance.... and we wonder why we can only generate two championships in a zillion years.

 

For the record.....Tek was NEVER a good defensive catcher. Tek was a fantastic handler of pitchers.....he was a terrific battery mate but he was never more than adequate as a defensive catcher and later in his career turned into a terrible defensive catcher. So Tek did not turn into a good defensive catcher in five years, ten years or one hundred years. Salty is neither a good battery mate nor is he a good defensive catcher. Lavs is already better in both categories though not fully developed in either.

 

All Salty has to recommend him is those 25 home runs....as I have often said before....only in Boston!

Ah, but Lavarnway cannot pull off a 720 degree clockwise spin followed by a 360 degree counter clockwise spin while the ball is at his feet.

 

As for Varitek, he always took too long to release his throws and he was not the best at fielding balls on the ground in front of the plate, but he did two things extraordinarily well. The guy's back leg was like a concrete post when he was blocking the plate. The other thing was fielding pop ups. No one was better at that.

 

Salty does nothing well at this point. Once in a while he uncorks a beautiful howitzer like throw, but that is way too inconsistent.

[Dojji]

You cannot look at any ballplayer in your system without considering the other options in your system. That is just plain lunacy. I don't spend much time on Lavs because what he has should be easy for anybody with a pair of eyes to see.

 

If we had a good option at catcher I would say, leave Lavarnway where he is or move him. We don't have a good option at catcher. We have the ever hideous Salty and his back up which dooms us to Salty getting most of the work......Why?... For the possibility of those 25 HR even at the expense of 200K's....terrific....how Red Sox is that! Lets not forget that Salty generated those 25 HR's by swinging for the fences on every swing...a final concession on his part to the fact that a more balanced hitting posture would not yield enough walks and hits to be a reasonable approach. So Salty has already hoisted the white flag on a more balanced hitting posture.

 

As for Lavarnway's deficiencies....he is still ahead of Salty on the developmental curve and 2.5 years younger. He is already a better defensive catcher that has way more upside to become an even better catcher than Salty could ever hope to become. He is much quicker moving around behind the plate...much more agile, faster and capable of getting up out of his crouch to make plays. His agility alone makes it easier for him to make plays that are just beyond Salty's capability and makes his tasks from the crouch easier than they will ever be for Salty. I don't think Lavarnway has a great arm but at least he already throws with a natural rhythm. He does not have to think about throwing in rhythm unlike the aforementioned Salty.

 

Visibly Lavs is already better as a battery mate as Salty is...clearly gives the pitchers better targets than Salty which would not be hard since Salty gives the worst targets of any supposed front line catcher I have ever seen. Lavs has a much more supple glove hand making it easier for him to receive the ball and frame pitches as he can catch the ball without jerking his glove all over creation....again something that is beyond Salty's physical capabilities.

 

Lavs has not had much success at the plate as yet at the major league level which is why the Reddick comment is relevant. The Sox NEVER simply determine that there are often guys who they have had faith in....have confidence in....have invested in that do not finally bloom until they gets the job....that is the only difference between Riddick/Oakland and Riddick/Boston and it makes no sense if what you have already is Salty. That is particularly true when LL himself has already anointed this as a bridge year. Bridge to what....at this rate. Is this what bridge means to the Red Sox.....you bring in a bunch of broken down, on the mend vets without letting one single guy in the system move up including Lavs! Fine I can take the broken down vets but I can't take another year of Salty.

 

Why isn't Salty down there in the minors since he is less developed as a catcher than even Lavs......why because its the Red Sox, the idiots that suckered themselves into thinking they were going to turn Salty into a catcher in what three years...four years....any number of years! Anybody who thinks Salty is going to overcome his liabilities in one more year is drinking the same tonic that the Sox were drinking when they signed him. The optics are better that this team is actually going someplace this season if Salty, the catcher of residence in the Red Sox system remains the catcher this season and because of the potential of another 25 HR performance.... and we wonder why we can only generate two championships in a zillion years.

 

For the record.....Tek was NEVER a good defensive catcher. Tek was a fantastic handler of pitchers.....he was a terrific battery mate but he was never more than adequate as a defensive catcher and later in his career turned into a terrible defensive catcher. So Tek did not turn into a good defensive catcher in five years, ten years or one hundred years. Salty is neither a good battery mate nor is he a good defensive catcher. Lavs is already better in both categories though not fully developed in either.

 

All Salty has to recommend him is those 25 home runs....as I have often said before....only in Boston!

 

Repeating yourself with ever more overagitated pathos doesn't negate my point in the slightest. It is foolish to pretend that the fact that Salty sucks, even if absolutely true, means Lavarnway is any more ready for prime time than he actually is.

 

We don't need a catcher that is better than you perceive Salty to be. We need a good catcher. If the team thinks that the better path to getting a good catcher is letting Salty fill the starter's role now and worrying about Lavs when he's shown us more, I don't have a problem with that conclusion.

[jung]

The point is that Lavs is better than Salty now. All Salty has is those 25 home runs.

 

The "lions share" of went wrong with Salty was ever thinking he was going to develop as a catcher in the first place. He simply does not have enough physical skill for the job. Not sure about his mental alacrity but I can see his physical skills with my own two eyes.

[jung]

Where by the way is this unwritten rule that Lavs would have to stop developing if he were playing up here....sure he would stop if he did not get enough reps....what Ross is going to rob reps from Lavs??? Sox would have to be nuts to let that happen.....even if they think they are going someplace this year.....Ross should not steal reps from Lavs. If nobody is stealing reps from him Lavs gets the benefit of ML seasoning in a year when the Sox need to get real about where they are going at least for the 2013 season.