Jose Iglesias

[Behindenemylines]

Iglesias can't hit. He hasn't hit at any level in the minors. If he could hit at least at Rey Ordonez level you could take a chance with him. Can you win with a SS who is basically an automatic out in your lineup.

[jung]

V is just going to far now. He has just pulled Iggy from the top of the 7th inning of the Sunday Jays game with two outs and a 2-2 count on Iggy and pinch hit Nava at that point, with the 2-2 count. Ciriaco had just stolen 2nd so had moved into scoring position.

 

However these games are meaningless. I actually think V just did himself more harm than good. Pulling Iggy at that point was idiotic. Nava immediately ground out to end the inning.

[Taz]

Very strange move...

 

Out of interest, does that count as an at-bat for Iggy or Nava... or both?

[Elktonnick]

V is just going to far now. He has just pulled Iggy from the top of the 7th inning of the Sunday Jays game with two outs and a 2-2 count on Iggy and pinch hit Nava at that point, with the 2-2 count. Ciriaco had just stolen 2nd so had moved into scoring position.

 

However these games are meaningless. I actually think V just did himself more harm than good. Pulling Iggy at that point was idiotic. Nava immediately ground out to end the inning.

 

BV was just making the point that everyone knows Iggy can't hit major league pitching. There is no point sugar coating it. No one does the kid any favors. He does not belong in the bigs yet. If this weren't September and the Sox weren't out of it, he wouldn't nor shouldn't be here.

[Station 13]

WTF, did that seriously happened? He took Iggy out in the middle of an AB?

[jung]

He took Iggy out in the middle of an at bat. It does matter if Iggy should be here or not. September call ups are rarely guys that should be "be here". If they should be here, they would be already.

 

There was no point to make. Even if Nava got a hit there, which he did not, the Sox were better off in this lost season allowing Iggy to complete the at bat than pulling him in the middle of it. Pulling Iggy in the middle of it, did nothing positive for the Sox and might contribute to any number of things that are not positives for the Sox as an organization. We would even argue that winning this specific game would do nothing positive for the Sox.

 

Even Salty came up behind Iggy sitting in front of V and gave him a pat on the back, knowing Iggy would have difficulty with such an odd move. He can't hit, at least not yet...big deal...like we can't see that?

 

Moves like this are the downside to keeping V around when it would appear impossible to bring him back next year.

[Elktonnick]

He took Iggy out in the middle of an at bat. It does matter if Iggy should be here or not. September call ups are rarely guys that should be "be here". If they should be here, they would be already.

 

There was no point to make. Even if Nava got a hit there, which he did not, the Sox were better off in this lost season allowing Iggy to complete the at bat than pulling him in the middle of it. Pulling Iggy in the middle of it, did nothing positive for the Sox and might contribute to any number of things that are not positives for the Sox as an organization. We would even argue that winning this specific game would do nothing positive for the Sox.

 

Even Salty came up behind Iggy sitting in front of V and gave him a pat on the back, knowing Iggy would have difficulty with such an odd move. He can't hit, at least not yet...big deal...like we can't see that?

 

Moves like this are the downside to keeping V around when it would appear impossible to bring him back next year.

 

There is no point to Iggy being here. He sucks at the plate. BV just in a very harsh way gave the kid the facts of life. That's why it is called hardball. He is regressing by facing big league pitching even in September. He needs at bats but not here.

[Behindenemylines]

I hope the Sox have a Plan B for SS next season. Iglesias is a no-hit good glove player. He hasn't hit at any level, and doesn't show anything that leads to believe he is going to. Maybe he can be used as a chip to get a SP. With that said BV didn't do any good to the kids confidence in what he did. This was a meaningless game, and what is proved by this move other then kicking the kid when he is down.

[a700hitter]

There is no point to Iggy being here. He sucks at the plate. BV just in a very harsh way gave the kid the facts of life. That's why it is called hardball. He is regressing by facing big league pitching even in September. He needs at bats but not here.

The kid is playing himself right out of prospect status. Ciriaco has acquitted himself well. Plus, in limited appearance he has 14 SBs with 0 CS in 60 games. He'll have a roster spot in 2013 whether or not he is the starting SS. Iglesias? Who knows.

[Behindenemylines]

I think there is plan to have Ciriaco play some outfield this winter. If he comes back with that tool he can be a very effective super sub. Can play 2B, SS, 3B, and give some speed to the lineup. I think he is one of the positives to a terrible summer.

[jung]

Iggy is playing himself out of consideration at SS for the Red Sox. That does not excuse V for what was a stupid move. More V being V I believe. Regardless of whether Iggy has a future with the Sox he is a Sox property at this point and screwing with a Sox property won't endear V to ownership. I suspect V knows he is done after this year.

 

Although if he keeps this s*** up, I would not be surprised to see them wait till the last week of the season and then can him....just to make the point because V does not belong here either.

[Behindenemylines]

Between the worst September roster comment to the media and the reoving Iggy in the middle of an AB I think that BV has lost the support of any in the Nation who still supported him. It just adds to the crazy things that have happened in 2012.

[rhfil]

I wonder who scouted Iglesias? What could he have possibly seen to justify paying him as much money as they did? From Magadan"s comments it is obvious the kid has no idea what he is doing up at the plate.

I thought BV should be given a chance to return in 2013 to finish work teaching fundamentals to the players but he just will not learn to shut up. And removing Iglesias to give Lester some runs was really the limit.

[SoxSport]

Iggy is making $2.5 mil per year right now, and they sure as hell better give him a real chance to play SS, or they are flushing a lot of money down the drain. The kid has played well enough in AAA. What's needed is a little patience. He's a great fielder at a defensive position, SS. He needs the kind of patience that made Ozzie Smith a great player.

 

The guy they need to unload is Loney. Good field, no-hit first baseman are useless.

[jung]

Problem is that the next SS in the Sox system is barking right up Iggy's butt right now and threatening to pass him by. So patience may just not be in the cards for Iggy.

 

Even before this year started I have said all along that Iggy will not see meaningful time in a Red Sox uniform and I really like the guy. I think he will be traded.

[rjortiz]

Ciraco sucks. He has the worst approach of any hitter in major league baseball

[a700hitter]

Ciraco sucks. He has the worst approach of any hitter in major league baseball

I think that is a huge overstatement. Yes, he needs to be more patient at the plate, but it is hard to make such a claim about a guy who gets the barrel of the bat to the ball as often as Ciriaco does.

[jopete19]

I like Ciraco. He is clutch and we need that. Nice little surprise for us this season. But I do like Aviles at SS. Or an utility guy.

[jung]

Ciriaco is an interesting case. He is really a very good fielder but since he has been moved around quite a bit it seems that he is not quite solid enough in any one spot while maybe being one of the best multi-position, utility infielders anybody ever heard of. Very rare for a guy to look totally competent for a few games at least at three infield positions. Ciriaco is a little weak at 3rd but can look very comfortable for short stints at 2nd and SS and can play 3rd as well.

 

As for his hitting, it would just be hard to trust him up in the lineup. He does not walk at all, prone to K and prone to chase pitches that don't even begin to look like they are going to be strikes.

 

I would think he would be a terrific bottom of the order hitter, batting 7th or 8th, maybe 9th, capable of stinging the opposition and having enough speed to allow the Manager to turn him loose. You can already see what happens with speed guys at the top of the order when the Manager believes he has a heavy hitting lineup. The speed guys basically stay pinned to their bases waiting for the heavy hitters to drive them around.

 

If the Sox had a really strong lineup I would love to see him bat 8th and play SS possibly platooning at SS in 2013. If he were to platoon at SS he would also be a utility infielder for the Sox. I could also see the Sox giving him the SS position for 2013 if the alternative were Aviles.

 

Unfortunately I think Iggy is going to get passed over. I have thought that all year as much as I hate to see it happen because I really like him. Iggy really needed to step up and show that he could be the guy for 2013 and that has just not happened. By the time 2014 rolls around, then the Sox may not be able to wait longer and Iggy might be traded at that point.

[rjortiz]

I think that is a huge overstatement. Yes, he needs to be more patient at the plate, but it is hard to make such a claim about a guy who gets the barrel of the bat to the ball as often as Ciriaco does.

 

I mean, he swings at pitches out of the zone, but takes pitches over the plate more than any other hitter. I think there is a reason his numbers are so low over his minor league career.

[jacksonianmarch]

You gotta let him sink or swim for the next 2 weeks. If he continues to hit .061, then you probably have to let him play in AAA next yr. You need a guy who can hit at least .240 playing SS when there is no other discernable offensive skill in the set. You'd almost be better off DH'ing for him and letting the pitchers hit

[a700hitter]

You gotta let him sink or swim for the next 2 weeks. If he continues to hit .061, then you probably have to let him play in AAA next yr. You need a guy who can hit at least .240 playing SS when there is no other discernable offensive skill in the set. You'd almost be better off DH'ing for him and letting the pitchers hit

He may be worse than Greg Grebeck, the worst offensive player that I have seen in a Red Sox uniform.

[jung]

As for Iggy he would have to at least have a "2" be the first digit of his BA and then maybe another "2" a the second MIGHT be OK but having seen him for a couple of weeks now, I no longer am confident he can get there. They should give Iggy the whole rest of the season to see if he can improve. He has improved a bit but I think there are some basic problems here that that the Sox must see and I can only guess have not been able to work out.

 

Iggy is a slap hitter. He hits like a guy that has played with the older style metal bats his entire life, the ones that allowed you to sting the ball just by slapping at it with the bat. I have to believe that they have either tried to get him to develop a normal swing or have tried to beef him up so that he can survive on that slap swing but if they have not been trying one or the other or have failed in both cases, I don't know what they do with him now.

 

Iggy does not appear to be able to handle the bat well either. So he does not generate any sacrifices, even via the bunt and he does not walk very much.

 

I just don't know what you do with that. I had not watched him play in AAA this year but I had figured they were trying to do something to get his offensive numbers up to something acceptable. If they have been, it appears to me that it has all gone for naught or has gone for very little.

 

I have seen Iggy get a fly ball to the middle outfield depth one time in his 40-50 or so at bats. He is barely able to get the ball out of the infield. So I am happy to see the Sox give Iggy the rest of the season but unless something remarkable happens, I don't see him penciled into SS for 2013.

 

Going on a year now I have offered that i do not believe Iggy will see meaningful time in a Sox uniform and as much as I like him, I still think that is true. I think they will end up trading him to the NL somewhere. As for the $10M they have spent on him, it appears they either screwed up again or somebody should have been working much more diligently to turn him into a ML hitter.

[SCM33]

He may be worse than Greg Grebeck, the worst offensive player that I have seen in a Red Sox uniform.

 

The kid has zero shot of ever being productive. Zero.

 

Ive said the same thing from day one. If they can get him to a Rey Ordonez level, at this point...they will have struck gold. I just dont see it.

[Laser Show]

You gotta let him sink or swim for the next 2 weeks. If he continues to hit .061, then you probably have to let him play in AAA next yr. You need a guy who can hit at least .240 playing SS when there is no other discernable offensive skill in the set. You'd almost be better off DH'ing for him and letting the pitchers hit

 

It doesn't work like that. If he's at SS, he hits, plain and simple. The DH can only be used to take the bat out of the pitchers hands.

[RedSoxNC84]

It's such a shame this kid has such good defense, he just can't hit for s***. Can we please just get him above the Mendoza line so he can stay?

[a700hitter]

It doesn't work like that. If he's at SS, he hits, plain and simple. The DH can only be used to take the bat out of the pitchers hands.

Technically, I thought the rule allowed you to DH for anyone-- that it was not limited to pitchers.

[Laser Show]

Technically, I thought the rule allowed you to DH for anyone-- that it was not limited to pitchers.

 

MLB Rule 6.10(

 

A hitter may be designated to bat for the starting pitcher and all subsequent pitchers in any game without otherwise affecting the status of the pitcher(s) in the game. A Designated Hitter for the pitcher must be selected prior to the game and must be included in the lineup cards presented to the Umpire in Chief.

 

The designated hitter named in the starting lineup must come to bat at least one time, unless the opposing club changes pitchers.

 

It is not mandatory that a club designate a hitter for the pitcher, but failure to do so prior to the game precludes the use of a Designated Hitter for that game.

 

Pinch hitters for a Designated Hitter may be used. Any substitute hitter for a Designated Hitter becomes the Designated Hitter. A replaced Designated Hitter shall not re-enter the game in any capacity.

 

The Designated Hitter may be used defensively, continuing to bat in the same position in the batting order, but the pitcher must then bat in the place of the substituted defensive player, unless more than one substitution is made, and the manager then must designate their spots in the batting order.

 

A runner may be substituted for the Designated Hitter and the runner assumes the role of Designated Hitter. A Designated Hitter may not pinch run.

 

A Designated Hitter is "locked" into the batting order. No multiple substitutions may be made that will alter the batting rotation of the Designated Hitter.

 

Once the game pitcher is switched from the mound to a defensive position this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game.

 

Once a pinch hitter bats for any player in the batting order and then enters the game to pitch, this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game.

 

Once the game pitcher bats for the Designated Hitter this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game. (The game pitcher may only pinch-hit for the Designated Hitter.)

 

Once a Designated Hitter assumes a defensive position this move shall terminate the Designated Hitter role for the remainder of the game. A substitute for the Designated Hitter need not be announced until it is the Designated Hitter's turn to bat.

 

The DH rule is specifically for pitchers

[a700hitter]

The DH rule is specifically for pitchers

Thanks for the rule. I must have gotten confused with some softball league rules.

[mvp 78]

The kid has zero shot of ever being productive. Zero.

 

Ive said the same thing from day one. If they can get him to a Rey Ordonez level, at this point...they will have struck gold. I just dont see it.

 

He's 22. Ordonez was 25 when he made it to the bigs. He's got time.