Lefty First Baseman?

[User Name]

He'll be on the opening day roster for worse.

 

Fixed.

[VA Sox Fan]

He'll be on the opening day roster for better or worse.

 

Fixed.

 

:lol:

 

I like the little guy, but he's no Pedey.

[mvp 78]

If he's used as a lefthanded bat only, they could do worse. Would rather Salty as backup 1b than Nava.

[User Name]

If he's used as a lefthanded bat only, they could do worse. Would rather Salty as backup 1b than Nava.

 

That's like choosing between having a constant ear and toothache or constantly getting kicked in the balls in by Ronaldo. How about neither?

[mvp 78]

That is also a choice. Though it seems like a more unlikely choice right now.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Sweeney was just signed by the Sox to a minor league deal. I would think he will make the major league roster, especially if he can play a little 1B.

[Spitball]

Sweeney was just signed by the Sox to a minor league deal. I would think he will make the major league roster, especially if he can play a little 1B.

 

He has never played first as a professional. I would rather they try for someone with a lot more power.

[a700hitter]

He has never played first as a professional. I would rather they try for someone with a lot more power.

Anyone who has hit more than 1 HR in his last 500 plate appearances has a lot more power than Sweeney. He has zero punch.

[wyo-sox]

Anyone who has hit more than 1 HR in his last 500 plate appearances has a lot more power than Sweeney. He has zero punch.

 

Try telling that to the club house wall.

[Dojji]

Since the wall won, I think that probes 700's point.

 

Seriously, however much you might dislike Nava, Sweeney is not a better option.

[Palodios]

Anyone who has hit more than 1 HR in his last 500 plate appearances has a lot more power than Sweeney. He has zero punch.

 

Sweeney sucks. That being said, as a minor league depth signing, I like him a lot. How often have we had anyone on the minor league roster who could be called up, play solid defense and not be an automatic out? He's very good depth, although seeing him for extended periods of time could be dangerous.

[Dojji]

Yeah, I definitely don't mind the Sweeney signing. It's not a bad move by Cherington to add some depth, and sweeney does have the talent to be marginally effective at the big league level. He's in the right place on the depth chart right now, IMHO.

[a700hitter]

If we add Darnell MacDonald after getting Sweeeny, we are essentially the same team as last year with Napoli taking AGons place. Drew for Aviles. Gomes for injured Crawford. Victorino for Ross. Dempster for Beckett. Are these upgrades over the bunch that won 69 games? How many wins will they add? The Bullpen has had the biggest upgrade. They probably add 5+ wins.

[User Name]

Yeah, but they'll probably play the whole season and not stop playing over boo-boos or get traded. Calling last year's team a 69-win team while at the same time mentioning Gonzalez and Beckett as key components is dishonest because of the big trade.

[Dojji]

Considering how Adgon played for us, I'd call both Napoli, and especially Drew, serious potential upgrades.

 

Understand that I recognize that Napoli is no where near as skilled as Gonzo, but given Gonzo's down year, I think Napoli can beat what he gave us.

[User Name]

Napoli actually had a higher OPS than Gonzalez last season.

[jacksonianmarch]

Napoli at 1b is a downgrade any way you look at it. Yes, AdGon had a down yr offensively, but the defensive drop will be massive. He'd have to hit 35HRs just to overturn his butchery at 1b. That being said, he might do just that in Fenway. I think the sox positioned themselves as they had to. Push enough cash flow into the team to keep it interesting while waiting for the prospects and the cap issues to flow away. They wont be a playoff team in 2013, IMO, but have set themselves up pretty well for the future

[Palodios]

Napoli at 1b is a downgrade any way you look at it. Yes, AdGon had a down yr offensively, but the defensive drop will be massive. He'd have to hit 35HRs just to overturn his butchery at 1b. That being said, he might do just that in Fenway. I think the sox positioned themselves as they had to. Push enough cash flow into the team to keep it interesting while waiting for the prospects and the cap issues to flow away. They wont be a playoff team in 2013, IMO, but have set themselves up pretty well for the future

 

I don't think it is nearly as clearcut. Napoli has had a better OPS the last two years. He's also not a complete liability on the basepaths, or massive leader in double plays. He may add some flexibility to the team if he's healthy enough to catch, although that remains to be seen.

 

Agon is incredibly durable, and plays solid defense, but he's also been on a serious decline for a year and a half now. There's also the matter of 128 million dollars more for his services.

[jacksonianmarch]

I was strictly talking about on the baseball field. When it comes to finances, the worth seems to merge

[SoxFanForsyth]

Napoli at 1b is a downgrade any way you look at it. Yes, AdGon had a down yr offensively, but the defensive drop will be massive. He'd have to hit 35HRs just to overturn his butchery at 1b. That being said, he might do just that in Fenway. I think the sox positioned themselves as they had to. Push enough cash flow into the team to keep it interesting while waiting for the prospects and the cap issues to flow away. They wont be a playoff team in 2013, IMO, but have set themselves up pretty well for the future

 

I disagree strongly about them not being a PS team, especially with the bullpen they have put together. Hanrahan, Bailey, Bard, Uehara, Tazawa, Aceves, Breslow, Miller, and Morales will keep the exposure to any deficiencies in SP extremely limited while providing absolutely lights out pitching for 2-3 innings/game.

 

And the Sox offense is still a top 4-5 offense in the AL, better than the Yankees as we stand.

[jacksonianmarch]

Kool Aid is running thick in the icy cold in the Big Bean. What was your biggest deficiency the last 3 yrs? Answer: Your rotation. What have they really not improved over the last 3 yrs? Answer: Your rotation. I dont care if you have a pen of Percival, Rivera, Hoffman, and Goose in their prime, if you are using them for 3+ innings on average a night, they will die, and die quickly. And your lineup is not better than it was last yr. And you forget, your offense was 8th in the game last yr a full 70 runs behind NY. And that was with AdGon around for most of the season. The only way the sox make the POs or contend is if the starting pitching finds its way. And right now, the only changes were Lackey for DiceK and Dempster for Beckett. Not much of an upgrade

[User Name]

Unless of course, Lester and Buchholz step up, which is a possibility.

[SoxFanForsyth]

If we add Darnell MacDonald after getting Sweeeny, we are essentially the same team as last year with Napoli taking AGons place. Drew for Aviles. Gomes for injured Crawford. Victorino for Ross. Dempster for Beckett. Are these upgrades over the bunch that won 69 games? How many wins will they add? The Bullpen has had the biggest upgrade. They probably add 5+ wins.

 

This is a major blanket comment that 1. Insinuates that we had no injures last year (Ortiz, Middlebrooks, Ellsbury, Pedroia), 2. Includes the post-August-trade record, and 3. Assumes that none of our players who had below average to horrid seasons (Ellsbury, Pedroia, Lester, Buchholz, Bard, Gonzo replaced by Napoli) will return to their career norms and become high level players again.

 

If you just take out that s*** storm we fielded from August 25th onwhen the Sox went 9-27 to end the season, and replace it with even .500 baseball, the Sox would have been 9 wins better (78 wins). Tack on the 5-6 wins from a lights out bullpen, now you're at 84 wins. And you shohld expect better health and the rebound from the complete and utter underperformance of former MVP caliber and Cy Young candidate players to get you the extra 8-10 wins you need.

[jacksonianmarch]

Unless of course, Lester and Buchholz step up, which is a possibility.

 

It's possible. Just like it's possible Kevin Youkilis hits .300 with a .900OPS in pinstripes. I wouldnt hold my breath, though. You need both of them to not only pitch at a high level, you need both of them to be durable

[jacksonianmarch]

This is a major blanket comment that 1. Insinuates that we had no injures last year (Ortiz, Middlebrooks, Ellsbury, Pedroia), 2. Includes the post-August-trade record, and 3. Assumes that none of our players who had below average to horrid seasons (Ellsbury, Pedroia, Lester, Buchholz, Bard, Gonzo replaced by Napoli) will return to their career norms and become high level players again.

 

If you just take out that s*** storm we fielded from August 25th onwhen the Sox went 9-27 to end the season, and replace it with even .500 baseball, the Sox would have been 9 wins better (78 wins). Tack on the 5-6 wins from a lights out bullpen, now you're at 84 wins. And you shohld expect better health and the rebound from the complete and utter underperformance of former MVP caliber and Cy Young candidate players to get you the extra 8-10 wins you need.

 

And your comment also diminishes the likelihood that injuries will play a part in 2013.

[mvp 78]

Kool Aid is running thick in the icy cold in the Big Bean.

Hope springs eternal.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Kool Aid is running thick in the icy cold in the Big Bean. What was your biggest deficiency the last 3 yrs? Answer: Your rotation. What have they really not improved over the last 3 yrs? Answer: Your rotation. I dont care if you have a pen of Percival, Rivera, Hoffman, and Goose in their prime, if you are using them for 3+ innings on average a night, they will die, and die quickly. And your lineup is not better than it was last yr. And you forget, your offense was 8th in the game last yr a full 70 runs behind NY. And that was with AdGon around for most of the season. The only way the sox make the POs or contend is if the starting pitching finds its way. And right now, the only changes were Lackey for DiceK and Dempster for Beckett. Not much of an upgrade

 

Yeah. That was with AdGon posting a career worst OPS.

That was with Pedroia posting a sub-.800 OPS, career worst.

That was with Ellsbury playing hurt and posting terrible numbers.

That was with Middlebrooks and Ortiz missing over 1/2 of the season.

That was with 20% of the year playing with a worse team than we had in Pawtucket.

 

That was with Aaron Cook and DiceK getting way too many starts. Now we have De La Rosa, Wright, Aceves, Morales, and Hernandez as SP depth. And to project either Lester or Buchholz to have career worst years again is blind homerism at its finest. It's called a career of work for a reason.

 

That was with Padilla being our stud out of the pen.

 

Sorry man. Your post is just ignorant.

[User Name]

It's possible. Just like it's possible Kevin Youkilis hits .300 with a .900OPS in pinstripes. I wouldnt hold my breath, though. You need both of them to not only pitch at a high level, you need both of them to be durable

 

That's a stupid comparison, but the point is taken. Durability is not an issue with Lester, but it is with Bucholz. I think that if the Sox rotation (spot starters included) can manage 900 IP of league average ERA with their offense and BP, they can fight for a playoff spot.

[SoxFanForsyth]

And your comment also diminishes the likelihood that injuries will play a part in 2013.

 

Right, until players are hurt, I assume health.

[Palodios]

Kool Aid is running thick in the icy cold in the Big Bean. What was your biggest deficiency the last 3 yrs? Answer: Your rotation. What have they really not improved over the last 3 yrs? Answer: Your rotation. I dont care if you have a pen of Percival, Rivera, Hoffman, and Goose in their prime, if you are using them for 3+ innings on average a night, they will die, and die quickly. And your lineup is not better than it was last yr. And you forget, your offense was 8th in the game last yr a full 70 runs behind NY. And that was with AdGon around for most of the season. The only way the sox make the POs or contend is if the starting pitching finds its way. And right now, the only changes were Lackey for DiceK and Dempster for Beckett. Not much of an upgrade

 

The Red Sox have good defense, good offense, and an elite bullpen. I don't believe good chemistry helps to win games, but I do believe that bad chemistry will lose them. They have solid depth in the minor leagues at every position, filled with quality players at the upper levels. Morales, Aceves, De La Rosa, and Webster are a decent group of spot starters, and they have enough money to add another pitcher midseason if they burn through them.

 

Things have to go terribly wrong for the Red Sox to be out of contention for the wild card this year. That being said, terrible things happen to follow the Red Sox.