Play Bogaerts at 3rd

[Station 13]

I like the plan of having WMB at 3rd and Xander at SS for Game 6. That way we can see what the 2014 infield will look like.

 

No, stick with Drew. His glove is important.

[sk7326]

I have to say that WMB has had better AB's post season that I expected from him. Granted they have been bad enough for Farrell to finally decide that he had to remove either Drew or WMB and I guess based on Drew's defense combined with being a LH bat, he tapped WMB on the shoulder and had him grab some pine.

 

Honestly as I have said before, I think Drew has turned into one of Farrell's binkies. That said, Drew makes most of the plays at SS that you expect a SS to make. However he does not make all of them. He made the play on the horrid Lester throw. However I think XB makes that play. That was an athletic play. Can't convince me that Drew is more athletic than XB. If I had to value Drew's defense vs XB's defense I don't think there is really much there to talk about. I would go with the LH bat except that Drew has been a LH bat against RH pitchers in this series and has not even been close to doing anything worth talking about. WMB has had marginally better AB's than Drew has had regardless of batting from the right side.

 

For me the scales tip back to Drew sits in game 6 because of Fenway park. In Fenway I would prefer WMB at third and batting and XB at SS and batting. Takes another LH bat out of the lineup but Drew has not been close....not close.

 

Neither move would be an overreaction of any sort.

 

Bogaerts defense can only really be evaluated as a combination of scouting reports and small samples - he has not played a ton of SS in his tour here, but he has done it decently. The scouts project him to be an average-fringy defensive SS. (his prospect hype is because his defense could be ok enough to play his bat there). Drew is a very good SS who looks inferior because we had Iglesias manning that spot. Has made the "should" plays and in Fenway made a couple of legitimately excellent Web Gem sort of plays (ranging for popups and such). XB is a young guy, but a good comment on his perceived athleticism was being lifted for a pinch runner (Middlebrooks) in the 9th yesterday.

 

I think coming back with Middlebrooks-Bogaerts is not unfair at all ... but I think the defensive dropoff as SS is larger than the one at 3B. And the offensive upgrades might not be that different.