2014 Roster Projections

[Bellhorn04]

That will spell the end of Drew coming back.

 

Not necessarily. Heyman says Sox still interested in Drew & Herrera will be utility IF.

[SoxFanForsyth]

What little I saw of him made him seem tentative. Sure he was trying to be disciplined at the plate but after awhile it seemed like he was letting great pitches go by and swinging at the bad ones. He also seemed vulnerable inside.

 

Certainly he had issues that he needed to work on, but again, he was going straight from AA to MLB when he had those issues.

 

He then went down to AAA, worked on them, and came back and started playing much better.

 

From June 1 to the end of the season, Bradley posted a .755 OPS. And once he got called up in September, he posted a .317 OBP.

 

Again, these aren't eye popping numbers, but what they do show is that he made adjustments in AAA and took them into the MLB.

 

Too many people seem to think that transitioning prospects to the big league level is a smooth, seamless transition. But it's not. There are bumps in the road and you have to ride them out with the understanding that these players have made adjustments their entire careers, and will continue to make those adjustments to become above average MLB regulars.

[SoxSport]

Bradley's plate discipline is impressive, but the option of Nava as our full time RFer if Bradley flops is not a good option.

 

They are pretty much stuck with what they have unless they move Carp or Nava. That means they roll the dice with Bradley. They seem to have decided to do that with X at SS and MB at 3B. They can always deal with the OF issues later.

 

I think the FO realizes that the unexpected championship has bought them some breathing room to give their prospects an opportunity.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Not necessarily. Heyman says Sox still interested in Drew & Herrera will be utility IF.

 

Too many IF though.

 

If the Sox sign Drew, Middlebrooks gets traded.

[SoxSport]

Can't believe Sox would sign Drew, too. Not unless they have a deal in the works for MB. It makes no sense to move X to 3B at this point in his career when the scouts are saying he can play SS.

 

Teams winning Championships have been known to screw up their roster the next year. One way the Red Sox can do that is to be too fixed on Drew.

[Hitch]

Not necessarily. Heyman says Sox still interested in Drew & Herrera will be utility IF.

 

I just assumed they would rather keep middlebrroks than Drew. As SSF just said, if Drew comes back that surely means Middlebrooks being traded?

 

I'd rather lose Drew and pocket the pick.

[Palodios]

The Red Sox have had such a revolving door at shortstop that Drew makes more sense than some of us realize. Bogaerts is the real deal... but the question is, will he be the real deal at SS or at 3B? Post-concussion Drew was a .800 OPS hitter with top notch defense at SS. He also showed he's healthy. I also don't see any reason why Drew and WMB can't coexist.

[SoxFanForsyth]

The Red Sox have had such a revolving door at shortstop that Drew makes more sense than some of us realize. Bogaerts is the real deal... but the question is, will he be the real deal at SS or at 3B? Post-concussion Drew was a .800 OPS hitter with top notch defense at SS. He also showed he's healthy. I also don't see any reason why Drew and WMB can't coexist.

 

Drew and WMB can.

 

But Drew, WMB, Bogaerts, and Herrera cannot.

 

Right now, your 13 position players are as follows:

 

Ortiz

Pierzynski

Ross

Napoli

Pedroia

Bogaerts

Herrera

Middlebrooks

Nava

Gomes

Bradley

Victorino

Carp

 

Who are you getting rid of for Drew? Carp? Now you have 4 OF, Middlebrooks isn't playing everyday, which devalues him, and you've got no real back up at 1B other than Nava or WMB, neither of which have much experience at 1B at all.

 

It just doesn't fit with Drew in there as well as WMB.

Edited December 19, 2013 by SoxFanForsyth

[mvp 78]

Drew and WMB can.

 

But Drew, WMB, Bogaerts, and Herrera cannot.

Unless Herrera is optioned to AAA and they wait to trade WMB during a hot streak, I don't see why they'd bring Drew back.

[Dojji]

Yuck. Moving Carp, IMO, is not a good move. He posted a .296 average and a .885 OPS last year. His 162 game average for counting stats was 17 HR, 82 RBI. As a bench player, that's an extremely valuable bat.

 

Our bench isn't hurting for bats. Moving Carp isn't my ideal move, but I think a player like Blanco, who can help us at 3 positions, is more useful than a third left fielder, even a good one.

 

I like Carp, I was pumping him up as a potential starting 1B earlier in the offseason, this is not about doubting Carp. We simply don't need what Carp gives us as much as we need other things. Backing up at 1B isn't a huge issue either -- if Napoli gets hurt, you start Blanco or Gomes in left field and move Nava to first base, you have just as much depth either way because of the standing versatility of other players.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Our bench isn't hurting for bats. Moving Carp isn't my ideal move, but I think a player like Blanco, who can help us at 3 positions, is more useful than a third left fielder, even a good one.

 

I like Carp, I was pumping him up as a potential starting 1B earlier in the offseason, this is not about doubting Carp. We simply don't need what Carp gives us as much as we need other things. Backing up at 1B isn't a huge issue either -- if Napoli gets hurt, you start Blanco or Gomes in left field and move Nava to first base, you have just as much depth either way because of the standing versatility of other players.

 

If you move Carp, you have zero LH pop off the bench. On a team that already has Ortiz and nothing else in terms of power from the left side, getting rid of Carp does not appeal to me.

[seabeachfred]

Can't believe Sox would sign Drew, too. Not unless they have a deal in the works for MB. It makes no sense to move X to 3B at this point in his career when the scouts are saying he can play SS.

 

Teams winning Championships have been known to screw up their roster the next year. One way the Red Sox can do that is to be too fixed on Drew.

 

It still seems that someone in the Red Sox hierarchy has an itch up their ass to sign Drew. Enough already!!!!! We don't need him and I don't want him. He would only be a one or two year stopgap and for that we trade or send down a guy who can hit 25-30 homers for the next decade? Let Yankee Fan Boras croak and force himself to eat some s*** and get the money hungry Drew a one year parachute contract.....if any team is still interested. If not, screw them both.

[Hitch]

I feel a little uncomfortable that it's taken for granted by some, that Middlebrooks will hit 30 homers next year(and the next, and next...).

 

I think he still has a long way to go, to establish himself as that level of player.

[SoxSport]

It still seems that someone in the Red Sox hierarchy has an itch up their ass to sign Drew. Enough already!!!!! We don't need him and I don't want him. He would only be a one or two year stopgap and for that we trade or send down a guy who can hit 25-30 homers for the next decade? Let Yankee Fan Boras croak and force himself to eat some s*** and get the money hungry Drew a one year parachute contract.....if any team is still interested. If not, screw them both.

 

never guilty of understatement. LOL.

[Palodios]

I just don't see the problem in having 5 players to fill 4 spots. One of them is going to get hurt eventually.

[DirtDog]

I feel a little uncomfortable that it's taken for granted by some, that Middlebrooks will hit 30 homers next year(and the next, and next...).

 

I think he still has a long way to go, to establish himself as that level of player.

He's hit 30 homers over the course of his first 650 PA or so... not out of the realm of possibility seeing as he's already done it. Granted, it was over two different seasons.

[DirtDog]

I just don't see the problem in having 5 players to fill 4 spots. One of them is going to get hurt eventually.

Besides the fact that there is a set number of players on a roster at 25, there is no problem!

[seabeachfred]

I feel a little uncomfortable that it's taken for granted by some, that Middlebrooks will hit 30 homers next year(and the next, and next...).

 

I think he still has a long way to go, to establish himself as that level of player.

 

The capability and talent is there Hitch, and from where I'm sitting Drew would only be a one or two year stopgap at SS and then we'd have to move Bogey back to short to make room for Cecchini who could be moved to another position to get his bat into the lineup. Players are converted to other positions as we all know. it would also stop the revolving door we've had at SS since 2004 and more or less at 3B since before that. Cherington has some chips to play now and that WS Title he helped bring to Boston has given him a little breathing room for next season while we still be strong enough to challenge for the AL East Title and a strong playoff berth. We should take advantage of this if we can.

[Palodios]

Besides the fact that there is a set number of players on a roster at 25, there is no problem!

 

Instead of having 4 starting position players, a DH, and a utility infielder, you remove the utility infielder for Drew and rotate them. It isn't all that complicated.

[Palodios]

Besides the fact that there is a set number of players on a roster at 25, there is no problem!

 

Instead of having 4 starting position players, a DH, and a utility infielder, you remove the utility infielder for Drew, make sure they all get enough reps at one of the other positions, and then rotate them. It isn't all that complicated.

[reYoukilis]

I like to get Drew because while we have all these question marks coming into the season like Bradley, Bogaerts, and Middlebrooks and whether he's as talented as his potential, Drew is someone we know what were gonna get and I think thats important. Yeah its only probably going to be a year or two, what with the Bogaerts/Cecchinni left infield of the future waiting its turn, but until then we have someone solid at SS.

[rjortiz]

I wouldn't mind in the slightest replacing Carp with a 3 position 5th outfielder. I think it helps our depth and versatility to make that move.

 

Carp to the Giants for Gregor Blanco and something relieverish would suit me fine. The Giants make the move because they need a lot more offense starting in left field than Blanco can provide on a regular basis. We make the move because Blanco is a prototype of exactly what we need, a 3 position guy who can generate enough offense to be serviceable, (in blanco's case, with speed and OBP) and play behind the starter. He's not fantastic, but Blanco is steady and plays well to what the team tries to do, having him in the wings to take over in center if JBJ can't get it done would make me breathe a little easier.

 

That's a good idea of someone we should target, but I think the Giants would want more for Blanco. There doesn't seem to be a fit for Carp on the Giants roster with Belt at 1B.

[vjcsmoke]

That's a good idea of someone we should target, but I think the Giants would want more for Blanco. There doesn't seem to be a fit for Carp on the Giants roster with Belt at 1B.

 

What about Carp's .880 OPS? That doesn't exactly grow on trees and the Sox can use all the power bats they can get. Ortiz and Napoli are long in the tooth. They're not going to play forever.

 

I don't see Blanco as being good enough to give up a good power bat for. He is a career .683 OPS OF and his speed is nothing to write home about either. Versatility is a plus, but sub .700 OPS is subpar for ANY OF position.

[rjortiz]

What about Carp's .880 OPS? That doesn't exactly grow on trees and the Sox can use all the power bats they can get. Ortiz and Napoli are long in the tooth. They're not going to play forever.

 

I'm not convinced that that is Carp's true talent. They limited his exposure to LHP, which helped his numbers. I'm skeptical that he'd be that good as a full-time player. Also, keep in mind that he had a unsustainable .385 BABIP to go with that .880 OPS. A regression to the mean should be expected in 2014. He also doesn't add anything on the bases, or in the field.

 

I was also talking about him being a fit with the Giants. They already have Brandon Belt at 1B. They also just signed Mike Morse to play LF. I guess they could use him as a platoon partner for Morse, but that might be the worst defensive outfield duo in the history of the game.

 

I think Carp is a decent backup, but I don't think he'd be enough to pry Blanco away from the Giants, and I also don't think the Red Sox should consider him the heir apparent to 1B/DH.

 

I don't see Blanco as being good enough to give up a good power bat for. He is a career .683 OPS OF and his speed is nothing to write home about either. Versatility is a plus, but sub .700 OPS is subpar for ANY OF position.

 

That's not true. A .683 OPS is acceptable if the player adds value elsewhere. Blanco has a 2.3 and 2.8 WAR the last two seasons, because he is a good baserunner and a plus defender. He also gets on base at a pretty good clip. He'd be a steal for just Carp. Seeing that the Giants signed Morse to start over him, maybe they don't value him as much as they should. The Red Sox should take a look.

Edited December 20, 2013 by rjortiz

[rjortiz]

Instead of having 4 starting position players, a DH, and a utility infielder, you remove the utility infielder for Drew and rotate them. It isn't all that complicated.

 

What kind of contract do you offer Drew?

[Dojji]

He's hit 30 homers over the course of his first 650 PA or so... not out of the realm of possibility seeing as he's already done it. Granted, it was over two different seasons.

 

I think that's a pretty important granted. that stretch covers the period of time in which the league were still figuring him out. He's got to prove he can sustain that level before I'll take WMB seriously as more than an interesting prospect.

 

I still think that if you make it a tossup over the next 2 years Cecchini is the guy who's going to come down with 3B in his teeth.

[User Name]

He hit a HR every 20.74 AB's in 2013. If you adjust his entire sample to this number, you come up with a very healthy 30 HR's. And the problem isn't sustaining the power. The power is real, and that's indisputable. The problem is the rest of the package, mainly his on-base skills. I don't understand why you're trying to use the one thing in WMB's game that's clearly sustainable as means of criticizing him.

[SoxFanForsyth]

I just don't see the problem in having 5 players to fill 4 spots. One of them is going to get hurt eventually.

 

You don't. You have 6.

 

Bogaerts, Drew, Pedroia, Napoli, Middlebrooks, Herrera. Not to mention Carp.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Listened to the Hot Stove podcast with Bradford and Speier last night. Farrell came on the show. They asked him about his pitching prospects specifically and his answer was interesting.

 

He mentioned that Workman is the next guy to step into the rotation. He said that they want at least 1-2 of the guys in that group of SP (Barnes, Workman, Ranaudo, Owens, Webster) to be in their rotation over the next couple years, but wants to be able to insert them kind of one at a time. They want to "incrementally build those guys in", and they're trying to "stay ahead of the curve a little bit and work those guys in".

 

Makes it almost sound, to me at least, like they want to have Workman starting in the rotation this year so they can work him in this year, and then another guy in mid season or next year.

 

They also asked him if this offseason has shaken out as he had expected, and he was extremely hesitant (paused for what felt like a good 10-15 seconds) and mentioned that he was really surprised at the pitching market still being so flooded. Almost sounded a bit frustrated in that regard.

 

The inference that I can make out of this is that they're not just trying to unload one of their pitchers, but they're trying to unload one that would open up a slot for Workman in the rotation. To me, that would mean trading Lackey or Peavy (leaving Dempster in the bullpen and as the #6 starter). We'll see how it pans out, but that's how I read the tea leaves.

 

Here's the link to his interview if anyone is interested.

 

http://audio.weei.com/a/85249740/john-farrell-on-the-hot-stove-show.htm

[User Name]

Wouldn't that mean they're trying to dump Dempster to open up the #6 spot for Workman? Because with Buchholz and Peavy, you know it's going to get some use. I don't see how you can conclude that it'd be Lackey or Peavy instead. That would weaken the rotation and make little sense.