2014 Offseason Thread

[Palodios]

When is the last time that we had a backup catcher catch 70-80 games in a season, which Leon will have to do if Hanigan tops out at 90 games as has been his history? 80 games is 2 seasons for a backup catcher.

 

I can't imagine Swihart staying in the minors all season. We'll probably see 30 games of Hannigan, 15 games of Leon through late May. Then, Swihart will be past the cutoff for 7 year MLB eligibility and they will promote him.

 

With Leon's .553 career OPS, Swihart can probably outhit him right now.

[Kimmi]

I expect that is the "ideal path". Given they are starting Swihart in AAA, they had plans for him to potentially get to the Show for some time. They have enough catching depth not to rush it. And - to be fair - in losing Vasquez we lost a guy who had a lot of promise, but not a guy who was a sure thing stud either. The idea that Hanigan and Quintero as a two fisted solution is not a huge dropoff from Vasquez is not unreasonable.

 

And Swihart also has an above average-elite defensive projection as well. The pitch framing is something that AAA will help evolve (and where much of Vasquez' promise as), but in terms of throwing arm and athletic ability - there is not a lot lost there. But yeah, you want to give him time to make his developmental targets.

 

 

Makes sense SK. I am glad that you don't think Vazquez' injury will not hurt the team a lot. I am really bummed about losing him for the season, but reading your posts and knowing that our back ups are very good defensively give me a little more confidence that the Vazquez loss won't be as bad as I originally feared.

[Kimmi]

Yup, with this line up, the Sox can afford to to think defense first at catcher.

 

 

As long as the other guys do what they're supposed to do, the Sox can hide one weak bat in the #9 hole. Most catchers are not known for their great offense.

[Kimmi]

Until injuries and under performance elsewhere in the lineup hits.

 

Under performing expectations ( which seem very high ).

 

 

Some guys are likely to underperform, while others should overperform. There are likely to be injuries, but this team has good depth to cover most positions. As long as we don't have a repeat of virtually everyone underperforming like we did last year, we should be good to go offensively.

[Kimmi]

I can't imagine Swihart staying in the minors all season. We'll probably see 30 games of Hannigan, 15 games of Leon through late May. Then, Swihart will be past the cutoff for 7 year MLB eligibility and they will promote him.

 

With Leon's .553 career OPS, Swihart can probably outhit him right now.

 

 

Exactly. We need Hanigan and Leon/Quintero to hold down the fort for a couple of months until Swihart gains some seasoning. Hopefully, he will be ready by then.

[SoxnCycles]

Until injuries and under performance elsewhere in the lineup hits.

 

Under performing expectations ( which seem very high ).

 

Any particular reason, for just a gut feeling thing?

[SoxnCycles]

What Mark (SoxCycles) says at first does seem to make sense----a team can afford to carry one or even two weak bats, but what you wrote is usually what happens. Under performing people (think Bradley, Middlebrooks and Bogaerts last year) and injuries (think Pedroia, Napoli, Victorino last season) and you have a total debacle on your hands. Still we may have to bite the bullet Spud. I do not want to rush Blake Swihart up to the Bigs this year because he is now our best prospect now that Mookie is ensconced in the lineup for the Red Sox. We don't need any more floperoos a la JB, Bogey and MLB as we have endured the past season. When Swihart is ready, then bring him up and put him in the lineup and not before.

 

Which is something you can't prevent, so no sense worrying about it.

[Spudboy]

Any particular reason, for just a gut feeling thing?

 

I guess my answer should be gut feeling but I was being a wise ass mostly.

 

Last year many here lamented JBJ being an automatic out and how if the rest of the lineup was performing to norm or was not injured that it could cover for his offensive deficiencies. So I was directing that comment towards them. If this offense does not produce as expected this team is toast anyway so as the bright folks in eastern Massachusetts say "same difference".

[Spudboy]

Which is something you can't prevent, so no sense worrying about it.

 

Fred just wants us all to remember that he said it first.

[Ogden]

I'm pissing down my leg because the backup catcher can't hit!!!

 

 

Actually that's Chris Mathews.

[a700hitter]

Actually that's Chris Mathews.

 

Matthews mistook urinating down his pant leg for a thrill up his leg. He is probably heavily medicated to control his psychosis.

[sk7326]

Makes sense SK. I am glad that you don't think Vazquez' injury will not hurt the team a lot. I am really bummed about losing him for the season, but reading your posts and knowing that our back ups are very good defensively give me a little more confidence that the Vazquez loss won't be as bad as I originally feared.

 

I am not trying to downplay the loss - I feel bad about it. But I think in the bigger picture, our failure won't be because of THAT dropoff. (assuming failure)

[sk7326]

Keith Law's writeups on Sox in updated top 50

 

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/keith-law/post/_/id/3754?ex_cid=InsiderTwitter_law_marchtop50prospectsupdate

 

10. Blake Swihart

 

The Red Sox won't give him up for Cole Hamels, and I don't think I would either. He's a super-athletic catcher with outstanding receiving and throwing skills, a good approach as a hitter and developing power. It's a potential All-Star set of tools and skills at a position that half of the clubs in baseball are trying to fill every winter.

 

16. Yoan Moncada, 2B, Boston Red Sox

 

Moncada received a record $31 million bonus from the Red Sox, which doesn't reflect the 100 percent penalty the team paid for signing him or the draconian restrictions they'll face the next two years in the international amateur market. He's a massive kid for a 19-year-old, well filled out with power from both sides of the plate yet with enough athleticism to stay on the dirt in the short term, most likely at second base. I expect him to start out in A-ball and move up quickly if he shows he's too advanced for either low- or high-A.

 

21. Henry Owens, LHP, Boston Red Sox

 

I don't see how any GM could get a call from the Red Sox without asking for Owens in any major deal, as Owens continues to rack up strikeouts as he moves up the ladder, reaching Triple-A last year at age 21. He was wild and ineffective in his spring training stint this year, but given his track record in real games, I don't think anyone should be concerned about him throwing strikes.

 

29. Eduardo Rodriguez, LHP, Boston Red Sox

 

Rodriguez faced 29 batters this spring, punching out nine and walking none. The last stat is the only one here I think has much if any significance in the tiny spring training sample, especially because Rodriguez's deficiencies as a prospect were areas such as command and feel for pitching. He has two plus pitches, with the breaking ball gradually improving. Getting him for two months of Andrew Miller looks like a genius move by Red Sox GM Ben Cherington.

[Kimmi]

I guess my answer should be gut feeling but I was being a wise ass mostly.

 

Last year many here lamented JBJ being an automatic out and how if the rest of the lineup was performing to norm or was not injured that it could cover for his offensive deficiencies. So I was directing that comment towards them. If this offense does not produce as expected this team is toast anyway so as the bright folks in eastern Massachusetts say "same difference".

 

 

Well, this is true. If the rest of the offense had done their jobs last season, JBJ's automatic out could have been covered. The same applies for this season. We need the other guys in the line up to do what they're supposed to do. We know that there are bound to be slumps and underperformances. We just can't have them being prolonged slumps and we can't have every member of the line up experiencing them at the same time.

[Kimmi]

I am not trying to downplay the loss - I feel bad about it. But I think in the bigger picture, our failure won't be because of THAT dropoff. (assuming failure)

 

 

When you say 'THAT dropoff', I'm not sure exactly what you are including in that dropoff. I guess there is no way that we will never know for sure how much losing him will affect our pitching staff. We can look at framing and caught stealing numbers, but we won't know if the staff would have pitched better and with more confidence having Vazquez behind the plate than some other catcher.