2016 Red Sox Hot Stove Discussion Thread

[Kimmi]

Back to baseball:

 

Another aspect of the Pablo problem is that he comes off as an obnoxious douche in his interviews in both English AND Spanish, which is quite an accomplishment. But as others have said, it's all moot if he doesn't suck. But what can we draw hope from (as Bell said) if he clearly didn't put in the work that was asked from him in the offseason?

 

You can draw hope from the fact that players often struggle during their first year in a new city or during the first year of a big contract. You can draw hope from the fact that players tend to regress to career norms after having either a particularly good or particularly bad season. You can draw hope from all reports saying that he has looked much improved in the field and at the plate.

 

It's ST. You have to have hope.

[Kimmi]

I will go to war for a player who puts in the work. JD Drew was fragile, but he tried anything under the sun to help keep his body healthy, including some stuff that sounded downright wacky. Hanley has changed position twice, and lost the amount of weight they asked him to lose. There's just no excuse for Pablo. I guess I take it harder because I was once at least as fat as he was by the end of last year, but I sure as hell ain't that fat now, and I don't need to lose weight for my job, and I don't have millions of dollars. I also know firsthand what that excess weight does to your lower body regardless of how strong your legs are. He's literally eating himself out of the league, and he looks like he does not give a f***.

 

All I'm saying is give him a chance before jumping to all the negative conclusions based on impression.

 

If he has not improved over last season when the games get going, have at it.

[Kimmi]

In my case Kimmi it's simple. I am depressed and don't give a f*** anymore. I am lazy and do not wish to endure the increase in pain that walking would require me to realize. That is to say that I can no longer exercise.

 

Someone get me a big bottle of 5/325s and I'll give it a go.

 

I'm a 60 year old man that has a debilitating injury. Pablo is a very well compensated 29 year old professional athlete. He is paid to excel at something that "normal" people can not do.

 

Well, I am sorry that you're dealing with the health issues. Not being in your situation, I can't really comment on your ability or inability to lose weight. I wish you well.

 

Do you think it's possible that Pablo is dealing with some medical or personal issues that make it difficult for him to keep himself in good physical condition?

[Kimmi]

It probably reads harsher than I intended it. I don't have an issue with him (don't know him) and I certainly don't see him as an 'attack dog', it was just I noticed he pretty much only seemed to post when in defence of you. Just found it a little odd.

 

Anyway, I shouldn't have mentioned anything. No big deal.

 

No worries Hitch. It's all good.

[Spudboy]

Well, I am sorry that you're dealing with the health issues. Not being in your situation, I can't really comment on your ability or inability to lose weight. I wish you well.

 

Do you think it's possible that Pablo is dealing with some medical or personal issues that make it difficult for him to keep himself in good physical condition?

 

Sure. He's human, after all.

 

I think that if Pablo had shown some humility and maybe contrition for his dismal 2015 season it is possible that Sox fans would not be all over his s***.

 

But he did not seem to take responsibility with his comments last week. He has set himself up for a s*** load of criticism.

 

Contrast him with Porcello, as an example. He was honest about his under performance last year. I don't hear anywhere near the ridicule of him.

[jung]

The only time Pablo exhibited any control of his eating habits was leading into the 2014 contract year season when he lost 30 lbs from 280 down to 250 and then did not gain as much weight in season as his been his habit. That's it. All the other years since becoming a pro his weight at the start of each season has been a bit higher year over year and he proceeds to pack it on in season. After getting BC to swallow the "new" Panda hook line and sinker Pablo has gone back to his usual standard and then some.

 

So frankly it is hard for me to assign personal or medical issues to a circumstance where Pablo exhibited excellent control for 2014 and no control any other time. Looks more to me like a self centered, over pampered "athlete" that could control himself for periods as long as almost a full calendar year that will one day, unable to sate his excesses just eat himself onto an operating table....maybe too late.

[Hitch]

 

Do you think it's possible that Pablo is dealing with some medical or personal issues that make it difficult for him to keep himself in good physical condition?

 

I think he has a few deep rooted issues. Guess work obviously, but from the little I've seen of him in interviews and such, he seems very prickly and somebody who needs to be loved. I also think he has an eating disorder. I really do think he's heading down a path he might not recover from, professionally.

[jung]

I do think there is something strange going on with him.....seems like too many forces opposing going on inside that one frame for my liking. Seems outgoing when everything is going well but shrinks away quickly intoning the usual platitudes if they are not. If I had to guess, he has a very very strange private life, almost a second life that nobody in baseball really sees very often. Not really meaning to psychoanalyze him and I know that is what I am doing. But man he seems to be an odd duck. That said the more money has played a roll in governing all things baseball, there is simply fewer of these guys that look anything close to what we might term NORMAL.

 

There were apparently three guys in that SF clubhouse that basically kept Pablo going year after year. Without them, no telling where or what Pablo would be.

 

On this team, Pedroia looks like a personality type that probably all of us have known or know...Mookie is too. Funny...Pedroia has a leadership role on this team and we have for the most part anointed Mookie to be the next guy that is ripe for that title. Maybe there is more to that than we even conscientiously know ourselves.

[SoxHop]

I think he has a few deep rooted issues. Guess work obviously, but from the little I've seen of him in interviews and such, he seems very prickly and somebody who needs to be loved. I also think he has an eating disorder. I really do think he's heading down a path he might not recover from, professionally.

 

An article of an interview from someone who use to work with Sandoval, I think with SF, said pretty much the same thing. He needs to be liked.

 

He also stated that Sandoval has an eating disorder, which is pretty obvious.

 

I just read that throughout the offseason Pablo was doing two a day workouts six days a week, and it looked like a serious schedule.

 

He must burn tons of calories a day with those workouts. He must eat like a horse to not shed weight.

 

I don't think it's hard to understand why people are obese. I think you can get hooked on junk food pretty much the same way you can get hooked on other drugs. It's been scientifically proved that you get hungry faster eating junk food, and crave that kind of food instead of healthy food.

 

The thing I don't get is that for normal people who have a 9 to 5, and need to do house chores, and maybe take care of a kid or two, finding the time to make food that tastes good can be difficult. Eating correctly in this society take a lot of time and effort. But if you make 20 million a year, you hire people to do everything for you. You don't cut the grass, clean the living room, walk the dog, you pay someone to do it. With that type of money you pay a person to plan out healthy meals, buy the stuff needed for it, cook the food, and then do the dishes. Damn I wish I was rich!!!!!!!!!

[a700hitter]

I suspect that those "two-a-day" workouts were circuits around a buffet table.

[Spudboy]

An article of an interview from someone who use to work with Sandoval, I think with SF, said pretty much the same thing. He needs to be liked.

 

He also stated that Sandoval has an eating disorder, which is pretty obvious.

 

I just read that throughout the offseason Pablo was doing two a day workouts six days a week, and it looked like a serious schedule.

 

He must burn tons of calories a day with those workouts. He must eat like a horse to not shed weight.

 

I don't think it's hard to understand why people are obese. I think you can get hooked on junk food pretty much the same way you can get hooked on other drugs. It's been scientifically proved that you get hungry faster eating junk food, and crave that kind of food instead of healthy food.

 

The thing I don't get is that for normal people who have a 9 to 5, and need to do house chores, and maybe take care of a kid or two, finding the time to make food that tastes good can be difficult. Eating correctly in this society take a lot of time and effort. But if you make 20 million a year, you hire people to do everything for you. You don't cut the grass, clean the living room, walk the dog, you pay someone to do it. With that type of money you pay a person to plan out healthy meals, buy the stuff needed for it, cook the food, and then do the dishes. Damn I wish I was rich!!!!!!!!!

 

Great post.

[User Name]

An article of an interview from someone who use to work with Sandoval, I think with SF, said pretty much the same thing. He needs to be liked.

 

He also stated that Sandoval has an eating disorder, which is pretty obvious.

 

I just read that throughout the offseason Pablo was doing two a day workouts six days a week, and it looked like a serious schedule.

 

He must burn tons of calories a day with those workouts. He must eat like a horse to not shed weight.

 

I don't think it's hard to understand why people are obese. I think you can get hooked on junk food pretty much the same way you can get hooked on other drugs. It's been scientifically proved that you get hungry faster eating junk food, and crave that kind of food instead of healthy food.

 

The thing I don't get is that for normal people who have a 9 to 5, and need to do house chores, and maybe take care of a kid or two, finding the time to make food that tastes good can be difficult. Eating correctly in this society take a lot of time and effort. But if you make 20 million a year, you hire people to do everything for you. You don't cut the grass, clean the living room, walk the dog, you pay someone to do it. With that type of money you pay a person to plan out healthy meals, buy the stuff needed for it, cook the food, and then do the dishes. Damn I wish I was rich!!!!!!!!!

 

Because it requires sacrifice, and if Pablo does have an eating disorder, that sacrifice is three times as hard, especially if you suffer from social anxiety issues regarding your weight. Speaking from experience here.

[SoxHop]

I suspect that those "two-a-day" workouts were circuits around a buffet table.

 

Yearly trip to see a game at Fenway....... 300 dollars

One MLB TV package for the season........... 89 dollars

Having an obese and underperforming third baseman on your team so you can make fat jokes like you were back in elementary school..........priceless.

Edited March 1, 2016 by SoxHop

[SoxHop]

Because it requires sacrifice, and if Pablo does have an eating disorder, that sacrifice is three times as hard, especially if you suffer from social anxiety issues regarding your weight. Speaking from experience here.

 

Your right. You can really never know what's going on in someone's head. He really stands to lose a lot by not making the sacrifice, I think we all know that which makes it hard for us to fathom him not doing so.

 

But again, you never know what people are going through. Heck, about a month ago a guy who was just named the best chef the world committed suicide.

[mvp 78]

As a fan, I couldn't care less about his disorder, if he even has one. As a human, I hope he can learn to deal with his issues. However, I just want the best players this team can find. I'm not sure that Pablo is the best option at 3b for this team.

 

The team basically stalked Carl Crawford before signing him. Their due diligence didn't help them there, but could it have prevented a Sandoval signing?

[jung]

As a fan, I couldn't care less about his disorder, if he even has one. As a human, I hope he can learn to deal with his issues. However, I just want the best players this team can find. I'm not sure that Pablo is the best option at 3b for this team.

 

The team basically stalked Carl Crawford before signing him. Their due diligence didn't help them there, but could it have prevented a Sandoval signing?

 

I don't know how effective the stalking of Crawford was frankly. Did they send competent people down there? Myself, I did not have a clue on Carl. My only comment at the time was, "what the hell do they need this guy for?" Seemed excessive and late...both things I don't like even without having a hard view on the player himself. But I do remember how immediate the response was from the beat writers who that same day were talking about "how is this guy going to survive up here".

 

Seems like it would be natural for me to not really know. But if the beat writers knew it was an issue, who the heck was stalking Crawford and maybe stalking him was not the right sort of due diligence anyway. The question was not whether he was running in town to score crack every night. The question was can he survive baseball in this town.

[mvp 78]

Was the stalking just part of a PR "hey, this guy will work out, just trust us" campaign?

[cp176]

As a fan, I couldn't care less about his disorder, if he even has one. As a human, I hope he can learn to deal with his issues. However, I just want the best players this team can find. I'm not sure that Pablo is the best option at 3b for this team.

 

The team basically stalked Carl Crawford before signing him. Their due diligence didn't help them there, but could it have prevented a Sandoval signing?

 

 

I agree with you. having compassion for others is very important the but here is that if the truth was known we probably all have stories that we could tell. I am a baseball fan . A Red Sox fan actually. I admit that when Sandoval was signed, i was excited. I had no idea what we were getting. He receives what $19 million per year? I don't know him thus I do not hate him but if they cut him today in order to give Shaw a shot, i would be very excited. I do not think that he deserves anything more than the 19 million per year that he negotiated. If he truly needs help, they should send him away for awhile to get the help he needs. If he comes back after making the effort to get well, great I say give him another shot. i want the best players to be on the field. If he is the best player than I will cheer for him. My right as a fan.

[jung]

I thought it was pretty comical that the very first play Pablo tried to make in the field this spring went..........right under his glove. That is not to say I am happy about that. More to say....FIGURES!

[Kimmi]

I thought it was pretty comical that the very first play Pablo tried to make in the field this spring went..........right under his glove. That is not to say I am happy about that. More to say....FIGURES!

 

I did not see the game, but my understanding from what I read about it was that it was not an easy play to make, one that would probably not have resulted in an out even if Pablo had come up with the ball. In other words, most 3rd basemen would not have gotten an out on that play.

[a700hitter]

I did not see the game, but my understanding from what I read about it was that it was not an easy play to make, one that would probably not have resulted in an out even if Pablo had come up with the ball. In other words, most 3rd basemen would not have gotten an out on that play.

You read that on Fangraphs?

[mvp 78]

I did not see the game, but my understanding from what I read about it was that it was not an easy play to make, one that would probably not have resulted in an out even if Pablo had come up with the ball. In other words, most 3rd basemen would not have gotten an out on that play.

 

https://vine.co/v/igblWBVUDbi

 

Take a look, Kimmi.

[Spudboy]

Meh.

 

No sense looking for him to fail.

 

We all know that he has limited range and mobility. If That base runner had speed he may have been safe anyway.

 

He'll have plenty of f***-ups. No need to worry.

[a700hitter]

https://vine.co/v/igblWBVUDbi

 

Take a look, Kimmi.

It looks like his belly got in the way of bending down.

[jung]

Both Hanley and Pablo have been and will likely continue to be albatross hung around the team's neck. The fewer games they play the better the overall performance of the team. That is not to say that Sam or Travis or Holt are likely to have monster seasons. But unfortunately Hanley and Pablo are slugs. The sooner they find pine the better for this team regardless of their salaries. If they can get to about June with Pablo somebody else can probably close out the year at 3rd. Hanley may or may not hit. If he does, hopefully he will hit enough to make up for what will likely be another year of negative WAR in the field. Who know....I am already tired of both of them and simply look forward to seeing somebody else trot out to both 3rd and 1st as the season progresses.

[Dojji]

https://vine.co/v/igblWBVUDbi

 

Take a look, Kimmi.

 

Meh. you see third basemen make that muff at least a couple times a year. NBD until it starts happening ALL the time.

[User Name]

Pandas are not known for their ability to bend over. Pandas are known for being fat, being lazy, eating a lot and being cute. They share only three of those traits with Sandoval.

[Dojji]

That would have been a tough play for most third basemen. He took an aggressive route to the ball to try to make a quick play and couldn't get in front of it. The comedy glove miss was the result of that fundamental error but doesn't actually matter as much as the overly aggressive route.

[User Name]

I'm just messing around. He'll be fine I think (hope).

[mvp 78]

I'm just messing around. He'll be fine I think (hope).

 

Remains to be seen. I'll give him until Memorial Day to get it together.