Chris Young thread

[StephenCurry30]

So this guy has been a mediocre player for his whole career, and the notion that he hits lefties is also pretty much a myth. If you look at his career splits they don't show he consistently does anything good, so why did we sign him/how long of a leash does he get?

 

hes been awful to say the least, and if the plan was to start Holt all along, why not just roll with Rusney Castillo who has shown some flashes and definitely needs more play time, compared to Young, who was inexplicably signed for 2 years/13 million.

[Slasher9]

i think Rusney must have been caught with his hand in the cookie jar (mrs. henry perhaps?). there is no other way to explain why he isnt on the MLB club.

to your point of more playing time...i would guess if the plan is to mostly use holt in LF that rusney gets more time in AAA.

also, DD signed Young so there may be some pride being tested here. he certainly hasnt had any problem kicking Cherries signing (The Butterball) in the yam sack. does he man up and do the same to his (what appears to be) bad signing???

[mvp 78]

They've seen enough of Castillo to think he's not worth a roster spot. Can't say I disagree. Maybe he sucks in practice too and it's not just what we saw on the field?

 

Young is a fine professional player. He's been in a slump so far, but if he replicated his 2015 season, we'd have no reason to complain. He might not have Castillo's "upside" but his floor isn't as low as Castillo's either.

[Bellhorn04]

He's only had 25 plate appearances. One or two good games and his OPS jumps 200 points.

[mvp 78]

Also, his OPS is .135 greater vs LHP than RHP. Yes, that's a noticeable split. His OPS+ against LHP isn't a "myth" as you say it is.

[sk7326]

So this guy has been a mediocre player for his whole career, and the notion that he hits lefties is also pretty much a myth. If you look at his career splits they don't show he consistently does anything good, so why did we sign him/how long of a leash does he get?

 

hes been awful to say the least, and if the plan was to start Holt all along, why not just roll with Rusney Castillo who has shown some flashes and definitely needs more play time, compared to Young, who was inexplicably signed for 2 years/13 million.

 

wRC+ splits (100 is average)

 

2015: 162 v LH, 58 v RH (175 PAs vs LH, 181 PAs v RH)

2014: 66 v LH, 106 v RH (93 PAs v LH, 273 PAs v RH)

2013: 98 v LH, 67 v RH (175 PAs v LH, 200 PAs v RH)

2012: 100 v LH, 78 v RH (134 PAs v LH, 229 PAs v RH)

2011: 152 v LH, 87 v RH (158 PAs v RH, 501 PAs v RH)

 

Young has had a consistent, very significant split ... the split did not follow in 2014, but that is a clear outlier (and also the one year in the last five he had fewer than 130 plate appearances against lefties)

[StephenCurry30]

He's a career .263 hitter against lefties. Sure, he's "better", but in his career over he's a .235 hitter with a .313 OBP, who has never come close to his power numbers he had with Arizona during his first few years in the league. Theres a reason he is on his 5th team since 2012

[sk7326]

He's a career .263 hitter against lefties. Sure, he's "better", but in his career over he's a .235 hitter with a .313 OBP, who has never come close to his power numbers he had with Arizona during his first few years in the league. Theres a reason he is on his 5th team since 2012

 

Yes, it's because he can't hit righties.

 

Against lefties he has a career slash of .263/.362/.474 ... when you consider most of his career he played able to play at least an adequate center field. That is a borderline All-Star, if all he had to do was face lefties.

Against righties .224/.292/.410

 

He always has looked bad to the eye test at the plate, once again because at his peak, he was Mike Napoli as a good defensive centerfielder. He walked a lot, he struck out a lot, and he hit the ball out of the yard a lot.

[iortiz]

I'd rather Castillo over Young any day of the week.

 

Btw how long is Castillo going to stay in AAA? Whata waste of money.

[iortiz]

Castillo needs for once and for all a full year playing almost every game, otherwise he is going to oxidize. Edited April 28, 2016 by iortiz

[Dojji]

you'll never get a team in contention to give him that kind of chance.

 

What I'd like to do is pick up a professional 4th OF type, a guy like Eric Hinske or Gabe Kapler, who can start in at least LF and RF without embarrassing himself, and forget the whole platoon nonsense.

Edited April 28, 2016 by Dojji

[Emp9]

I like Rusney's arm and playing LF in Fenway I really really like his arm. Offensively we could do worse and with Young it seems like we're actually trying to. We'll see how this plays out over the season. Castillo got off to a slow start to his spring due to two weeks of the flu, he could be a slow starter, he could be a streaky hitter as well. Fact is we don't really know a whole lot about him cause he's never consistently given playing time and admittedly his health is always suspect. If he proves himself in AAA I want him back up.

[iortiz]

I like Rusney's arm and playing LF in Fenway I really really like his arm. Offensively we could do worse and with Young it seems like we're actually trying to. We'll see how this plays out over the season. Castillo got off to a slow start to his spring due to two weeks of the flu, he could be a slow starter, he could be a streaky hitter as well. Fact is we don't really know a whole lot about him cause he's never consistently given playing time and admittedly his health is always suspect. If he proves himself in AAA I want him back up.

Exactly.

 

You have a luxury in AAA who arguably showed something -whatever that means- when the Red Sox scouted him.

 

I say let him play for once and for all.

[Elktonnick]

I like Rusney's arm and playing LF in Fenway I really really like his arm. Offensively we could do worse and with Young it seems like we're actually trying to. We'll see how this plays out over the season. Castillo got off to a slow start to his spring due to two weeks of the flu, he could be a slow starter, he could be a streaky hitter as well. Fact is we don't really know a whole lot about him cause he's never consistently given playing time and admittedly his health is always suspect. If he proves himself in AAA I want him back up.

 

Runsey had a disastrous Spring Training. He didn't hit and played very poorly in the outfield. He certainly isn't a superlative defensive standout like either a Bradley or a Vasquez so he has to hit. No matter how plays the outfield, he isn't going to stay in the bigs until he learns to hit. I don't know why Cherrington signed him because he certainly hasn't lived up to the hype.

[iortiz]

Runsey had a disastrous Spring Training. He didn't hit and played very poorly in the outfield. He certainly isn't a superlative defensive standout like either a Bradley or a Vasquez so he has to hit. No matter how plays the outfield, he isn't going to stay in the bigs until he learns to hit. I don't know why Cherrington signed him because he certainly hasn't lived up to the hype.

 

Hi elk. How are u doing man?

 

I don't have a clue how Cherington got to the conclusion that this guy is 70 M worthy money. Surely he had a case but at this point it seems so fragile.

Edited April 28, 2016 by iortiz

[FredLynn]

I'd rather Castillo over Young any day of the week.

 

Btw how long is Castillo going to stay in AAA? Whata waste of money.

 

He will probably stay there until he proves he can hit AAA pitching well. Right now, his OPS at Pawtucket this year is abyssmal: .654 this year and .708 in his two year minor league career. Why on earth would you want to bring him up with those numbers? Doesn't he first have to perform in Pawtucket?

[iortiz]

He will probably stay there until he proves he can hit AAA pitching well. Right now, his OPS at Pawtucket this year is abyssmal: .654 this year and .708 in his two year minor league career. Why on earth would you want to bring him up with those numbers? Doesn't he first have to perform in Pawtucket?

 

The logic answer is yes.

 

I just want to see him spending more time with the big guys and figure out for once and for all what we are going to do with this guy, but based on a fair sample.

 

IMO I still think that he is a better bet than Young -even with his current numbers in AAA-, but that's me.

[Elktonnick]

Hi elk. How are u doing man?

 

I don't have a clue how Cherington got to the conclusion that this guy is 70 M worthy money. Surely he had a case but at this point it seems so fragile.

 

Estoy bien! Como le va

[iortiz]

Estoy bien! Como le va

 

Me alegra. Yo aquí regresando de Cancún y esperando a que comience el juego de beis.

[User Name]

you'll never get a team in contention to give him that kind of chance.

 

What I'd like to do is pick up a professional 4th OF type, a guy like Eric Hinske or Gabe Kapler, who can start in at least LF and RF without embarrassing himself, and forget the whole platoon nonsense.

 

Eric Hinske and Gabe Kapler were essentially platoon players.

[Kimmi]

The logic answer is yes.

 

I just want to see him spending more time with the big guys and figure out for once and for all what we are going to do with this guy, but based on a fair sample.

 

IMO I still think that he is a better bet than Young -even with his current numbers in AAA-, but that's me.

 

Castillo might be better than Young, but Castillo needs to get everyday at bats. That's why he's in AAA.

 

Young was signed as "insurance" for Castillo, in case Castillo floundered. However, once Holt was named as the everyday LFer, that kind of threw a kink into the plan.

[User Name]

Ah, the benefit of hindsight. They signed Castillo in the midst of a bidding war, so clearly other teams also thought very highly of his talent.

[Jasonbay44]

I don't understand all the debate about Young. He is a 4th OF who starts once a week and hits low in the order when he does play. I think he'll improve some, but he is among the least of my worries on this team.

 

Its also only April, give him more then 22 AB's before you talk about getting rid of him already

[User Name]

I don't understand all the debate about Young. He is a 4th OF who starts once a week and hits low in the order when he does play. I think he'll improve some, but he is among the least of my worries on this team.

 

Its also only April, give him more then 22 AB's before you talk about getting rid of him already

 

Common sense right here people.

[Kimmi]

I don't understand all the debate about Young. He is a 4th OF who starts once a week and hits low in the order when he does play. I think he'll improve some, but he is among the least of my worries on this team.

 

Its also only April, give him more then 22 AB's before you talk about getting rid of him already

 

I've said many times, patience is a virtue.

[sk7326]

you'll never get a team in contention to give him that kind of chance.

 

What I'd like to do is pick up a professional 4th OF type, a guy like Eric Hinske or Gabe Kapler, who can start in at least LF and RF without embarrassing himself, and forget the whole platoon nonsense.

 

Young is precisely a professional 4th OF. Kapler specifically WAS a platoon partner for Trot Nixon. He also was a defensive and injury replacement in 2004. You can sleep through baseball games, just please, not the ones in THE title season. Eric Hinske wasn't even a 4th OF - he was a Matt Stairs professional bat. You'd have a designated pinch runner for him if he were a little leaguer. Jacoby Ellsbury was that team's 4th outfielder.

[Maxbialystock]

Gotta agree with JasonBay44. People complaining about Young are making a mountain out of a molehill. The team is hitting great and leading the AL in runs scored, so his weak hitting (26 at bats) ain't the issue. He played in 140 games last year with the Yankees and had an OPS of .773. Castillo has never come close to that, plus his fielding is erratic. Last year he had 6 errors and 5 assists. I would have no problem with Castillo getting another shot in Boston, but have absolutely no problem with the way he is being managed. Oh, and let's not forget that right now our best outfield is Betts, JBJ, and Holt. Thus Castillo, were he in Boston, would probably be sitting on the bench a lot.

[a700hitter]

He is ill-suited to be the 4 the outfielder as he cant hit RHP and we rarely face LHP.

[User Name]

He is ill-suited to be the 4 the outfielder as he cant hit RHP and we rarely face LHP.

 

The plan was for him to essentially be a 5th OF-weapon against late inning lefty relievers, but Castillo s*** all over that plan.

[Youk Of The Nation]

I've said many times, patience is a virtue.

 

That's always been my policy when it comes to underpeforming players. I've been on the site since I was 17. If you read back through all of my old posts, you'd see that basically after the age of 19 or 20, I haven't really had strong negative opinions about players. I give them a lot of slack because of the length of a baseball season and the tendency to have bad years followed by good ones. Unpredictability is part of baseball. No one could have expected Carl Crawford or Edgar Renteria to be as bad as they were for the Sox, just as no one could have expected Daniel Nava to be so good for the team in the beginning before he reverted to what he was (a quadruple-A player).

 

That being said, I don't really care one way or the other about Young. I don't expect him to have a significant impact on the team, positive or negative, and I would be perfectly fine if they could find some other use for his roster spot.