Red Sox Offense 2016

[User Name]

Well, I don't believe that stuff was said on this board. You can leave those hot takes wherever BDC was interred.

 

jung,fred

[southpaw777]

Those are pretty good numbers for a player who less than a year ago was considered to be "no more than a .200 hitter", "self-centered", "egotistical", "uncoachable", and "will never be more than a late-inning defensive replacement".

 

It amazes me that some are still talking about him as "trade bait".

 

They have to talk about him and a couple other as trade bait if they want a top flight young starter...you dont get one without the other...

[S5Dewey]

They have to talk about him and a couple other as trade bait if they want a top flight young starter...you dont get one without the other...

Then let's talk about trading Betts. He's not as good as JBJ offensively or defensively. Or Bogaerts. The argument can be made that they are about equal defensively but JBJ is a better hitter.

 

Trading any one of those three would be ridiculous. Especially with as many blue chip prospects as this team has. This team is young and many of these blue chippers are essentially blocked. That means that sooner or later they're going to become Rule 5 eligible. Let's get something valuable for them now.

[S5Dewey]

It always amazes me how some people can't wait to trade away top-flight players.

[cp176]

Where is this coming from? Who is actually advocating to trade any of our top players? There is of course is talk about what might possibly happen but i don't get the impression that anyone would be happy to see us trade any of our best at this point in time.

[Slasher9]

Then let's talk about trading Betts. He's not as good as JBJ offensively or defensively. Or Bogaerts. The argument can be made that they are about equal defensively but JBJ is a better hitter.

 

Trading any one of those three would be ridiculous. Especially with as many blue chip prospects as this team has. This team is young and many of these blue chippers are essentially blocked. That means that sooner or later they're going to become Rule 5 eligible. Let's get something valuable for them now.

 

I agree with this 100%. we can put together a prospect package that does not include the 3 B's and get a TOTR starter. of course teams will ask but at the end of the day the quality and quantity of our MiLB prospects are enough to get it done and better than just about what any other team has to offer.

[a700hitter]

Where is this coming from? Who is actually advocating to trade any of our top players? There is of course is talk about what might possibly happen but i don't get the impression that anyone would be happy to see us trade any of our best at this point in time.

Fans are having a blast watching Betts, Bogaerts and Bradley. No one wants to see them get traded. That guy will have to argue with himself about trading them.

[Emp9]

That's not my question. What I'm asking is for any support on the idea that Castillo's problem is slider-type bat speed. If anything, I thought it was mostly a pitch selection problem with him, so I'm curious to know how you are drawing this conclusion.

 

1) You keep changing your question 2) I never made any actual conclusions. 3) I'm sure Castillo has pitch selection issues as well. I think he'd do well to shorten his swing (maybe even crowd the plate a little). From what I've seen watching Castillo, and from what I've read and heard, his long swing isn't fast enough for MLB pitching whether that's adjusting to something off-speed or catching up w/ a FB. Kinda like JBJ up until last August.

[Bellhorn04]

Fans are having a blast watching Betts, Bogaerts and Bradley. No one wants to see them get traded. That guy will have to argue with himself about trading them.

 

No one wants to trade any of them, but there seems to be consensus that to acquire a cost-controlled #1 pitcher we probably have to give up one of them.

[mvp 78]

jung,fred

 

Those aren't real people and you know it.

[a700hitter]

No one wants to trade any of them, but there seems to be consensus that to acquire a cost-controlled #1 pitcher we probably have to give up one of them.

I think we have enough chips to avoid including one of them. We are not going to get Syndegard. That is out of thequestion even if you included one of those guys. But quality pitching imo could be acquired without moving one of those 3. They need to get Swihart back in the minors to catch. I think his value goes down playing LF. He just doesn't hit enough to be a top OF prospect. Get him to Pawtucket and let him catch everyday. He would be a key chip in acquiring a starter. I am baffled by his position change unless they think he has a low ceiling as a defensive catcher.

[User Name]

1) You keep changing your question 2) I never made any actual conclusions. 3) I'm sure Castillo has pitch selection issues as well. I think he'd do well to shorten his swing (maybe even crowd the plate a little). From what I've seen watching Castillo, and from what I've read and heard, his long swing isn't fast enough for MLB pitching whether that's adjusting to something off-speed or catching up w/ a FB. Kinda like JBJ up until last August.

 

All I'm asking is where you heard/read that he had slow bat speed. I'm not disagreeing, because it makes total sense, I just hadn't seen it mentioned anywhere. I obviously don't get the same access to media that you guys do, since I don't live in the US at all.

[cp176]

I think we have enough chips to avoid including one of them. We are not going to get Syndegard. That is out of thequestion even if you included one of those guys. But quality pitching imo could be acquired without moving one of those 3. They need to get Swihart back in the minors to catch. I think his value goes down playing LF. He just doesn't hit enough to be a top OF prospect. Get him to Pawtucket and let him catch everyday. He would be a key chip in acquiring a starter. I am baffled by his position change unless they think he has a low ceiling as a defensive catcher.

 

happy to hear that I am not the only dub that feels this way-

 

The only explanation that I can come up with is that they really do not intend to move him.

[Bellhorn04]

happy to hear that I am not the only dub that feels this way-

 

The only explanation that I can come up with is that they really do not intend to move him.

 

Certainly seems possible. And maybe it's a true 'win now' philosophy - they think Swihart might be our best option for left field for the 2016 season.

[a700hitter]

Certainly seems possible. And maybe it's a true 'win now' philosophy - they think Swihart might be our best option for left field for the 2016 season.

I think Swihart could bring back an OFer better than himself in a trade.

[Bellhorn04]

I think Swihart could bring back an OFer better than himself in a trade.

 

No doubt, but it'd be someone we'd have to pay a lot more than $519 K so our payroll would be even more bloated.

[a700hitter]

No doubt, but it'd be someone we'd have to pay a lot more than $519 K so our payroll would be even more bloated.

True, and I would prefer to use Swihart to bring back pitching.

[a700hitter]

Allen Craig is back playing for Pawtucket. Is there any chance that they give him a shot in LF? They are giving him a big paycheck. it would be a good way for him to reestablish some trade value.

[mvp 78]

I'm still surprised Castillo wasn't brought up. Maybe they were worried about options?

[Slasher9]

Allen Craig is back playing for Pawtucket. Is there any chance that they give him a shot in LF? They are giving him a big paycheck. it would be a good way for him to reestablish some trade value.

 

i believe if he makes it back on the MLB roster the Sox get hit with luxury tax on his salary. so unless he starts looking like the 2012 version of AC in AAA i dont think he will get called up.....

[CliffKlowers]

Rich Gedman is working with Castillo at Pawtucket trying to get him to be more patient on pitch selection.

[illinoisredsox]

I'm still surprised Castillo wasn't brought up. Maybe they were worried about options?

 

That makes no difference, options go by years. You can be brought up and sent down any number of times in a year. Heck, how many times has Noe Ramirez taken the I-95 shuttle this year alone?

 

Per Wikidpedia,

 

"Once a player has been placed on a team's 40-man roster, a team has 3 option years on that player.

A player is considered to have used one of those three option years when he spends at least 20 days in the minors in any of those 3 seasons.

 

A team may have a fourth option year on a player with less than five full seasons of professional experience, provided that both conditions below are met.

A player has not spent at least 90 days on an active professional roster in a season. Minor leagues that play below Class A Advanced have seasons that are shorter than 90 days, and as such, any player who spends a full season in a rookie or Class A (short-season) league will receive a fourth option year.

A player has not spent at least 60 days on an active professional roster AND then at least 30 days on a disabled list in a season. Only after 60 days have been spent on an active professional roster does time spent on the disabled list count towards the 90-day threshold. As with the prior example, this cannot occur with players who spend a full season in a rookie or Class A (short season) league."

 

The latter does not apply to Castillo.

[a700hitter]

i believe if he makes it back on the MLB roster the Sox get hit with luxury tax on his salary. so unless he starts looking like the 2012 version of AC in AAA i dont think he will get called up.....

Keeping him in AAA guarantees that they will never be able to trade him and he will have no value to the organization.

[Slasher9]

Keeping him in AAA guarantees that they will never be able to trade him and he will have no value to the organization.

 

i dont think he has any value regardless. (unless he hits like 2012 AC and then gets brought up like i stated in my post). if that happens then we probably keep him for the 2016 Parade Run.......

[cp176]

Certainly seems possible. And maybe it's a true 'win now' philosophy - they think Swihart might be our best option for left field for the 2016 season.

 

I do think that they want to try to actually find out what they have here in Swihart. Why do I feel like I'm looking at another Josh Reddick on the field when I watch him play. They may just be reluctant to let this kid go before they get some answers to some questions. It is also very possible that they have decided that his catching skills might take a much longer time to develop than they initially thought. it is interesting that they have said that he will not catch during this recent callup. Even more interesting to me is that it was Swihart and not Castillo who got the call.

[Maxbialystock]

I'm still surprised Castillo wasn't brought up. Maybe they were worried about options?

 

Castillo can't catch. With Swihart the Sox have a third catcher if needed, which came handy when Hannigan got that HBP on his left hand.

 

My guess is they don't give Castillo a shot until someone is hurt and/or he starts hitting in AAA.

 

In any case, it's hard to argue with the way they have stuck with these players--the ones how are leading MLB in runs scored, OPS, etc. In other words, who needs Castillo?

[mvp 78]

Castillo can't catch. With Swihart the Sox have a third catcher if needed, which came handy when Hannigan got that HBP on his left hand.

 

My guess is they don't give Castillo a shot until someone is hurt and/or he starts hitting in AAA.

 

In any case, it's hard to argue with the way they have stuck with these players--the ones how are leading MLB in runs scored, OPS, etc. In other words, who needs Castillo?

 

He has been hitting well since the calendar switched to May, but showing no power.

[a700hitter]

I do think that they want to try to actually find out what they have here in Swihart. Why do I feel like I'm looking at another Josh Reddick on the field when I watch him play. They may just be reluctant to let this kid go before they get some answers to some questions. It is also very possible that they have decided that his catching skills might take a much longer time to develop than they initially thought. it is interesting that they have said that he will not catch during this recent callup. Even more interesting to me is that it was Swihart and not Castillo who got the call.

Reddick was a different kind of hitter than Swihart at that age. Reddick always had tremendous power, much more than Swihart. The ball jumped off Reddick's bat. Swihart makes good contact and uses more of the field, but he doesn't scald the ball like Reddick.

[Emp9]

All I'm asking is where you heard/read that he had slow bat speed. I'm not disagreeing, because it makes total sense, I just hadn't seen it mentioned anywhere. I obviously don't get the same access to media that you guys do, since I don't live in the US at all.

 

I said his long swing approach slows his bat speed and you can gain some bat speed by shortening your swing. Besides my own observations...

 

Jason Mastrodonato 8/20/14

"The belief is that his line drive approach will play more consistently than the long swing he's occasionally displayed"

 

Peter Abraham 4/9/16

"Castillo has a long, sometimes slow swing that is perfect for pitches coming in at 75 mph. Sure enough, Castillo was 2 for 3 against Dickey w/ a 2B and a run scored..."

 

Tim Britton Providence Journal 3/3/16

"Castillo still showed evidence of the long swing that can get him into trouble at the plate. Although he was discerning enough to get ahead in the count in each AB by laying off some off-speed pitches out of the zone, he couldn't take advantage of Fastballs in it...."

 

Ben Lindbergh, Grantland 8/26/14

"Criticism of Castillo revolves around the same nitpicks people had about Puig & Abreu: a long swing & an undisciplined approach"

 

Ryan Donaldson, Baseball Prospectus 3/14/16

"Castillo's swing looks long, and in his brief career, it's looked from his numbers against "power" pitchers that his stat sheet might reflect a long swing. Failing to catch up with high heat is also something one might expect.... (paraphrasing: from missing so much time) "

 

 

Kurt Mensching SBNation 8/18/14

(Despite mentioning Ben Badler of Baseball America " Castillo always had good bat speed..." Also worth noting from the same referenced quote " Castillo took a Home Run Derby mental with him into his BP session instead of his standard game swing"

Next line in article:

"His swing has been described as being a bit too long for the majors".

[jacksonianmarch]

UN?, where the heck you live?