Christian Vazquez

[Spudboy]

Based on the improvement at the plate ( batting ) I thought that I saw last year I was hoping to see a good performance this year.

 

Not only is he sub-Mendoza, he is showing warts BEHIND the plate as well.

 

I am no longer buying into "He handles pitchers well and they like him".

 

I have never heard any Sox pitcher bitch about Swihart.

 

Most people on this site thing Swi has never hit and that his time as a prospect is spent.

 

I say ********. The kid can hit and he deserves a protracted look.

[a700hitter]

Based on the improvement at the plate ( batting ) I thought that I saw last year I was hoping to see a good performance this year.

 

Not only is he sub-Mendoza, he is showing warts BEHIND the plate as well.

 

I am no longer buying into "He handles pitchers well and they like him".

 

I have never heard any Sox pitcher bitch about Swihart.

 

Most people on this site thing Swi has never hit and that his time as a prospect is spent.

 

I say ********. The kid can hit and he deserves a protracted look.

It would be warranted to give Swihart a look. Vasquez and Leon are doing nothing thus far offensively and defensively, they are not looking like Pudge Rodriguez.

[Bellhorn04]

On the bright side, in the month of May Vazquez is hitting .300 and averaging 1 RBI per game.

[OH FOY]

He hits .240, plays good Defense, I'm fine. He's by no means Johnny Bench. Saw him at Double AA for a whole year, this is what I expected from him at the Major League level.

20 HRS, .300 avg. would never expect that. .240-.260, 10+ HRS, and good Defense, he did good.

Edited May 4, 2018 by OH FOY!

[notin]

The Red Sox are second in the majors in runs scored, 7th in the majors in fewest runs allowed, and have a 22-9 record overall, good for best in MLB.

 

 

And people are complaining about he offensive output of two stellar defensive players who bat eighth and ninth. This team could be 31-0 right now, and somehow someone would find a reason to complain. "They're making 24 to 27 outs every game!!! They won't be able to do that in the post-season!!!"

[notin]

It would be warranted to give Swihart a look. Vasquez and Leon are doing nothing thus far offensively and defensively, they are not looking like Pudge Rodriguez.

 

Is Swihart and his inferior defense and his career .696 OPS really the answer? And I know he has only had a few at bats spread out over some injury-plagued seasons, but it's not like his minor league OPS (.727 across 7 seasons) was all that much better.

[mvp 78]

Is Swihart and his inferior defense and his career .696 OPS really the answer? And I know he has only had a few at bats spread out over some injury-plagued seasons, but it's not like his minor league OPS (.727 across 7 seasons) was all that much better.

 

If the Sox thought Swihart's defense was "adequate", he'd be getting some reps. It must be pretty ugly for him to not even get a shot at this point.

[moonslav59]

If the Sox thought Swihart's defense was "adequate", he'd be getting some reps. It must be pretty ugly for him to not even get a shot at this point.

 

Not even in late inning blow outs.

 

It tells us something.

[notin]

If the Sox thought Swihart's defense was "adequate", he'd be getting some reps. It must be pretty ugly for him to not even get a shot at this point.

 

The only reason to play Swihart anywhere at this point is to hope he hits well enough to be a marketable trade piece capable of getting a better return than what was already turned down for him this spring, whatever that was.

 

But as long as the Sox are atop the AL East with one of the best records in baseball, it is not likely Swihart gets that type of chance...

[jacksonianmarch]

Swihart needs to be freed. He’s not helping the sox and the sox aren’t helping him

[illinoisredsox]

Swihart needs to be freed. He’s not helping the sox and the sox aren’t helping him

 

Unless he figures into their plans for 2019.

 

Leon makes nearly 2 million and is arb eligible next season. That 2 isn't going to go down.

 

Swihart is at or near the MLB minimum, and while he is arb eligible as well next year, he isn't going to go up that much. If he does fit into next year's picture, then he's almost like a Rule V guy this season, he has to stay on the roster.

[Maxbialystock]

The Red Sox are second in the majors in runs scored, 7th in the majors in fewest runs allowed, and have a 22-9 record overall, good for best in MLB.

 

 

And people are complaining about he offensive output of two stellar defensive players who bat eighth and ninth. This team could be 31-0 right now, and somehow someone would find a reason to complain. "They're making 24 to 27 outs every game!!! They won't be able to do that in the post-season!!!"

 

Good stuff. I'm kind of anti-Vazquez right now, but agree with you completely.

[Maxbialystock]

If the Sox thought Swihart's defense was "adequate", he'd be getting some reps. It must be pretty ugly for him to not even get a shot at this point.

 

I think they didn't like what they saw in 2015 when he started 84 games at C because others were on the DL. His DWAR was -.4. The Sox ERA that year was 4.31, ranked 25th. The next year it was 9th, and last year it was 4th in MLB.

[OH FOY]

Braves are 19-11, anything happens First Month of season, at 124 million a year total team payroll. Actually higher than I thought. Edited May 4, 2018 by OH FOY!

[moonslav59]

I think they didn't like what they saw in 2015 when he started 84 games at C because others were on the DL. His DWAR was -.4. The Sox ERA that year was 4.31, ranked 25th. The next year it was 9th, and last year it was 4th in MLB.

 

That pretty much says it all.

 

The fact that Swihart has not even caught one inning in a blow-out game shows me they aren't even trying to have him ready to be used, if needed. That's how badly they think of his defense.pitcher handling skills.

[illinoisredsox]

That pretty much says it all.

 

The fact that Swihart has not even caught one inning in a blow-out game shows me they aren't even trying to have him ready to be used, if needed. That's how badly they think of his defense.pitcher handling skills.

 

He did catch 1 inning last night, but your overall point holds.

[notin]

I think they didn't like what they saw in 2015 when he started 84 games at C because others were on the DL. His DWAR was -.4. The Sox ERA that year was 4.31, ranked 25th. The next year it was 9th, and last year it was 4th in MLB.

 

Well, some of that improvement in ERA could be attributable to the additions of Price, Kimbrel and Sale, too...

[Kimmi]

His supposed game calling and Defense is held up by many here ....but I'm with you ....he suuuuuucks this year and maybe most of last .

 

In the 3 years that Vaz has caught for the Red Sox, 2014, 2016, and 2017, he has saved the team 58 runs in pitch framing alone, according to Baseball Prospectus. That's roughly 6 games. I'm sure the pitchers are aware of this too, which has to instill a great deal of confidence in them to pitch to him. He has had a rough few games, but he is a very good defensive catcher.

 

As with JBJ in CF, I'm good with Vaz not being a heavy hitter. Whatever he gives us offensively is gravy.

[mvp 78]

In the 3 years that Vaz has caught for the Red Sox, 2014, 2016, and 2017, he has saved the team 58 runs in pitch framing alone, according to Baseball Prospectus. That's roughly 6 games. I'm sure the pitchers are aware of this too, which has to instill a great deal of confidence in them to pitch to him. He has had a rough few games, but he is a very good defensive catcher.

 

As with JBJ in CF, I'm good with Vaz not being a heavy hitter. Whatever he gives us offensively is gravy.

 

Difference being that Vaz is far more involved in the defense than JBJ.

[moonslav59]

Difference being that Vaz is far more involved in the defense than JBJ.

 

Very true.

 

Last year, JBJ was involved in 310 plays in 132 games, which is about 2.34 per game or 7 every 3 games.

 

For argument's sake, let's say one of those 7 plays would fall for a single or double had we had JMart in LF and Beni in CF all last year. Last year he got just over 6 hits every 7 games played. If you made it 7 hits, his BA would have gone up by about 140 points. If some were doubles, his SLG would go up by more. That would have turned his .245 BA into .385.

 

Maybe my math is wrong, but nobody would complain about a .385 hitter thaat was average or slightly below average on defense. If you give JBJ one play every 4 games, then his BA could be converted to .315 by adding just 70 points.

[Kimmi]

Difference being that Vaz is far more involved in the defense than JBJ.

 

True enough. Either way, I still want both in my lineup even if neither is hitting very well. The rest of the line up is good enough that they can carry these two guys. Besides, both of them will hit better than they are currently hitting.

[cp176]

Have to say that for me which one of our catchers hits just a little should be the number one . They are both good not great at their craft. Leon gets the nod right now from me.

[Natick to NC]

Our catchers suuuuuuuuck ranked 29th in baseball ....Sandy had a day today doesn't erase the suckitude ....bottom of both leagues Catching situation .

[a700hitter]

The only reason to play Swihart anywhere at this point is to hope he hits well enough to be a marketable trade piece capable of getting a better return than what was already turned down for him this spring, whatever that was.

 

But as long as the Sox are atop the AL East with one of the best records in baseball, it is not likely Swihart gets that type of chance...

If he is such a calamity defensively that they can't risk giving him a few starts in place of a duo that can't crack .200, they should just trade him. He has little utility on this Roster. We have 4 OFers plus holt and Nunez to play the OF. Realistically, Swihart is not going to play 2nd or 3rd, and we have 2 first basemen vying for time.

[Yaz Fan Since 67]

In the 3 years that Vaz has caught for the Red Sox, 2014, 2016, and 2017, he has saved the team 58 runs in pitch framing alone, according to Baseball Prospectus. That's roughly 6 games. I'm sure the pitchers are aware of this too, which has to instill a great deal of confidence in them to pitch to him. He has had a rough few games, but he is a very good defensive catcher.

 

As with JBJ in CF, I'm good with Vaz not being a heavy hitter. Whatever he gives us offensively is gravy.

 

58 runs by pitch framing alone? Man that's amazing, hard to believe actually.

[Bellhorn04]

Really nice to see CV hitting some balls on the screws the last few games.

[cp176]

Really nice to see CV hitting some balls on the screws the last few games.

 

For sure - maybe the extra work he put in while in Houston really did help. I hope he keeps it up.

[Kimmi]

Really nice to see CV hitting some balls on the screws the last few games.

 

Absolutely. The bottom of the order, as a whole, has been hitting much better.

 

Red Sox Notes

‏ @SoxNotes

8m8 minutes ago

 

Red Sox 7-8-9 hitters in team’s first 44 games:

.200 AVG/.254 OBP/.288 SLG/.543 OPS

 

Red Sox 7-8-9 hitters in team’s last 18 games:

.302 AVG/.377 OBP/.456 SLG/.833 OPS

[Sox75]

Check out his last 30 days...

 

Here we go fellas

[Sox75]

17 games

 

 

298. .333 .526 .860

 

3HR's

 

6 Ron's

 

 

Not setting the world on fire, but a bright light rising in the East after a VERY LONG and dark April & May.