Sandy Leon

[moonslav59]

Man O Man this kid keeps on hitting like a freakaziod!

 

It's still a sample size of less than 50 PAs, but still...

[Spudboy]

Vasquez has been optioned to Pawtucket.

 

Hannigan activated.

 

Buch to the pen.

[Nick]

Great....we get to watch Hanigan chasing knuckle balls...ugh..he looks old and useless....just kind of player John F loves.

[Nick]

It may be a small sample size but his at bats have been quality....more so than say Shaw trying to hit lefties.

[Bellhorn04]

Great....we get to watch Hanigan chasing knuckle balls...ugh..he looks old and useless....just kind of player John F loves.

 

This comment makes no sense whatsoever.

[Kimmi]

It may be a small sample size but his at bats have been quality....more so than say Shaw trying to hit lefties.

 

Even more than all the hard contact and hits he's getting, he is having quality at bats, as you said. Very good eye and very disciplined. He really has not gotten many cheap hits.

[Kimmi]

Vasquez has been optioned to Pawtucket.

 

Hannigan activated.

 

Buch to the pen.

 

 

I should have read this before posting in the game thread.

 

These are the moves that make the most sense.

[moonslav59]

Even more than all the hard contact and hits he's getting, he is having quality at bats, as you said. Very good eye and very disciplined. He really has not gotten many cheap hits.

 

But, you know, even weak hitters look like stars when their on a hot streak.

 

As far as I know, Leon has never had a sustained stretch of good offense, so with me, I'm with holding judgment.

 

I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade, but a 45 PA sample size is really rather tiny.

[Nick]

This comment makes no sense whatsoever.

 

Hanigan is hitting .186. He can't catch Wright, you just wait and see on Wednesday. Yet, JF will always favor Hanigan over Vazquez. He's too loyal to veterans. It will eventually get him fired. Talent before time of service.

 

I wonder what young players flourished while JF was on the leave last year?

[moonslav59]

Hanigan is hitting .186. He can't catch Wright, you just wait and see on Wednesday. Yet, JF will always favor Hanigan over Vazquez. He's too loyal to veterans. It will eventually get him fired. Talent before time of service.

 

I wonder what young players flourished while JF was on the leave last year?

 

I don't think the choice is always about who is better or who the manager likes more. It's about roster construction and depth. If we kept Vazquez on the 25 man roster, we'd have lost Hanigan on the depth chart. You may not value that all that much, and it's hard to argue that point based on Hanigan's 2016 performance, but Hanigan doesn't have to be Wright's caddy-catcher. Leon did fine with Wright, so put Hanigan in against lefty starters only.

[Bellhorn04]

Hanigan is hitting .186. He can't catch Wright, you just wait and see on Wednesday. Yet, JF will always favor Hanigan over Vazquez. He's too loyal to veterans. It will eventually get him fired. Talent before time of service.

 

I wonder what young players flourished while JF was on the leave last year?

 

Young players are still doing well this year. Our offense is carrying on like it did at the end of last year. It's one of the points in his favor.

[Nick]

Young players are still doing well this year. Our offense is carrying on like it did at the end of last year. It's one of the points in his favor.

 

You are missing my point....John F has history of blocking young players in favor of veterans. Kids got to play while he was gone.

 

John F f***ed up Xander by insisting that we sign and play Drew. He messed with Xander's psyche.....

[Jasonbay44]

How was Xander blocked? He still played when Drew was signed.. If anything, Farrell has been favorable to young players. For example, starting Shaw despite Sandoval's experience and contract.

 

And yeah, Xander was really "f***ed up" imagine how good he would be if Farrell didn't mess with him..

[Nick]

If you don't think Xander was unhappy being moved to 3B then you and I have nothing to discuss. Nice try rewriting history.

[User Name]

John Farrell is not the GM of this team. What you are saying is nonsense.

[Spudboy]

This blocking young players nonsense got it's genesis on Boston talk radio, I believe.

 

Farrell may have his faults but as far as I know he did not shop for the groceries.

[Jasonbay44]

If you don't think Xander was unhappy being moved to 3B then you and I have nothing to discuss. Nice try rewriting history.

So John Farrell signed Stephen Drew, made the decision by himself to shift Xander's position for Drew and this f***ed up Xander?

 

Damn, if Xander didn't get "f***ed up" I wonder how good he would be...

[moonslav59]

John Farrell (probably with DD's input) chose Shaw over Pablo. That's not a common choice made by any manager, and clearly shows JF is willing to play the younger player over the expensive vet.

[mvp 78]

Pablo forced this move by eating himself out of the league. He played terribly in ST. It was an easy choice.

[southpaw777]

Sometimes the great defensive catchers dont start hitting until a little later in their careers. Usually later 20s. We'll have to get a bigger sample size to see if Leons bat is for real. Now, I know he will certainly fall back to earth. The question is how far and how hard?

for now, giving Hanny a chance to either s*** or get off the pot is the right move. Vaz can get his ABs in AAA for another month or so and let everything work itself out on the big club. Hanny has always been a solid backstop with a decent stick. And usually a Good OBP too...I think the right moves were made.

[mvp 78]

Not sure why moving Vazquez to AAA would help him learn to hit MLB pitching. He's fine in Boston. He's not the reason the Sox have struggled.

[Dojji]

Leon's surge is bad news for Hanigan. They almost have to let Sandy Leon ride this out. Besides, Hanigan wasn't hitting. Like at all. And Leon is a very very good defensive catcher, nearly as good as Vazquez. Since Hanigan can't even caddy the knuckleballer I can't see a real good reason to keep Hanigan around at this point when Leon's getting it done and we have too many other catching options to give everyone time.

 

We could probably afford to just DFA Hanigan because we're still 3 catchers deep in active players even without him. Besides Vazquez and Leon, and the injured Swihart, Dan Butler is a guy with some talent and big league experience, and he's hitting well in Paw. There's no real reason not too believe that Butler could come up and play backup catcher effectively enough, he's as good as most teams' third string catcher anyway, maybe better because he seems to have some stick. I just don't see a desperate need for Hanigan right now.

Edited July 5, 2016 by Dojji

[moonslav59]

Pablo forced this move by eating himself out of the league. He played terribly in ST. It was an easy choice.

 

I think several GMs would have started Pablo.

 

Couldn't an argument be made that Vaz whiffed himself out of his 25 man roster spot?

 

We have a lot of youth on this team. I don't recall seeing more youth on a winning Sox team since 1975.

[Nick]

I think several GMs would have started Pablo.

 

Couldn't an argument be made that Vaz whiffed himself out of his 25 man roster spot?

 

We have a lot of youth on this team. I don't recall seeing more youth on a winning Sox team since 1975.

 

After coming in dead last for two years and having an interim coach with a winning record, don't you think JF is finally managing as though his job is on the line? DD is not on the hook for Pablo, Hanley and Castillo.....playing Shaw ahead of Pablo was probably a no brainer.

[Nick]

On Tuesday, Bogaerts didn't hide the fact that he'd prefer to stay at short but is willing to do what the team needs:

 

[Farrell] said that he felt we’re a better team with [Drew]. I guess that’s why they went out and get him. My heart is always at shortstop but they felt we’re a better team with him, so as I said, that’s why they went out and got him. And I was just feeling so good over there. But they made the decision that they have to make.....May 21, 2014

 

Yeah just ignore the fact.....all I said was this move set Xander back a few months.....but keep rewriting the history dude.

[Bellhorn04]

On Tuesday, Bogaerts didn't hide the fact that he'd prefer to stay at short but is willing to do what the team needs:

 

[Farrell] said that he felt we’re a better team with [Drew]. I guess that’s why they went out and get him. My heart is always at shortstop but they felt we’re a better team with him, so as I said, that’s why they went out and got him. And I was just feeling so good over there. But they made the decision that they have to make.....May 21, 2014

 

Yeah just ignore the fact.....all I said was this move set Xander back a few months.....but keep rewriting the history dude.

 

The Drew acquisition wouldn't have happened if WMB didn't get injured. It wasn't something they planned, but s*** happens.

[Hugh2]

I thought the Sox rushed CV back this year and panicked by giving up on BS too quickly.

 

First off, even though he's been above average Vasquez defense has been nowhere near the elite level of play it was last year. This makes his lack of bat stand out much much more. The Sox gave up on Swihart way too soon, and even if you could justify a move down to AAA they should have let him continue develop behind the plate.

 

He might not be injured right now if that was the case.

 

I highly doubt Sandy Leon is a long term solution for a starter, but he's more than capable on the defensive side and I have zero problem riding the hot hand with the bat right now. This team is in a funk and could use that.

[Bellhorn04]

I thought the Sox rushed CV back this year and panicked by giving up on BS too quickly.

 

First off, even though he's been above average Vasquez defense has been nowhere near the elite level of play it was last year. This makes his lack of bat stand out much much more. The Sox gave up on Swihart way too soon, and even if you could justify a move down to AAA they should have let him continue develop behind the plate.

 

He might not be injured right now if that was the case.

 

But do we know that they gave up on Swihart or was the plan all along to move Vazquez up as soon as he looked ready?

[User Name]

We don't, but it's easy to make unsupported assumptions if they coincide with our opinions. We all do it.

[Hugh2]

We don't, but it's easy to make unsupported assumptions if they coincide with our opinions. We all do it.

 

I agree, I'm making an assumption but i don't think it's an assumption or a far fetched opinion that they moved Swihart off of the catching position too soon. The pitching was pretty bad in the beginning of the season and I think the F.O. rushed CV back. And it's also fact that Vasquez defensive play has slipped this year.

 

Also, perhaps I was lazy in constructing my argument. Maybe they have not given up on Swihart as a catcher and moved him off the position as a short term fix for the MLB roster. IDK, but I think most organizations would have given him much more time to develop behind the plate.

 

This is a kid who was the top ranked prospect behind the dish last year and then after being rushed to the majors last year was given up on after what was it.....8 games????

Edited July 5, 2016 by A Red Sox fan named Hugh