The Benintendi Thread

[a700hitter]

Also, if anything, the Marlins are buyers right now.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/07/marlins-rich-hill-trade-rumor.html

Correct. The Marlins are not going to move one of their marquee players at this point. They will make a run at the playoffs and try to inject some enthusiasm to build a fanbase in Miami.

[Spudboy]

http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/pitchingmechanics101/Analyses/JoseFernandezPitchingMechanics.html

 

This dude is an insufferable prick, but he knows pitching mechanics.

 

That article is very interesting. I'm no kenisiologist (sp) so I don't understand exactly what damage comes from what movement. There is a lot to absorb in this article.

 

I would think that teams, orgs, would have a clear program for training pitchers to throw in a fashion that will work and possibly extend longevity. Encouraging pitchers to throw in a motion that will promote injury is bad business when you spend so much on these guys.

[Spudboy]

My question is if these pitching mechanics are what is causing these elbow problems, why are they being widely taught?

 

I saw this post after I made my post. But, yeah?

[southpaw777]

http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/pitchingmechanics101/Analyses/JoseFernandezPitchingMechanics.html

 

This dude is an insufferable prick, but he knows pitching mechanics.

 

I have read a lot in the inverted theories and I believe they make sense. My question is the same. Why invest the $$ if they know? Or is it they just dont buy the theory because hes not a doctor?

[cp176]

Fair enough...I would have to agree with you. There arent a lot of starters I would give up top offensive talent for. Fernandez IS one i would certainly consider it for though.

would you give up JBj instead of Benni if they asked? Seeing benintendi is a Cfer and JBJ has a lot more value.

If it was JBJ, Shaw and Erod would you do it?

Not that I think they would want JBJ knowing they have to deal with Boras just like they will with Fernandez.

 

i like our outfield with JBJ and Betts in it going forward. So I guess to answer your question, no I would not substitute JBJ for Benintendi. I would say that the only player that I would not trade in our minor league system though for the right guy would be Moncada. I get that both Espinoza and Koppech are projected highly. the key word here is projected. They are both a long way away plus I like the young cost controlled starting pitcher who is already experiencing some success at the big league level to the player who really hasn't shown much just yet at the minor league level. I'm like most of us all but if it took one of those two plus to get the right arm, I wouldn't think twice about it. The bigger question i think is what young cost controlled young arms are even available. I'm guessing that DD adds a 4/5 and doesn't give away a great deal in the process.

[southpaw777]

i like our outfield with JBJ and Betts in it going forward. So I guess to answer your question, no I would not substitute JBJ for Benintendi. I would say that the only player that I would not trade in our minor league system though for the right guy would be Moncada. I get that both Espinoza and Koppech are projected highly. the key word here is projected. They are both a long way away plus I like the young cost controlled starting pitcher who is already experiencing some success at the big league level to the player who really hasn't shown much just yet at the minor league level. I'm like most of us all but if it took one of those two plus to get the right arm, I wouldn't think twice about it. The bigger question i think is what young cost controlled young arms are even available. I'm guessing that DD adds a 4/5 and doesn't give away a great deal in the process.

 

Thats what I was thinking. If a bigger deal is made i think it will be this winter.

I would love to see an OF of Benni Bradley and Betts. Eventually Moncada at 3b??

From what Im hearing/reading, DD would have to be bringing back something big for one of those two to go.

[moonslav59]

I think we can get something very special for a package of Swihart, Devers, Kopech and one from Holt, Dubon, Chavis or Hernandez.

 

I don't think we need to part with Moncada, Benintendi or Espinoza to get what we need.

 

I may be wrong in one or more ways:

 

I could be wrong that this package can net us a top quality SP'er under team control at an affordable cost for 3+ years.

 

I could be wrong in my choice of players to deal away. Vaz could fizzle and Swihart could become great, Beni could disappoint, etc...

[moonslav59]

I realize projecting prospects to greatness is never 100%, and neither is projecting vets, but I love the idea of an OF of Beni, JBJ and Betts with Young giving us great depth for 2017. Maybe Basabe or Moncada may give us depth beyond 2017.

 

I love the idea of having Moncada at 3B, Bogey at SS, Pedey at 2B and Shaw/Ramirez/Pablo/Travis sharing 1B/DH duties. Shaw can cover 3B and Moncada may DH some to start as he learns a new position.

 

I'm confident Vaz will be a plus catcher by 2017. Having Hanigan and Leon in reserve is not as great as having Swihart in the mix, but we have to give to get.

[Nick]

DD has gone on record as saying he does not foresee the Sox pursuing an outfielder. My guess is Benintendi will get the first crack. He that fails, Moncada maybe next.

 

Moncada will be better baseball player than Benintendi. But Benintendi can only play outfield. Moncada can probably play several positions, LF, 3B, 1B DH and if all helll breaks loose, 2B. You don't want to waste couple of talented kids for one spot (LF) so Moncada wil have to play another position. That would be best for Sox.

 

I am not high on Shaw. He's more than adequate but that's it. I don't give a hoot about RBIs. One of worthless stats in the majors.

 

Benintendi (LF), Moncada (3B), Hanley (1B), Encarnacion (DH) would be my preference.

 

I'm not opposed to having Swihart as a back up LF, 1B, C, DH for couple of years for his catching skills to get better.

 

Only if Buch, E Rod, Owens and or Johnson had done close to what we expected from them......

Edited July 14, 2016 by Nick

[oldtimer]

Mookie Betts left tonight's game with a sore knee. No details on how sore it is, but his absence would be a blow to the Sox and points out the fact that the outfield is a little thin and can't stand the loss of a key player. All the more reason to consider bringing up Benentendi soon, especially if Mookie is hurting going into a stretch of 40 games in 44 days.

[bowman]

Shaw more than adequate in his first full year. How do you figure Rbi's are worthless. Without them = lob. Picky......

[southpaw777]

So Benni is getting reps in LF in Portland. Probably just preparing him for Sept callups, unless there is more of a need in Boston earlier. Some say he needs to get more reps in AAA and dont rush him, but I say thats ********. This kid isnt like a lot of other prospects and hes not going to need as much seasonsing as most...there was no learning curves until about a week and a very slow start to AA. In exactly one month He has taken a 105 BA to start AA and brought it up to 280. Yeah, im not worried about his bat much...Moncada will be taking reps at 3b to get him ready for his MLB debut shortly after Benintendi. Getting ready for the future now...

On a side note...I wouldnt trade either of these prospects.

Edited July 23, 2016 by southpaw777

[mvp 78]

So Benni is getting reps in LF in Portland. Probably just preparing him for Sept callups, unless there is more of a need in Boston earlier. Some say he needs to get more reps in AAA and dont rush him, but I say thats ********. This kid isnt like a lot of other prospects and hes not going to need as much seasonsing as most...Moncada will be taking reps at 3b as well. Getting ready for the future now...

On a side note...I wouldnt trade either of these prospects.

 

Most people wanted Beni up for Sept call ups. People just didn't want him pushed to Boston in August.

[S5Dewey]

Most people wanted Beni up for Sept call ups. People just didn't want him pushed to Boston in August.

 

I see bringing him up now as a panic move and we're not in panic mode now. We're 1/2 game ouf of 1st as I type this and that's far from panic time.

 

If they bring him up now I hope he sticks because of OPTIONS. DO NOT make 2016 an option year for him. Bringing him up now and sending him back in August would be a very stupid thing to do.

[mvp 78]

His bat has also slowed recently. He's not raking like Betts was in AA.

[a700hitter]

It depends on how much time Betts will miss.

[S5Dewey]

The thing that concerns me about Beni is that since he's not the prototypical power hitter I have to wonder how long his power will last. He's listed at 5' 10" / 170 and after seeing him I'm not sure those numbers aren't a gift. While there are power hitters who are small in stature when I think of a power hitter with a long career I think of those guys who are 6" and 60 lbs bigger than Beni is.

[Kimmi]

I see bringing him up now as a panic move and we're not in panic mode now. We're 1/2 game ouf of 1st as I type this and that's far from panic time.

 

If they bring him up now I hope he sticks because of OPTIONS. DO NOT make 2016 an option year for him. Bringing him up now and sending him back in August would be a very stupid thing to do.

 

I agree. I don't think they should call him up before September unless our situation becomes dire. We are nowhere near that point.

[Kimmi]

It depends on how much time Betts will miss.

 

Betts' knee injury has me concerned. It doesn't sound like it's anything serious, but these 'day to day' injuries have not worked out well for us. Hoping for the best.

[S5Dewey]

I agree. I don't think they should call him up before September unless our situation becomes dire. We are nowhere near that point.

 

Also, given the fact that he's in Portland and there's nearly always a transition period when a player moves up a level I don't see Beni's coming to Boston and being an impact player in the next month as being probable. Especially since he'd be jumping AAA. If you figure as I do, that he'd be brought up for defensive purposes only I'd rather see any one of those guys in Pawtucket in a short-term call-up than risk wasting an option year on him this year.

 

Nope, no Beni in the Sox future in 2016, at least I hope not.

[moonslav59]

I'd call him up the second Sox management thinks he's ready.

 

I think his defense is ready, and to me I feel his offense is already good enough to probably be as good or better than Brentz, LaMarre, Castillo or Ramos, but I defer to management's opinion.

[Hugh2]

The thing that concerns me about Beni is that since he's not the prototypical power hitter I have to wonder how long his power will last. He's listed at 5' 10" / 170 and after seeing him I'm not sure those numbers aren't a gift. While there are power hitters who are small in stature when I think of a power hitter with a long career I think of those guys who are 6" and 60 lbs bigger than Beni is.

 

You could say the same thing about Mookie Betts, the power is in his wrists and his bat speed. As long as he has that I'm not worried, I worry about him losing his power when he's 30. Also, I don't think the power is his carrying tool anyways.

[Hugh2]

LF in Portland is closer to Fenway than Pawtucket, so a switch to LF doesn't exactly mean a call up is imminent but I would not be surprised if we see him this year.

 

Yes, option years matter and I'm kind of arguing against myself here because I've made this argument about people in the past as well but if you call him up you might not be sending him down. Also, if Benintendi is the guy we all hope he is, then who cares about that 3rd option year??? If he's good enough he's going to stick and if he can't make the adjustment to MLB pitching then I'd rather see Swihart developed out in LF anyways.

 

If you think the guy is ready and can help your team in some capacity to win this year.....you don't care about the option year.

[Hugh2]

There really is no one else, Ryan LaMarre is having a good year and a good July so maybe you get some value out of him while he's hot in the same sense that Brentz gave you a good week, but he's not a guy. You know Castillo isn't the answer and Ramos is just another prospect who has notably cooled off in AAA ball.

 

If the Sox think Benintendi is a better option than them, then I say do it. But unless Mookie is going to miss some significant time I still think they should/will hold off a little longer, even if we do see him this year.

[S5Dewey]

I've got no problem with Beni coming up - - as long as he doesn't go back down.

[Hugh2]

I've got no problem with Beni coming up - - as long as he doesn't go back down.

 

Well nobody has a crystal ball. A guy can give you every sign he's ready and then just NOT be ready and thus you're hurting the team and his development by keeping him there.

 

In a perfect world you would never have to option a player, but you will never truly know what a guy is until he is in the majors doing it. And by no means is player development linear either. But as I said before, if Benintendi is close to the player we think he is, I highly doubt buring through an option year is going to matter at this point. If he can help the team in any way and the team thinks so as well bring him up.

[oldtimer]

Right now Betts has a sore knee and is facing a 40 game stretch in 44 days. They say he is day-to-day. As others have noted, if Betts is okay to play then no problem, but if he needs a significant rest period then we are left with Martinez as a replacement. He did well defensively last night so may work out. We have JBJ who seems healthy and then we are playing Holt who is definitely a major league player but behind them are Brentz and Martinez. Benentendi could play right field at Fenway with his speed and center field capability. He could also possibly develop into a lead off hitting candidate with his good speed and hitting style for next season allowing Betts to move back in the order after Ortiz leaves.

[S5Dewey]

Well nobody has a crystal ball. A guy can give you every sign he's ready and then just NOT be ready and thus you're hurting the team and his development by keeping him there.

 

In a perfect world you would never have to option a player, but you will never truly know what a guy is until he is in the majors doing it. And by no means is player development linear either. But as I said before, if Benintendi is close to the player we think he is, I highly doubt buring through an option year is going to matter at this point. If he can help the team in any way and the team thinks so as well bring him up.

We're approaching the point now where we can afford to bring him up. The rosters can expand in about a month so if we bring him up we can keep him there regardless of how he performs.

 

I believe that defense is defense. Catching a fly ball is catching a fly ball whether it's hit by a minor leaguer or a major leaguer. It's totally different from trying to hit major league pitching after hitting minor league pitching. So if we need a DEFENSIVE replacement I'm fine with bringing him up but let's not do it with expectations that he's going to be a major league hitter. We currently have no black holes in the order so we can probably afford one if having it brings us solid defense.

[cp176]

Also, given the fact that he's in Portland and there's nearly always a transition period when a player moves up a level I don't see Beni's coming to Boston and being an impact player in the next month as being probable. Especially since he'd be jumping AAA. If you figure as I do, that he'd be brought up for defensive purposes only I'd rather see any one of those guys in Pawtucket in a short-term call-up than risk wasting an option year on him this year.

 

Nope, no Beni in the Sox future in 2016, at least I hope not.

 

I'm not absolutely opposed to bringing him up if he is needed. i just think that many people will be surprised when they see him for the first time. I hope that physically he is able to hold up. I doubt seriously that he is 5'10" and I really doubt that he weighs in at 170. He is small. he is in no way put together like Mookie. he may very well be our future left fielder. He also might not be.

[S5Dewey]

I'm not absolutely opposed to bringing him up if he is needed. i just think that many people will be surprised when they see him for the first time. I hope that physically he is able to hold up. I doubt seriously that he is 5'10" and I really doubt that he weighs in at 170. He is small. he is in no way put together like Mookie. he may very well be our future left fielder. He also might not be.

 

That's what I think too. I saw him for the first time at The Fort and I was amazed at how small he is. I was expecting 6'+ and built like a linebacker but he's not.