2017 Spring Training Thread - Everything Sox ST

[notin]

I understand this but it doesn't make it right. Rutledge really?

 

They did like Rutledge enough to take him in the Rule 5 draft so he must have impressed somebody.

[moonslav59]

I understand this but it doesn't make it right. Rutledge really?

 

Rutledge probably rates to be a better hitter vs LHPs- something Pablo really struggles with.

 

Rutledge might be a better defensive 3Bman than Hernandez, and 3B is the most likely IF position needing help.

 

These two factors make the Rutledge-Hernandez comparison a lot closer than ST'ing numbers show.

 

Hernandez vs LHPs:

 

MLB: He only has 9 PAs vs LHPs (less that 1/6th of his career PAs. Obviously for a reason.)

AAA ('16) .736 in 67 ABs

AAA ('15) .710 in 54 ABs

AA ('15) .731 in 88 ABs

A+ ('14) .531 in 118 ABs

A (2013) .595 in 95 ABs

A (2012) .459 in 47 ABs

A- ('12) .496 in 59 ABs

 

Marco seems to have improved vs LHPs over the years, but Rutledge has a .721 career MLB sply vs LHPs in over 330 PAs. He had a .777 OPS in 2015 AAA (97 ABs). In 2014, he had a 1.318 OPS in 18 ABs. He had an .855 OPS vs lefties in 2013 (29 ABs).

 

I'm not sure we can say Hernandez is better vs LHPs based on just ST'ing numbers.

 

 

 

 

Edited March 20, 2017 by moonslav59

[Spudboy]

We do not need a 5th starter until April 9. Pom is likely not going to be ready by then, so the thinking is that we might carry an extra position player, namely Hernandez, until that time. Either way, Hernandez will get his chance soon enough.

 

As far as the #5 pitcher goes, I think Kendrick is currently a better option than Pom.

 

Lol. I agree.

[cp176]

They did like Rutledge enough to take him in the Rule 5 draft so he must have impressed somebody.

 

That is nice. Hernandez is 24- young, strong, fast, and ready to play everyday. Doesn't matter which side of the plate he bats from either. He is a ready to go everyday ss or second baseman who can play third if he has to. He isn't a utility player waiting to fill in for someone.

[Fisk]

That is nice. Hernandez is 24- young, strong, fast, and ready to play everyday. Doesn't matter which side of the plate he bats from either. He is a ready to go everyday ss or second baseman who can play third if he has to. He isn't a utility player waiting to fill in for someone.

 

Agee he needs to get a shot sometime this season or He becomes trade bait or Holt is traded.

[harmony]

The Boston Herald's Jason Mastrodonato writes about Marco Hernandez:

 

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox/2017/03/red_sox_notebook_marco_hernandez_strong_spring_puts_him_in_mix_for_spot_or

[notin]

That is nice. Hernandez is 24- young, strong, fast, and ready to play everyday. Doesn't matter which side of the plate he bats from either. He is a ready to go everyday ss or second baseman who can play third if he has to. He isn't a utility player waiting to fill in for someone.

 

That's actually a better argument for him starting the season in Pawtucket and playing every day.

 

Personally I've always thought he was a better overall player than the vastly overrated Brock Holt, but I would keep Holt and Rutledge over him in Boston for bench roles. However if the Sox need someone to start in the infield, I'd prefer calling up Hernandez and keeping Holt and Rutledge on the bench. ..

[notin]

Lol. I agree.

 

I'm an anti-Pomeranz as anyone, but Kendrick is very, very likely to prove himself the inferior option.

 

Guys like Kendrick, who NEED to make an impression in spring training, tend to try harder in order to get noticed and have a chance. Pomeranz, on the other hand, knows he has a role in MLB and just needs to not hurt himself.

 

We see these types of things every year. Maybe Kendrick is now challenging Selsky for the Jeff Bailey Award. ..

[moonslav59]

Personally I've always thought he was a better overall player than the vastly overrated Brock Holt, but I would keep Holt and Rutledge over him in Boston for bench roles. However if the Sox need someone to start in the infield, I'd prefer calling up Hernandez and keeping Holt and Rutledge on the bench.

 

Pretty much sums it up correctly.

[Fisk]

I'm an anti-Pomeranz as anyone, but Kendrick is very, very likely to prove himself the inferior option.

 

Guys like Kendrick, who NEED to make an impression in spring training, tend to try harder in order to get noticed and have a chance. Pomeranz, on the other hand, knows he has a role in MLB and just needs to not hurt himself.

 

We see these types of things every year. Maybe Kendrick is now challenging Selsky for the Jeff Bailey Award. ..

 

I would agree with you on Kendrick, but I'm holding out hope Bannister worked with him and fixed something. Probably not but you never know.

[mvp 78]

I would agree with you on Kendrick, but I'm holding out hope Bannister worked with him and fixed something. Probably not but you never know.

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=6230&position=P#pfxpitchvalues

 

I don't think he's going to last very long in the rotation, but if he can get us 5 solid starts, it'd be worth it.

[Fisk]

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=6230&position=P#pfxpitchvalues

 

I don't think he's going to last very long in the rotation, but if he can get us 5 solid starts, it'd be worth it.

 

Whenever a 6 or 7 starter can give you 5 good starts that's a win. You just have to hope you don't need him for twenty starts.

[mvp 78]

Whenever a 6 or 7 starter can give you 5 good starts that's a win. You just have to hope you don't need him for twenty starts.

 

If he pitches for 20 starts, he better be pitching unlike anything he's ever done before. If Pom/Price are out that long, the Sox need to find another starter sooner than later.

[Kimmi]

I'm an anti-Pomeranz as anyone, but Kendrick is very, very likely to prove himself the inferior option.

 

Guys like Kendrick, who NEED to make an impression in spring training, tend to try harder in order to get noticed and have a chance. Pomeranz, on the other hand, knows he has a role in MLB and just needs to not hurt himself.

 

We see these types of things every year. Maybe Kendrick is now challenging Selsky for the Jeff Bailey Award. ..

 

I am not anti-Pomeranz. I think Pom will end up being a solid starter for us. Pom will likely not be ready for the start of the season and Kendrick is currently pitching well. I think Kendrick is the better option to make a few starts to open the season, not to replace Pom permanently in the rotation.

[Fisk]

I am not anti-Pomeranz. I think Pom will end up being a solid starter for us. Pom will likely not be ready for the start of the season and Kendrick is currently pitching well. I think Kendrick is the better option to make a few starts to open the season, not to replace Pom permanently in the rotation.

 

The problem with starting Kendrick to start the season is if we send him down we will lose him. We signed him as a minor league free agent, have to put him on the 40 man roster if we option him back to the minors he becomes a free agent.

[Kimmi]

The problem with starting Kendrick to start the season is if we send him down we will lose him. We signed him as a minor league free agent, have to put him on the 40 man roster if we option him back to the minors he becomes a free agent.

 

Valid point. But Kendrick also has an opt out in June. We might lose him either way.

[Fisk]

True, but if we only need him for a start or two shouldn't risk losing our depth that early in the season.

[Kimmi]

True, but if we only need him for a start or two shouldn't risk losing our depth that early in the season.

 

Fair enough. I can agree with that.

[cp176]

That's actually a better argument for him starting the season in Pawtucket and playing every day.

 

Personally I've always thought he was a better overall player than the vastly overrated Brock Holt, but I would keep Holt and Rutledge over him in Boston for bench roles. However if the Sox need someone to start in the infield, I'd prefer calling up Hernandez and keeping Holt and Rutledge on the bench. ..

 

Actually I agree with most of what you have said. The but is that it still sucks for a kid who is good enough to start right now and quite possibly for us. I understand all about paying your dues as well. I would still keep this kid on the major league roster even if it meant playing 3 or 4 days a week which I think would be quite doable. I also don't expect it to happen.

[cp176]

Personally I've always thought he was a better overall player than the vastly overrated Brock Holt, but I would keep Holt and Rutledge over him in Boston for bench roles. However if the Sox need someone to start in the infield, I'd prefer calling up Hernandez and keeping Holt and Rutledge on the bench.

 

Pretty much sums it up correctly.

 

I think that it sums it up appropriately but there really is nothing correct about it.

[S5Dewey]

My take away from today's - Monday's - game:

 

Pablo Sandoval should never ever be allowed anywhere near the RH hitter's batters box. When the Sox are using the 3rd base dugout he should be instructed to take a wide berth around the RH box if only to prevent him from being tempted to do something stupid. He has a big (and I mean BIG) hole in his swing on outside pitches and he ties himself up with his elbows on inside pitches.

 

OTOH, IIRC he hit two doubles today from the left side.

 

Also, Kendrick had a decent outing giving up 2 runs in 5 innings.

 

You can say what you want about ST numbers not meaning anything but at this point I'll take Kendrick and his ERA

 

That is all...

[moonslav59]

From the moment we signed Pablo, I viewed him as a platoon player.

[Spudboy]

From the moment the Sox signed Pablow I viewed him as a mistake.

[moonslav59]

From the moment the Sox signed Pablow I viewed him as a mistake.

 

Me too, as well as HanRam, but Pablo much more so.

 

I wonder how signing just hanRam to play 3B would have worked out.

[Bellhorn04]

My reaction the day we signed both HanRam and Pablo was something like this: 'It's nice to pick up a couple of big bats...it's nice to see JH so willing to shell out to make the team better...but something about this doesn't feel quite right.'

[moonslav59]

My reaction the day we signed both HanRam and Pablo was something like this: 'It's nice to pick up a couple of big bats...it's nice to see JH so willing to shell out to make the team better...but something about this doesn't feel quite right.'

 

I saw the logic in going for offense that year and thinking the pitchers available in the following year's FA market were much better, but I still think our biggest need was SP'ing. I know Scherzer cost a ton, but he was a better option that HanRam & Pablo combined.... maybe Scherzer & Valbuena would have worked better.

 

Signing both was a clear mistake at the outset. HanRam seemed like a good contract based on projections. Pablo was just plain gross overpay for a declining talent. I'm not sure we could have afforded Scherzer and HanRam.

[mvp 78]

My reaction the day we signed both HanRam and Pablo was something like this: 'It's nice to pick up a couple of big bats...it's nice to see JH so willing to shell out to make the team better...but something about this doesn't feel quite right.'

 

At the time, a lot of smart posters wondered why they'd sign two 3b's. They thought they could move Hanley to LF and it didn't work out. If Hanley was put at 1b from jump street, maybe fans wouldn't be so annoyed by the signings.

[mvp 78]

I saw the logic in going for offense that year and thinking the pitchers available in the following year's FA market were much better, but I still think our biggest need was SP'ing. I know Scherzer cost a ton, but he was a better option that HanRam & Pablo combined.... maybe Scherzer & Valbuena would have worked better.

 

Signing both was a clear mistake at the outset. HanRam seemed like a good contract based on projections. Pablo was just plain gross overpay for a declining talent. I'm not sure we could have afforded Scherzer and HanRam.

 

They didn't want to re-sign Lester so they sure as s*** weren't going to sign Scherzer. They should have signed a cheaper guy like Ervin Santana though.

[a700hitter]

DD is saying that Price will probably not be ready before May. Good news for Slasher.

[jacksonianmarch]

This is why you make signings like Kendrick. Catch lightning in a bottle, hope you can get a nice run for a short time then discard.