A Realistic View at 2017 Part II

[moonslav59]

More and more, it looks like our 2018 twenty five man roster might include Devers at 3B and Travis at 1B.

[SoxHop]

If you're going to pin the Lester fiasco on any one person I think Henry is the most logical candidate. It was him that made the statement about pitchers over 30, not Lucchino.

 

Good call...

[Bellhorn04]

soxprospects.com

 

...a scorching-hot Sam Travis, who was 5 for 6 with two doubles, making him 11 for 19 in the four-game set.

 

As I've said, a guy with the name Sam Travis can't miss.

[moonslav59]

Something I found...

 

By Rob Bradford

 

Larry Lucchino

 

 

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic — Larry Lucchino may have a different role in the Red Sox organization now, but a year ago he was right in the middle of the team’s decision to tip-toe when it came to investing in 30-something-year-old free agent starting pitchers.

 

A year later, Lucchino is no longer Red Sox president/CEO, but he continues to have a unique view of the change in philosophy that came with agreeing to terms with David Price on a seven-year, $217 million contract.

 

“I think that when facts change, When circumstances change, then one tends to change,” said Lucchino, who is attending the David Ortiz Celebrity Golf Tournament at the Sanctuary Resort. “The tendency may be too change your policy or philosophy. You can have one point of view that fits you think until you get evidence that it may not be quite right, then you hope you have the flexibility enough to adjust.”

[SoxHop]

Something I found...

 

By Rob Bradford

 

Larry Lucchino

 

 

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic — Larry Lucchino may have a different role in the Red Sox organization now, but a year ago he was right in the middle of the team’s decision to tip-toe when it came to investing in 30-something-year-old free agent starting pitchers.

 

A year later, Lucchino is no longer Red Sox president/CEO, but he continues to have a unique view of the change in philosophy that came with agreeing to terms with David Price on a seven-year, $217 million contract.

 

“I think that when facts change, When circumstances change, then one tends to change,” said Lucchino, who is attending the David Ortiz Celebrity Golf Tournament at the Sanctuary Resort. “The tendency may be too change your policy or philosophy. You can have one point of view that fits you think until you get evidence that it may not be quite right, then you hope you have the flexibility enough to adjust.”

 

Brilliant. You think you are right, until proven wrong, then you try something else......

[moonslav59]

Brilliant. You think you are right, until proven wrong, then you try something else......

 

That's why these guys make all the big bucks!

 

LOL

[SoxHop]

That's why these guys make all the big bucks!

 

LOL

 

ahahaah.... no kidding....

[Hitch]

Whether the idea emanated with LL or not, a truly effective GM would be able to make an effective case to convince him otherwise. It is on the GM's no matter which way you slice it.

 

What an absolute nonsense of a statement.

[Emp9]

Upon reading that the Red Sox and Nationals have been scouting the White Sox recently, I'm curious on what TalkSox think about all this. Is it just due diligence? I've always liked Quintana, he's been one the the most if not THE most under-rated SPer(s) in the league for the last 3 years. I've been following him closely, having drafted him for my fantasy team of last year, and this season. The reasons that he's available in fantasy is that he doesn't get that many Wins (not his fault) and K's (this doesn't necessarily mean too much in baseball reality, only in fantasy). However, this season he hasn't been that impressive and I'd hate to give up too many assets for him (we don't have many of them left either, but I do think we would have enough, just barely, unless some other team upped the ante of course). I also think we've built from the top with Sale, and Price coming back soon, ERod's QS after QS, and if Porcello stops loving his FB so much (again) and starts mixing in his Sinker (again), we only need a quality 4th or 5th SP. What do you all think? Should we go for broke for Quintana? I'm in a serious way leaning towards no.

[Kimmi]

Whether the idea emanated with LL or not, a truly effective GM would be able to make an effective case to convince him otherwise. It is on the GM's no matter which way you slice it.

 

You keep saying that, but the boss is ultimately going to do what the boss wants to do. Theo is a very effective GM. He ended up leaving, more than once, because he couldn't 'get through' to Lucchino.

[Kimmi]

What an absolute nonsense of a statement.

 

I agree.

[Kimmi]

Upon reading that the Red Sox and Nationals have been scouting the White Sox recently, I'm curious on what TalkSox think about all this. Is it just due diligence? I've always liked Quintana, he's been one the the most if not THE most under-rated SPer(s) in the league for the last 3 years. I've been following him closely, having drafted him for my fantasy team of last year, and this season. The reasons that he's available in fantasy is that he doesn't get that many Wins (not his fault) and K's (this doesn't necessarily mean too much in baseball reality, only in fantasy). However, this season he hasn't been that impressive and I'd hate to give up too many assets for him (we don't have many of them left either, but I do think we would have enough, just barely, unless some other team upped the ante of course). I also think we've built from the top with Sale, and Price coming back soon, ERod's QS after QS, and if Porcello stops loving his FB so much (again) and starts mixing in his Sinker (again), we only need a quality 4th or 5th SP. What do you all think? Should we go for broke for Quintana? I'm in a serious way leaning towards no.

 

I would definitely say no, but then again, I didn't think we needed Sale at the time we got him. If Price ends up needing surgery soon, then it might be a different story.

[a700hitter]

You keep saying that, but the boss is ultimately going to do what the boss wants to do. Theo is a very effective GM. He ended up leaving, more than once, because he couldn't 'get through' to Lucchino.

The key to being a good GM or anything else is to be a good counselor and be able to make a compelling case to the boss to convince the boss of your position. If you are very effective, you can get the boss to agree with you and think it was their idea. That is what I tried to do in my career as a counselor. I had no authority to make the decision so I had to help lead the boss to the right decision. If GMs are getting overruled by their bosses on a consistent basis, they are not good at their jobs. If they have the data, research and expertise, and good communication skills, they should be able to get the boss to buy into their plan.

[cp176]

10 hits - 2 runs - 20 runners left on base. In the words of Chris Sale - at the end of the day for a pitcher the only stat the has meaning is a pitcher's win loss record. Makes me a member of his fan club. Statistics are fun for people to crunch and play with but just win the game. We have a few very good little hitters but someone forgot the need to have real run producers.

[oldtimer]

10 hits - 2 runs - 20 runners left on base. In the words of Chris Sale - at the end of the day for a pitcher the only stat the has meaning is a pitcher's win loss record. Makes me a member of his fan club. Statistics are fun for people to crunch and play with but just win the game. We have a few very good little hitters but someone forgot the need to have real run producers.

 

Ouch. We lost with our ace on the mound when our ace had a very solid outing.The cry will go out to add a player who can help us. Will we stay internal with Devers? If not, will we go out and get that meaningful power hitter and perhaps make further impact on our salary cap position?

[Emp9]

I would definitely say no, but then again, I didn't think we needed Sale at the time we got him. If Price ends up needing surgery soon, then it might be a different story.

 

Ofcourse, as soon as I say all this Quintana throws a gem...

[Nick]

What do we have to lose by giving Devers a shot? Even if it goes well, some here will ultimately claim Sox DID NOT get Devers BEST 6+ years (age 20-26). If we wait couple of more years, then Sox will get his age 22-28 years, presumably a better version of Devers. ********.

 

Sox need him sooner rather than later because the Sox made a colossal error by signing Sandoval to $95M, 5 year deal. Moreland is a one year rental, keeping the seat warm for someone else, be it Sam Travis or another player. I only bring this up with the thought of platooning Sadoval and Travis in the future.

 

It's time. This team needs another shot in the arm. YOU CAN'T HAVE THE WORST OPS GUY IN AAA playing in the majors. And if you can accept that, it begs the question why not Devers? He can't do any worse, can he?

Edited May 20, 2017 by Nick

[Kimmi]

The key to being a good GM or anything else is to be a good counselor and be able to make a compelling case to the boss to convince the boss of your position. If you are very effective, you can get the boss to agree with you and think it was their idea. That is what I tried to do in my career as a counselor. I had no authority to make the decision so I had to help lead the boss to the right decision. If GMs are getting overruled by their bosses on a consistent basis, they are not good at their jobs. If they have the data, research and expertise, and good communication skills, they should be able to get the boss to buy into their plan.

 

And who's to say that Ben and Theo didn't make very compelling cases and got overruled anyway. In the end, the boss is going to do what the boss wants to do. That's the bottom line, regardless of how good the GM is. Theo is living proof of that.

[Kimmi]

10 hits - 2 runs - 20 runners left on base. In the words of Chris Sale - at the end of the day for a pitcher the only stat the has meaning is a pitcher's win loss record. Makes me a member of his fan club. Statistics are fun for people to crunch and play with but just win the game. We have a few very good little hitters but someone forgot the need to have real run producers.

 

Believe it or not, 20 runners left on base is really a sign of a good offense. They are getting men on. The fact that they're not scoring is kind of a fluke. If they continue getting runners on base, the runs will come.

[Kimmi]

Ofcourse, as soon as I say all this Quintana throws a gem...

 

Of course. LOL

 

What the heck, destroy what we have remaining of a farm system and get Quintana!

[Kimmi]

What do we have to lose by giving Devers a shot? Even if it goes well, some here will ultimately claim Sox DID NOT get Devers BEST 6+ years (age 20-26). If we wait couple of more years, then Sox will get his age 22-28 years, presumably a better version of Devers. ********.

 

Sox need him sooner rather than later because the Sox made a colossal error by signing Sandoval to $95M, 5 year deal. Moreland is a one year rental, keeping the seat warm for someone else, be it Sam Travis or another player. I only bring this up with the thought of platooning Sadoval and Travis in the future.

 

It's time. This team needs another shot in the arm. YOU CAN'T HAVE THE WORST OPS GUY IN AAA playing in the majors. And if you can accept that, it begs the question why not Devers? He can't do any worse, can he?

 

I think the Sox are going to wait a little longer to:

 

1. See what kind of an impact Price will have.

2. See what kind of contribution Pablo can make.

 

Both should be returning within the next couple of weeks.

 

Right now, our situation is still not so bad as to require 'panic' moves. The FO has implied that they don't think Devers is quite ready to make that jump, so bringing him up now would be a panic move, IMO.

[Station 13]

I think the Sox are going to wait a little longer to:

 

1. See what kind of an impact Price will have.

2. See what kind of contribution Pablo can make.

 

Both should be returning within the next couple of weeks.

 

Right now, our situation is still not so bad as to require 'panic' moves. The FO has implied that they don't think Devers is quite ready to make that jump, so bringing him up now would be a panic move, IMO.

 

Pablo contribution may not be limited to just contribution to other club wins, but also Farrell early termination.

[oldtimer]

Pablo contribution may not be limited to just contribution to other club wins, but also Farrell early termination.

 

Farrell may succeed in that without any contribution from Pablo.

[Wade Boggs]

What do we have to lose by giving Devers a shot? Even if it goes well, some here will ultimately claim Sox DID NOT get Devers BEST 6+ years (age 20-26). If we wait couple of more years, then Sox will get his age 22-28 years, presumably a better version of Devers. ********.

 

Sox need him sooner rather than later because the Sox made a colossal error by signing Sandoval to $95M, 5 year deal. Moreland is a one year rental, keeping the seat warm for someone else, be it Sam Travis or another player. I only bring this up with the thought of platooning Sadoval and Travis in the future.

 

It's time. This team needs another shot in the arm. YOU CAN'T HAVE THE WORST OPS GUY IN AAA playing in the majors. And if you can accept that, it begs the question why not Devers? He can't do any worse, can he?

 

If Devers looks like Moncada the first ten games at third and struggles, you won't be in the circle 2 trade him for Fraizer, Moose or anybody. When the young kids get brought up , they have holes. It doesn't matter what they have done in AA. The minute he's here. He is here. Keep in mind Panda is here , both LHH so you can't platoon without gaining an advantage.

 

As well their lineup has a lot of young players going through Post Ortiz syndrome.

[cp176]

Believe it or not, 20 runners left on base is really a sign of a good offense. They are getting men on. The fact that they're not scoring is kind of a fluke. If they continue getting runners on base, the runs will come.

 

Of course it is good offense but it is not the type of offense that produces many runs. The guys doing the hitting for the most part are plate setters. A balance is needed greatly. A lot of good little hitters for sure. We don't really need many more good little hitters though.

[dgalehouse]

Too much Punch and Judy. Need to go bridge more often. That will put some runs on the board. You don't have to be an analytical genius to see that.

[notin]

Believe it or not, 20 runners left on base is really a sign of a good offense. They are getting men on. The fact that they're not scoring is kind of a fluke. If they continue getting runners on base, the runs will come.

 

But the Sox didn't leave 20 men on base. The combined total of runners each batter left on base was 20 (actually 19). As a team, the Sox only left 10 runners stranded. Neither of those numbers lead me to believe this offense is in good shape or unlucky right now...

[Nick]

We're content playing at 3B a guy with WORST OPS in the minors. Not near the bottom, but the WORST. Not in the majors, but in a minor league. WORST.

 

We are thereby playing the NL rule in the American League. Meanwhile we have a kid in AA with OPS above .900. Be patient? Let me repeat as I did last year. How can you look at Sale and tell him I gave my best to give you the best line up possible by playing the guy with the worst OPS?

 

Don't you have a fiduciary responsibility to do your best? If Devers fails this trip, he fails. Do you honestly think that a kid who has played baseball at a high level all his life will all the sudden go into a life ending baseball funk? You're an idiot.

Edited May 20, 2017 by Nick

[Bellhorn04]

But the Sox didn't leave 20 men on base. The combined total of runners each batter left on base was 20 (actually 19). As a team, the Sox only left 10 runners stranded. Neither of those numbers lead me to believe this offense is in good shape or unlucky right now...

 

Our OPS+ of 98 doesn't give me much conviction that we have a good offense either...

[cp176]

But the Sox didn't leave 20 men on base. The combined total of runners each batter left on base was 20 (actually 19). As a team, the Sox only left 10 runners stranded. Neither of those numbers lead me to believe this offense is in good shape or unlucky right now...

 

i'm respect what you offer and your love of statistical data to prove your points. They really don't work for me much of the time though. For me it is very simple. One stat that is left hanging on the scoreboard at the end of the game. If Sale sees things this way, I'm going to guess that most other players do as well. It's how I see it. We are not knocking enough players in leading to us not scoring enough which leads to well you know.