Farrell

[Kimmi]

Marerro is being brought up so its clear where JF thinks he wants to go. holt will now be the utility outfielder.

 

Farrell seems to be all about flexibility. This allows him to stay with the extra pitcher.

[Kimmi]

I would have called up Brentz and deactivated Jim Rutledge (or whatever his name is). I would then platoon Young and Brentz in LF, starting Young against RHP (he is hitting better against right-handers this year).

 

Marrero makes sense in that they will probably give Devers a day off here and there against LHP. Nevertheless, I'm not crazy about the idea of Holt starting in LF and would prefer getting a little more power in the lineup.

 

I was kind of hoping Brentz would get another chance, but I guess that involves too much roster consideration.

 

With Bradley out, our OF defense is taking a big hit. Hopefully, it won't hurt us.

[oldtimer]

Farrell seems to be all about flexibility. This allows him to stay with the extra pitcher.

 

Holt actually had a nice game tonight. Played like a veteran. Thats all we can ask.

[moonslav59]

Farrell seems to be all about flexibility....

 

So, what you are saying is JF is...

 

Gumby!

 

https://goo.gl/images/4VagSL

 

[oldtimer]

Farrell seems to be all about flexibility. This allows him to stay with the extra pitcher.

 

I'm more cconcerned about what JF does tonight to get the results we all want. That is a series win against Cleveland in their home park. It would keep the Yankees at bay and further drop Cleveland behind the Sox for any home field advantage.

 

To achieve the results, he has our ace Sale (Slae) going which also means Leon will catch. I think JF needs to put his best defense on the field that the depleted lineup will allow and at the same time load up on left handed bats where possible. My own opinion is that Hanley looked pathetic at the plate last night so seeing another tough right hander going it might mean its time to rest him.

 

So my personal approach would be to move Rajai Davis to CF and Beni back to LF. That leaves the left handed hitting Holt available to play his better position of 2nd base. With Hanley out, Nunez who has been our best hitter can bat in the DH role.

 

The next thought is what to do with the lineup. Unlike some on these threads, I feel specific lineups can make a difference. Again, my personal preference would be to use the speedy Rajai Davis at leadoff. He has been slashing over 300 of late and on base still has the speed to steal a base of go from 1st to third on a hit behind him. I'g go conventionally with Betts and Beni behind him and then Nunez in the 4 hole. Devers remains 5th with Moreland 6th, Bogey 7th, Leon 8th and Holt 9th. I wouldn't be opposed to switching Holt and Davis as an alternative. That gives us 5 left handed bats with hanley and Young as PH's.

 

Davis

Betts

Beni

Nunez

Devers

Moreland

Bogey

Leon

Holt

 

Be interesting to see what JF comes up with.

[Bellhorn04]

Hanley has had a disappointing season and he had an awful game last night, but in the first 2 games of this series he had 3 hits, 2 walks, and 3 RBI. I don't think he should be yanked from the lineup because of last night.

[Bellhorn04]

So, what you are saying is JF is...

 

Gumby!

 

https://goo.gl/images/4VagSL

 

 

Heck no, he's Mr. Fantastic.

[Emp9]

My biggest complaint about Farrell was that for most of the season our team didn't seem to want to get up for the teams we really needed to beat in our own division. That's changed in recent weeks. Sox are 20 games over now. Taking series vs the Yanks helps a ton. Not our division, but atleast coming out with a split (possible win) vs Cleveland, our biggest playoff rival is significant to me as well. The lineups and batting order were the second complaint, but with new additions like Nunez, Devers ( now Davis) I'll have to re-assess. Trust me, there were times I'd just want to call it all off and want Mike Aviles back out of spite. We're all looking for greatness, our standards are pretty high, but sometimes just being good can be enough. I think when you have an overall good, balance team ( Not great but good pitching staff, not great but good offense, defense, SB% give or take), a good GM(PBO), not great but good manager and good coaches... The good starts to out weigh everything else over time and makes up for a lot of flaws.

[moonslav59]

I'm more cconcerned about what JF does tonight to get the results we all want. That is a series win against Cleveland in their home park. It would keep the Yankees at bay and further drop Cleveland behind the Sox for any home field advantage.

 

To achieve the results, he has our ace Sale (Slae) going which also means Leon will catch. I think JF needs to put his best defense on the field that the depleted lineup will allow and at the same time load up on left handed bats where possible. My own opinion is that Hanley looked pathetic at the plate last night so seeing another tough right hander going it might mean its time to rest him.

 

So my personal approach would be to move Rajai Davis to CF and Beni back to LF. That leaves the left handed hitting Holt available to play his better position of 2nd base. With Hanley out, Nunez who has been our best hitter can bat in the DH role.

 

The next thought is what to do with the lineup. Unlike some on these threads, I feel specific lineups can make a difference. Again, my personal preference would be to use the speedy Rajai Davis at leadoff. He has been slashing over 300 of late and on base still has the speed to steal a base of go from 1st to third on a hit behind him. I'g go conventionally with Betts and Beni behind him and then Nunez in the 4 hole. Devers remains 5th with Moreland 6th, Bogey 7th, Leon 8th and Holt 9th. I wouldn't be opposed to switching Holt and Davis as an alternative. That gives us 5 left handed bats with hanley and Young as PH's.

 

Davis

Betts

Beni

Nunez

Devers

Moreland

Bogey

Leon

Holt

 

Be interesting to see what JF comes up with.

 

Did I miss something? Why is HRam out?

 

If HRam plays, he DHs and Nunez plays 2B. The rest is fine with me. I'd have HRam 6th, Bogey 7th, Moreland 8th and Leon 9th.

[oldtimer]

Did I miss something? Why is HRam out?

 

If HRam plays, he DHs and Nunez plays 2B. The rest is fine with me. I'd have HRam 6th, Bogey 7th, Moreland 8th and Leon 9th.

 

Last night Hanley was pathetic at the plate and perhaps he could use a rest. I think he can be a boat anchor on the offense. Against pitchers who don't throw as hard and miss over the plate he is able to hit, but against what he may face tonight, I wouldn't expect much. It depends what JF's goals are tonight. If he wants to load up on lefties then Holt plays and we need Nunez, which leaves DH as all that is left for him.

[mvp 78]

Lin can't play 1B or LF--not that Holt is any good at either.

 

If Lin can play CF, he can fill in at LF if he has to.

[moonslav59]

Last night Hanley was pathetic at the plate and perhaps he could use a rest. I think he can be a boat anchor on the offense. Against pitchers who don't throw as hard and miss over the plate he is able to hit, but against what he may face tonight, I wouldn't expect much. It depends what JF's goals are tonight. If he wants to load up on lefties then Holt plays and we need Nunez, which leaves DH as all that is left for him.

 

One note on Holt: although he bats lefty, his career splits are nearly equal, and he actually hits lefties slightly better .705 to .689. This year it is even more .627 v L to .488 v R.

 

This year, Hanley is within .001 of .770 vs lefties and righties.

 

Resting HRam might not be a bad idea, but not because of L-R splits.

 

(I'd also consider using Young over Holt, even vs RHPs.)

[moonslav59]

If Lin can play CF, he can fill in at LF if he has to.

 

But with HRam's 1B duties limited and Moreland banged up and horrible vs LHPs, Holt's ability to play 1B (as well as any OF position) gives him the edge over Lin or Marrero.

[mvp 78]

But with HRam's 1B duties limited and Moreland banged up and horrible vs LHPs, Holt's ability to play 1B (as well as any OF position) gives him the edge over Lin or Marrero.

 

I'm not sure Lin would be any worse than Holt at 1B.

[Maxbialystock]

I don't think they will DFA Holt or are thinking about it. I just said that's the best excuse I've heard.

 

I get the "versatility" argument, and on a team with 13 pitchers AND HRam as a near DH only player, he deserves to be on the 25 man roster over Lin or Marrero.

 

We'll have to agree to disagree on the "liability" in the field point. I think he is slightly sub-standard on defense everywhere but maybe 2B.

 

My issue is with Holt starting so much, and Holt leading off or batting 2nd 5 times this year. He's clearly the worst non pitcher/catcher hitter on the team.

 

Keeping Holt on the bench actually maximizes the versatility aspect of his skill set. For example, starting Young and having Holt on the bench allos JF much more leeway on what he wants to do during the game, in terms of PH'ing or defensive substitutions. Holt offer more choices.

 

Lastly, there was a time Holt was the best sub we had on the 40 man roster at several positions, That's just not true anymore- for various reasons, not all having to do with Holt's decline and injury-related issues.

 

I any non-catcher goes on the DL, I'd prefer these players to Holt for a 10+ game stretch:

 

1B: HRam or Moreland (with Young DH), Travis

2B: Nunez, Hernandez, Marrero/Lin/Holt tied

3B: Nunez, Hernandez, Marrero/Lin tied, then Holt

SS: Nunez, Hernandez, Lin, Marrero then Holt

OF: Young, maybe add Brentz, then Holt

 

Maybe JF is hoping Holt can be like he was that all star season. That's probably the correct answer, but you touched on what's bothering me: we're in a playoff race now. It's not a time for experimenting. I realize Holt is out of options, and there was only so long they could push the whole "rehab" stint on the farm. I'm fine with Holt being on the 25 man roster. I'd go to 12 pitchers soon, and avoid starting Holt at just about all costs.

 

When he does start, never bat him 1-6 or 7, let alone 1-2. Forget the comfort level of current players and their accustomed slots. We have no accustomed slots for anyone this year.

 

 

All very sensible. Vintage moonslav.

[Maxbialystock]

I'm more cconcerned about what JF does tonight to get the results we all want. That is a series win against Cleveland in their home park. It would keep the Yankees at bay and further drop Cleveland behind the Sox for any home field advantage.

 

To achieve the results, he has our ace Sale (Slae) going which also means Leon will catch. I think JF needs to put his best defense on the field that the depleted lineup will allow and at the same time load up on left handed bats where possible. My own opinion is that Hanley looked pathetic at the plate last night so seeing another tough right hander going it might mean its time to rest him.

 

So my personal approach would be to move Rajai Davis to CF and Beni back to LF. That leaves the left handed hitting Holt available to play his better position of 2nd base. With Hanley out, Nunez who has been our best hitter can bat in the DH role.

 

The next thought is what to do with the lineup. Unlike some on these threads, I feel specific lineups can make a difference. Again, my personal preference would be to use the speedy Rajai Davis at leadoff. He has been slashing over 300 of late and on base still has the speed to steal a base of go from 1st to third on a hit behind him. I'g go conventionally with Betts and Beni behind him and then Nunez in the 4 hole. Devers remains 5th with Moreland 6th, Bogey 7th, Leon 8th and Holt 9th. I wouldn't be opposed to switching Holt and Davis as an alternative. That gives us 5 left handed bats with hanley and Young as PH's.

 

Davis

Betts

Beni

Nunez

Devers

Moreland

Bogey

Leon

Holt

 

Be interesting to see what JF comes up with.

 

Why start our two worst hitters, Davis and Holt? Do you really think Holt is a bigger offensive threat than HanRam? I sure don't. We need Davis for his fielding, but with an OBP of .280 against righties he should bat 9th, where JBJ was.

 

I would go with last night's lineup which preservered against an ace righty, Kluber, but with Leon catching and Davis batting 9th in CF. Maybe shift HanRam lower in the order, but maybe not.

[Maxbialystock]

Yes, but he's also hitting .241 in Pawtucket and is a career .241 hitter over 6 minor league seasons (2000+ plate appearances). He's better than Holt defensively (and probably a better baserunner).

 

Interestingly, he's been playing a fair amount of outfield at Pawtucket (15 out of 27 games). They know he can do the job in the infield, so one has to wonder if the Sox are grooming him to replace Holt in the super utility role next season.

 

That's a thought.

[moonslav59]

I'm not sure Lin would be any worse than Holt at 1B.

 

He'd have to learb quickly, if we are talking about this season.

[moonslav59]

Why start our two worst hitters, Davis and Holt? Do you really think Holt is a bigger offensive threat than HanRam? I sure don't. We need Davis for his fielding, but with an OBP of .280 against righties he should bat 9th, where JBJ was.

 

I would go with last night's lineup which preservered against an ace righty, Kluber, but with Leon catching and Davis batting 9th in CF. Maybe shift HanRam lower in the order, but maybe not.

 

For what it's woth, Davis has been hot since the all star break.

 

.848 OPS is last 82 PAs (small sample, for sure)

[oldtimer]

Why start our two worst hitters, Davis and Holt? Do you really think Holt is a bigger offensive threat than HanRam? I sure don't. We need Davis for his fielding, but with an OBP of .280 against righties he should bat 9th, where JBJ was.

 

I would go with last night's lineup which preservered against an ace righty, Kluber, but with Leon catching and Davis batting 9th in CF. Maybe shift HanRam lower in the order, but maybe not.

 

Hanley can only play 1st or DH. Moreland will play first with a right hander pitching tonight. That leaves him only with DH to fill. I don't see him as a big offensive threat against the pitcher will we see tonight as we was awful last night. I see the better path is to let him rest and to pinch hit in the event that we see a favorable pitching change. While Holt is no world beater, at least he made contact with the ball for a double and drew a walk whereas Hanley stood as if transfixed as several balls came down the center of the plate without so much as an offer at them. We could do much better with the 22.7 million he is dragging down. Hope we don't allow him to get still another year in 2019.

[moonslav59]

Hanley can only play 1st or DH. Moreland will play first with a right hander pitching tonight. That leaves him only with DH to fill. I don't see him as a big offensive threat against the pitcher will we see tonight as we was awful last night. I see the better path is to let him rest and to pinch hit in the event that we see a favorable pitching change. While Holt is no world beater, at least he made contact with the ball for a double and drew a walk whereas Hanley stood as if transfixed as several balls came down the center of the plate without so much as an offer at them. We could do much better with the 22.7 million he is dragging down. Hope we don't allow him to get still another year in 2019.

 

HRam is 4 for 7 vs Bauer with 2 DBLs and an OPS above 1.400.

 

Tiny sample size, yes, but there is no indication he does not hit this "type of pitcher" well.

[oldtimer]

HRam is 4 for 7 vs Bauer with 2 DBLs and an OPS above 1.400.

 

Tiny sample size, yes, but there is no indication he does not hit this "type of pitcher" well.

 

I'll be watching and will be properly chastised if he does anything to help the club.

[Kimmi]

I have no issues with Hanley. I am also good with Holt as a bench player.

 

I would love for Farrell to draw his line up out of a hat for one week, just to see what happens.

[Maxbialystock]

For what it's woth, Davis has been hot since the all star break.

 

.848 OPS is last 82 PAs (small sample, for sure)

 

Darn. Well said. 82 PA's ain't that small.

[Kimmi]

I am surprised that nobody mentioned the line up mistake that Farrell made in Friday night's game. Maybe I just missed it.

 

Hanley replaced Moreland at 1Bin the top of the 9th when Moreland became the pitcher. Hanley should have batted in Young's spot in the bottom of the 9th.

 

Oddly, Showalter did not catch this mistake either.

[moonslav59]

I am surprised that nobody mentioned the line up mistake that Farrell made in Friday night's game. Maybe I just missed it.

 

Hanley replaced Moreland at 1Bin the top of the 9th when Moreland became the pitcher. Hanley should have batted in Young's spot in the bottom of the 9th.

 

Oddly, Showalter did not catch this mistake either.

 

I missed that.

 

Moreland moved to P, HRam took Young's place as DH and then moved to 1B (negating the DH, which was fine, because Moreland was pitching, and we were out of it anyways), but the box score says Young PH for Ramirez in the 9th. How could Young start as the DH, be replaced and then come back as a PH'er later?

 

Doesn't the ump keep track?

[Maxbialystock]

I am surprised that nobody mentioned the line up mistake that Farrell made in Friday night's game. Maybe I just missed it.

 

Hanley replaced Moreland at 1Bin the top of the 9th when Moreland became the pitcher. Hanley should have batted in Young's spot in the bottom of the 9th.

 

Oddly, Showalter did not catch this mistake either.

 

One of the game write-ups, I think espn's, said Showalter probably didn't say anything because the Orioles were up 16-3. Heck, the umps missed it too.

[moonslav59]

One of the game write-ups, I think espn's, said Showalter probably didn't say anything because the Orioles were up 16-3. Heck, the umps missed it too.

 

I wonder if JF even knows it happened.

[Maxbialystock]

I wonder if JF even knows it happened.

 

I'm smiling again--really.

[moonslav59]

I'm smiling again--really.

 

I'm sure he's read about it, but I wonder sometimes, if he even knows the rules.

 

I'm no expert, but I would be, if my job was to manage the Sox.