Should Jackie Bradley Jr be traded?

[OH FOY]

Release him, your going to pay him anyway. Bring up a kid from Double AA to Triple AAA to get some important at bats. If Castillo is useless he wont get picked up. This way we'll see if Dombrowski evaluation is correct.

Why block another Prospect, if you have no plans to use him because of Salary. That's stupid.

Edited May 3, 2018 by OH FOY!

[OH FOY]

If there is implications because of Contract, why play him at all. If he adds no value to the Parent Club, why play him. Put him on 6 month DL, and play a kid that might contribute. Make up BS injury, tell him your getting your contract, but your not in our plans. Edited May 3, 2018 by OH FOY!

[illinoisredsox]

Release him, your going to pay him anyway. Bring up a kid from Double AA to Triple AAA to get some important at bats. If Castillo is useless he wont get picked up. This way we'll see if Dombrowski evaluation is correct.

Why block another Prospect, if you have no plans to use him because of Salary. That's stupid.

 

He's not worthless, he's worthless at that contract.

 

If they release him, he almost certainly will sign with another team for the minimum (he's worth a shot at that price for any team). The Sox would be on the hook for the difference, and if he's on a 40 man, that portion of the contract would count towards the Sox luxury tax calculation. Right now, he doesn't.

[OH FOY]

Don't play him. Keep him on the bench. Put another kid in CF, at Pawtucket. What if that kid catches on, and does good, and can help the Sox, during year, you'll never know, way this Management is handling it now. Edited May 3, 2018 by OH FOY!

[OH FOY]

Think about Kimbrell Trade if Swihart was included instead of Margot. Would JBJ be our CF?

Dombrowski seems to me compounds problems.

Edited May 3, 2018 by OH FOY!

[harmony]

He's not worthless, he's worthless at that contract.

 

If they release him, he almost certainly will sign with another team for the minimum (he's worth a shot at that price for any team). The Sox would be on the hook for the difference, and if he's on a 40 man, that portion of the contract would count towards the Sox luxury tax calculation. Right now, he doesn't.

This Boston Globe piece from last June describes Rusney Castillo's unenviable situation after revisions to the MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement:

 

https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2017/06/22/rusney-castillo-reborn-but-also-stuck-pawtucket/WXXV4C6o8xF3h4zCC5q6KL/story.html

[Bellhorn04]

Don't play him. Keep him on the bench. Put another kid in CF, at Pawtucket. What if that kid catches on, and does good, and can help the Sox, during year, you'll never know, way this Management is handling it now.

 

There's always the possibility Castillo could be needed in an emergency.

[Bellhorn04]

Think about Kimbrell Trade if Swihart was included instead of Margot. Would JBJ be our CF?

Dombrowski seems to me compounds problems.

 

And why would you assume Swihart would have been acceptable to San Diego in place of Margot?

[Spudboy]

There's always the possibility Castillo could be needed in an emergency.

 

Yeah they may run short of popcorn and beer hawkers.

 

"Get yur beah heah" in a Spanish accent.

[OH FOY]

And why would you assume Swihart would have been acceptable to San Diego in place of Margot?

 

Swihart was higher rated Prospect at that time, and Padres had no Young Catcher. He just hit in the Majors at Catcher, .274 in 84 games. Had years of control, Switch hitter. Major League ready.

Edited May 3, 2018 by OH FOY!

[harmony]

Swihart was higher rated Prospect at that time, and Padres had no Young Catcher. He just hit in the Majors at Catcher, .274 in 84 games. Had years of control, Switch hitter. Major League ready.

To be fair, at the time of the November 2015 trade the Padres had 23-year-old catcher Austin Hedges, whom Baseball Prospectus and MLB Prospect Watch had ranked No. 23 and No. 51 among prospects entering the 2015 season. Baseball America had ranked Hedges No. 27 the previous year. The 2011 draft saw Hedges taken with the No. 82 pick and Swihart with the No. 26 pick.

 

Hedges, who is four months younger than Swihart, has posted 0.4 bWAR and a negative 0.2 fWAR in 152 games since the Kimbrel trade while Swihart has posted 0.0 bWAR and a negative 0.2 fWAR in 37 games. Hedges entered this season with one year and 166 days of MLB service while Swihart had one year and 164 days of MLB service.

 

Compare their minor league lines:

 

AH 1621 PA, .270/.323/.433/.757

BS 1716 PA, .269/.328/.398/.727

 

Hedges has struggled with an OPS+ of 58 in 676 plate appearances at the MLB level while Swihart has posted an OPS+ of 86 in 411 plate appearances, including and OPS+ of 73 in 102 plate appearances since the start of the 2016 season.

 

ZiPS, Steamer and FanGraphs Depth Charts project rest-of-season wRC+ of 72, 67 and 70 for Hedges and 60, 69 and 64 for Swihart.

 

Hedges probably has a brighter future than Swihart because of his vastly superior defensive skills:

 

https://www.fanragsports.com/padres/pleskoff-scouting-report-austin-hedges/

Edited May 3, 2018 by harmony

[mvp 78]

Don't play him. Keep him on the bench. Put another kid in CF, at Pawtucket. What if that kid catches on, and does good, and can help the Sox, during year, you'll never know, way this Management is handling it now.

 

Which kid? No high level OF prospects right now.

[mvp 78]

Think about Kimbrell Trade if Swihart was included instead of Margot. Would JBJ be our CF?

Dombrowski seems to me compounds problems.

 

JBJ > Margot

[moonslav59]

Margot> Chris Young & Swihart/Holt/Nunez/Lin in the OF

[notin]

Release him, your going to pay him anyway. Bring up a kid from Double AA to Triple AAA to get some important at bats. If Castillo is useless he wont get picked up. This way we'll see if Dombrowski evaluation is correct.

Why block another Prospect, if you have no plans to use him because of Salary. That's stupid.

 

Do we even have any outfielders in AA who anyone would consider a prospect?

 

Danny Mars needs to learn to hit AA pitching. Maybe Cole Sturgeon, who is off to a great start. But even Sturgeon, who turns 27 in September, is hardly prospect material and might be lucky to be a fourth outfielder in MLB...

[mvp 78]

Margot> Chris Young & Swihart/Holt/Nunez/Lin in the OF

 

Ok? Kimbrel >>>> Margot

[DontCallMeUncleRico]

So JBJ is now hitting .180. Do we still view him as a starter or a late inning defensive replacement?

[a700hitter]

So JBJ is now hitting .180. Do we still view him as a starter or a late inning defensive replacement?

He is completely lost at the plate.

[DontCallMeUncleRico]

He is completely lost at the plate.

 

He's a black hole at the bottom of the order. It's like having a pitcher at the plate. I wish they'd go to JD Martinez in Left, Benny in CF and Mookie in RF and just bring in Bradley late in games.

[iortiz]

I always have liked JBJ, but if he doesn’t start hitting, he will be removed.

 

IMO we are 1 big bat away to compete to the Yankees this season. This big bat, the way I see it, could come from to replace our CF —If JBJ doesn’t hit— or our catchers by the ASG.

 

If this is the case, I hope JBJ starts hitting and we land Salvador Pérez.

[notin]

Why is everyone so down on Bradley because of his hitting, but there is no equal time for Christian Vazquez, who is hitting much worse than Bradley?

[Jasonbay44]

Why is everyone so down on Bradley because of his hitting, but there is no equal time for Christian Vazquez, who is hitting much worse than Bradley?

 

Vazquez is receiving equal amount of hate as JBJ, he has a thread below this one with similar complaints, and he's been ridiculed on the game threads.

[a700hitter]

Why is everyone so down on Bradley because of his hitting, but there is no equal time for Christian Vazquez, who is hitting much worse than Bradley?

There is been plenty of disappointment expressed on the board about the offense of our catchers.

[Slasher9]

So JBJ is now hitting .180. Do we still view him as a starter or a late inning defensive replacement?

He is still 80 points above my threshold for JBj being my everyday CFer.

[oldtimer]

I always have liked JBJ, but if he doesn’t start hitting, he will be removed.

 

IMO we are 1 big bat away to compete to the Yankees this season. This big bat, the way I see it, could come from to replace our CF —If JBJ doesn’t hit— or our catchers by the ASG.

 

If this is the case, I hope JBJ starts hitting and we land Salvador Pérez.

 

Cora's rest strategy should include both Bradley and Hanley tonight. Matinez has shown to an adequate outfielder and Beni is a much better hitter than Bradley and not that big a fall off on defense. Beni is a better 2 hole hitter than Hanley who seems to be starting into a slump. The guy is getting older, is a heavily built guy and no doubt needs to be rested at times. In Moreland we have a good defensive first baseman who is a hot hitter now. Can't do much about catcher as we have who we have. Neither guy can hit and Swihart might if he played more, but probably not at this time. Vaz seems to be letting the hitting woes impact his defense.

 

I don't believe in asking a few guys to carry an entire lineup. Cora needs to adjust here where things are obviously becoming an issue.

[jad]

He's a black hole at the bottom of the order. It's like having a pitcher at the plate. I wish they'd go to JD Martinez in Left, Benny in CF and Mookie in RF and just bring in Bradley late in games.

 

If those players are better than Bradley early in the game, they are better than Bradley late in the game as well.

[Bellhorn04]

If those players are better than Bradley early in the game, they are better than Bradley late in the game as well.

 

I think the idea is using him as a late inning defensive replacement if you have a lead...but I'm pretty sure you already knew that.

[jad]

I think the idea is using him as a late inning defensive replacement if you have a lead...but I'm pretty sure you already knew that.

 

Yup. I know that. I just don't believe in the virtue of 'defensive replacements'. And we've probably belabored the point. I love watching him in the field, but if he can't produce at the plate, it's not a good use of a roster spot.

[OH FOY]

He's at 100 at bats, next 100 important. Then a decision has to be made, if your out of Top spot, and chasing the Yanks. Your aim is win Division, not Wild Card, when you have the highest payroll in Baseball.

[moonslav59]

He's at 100 at bats, next 100 important. Then a decision has to be made, if your out of Top spot, and chasing the Yanks. Your aim is win Division, not Wild Card, when you have the highest payroll in Baseball.

 

After the 100 ABs are up, our other options might look different than they do now. Maybe Moreland or HRam are struggling or on the DL. Maybe JMart has shown he should not play in the OF at all, except in NL parks. (Note: he's already shown that to me.) Maybe Nunez hasn't earned the right to supplant JBJ in the OF once Pedey returns.