2017/18 Hot Stove Thread

[mvp 78]

Marcel projects 2018 OPS of .746 for Blake Swihart, .718 for Christian Vazquez and .715 for Sandy Leon, but FanGraphs Depth Charts projects Swihart at the bottom of the catcher OPS pile:

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=ALL&teamid=3#C

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/swihabl01.shtml

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/vazquch01.shtml

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/leonsa01.shtml

 

Hard to really project anything for Blake since he hasn't been healthy in two years. He could suck, he could turn into Jason Kendall. Hard to really say.

[mvp 78]

.....I have to jump in here ...Does anyone remotely remember the situation that put him in LF ??? Does anyone remember how they screwed Bard up not long before ??? I'm sorry but they screwed the pooch with Bard first and then Swihart ...Both these players should be part of this team .The facts are facts this team specifically developing pitchers has been a train wreck ..Then developing a power bat ???Bryce finally develops and they leave him off the playoff roster last year ??? I have hated some decisions this team has made recently ....Mitch ??? Holt ??? What the hell have they done to our shortstops bat ??? This guy was going to be a decent power bat 25 to 30 a year ...?? Pedey I looooove Pedey but cooooooome onnnnn !!! The guy takes strike one for years and no one steps in ??? Again with Pedey he's a mash unit now ....Time to move the heck on.Back to Blake why are we acting like he's 80 years old in a wheel chair ??? Did you even watch him catch this ST ??? He's freaking damn goooooooooood !!!!! Don't write this kid off he's got more Athelete in him than just about every starter we have not named Betts and his D looks pretty damn good to me ...more than good enough with that Bat .I wouldn't hesitate to kick Sandy Leon to the curb or Holt or Mitch ...ok done ranting incoherently ...I like Blake at catcher still can you tell ?

 

They didn't screw up Bard. Bard was becoming more inconsistent the year prior to being moved to the rotation. It was Bard's choice and his preference. He couldn't handle it.

[mvp 78]

https://www.fangraphs.com/statsd.aspx?playerid=7115&position=P&type=&gds=2011-09-01&gde=2011-09-28&season=

 

In September 2011, Bard took 4 losses and had an ERA of 10.64. If he wasn't unravelling, the Sox would have made the postseason that year.

[notin]

https://www.fangraphs.com/statsd.aspx?playerid=7115&position=P&type=&gds=2011-09-01&gde=2011-09-28&season=

 

In September 2011, Bard took 4 losses and had an ERA of 10.64. If he wasn't unravelling, the Sox would have made the postseason that year.

 

Bard always had control issues. But people loved his radar gun readings and strikeout totals.

[notin]

.....I have to jump in here ...Does anyone remotely remember the situation that put him in LF ??? Does anyone remember how they screwed Bard up not long before ??? I'm sorry but they screwed the pooch with Bard first and then Swihart ...Both these players should be part of this team .The facts are facts this team specifically developing pitchers has been a train wreck ..Then developing a power bat ???Bryce finally develops and they leave him off the playoff roster last year ??? I have hated some decisions this team has made recently ....Mitch ??? Holt ??? What the hell have they done to our shortstops bat ??? This guy was going to be a decent power bat 25 to 30 a year ...?? Pedey I looooove Pedey but cooooooome onnnnn !!! The guy takes strike one for years and no one steps in ??? Again with Pedey he's a mash unit now ....Time to move the heck on.Back to Blake why are we acting like he's 80 years old in a wheel chair ??? Did you even watch him catch this ST ??? He's freaking damn goooooooooood !!!!! Don't write this kid off he's got more Athelete in him than just about every starter we have not named Betts and his D looks pretty damn good to me ...more than good enough with that Bat .I wouldn't hesitate to kick Sandy Leon to the curb or Holt or Mitch ...ok done ranting incoherently ...I like Blake at catcher still can you tell ?

 

As pointed out, Bard was falling apart before he moved to the rotation. Brentz is turning 30 this year and has had his share of chances to impress (and is very likely to be DFAd by the Pirates). Swihart didn't work out but clearly it didn't end his career, but no reason to get worked up about him not having a backup catching role. He's going to get more time with increased versatility.

 

Really his increased versatility probably means Holt is the most at risk, not Leon. Brock had an option left, but probably could be flat out cut. I would imagine the only reason he hasn't been is they don't want to cut him and see Nunez go down the next day. ...

[Bellhorn04]

Bard always had control issues. But people loved his radar gun readings and strikeout totals.

 

He was terrific in 2010 and most of 2011.

 

The weird thing about 2011 was that virtually the entire pitching staff collapsed in September.

[mvp 78]

He was terrific in 2010 and most of 2011.

 

The weird thing about 2011 was that virtually the entire pitching staff collapsed in September.

 

In 2010 he had an unsustainable LOB% and his FIP was much higher than his ERA. He was good, but people want to remember him as being lights out.

[Bellhorn04]

So much for Alex Cobb signing for peanuts, huh?

[moonslav59]

So much for Alex Cobb signing for peanuts, huh?

 

Is it $57M/4?

[Bellhorn04]

Is it $57M/4?

 

Yes.

[moonslav59]

Yes.

 

That's not as much as I originally thought he'd get, but compared to Lynn, it seems right.

[notin]

That's not as much as I originally thought he'd get, but compared to Lynn, it seems right.

 

 

Is Cobb really worth that much more than Lynn? Cobb might be a better pitcher, but he loses alot of value because he has trouble showing up for work. ..

[moonslav59]

Is Cobb really worth that much more than Lynn? Cobb might be a better pitcher, but he loses alot of value because he has trouble showing up for work. ..

 

One GM thought so.

[jacksonianmarch]

Lynn had better offers but he wanted to win. I also think Lynn might make out better. With all the teams either tanking or trying to get under the cap in 2018, having a good season on a playoff caliber team and hitting the market again isn’t a bad thing for him

[moonslav59]

Lynn had better offers but he wanted to win. I also think Lynn might make out better. With all the teams either tanking or trying to get under the cap in 2018, having a good season on a playoff caliber team and hitting the market again isn’t a bad thing for him

 

We'll see. There are only a handful of teams that re-set this year, and I'm not so sure they will be signing multiple big free agents next winter. There are some much bigger names than Lynn on the market, and he'll be another year older.

[Bellhorn04]

I know one thing, if we signed Cobb for this much it would definitely be called an 'overpay'. He got more than MLBTR predicted, which was 4/48.

[moonslav59]

I know one thing, if we signed Cobb for this much it would definitely be called an 'overpay'. He got more than MLBTR predicted, which was 4/48.

 

I hear the O's put him through a rigorous physical, not that it prevents future injuries.

[mvp 78]

I know one thing, if we signed Cobb for this much it would definitely be called an 'overpay'. He got more than MLBTR predicted, which was 4/48.

 

You know, if we didn't sign Moreland, Cobb, Holt, Xander, JBJ and let Hanley's option vest we coulda signed Machado and Harper!

[moonslav59]

Would going into 2018 with HRam, Swihart and Travis as our only 1B options been all that much worse than now?

 

Would having $11M, instead of $4.5M, to spend this summer been worth more than Moreland?

 

If we end up needing a 1Bman, how hard is it to find one mis season? Last year, I think about 10 were traded- most for close to dirt.

[mvp 78]

Would going into 2018 with HRam, Swihart and Travis as our only 1B options been all that much worse than now?

 

Would Moreland, JD, Swihart and Travis been all that much worse than now?

[moonslav59]

Would Moreland, JD, Swihart and Travis been all that much worse than now?

 

Yes, unless we got some salary relief for losing HRam.

 

I think HRam has a much better shot at being over .800 than any other current 1Bman.

 

(I don't like the idea of moving the fragile JD to 1B.)

[mvp 78]

Yes, unless we got some salary relief for losing HRam.

 

I think HRam has a much better shot at being over .800 than any other current 1Bman.

 

(I don't like the idea of moving the fragile JD to 1B.)

 

Is JD more fragile than Hanley?

[notin]

He was terrific in 2010 and most of 2011.

 

The weird thing about 2011 was that virtually the entire pitching staff collapsed in September.

 

The weird thing about Bard is that his career was only 4 years long, but people talk about his collapse like it came after a long history of success and therefore was clearly some sort of management blunder. ..

[Bellhorn04]

The weird thing about Bard is that his career was only 4 years long, but people talk about his collapse like it came after a long history of success and therefore was clearly some sort of management blunder. ..

 

Yes, it's an inflexible maxim of sports fans that if there's any way a finger of blame can be pointed, it will be pointed.

[moonslav59]

Is JD more fragile than Hanley?

 

Probably not, but I'd like to keep him at DH not 1B so as to not risk injury.

 

I'd prefer HRam at 1B vs LHPs, for sure, over Moreland and Swihart.

 

Vs. RHPs, it's kind of up in the air, but I'd start with Moreland, until HRam or Swihart show me they deserve it more.

[moonslav59]

Yes, it's an inflexible maxim of sports fans that if there's any way a finger of blame can be pointed, it will be pointed.

 

One could blame it on Bard's own desire to be a starter.

[mvp 78]

https://www.fangraphs.com/plays.aspx?date=2012-06-03&team=Red%20Sox&dh=0

 

Bard's last start:

 

walk

walk

HR

walk

double play

fly out

 

walk

walk

strikeout

strikeout

hit by pitch

walk

hit by pitch

 

A real thing of beauty... I still remember where I was while this was happening.

[moonslav59]

https://www.fangraphs.com/plays.aspx?date=2012-06-03&team=Red%20Sox&dh=0

 

Bard's last start:

 

walk

walk

HR

walk

double play

fly out

 

walk

walk

strikeout

strikeout

hit by pitch

walk

hit by pitch

 

A real thing of beauty... I still remember where I was while this was happening.

 

The men's room?

[Bellhorn04]

I feel bad for the guy. How frustrating would it be for a pitcher to suddenly not be able to throw the ball over the plate?

 

Hopefully life after baseball is treating him well.

[mvp 78]

The men's room?

 

http://www.maguiresbarandgrill.com/

 

I had parmesan truffle fries, a bar pizza with jalapenos and black olives, and a Smithwick's.