Pedroia undergoes microfracture surgery

[a700hitter]

"KC blogger"

Same thing

[Station 13]

@nickcafardo

 

The Red Sox were one of the teams who called the Orioles on Manny Machado.

 

Was Pedroia listening on?

[moonslav59]

that's weird. no Sox players are out with surgeries. DH Devers?

 

Well, we don't have a 1Bman, and Devers was pretty scary at 3B this year.... just sayin'.

[oldtimer]

Well, we don't have a 1Bman, and Devers was pretty scary at 3B this year.... just sayin'.

 

I postulated that long ago. Devers defensive performance at 3rd and his body type may be more suitable in the long run to 1st. We should at least be considering a big bat at the hot corner and moving Devers. The thing is, is Machado even a possibility for us and at $300 mil is it a good fit? If, and it is a big if, Handley can return closer to his earlier form, then we could get by with one big bat, a fill in for Pedroia and one very solid lefty addition to the BP.

 

Right now Cora is making noises like he would like to set the first two in the lineup as Betts and Beni. We know Devers will be 4th, 5th or 6th at the latest and Hanley will bat high. Our big bat addition could be a cleanup hitter. That leaves Hanley at 3rd, 5th or 6th. Not sure where Bogey will fit, but if he starts off hot again, 3rd wouldn't be a bad spot for him. We are not bad at the bottom of the order except our Pedroia fill-in will likely be a low 200 hitter.

[Emp9]

"Right now Cora is making noises like he would like to set the first two in the lineup as Betts and Beni."

 

Unfortunately, I read that too. Ugh. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

[moonslav59]

"Right now Cora is making noises like he would like to set the first two in the lineup as Betts and Beni."

 

Unfortunately, I read that too. Ugh. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

 

I'm only okay with this, if we sign JD and a 3-4-5 slot hitting 1Bman.

[Emp9]

My guess is they will be sellers at the deadline.

 

That's when we get Dozier ... if need be.

[moonslav59]

That's when we get Dozier ... if need be.

 

With what prospects?

[Emp9]

I'm only okay with this, if we sign JD and a 3-4-5 slot hitting 1Bman.

 

That would definitely change things for me. I hope so. I really don't want to spend another season complaining about Mookie leading off. Even for me it gets old. LOL We get JD, I won't care. I didn't care when we had Ortiz, but after his retirement, the batting order needed a re-think IMO.

[Emp9]

With what prospects?

 

 

It'd be 3 month rental of Dozier. how much could they possibly want?

[Emp9]

Was Pedroia listening on?

 

No silly. Pedroia was the one who called.

[Emp9]

The point is that the team cannot count on Pedroia ever being a regular second baseman again, especially with his style of play. Sure, its worth a try-if not for his playing career just to try to delay the need for a new knee. Management is going to have to find a different solution at 2B for next year.

 

Kinsler is available, as someone mentioned earlier i think.

[cp176]

I postulated that long ago. Devers defensive performance at 3rd and his body type may be more suitable in the long run to 1st. We should at least be considering a big bat at the hot corner and moving Devers. The thing is, is Machado even a possibility for us and at $300 mil is it a good fit? If, and it is a big if, Handley can return closer to his earlier form, then we could get by with one big bat, a fill in for Pedroia and one very solid lefty addition to the BP.

 

Right now Cora is making noises like he would like to set the first two in the lineup as Betts and Beni. We know Devers will be 4th, 5th or 6th at the latest and Hanley will bat high. Our big bat addition could be a cleanup hitter. That leaves Hanley at 3rd, 5th or 6th. Not sure where Bogey will fit, but if he starts off hot again, 3rd wouldn't be a bad spot for him. We are not bad at the bottom of the order except our Pedroia fill-in will likely be a low 200 hitter.

 

I think that we have to be kind of careful before we judge what Dever's future might hold for him based on what he physically looks like. Although I do agree that he doesn't look like the classic infielder looks like over there, I find it hard to imagine a guy with his body structure being that quick and that fast. He is unusually athletic. He has a rifle for an arm. His feet get tangled up with the rest of him. He was a liability for us at third for us at the end of the season but a kid - a real kid- that athletic could become an excellent fielding third baseman. It is a tough call. i'm sure glad we have him though.

[jacksonianmarch]

Like all wide bodied 3b's, they eventually need to move across the diamond. Devers will not be a 3b beyond the age of 30. Book it right now. He has the looks of a young Nelson Cruz. The kid will fill in and when he does, 3b will be a distant memory but his power should blossom. I like Devers a lot, I just think long term, he is your 1b

[Kimmi]

PER SOURCES: that would move Devers to 1b or "a greater shift in the left side of the IF" (i.e. bye bye Bogey).

 

I also asked Dombrowski if he was committed to Rafael Devers as his third baseman and he said yes. What I was getting at is possibly signing Mike Moustakas and moving Devers to first base.

 

“Yes, we’re committed to him,” Dombrowski said. “If somebody said here’s a great third baseman . . . but we’re committed to him at third base.”

[Kimmi]

"Right now Cora is making noises like he would like to set the first two in the lineup as Betts and Beni."

 

Unfortunately, I read that too. Ugh. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

 

I like the idea of Betts and Beni hitting one and two.

[jacksonianmarch]

It only works if you have a real #3 hitter

[Kimmi]

It only works if you have a real #3 hitter

 

What is a 'real' #3 hitter? I am sure that your idea of a #3 hitter is different than mine. The #3 guy should not be the best hitter in the lineup.

[jacksonianmarch]

What is a 'real' #3 hitter? I am sure that your idea of a #3 hitter is different than mine. The #3 guy should not be the best hitter in the lineup.

 

The #3 hitter is almost always the best hitter in the lineup

[moonslav59]

Teams are starting to move away from putting there best overall hitter up 3rd. Studies show it is wrong to put the best there, but I do think most managers still put the best up 3rd.

[jacksonianmarch]

"Studies?" It's all about setting up your lineup. You want to stick the faster guys with good OBP ahead of the bigger power, best hitter guys since they can move base to base more frequently. The #3 hitter is also guaranteed to hit in the first inning, unlike the cleanup guy. I know the statheads think you should put your best hitter in the leadoff spot, but that also limits their ability to drive in runs as the lower OBP guys will be batting right in front of them when the lineup turns over

[moonslav59]

"Studies?" It's all about setting up your lineup. You want to stick the faster guys with good OBP ahead of the bigger power, best hitter guys since they can move base to base more frequently. The #3 hitter is also guaranteed to hit in the first inning, unlike the cleanup guy. I know the statheads think you should put your best hitter in the leadoff spot, but that also limits their ability to drive in runs as the lower OBP guys will be batting right in front of them when the lineup turns over

 

Actually, the studies show putting your best up 2nd, if I'm not mistaken. (5th is also high.)

 

I'm with you though, I form my line-up like this:

(Guidelines not set in stone- other factors are involved, but these are the major factors.)

1) I start with the 3 slot and put my best combined OBP & SLG guy here. If it's a tie, I go with BA over BBs.

2) I put my best OBP guy up 1st, unless he has power and I lack it with the next 7 guys.

3) I put my next best OBP up 2nd.

4) The best remaining overall hitter goes up 4th with power as a high second priority.

5) The closest guy to the 4 slot criteria goes here.

6-9) Best up higher-worst down lower

 

[Emp9]

I like the idea of Betts and Beni hitting one and two.

 

When we had Ortiz I was fine with it. If we get JD I'd be fine with it. Still, It's not what I'd do... and I also think it shouldn't be written in stone. As the season progresses we can get a feel for how we need it. Ex: Say 2 months in, XB's and/or Beni's BA & OBP is through the roof but still no power and Betts is looking like he'll put up 30HR again, I'll be looking for a change.

[cp176]

"Studies?" It's all about setting up your lineup. You want to stick the faster guys with good OBP ahead of the bigger power, best hitter guys since they can move base to base more frequently. The #3 hitter is also guaranteed to hit in the first inning, unlike the cleanup guy. I know the statheads think you should put your best hitter in the leadoff spot, but that also limits their ability to drive in runs as the lower OBP guys will be batting right in front of them when the lineup turns over

 

Oh boy oh boy here we go. I actually agree with this old school, outdated, non intellectual, baseball way of looking at things.

[Emp9]

just to keep updated, Kinsler just signed w/ the Angels. per MLBTR:The Tigers will receive right-hander Wilkel Hernandez and outfielder Troy Montgomery, according to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Montgomery ranks higher on MLB.com’s list of Angels prospects (No. 20 to Hernandez’s No. 24).

 

Not that I was expecting anything from the Sox.

[moonslav59]

just to keep updated, Kinsler just signed w/ the Angels. per MLBTR:The Tigers will receive right-hander Wilkel Hernandez and outfielder Troy Montgomery, according to Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). Montgomery ranks higher on MLB.com’s list of Angels prospects (No. 20 to Hernandez’s No. 24).

 

Not that I was expecting anything from the Sox.

 

Trade not signing. The Angels agreed to pay his full remaining contract.

[notin]

The #3 hitter is almost always the best hitter in the lineup

 

Bill James says the #2 hitter should be the best hitter in the lineup...

[NativeBostonian]

I'm not going to go on and on about how much I hate the C.Sale trade, but, boy, do I hate that trade. If we don't make it, we add power to the lineup at 2b with Moncada (I think he will be a 30-30 player with a ton of strikeouts) and Kopech is one of he best SP prospects in the game.

 

I know C.Sale was great and the Red Sox don't win the division without him, but he was brought here to do more than win the division--he was brought here to help in October and he totally failed in that regard. In addition, it will take a few years, but just like you expected A.Rizzo to eventually surpass A.Gonzalez as a player, I would expect Kopech to be a better SP than Sale in a few seasons. That's when the trade will really hurt.

 

How do the Red Sox get an ace that cheap without that trade? They can’t develop one.

[Station 13]

Betts should be hitting third. Cora, this ain't Houston.

[Larry Cook]

I like betts in the lead off role.

 

Betts

Benintendi

Pedroia (when healthy)

JD

Hanley

Hosmer

Devers

Bogey

Vazquez/Leon

Bradley