Spring Training 2018 Thread

[Larry Cook]

Johnson looked good today. And Walden had a field day against the Baltimore youngsters,

[a700hitter]

Johnson looked good today. And Walden had a field day against the Baltimore youngsters,

Showalter never brings a single starter to Fort Meyers, year in and year out. That stinks for the fans. The gentlemen's agreement is to bring 2-3 starters on the road. I don't understand why no one has called out that smog prick, Showalter.

[S5Dewey]

Showalter never brings a single starter to Fort Meyers, year in and year out. That stinks for the fans. The gentlemen's agreement is to bring 2-3 starters on the road. I don't understand why no one has called out that smog prick, Showalter.

 

Showalter's a jerk but the home fans love him for it. He's like Belichich, only without the championships.

 

IIRC I only saw two names I recognized in the O's starting lineup yesterday. I was sitting beside a Baltimore fan at the game and he was PISSED!

[mvp 78]

Barfield is 29. He's ranked 56th on soxprospects.com.

 

He only hit over 13 HRs once before 2016.

 

He was a big star down here in Sugar Land. He hit 27 HRs in 510 ABs. (I saw him once.)

 

Last year, he hit 28 HRs in just 355 ABs (with 49 XBHs).

 

Take a look, but I doubt he makes it.

 

He had LASIK in 2016 and says he can see the ball much better now. The years he spent dabbling as a pitcher clearly affected his development. He's not a sure thing, but I think one injury could turn him into a bench bat.

[moonslav59]

He had LASIK in 2016 and says he can see the ball much better now. The years he spent dabbling as a pitcher clearly affected his development. He's not a sure thing, but I think one injury could turn him into a bench bat.

 

I'm willing to give him a long look.

[Bellhorn04]

Wouldn't it be something if Castillo lights the world on fire this spring...

[cp176]

Wouldn't it be something if Castillo lights the world on fire this spring...

 

I think that he has looked pretty good. Just not good enough for this team. I wish that he a contract that might make him tradeable.

[OH FOY]

He didn't mope last year in Pawtucket, he tried to improve, and he hit .400 against Lefties, I don't care what league your in .400 is .400.

[Emp9]

What sucks is that even if we had a taker willing to pay half his salary (for example half), We’d still have to include the remaining hlaf of his salary left over towards the budget/Luxury Tax. Unless he went in a bigger say ... 6-8 player trade where there’d be room to negotiate things better.

[Natick to NC]

Blake is a Freak !!!! Dude looks like he's figured something out for sure ....who goes if Blake has a spot on Lock ??? I say Brock is done . Edited February 26, 2018 by Natick to NC

[Bellhorn04]

Blake is a Freak !!!! Dude looks like he's figured something out for sure ....who goes if Blake has a spot on Lock ??? I say Brock is done .

 

You've got spring fever, man LOL.

[notin]

Is Blake Swihart the early front-runner for the Jeff Bailey Award, given annually to the player who sets the most unrealistic expectations in spring training?

[Natick to NC]

Is Blake Swihart the early front-runner for the Jeff Bailey Award, given annually to the player who sets the most unrealistic expectations in spring training?

 

No bad vibes on this player please ....refrain .

[mvp 78]

Is Blake Swihart the early front-runner for the Jeff Bailey Award, given annually to the player who sets the most unrealistic expectations in spring training?

 

Pedro Ciriaco on line 1.

[Natick to NC]

Pedro Ciriaco on line 1.

 

That's a mean and cruel but fair comparison .....please stop ....I am on the Blake for the HoF right now ....or Blake for Trout and part ownership of the Angels.

Edited February 26, 2018 by Natick to NC

[cp176]

That's a mean and cruel but fair comparison .....please stop ....I am on the Blake for the HoF right now .

 

I like your style. The glass is half full!

[Natick to NC]

I like your style. The glass is half full!

 

Don't get me wrong ...id trade Blake for Trout and 12 million .

[Kimmi]

He didn't mope last year in Pawtucket, he tried to improve, and he hit .400 against Lefties, I don't care what league your in .400 is .400.

 

I feel bad for the guy. No matter how he hits, he is likely to play out his contract in Pawtucket.

[cp176]

Don't get me wrong ...id trade Blake for Trout and 12 million .

 

lol - your glass just topped out!

[cp176]

I feel bad for the guy. No matter how he hits, he is likely to play out his contract in Pawtucket.

 

 

I agree with you. He just looks like he is stuck in Pawtucket. I think that it is very sad. I think that he probably could help just about any team.

[notin]

Pedro Ciriaco on line 1.

 

Another past winner of the Jeff Bailey Award...

[notin]

No bad vibes on this player please ....refrain .

 

The Jeff Bailey Award wad never about the player. It's always been about fans who get a little overzealous for certain players in spring training.

[mvp 78]

C’mon, if anyone will be this year’s award winner, it’ll be Barfield.

[cp176]

C’mon, if anyone will be this year’s award winner, it’ll be Barfield.

 

Only because they traded Brentz.

[Larry Cook]

Swihart had another nice game today. He is clearly seeing the ball really well this spring,

[Oscars]

With a good spring could Swiharts bat have Leon in doubt to make the team?

[moonslav59]

With a good spring could Swiharts bat have Leon in doubt to make the team?

 

Out of the 8 pitchers who had 60+ PAs with both Vaz & Leon, 7 had a lower OPS against when Leon was catching.

 

How much better does Swihart have to hit to make up for that?

 

(Plus, Swihart is likely worse than Vaz with handling pitchers.)

 

I hope Swi makes the team as our 3rd catcher, 5th LF'er and maybe 3rd 1Bman.

Edited February 27, 2018 by moonslav59

[Natick to NC]

Out of the 8 pitchers who had 60+ PAs with both Vaz & Leon, 7 had a lower OPS against when Leon was catching.

 

How much better does Swihart have to hit to make up for that?

 

(Plus, Swihart is likely worse than Vaz with handling pitchers.)

 

I hope Swi makes the team as our 3rd catcher, 5th LF'er and maybe 3rd 1Bman.

If I'm Cora ...I definetly put Blake on this team period .Sandy and Brock both are replaceable .

Edited February 27, 2018 by Natick to NC

[moonslav59]

If I'm Cora ...I definetly put Blake on this team period .Sandy and Brock both are replaceable .

 

Brock has options: Leon does not. Holt starts off in AAA, if it was up to me.

[moonslav59]

If I'm Cora ...I definetly put Blake on this team period .Sandy and Brock both are replaceable .

 

Do you not value how a catcher gets the most out of the staff?

 

These pitchers all did better with Leon than Vaz:

 

Pitcher w Leo / w Vaz

+.403 Hembree .609 (133) / 1.012 (135)

+.256 R Scott .476 (67) / .832 (74)

+.179 Fister .666 (255) / .845 (137)

+.126 M Barnes .592 (110) / .707 (174)

+.102 Joe Kelly .546 (98) / .648 (127)

+.066 CKimbrel .406 (97) / 472 (153)

+.008 Porcello .824 (709) / .832 (176)

 

These pitchers all did better with Vaz:

-.032 B. Boyer .834 (76) / .802 (98)

 

(Only pitchers with 60+ PAs with each catcher listed)

 

Some of the variances are huge, in fact, 5 of the 8 pitchers had an OPS against of 100+ better with Leon. Awihart is supposedly worse than Vaz with pitchers, so one can imagine the OPS differentials when compared to Leon.

 

Since OPS against for our staff involves all 9 hitters for the opposing team, Swihart might have to have an OPS of 1.800 to just bear even with a negative OPS differential of .200.

 

I'm keeping Leon. I'm trying to keep Swihart as well, so we can PH for Leon (.638 vs RHPs) and Vaz (vs RHPs .657)