The Alex Cora Managerial Decision Thread

[moonslav59]

Moon ...you have a problem with me say it .Other than that keep me out of your mouth please .No one cares about the catching situation like I do ...I caught abit and see some things that trouble me ...I have for a couple years ..It's not just the bat it's how both men call games ....it's akin to paint by numbers in my opinion .Moon your opinion is your own ...have it .Dont try and tell me mine means nothing .I find you to be as annoying as I am to you .Truth.

 

I've said my "problems" with you. For real. Truth.

[notin]

I agree with Kimmi on almost everything, but not on the idea that somehow Hanley has been treated badly. Granted, a regular who is DFA's ain't looking all that good, but guess what? He's getting paid $22M this year regardless of what he does or where he goes.

 

He's gone because the Sox are winning--best record in MLB--in a season when the FO feels strongly they must win. That's why Cora replaced Farrell. That's why JD was brought in. That's why Hanley is gone--because he's a liability on the field with Moreland playing as well as he is.

 

We all know that. And what you said plus the option were why he was released. Not because of anything Cora said.

 

Had anyone said they made the wrong move? I think we all only disagree with the explanation given for a move that never required one. ...

[a700hitter]

We all know that. And what you said plus the option were why he was released. Not because of anything Cora said.

 

Had anyone said they made the wrong move? I think we all only disagree with the explanation given for a move that never required one. ...

DD clearly said that he had another move in mind until Cora made the request that Hanley be the one to go.

[Bellhorn04]

We all know that. And what you said plus the option were why he was released. Not because of anything Cora said.

 

Had anyone said they made the wrong move? I think we all only disagree with the explanation given for a move that never required one. ...

 

Let's assume the truth is that the vesting option played a major role in the move. Do you think the Sox should have said so?

[Slasher9]

DD clearly said that he had another move in mind until Cora made the request that Hanley be the one to go.

 

so DD is Cora's coffee boy?

bet Cora is a latte kind of guy. DD would know....

[Slasher9]

Let's assume the truth is that the vesting option played a major role in the move. Do you think the Sox should have said so?

 

it was the only role. and no, not when there is a union involved.

a good enough answer is "we made the move that we thought was best for the team going forward".

is it necessary to say it was cora's idea?

is it necessary to insinuate that Hanley would have been a "disgruntled employee" with a reduced role?

DD has shown himself to be a bit swarmy on a couple occasions now....

[Jack Flap]

I guess I just don't expect perfect truth and transparency out of the mouths of baseball executives. Dombrowski is probably more forthcoming than most, but he'll still say what he wants and what he needs to publicly, and no one should be shocked by that. How quickly we forget about when he didn't know of any Red Sox players having surgery in the offseason, or when he was perfectly happy with the projected lineup in early February (even though the team was well known to still be going hard after Martinez). Not really matters of life or death here...just business.

[Bellhorn04]

it was the only role. and no, not when there is a union involved.

a good enough answer is "we made the move that we thought was best for the team going forward".

 

I don't think that's answer enough for Red Sox media and fans. They would insist on a little further explanation. Belichick might be able to get away with it.

[Maxbialystock]

But if it wasn't for the vesting option they probably would have hung onto him a while longer. The vesting option ends up hurting Hanley too. It's a lose-lose.

 

Meh. To me you have to earn a vesting opportunity, and in my book he wasn't earning it. I wrote him off on that 2 out double to right center by Moreland when Hanley paused between 1st and 2d to see if it was going out--and was consequently thrown out at the plate. He may be great talking to people in the locker room, but he is not a professional on the field.

[Maxbialystock]

I don't think that's answer enough for Red Sox media and fans. They would insist on a little further explanation. Belichick might be able to get away with it.

 

Red Sox media and fans have insatiable appetites for info, rumors, surmises, secondhand gossip, etc.

 

Interestingly, the Sox per game attendance so far this year is 2000/game lower than last year and 2016. That could, however, just be the result of the nasty weather for many of the games.

[Slasher9]

Meh. To me you have to earn a vesting opportunity, and in my book he wasn't earning it. I wrote him off on that 2 out double to right center by Moreland when Hanley paused between 1st and 2d to see if it was going out--and was consequently thrown out at the plate. He may be great talking to people in the locker room, but he is not a professional on the field.

 

Did you also use to harsh on David Ortiz for not running out groundballs?

[mvp 78]

so DD is Cora's coffee boy?

bet Cora is a latte kind of guy. DD would know....

 

Well, I'm glad that the GM and the manager are communicating. I don't believe that was the case with Farrell.

[a700hitter]

so DD is Cora's coffee boy?

bet Cora is a latte kind of guy. DD would know....

DD just gave his manager the team that he wanted. He was surprised that Cora wanted to move Hanley, probably because he didn't think that Cora would find much of a role for Swihart. It played into DD's hands, because Hanley's situation was eventually going to come to a head, and he probably wanted to hold onto Swihart a little longer.

[Kimmi]

But if it wasn't for the vesting option they probably would have hung onto him a while longer. The vesting option ends up hurting Hanley too. It's a lose-lose.

 

That's an absolute Bingo.

 

Max, I understand why the Sox DFA'd Hanley. I just don't agree with the timing of it. My gripe in the previous post was about Cora implying that Hanley would become difficult to manage if he didn't get the playing time. There was no need for the FO to throw Hanley under the bus in order to cover their butts.

[Spudboy]

That's an absolute Bingo.

 

Max, I understand why the Sox DFA'd Hanley. I just don't agree with the timing of it. My gripe in the previous post was about Cora implying that Hanley would become difficult to manage if he didn't get the playing time. There was no need for the FO to throw Hanley under the bus in order to cover their butts.

 

Did Cora say that?

 

In any case the Sox are not good at this type of thing. And I am never shocked when they tarnish an employee on the way out of town.

 

I am surprised at Cora if he said that. I heard that he said something to the effect that Hanley would not be happy at sitting but I did not hear him say that he expected Hanley would be a problem.

 

Oh well. Onward.

[Maxbialystock]

Did you also use to harsh on David Ortiz for not running out groundballs?

 

Fair question. I accepted those because he remained a terrific hitter.

[a700hitter]

That's an absolute Bingo.

 

Max, I understand why the Sox DFA'd Hanley. I just don't agree with the timing of it. My gripe in the previous post was about Cora implying that Hanley would become difficult to manage if he didn't get the playing time. There was no need for the FO to throw Hanley under the bus in order to cover their butts.

I think other people implied that Cora would be avoiding a clubhouse problem with Hanley. i don't think that Cora implied it.

[notin]

Let's assume the truth is that the vesting option played a major role in the move. Do you think the Sox should have said so?

 

No. I said the move never required an explanation...

[notin]

DD clearly said that he had another move in mind until Cora made the request that Hanley be the one to go.

 

True, but he denied it involved demoting Bradley or Holt or DLing Nunez.

 

One can only wonder what it was if it was nothing more than a talking point. DFA for Swihart? Seems like a bad move after asking for the moon and stars for him...

[a700hitter]

True, but he denied it involved demoting Bradley or Holt or DLing Nunez.

 

One can only wonder what it was if it was nothing more than a talking point. DFA for Swihart? Seems like a bad move after asking for the moon and stars for him...

If I had to bet it would have been a DFA for Swihart who was being actively shopped. He would have no role on the roster if Hanley had stayed.

[notin]

If I had to bet it would have been a DFA for Swihart who was being actively shopped. He would have no role on the roster if Hanley had stayed.

 

That's really all he left after omitting the other possibilities.

 

It just seemed odd the ask for top prospects for him and then plan to DFA him, which every GM suspected was going to happen,

 

That would mean he likely blew his chance to get anything with even the slightest hint of potential value for Swihart. I almost think the plan all along was to DFA Hanley, or at least that was the backup plan.. The first option appeared to be to try and get a massive overpayment for Swihart...

[Bellhorn04]

No. I said the move never required an explanation...

 

The team obviously felt differently and I respect their judgment.

 

The Bill Belichick 'coach's decision' doesn't always go over very well, as with the Butler case. And Red Sox media/fans are more demanding of information than Pats equivalents.

 

Also maybe there were legit concerns about how the Players Union would see this in view of the option and how Hanley was on pace to trigger it.

[notin]

The team obviously felt differently and I respect their judgment.

 

The Bill Belichick 'coach's decision' doesn't always go over very well, as with the Butler case. And Red Sox media/fans are more demanding of information than Pats equivalents.

 

Also maybe there were legit concerns about how the Players Union would see this in view of the option and how Hanley was on pace to trigger it.

 

Which is what I have been saying all along was the reason for his story. Personally, I didn't think anything needed to be said. I would not have guessed Hanley would get DFA'd, but I saw what had to be the obvious reason why...

[a700hitter]

That's really all he left after omitting the other possibilities.

 

It just seemed odd the ask for top prospects for him and then plan to DFA him, which every GM suspected was going to happen,

 

That would mean he likely blew his chance to get anything with even the slightest hint of potential value for Swihart. I almost think the plan all along was to DFA Hanley, or at least that was the backup plan.. The first option appeared to be to try and get a massive overpayment for Swihart...

He would have had 10 days to deal him after the DFA, and he would have gotten little value for him.

[notin]

He would have had 10 days to deal him after the DFA, and he would have gotten little value for him.

 

Exactly. I agree it was on the table, but I'm not so sure DFAing Hanley didn't look like the better option once he realized getting actual value for Swihart was not going to happen...

[Maxbialystock]

Stunning how the Hanley DFA has taken over this thread even though there is an entire thread on that one topic.

 

Since it has, one more small thought. I believe this team is better because of the way Cora manages it, and clearly he believed dumping Hanley would improve this team right now and that is what is actually happening.

[oldtimer]

This is a tough time for Cora as he has had to shuffle the lineup with Mookie out probably longer than anyone suspected and Pedey possibly sidelined for a while and both concurrent with facing the best pitching staff in baseball. The decision has been to play shorthanded so far. I really don't know who we have in the minors that could be any help. Chavis is ont there now and Travis is only hitting 240. I wonder if Lind is ready to fill in?

[StephenCurry30]

would lind really help much? what can he do moreland cant?

[oldtimer]

would lind really help much? what can he do moreland cant?

 

Possibly DH let the outfield consist of Beni, JDM and Swihart until Betts returns. I guess Travis is available for that now.

[sk7326]

This is a tough time for Cora as he has had to shuffle the lineup with Mookie out probably longer than anyone suspected and Pedey possibly sidelined for a while and both concurrent with facing the best pitching staff in baseball. The decision has been to play shorthanded so far. I really don't know who we have in the minors that could be any help. Chavis is ont there now and Travis is only hitting 240. I wonder if Lind is ready to fill in?

 

And the Red Sox ended up being more or less fine ... go figger