Wright gets a start this Tuesday

[Dojji]

How may athletes would have sold their soul for the 50 plate appearances Swihart has done nothing with this year?

[Emp9]

I don't understand. The Sox let Henry Owens go and no one batted an eye.

 

I think Swihart is different because he showed a lot of potential in 2015 and then lost 2 years due to injury but is now languishing on the bench. If the Sox were able to stash him in Pawtucket, we'd never discuss him at all.

 

I don’t understand. I don’t remember Owens having a major injury like Swihart. Maybe not a great comparison?

[SoxnCycles]

Wright pitched a whale of a game against Detroit.

 

Clever!

[Emp9]

I don't disagree with you at all and this is just an observation.

 

I've always believed that there are many people who have the skills to play MLB but haven't performed in crucial moments. Some of them are in the minors and some of them are waiting on tables, selling cars, or building houses. Sometimes it's all about making the best of your opportunities and that's something Swihart hasn't done recently.

I'm in the camp of Swihart not being given enough opportunities so the roster shake up with Hanley's departure is giving him more chances, but if he doesn't make the best of those chances then sooner or later.......

 

of course.

[Maxbialystock]

Lol The Rabid Swihart Fan Club? That’s a little over dramatic, no? In fact, I’ve observed the opposite of that all year. The Rabid OMG! What the f*** is going on with the 25th spot on our roster??!!! Fan Club. God forbid the 25th guy doesn’t live up to your expectations. Jesus christ. Holy s***. I thought this thread was supposed to be about Wright anyhow?

 

If you would bother to read just this thread, you would have ample evidence of the Swihart fan club, which did in fact attempt to take over a thread about Wright.

 

The beauty of last night's game to me is that it put a huge crimp in the "Swihart should, Swihart must" be our catcher because--I'm speculating here--he's taller and looks nicer than Vazquez/Leon and in 2015 was our starting catcher for half the season and showed tremendous potential as a catcher and as a hitter. Now, the story goes, he is getting the short end of the stick because of our idiotic manager/GM/President.

 

Wright was indeed great last night and hopefully is a permanent replacement for Pomeranz who has stunk this year. And part of that success was the short, dumpy, not so pretty Vazquez, who gave up no passed balls and no wild pitches in 7 innings of catching Wright, whose knuckler was definitely jumping.

 

I say again, Vazquez was masterful doing something Swihart is incapable of doing--see his 16 passed balls while catching Wright in 2015--just as Swihart isn't as good a rightfielder/hitter as Betts, a leftfielder/hitter as Beni, etc, etc.

Edited June 6, 2018 by Maxbialystock

[Emp9]

Wright looked really, really solid. The weird thing about Wright compared to most knockleballers is that he throws two different knucklers, a Dickey style harder knuckler and a Wakefield style floater, and they were both dancing last night.

 

Anytime you get through 7 IP on less than 100 pitches you're doing something right. Very encouraging to see him back on his 2016 form in the early going. When he's on his game Wright is a very good starting pitcher with #3 ability. The team has got to find out if he's that guy this year. If he is, he's worth a lot more than if he's just a decent long reliever.

 

If Wright can secure that spot in the rotation and produce quality outings, the rotation as a whole starts to look very sexy indeed.

 

I think Mr. Pomeranz may have just lost his job for the time being. Anyone else agree?

 

I’d normally take Wright over Pom anyway. Passed balls included.

[Emp9]

If you would bother to read just this thread, you would have ample evidence of the Swihart fan club, which did in fact attempt to take over a thread about Wright.

 

The beauty of last night's game to me is that it put a huge crimp in the "Swihart should, Swihart must" be our catcher because--I'm speculating here--he's taller and looks nicer than Vazquez/Leon and in 2015 was our starting catcher for half the season and showed tremendous potential as a catcher and as a hitter. Now, the story goes, he is getting the short end of the stick because of our idiotic manager/GM/President.

 

Wright was indeed great last night and hopefully is a permanent replacement for Pomeranz who has stunk this year. And part of that success was the short, dump, not so pretty Vazquez, who gave up no passed balls and no wild pitches in 7 innings of Wright, whose knuckler was definitely jumping.

 

I say again, Vazquez was masterful doing something Swihart is incapable of doing--see his 16 passed balls while catching Wright in 2015--just as Swihart isn't as good a rightfielder/hitter as Betts, a leftfielder/hitter as Beni, etc, etc.

 

I did read it dummy.

[Dojji]

Then you know what he's talking about. A thread about Wright has been 80% arguments over Swihart.

[Emp9]

Then you know what he's talking about. A thread about Wright has been 80% arguments over Swihart.

 

You mean, what I was talking about?

[Yaz Fan Since 67]

Posters point out the Swihart talk took over the thread, then post a paragraph about Blake Swihart. I find that funny.

 

As for Wright he definitely earned a spot in the rotation where he will be much more valuable than in long relief.

[Emp9]

Posters point out the Swihart talk took over the thread, then post a paragraph about Blake Swihart. I find that funny.

 

As for Wright he definitely earned a spot in the rotation where he will be much more valuable than in long relief.

 

Hey, you’re invited to The Last Man on the 25 is going to Make or Break Our Season Club. Congratulations!

 

Wright stays healthy he belongs there. Plus, he’s soooo good looking lol

[Bellhorn04]

How may athletes would have sold their soul for the 50 plate appearances Swihart has done nothing with this year?

 

What exactly do you mean? I'm sure he's giving it 100%. Many many hitters have had bad stretches of 50 PA's.

[S5Dewey]

What exactly do you mean? I'm sure he's giving it 100%. Many many hitters have had bad stretches of 50 PA's.

 

I have never questioned Swihart's effort, and I agree that 50 PA's is a small sample size. I also believe that the biggest mistake the FO made was in using up his option years when they did. It's one of the risks in bringing someone up. We'd like to give Swi 300-400 PA's but we're in a pennant race, we can't afford for him to fail, and we can't send him back down.

 

As I understand it the purpose of option years is to keep a team from stockpiling youth in the minors and not giving them a chance to play elsewhere. It would be nice if players could request another option year (or two) with their team but unfortunately that's not the way the CBA is written.

[notin]

I have never questioned Swihart's effort, and I agree that 50 PA's is a small sample size. I also believe that the biggest mistake the FO made was in using up his option years when they did. It's one of the risks in bringing someone up. We'd like to give Swi 300-400 PA's but we're in a pennant race, we can't afford for him to fail, and we can't send him back down.

 

As I understand it the purpose of option years is to keep a team from stockpiling youth in the minors and not giving them a chance to play elsewhere. It would be nice if players could request another option year (or two) with their team but unfortunately that's not the way the CBA is written.

 

 

Even if they could, why would any player do that?

 

If the option is toiling away in the same minor league system or being released and getting the opportunity to fulfill the lifelong (and very lucrative) dream of being a Major League Baseball player, I don't think very many if any would prefer to stay traveling on buses.

 

I am not a fan of sweeping generalizations to encompass the feelings of a large group of people, but this is one case where I am very confident.

 

(And technically, they can do something similar. If a player is out of options and becomes a free agent, he can re-sign with his team to a minor league deal. While a lot of players do go this route, most of them are career minor leaguers and minor league veterans who don't find better opportunities elsewhere.)

Edited June 6, 2018 by notin

[mvp 78]

Even if they could, why would any player do that?

 

If the option is toiling away in the same minor league system or being released and getting the opportunity to fulfill the lifelong (and very lucrative) dream of being a Major League Baseball player, I don't think very many if any would prefer to stay traveling on buses.

 

I am not a fan of sweeping generalizations to encompass the feelings of a large group of people, but this is one case where I am very confident.

 

(And technically, they can do something similar. If a player is out of options and becomes a free agent, he can re-sign with his team to a minor league deal. While a lot of players do go this route, most of them are career minor leaguers and minor league veterans who don't find better opportunities elsewhere.)

 

Pay everyone on the 40 man roster the MLB minimum. The players would want that.

[S5Dewey]

Even if they could, why would any player do that?

 

If the option is toiling away in the same minor league system or being released and getting the opportunity to fulfill the lifelong (and very lucrative) dream of being a Major League Baseball player, I don't think very many if any would prefer to stay traveling on buses.

 

I am not a fan of sweeping generalizations to encompass the feelings of a large group of people, but this is one case where I am very confident.

 

(And technically, they can do something similar. If a player is out of options and becomes a free agent, he can re-sign with his team to a minor league deal. While a lot of players do go this route, most of them are career minor leaguers and minor league veterans who don't find better opportunities elsewhere.)

 

I think Swi might welcome the opportunity to go to Pawtucket for another year to stay with the Sox. It would give Swi a chance to prove himself to the FO while getting more experience behind the plate. If he was successful he'd increase his value to the team and very possibly supplant one of our existing catchers. If he's not successful he'd be no worse off than he is now other than being another year older.

 

In order for Swi to become a FA wouldn't the Sox have to DFA him? And therefore wouldn't he have to clear waivers before signing a minor league deal with the Sox?

[notin]

Pay everyone on the 40 man roster the MLB minimum. The players would want that.

 

Even if that provision was added, it still wouldn't address their two biggest potential concerns.

 

1) Becoming a major leaguer. For all of these players, that has been the goal since day one. No one ever as a child dreamed of one day playing in the Pacific Coast League.

 

2) Accruing service time towards making very significant money.

[notin]

I think Swi might welcome the opportunity to go to Pawtucket for another year to stay with the Sox. It would give Swi a chance to prove himself to the FO while getting more experience behind the plate. If he was successful he'd increase his value to the team and very possibly supplant one of our existing catchers. If he's not successful he'd be no worse off than he is now other than being another year older.

 

In order for Swi to become a FA wouldn't the Sox have to DFA him? And therefore wouldn't he have to clear waivers before signing a minor league deal with the Sox?

 

I don't think Swihart would want that extra option year and would much prefer to be traded to pursue a Major League opportunity elsewhere over spending more time in Pawtucket. He didn't declare himself for the draft to become a minor leaguer. And his demand to be traded does show some evidence that he is not married to the Red Sox organization and wants to prove himself elsewhere if that is what it takes, especially since he knows he cannot be demoted regardless of where he ends up. (Remember, he asked for a trade and not to be released. If he asked to be released, it might be an indication he was open to minor league deals if all else fails.)

 

I'm sure he'd like to take over the catching duties in Boston. But I think he'd probably also prefer the chance to take them over in, say, Washington or Chicago, than in Pawtucket.

[S5Dewey]

I don't think Swihart would want that extra option year and would much prefer to be traded to pursue a Major League opportunity elsewhere over spending more time in Pawtucket. He didn't declare himself for the draft to become a minor leaguer. And his demand to be traded does show some evidence that he is not married to the Red Sox organization and wants to prove himself elsewhere if that is what it takes, especially since he knows he cannot be demoted regardless of where he ends up. (Remember, he asked for a trade and not to be released. If he asked to be released, it might be an indication he was open to minor league deals if all else fails.)

 

I'm sure he'd like to take over the catching duties in Boston. But I think he'd probably also prefer the chance to take them over in, say, Washington or Chicago, than in Pawtucket.

 

You may very well be right about that. In fact, I think the Sox are being unfair to him keeping him in limbo the way they are. Unfortunately for Swihart, Dan Butler isn't the answer for the Sox and there's nobody else who's the least bit qualified to be a ML catcher in the minors at the moment.

[mvp 78]

Even if that provision was added, it still wouldn't address their two biggest potential concerns.

 

1) Becoming a major leaguer. For all of these players, that has been the goal since day one. No one ever as a child dreamed of one day playing in the Pacific Coast League.

 

2) Accruing service time towards making very significant money.

 

If you increase option years, it's more likely they will bring you up at some point. $500k to sit on the 40 man roster sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

[notin]

You may very well be right about that. In fact, I think the Sox are being unfair to him keeping him in limbo the way they are. Unfortunately for Swihart, Dan Butler isn't the answer for the Sox and there's nobody else who's the least bit qualified to be a ML catcher in the minors at the moment.

 

Their plan for him was definitely suspect, to say the least.

 

Although it makes me think Dombrowski has a very different opinion of Swihart than Cora does...

[mvp 78]

You may very well be right about that. In fact, I think the Sox are being unfair to him keeping him in limbo the way they are. Unfortunately for Swihart, Dan Butler isn't the answer for the Sox and there's nobody else who's the least bit qualified to be a ML catcher in the minors at the moment.

 

Oscar Hernandez

[notin]

If you increase option years, it's more likely they will bring you up at some point. $500k to sit on the 40 man roster sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

 

But then it somes down to whether or not a player would want $500K to play minor league ball and wait vs making $500K to play major league ball and have every day count towards free agency. For a lot of these players, free agency is the financial payday they have worked for their entire lives.

 

Your plan might make more sense for the development of some players (like Swihart, as S5 pointed out), but that doesn't mean the players themselves want to go that route. The player and the organization can have conflicting goals in some cases, and that is possibly why they came up with the agreement as it stands...

[notin]

Oscar Hernandez

 

While he does have MLB experience, he also has only played 3 games this year and appears to be behind Butler on the depth chart.

[mvp 78]

But then it somes down to whether or not a player would want $500K to play minor league ball and wait vs making $500K to play major league ball and have every day count towards free agency. For a lot of these players, free agency is the financial payday they have worked for their entire lives.

 

Your plan might make more sense for the development of some players (like Swihart, as S5 pointed out), but that doesn't mean the players themselves want to go that route. The player and the organization can have conflicting goals in some cases, and that is possibly why they came up with the agreement as it stands...

 

They'd still get free agency at some point, but it's not like every guy gets a huge FA payday. I'm not sure why players wouldn't want to give the lowest guys a pay raise. Seems equitable to me.

[mvp 78]

While he does have MLB experience, he also has only played 3 games this year and appears to be behind Butler on the depth chart.

 

He was suspended and just came back last week. Not sure how that changes my assertion that there's more than just Dan Butler that could be qualified to be a MLB catcher...

[notin]

He was suspended and just came back last week. Not sure how that changes my assertion that there's more than just Dan Butler that could be qualified to be a MLB catcher...

 

Even with Hernandez back, I don't think catcher is the Sox top priority. At least I hope not. I have faith in Vazquez, and Leon is a prototypical backup catcher...

[jung]

If I were Swi I would want to go to a team with less financial flexibility and less ability to shove more players in my path. At the end of the day a player wants an opportunity to play at the highest level and generate the most income from his career. Swi would appear less well served staying in Boston. No matter how long Swi toils in Pawtucket, it would be more likely that he would get more MLB playing time and get it faster elsewhere.

[mvp 78]

Even with Hernandez back, I don't think catcher is the Sox top priority. At least I hope not. I have faith in Vazquez, and Leon is a prototypical backup catcher...

 

I'm fine with what they got. I think they could bring up Butler or Hernandez in a pinch if there was an injury.

[Spudboy]

Wright looked really, really solid. The weird thing about Wright compared to most knockleballers is that he throws two different knucklers, a Dickey style harder knuckler and a Wakefield style floater, and they were both dancing last night.

 

Anytime you get through 7 IP on less than 100 pitches you're doing something right. Very encouraging to see him back on his 2016 form in the early going. When he's on his game Wright is a very good starting pitcher with #3 ability. The team has got to find out if he's that guy this year. If he is, he's worth a lot more than if he's just a decent long reliever.

 

If Wright can secure that spot in the rotation and produce quality outings, the rotation as a whole starts to look very sexy indeed.

 

I think Mr. Pomeranz may have just lost his job for the time being. Anyone else agree?

 

The old time knuckler experts all agree that being able to vary the velocity of the pitch is a huge advantage.

 

The velocity range for Wright's knuckleball is said to be 67-83 mph, I believe. I may be wrong. it could be 57 mph. Either way that is f***ed up s*** right there. How does a batter get his timing down?

 

Wake had only about a 7 mph range from what I recall.

 

Pom is now on the DL. If Wright keeps throwing this way in subsequent starts it will be difficult to remove him from the rotation.