The Blake Swihart Thread

[OH FOY]

I still think some Players are still auditioning, as crazy as this sounds.

[Maxbialystock]

You have to think of who the bench is more likely to replace.

 

Moreland-Pearce: platoon at 1B, check.

 

Maybe Nunez-Devers platoon at 3B.

 

From a "positional standpoint" when and where will Holt or Phillips ever play? We certainly don't need both. Is the need to PH for Kinsler or Nunez or Devers higher than for Vaz or Leon?

 

Our biggest positional weaknesses are:

 

1) catcher offense

2) 3B defense

 

We can't do much for 3B defense, since all our 3Bmen are sub par on defense.

 

We can PH for our catcher- maybe even twice in one game.

 

Good stuff.

[Maxbialystock]

I still think some Players are still auditioning, as crazy as this sounds.

 

No question--some still are. But I think most teams fairly sure of the postseason use September for another hard look at their bench.

Edited September 6, 2018 by Maxbialystock

[sk7326]

I still think some Players are still auditioning, as crazy as this sounds.

 

i think the bullpen is very much in the air. I think the bench is much more a function of how many job openings there really are. (put another way, if we carry 11 pitchers - there will be a position ... if we carry 12, it's moot)

[moonslav59]

Exactly. Devers' *potential*, so often mentioned here, has not resulted in a decent enough performance for him to have earned a spot on the postseason roster. He may or may not eventually develop into a good every day player, but as of now, he is very raw.

 

While true, his numbers are still better than Nunez and Holt-- as is.

[moonslav59]

Good stuff.

 

Thanks.

 

JD, Betts, Bogey and Beni will play every inning of every game, unless they get hurt, or it's a blow-out. Moreland & Pearce are locked in at 1B (lefty-righty), although Pearce could move to OF in a pinch. Nunez & Devers will pretty much split time at 3B- maybe lefty-righty. Kinsler looks locked up at 2B. The only position I see a PH'er being needed- beside the 1B/3B platoons is catcher (maybe Kinsler at 2B).

[S5Dewey]

While true, his numbers are still better than Nunez and Holt-- as is.

 

Issue #1: Numbers aside, I'd rather have Nunez or Holt up in any situation.

 

Issue #2: Unless he's going to be used as a PH his presence on the field drags the team down.

 

Right now the Nats have the fewest errors in all of baseball with 55 errors and The Sox are 5th with 62 errors.. Devers has 21 errors in 105 games (or 1 error every 5 games) all by himself. If you take out Devers 21 errors the Sox are first in fewest errors with 41, 14 errors ahead of the Nats and far in the lead with fewest errors.

 

Moon made the case early in the year that the best time to have a journeyman at 3B may not be in a pennant race but that we should bite the bullet and go with him. We did. Now the regular season is over and Devers has proven that he's not (yet) ready to be considered a playoff-worthy 3B. The only way Devers should be on the roster is as a PH and I don't want to fill a roster spot with someone who's a defensive liability.

Edited September 6, 2018 by S5Dewey

[moonslav59]

Issue #1: Numbers aside, I'd rather have Nunez or Holt up in any situation.

 

Issue #2: Unless he's going to be used as a PH his presence on the field drags the team down.

 

Right now the Nats have the fewest errors in all of baseball with 55 errors and The Sox are 5th with 62 errors.. Devers has 21 errors in 105 games (or 1 error every 5 games) all by himself. If you take out Devers 21 errors the Sox are first in fewest errors with 41, 14 errors ahead of the Nats and far in the lead with fewest errors.

 

Moon made the case early in the year that the best time to have a journeyman at 3B may not be in a pennant race but that we should bite the bullet and go with him. We did. Now the regular season is over and Devers has proven that he's not (yet) ready to be considered a playoff-worthy 3B. The only way Devers should be on the roster is as a PH and I don't want to fill a roster spot with someone who's a defensive liability.

 

Nunez has looked better on defense, of late, but he's not a major improvement on defense over Devers.

 

I'd rather have Devers up to bat in the bottom of the ninth, especially if a home run is needed, over Nunez or Holt... assuming he doesn't hit .100 in September.

[S5Dewey]

Nunez has looked better on defense, of late, but he's not a major improvement on defense over Devers.

 

I'd rather have Devers up to bat in the bottom of the ninth, especially if a home run is needed, over Nunez or Holt... assuming he doesn't hit .100 in September.

 

There are only a few players on this team I'd use him to PH for. Is the chance that he might get a chance to pinch hit late in a close game a good enough reason for him to occupy a roster spot? I'd rather have a base stealer.

[moonslav59]

There are only a few players on this team I'd use him to PH for. Is the chance that he might get a chance to pinch hit late in a close game a good enough reason for him to occupy a roster spot? I'd rather have a base stealer.

 

We have no great bench base stealers on the 40 man roster.

 

How about these numbers? They're all kind of close.

 

Last 365 days:

 

1.049 Betts

.861 Bogey

.827 Beni

.768 Moreland

.727 Devers

.702 Holt

.678 Nunez

.598 Vaz

.576 Swihart

.559 Leon

 

I'm not just talking bottom of the 9th. I think Devers is a better hitter than Nunez and Holt. He went through a rough stretch before going on the DL; certainly, if he looks bad in September, I'll agree with your position, but I'm not one to think a player is only as good as his last month or two numbers say he is..

[oldtimer]

We have no great bench base stealers on the 40 man roster.

 

How about these numbers? They're all kind of close.

 

Last 365 days:

 

1.049 Betts

.861 Bogey

.827 Beni

.768 Moreland

.727 Devers

.702 Holt

.678 Nunez

.598 Vaz

.576 Swihart

.559 Leon

 

I'm not just talking bottom of the 9th. I think Devers is a better hitter than Nunez and Holt. He went through a rough stretch before going on the DL; certainly, if he looks bad in September, I'll agree with your position, but I'm not one to think a player is only as good as his last month or two numbers say he is..

 

I don't agree with picking such a long span of time for your figures. I think looking from the AS break on gives a better picture of what players arre doing now and I would stick JBJ on your list as his numbers dramatically improved over the span I suggest.

 

To me its wait and see on Devers. What I saw is a young guy who lacks plate discipline and frequently swings at balls outside the zone. He does have 3 weeks to show improvement and we do need another lefthanded power bat, so I'm open to him earning a spot, but he won't do it with his defense.

[moonslav59]

I don't agree with picking such a long span of time for your figures. I think looking from the AS break on gives a better picture of what players arre doing now and I would stick JBJ on your list as his numbers dramatically improved over the span I suggest.

 

To me its wait and see on Devers. What I saw is a young guy who lacks plate discipline and frequently swings at balls outside the zone. He does have 3 weeks to show improvement and we do need another lefthanded power bat, so I'm open to him earning a spot, but he won't do it with his defense.

 

I wasn't trying to imply the 365 day sample size is better that the 2 year, 3 year, 2 month, 3 month sample sizes.

 

I know Devers has struggled for a pretty long time. I'm just not one to put a ton of value on just relatively small and recent sample sizes. I like to look at several sample sizes together.

 

If Devers hits poorly in September, I'll almost certainly change my mind.

 

Sometimes some of the wildest, rawest and/or most undisciplined players are the ones that get to great pitchers who are wowing everyone else down.

 

(Or not, something we haven't heard for a while.)