A Realistic View at 2019: Part I

[notin]

 

I'd expect to see Chatham, Hernandez, Feltman and Dalbec in the bigs by September 2020.

 

For any team in particular?

 

I would expect Feltman in Boston before 2019 is over. Hernandez already debuted.

 

Dalbec is probably traded if Devers isn’t. Chatham became expendable when Bogaerts was extended...

[Bellhorn04]

Devers is looking better at the plate. I highly doubt he gets traded. He might be playing first next year though.

[notin]

Devers is looking better at the plate. I highly doubt he gets traded. He might be playing first next year though.

 

Possible.

 

But the fun question is - where does Chavis play? Really he isn’t going to help defensively at 2b. His best positions might be 1b or corner OF. And if he plays 1b, does that affect the status of Devers?

[jacksonianmarch]

I want to stay positive. Assuming we bring back JD Martinez, we still have a two year window before Betts departs.

 

Our bullpen is holding steady.

 

Our starters as a group is pitching somewhat better. Obviously it can't get much worse.

 

Betts bat is beginning to heat up.

 

Xander is always steady.

 

JD is our best pure hitter.

 

But for me the best has been the emergence of Chavis. Getting an opportunity to play 1B yesterday tells me that he's here to stay. He can play multiple positions. He can DH when JD plays in outfield.

He can play 1B when Pearce/Moreland are struggling. Obviously he can play 2B.

 

I would guess he'll get to play 3B soon when Devers needs a rest.

 

Chatham is off to a hot start. Maybe we'll see him in September.

 

If JD has another .300/30/100 with a .900+ OPS, he’s opting out. The Sox May try to keep him, but he’s gonna get expensive. If you keep him, theoretically, your window can stay open. But your issue now is on the pitching and offense side. Your ancillary veterans got old. Your ace lost his stuff and is now mortal. The depth on your squad is being tested and isn’t up to the test. If they don’t find it again, the likelihood of your window propping open again is minimal. This is the final year of Sox potential dominance and as of right now, it looks like it’s not materializing. Things can change

[Bellhorn04]

If JD has another .300/30/100 with a .900+ OPS, he’s opting out. The Sox May try to keep him, but he’s gonna get expensive.

 

The Sox were the only team willing to pay him last time. He'll be 2 years older this time. He's a great hitter but he's a DH. He's had some injury issues. He just missed 2 games with back spasms.

 

I think he'll stay put.

[notin]

If JD has another .300/30/100 with a .900+ OPS, he’s opting out. The Sox May try to keep him, but he’s gonna get expensive. If you keep him, theoretically, your window can stay open. But your issue now is on the pitching and offense side. Your ancillary veterans got old. Your ace lost his stuff and is now mortal. The depth on your squad is being tested and isn’t up to the test. If they don’t find it again, the likelihood of your window propping open again is minimal. This is the final year of Sox potential dominance and as of right now, it looks like it’s not materializing. Things can change

 

 

But is JD going to get more expensive? Your previous arguments hinged on him receiving more years at a lower AAV, which I would suspect Dombrowski, who has TWICE shown himself to be the only GM with any faith in Martinez, would absolutely be all over.

 

But as interest in JD was minimal 2 years ago when he was coming off a career year, not sure why he would be more attractive 2 years older with less good years remaining.

 

JD might not opt out after this year, as his salary is the same. After next year when it drops, I expect him to...

[Bellhorn04]

Possible.

 

But the fun question is - where does Chavis play? Really he isn’t going to help defensively at 2b. His best positions might be 1b or corner OF. And if he plays 1b, does that affect the status of Devers?

 

How's Chavis at third base?

[notin]

How's Chavis at third base?

 

Reportedly rather sloppy. He can throw but can get wild and doesn’t move as well on grounders to his non-glove side.

 

It seems like he fits better there than at 2b, but it wouldn’t surprise me if RF was in his future next season...

[Nick]

For any team in particular?

 

I would expect Feltman in Boston before 2019 is over. Hernandez already debuted.

 

Dalbec is probably traded if Devers isn’t. Chatham became expendable when Bogaerts was extended...

 

Chatham can play other positions. There's already talk of him playing 2B.

 

Sox staff wants to put best players on the field. They've done that with Chavis playing 2B. Some here thought there's no way he can play 2B.

 

I can see a line up

 

C Vaz

1B Devers

2B Chavis

SS Xavier

3B Dalbec

LF Chatam

 

Or some combination. I'm not hung up on who plays where. It's getting the best players on the field.

 

Many here doubted Devers and still do. I think he's here to stay.

 

Some think we've rushed Chavis. Hell, he's 23 years old. I also think he's here to stay.

 

This is one way of getting the team payroll down.

 

Devers is under team control for 5 years, Chavis for 7 years counting current season.

 

I think we all want home grown talent to succeed.

[mvp 78]

Devers is looking better at the plate. I highly doubt he gets traded. He might be playing first next year though.

 

Or DH.

[mvp 78]

Possible.

 

But the fun question is - where does Chavis play? Really he isn’t going to help defensively at 2b. His best positions might be 1b or corner OF. And if he plays 1b, does that affect the status of Devers?

 

He's not "tall enough" to play 1b.

[mvp 78]

Chatham can play other positions. There's already talk of him playing 2B.

 

Sox staff wants to put best players on the field. They've done that with Chavis playing 2B. Some here thought there's no way he can play 2B.

 

I can see a line up

 

C Vaz

1B Devers

2B Chavis

SS Xavier

3B Dalbec

LF Chatam

 

Or some combination. I'm not hung up on who plays where. It's getting the best players on the field.

 

Many here doubted Devers and still do. I think he's here to stay.

 

Some think we've rushed Chavis. Hell, he's 23 years old. I also think he's here to stay.

 

This is one way of getting the team payroll down.

 

Devers is under team control for 5 years, Chavis for 7 years counting current season.

 

I think we all want home grown talent to succeed.

 

Chatham's bat isn't good enough to play LF. He's a middle IF guy.

[mvp 78]

Reportedly rather sloppy. He can throw but can get wild and doesn’t move as well on grounders to his non-glove side.

 

It seems like he fits better there than at 2b, but it wouldn’t surprise me if RF was in his future next season...

 

Trade JBJ and move Betts to CF?

[notin]

Chatham can play other positions. There's already talk of him playing 2B.

 

Sox staff wants to put best players on the field. They've done that with Chavis playing 2B. Some here thought there's no way he can play 2B.

 

I can see a line up

 

C Vaz

1B Devers

2B Chavis

SS Xavier

3B Dalbec

LF Chatam

 

Or some combination. I'm not hung up on who plays where. It's getting the best players on the field.

 

Many here doubted Devers and still do. I think he's here to stay.

 

Some think we've rushed Chavis. Hell, he's 23 years old. I also think he's here to stay.

 

This is one way of getting the team payroll down.

 

Devers is under team control for 5 years, Chavis for 7 years counting current season.

 

I think we all want home grown talent to succeed.

 

 

Chavis at 2b and Chatham in LF?

 

It’s one thing to undervalue defense. It’s another to deliberately sabotage it...

[mvp 78]

Chavis at 2b and Chatham in LF?

 

It’s one thing to undervalue defense. It’s another to deliberately sabotage it...

 

I think this is the "throw the names in a hat" thing that has been posted on here.

[notin]

Trade JBJ and move Betts to CF?

 

 

For some reason I thought JBJ was a free agent after this season. But he’s not, not until after 2020.

 

The Sox might make the questionable move of keeping Chavis at 2b. It actually looks unwise to do so if the plan is to move Devers to 1b. Chavis may end up being trade bait for a 3b or catcher...

[oldtimer]

Chatham can play other positions. There's already talk of him playing 2B.

 

Sox staff wants to put best players on the field. They've done that with Chavis playing 2B. Some here thought there's no way he can play 2B.

 

I can see a line up

 

C Vaz

1B Devers

2B Chavis

SS Xavier

3B Dalbec

LF Chatam

 

Or some combination. I'm not hung up on who plays where. It's getting the best players on the field.

 

Many here doubted Devers and still do. I think he's here to stay.

 

Some think we've rushed Chavis. Hell, he's 23 years old. I also think he's here to stay.

 

This is one way of getting the team payroll down.

 

Devers is under team control for 5 years, Chavis for 7 years counting current season.

 

I think we all want home grown talent to succeed.

 

Which field players will be leaving next year to allow some of our lower cost younger guys to come up? My list would include Pearce, Holt, Nunez, Leon, Pedroiia and Moreland. I would also advocate replacing JBJ. Getting rid of the often injured guys who are not providing much to the team while lowering salary is a reasonable thing to do. It might well improve the team while allowing for more resources for pitching.

 

Making those moves would open the opportunity to move Devers to 1st and Chavis to 3rd. Second base would be open and so would the backup catching role along with 2 utility positions. Chatam is a possibility at 2nd, Lin as utility and Dalbec as utility at 3rd and 1st with lots of flexibility for designated hitter. Might have to go to the FA market for CF and Catcher.

[moonslav59]

I could see this next year (assuming JBJ is traded):

 

C: Vaz & Leon

1B: Devers

2B: Chatham & Holt

3B: Dalbec (Chavis/Devers)

SS: Bogey

LF: JD/Beni

CF: Betts

RF: Beni/JD

DH: Chavis (JD)

 

We may sign a cheap corner IF'er who can play LF.

 

[oldtimer]

Chatham can play other positions. There's already talk of him playing 2B.

 

Sox staff wants to put best players on the field. They've done that with Chavis playing 2B. Some here thought there's no way he can play 2B.

 

I can see a line up

 

C Vaz

1B Devers

2B Chavis

SS Xavier

3B Dalbec

LF Chatam

 

Or some combination. I'm not hung up on who plays where. It's getting the best players on the field.

 

Many here doubted Devers and still do. I think he's here to stay.

 

Some think we've rushed Chavis. Hell, he's 23 years old. I also think he's here to stay.

 

This is one way of getting the team payroll down.

 

Devers is under team control for 5 years, Chavis for 7 years counting current season.

 

I think we all want home grown talent to succeed.

 

My view is the current team is heavy with older and often injured guys who have not been contributing much to the team. Why not clear those guys out and bring up our younger players to cut costs and to improve performance, while leaving resources for improvements in pitching? I would drop Nunez, Holt, Pearce, Pedroia, Leon and Moreland next season and also move JBJ.

 

We might have eat some contracts but that would allow us to move Devers to 1st, Chavis to 3rd, open 2nd for Chatam if he can handle it, open utility positions for Lin and Dalbec and give us an opportunity to sign an upgrade in CF and backup catcher. Dalbec can backup 3rd and 1st while Lin and Chatam are capable of backing up SS if needed and Lin can also sub into the outfield.

[Nick]

I could see this next year (assuming JBJ is traded):

 

C: Vaz & Leon

1B: Devers

2B: Chatham & Holt

3B: Dalbec (Chavis/Devers)

SS: Bogey

LF: JD/Beni

CF: Betts

RF: Beni/JD

DH: Chavis (JD)

 

We may sign a cheap corner IF'er who can play LF.

 

 

 

We're kind of stuck with our starting rotation for time being but I think they'll all come around. I'm still glad that we signed Eovaldi and extended Sale.

 

We do need someone from the farm to step in for Porcello next year.

[moonslav59]

We're kind of stuck with our starting rotation for time being but I think they'll all come around. I'm still glad that we signed Eovaldi and extended Sale.

 

We do need someone from the farm to step in for Porcello next year.

 

I like DHernandez... maybe Shawaryn can be a decent 5th starter.

 

We have Johnson, Velazquez & Wright to fall back on.

[mvp 78]

I like DHernandez... maybe Shawaryn can be a decent 5th starter.

 

We have Johnson, Velazquez & Wright to fall back on.

 

Brian Johnson flat out stinks. Wright is perpetually injured or on some reserve list for beating his wife or PED's. Velaz is fine. I wouldn't want him penciled in every 5th day though.

[moonslav59]

Brian Johnson flat out stinks. Wright is perpetually injured or on some reserve list for beating his wife or PED's. Velaz is fine. I wouldn't want him penciled in every 5th day though.

 

Me neither.

 

If we reset the tax next year, we may be stuck with only in-house choices.

 

I like DHernandez as the best chance of winning the 5 slot.

[notin]

My view is the current team is heavy with older and often injured guys who have not been contributing much to the team. Why not clear those guys out and bring up our younger players to cut costs and to improve performance, while leaving resources for improvements in pitching? I would drop Nunez, Holt, Pearce, Pedroia, Leon and Moreland next season and also move JBJ.

 

We might have eat some contracts but that would allow us to move Devers to 1st, Chavis to 3rd, open 2nd for Chatam if he can handle it, open utility positions for Lin and Dalbec and give us an opportunity to sign an upgrade in CF and backup catcher. Dalbec can backup 3rd and 1st while Lin and Chatam are capable of backing up SS if needed and Lin can also sub into the outfield.

 

Nunez, Holt, Pearce and Moreland are all free agents after this season. Pedroia is unmovable. Bradley is the only tradable piece and if he is as bad as many think, who’d want him?

 

The Sox will use a cheap farm product or two next season. Likely Chavis and Lin. I doubt they go with too many rookies, because, well, teams with too many rookies tend to suck. And while Chatham, Dalbec, Hernandez, etc. are the best the Sox have, that doesn’t mean they’ll all be good. They’re not exactly Harper, Strasburg and Rendon. None have ever even been ranked.

 

More likely, our wheeling-and-dealing GM /President trades some of them for more established payers.

 

But regardless, they won’t bring up Dalbec and Chatham to be backups, just like they didn’t bring up Chavis to sit on the bench. They’re much more likely to sign some sort of Lonnie Chisenhall-type player to be a bench bat...

[moonslav59]

Nunez, Holt, Pearce and Moreland are all free agents after this season. Pedroia is unmovable. Bradley is the only tradable piece and if he is as bad as many think, who’d want him?

 

The Sox will use a cheap farm product or two next season. Likely Chavis and Lin. I doubt they go with too many rookies, because, well, teams with too many rookies tend to suck. And while Chatham, Dalbec, Hernandez, etc. are the best the Sox have, that doesn’t mean they’ll all be good. They’re not exactly Harper, Strasburg and Rendon. None have ever even been ranked.

 

More likely, our wheeling-and-dealing GM /President trades some of them for more established payers.

 

But regardless, they won’t bring up Dalbec and Chatham to be backups, just like they didn’t bring up Chavis to sit on the bench. They’re much more likely to sign some sort of Lonnie Chisenhall-type player to be a bench bat...

 

I agree, but if we trade JBJ and use JD in the OF a lot or even half the time, Dalbec, Chavis and Devers can all get plenty of playing time at 3B, 1B and DH. They won't be bench riders.

[notin]

I agree, but if we trade JBJ and use JD in the OF a lot or even half the time, Dalbec, Chavis and Devers can all get plenty of playing time at 3B, 1B and DH. They won't be bench riders.

 

 

So trade Bradley to start Dalbec? What if Dalbec has a .421 OPS? He currently has a .700 against AA pitching. He struck out over 37% of the time against A ball and AA ball pitching the last two seasons.

 

Now you have the same offense and weaker OF defense to boot...

Edited April 30, 2019 by notin

[dgalehouse]

We should look to fill out the rotation with young , hard throwers . Our minor league hopefuls may be better than we think . Let's not pin our hopes on guys like Johnson , Velazquez and ( least of all ) problem child Wright .

[moonslav59]

So trade Bradley to start Dalbec? What if Dalbec has a .421 OPS? He currently has a .700 against AA pitching. He struck out over 37% of the time against A ball and AA ball pitching the last two seasons.

 

Now you have the same offense and weaker OF defense to boot...

 

You know I'm not for trading JBJ, but as you mentioned, he's the most likely cost-cutting trade we could make this winter.

[mvp 78]

You know I'm not for trading JBJ, but as you mentioned, he's the most likely cost-cutting trade we could make this winter.

 

Look at the season that Adam Jones is having, then look at what JBJ will have in arbitration next year. Not sure he's likely to be traded.

[notin]

You know I'm not for trading JBJ, but as you mentioned, he's the most likely cost-cutting trade we could make this winter.

 

 

The Sox aren’t resetting unless JDM walks and they avoid re-signing him. They have $111 mill committed to Price, Sale, Eovaldi, Vazquez, Pedroia and Bogaerts, and more depending on what Betts and ERod get, which should combine for over $30mill. That leaves just over $36mill to fill 19 or 20 roster spots, depending on Pedroia’s health. If JD doesn’t opt out, the Sox have another $21mill committed and still need 18 to 19 MLB players (plus up to 15 more players on the 40-man roster.) They can’t get under the limit even if everyone makes minimum wage.

 

So why cut costs on a player with one year left (after this year)?