A Realistic View at 2019: Part II

[Nick]

I'm bummed that Marco Hernandez is down at Pawtucket. I think he's proven he's ready for the major leagues. What should the Sox do with him?

 

I want him to be our starting 2B next year. I think he's solid.

[Bellhorn04]

Bring him back. Send Travis down.

 

The Red Sox obviously like having a right handed bat available off the bench.

 

Hernandez has done very well, but he's kind of redundant with Holt also playing well.

[Slasher9]

The Red Sox obviously like having a right handed bat available off the bench.

 

Hernandez has done very well, but he's kind of redundant with Holt also playing well.

 

this right here.

[notin]

this right here.

 

Next season, I think Hernandez and Lin take the roster spots occupied by Holt and Nunez...

[a700hitter]

Next season, I think Hernandez and Lin take the roster spots occupied by Holt and Nunez...

I am not seeing Lin getting a spot.

[notin]

I am not seeing Lin getting a spot.

 

They might retain Holt, who has expressed strong desire to stay. But both Lin and Hernandez will be out of options, so they either get a spot or get lost...

[moonslav59]

I was Marco's biggest supporter for 3 plus years, but I am not sold on his being counted on for anything more than a utility role.

 

He has to prove 2 major things, to me:

 

1) Durability

 

2) Performance level over a valid sample size.

[oldtimer]

I was Marco's biggest supporter for 3 plus years, but I am not sold on his being counted on for anything more than a utility role.

 

He has to prove 2 major things, to me:

 

1) Durability

 

2) Performance level over a valid sample size.

 

He is not likely to get a valid sample size before he runs out of options, so it will have to be based on what you have seen.

[Maxbialystock]

He is not likely to get a valid sample size before he runs out of options, so it will have to be based on what you have seen.

 

Oh, I love it. Sending sample size--moonslav59's favorite catchall--right back to him. He's got a point though. We have seen a good sample size on Chavis. He had an OPS of 1.061 in April, then .788 in May, .730 in June, and .729 in July. We've only seen 62 at bats with Marco this year, but they have been choice-OPS of .859. Plus he's a better fielder at 2b.

 

As others have said, however, Hernandez is so much like Holt: both bat lefty and can play 2b or SS or 3b, and Holt has a huge sample size and some pretty good success to go with it.

[moonslav59]

He is not likely to get a valid sample size before he runs out of options, so it will have to be based on what you have seen.

 

He should have a chance to prove he deserves a shot at winning the 2B job next year, and has all next year to produce. His last arb year is 2022, so he has 2.3 years left.

 

He needs to stay healthy.

 

He needs to show he can play steady D.

 

He needs to over.750, unless he can play plus D.

[notin]

Oh, I love it. Sending sample size--moonslav59's favorite catchall--right back to him. He's got a point though. We have seen a good sample size on Chavis. He had an OPS of 1.061 in April, then .788 in May, .730 in June, and .729 in July. We've only seen 62 at bats with Marco this year, but they have been choice-OPS of .859. Plus he's a better fielder at 2b.

 

As others have said, however, Hernandez is so much like Holt: both bat lefty and can play 2b or SS or 3b, and Holt has a huge sample size and some pretty good success to go with it.

 

Next year might be a different matter, as Hernandez still works for league minimum...

[moonslav59]

Oh, I love it. Sending sample size--moonslav59's favorite catchall--right back to him. He's got a point though. We have seen a good sample size on Chavis. He had an OPS of 1.061 in April, then .788 in May, .730 in June, and .729 in July. We've only seen 62 at bats with Marco this year, but they have been choice-OPS of .859. Plus he's a better fielder at 2b.

 

As others have said, however, Hernandez is so much like Holt: both bat lefty and can play 2b or SS or 3b, and Holt has a huge sample size and some pretty good success to go with it.

 

I don't think the sample size of Chavis is big enough. Marco's is fraction of MC's.

 

Chavis is at .702 since May 6th. That's 281 out of his 344 PAs this season.

 

Chavis & Marco still have a lot to prove.

 

Look, I've said all along I'm for not signing any right side IF'ers this winter. Let's save some money and go with Chavis, Marco, Dalbec, Chatham and Lin. Maybe bring back Holt, if he does not cost too much. If we end up competing next year and need to upgrade, we can deal with that at the 2020 deadline.

 

My point is that we should not count on either of them as sure bet ML'ers, let alone pluses this early in their career. Chavis's offense would be a plus at 2B, but he has to improve to be a plus at 2B. Marco has to prove he can stay healthy AND hit well enough. He's doing well at AAA, now, so there is hope, but he is far from proven.

[oldtimer]

On another note, be pleased that we didn't have the resources to keep Kimbrel. His results so far have been poor and he went for a big contract. Sometimes we have to be smart or just plain lucky.

[moonslav59]

On another note, be pleased that we didn't have the resources to keep Kimbrel. His results so far have been poor and he went for a big contract. Sometimes we have to be smart or just plain lucky.

 

I doubt we'd have kept Kimbrel, even if we had $20M more "cap space."

[Kimmi]

On another note, be pleased that we didn't have the resources to keep Kimbrel. His results so far have been poor and he went for a big contract. Sometimes we have to be smart or just plain lucky.

 

Anytime you don't offer an aging reliever who has shown signs of decline a large contract, that's smart, not lucky.

 

That said, in Kimbrel's defense, it is too early to write him off or to say that his contract will be a mistake. I would not have given him that deal, but he may still end up being well worth it.

[S5Dewey]

To the "Realistic" thread on Trade Day..

 

Here's what I see as being Realistic -

Barring one of those "anything can happen" scenarios this team definitely isn't good enough to win the WS.

They're probably not good enough to win the ALCS.

They might be able to win their ALDS series.

But only if they win the WC game, which is a crap shoot in itself.

 

They don't have enough prospects to make a trade for a pitcher that will significantly help the rotation or the bullpen.

 

Given all of that I DO NOT want to see DD do something that will hamper this team in 2020 just so he can "do SOMETHING even if it isn't right". If he can make some small move that will make this team more palatable and help get them into the WC game I'm all for it but he should not be mortgaging the future of the Boston Red Sox in hopes of getting into the WC game when the rest of the pitching staff may not even be good enough to even get through the ALDS.

 

I'm disappointed in this team but I've been disappointed before and lived through it. My "goal" for this team right now is for the rotation to start to look like last year's rotation so we don't part with some pitcher(s) who play well for someone else next year after having slumped in 2019.

[jung]

To the "Realistic" thread on Trade Day..

 

Here's what I see as being Realistic -

Barring one of those "anything can happen" scenarios this team definitely isn't good enough to win the WS.

They're probably not good enough to win the ALCS.

They might be able to win their ALDS series.

But only if they win the WC game, which is a crap shoot in itself.

 

They don't have enough prospects to make a trade for a pitcher that will significantly help the rotation or the bullpen.

 

Given all of that I DO NOT want to see DD do something that will hamper this team in 2020 just so he can "do SOMETHING even if it isn't right". If he can make some small move that will make this team more palatable and help get them into the WC game I'm all for it but he should not be mortgaging the future of the Boston Red Sox in hopes of getting into the WC game when the rest of the pitching staff may not even be good enough to even get through the ALDS.

 

I'm disappointed in this team but I've been disappointed before and lived through it. My "goal" for this team right now is for the rotation to start to look like last year's rotation so we don't part with some pitcher(s) who play well for someone else next year after having slumped in 2019.

 

Hey at least we might be able to look forward to more hysterically funny, yet interesting and tight games like the Rays game last night. Just wish we had won the thing. But it was a very interesting game, full of Cash idiocy and stat-master idiocy and whacky shifts all over the place, lousy AB's mainly from the Rays and lousy pitching mainly from us. It does make for interesting viewing though.

 

I have resigned myself to the worst as a Red Sox fan for this year and have totally unbridled myself to enjoy what actual baseball there is and laugh at the mountainous pile of MLB nonsense.

[notin]

While I think Kimbrel is slowing down from his Cooperstown Pace, it might be worth considering he would be doing better had he actually gone to Spring Training somewhere...

[Slasher9]

I doubt we'd have kept Kimbrel, even if we had $20M more "cap space."

 

we did offer him the QO though? it was close to $20MM

[Slasher9]

To the "Realistic" thread on Trade Day..

 

Here's what I see as being Realistic -

Barring one of those "anything can happen" scenarios this team definitely isn't good enough to win the WS.

They're probably not good enough to win the ALCS.

They might be able to win their ALDS series.

But only if they win the WC game, which is a crap shoot in itself.

 

They don't have enough prospects to make a trade for a pitcher that will significantly help the rotation or the bullpen.

 

Given all of that I DO NOT want to see DD do something that will hamper this team in 2020 just so he can "do SOMETHING even if it isn't right". If he can make some small move that will make this team more palatable and help get them into the WC game I'm all for it but he should not be mortgaging the future of the Boston Red Sox in hopes of getting into the WC game when the rest of the pitching staff may not even be good enough to even get through the ALDS.

 

I'm disappointed in this team but I've been disappointed before and lived through it. My "goal" for this team right now is for the rotation to start to look like last year's rotation so we don't part with some pitcher(s) who play well for someone else next year after having slumped in 2019.

 

my thoughts as well. you said it way more better than i of course....

[Bellhorn04]

While I think Kimbrel is slowing down from his Cooperstown Pace, it might be worth considering he would be doing better had he actually gone to Spring Training somewhere...

 

True, but his 2018 post-ASB and postseason numbers were not very pretty either.

[Slasher9]

While I think Kimbrel is slowing down from his Cooperstown Pace, it might be worth considering he would be doing better had he actually gone to Spring Training somewhere...

 

i dont know about that. WTF says pitchers will be better with lack of ST....still awaiting evidence of that but that was the mantra all spring....

[dgalehouse]

As the deadline nears , if the season ended today , the Sox would be going home . The question is , how did this happen ?

[Kimmi]

To the "Realistic" thread on Trade Day..

 

Here's what I see as being Realistic -

Barring one of those "anything can happen" scenarios this team definitely isn't good enough to win the WS.

They're probably not good enough to win the ALCS.

They might be able to win their ALDS series.

But only if they win the WC game, which is a crap shoot in itself.

 

They don't have enough prospects to make a trade for a pitcher that will significantly help the rotation or the bullpen.

 

Given all of that I DO NOT want to see DD do something that will hamper this team in 2020 just so he can "do SOMETHING even if it isn't right". If he can make some small move that will make this team more palatable and help get them into the WC game I'm all for it but he should not be mortgaging the future of the Boston Red Sox in hopes of getting into the WC game when the rest of the pitching staff may not even be good enough to even get through the ALDS.

 

I'm disappointed in this team but I've been disappointed before and lived through it. My "goal" for this team right now is for the rotation to start to look like last year's rotation so we don't part with some pitcher(s) who play well for someone else next year after having slumped in 2019.

 

The team does not need any significant upgrades. It needs some bullpen depth (solid middle reliever or two) and it needs the starters to get their **** together.

 

I agree that I don't want Dombrowski to make a stupid or over the top move. His deadline moves have been pretty good, so I suppose we'll get a decent reliever at minimal cost.

 

What a difference a couple of days make, though. We went from thinking the worst after the Baltimore series, to thinking this team has a good chance during the first series against the Rays and the Yankees, to this team doesn't have it after the last two games.

 

Not me, of course. My optimism for this team has not wavered. We will be playing baseball in October.

[notin]

i dont know about that. WTF says pitchers will be better with lack of ST....still awaiting evidence of that but that was the mantra all spring....

 

Have you ever seen a player - hitter or pitcher - hold out that long and not struggle?

[kenmeister]

we did offer him the QO though? it was close to $20MM

 

Yes exactly it was an extremely generous offer albeit for one year, and I feel no pity for his plight.

[Kimmi]

Hey at least we might be able to look forward to more hysterically funny, yet interesting and tight games like the Rays game last night. Just wish we had won the thing. But it was a very interesting game, full of Cash idiocy and stat-master idiocy and whacky shifts all over the place, lousy AB's mainly from the Rays and lousy pitching mainly from us. It does make for interesting viewing though.

 

I have resigned myself to the worst as a Red Sox fan for this year and have totally unbridled myself to enjoy what actual baseball there is and laugh at the mountainous pile of MLB nonsense.

 

I was a manager Cash fan, at first. Probably because I thought pretty much anyone was an improvement over Maddon. However, as time goes on, I'm beginning to think that Cash is Maddon 2.0. Quit micromanaging and let the players play.

 

As far as Stat-Masterson goes, he's the best.

[Slasher9]

Have you ever seen a player - hitter or pitcher - hold out that long and not struggle?

 

never. that's what made WTF's decision this spring so vexing.

[Bellhorn04]

As the deadline nears , if the season ended today , the Sox would be going home . The question is , how did this happen ?

 

It's simple, really. Our horses, Sale, Price and Porcello, are letting us down. And the bullpen is mediocre. So it's all pitching.

[Bellhorn04]

Have you ever seen a player - hitter or pitcher - hold out that long and not struggle?

 

never. that's what made WTF's decision this spring so vexing.

 

Well, let's see, 2 guys held out, Kimbrel and Keuchel. And Keuchel has pitched about exactly as expected.