Red Sox Sign Enrique Hernandez

[Kimmi]

i think Kike is the other CF. I don’t think there will be another defensive CFer picked up.

 

That could be. I prefer that neither Beni nor Verdugo is our everyday CFer though.

[Kimmi]

So let me understand: there are those here arguing that a guy marginally better than Holt is worth 10x his salary? But super-stars are simply a luxury Boston cannot afford?

 

It's funny that I am seeing this argument from the other side. There are some here that are criticizing signing a player for $7 mil for two years but would happily hand out a contract for $350+ mil for 12 years. Yes, I understand that Mookie is a much better player, but I don't get that thinking at all.

[Kimmi]

I don't have a problem with this move. While not what you would call a game changer, Hernandez is a versatile player who adds a little right handed pop to the lineup. That should play well at Fenway.

 

Admittedly, I have not seen him play a lot. But I read a few comments from Dodgers fans, and they are all sad to see him go and feel that the Sox are getting a great addition. I have a feeling that he will be a very solid and well liked player.

[jad]

It's funny that I am seeing this argument from the other side. There are some here that are criticizing signing a player for $7 mil for two years but would happily hand out a contract for $350+ mil for 12 years. Yes, I understand that Mookie is a much better player, but I don't get that thinking at all.

 

You don't get the thinking that we'd rather have good players than mediocre players, even though good players are more expensive? I get that people might not agree with that as a way to improving the team, but you can't really argue (unless Bloom is passing out Cool-Aid) that its not reasonable or that it's just too difficult to understand.

[moonslav59]

Not that $13M was enough to bring Kluber here, but how many think...

 

$13M Kluber > $10M Richards?

[Larry Cook]

Someone said he hits lefties well. That is a much needed “plus” if true.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Not that $13M was enough to bring Kluber here, but how many think...

 

$13M Kluber > $10M Richards?

 

Not me, and here's my warped it's-already-2021, only-three-weeks-from-Spring Training thoughts: Richards was throwing 95 mph last summer. Kluber maxed out at 90 in his showcase last week. If you had to wager, which guy coming back from injury was more apt to throw his arm out trying to impress scouts and land a contract -- and will maybe never throw harder than that in the coming season?

[notin]

You don't get the thinking that we'd rather have good players than mediocre players, even though good players are more expensive? I get that people might not agree with that as a way to improving the team, but you can't really argue (unless Bloom is passing out Cool-Aid) that its not reasonable or that it's just too difficult to understand.

 

The conundrum is that good players can get so expensive, teams can only afford so many. A team with a good farm system can afford more of them as they would have more minimum wage players. But the Sox do not have that luxury. So have they reached their current limit of $20mill+ players? I think they have 3 in Bogaerts, Martinez and Sale...

[harmony]

The conundrum is that good players can get so expensive, teams can only afford so many. A team with a good farm system can afford more of them as they would have more minimum wage players. But the Sox do not have that luxury. So have they reached their current limit of $20mill+ players? I think they have 3 in Bogaerts, Martinez and Sale...

Nathan Eovaldi isn't far behind with a $17 million annual salary.

[moonslav59]

So, a one year deal for Richards basically punts the pitching staff decision to next winter.

 

Maybe better pitchers will be available.

Maybe the economic outlook will look more stable.

Maybe we will decide to cross the lux line significantly.

 

Pedey's contract comes off the books while JD and Eovaldi's a winding down to their last seasons on the books.

 

I'm waiting for a trade now- maybe Beni for a CF'er or RP'er or both. Maybe Beni for prospects, and we sign Pillar.

[a700hitter]

A "bridge year"?

[notin]

A "bridge year"?

 

During that first off-season when Theo used the phrase “bridge year”, he also signed John Lackey. But a lot of people got caught up in the phrase itself and made it a much bigger deal than it ever should have been..

[notin]

Nathan Eovaldi isn't far behind with a $17 million annual salary.

 

Also Price is still owed $15mill...

[jacksonianmarch]

I do not like this move from a Sox fan perspective. His 2018 was a career year, but something broke in him after that. K rate jumped back up, but BB rate plummeted. He’s got good power for a 2b, but has consistently showed low BABIP even with a 20% K rate. He’s versatile and would be a reasonable pickup on a 1 year $3 mil deal, but $14 mil and a 2 year commitment is strange to me.

[moonslav59]

I do not like this move from a Sox fan perspective. His 2018 was a career year, but something broke in him after that. K rate jumped back up, but BB rate plummeted. He’s got good power for a 2b, but has consistently showed low BABIP even with a 20% K rate. He’s versatile and would be a reasonable pickup on a 1 year $3 mil deal, but $14 mil and a 2 year commitment is strange to me.

 

To be honest, I expected a $7M/2 deal- maybe $8 or $9M, and he got double. Maybe with budget constraints on so many teams, the competition for mid range deals has driven their prices up.

 

These mid range deals are often hard to judge. Last winter, I thought the Perez ($6M), Pillar ($4.5M), Moreland ($3M), Peraza ($3M) and Plawecki $900K) deals were very questionable, but I figured Bloom had a good track record at finding "diamonds in the rough," and I knew we were all about "the reset," so I wasn't critical.

 

As it turned out, 4 of the 5 did better than I expected- only Peraza was a clear dud, but at $3M, it was no biggie.

 

We ended up getting Hudson Potts, Jeisson Rosario (my sleeper prospect) and Jacob Wallace for Moreland and Pillar. We probably should have traded Perez, too.

[notin]

I do not like this move from a Sox fan perspective. His 2018 was a career year, but something broke in him after that. K rate jumped back up, but BB rate plummeted. He’s got good power for a 2b, but has consistently showed low BABIP even with a 20% K rate. He’s versatile and would be a reasonable pickup on a 1 year $3 mil deal, but $14 mil and a 2 year commitment is strange to me.

 

Hernandez has averaged 248 PA/fWAR over the past 3 seasons.

 

Jurickson Profar has averaged 271PA/fWAR over the past 3 years.

 

Both players received $7mill AAV, but Hernandez got fewer years despite performing slightly better...

[mvp 78]

That Profar contract was a warning sign about Kiké’s deal.

[harmony]

Hernandez has averaged 248 PA/fWAR over the past 3 seasons.

 

Jurickson Profar has averaged 271PA/fWAR over the past 3 years.

 

Both players received $7mill AAV, but Hernandez got fewer years despite performing slightly better...

Did Xander Bogaerts, Jurickson Profar's teammate on The Netherlands' World Baseball Classic team in 2017, have any influence on Profar's decision?

 

Netherlands' roster announced for 2017 WBC

WWW.MLB.COM

---

The World Baseball Classic is just around the corner, and we now know which players will be taking the field as part of the international tournament. The rosters for the 16 competing nations were unveiled Wednesday evening on MLB Network.The Netherlands team boasts a loaded infield with five big leaguers,

 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Curacao/@12.169359,-69.6851845,9z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x8e849dca0d03000b:0x6fe4811f5861c52b!8m2!3d12.1224221!4d-68.8824233

[mvp 78]

@redsoxstats

Kiké didn't play on June 16-18, since his return on the 19th he's gone 9-30, 4 2B, 3 HR, 5 BB, 6 K, 300/395/733

 

His batting is approaching league average, he's +5 defensive runs saved, and he's on pace for a 3-3.5 bWAR season.

[Bellhorn04]

@redsoxstats

Kiké didn't play on June 16-18, since his return on the 19th he's gone 9-30, 4 2B, 3 HR, 5 BB, 6 K, 300/395/733

 

His batting is approaching league average, he's +5 defensive runs saved, and he's on pace for a 3-3.5 bWAR season.

 

So he might be worth $7 mill after all?

[mvp 78]

So he might be worth $7 mill after all?

 

I think he's worth it. I'm just not sold on him hitting lead off.

[Bellhorn04]

I think he's worth it. I'm just not sold on him hitting lead off.

 

He's up to .727 hitting leadoff. That's only 50 points below Verdugo right now. We're not really talking dramatic differences any more.

[Maxbialystock]

I think he's worth it. I'm just not sold on him hitting lead off.

 

On paper--his MLB track record--I wouldn't think so. But Bloom has done pretty good finding/picking up players.

 

As for leading off, it's a simple fact that no Sox player has done that well this year. Indeed, I think most or all of them don't want to lead off. So, Kike's recent and modest (short term) success leading off is a veritable bonanza.

[Kimmi]

Kike 'Freakin' Hernandez

 

That is all.

[Bellhorn04]

The complaints about Kike making $7 million have been rather ludicrous...

 

Bloom knows what he's doing.

[moonslav59]

The complaints about Kike making $7 million have been rather ludicrous...

 

Bloom knows what he's doing.

 

His contract is barely 1/4 over, yet he was judged harshly by many.

 

Even at his worst, he was only 80 points below his career OPS

[mvp 78]

The complaints about Kike making $7 million have been rather ludicrous...

 

Bloom knows what he's doing.

 

Who is complaining?

[moonslav59]

Who is complaining?

 

“Have been” implies past tense.