A Realistic View at 2021: Part II

[Maxbialystock]

Bloom and Cora get paid to make all these tough decisions.

 

We should just sit back and relax.

 

:D

 

That's a cheap shot, but I for one deserve it. I think Bloom and Cora have been fantastic, but where's the fun in that? We gotta have something to talk about.

[Bellhorn04]

Houck is pitching for Worcester today. He's been pitching very solidly there. 20 K's vs. 1 walk! We should be seeing him again soon.

[Hugh2]

Well I think it’s fair to say my prediction of a Duran call up on July was wrong.

 

This may partially be due to how well the team is playing, particularly Santana who was hitting really well the past week. Although his 0-5 last night brought him down to .267/.313/.400, which is not bad but not great.

 

I also factored in the Sox history of bringing guys up during west coast trips as precedent, which made the trip out Oakland an attractive guess.

[moonslav59]

I’m thinking we make some in system roster moves at the all star break.

[Bellhorn04]

Well I think it’s fair to say my prediction of a Duran call up on July was wrong.

 

This may partially be due to how well the team is playing, particularly Santana who was hitting really well the past week. Although his 0-5 last night brought him down to .267/.313/.400, which is not bad but not great.

 

I also factored in the Sox history of bringing guys up during west coast trips as precedent, which made the trip out Oakland an attractive guess.

 

Santana is a bench guy and rightfully so.

 

Our A team right now has Verdugo, Kike and Renfroe in the outfield and Arroyo at second.

 

The only way Duran can come up and play every day is by replacing Kike, and Kike has a 2.0 bWAR.

[illinoisredsox]

Well I think it’s fair to say my prediction of a Duran call up on July was wrong.

 

This may partially be due to how well the team is playing, particularly Santana who was hitting really well the past week. Although his 0-5 last night brought him down to .267/.313/.400, which is not bad but not great.

 

I also factored in the Sox history of bringing guys up during west coast trips as precedent, which made the trip out Oakland an attractive guess.

 

Well, he didn't make the Olympic team, so that factor is off the table (one of the reasons is because the Red Sox said they wanted to be able to call him up at anytime).

 

However, unless there is an injury to one of the OFs (and it would probably have to be Verdugo or Renfroe), he will stay at Worcester; he's not going to come up to sit on the bench.

[Hugh2]

Well, he didn't make the Olympic team, so that factor is off the table (one of the reasons is because the Red Sox said they wanted to be able to call him up at anytime).

 

However, unless there is an injury to one of the OFs (and it would probably have to be Verdugo or Renfroe), he will stay at Worcester; he's not going to come up to sit on the bench.

 

You hit the nail on the head. We don’t know how well Duran might pan out in the majors but you take a prospect with his pedigree and turn him into a bench guy.

[Bellhorn04]

I do one have one question - Rios. Not sure what made anyone think this guy could help. I can't find one good thing in his numbers, and I tried.

[moonslav59]

Santana is a bench guy and rightfully so.

 

Our A team right now has Verdugo, Kike and Renfroe in the outfield and Arroyo at second.

 

The only way Duran can come up and play every day is by replacing Kike, and Kike has a 2.0 bWAR.

 

Stop making sense. You are bursting many posters’ dream bubbles.

[moonslav59]

I do one have one question - Rios. Not sure what made anyone think this guy could help. I can't find one good thing in his numbers, and I tried.

 

Nothing in the minors, either.

[notin]

Santana is a bench guy and rightfully so.

 

Our A team right now has Verdugo, Kike and Renfroe in the outfield and Arroyo at second.

 

The only way Duran can come up and play every day is by replacing Kike, and Kike has a 2.0 bWAR.

 

 

Or Arroyo, which seems more likely as Arroyo seems to visit the IL with moderate frequency…

[moonslav59]

Or Arroyo, which seems more likely as Arroyo seems to visit the IL with moderate frequency…

 

Since Kike can play 2B and even 1B, there are a few ways to work Duran into a near FT role without benching Kike.

 

They could play Kike, Arroyo and Dalbec equally at 2B/1B or platoon Arroyo and Dalbec with Kike playing where the one on the bench normally plays.

[notin]

Since Kike can play 2B and even 1B, there are a few ways to work Duran into a near FT role without benching Kike.

 

They could play Kike, Arroyo and Dalbec equally at 2B/1B or platoon Arroyo and Dalbec with Kike playing where the one on the bench normally plays.

 

 

Does it really make sense to limit one rookie to accommodate full time play for another?

[moonslav59]

Does it really make sense to limit one rookie to accommodate full time play for another?

 

I’m not advocating what I presented, but just pointing out the fact that it is not just Kike vs Duran.

 

With Dalbec’s issues and Arroyo’s injuries, maybe we can play Duran near FT without really benching anyone but Santana.

 

Plus, this whole scenario presented is based on the assumption Duran is ML ready. I’m not sure if that’s true, yet.

[oldtimer]

Santana is a bench guy and rightfully so.

 

Our A team right now has Verdugo, Kike and Renfroe in the outfield and Arroyo at second.

 

The only way Duran can come up and play every day is by replacing Kike, and Kike has a 2.0 bWAR.

 

Can Kike play 1st base?

[moonslav59]

Can Kike play 1st base?

 

Yes, he has quite a bit- 15 career games (89 innings).

[Bellhorn04]

Can Kike play 1st base?

 

We might see that down the road.

[oldtimer]

I’m not advocating what I presented, but just pointing out the fact that it is not just Kike vs Duran.

 

With Dalbec’s issues and Arroyo’s injuries, maybe we can play Duran near FT without really benching anyone but Santana.

 

Plus, this whole scenario presented is based on the assumption Duran is ML ready. I’m not sure if that’s true, yet.

 

The question in my mind is he worth trying instead of Santana. To me, the answer is yes. Maybe Cora is just stubbornly loyal. He has stated he wants to stick with Andriese after a very weak May, June and now the start of July. I question that part of what he is doing, but overall he has been excellent.

[iortiz]

Every option he had at that point was a gamble

 

Who was available and worse than Andriese?

[Bellhorn04]

Who was available and worse than Andriese?

 

At that point, nobody else was available.

[Bellhorn04]

The question in my mind is he worth trying instead of Santana. To me, the answer is yes. Maybe Cora is just stubbornly loyal. He has stated he wants to stick with Andriese after a very weak May, June and now the start of July. I question that part of what he is doing, but overall he has been excellent.

 

If Cora is stubbornly loyal, so is Bloom. He has the last word on personnel moves.

[moonslav59]

I think we do this at the all start break or shortly afterwards:

 

DFA Andriese- add Ort to the 40 and call up Houck.

 

DFA Santana and add Duran to the 40 and activate Arroyo.

 

The next decisions will be:

 

Who does Sale replace? (Richards to the pen and DFA Rios)

Who does Brasier replace? (Workman? Hmmm....)

Duran vs Chavis

Plawecki vs Wong

Valdezz, Ort, Bazardo vs _______?

[moonslav59]

If Cora is stubbornly loyal, so is Bloom. He has the last word on personnel moves.

 

It may appear like stubbornness, but I see it as keeping as many options in the system as possible and not letting short sample size failures rule his decision-making.

 

I'm all for cutting Andriese and Santana loose, yesterday, but I can understand thinking a longer look may be needed.

[moonslav59]

At that point, nobody else was available.

 

Exactly.

 

We weren't bringing in a starter, so it was Workman for his 3rd inning vs Andriese.

 

Workman is looking more and more like he may stick around, so why blow his arm out?

 

Cora used the whole available pen, last night and all that was left was Andriese. Had he played it any differently, we may not have even made it that far. (And, he'd have been blamed for that, too.)

 

Every loss causes an obsessed search for someone to blame, and Cora seems like the punching bag most of the time.

 

To me, if you have to blame someone, blame Bloom for still having Andriese on the 26 man roster, but don't take that as me saying Bloom sucks.

 

He may very well be the best GM we've had since Theo.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Moving Kike to 1st would be a waste of his excellent throwing arm. When Arroyo returns, Arroyo can play 2nd until he's injured again, Kike goes to CF, and Marwin and Dalbec can platoon at 1st.

[Bellhorn04]

Moving Kike to 1st would be a waste of his excellent throwing arm. When Arroyo returns, Arroyo can play 2nd until he's injured again, Kike goes to CF, and Marwin and Dalbec can platoon at 1st.

 

Moving Kike to 1st would only be done to make room for Duran.

[Fan_since_Boggs]

I'm starting to think that Kike will be the Red Sox full time CF and that Duran will not be a starting player on this team this year. The Red Sox might prefer Kike's defense in CF and might want to keep the solid OF defense in place with Verdugo in LF and Renfroe in RF.

 

If Kike turns into the full time starting CF, he can't be used at 2b, but the Red Sox have Arroyo for 2b. OK, but Arroyo is injury prone and isn't exactly Joe Morgan. Could the Red Sox be in the trade market for a starting 2b? Perhaps the Red Sox settle on a Dalbec/Cordero platoon at 1b and trade for a starting 2b (along with a relief arm).

 

The one thing about this idea that I don't like: it is Dalbec and Cordero with the marginal hit tools, not Arroyo. I would prefer starting Arroyo at 2b and upgrading 1b. Thus, I'm back to the idea of trading for C.Santana and K.Zimmer. The idea of giving two roster spots to Dalbec AND Cordero concerns me. That's a ton of power, but also a ton of strikeouts.

Edited July 4, 2021 by Fan_since_Boggs

[moonslav59]

The thing is, Duran may be thought of as ML ready, and they still won’t call him up.

[Fan_since_Boggs]

Or they will let Duran finish out the AAA season, will bring him up in Sept., and will carry him on the post-season roster as the 4th OF.

[Bellhorn04]

Or they will let Duran finish out the AAA season, will bring him up in Sept., and will carry him on the post-season roster as the 4th OF.

 

Very possible.