Major Concerns

[Thunder]

I will concede that is a little concerning to see the bottom 3 in the lineup do virtually nothing but strikeout yesterday

[Bellhorn04]

Budget restraints??? They already reset?!?!?

 

Valid observation.

 

I would say they decided this was a year to just cozy up to the first tax threshold.

 

Hopefully next year they're willing to exceed it.

[Bellhorn04]

I will concede that is a little concerning to see the bottom 3 in the lineup do virtually nothing but strikeout yesterday

 

One thing that's becoming clear is that 2021 is going to be dominated by pitching.

 

The average BA in MLB right now is .233!

[Thunder]

One thing that's becoming clear is that 2021 is going to be dominated by pitching.

 

The average BA in MLB right now is .233!

 

I certainly don't mind that. I prefer pitchers duels over slugfests. I just wish we could at least put the ball in play

[moonslav59]

Budget restraints??? They already reset?!?!?

 

The Sox have gone 2-3 years staying under the tax line several times. It's not always just about hitting reset and going right back into heavy spending. It's about timing the heavy spending, so you will reset again at just the right time. Henry has never hit the third year tax year mega high rate, so the idea is to plan your team's spending future, so you can go for it all during year 1 or 2 of heavy spending.

 

I think they rightly concluded that heavy spending this year would give us less of a chance of winning than heavy spending 3 years from now, In other words, had we spent big, this year, we'd be resetting for the 2023 season.

 

Who here thinks we have a better foundation this year than we likely will in 2023? (Remember, we have $57M of dead money on this year's budget, if we count Sale, who likely will not be in top form by October.)

 

We obviously have budget constraints, this year. One can argue we shouldn't, but it sure looks like we do.

[moonslav59]

Maybe that's why it's not on top?

 

Actually, my list was not in order from most "major" to least "major."

[moonslav59]

One thing that's becoming clear is that 2021 is going to be dominated by pitching.

 

The average BA in MLB right now is .233!

 

Part of that has to do with the HR craze.

 

I heard a talk with Gary Sheffield on the radio, the other day, and he said he doesn't watch baseball anymore- not even highlights or a single pitch..

 

Everyone swings for the fences and strikeouts are no longer viewed as a fault.

 

He mentioned a season he played with SD, and how he only K'd 40 times in 618 PAs, and how that was dwarfed by Tony Gwynn's 16 Ks in 569 PAs.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Part of that has to do with the HR craze.

 

I heard a talk with Gary Sheffield on the radio, the other day, and he said he doesn't watch baseball anymore- not even highlights or a single pitch..

 

Everyone swings for the fences and strikeouts are no longer viewed as a fault.

 

He mentioned a season he played with SD, and how he only K'd 40 times in 618 PAs, and how that was dwarfed by Tony Gwynn's 16 Ks in 569 PAs.

 

Tell Gary that in 1941, the two best players also K'd 40 times... combined: Ted Williams 10.4 WAR (27 Ks); Joe DiMaggio 9.4 WAR (13 Ks). Besides WAR, Ted and Joe were also 1-2 that year in OPS, Slugging, Runs, and Intentional Walks.

[moonslav59]

Tell Gary that in 1941, the two best players also K'd 40 times... combined: Ted Williams 10.4 WAR (27 Ks); Joe DiMaggio 9.4 WAR (13 Ks). Besides WAR, Ted and Joe were also 1-2 that year in OPS, Slugging, Runs, and Intentional Walks.

 

Amazing!

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Amazing!

 

Ted admitted they had they advantage of facing relatively worn-out starters at the end of games, and no fresh-armed bullpens nor Negro Leaguers.

[oldtimer]

I never said don't try an alternative. I said don't try one just because of 46 plate appearances.

 

After 58 PA, Chavis had a 1.236 OPS. After 57 PA, Dustin Pedroia had a .450 OPS. Those small sample sizes lead to any meaningful conclusions?

 

Here's the thing - it's not exactly a secret you wanted Duran here since opening day. But the problem is, Duran has very little time in the outfield and had his learning to play the position interrupted by a pandemic that cost him an entire season. And the 37 games of Arizona Fall League and Foreign Leagues he has played over the past 2 years don't really make up for losing that entire season, especially since he didn't have any Sox coaching. You're probably going to have to wait a bit on him...

 

What was discussed by Cora "This, even though the left-handed hitter entered Sunday with just one hit in his last 22 at-bats and 15 strikeouts over that span." wasn't enough to have him act. He thinks the decision to go with Codero was the right one and he plans to stay with it. My question is how long will be too long 2 hits in 44 AB's with 30 SO's, perhaps 3 hits in 66 AB's with 45 SO's. Hate to see the team miss the Playoffs by staying with underperforming players for too long.

[Bellhorn04]

Ted admitted they had they advantage of facing relatively worn-out starters at the end of games, and no fresh-armed bullpens nor Negro Leaguers.

 

That was one of the great things about Williams. He didn't try to BS about anything.

[moonslav59]

What was discussed by Cora "This, even though the left-handed hitter entered Sunday with just one hit in his last 22 at-bats and 15 strikeouts over that span." wasn't enough to have him act. He thinks the decision to go with Codero was the right one and he plans to stay with it. My question is how long will be too long 2 hits in 44 AB's with 30 SO's, perhaps 3 hits in 66 AB's with 45 SO's. Hate to see the team miss the Playoffs by staying with underperforming players for too long.

 

How long to stick with a struggling player is one of the hardest choices a manager has to make.

 

Sticking with players through long slumps does work out many times, and it does build strong relationships between players and their managers, when the manager "never lost faith."

 

When is enough, enough? I'd say the leash is getting shorter and shorter on Cordero and Renfroe. I do think limiting their ABs vs off-handed pitchers would help put them in positions to succeed more often, build their confidence and maybe even get them to a point where you can leave them in games after an off-handed RP'er is brought in.

 

With a limited bench, due to the 14 pitcher choice, it's harder to PH often.

[moonslav59]

The Jackie Bradley Jr. story may be an extreme example of how sticking with a struggling player can work out for the best, and his elite defense made the slumps more palatable, but check out some of his long stretches of futility followed by enormous successful stretches:

 

He came up to MLB with much more hype than Duran has, now. He hit .548 (OPS) in his first two seasons (530 PAs- not 55!). There were many fans screaming for his benching, demotion or worse. Then, on topmof all that, he started the 2015 season hitting .426 through his first 71 PAs (not 55!).

 

He finished the 2015 season hitting .980 over his last 184 PAs bringing his season OPS to .832. What an example of a manager sticking with a struggling player.

 

It wasn't over for JBJ: more tests were to come, and maybe that first example led to a longer leash for JBJ than normally afforded to anyone, but again, his great defense helped enormously.

 

He started the next season off hitting .586 over his first 59 PAs- about the same as Cordero & Renfroe, this year. He then hit 1.191 over his next 144 PAs.

 

The 2016 season did not start off as badly. (.610 after 65 PAs, but still pretty bad.) Later, he had one of the most memorable hot streaks in Sox history. 1.368 in 95 PAs. He had a .976 OPS on June 25th but had a .720 finish to the season (349 PAs).

 

Again, in 2017, he started out slowly- hitting .537 in his first 84 PAs. He followed that up with a 1.026 stretch over his next 171 PAs but ended the season at .726 due to a long .596 stretch over his last 210 PAs.

 

2018 saw Jackie at .502 as late as May 19th! (142 PAs). He finished the season hitting a very respectable .793 over his final 393 PAs.

 

In 2019, he was still below .400 on April 27th (88 PAs) He was at .553 on May 28th. He then hit 1.060 over his next 118 PAs and finished the season at .738.

 

He was at .520 in 2020 after 62 PAs, but followed that with a .937 stretch over his last 155 PAs, and signed a big contract to boot.

 

[Bellhorn04]

And in 2021? A .576 OPS entering today, and 0 for 3 in today's game.

[moonslav59]

And in 2021? A .576 OPS entering today, and 0 for 3 in today's game.

 

YES! .553 after those 3 PAs.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

The Jackie Bradley Jr. story may be an extreme example of how sticking with a struggling player can work out for the best, and his elite defense made the slumps more palatable,

 

But this is what makes him, and even Pedroia, maybe not such a good comp for a guy like Cordero. JBJ certainly, and Pedey eventually, were at the very top of their trade on one side of the ball -- with the leather. They weren't five-tool players, but had enough actual MLB skills to stick -- Cordero has never harnessed his big league potential, and was never a highly-touted baseball player -- just an athlete.

 

I remember Pedroia's first Spring when he wasn't hitting, and Remy saying they should bench him -- for Cora. But the Sox stuck with him; not because he was super strong or fast, but because they knew he was a ballplayer.

[moonslav59]

But this is what makes him, and even Pedroia, maybe not such a good comp for a guy like Cordero. JBJ certainly, and Pedey eventually, were at the very top of their trade on one side of the ball -- with the leather. They weren't five-tool players, but had enough actual MLB skills to stick -- Cordero has never harnessed his big league potential, and was never a highly-touted baseball player -- just an athlete.

 

I remember Pedroia's first Spring when he wasn't hitting, and Remy saying they should bench him -- for Cora. But the Sox stuck with him; not because he was super strong or fast, but because they knew he was a ballplayer.

 

I totally agree, but if Cordero goes on just an .800 stretch for 150 PAs, the demotion talk will cease.

 

The guy has hit well, in the past, for longer stretches than 46 PAs. He just might be able to do it again.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I totally agree, but if Cordero goes on just an .800 stretch for 150 PAs, the demotion talk will cease.

 

The guy has hit well, in the past, for longer stretches than 46 PAs. He just might be able to do it again.

 

Cora's point is that right now Cordero needs to get reps, at bats, and experience -- and there's nowhere else to send him. Though the Globe also points out that Triple A opens in a week, and Danny Santana may soon be ready.

[moonslav59]

Cora's point is that right now Cordero needs to get reps, at bats, and experience -- and there's nowhere else to send him. Though the Globe also points out that Triple A opens in a week, and Danny Santana may soon be ready.

 

Makes sense, and in about a week, we'll know a little more, too.

 

I wish AAA had started already, so players like Santana, Duran, Munoz, Puello, Bazardo, Houck, Seabold and others would be seeing live action.

[Thunder]

This begs another question for me: What are we supposed to do with Chavis, assuming Dalbec eventually comes around?

[mvp 78]

This begs another question for me: What are we supposed to do with Chavis, assuming Dalbec eventually comes around?

 

Utility player is his bat comes around.

[a700hitter]

Franchy got today off and will be off for the next 2 days to reset himself just in time to come back against deGrom on Wednesday. What could go wrong? LOL!

[moonslav59]

This begs another question for me: What are we supposed to do with Chavis, assuming Dalbec eventually comes around?

 

He's the July trade piece.

[Swiharts Ghost]

He's the July trade piece.

 

Bobby concerns me more .I never liked this Cordero signing he’s always been a mirage plenty of players just like ole franchy in the Penn league .Bobby on the other hand has me really worried that he’s just never going to be a good enough bat or Glove at this level .I would give good ole franchy 2 more weeks and seriously try to find a better option I may only give Bobby a week and let Chavis take over at first .Both these players are horrific and something must change immediately. Bobby has options so send the guy down .Renfroe is a disaster along with these other 2 .

Edited April 26, 2021 by Swiharts Ghost

[moonslav59]

Bobby concerns me more .I never liked this Cordero signing he’s always been a mirage plenty of players just like ole franchy in the Penn league .Bobby on the other hand has me really worried that he’s just never going to be a good enough bat or Glove at this level .I would give good ole franchy 2 more weeks and seriously try to find a better option I may only give Bobby a week and let Chavis take over at first .Both these players are horrific and something must change immediately. Bobby has options so send the guy down .Renfroe is a disaster along with these other 2 .

 

We didn't sign Cordero.

 

I'll never understand how anyone can be labelled a disaster after so few PAs.

 

Renfroe is one of the leagues best hitters vs LHPs, but based on 3+ weeks of play- scrap him.

 

Dalbec is at .828 since his call-up. Demote him.

 

Franchy barely has 50 PAs. Send him to the Penn League.

 

Can you just look around MLB? Players of all skill levels go through hard times. You'd think you'd have noticed that by now. Knee-jerk reactions is not a winning management style in this game.

[Thunder]

We didn't sign Cordero.

 

I'll never understand how anyone can be labelled a disaster after so few PAs.

 

Renfroe is one of the leagues best hitters vs LHPs, but based on 3+ weeks of play- scrap him.

 

Dalbec is at .828 since his call-up. Demote him.

 

Franchy barely has 50 PAs. Send him to the Penn League.

 

Can you just look around MLB? Players of all skill levels go through hard times. You'd think you'd have noticed that by now. Knee-jerk reactions is not a winning management style in this game.

 

By that logic, guys like Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks should be sent to the gulags

[moonslav59]

By that logic, guys like Aaron Judge and Aaron Hicks should be sent to the gulags

 

I guess I shouldn't be so surprised some people are overly affected by short sample sizes, but for some reason I do.

[Bellhorn04]

I guess I shouldn't be so surprised some people are overly affected by short sample sizes, but for some reason I do.

 

We're seeing some insanely bad short sample sizes for hitters all over baseball.

 

Thanks Manfred, you incredible doofus!

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I guess I shouldn't be so surprised some people are overly affected by short sample sizes, but for some reason I do.

 

It's the nature of new guys. Fans have expectations. It's one thing to say: Devers always heats up in the summer. But there's no always with new players... except their baseball-ref stats that didn't happen in Boston.