Major Concerns

[notin]

With the current roster construction, I think Arroyo at 2b, Kiké at CF and Renfroe/Franchy in LF is their best lineup.

 

I'm ok with that.

 

I'm not real high on Arroyo given his career to date, but 1) there is no obvious better solution and 2) his limited playing time so far has shown no reason to not start him...

[mvp 78]

I'm ok with that.

 

I'm not real high on Arroyo given his career to date, but 1) there is no obvious better solution and 2) his limited playing time so far has shown no reason to not start him...

 

I'm not sure if he's ever been given a real opportunity to start day in and day out. He's been pretty good since coming here last year. To me, it's comparing Arroyo and Franchy vs LHP and Renfroe vs RHP. I'd take Arroyo over those guys hitting opposite their splits.

[moonslav59]

With the current roster construction, I think Arroyo at 2b, Kiké at CF and Renfroe/Franchy in LF is their best lineup.

 

That's what I was saying back in February & March.

 

It's a much better defensive alignment, and so far, offensively, too.

 

Now that Arroyo got his "rest day," I hope we see it going forward.

[moonslav59]

I'm not sure if he's ever been given a real opportunity to start day in and day out. He's been pretty good since coming here last year. To me, it's comparing Arroyo and Franchy vs LHP and Renfroe vs RHP. I'd take Arroyo over those guys hitting opposite their splits.

 

One interesting factoid about the right-handed hitting Arroyo's career splits:

 

vs RHP: .705

vs LHP: .650

 

(This year: .885 v R and .979 v L in about equal sample sizes.)

[notin]

I'm not sure if he's ever been given a real opportunity to start day in and day out. He's been pretty good since coming here last year. To me, it's comparing Arroyo and Franchy vs LHP and Renfroe vs RHP. I'd take Arroyo over those guys hitting opposite their splits.

 

THe same could be said about Cordero. Both players debuted in 2017, and both playes have exactly one season with at least 100 PA's.

 

Now, Cordero does have another season with 99 PA, and has more PA overall. But we are still talking about players who came here with less than 300 PA's or less spread out over 4 seasons...

[moonslav59]

The opps have a .666 OPS against our staff, so far this year.

 

.200 Whitlock

.232 Valdez

.264 Barnes

 

.400 Bazardo (5 PAs)

 

.614 Eovaldi

.615 Andriese

.650 ERod

.662 Pivetta

.671 Sawamura

 

.745 Ottavino

.760 Houck

.785 Perez

.797 Richards

 

.851 Brice

.921 D Hern

 

1.042 Taylor

 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

 

It's a much better defensive alignment,

 

 

I know I keep harping on this, but this should always be a priority -- and usually, the cheapest way -- to reclaim respectability for a rebuilding/rebounding/revenging ballclub.

 

Good D can make mediocre pitching better, but bad D puts mileage on pitch counts and can nullify good O. It can also make teams look like losers or even Yankees.

[notin]

I know I keep harping on this, but this should always be a priority -- and usually, the cheapest way -- to reclaim respectability for a rebuilding/rebounding/revenging ballclub.

 

Good D can make mediocre pitching better, but bad D puts mileage on pitch counts and can nullify good O. It can also make teams look like losers or even Yankees.

 

Last night's night big issue was the walks. Sox pitchers walked 7 hitters and 5 of them scored, which is a ridiculous percentage. They also only gave up only 3 hits - all extra base hits - and two of them scored...

[moonslav59]

I know I keep harping on this, but this should always be a priority -- and usually, the cheapest way -- to reclaim respectability for a rebuilding/rebounding/revenging ballclub.

 

Good D can make mediocre pitching better, but bad D puts mileage on pitch counts and can nullify good O. It can also make teams look like losers or even Yankees.

 

The worst part about not doing this is that it's also the better offensive alignment!

 

Now, that being said, Kike has played CF more than anyone else, and Arroyo has played 2B more than anyone, and it's not even close. This was not the expectation in March

 

Innings by position:

 

2B

102 Arroyo

44 Kike

30 Marwin (maybe too much)

 

CF

117 Kike

57 Verdugo (maybe too much)

2 Renfroe

 

LF: (Renfroe has yet to play an inning in LF.)

100 Cordero

37.0 Verdugo

24.1 Marwin

15.0 JD

 

RF

112.1 Renfroe (surprised me)

57.1 Verdugo

2.0 Renfroe

 

OF

Verdugo 156

117 Kike

114 Renfroe

100 Cordero

24 Marwin

17 JD

 

 

[mvp 78]

One interesting factoid about the right-handed hitting Arroyo's career splits:

 

vs RHP: .705

vs LHP: .650

 

(This year: .885 v R and .979 v L in about equal sample sizes.)

 

Something that is more interesting to me is that we see Dalbec as this young rookie who has untapped potential and Arroyo as some sort of journeyman.

 

ARROYO IS ONLY ONE MONTH OLDER THAN DALBEC.

[notin]

Something that is more interesting to me is that we see Dalbec as this young rookie who has untapped potential and Arroyo as some sort of journeyman.

 

ARROYO IS ONLY ONE MONTH OLDER THAN DALBEC.

 

And many have pegged Cordero as a platoon option who cannot play defense, but he is only 8 months older than Arroyo...

[moonslav59]

Good points!

[mvp 78]

The opps have a .666 OPS against our staff, so far this year.

 

.200 Whitlock

.232 Valdez

.264 Barnes

 

.400 Bazardo (5 PAs)

 

.614 Eovaldi

.615 Andriese

.650 ERod

.662 Pivetta

.671 Sawamura

 

.745 Ottavino

.760 Houck

.785 Perez

.797 Richards

 

.851 Brice

.921 D Hern

 

1.042 Taylor

 

 

Taylor and Brice need to go. DHern can't be put in high leverage spots until he earns it.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

And many have pegged Cordero as a platoon option who cannot play defense, but he is only 8 months older than Arroyo...

 

Cordero shouldn't be trying to learn how to play outfield in the majors. The beginning of the season he was playing left field on the warning track, which was ridiculous. Then last night he was playing softball shortfielder when the "double" over his head blew the no-hitter, the lead, and basically the game.

 

Any pro outfielder standing at the proper depth makes that catch; I won't insult JBJ by saying, "Jackie would've had it"... but Beni would've -- that's Beni Hana, Beni Hill or Beni Siegel (but not Beni Blanco from the Bronx, where they can't catch, either).

[mvp 78]

And many have pegged Cordero as a platoon option who cannot play defense, but he is only 8 months older than Arroyo...

 

I think Franchy's defense is fine.

 

The problem is that Renfroe can't hit a lick against RHP. He has an OPS of 310 or so this year. That's just unacceptable. Career wise, he's a 900 OPS guy against LHP.

 

It looks like they are giving each guy a chance to win the job as these three all have relatively the same amount of PA's. It just seems to me that Arroyo has been more successful that Renfroe or Franchy.

 

If we scrapped the idea of a platoon in OF, I'd have Franchy be the starter in LF, Kiké in CF and Arroyo at 2B. Renfroe would be a RHB off the bench.

[mvp 78]

Cordero shouldn't be trying to learn how to play outfield in the majors. The beginning of the season he was playing left field on the warning track, which was ridiculous. Then last night he was playing softball shortfielder when the "double" over his head blew the no-hitter, the lead, and basically the game.

 

Any pro outfielder standing at the proper depth makes that catch; I won't insult JBJ by saying, "Jackie would've had it"... but Beni would've -- that's Beni Hana, Beni Hill or Beni Siegel (but not Beni Blanco from the Bronx, where they can't catch, either).

 

If the coaches didn't correct him, that's on them. Cora said he was positioned in the right spot.

[moonslav59]

Taylor and Brice need to go. DHern can't be put in high leverage spots until he earns it.

 

Totally agree.

 

Bazardo should get a look.

 

Houck should at some point, but his innings need to be limited, and I'm for making sure we get an extra year of team control with him.

 

I'm not sure if Seabold is ready, now. Who else might deserve the first or second crack at making a statement they belong in the bigs?

 

Bazardo

Houck

Brewer

Seabold

 

Not on 40 man:

Blair

Ort

[moonslav59]

I think Franchy's defense is fine.

 

The problem is that Renfroe can't hit a lick against RHP. He has an OPS of 310 or so this year. That's just unacceptable. Career wise, he's a 900 OPS guy against LHP.

 

It looks like they are giving each guy a chance to win the job as these three all have relatively the same amount of PA's. It just seems to me that Arroyo has been more successful that Renfroe or Franchy.

 

If we scrapped the idea of a platoon in OF, I'd have Franchy be the starter in LF, Kiké in CF and Arroyo at 2B. Renfroe would be a RHB off the bench.

 

I think Cordero's D is not a major concern.

 

I agree on the LF platoon, but I'm not sure why Renfroe has not played LF, so far this year. Either way, platoon them in the line-up and put Renfroe in RF vs LHPs, if that's what they like (Verdugo in LF.)

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

If the coaches didn't correct him, that's on them. Cora said he was positioned in the right spot.

 

AC learned not to call out players in the media from Tito. This is one of the reasons guys love playing for him (and not Bobby Valentine).

[mvp 78]

Totally agree.

 

Bazardo should get a look.

 

Houck should at some point, but his innings need to be limited, and I'm for making sure we get an extra year of team control with him.

 

I'm not sure if Seabold is ready, now. Who else might deserve the first or second crack at making a statement they belong in the bigs?

 

Bazardo

Houck

Brewer

Seabold

 

Not on 40 man:

Blair

Ort

 

People like Gonsalves. Rondon, McCarthy and Walden have MLB experience. Maybe Feltman finally makes a leap? There was buzz about Politti, but he's pretty far away.

[mvp 78]

AC learned not to call out players in the media from Tito. This is one of the reasons guys love playing for him (and not Bobby Valentine).

 

That's fine, but if he was in the wrong spot, the coaches should have moved him.

[mvp 78]

I think Cordero's D is not a major concern.

 

I agree on the LF platoon, but I'm not sure why Renfroe has not played LF, so far this year. Either way, platoon them in the line-up and put Renfroe in RF vs LHPs, if that's what they like (Verdugo in LF.)

 

Has Verdugo played LF at home or mainly on the road? It makes sense to move them around based on the field they are playing in. It's a waste to put Verdugo in LF at Fenway.

[moonslav59]

Has Verdugo played LF at home or mainly on the road? It makes sense to move them around based on the field they are playing in. It's a waste to put Verdugo in LF at Fenway.

 

I'm not sure.

 

What I find surprising is that Renfroe has not played LF, yet, and many of us assumed there would be a Cordero/Renfroe platoon in LF with maybe Renfroe playing RF when the stadium has a smaller RF area.

[notin]

Has Verdugo played LF at home or mainly on the road? It makes sense to move them around based on the field they are playing in. It's a waste to put Verdugo in LF at Fenway.

 

I'd rather just see the outfielders have one position they can call their own. You wouldn't move infielders around based on the ballpark they're in...

[mvp 78]

From looking at his game log, Verdugo is playing way too much LF at home. WTH?

 

He's was good in RF last year.

 

note:

 

I just looked at Verdugo's stats from 2020 and he played an absolute s*** ton in LF last year. This is the Red Sox version of Berenstein vs Berenstain.

[mvp 78]

I'd rather just see the outfielders have one position they can call their own. You wouldn't move infielders around based on the ballpark they're in...

 

I agree. 100%. That's not how they are utilizing the roster to me. They have intentionally moved people around. I don't get it.

[gojohn99]

Franchy certainly looked lost out there last night, flashbacks to Manny!

 

Cordero shouldn't be trying to learn how to play outfield in the majors. The beginning of the season he was playing left field on the warning track, which was ridiculous. Then last night he was playing softball shortfielder when the "double" over his head blew the no-hitter, the lead, and basically the game.

 

Any pro outfielder standing at the proper depth makes that catch; I won't insult JBJ by saying, "Jackie would've had it"... but Beni would've -- that's Beni Hana, Beni Hill or Beni Siegel (but not Beni Blanco from the Bronx, where they can't catch, either).

[notin]

I agree. 100%. That's not how they are utilizing the roster to me. They have intentionally moved people around. I don't get it.

 

Well, they have no bench and the players on it they do have don't have regular positions. The versatility has caused an inordinate amount of juggling...

[mvp 78]

Well, they have no bench and the players on it they do have don't have regular positions. The versatility has caused an inordinate amount of juggling...

 

Well, they could have added another bench player rather than going with 14 pitchers.

 

I think they are leaning too heavily on "everyone gets to play because Marwin and Kiké can play all over the field". I'd rather they went with the squad they had and did less juggling.

 

They aren't juggling because they are stuck with versatile guys, they intentionally picked versatile guys so that they could juggle. This is the plan and I don't like it. Jack of all trades master of none and whatnot.

[moonslav59]

Well, they could have added another bench player rather than going with 14 pitchers.

 

I think they are leaning too heavily on "everyone gets to play because Marwin and Kiké can play all over the field". I'd rather they went with the squad they had and did less juggling.

 

They aren't juggling because they are stuck with versatile guys, they intentionally picked versatile guys so that they could juggle. This is the plan and I don't like it. Jack of all trades master of none and whatnot.

 

I totally agree, but I am stopping short on bashing Cora for doing anything, so far. He has the long view to consider.