Red Sox Sign Masataka Yoshida

[Dipre]

You sure about that? https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/leaderboard/arm-strength

 

Considering his entire body of work, I'd expect him to end the year much closer to the bottom of the middle than the top.

[moonslav59]

Considering his entire body of work, I'd expect him to end the year much closer to the bottom of the middle than the top.

 

Sounds about right.

 

Overall, he will likely finish 20-25th in DRS and UZR/150. If he plays some at DH, that will help keep his DRS lower, but it doesn't change his skill level.

 

We can get by with a low level defender in LF. We've done it many times, before.

 

[mvp 78]

Sounds about right.

 

Overall, he will likely finish 20-25th in DRS and UZR/150. If he plays some at DH, that will help keep his DRS lower, but it doesn't change his skill level.

 

We can get by with a low level defender in LF. We've done it many times, before.

 

 

His DRS and OAA suck. I was simply commenting on his arm strength which is firmly middle middle.

[Dipre]

His DRS and OAA suck. I was simply commenting on his arm strength which is firmly middle middle.

 

He's actually 5th among LF'ers.

[moonslav59]

His DRS and OAA suck. I was simply commenting on his arm strength which is firmly middle middle.

 

Yes, I know the talk was about arm strength. That's why I said "overall" to indicate a change in direction of the conversation.

[mvp 78]

The scouting report from his time in Japan is readily available, however, and it describes him as an average fielder with a below average arm.

 

If you decrease the throws from 100 to 50, he goes to 17th out of 37. Feels about right

[mvp 78]

Yes, I know the talk was about arm strength. That's why I said "overall" to indicate a change in direction of the conversation.

 

I don't like that direction.

[moonslav59]

I don't like that direction.

 

Fine, but I made it clear I was not talking about just the arm.

[mvp 78]

There was talk this offseason that Masa would struggle with velo in MLB. So far, he has a 641 SLG and +10 Run Value against 4 seamers.

 

He's struggling against cutters and sliders.

[Dipre]

Makes sense since in NBP they throw a lot more shuutos (reverse sliders) and not as many high velocity sliders (more sweepers) or high velo cutters. He will adjust.

[mvp 78]

Makes sense since in NBP they throw a lot more shuutos (reverse sliders) and not as many high velocity sliders (more sweepers) or high velo cutters. He will adjust.

 

I think so too. He's a very professional hitter and fits what the organization has been trying to add to this lineup.

[Dipre]

Love me some take and rake.

[Hugh2]

Yeah, Masa is a huge win for the organization. They guy can hit, like he can really hit, you can just tell when he's in the batters box he knows what's going on and he is in his element. Like, he's not in the batter box facing the pitcher....the pitcher is on the mound facing him in HIS batters box.

[moonslav59]

Makes sense since in NBP they throw a lot more shuutos (reverse sliders) and not as many high velocity sliders (more sweepers) or high velo cutters. He will adjust.

 

Yes, and not just more- but better ones, too.

[Randy Red Sox]

Yoshida has been an excellent signing. I am not the biggest Bloom fan but he deserves credit for signing him.

I think so too. He's a very professional hitter and fits what the organization has been trying to add to this lineup.

[moonslav59]

Yoshida has been an excellent signing. I am not the biggest Bloom fan but he deserves credit for signing him.

 

Bloom has a few additions deserving of credit and a few not so much, and even a few deserving of scorn.

 

The first few years saw tight budget restrictions and even a major contraction year one (2020.)

 

(A few of these could change scores before their time is up.)

 

Some Good:

Whitlock (Rule 5)

Yoshida (FA)

Schreiber (Waivers)

Refsnyder (minor league FA)

Renfroe (FA)

Jansen (FA)

Martin (FA)

McGuire for Diekman & his salary

Valdez & Abreu for 2 mos of Vaz

Kike (FA yr 1)

Wacha (FA)

Hill (FA)

Strahm (FA)

Turner (FA)

Robles, Davis, Iggy, Shaw 2021 summer deals

 

Some Fair:

Pivetta for 2 washed up RP'ers

Dugo & Wong for 1 yr of Betts & Half Price

Wink, Gambrell, de la Rosa for Beni

Paxton (FA: bad '22/ good '23 option)

Duvall (???)

Tapia, Bernardino, Reyes, Garza

Arroyo (Waivers)

 

Some Bad:

Story

Kluber

Richards

Perez (a year or two early)

JBJ, Hamilton & Binelas for Renfroe

Barnes extension

Kike (FA yr 2 and 3)

Springs (good get- bad timing) & Mazza for R Hern

Marwin (only $3M)

 

I'm sure I missed some from each category, or some are debatable placements.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Bloom has a few additions deserving of credit and a few not so much, and even a few deserving of scorn.

 

The first few years saw tight budget restrictions and even a major contraction year one (2020.)

 

(A few of these could change scores before their time is up.)

 

Some Good:

Whitlock (Rule 5)

Yoshida (FA)

Schreiber (Waivers)

Refsnyder (minor league FA)

Renfroe (FA)

Jansen (FA)

Martin (FA)

McGuire for Diekman & his salary

Valdez & Abreu for 2 mos of Vaz

Kike (FA yr 1)

Wacha (FA)

Hill (FA)

Strahm (FA)

Turner (FA)

Robles, Davis, Iggy, Shaw 2021 summer deals

 

Some Fair:

Pivetta for 2 washed up RP'ers

Dugo & Wong for 1 yr of Betts & Half Price

Wink, Gambrell, de la Rosa for Beni

Paxton (FA: bad '22/ good '23 option)

Duvall (???)

Tapia, Bernardino, Reyes, Garza

Arroyo (Waivers)

 

Some Bad:

Story

Kluber

Richards

Perez (a year or two early)

JBJ, Hamilton & Binelas for Renfroe

Barnes extension

Kike (FA yr 2 and 3)

Springs (good get- bad timing) & Mazza for R Hern

Marwin (only $3M)

 

I'm sure I missed some from each category, or some are debatable placements.

 

Some scorn is deserved -- not so much for acquiring the actual players -- but where they're often awkwardly shoehorned into unnatural positions... to the detriment of the team's W-L record.

 

Franchy isn't a first baseman, Arroyo's not a rightfielder, Marwin wasn't a leftfielder, Duran wasn't a centerfielder last year, and Kike's not a shortstop this year.

 

Contriving versatility isn't a new concept, but past moves that backfired are notorious in Red Sox lore, like Hanley or Swihart in leftfield. Schwarber was tolerable at first base because he was such a threat with the bat... but Dalbec, we're still not sure can stick in the bigs.

 

Bloom and Cora both seem complicit, though the latter may have no choice but to only use the parts provided by the former. If the manager indeed has input and influence on building the monster, then it clouds who is Dr. Frankenstein, and who is Igor.

[Bellhorn04]

Cora's recent comments about the Sox not being a good defensive team sounded suspiciously like a swipe at Bloom.

[moonslav59]

Some scorn is deserved -- not so much for acquiring the actual players -- but where they're often awkwardly shoehorned into unnatural positions... to the detriment of the team's W-L record.

 

Franchy isn't a first baseman, Arroyo's not a rightfielder, Marwin wasn't a leftfielder, Duran wasn't a centerfielder last year, and Kike's not a shortstop this year.

 

Contriving versatility isn't a new concept, but past moves that backfired are notorious in Red Sox lore, like Hanley or Swihart in leftfield. Schwarber was tolerable at first base because he was such a threat with the bat... but Dalbec, we're still not sure can stick in the bigs.

 

Bloom and Cora both seem complicit, though the latter may have no choice but to only use the parts provided by the former. If the manager indeed has input and influence on building the monster, then it clouds who is Dr. Frankenstein, and who is Igor.

 

Well said, as usual.

 

There have certainly been some head scratcher moves- JBJ being number one for me, but at the money we spent on most of these guys listed, I just can’t see the thinking that Bloom has missed on most of his bigger moves.

[moonslav59]

Cora's recent comments about the Sox not being a good defensive team sounded suspiciously like a swipe at Bloom.

 

Agreed. Like the opposite of the JBJ concept.

[Bellhorn04]

Well said, as usual.

 

There have certainly been some head scratcher moves- JBJ being number one for me, but at the money we spent on most of these guys listed, I just can’t see the thinking that Bloom has missed on most of his bigger moves.

 

Bloom has made a lot of good moves.

 

But there's an old saying about the whole being more or less than the sum of the parts. In our case the whole seems to be less. It's like Bloom makes every move in isolation from the other moves he makes. And that's how you end up with a team that can score but can't stop the other team from scoring.

[moonslav59]

Bloom has made a lot of good moves.

 

But there's an old saying about the whole being more or less than the sum of the parts. In our case the whole seems to be less. It's like Bloom makes every move in isolation from the other moves he makes. And how you end up with a team that can score but can't stop the other team from scoring.

 

I guess differing expectations and differing beliefs on where Bloom started from is the heart of our beliefs on Blooms grade variances

[Old Red]

Some people on here think that DD left Bloom one big mess to clean up, and I don’t believe that is true at all. If Bloom left today I believe he would be leaving a bigger mess than he found it.

[notin]

Some people on here think that DD left Bloom one big mess to clean up, and I don’t believe that is true at all. If Bloom left today I believe he would be leaving a bigger mess than he found it.

 

If Devers is a bust, then absolutely. Especially coupled with Story and Yoshida, since those three will be owed about $470mill going forward.

 

But right now he wouldn’t be handing over a team with 3 pitchers still owed in excess of $300mill and all coming off injury-plagued and ineffective seasons. (Only one of whom has periodically bounced back.) Also he wouldn’t be handing over a bottom-rated farm system full of prospects incapable of patching holes.

[Old Red]

If Devers is a bust, then absolutely. Especially coupled with Story and Yoshida, since those three will be owed about $470mill going forward.

 

But right now he wouldn’t be handing over a team with 3 pitchers still owed in excess of $300mill and all coming off injury-plagued and ineffective seasons. (Only one of whom has periodically bounced back.) Also he wouldn’t be handing over a bottom-rated farm system full of prospects incapable of patching holes.

 

Most of the hope from some on here stems from a better rated farm system, which while better rated still might not be good enough any sustainable success. A lot is riding on Bello, and Casas right now.

[moonslav59]

If Devers is a bust, then absolutely. Especially coupled with Story and Yoshida, since those three will be owed about $470mill going forward.

 

But right now he wouldn’t be handing over a team with 3 pitchers still owed in excess of $300mill and all coming off injury-plagued and ineffective seasons. (Only one of whom has periodically bounced back.) Also he wouldn’t be handing over a bottom-rated farm system full of prospects incapable of patching holes.

 

I think people see names like Betts, Bogey, Sale, Price, JD and others and think “wow, Bloom inherited a nice team, but some of these guys got hurt or did not come close to producing like 2018 and many started their decline in 2019. The 2019 record was no fluke. Bloom was handed that team minus Betts and Price among others, essentially. The farm was worse. The budget was way worse.

 

This does not mean Bloom has done great. He hasn’t, but conte t is needed, IMO. It wasn’t Bloom that decided to cut the budget and for e the Betts trade. The 2019 team minus Betts was Blooms starting point.

[Old Red]

This is year 4 now of the Bloom regime, and nothing is close to being as Bloom promised as being AWESOME.

[Bellhorn04]

I guess differing expectations and differing beliefs on where Bloom started from is the heart of our beliefs on Blooms grade variances

 

No doubt. And I was generally fine with Bloom right up to this offseason. I thought this offseason was a colossal disappointment, even though I'm happy about the Devers extension, and the Yoshida signing, and the two big bullpen acquisitions.

 

In his 4th season, Bloom should not be putting together a team that's near the worst in baseball at run prevention.

[Old Red]

No doubt. And I was generally fine with Bloom right up to this offseason. I thought this offseason was a colossal disappointment, even though I'm happy about the Devers extension, and the Yoshida signing, and the two big bullpen acquisitions.

 

In his 4th season, Bloom should not be putting together a team that's near the worst in baseball at run prevention.[/quote

 

The Devers extension had to be done, but I’m not not as excited as most on Yoshida/Goshida/Noshida. I’m not against it, but I want to see how his numbers shake out at the end of the season. Martin, and Jansen signings were a year too late, but still a good signing. The run prevention seems to be no big deal to Bloom for the last two years.

[Randy Red Sox]

You missed the most important achievement of all by Bloom. He has pared the Sox payroll from among the top 3 or 4 in MLB to now #11 and kept the team "somewhat" competitive if you can call 2 of his seasons in last place such.

Bloom has a few additions deserving of credit and a few not so much, and even a few deserving of scorn.

 

The first few years saw tight budget restrictions and even a major contraction year one (2020.)

 

(A few of these could change scores before their time is up.)

 

Some Good:

Whitlock (Rule 5)

Yoshida (FA)

Schreiber (Waivers)

Refsnyder (minor league FA)

Renfroe (FA)

Jansen (FA)

Martin (FA)

McGuire for Diekman & his salary

Valdez & Abreu for 2 mos of Vaz

Kike (FA yr 1)

Wacha (FA)

Hill (FA)

Strahm (FA)

Turner (FA)

Robles, Davis, Iggy, Shaw 2021 summer deals

 

Some Fair:

Pivetta for 2 washed up RP'ers

Dugo & Wong for 1 yr of Betts & Half Price

Wink, Gambrell, de la Rosa for Beni

Paxton (FA: bad '22/ good '23 option)

Duvall (???)

Tapia, Bernardino, Reyes, Garza

Arroyo (Waivers)

 

Some Bad:

Story

Kluber

Richards

Perez (a year or two early)

JBJ, Hamilton & Binelas for Renfroe

Barnes extension

Kike (FA yr 2 and 3)

Springs (good get- bad timing) & Mazza for R Hern

Marwin (only $3M)

 

I'm sure I missed some from each category, or some are debatable placements.