Red Sox Sign Masataka Yoshida

[moonslav59]

That's awesome: a serviceable left fielder who in his four Boston prime years ('96-99) averaged 20 HR, 87 RBI and .803 OPS -- and they valued him enough to keep him around.

 

I wasn't downplaying Troy, but Bloom has been here for 4 years, so trying to find a waiver guy to match a 7 yr bWAR is not a fair comp.

 

If Schreiber continues, as is, he could pass Troy after 7 yrs.

[Bellhorn04]

Just kidding, here, okay, but...

 

Maybe part of Yoshida's offseason training regime should be flying him back and forth across the country and putting him in hotels to build up his "travel muscles".

[Elktonnick]

Just kidding, here, okay, but...

 

Maybe part of Yoshida's offseason training regime should be flying him back and forth across the country and putting him in hotels to build up his "travel muscles".

Yoshida needs to overcome his fear of walls as well.

[Bellhorn04]

Yoshida needs to overcome his fear of walls as well.

 

Just install him as DH.

[Old Red]

Just kidding, here, okay, but...

 

Maybe part of Yoshida's offseason training regime should be flying him back and forth across the country and putting him in hotels to build up his "travel muscles".

 

3 K’s last night. It wouldn’t bother me at all if they could find a taker for him. I would rather have JT’s bat around for a couple more years then him.

[notin]

What did Offerman do in the two years after '99?

 

Continued to get base at a respectable .348 clip…

[Dipre]

Yoshida will be fine. It's not unusual for Japanese players to tire out and have the second half blues in their first season.

[moonslav59]

Continued to get base at a respectable .348 clip…

 

Back then, that was good but not great. Now, it nearly leads the team.

 

Not sure why we ever moved away from that philosophy.

[notin]

Back then, that was good but not great. Now, it nearly leads the team.

 

Not sure why we ever moved away from that philosophy.

 

Back then, we all glossed over OBP and focused solely on BA.

 

We need the OBP back. That’s why I like Yoshida and wanted Nimmo until I saw the absolutely insane contract he got - possibly the most massive overpay in MLB history…

[moonslav59]

Back then, we all glossed over OBP and focused solely on BA.

 

We need the OBP back. That’s why I like Yoshida and wanted Nimmo until I saw the absolutely insane contract he got - possibly the most massive overpay in MLB history…

 

That was about the time OBP became the fad.

[notin]

That was about the time OBP became the fad.

 

I think OBP caught on because people started noticing the Yankees were winning titles by weaponizing the base on balls…

[Bellhorn04]

Yoshida will be fine. It's not unusual for Japanese players to tire out and have the second half blues in their first season.

 

Suzuki had a 113 OPS+ last year and has a 119 this year, so that's some very recent evidence of improvement.

[moonslav59]

I think OBP caught on because people started noticing the Yankees were winning titles by weaponizing the base on balls…

 

CLE actually was better, but point well-taken.

 

Best team OBP 1998-2004:

.373 CLE '99

.367 CLE '00

.366 NYY '99

.364 NYY '98

.363 NYM '99

.363 COL '00

.362 SFG '00

.361 SEA '00, TEX '99, .HOU '00

.360 BOS '04, BOS '03, OAK '00 & SEA '01

 

 

[moonslav59]

Offerman had a .385 OBP with KCR before coming to BOS.

[notin]

Suzuki had a 113 OPS+ last year and has a 119 this year, so that's some very recent evidence of improvement.

 

Suzuki also only played 111 games last year and only once played more than 22 in a month

[sk7326]

Back then, that was good but not great. Now, it nearly leads the team.

 

Not sure why we ever moved away from that philosophy.

 

The team is still 9th in the majors in OBP. But yeah, it has been all borne on batting average. The guys Bloom has brought in have largely not walked all that much. Of course, that role might not be a market inefficiency anymore.

[redsoxrules]

Suzuki had a 113 OPS+ last year and has a 119 this year, so that's some very recent evidence of improvement.

 

What does this have to do with Yoshida?

[redsoxrules]

Yoshida must not have had a good sleep last night and still tired today.

[Bellhorn04]

What does this have to do with Yoshida?

 

I don't see how you could ask that unless you didn't read the post I was replying to.

[redsoxrules]

I don't see how you could ask that unless you didn't read the post I was replying to.

 

Just because player A improved in year 2 it doesn't mean player B will do the same

[Bellhorn04]

Just because player A improved in year 2 it doesn't mean player B will do the same

 

I just said it was evidence of another Japanese player improving in Year 2. I didn't say it was guaranteed.

 

I've been more critical than anyone of the Yoshida signing.

[Old Red]

I just said it was evidence of another Japanese player improving in Year 2. I didn't say it was guaranteed.

 

I've been more critical than anyone of the Yoshida signing.

 

I’ve been with you on that one, and I questioned the contract when they signed him if it was an overpriced deal.

[notin]

I just said it was evidence of another Japanese player improving in Year 2. I didn't say it was guaranteed.

 

I've been more critical than anyone of the Yoshida signing.

 

 

I think you’ve been more critical than everyone.

 

Combined…

[Bellhorn04]

I think you’ve been more critical than everyone.

 

Combined…

 

Unfortunately the criticism has turned out to be fully justified, for this year at least.

[moonslav59]

The team is still 9th in the majors in OBP. But yeah, it has been all borne on batting average. The guys Bloom has brought in have largely not walked all that much. Of course, that role might not be a market inefficiency anymore.

 

The mantra, at the time, was make the SP'er throw a lot of pitches, get them yanked earlier and earlier, then feast on marginal pen guys.

 

Now, the pens are deeper and better, but isn't walking still a good thing?

 

Lord knows, we've seen our opps score the winning run due to a walk or HBP way too many times.

 

We need to get back to valuing OBP and defense, but without some SP'ers added, we might was well go for the #1 pick in 2025.

[moonslav59]

Unfortunately the criticism has turned out to be fully justified, for this year at least.

 

It's year one.

 

He wasn't horrible. His D was as advertised. His O has been up and down, and this last "down" has brought his season totals to a point where nobody can say he earned his paycheck, but because it's just year one- in a new league and culture, despite his age, I'm not sure expecting greatness or even goodness in his first year was "fully justified."

 

I'm certainly not as optimistic as I was back in March or mid May or mid July. Hell, I think the guy was still over .850 in early August, so I'm still holding out some hope he can keep up .850 over a full season, and with Cora as the manager, a "full season" might only 135-140 games, when 100% healthy.

[Bellhorn04]

It's year one.

 

He wasn't horrible. His D was as advertised. His O has been up and down, and this last "down" has brought his season totals to a point where nobody can say he earned his paycheck, but because it's just year one- in a new league and culture, despite his age, I'm not sure expecting greatness or even goodness in his first year was "fully justified."

 

I'm certainly not as optimistic as I was back in March or mid May or mid July. Hell, I think the guy was still over .850 in early August, so I'm still holding out some hope he can keep up .850 over a full season, and with Cora as the manager, a "full season" might only 135-140 games, when 100% healthy.

 

Again, my criticism has been mainly directed at Bloom for the signing, in an offseason when we desperately need pitching rather than 2 DH's.

[moonslav59]

Again, my criticism has been mainly directed at Bloom for the signing, in an offseason when we desperately need pitching rather than 2 DH's.

 

I don't disagree, but your focus seems more on Yoshida's shortcomings. It just seems extreme, to me.

[Bellhorn04]

I don't disagree, but your focus seems more on Yoshida's shortcomings. It just seems extreme, to me.

 

moon, his fWAR now stands at 0.4. Maybe your argument should be with FanGraphs, not me.

[Bellhorn04]

Once it was established that Yoshida is a pricey DH, then his comps become David Ortiz and J. D. Martinez. That's part of what I've been saying.