Story has surgery

[Bellhorn04]

Kiké

 

I don't think so.

[moonslav59]

I don't think so.

 

I'd rather he not be, but I'm getting more and more convinced, he's the SS.

[notin]

I'd rather he not be, but I'm getting more and more convinced, he's the SS.

 

Even if he is, that still leaves the glaring question about who plays 2b…

[notin]

Even if he is, that still leaves the glaring question about who plays 2b…

 

Interestingly, despite playing there for only 900 innings in the past 3 years, Christian Arroyo is still top 10 in MLB in DRS for a 2b.

 

I’d still like a good glove at SS. Put Kike in CF, Duvall in RF, Verdugo in LF, and Yoshida to DH. But that does create an issue with what to do with Justin Turner. And I don’t think the Sox are going to bench him for Paul DeJong…

[moonslav59]

Interestingly, despite playing there for only 900 innings in the past 3 years, Christian Arroyo is still top 10 in MLB in DRS for a 2b.

 

I’d still like a good glove at SS. Put Kike in CF, Duvall in RF, Verdugo in LF, and Yoshida to DH. But that does create an issue with what to do with Justin Turner. And I don’t think the Sox are going to bench him for Paul DeJong…

 

I think you may be surprised at how good Kike is on D at SS.

 

I'd prefer he stay in CF, but Kike at SS and a healthy Arroyo at 2B should be plus on D, overall.

[mvp 78]

Even if he is, that still leaves the glaring question about who plays 2b…

 

Arroyo.

[mvp 78]

Interestingly, despite playing there for only 900 innings in the past 3 years, Christian Arroyo is still top 10 in MLB in DRS for a 2b.

 

I’d still like a good glove at SS. Put Kike in CF, Duvall in RF, Verdugo in LF, and Yoshida to DH. But that does create an issue with what to do with Justin Turner. And I don’t think the Sox are going to bench him for Paul DeJong…

 

Trade Verdugo as he has two years of control left.

[mvp 78]

I think you may be surprised at how good Kike is on D at SS.

 

I'd prefer he stay in CF, but Kike at SS and a healthy Arroyo at 2B should be plus on D, overall.

 

We'll see. I think SS is more demanding when played fulltime. I wonder if his defensive numbers will look a little worse for wear this season.

[moonslav59]

Trade Verdugo as he has two years of control left.

 

It fits the pattern: Beni...Renfroe...

[mvp 78]

It fits the pattern: Beni...Renfroe...

 

He's getting too expensive! That arb figure is a little high! Send him to the twins for Kepler and we can get him on that option for 2024!!! The grass is greener you know!

[notin]

He's getting too expensive! That arb figure is a little high! Send him to the twins for Kepler and we can get him on that option for 2024!!! The grass is greener you know!

 

Hey Kepler can play a mean right field…

[moonslav59]

It's deja vu all over again.

[mvp 78]

0-8, 6 K's since coming back.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

0-8, 6 K's since coming back.

 

NESN announcers noting "rust"...

 

For the few fastballs Story has missed, ok... (gotta get that bat hanging down the back of the shoulder up in time)

 

But for the dozen sliders down and away that he's missed by two feet -- no different than last year.

 

Perhaps batting him 3rd in the order is adding more pressure initially. It doesn't help a desperate team if he drags down the middle of the order... maybe everyone would be better served with him hitting 6th or 7th.

[mvp 78]

NESN announcers noting "rust"...

 

For the few fastballs Story has missed, ok... (gotta get that bat hanging down the back of the shoulder up in time)

 

But for the dozen sliders down and away that he's missed by two feet -- no different than last year.

 

Perhaps batting him 3rd in the order is adding more pressure initially. It doesn't help a desperate team if he drags down the middle of the order... maybe everyone would be better served with him hitting 6th or 7th.

 

He really struggled with the heat (specifically 4 seamers) last season too more so than sliders. Per Statcast, he had a +5 RunValue against sliders and wasn't really missing a lot of chase pitches. My guess is that he continues to miss fastballs, which is a shame because he used to be a good fastball hitter.

 

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/visuals/swing-take?playerId=596115&playerSet=hitters&year=2022

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

He really struggled with the heat (specifically 4 seamers) last season too more so than sliders. Per Statcast, he had a +5 RunValue against sliders and wasn't really missing a lot of chase pitches. My guess is that he continues to miss fastballs, which is a shame because he used to be a good fastball hitter.

 

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/visuals/swing-take?playerId=596115&playerSet=hitters&year=2022

 

That bites. But he's such "an elite athlete" we should expect him to make the proper adjustments...

 

... except this is hardball, where the hardest thing to do in sports is hit a baseball.

 

Or in the immortal words of the mortal John Kruk: "I'm not an athlete, lady -- I'm a ballplayer."

[Bellhorn04]

0-8, 6 K's since coming back.

 

Good thing he waited till he was ready, or the numbers would really be bad.

Edited August 10, 2023 by Bellhorn04

[mvp 78]

good thing he waited till he was ready, or the numbers would really be bad.

 

0-8, 8 gdp!!!

[Old Red]

Good thing he waited till he was ready, or the numbers would really be bad.

 

It sounds like he didn’t want to come back yet, but was talked into it. First he thought he might be ready for the start of the Toronto series, and then he didn’t. Then he was going to need more time, and then that changed again. He struck out a lot last year too.

[mvp 78]

It sounds like he didn’t want to come back yet, but was talked into it. First he thought he might be ready for the start of the Toronto series, and then he didn’t. Then he was going to need more time, and then that changed again. He struck out a lot last year too.

 

He wasn't allowed to spend any additional time in AAA per IL rules.

[vegasbob]

He really struggled with the heat (specifically 4 seamers) last season too more so than sliders. Per Statcast, he had a +5 RunValue against sliders and wasn't really missing a lot of chase pitches. My guess is that he continues to miss fastballs, which is a shame because he used to be a good fastball hitter.

 

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/visuals/swing-take?playerId=596115&playerSet=hitters&year=2022

 

Story took 2 strike zone hittable FBs last night before chasing the slider/sweep-er for his 3rd K. If you didn't know he could/will hit at some point, you would wonder why this guy was even in the lineup.

 

Agree that batting third right away is pushing Trevor to undue pressure.

[Maxbialystock]

He wasn't allowed to spend any additional time in AAA per IL rules.

 

I think he could have played maybe one more game to get to 20 days, but you're basically right. Let's not forget he hasn't played in a year and he missed all of spring training. My expectations were high, however, because he blasted AA and AAA pitching with an OPS over 1.000.

[mvp 78]

I think he could have played maybe one more game to get to 20 days, but you're basically right. Let's not forget he hasn't played in a year and he missed all of spring training. My expectations were high, however, because he blasted AA and AAA pitching with an OPS over 1.000.

 

People that were watching the games said he was basically feasting on mistake pitches. Maybe he can start getting some of those?

[Bellhorn04]

I think he could have played maybe one more game to get to 20 days, but you're basically right. Let's not forget he hasn't played in a year and he missed all of spring training. My expectations were high, however, because he blasted AA and AAA pitching with an OPS over 1.000.

 

And once again we see that MLB pitching is just a whole different level.

[Maxbialystock]

Story took 2 strike zone hittable FBs last night before chasing the slider/sweep-er for his 3rd K. If you didn't know he could/will hit at some point, you would wonder why this guy was even in the lineup.

 

Agree that batting third right away is pushing Trevor to undue pressure.

 

He was red hot in AA and AAA. He's been an All-Star and signed a contract commensurate with his presumed ability to hit the dang ball. Anything other than 3d in the lineup would have been insulting.

[Maxbialystock]

People that were watching the games said he was basically feasting on mistake pitches. Maybe he can start getting some of those?

 

Love that "feasting on mistake pitches" because that's exactly what the Royals did with/to Crawford night before last. When he threw good stuff, he was effective. When he threw a hanging curve or a fastball right down the middle, they blasted him.

 

I could be wrong, but I think that's part of Duran's problem right now--they are hitting the corners against him. Was it last night that he took 3 straight strikes, all on the edges of the strike zone?

[mvp 78]

Love that "feasting on mistake pitches" because that's exactly what the Royals did with/to Crawford night before last. When he threw good stuff, he was effective. When he threw a hanging curve or a fastball right down the middle, they blasted him.

 

I could be wrong, but I think that's part of Duran's problem right now--they are hitting the corners against him. Was it last night that he took 3 straight strikes, all on the edges of the strike zone?

 

It was not last night that he took 3 straight strikes. I just checked the game feed. In his two k's, he only took 2 pitches for strikes, with 3 swinging strikes and one foul.

[mvp 78]

It was Tuesday night per the Gameday, bottom of the 5th. Sinker down and in-Change up and away-Sinker up and away.

 

Why hitters don't protect the plate with 2 strikes (and a runner on!) anymore, I'll never understand.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Maybe... is it possible that batting statistics in Worcester are just a tad inflated due to park dimensions and jet stream conditions?

 

For instance, Dalbec is a 4A monster this year, and legend has it, he hit one 515 feet. That's like 258 minor leaguers away from home plate (one of them hopping on one foot)!

 

Rafaela is also CRUSHING it (as Youk says), but for those fans wondering what's taking the Sox so long to call him up, I just assume the front office is keeping a Woo perspective on progress.

[mvp 78]

Maybe... is it possible that batting statistics in Worcester are just a tad inflated due to park dimensions and jet stream conditions?

 

For instance, Dalbec is a 4A monster this year, and legend has it, he hit one 515 feet. That's like 258 minor leaguers away from home plate (one of them hopping on one foot)!

 

Rafaela is also CRUSHING it (as Youk says), but for those fans wondering what's taking the Sox so long to call him up, I just assume the front office is keeping a Woo perspective on progress.

 

Rafaela

HOME 913 OPS

AWAY 1107 OPS

 

Story also had a higher away OPS.