Trades?

[Maxbialystock]

I keep hearing the Sox desperately need a right-handed bat. But where is this bat supposed to play?

 

Ein gutefrage. If we are talking about this season, I think the infield, thus the DeJonge notion could have merit. Thus have Garciaparra and Bogaerts had the longest tenure as Sox SS's in the last 30 years.

[Maxbialystock]

DH? Against LHP at the very least.

 

Probably what we will see tonight--Ref at DH instead of Yoshida. But the funny thing is that really good righty bats can also hit righty pitchers.

 

My own pet theory on why the Sox have a losing record at home this season is not enough good righty bats to take advantage of the green monster.

[Old Red]

Probably what we will see tonight--Ref at DH instead of Yoshida. But the funny thing is that really good righty bats can also hit righty pitchers.

 

My own pet theory on why the Sox have a losing record at home this season is not enough good righty bats to take advantage of the green monster.

The pitching hasn’t been nowhere near as good at home as it’s been on the road either.

[moonslav59]

I keep hearing the Sox desperately need a right-handed bat. But where is this bat supposed to play?

 

That was my point.

 

Not 1B, unless you think Casas is toast.

Not DH as we have Ref for the platoon DH slot.

Not catcher or 3B.

We could swap a lefty OF bay for a righty to go along with O’Neil and Rafaela, but we aren’t benching Duran for an all righty OF. (Yes, Rafaela could play SS FT to make it happen, and Romy/DHam split time at 2B.

 

That leaves 2B or SS for a big righty bat who is not a negative on D. Name names or suggest an OF swap. Nobody wants Duran traded anymore, so it would have to be Abreu.

 

Interesting how the two guys perhaps most expendable are Aubrey and Valdez.

[mvp 78]

I don’t disagree but we had bad D and bad O for years.

 

Well that won't work for the playoffs, now will it?

[Old Red]

That was my point.

 

Not 1B, unless you think Casas is toast.

Not DH as we have Ref for the platoon DH slot.

Not catcher or 3B.

We could swap a lefty OF bay for a righty to go along with O’Neil and Rafaela, but we aren’t benching Duran for an all righty OF. (Yes, Rafaela could play SS FT to make it happen, and Romy/DHam split time at 2B.

 

That leaves 2B or SS for a big righty bat who is not a negative on D. Name names or suggest an OF swap. Nobody wants Duran traded anymore, so it would have to be Abreu.

 

Interesting how the two guys perhaps most expendable are Aubrey and Valdez.

Casas is nowhere close to being ready, and who knows what you’ll get out of him when he comes back, because he usually starts out slow as it is.

DHam, and Romy have contributed, but are you comfortable with them in a pennant race? Raf Man has handled SS somewhat, but would be better FT in CF.

[mvp 78]

Probably what we will see tonight--Ref at DH instead of Yoshida. But the funny thing is that really good righty bats can also hit righty pitchers.

 

My own pet theory on why the Sox have a losing record at home this season is not enough good righty bats to take advantage of the green monster.

 

Fenway is a better hitters park for lefties than righties. It has a 112 factor for LHB and 104 for RHB. It's the #1 doubles park for lefties by far. That's not the case for righties.

[notin]

Probably what we will see tonight--Ref at DH instead of Yoshida. But the funny thing is that really good righty bats can also hit righty pitchers.

 

My own pet theory on why the Sox have a losing record at home this season is not enough good righty bats to take advantage of the green monster.

 

 

Anyone can DH. I’d think they want a RHH for SS or RF. Of course they have Refsnyder (.899 vs LHP) and Romy Gonzalez (.833 vs LHP) capable of playing those positions, although neither is much defensively.

 

1b was the glaring need, but they aren’t going to platoon Casas, even though his slow start will be inevitable.

 

I think the Sox best all-around OF is Duran-Rafaela-O’Neill, but Abreu has been too good to bench or demote. I’m not a fan of bouncing players around defensively as part of a platoon, but Cora is clearly not bothered by it. But if he just commits to leaving Rafaela at SS, then I suppose a RHH platoon bat to compliment Abreu is the most likely add…

[Fan_since_Boggs]

I keep hearing the Sox desperately need a right-handed bat. But where is this bat supposed to play?

 

DH and dump Yoshida, who simply isn't good enough. Bottom line: you can't keep a DH who has an OPS+ of 92. He either improves or he is gone.

 

A better strategy: play the RHB at 1b, give Yohshida more time to hit and replace Yoshida with Casas later on if Yoshida continues to suck.

[mvp 78]

Anyone can DH.

 

That was the issue with the Sox going all in on unproven Yoshida. If he didn't really hit, his poor defense was going to really sink the contract. Having him as DH only now is a killer.

[notin]

Anyone can DH. I’d think they want a RHH for SS or RF. Of course they have Refsnyder (.899 vs LHP) and Romy Gonzalez (.833 vs LHP) capable of playing those positions, although neither is much defensively.

 

1b was the glaring need, but they aren’t going to platoon Casas, even though his slow start will be inevitable.

 

I think the Sox best all-around OF is Duran-Rafaela-O’Neill, but Abreu has been too good to bench or demote. I’m not a fan of bouncing players around defensively as part of a platoon, but Cora is clearly not bothered by it. But if he just commits to leaving Rafaela at SS, then I suppose a RHH platoon bat to compliment Abreu is the most likely add…

 

Two guys who might fit the Sox here are Mark Canha and Randal Grichuk.

 

Both are free agents after this season. Canha (.851 vs LHP) hits lefties better but really is a bad fit for RF at Fenway. But he could DH with Refsnyder in RF. Grichuk (.792 vs LHP) fits better defensively, but isn’t hitting lefties as hard. Also the DBacks are only 2.5 games out of the WC despite being under .500. Their status as sellers is up in the air. They might deal Grichuk anyway since he is 5th or 6th on their OF depth chart. But they probably keep him if they’re not selling and platoon him at DH with Joc Pederson…

[Bellhorn04]

Fenway is a better hitters park for lefties than righties. It has a 112 factor for LHB and 104 for RHB. It's the #1 doubles park for lefties by far. That's not the case for righties.

 

Seems counter-intuitive (but that's baseball) because you'd think it's the wall that produces all the extra doubles and hitters pull the ball more than they go opposite field. Any theories?

[mvp 78]

Seems counter-intuitive (but that's baseball) because you'd think it's the wall that produces all the extra doubles and hitters pull the ball more than they go opposite field. Any theories?

 

Maybe how the OFers are shifted against LHB allowing Monster doubles (rather than having a CF shifted closer to LF helping to hold a runner at 1b) plus there's a big open RF for lefties hitting with authority to leg out doubles.

[notin]

That was the issue with the Sox going all in on unproven Yoshida. If he didn't really hit, his poor defense was going to really sink the contract. Having him as DH only now is a killer.

 

He proves the point. They signed him to play LF and found him to be a defensive liability and defaulted him to DH…

[notin]

Seems counter-intuitive (but that's baseball) because you'd think it's the wall that produces all the extra doubles and hitters pull the ball more than they go opposite field. Any theories?

 

Average fastball velocity - 94mph. Going the other way isn’t always a choice…

[mvp 78]

Fenway is just a very weird ecosystem. They messed it up by adding the 406 Club (or whatever it is called now) which reduced HR's and doubles drastically. However, when they put they put the Monster Seats in, HR's went to about league average and doubles skyrocketed back to what they used to be.

[mvp 78]

He proves the point. They signed him to play LF and found him to be a defensive liability and defaulted him to DH…

 

The point should be that everyone should play DH and probably just not default to one guy that can't field OR hit.

[mvp 78]

Average fastball velocity - 94mph. Going the other way isn’t always a choice…

 

It's been a lefties doubles park going back to the 40's.

[Old Red]

The point should be that everyone should play DH and probably just not default to one guy that can't field OR hit.

 

The Red Sox haven’t really done to much of that going back to Cepeda.

[notin]

Casas is nowhere close to being ready, and who knows what you’ll get out of him when he comes back, because he usually starts out slow as it is.

DHam, and Romy have contributed, but are you comfortable with them in a pennant race? Raf Man has handled SS somewhat, but would be better FT in CF.

 

This is very true, but you can’t slow him down even more by benching/platooning him. The Sox are just going to have to tough out that part of the season…

[notin]

The point should be that everyone should play DH and probably just not default to one guy that can't field OR hit.

 

DH is a position and it should be treated like one. It only differs in that it has no defensive requirements. Ideally, you want David Ortiz or Edgar Martinez in that dedicated role.

 

Yoshida is far from the ideal DH, and I doubt he holds the exclusive rights much longer..

[Old Red]

This is very true, but you can’t slow him down even more by benching/platooning him. The Sox are just going to have to tough out that part of the season…

 

No one is talking about either, but I’m just not counting on Casas coming back, and just producing right away, and I don’t think anyone should.

[moonslav59]

Well that won't work for the playoffs, now will it?

 

It could, but it would be better to improve.

 

My point was only it looks better, now than it has for the last 3-4 years. Being better than #30 is not saying much.

[notin]

DH? Against LHP at the very least.

 

 

I think if they acquire Mark Canha, he plays DH against LHP with Refsnyder in RF. I think if they acquire Randal Grichuk, he plays RF against LHP and Refsnyder plays DH…

[Old Red]

DH is a position and it should be treated like one. It only differs in that it has no defensive requirements. Ideally, you want David Ortiz or Edgar Martinez in that dedicated role.

 

Yoshida is far from the ideal DH, and I doubt he holds the exclusive rights much longer..

 

Agree on him not being an ideal DH, but as long as that contract keeps him on the team I don’t see much of a change unless he really goes into a bad NOshida mode.

[moonslav59]

DH and dump Yoshida, who simply isn't good enough. Bottom line: you can't keep a DH who has an OPS+ of 92. He either improves or he is gone.

 

A better strategy: play the RHB at 1b, give Yohshida more time to hit and replace Yoshida with Casas later on if Yoshida continues to suck.

 

B]If we did not have Ref to DH vs RHPers, one of MLBs top 25 batters vs righties, Valdez would be very capable in that role.

 

 

[/b]

[Bellhorn04]

Can't we let the guy bask in the glory of that home run against the Yanks for just a few days?

[notin]

No one is talking about either, but I’m just not counting on Casas coming back, and just producing right away, and I don’t think anyone should.

 

In the flow of the thread, it was easy to interpret you suggesting 1b as a potential landing spot for any new RHH…

[Old Red]

In the flow of the thread, it was easy to interpret you suggesting 1b as a potential landing spot for any new RHH…

 

It is. Casas is NOT close to being ready.

[moonslav59]

Give Valdez a 1Bman mitt inAAA. It’s obvious he can never play 2B well enough.