Article: What Should Rob Refsnyder’s Role Be for the Red Sox in 2025?

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, Old Red said:

All I know is what I heard Cora say on a postgame presser. Cora has talked about how the D has to improve many times on a postgame presser ., but how much has been done about it, and how much has the D improved the last few years? Specially the Infield D. Even the Full Throttle Man mentioned the Bad D last offseason. They changed the IF coordinator last year, and Tek gets a new job title to no avail.

What does that have to do with "Cora makes out lineup cards based on pitching matchups, not based on defensive capabilities?" 

[Old Red]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

What does that have to do with "Cora makes out lineup cards based on pitching matchups, not based on defensive capabilities?" 

Why is it hard to comprehend that Cora makes the lineup out on pitching matchups?  I can understand not understanding why, but what I don’t understand is not actually seeing that he does it. After Story, and Casas went down last year how many players played everyday? Cora said it, and Cora does it like it, or not.

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

For SS specifically?

Rafaela (2024)

Kiké (2023)

Eduardo Nunez

Holt

Iglesias

Punto

We tried DHam (50 GS at SS) and Reyes (1GS)  at SS, and both sucked on O and D. DHam was demoted and came back to play mostly 2B but some SS. Sogard started 6 games. Rafaela was the primary plug-in at SS, but I do not think he was listed #2 on the pre-season depth chart at SS.

Story started 26 games at SS.

In 2023:

GS

54 Kike, 35 Story, 30 Chang (in season add) 25 Reyes, 10 DHam, 5 Rafaela, 2 Arroyo, 1 Dalbec

[Hugh2]

If Duran/Rafaela are two of your starters, an Abreu/Refsnyder platoon would be great. 

Refsynder the last 3 years put up an OPS of 1.005/.828/.941 vs. LHP and Abreu hits .825 vs RHP and plays GG defense. 

His role should be platoon corner outfielder (preferably LF) until Roman Anthony comes up.  Then he's a 4th outfielder, righty bench bat. 

[moonslav59]

14 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

If Duran/Rafaela are two of your starters, an Abreu/Refsnyder platoon would be great. 

Refsynder the last 3 years put up an OPS of 1.005/.828/.941 vs. LHP and Abreu hits .825 vs RHP and plays GG defense. 

His role should be platoon corner outfielder (preferably LF) until Roman Anthony comes up.  Then he's a 4th outfielder, righty bench bat. 

I would try very hard to have Ref be in every line-up vs LHPs. He is a top 20 batter vs LHPs since 2022.

When and if Anthony is called up, I'd platoon Ref with Yoshida at DH.

If Anthony is the FT RF'er, or splits time between CF and RF, so Abreu can play RF vs LHPs, I'd prefer Ref platoon with Yoshida at than Duran in LF. (And, no: I am not suggesting we platoon Duran.)

[notin]

18 hours ago, Old Red said:

Yes he said I make the lineup out accordingly to the pitching matchups on a postgame interview. I added the rest that implied it to me.

You specifically added the part about NOT trying to make the defense better?  That’s a really big assumption on your part.  Just because he uses pitching matchups doesn’t mean it ends the.  He can still consider defense.  

 

And it’s a dumb assumption on your part.  Cora could use pitching matchups to determine who plays, and THEN put those players in his best defensive arrangement.  Like O’Neill in RF when necessary.

 

The “quote” also seems like BS.  Cora plans days off for players sometimes before opposing pitchers are announced…

[mvp 78]

4 minutes ago, notin said:

You specifically added the part about NOT trying to make the defense better?  That’s a really big assumption on your part.  Just because he uses pitching matchups doesn’t mean it ends the.  He can still consider defense.  

 

And it’s a dumb assumption on your part.  Cora could use pitching matchups to determine who plays, and THEN put those players in his best defensive arrangement.  Like O’Neill in RF when necessary.

 

The “quote” also seems like BS.  Cora plans days off for players sometimes before opposing pitchers are announced…

The only quote presented so far is the "two pillars" quote which suggests he very much cares about pitching and defense. I'm sure he does look at pitching matchups, but those must be tertiary and somewhat flexible since he didn't say "three pillars." 

[notin]

7 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

The only quote presented so far is the "two pillars" quote which suggests he very much cares about pitching and defense. I'm sure he does look at pitching matchups, but those must be tertiary and somewhat flexible since he didn't say "three pillars." 

No, it’s only pitching matchups, since that’s all Cora mentioned.  If the pitching matchups dictate that David Hamilton start over Connor Wong, then Hamilton is going to gear up between at bats…

[Bellhorn04]

19 minutes ago, notin said:

The “quote” also seems like BS.  Cora plans days off for players sometimes before opposing pitchers are announced…

And how much information do we have on his methodology in doing this? 

[moonslav59]

Even if Cora uses offense as the major priority when making out his line-up, he will still have the ability to play players where he can maximize the defensive achievements.

When he gets stuck playing Arroyo in RF, Dalbec at SS and other whacky placements, that is one thing, but when he is presented with a situation like an OF that will be Ref-Duran-Rafaela, due to sitting Abreu vs a LHP, he has shown that he will adjust the players accordingly to maximize the defense.

While Rafaela has barely played RF, that does not mean he can't, this year. We used him a lot at SS, last year, and that may not be needed in '25. We also had O'Neill to play corner OF in '24, so that has changed. Nobody know how Cora will deal with the defensive alignment. He may just roll the dice with Abreu beginning the season as the FT RF'er with no platoon. Ref could platoon with Yoshida at DH, until we know more about Yoshida's health and performance level and how well Abreu can hit lefties. He may use Ref in Fenway's RF, but he has shown he tries to avoid that. To me, if this OF is set for a game vs a lefty, I prefer Cora go with Ref in LF, Duran ib CF and Rafaela in RF. I do not think this goes against anything Cora has shown in the past, except the part where Rafaela has only played RF 3 innings in MLB and 6 innings in the minors. By playing Arroyo in RF, I don't see how Rafaela playing there is some kind of convoluted idea.

If and when Anthony gets the call, things could radically change. If Story is healthy and playing well, and whatever vets we have playing 2B are doing really well, we may even consider Campbell in CF or RF, at least vs LHPs (and maybe 2B v RHPs, if DHam is sucking.)

If and hopefully when Campbell and Anthony have won FT positions, Cora will have some very nice choices to make- assuming both are doing well. We could see this:

vs RHP

1. L Duran LF/CF

2. R Campbell 2B

3. L Casas 1B

4. L Devers 3B

5. L Yoshida DH

6. R Story SS

7. L Abreu RF

8. L Anthony CF (or LF w Duran in CF)

9. R Wong

Bench: Rafaela, Narvaez, Refsnyder, DHam/Grissom/Romy (1)

vs LHP

1. L Duran LF

2. R Campbell 2B

3. R Refsnyder DH

4. L Devers 3B

5. L Casas 1B

6. R Story SS

7. L Anthony RF

8. R Wong C

9. R Rafaela CF

Bench: Abreu, narvaez, Yoshida, DHam/Grissom/Romy (1)

This looks damn good, to me, but it assumes the kids hit the ground running.

[notin]

29 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

And how much information do we have on his methodology in doing this? 

None.  We just know Cora bases his lineups on more than just pitching matchups, which was the “quote” being refuted.

If Cora only used pitching matchups, in theory at least one bench player would never start at all.  Someone has to be the worst…