Would you move Rafaela into the infield to make room for Anthony?

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

6 hours ago, Maxbialystock said:

And this.  The pitching has been the biggest problem with this team all season long.  Team ERA is ranked 17th in MLB.  Runs scored by the Sox lineup are ranked 7th and have there for almost the entire season.  

Not disagreeing about the pitching, but this offense has been overrated for two years.

People can pick whatever stats they want to argue the Sox are good -- runs scored or OPS -- or bad -- LOB, Ks.

But there's no mystery why Boston lost the past four games. A club averaging almost 5 runs per game has scored a total of 5 runs since Saturday night. Rafaela scored the Sox' lone run Tuesday on a wild pitch.

Now that they've lost Bregman, a legitimate star batter, opponents have absolutely zero reason to ever throw Devers any hittable pitches. His new protection in the order is a catcher who spent all but 6 games last year in the minors, where he was a career .250 hitter.

If only the Red Sox had a top prospect ready in Triple A, hitting .320 with a .981 OPS...!

[Bellhorn04]

Our offense is a massive problem.  The runs per game number is artificially propped up by our periodic explosions for double digits.

[mvp 78]

31 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Our offense is a massive problem.  The runs per game number is artificially propped up by our periodic explosions for double digits.

That's most likely the same with other teams though. 

[Bellhorn04]

2 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

That's most likely the same with other teams though. 

I have an idea for a thread about this. 

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

Red Sox offensive woes makes ultimate desperation move possible

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Does any Red Sox fan or even media member really view a promotion of Roman Anthony as "desperation"?

How about this headline instead:

For every future game that Anthony isn't promoted, the Red Sox refuse to play their best possible batting order.

[mvp 78]

15 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Does any Red Sox fan or even media member really view a promotion of Roman Anthony as "desperation"?

How about this headline instead:

For every future game that Anthony isn't promoted, the Red Sox refuse to play their best possible batting order.

Have the Red Sox truly been DESPERATE since Dave Dombrowski left anyway? 😎

[moonslav59]

13 hours ago, Maxbialystock said:

One more time, which will again fall on deaf ears.  Casas was stinking up the joint before his injury.  His overall WAR was -0.8.  So almost anyone, including Sogard, whose WAR is 0.0, would be better.  

You've said this over and over, and I wonder if you truly believe there was no chance Casas would turn his season around, as he had before.

I'd much rather have a healthy Casas, right now, than a guy like Toro on a likely lucky streak.

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

36 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Does any Red Sox fan or even media member really view a promotion of Roman Anthony as "desperation"?

How about this headline instead:

For every future game that Anthony isn't promoted, the Red Sox refuse to play their best possible batting order.

Well, it is nearing desperation time for the sox. Lately, outside of a few blowout games, the sox have been struggling to score. Take today's lineup, 4 guys OPSing below .650, with 3 of them below .600 and one below .400.

They are closer to last place in the division than they are to first and now have 5 teams ahead of them in the WC race with the angels only a half a game behind them.

Some might consider this a desperate time.

[Kimmi]

11 hours ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Our offense is a massive problem.  The runs per game number is artificially propped up by our periodic explosions for double digits.

As I've posted many times, the offense has been 10 times more frustrating to me than our pitching.  Especially their inability to advance runners when needed.

[Kimmi]

To answer the question of the opening post, no.  I would not move Rafaela to the infield to make room for Anthony.  I value Rafaela's defense in CF too much to move him.

That said, I feel like this move is very close to being made.

[notin]

12 hours ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Our offense is a massive problem.  The runs per game number is artificially propped up by our periodic explosions for double digits.

Through the first 57 games, the Red Sox have scored more than 10 runs in a game 4 times this year.  The Yankees have done it 8 times through 54 games.

The Sox offense does appear to have stepped back without Bregman, he says, with a grasp for the mind-numbingly obvious…

 

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

16 minutes ago, notin said:

Through the first 57 games, the Red Sox have scored more than 10 runs in a game 4 times this year.  The Yankees have done it 8 times through 54 games.

So, what are the respective runs/game averages when you take out those 10+ run games.

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

1 hour ago, Kimmi said:

 I value Rafaela's defense in CF too much to move him.

The difference between his fielding and an average fielder does not make up for the difference between his anemic bat and an average bat.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

14 minutes ago, TheSplinteredSplendor said:

The difference between his fielding and an average fielder does not make up for the difference between his anemic bat and an average bat.

The difference between his fielding and an average RED SOX fielder is the point, though.

They're all great at swinging and missing in the batter's box.... (except the pitchers, who don't bat, but can't do simple defensive tasks like cover first in time or throw accurately to any base other than 4th base).

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

4 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

The difference between his fielding and an average RED SOX fielder is the point, though.

I bet roman anthony's bat more than makes up for the difference in the fielding department.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

The entire point of keeping Rafaela in the line-up is so he can play elite centerfield. 

There's certainly no reason to move him to the infield to keep his bat in the line-up...

Plus -- most befuddling -- who thinks Ceddanne is a better longterm starter at shortstop than Marcelo Mayer -- an actual shortstop?

[moonslav59]

17 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

The entire point of keeping Rafaela in the line-up is so he can play elite centerfield. 

There's certainly no reason to move him to the infield to keep his bat in the line-up...

This pretty much says it all.

(I will say, his bat is not worse than our 2B batters have been. He's at .639 and the 2B crew is at .622. Mayer at SS and Rafaela at 2B could be a boost to the offense, as well.)

[notin]

11 hours ago, TheSplinteredSplendor said:

So, what are the respective runs/game averages when you take out those 10+ run games.

Your calculator broken?

[notin]

44 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

The entire point of keeping Rafaela in the line-up is so he can play elite centerfield. 

There's certainly no reason to move him to the infield to keep his bat in the line-up...

Plus -- most befuddling -- who thinks Ceddanne is a better longterm starter at shortstop than Marcelo Mayer -- an actual shortstop?

True.  Rafaela has one purpose. That’s why he bats ninth.

That’s why I advocate for moving Duran to 1b.  Anthony to LF.

It does appear the Sox will take a different path with Campbell going to 1b.  Does this mean Rafaela to 2b?  I think the Sox might need a better option there.  Preferably not named Hamilton. 
 

 

[TheSplinteredSplendor]

19 minutes ago, notin said:

Your calculator broken?

Lol

[mvp 78]

13 hours ago, Kimmi said:

As I've posted many times, the offense has been 10 times more frustrating to me than our pitching.  Especially their inability to advance runners when needed.

Having Story-Hamilton-Wong-Rafaela-Duran hit one after another in the lineup can lead to a long stretch of frustration.

[mvp 78]

32 minutes ago, notin said:

Your calculator broken?

I know you found some stats, but could you find some more for me please? 🙏

[Bellhorn04]

12 hours ago, TheSplinteredSplendor said:

The difference between his fielding and an average fielder does not make up for the difference between his anemic bat and an average bat.

You're not really basing this on anything but old school beliefs.  Rafaela has a bWAR of 1.8 and an fWAR of 1.1, so he's actually been a better than average player.

 

[Bellhorn04]

12 hours ago, notin said:

Through the first 57 games, the Red Sox have scored more than 10 runs in a game 4 times this year.  The Yankees have done it 8 times through 54 games.

I'm gonna have a new thread on this offensive output stuff, just you watch.

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, Bellhorn04 said:

You're not really basing this on anything but old school beliefs.  Rafaela has a bWAR of 1.8 and an fWAR of 1.1, so he's actually been a better than average player.

 

Going by fWAR, they are good at OF, DH and C1. They need upgrades at every other position (3B is dependent only on Breggie's timetable). The IF and C2 has been killing them. 

[mvp 78]

3 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

I'm gonna have a new thread on this offensive output stuff, just you watch.

🕔

[Bellhorn04]

Just now, mvp 78 said:

🕔

By Sunday.  Like all accountants I need deadlines to motivate me. 😄

[mvp 78]

 

[notin]

1 hour ago, Bellhorn04 said:

I'm gonna have a new thread on this offensive output stuff, just you watch.

You make that sound like a threat.

The offense is definitely scuffling right now.  It’s easy to point to their 19 run outburst vs Baltimore as the product of facing a non-pitcher, but bear in mind they did have to beat up an actual pitcher to get to that point.

Id like Anthony to come up.  It’s free and reversible if it doesn’t work, unlike a trade.  But moving Rafaela out of CF seems like the bad option.  His glove isn’t a game-changing option anywhere else, and his offense is never a solution to anything, except maybe opposing pitchers…