Spring Training game thread: Week of Feb 21

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

44 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Great instagram post yesterday by Alex Bregman showing him, and Raffy shaking hands of course not in Red Sox uniforms, but don’t fret the Red Sox got the steal of the century in Durbin.🤫

They snuck him under museum security's waist-high electric eye with the green laser beam so he wouldn't set off any alarms.

Teams historically give up faster on short infielders. Not to go all Mookie on the board, but some guys prove them wrong. The Sox were able to grab Pedroia with the 65th pick in the draft because he was listed at 5-9 (which the industry accepts as really 5-6 upside down). 

Joe Morgan listed at 5-7, played for five different teams and rates as one of the greatest second baseman of all-time. Freddie Patek was 5-5 and got traded to the KC Royals, who won three straight division crowns with him at shortstop. Patek was a three-time All-Star who once had a three homer day at Fenway Park. 

Speaking of 5-5, don't forget Rabbit Maranville, the extremely shortstop who played for five clubs in 23 years of a Hall of Fame career -- 15 in Boston for the Braves (hard for me to forget, at least, since I once got a rug burn on the same diamond, diving for a ball on plastic turf which replaced all the natural grass Rabbit chewed up over the century).

 

[JoeBrady]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Why give him a market price FA year? You only extend him if it's a team friendly deal.

You're right, but I'd give him one market price in exchange for one option year.  It feels like the non-super guys are easier to work out.  They all know they get less when they get more guarantees.  To me, it's more a bet on character than skill, and I think Duran will be in great shape 4-5 years from now.

[JoeBrady]

26 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

15 in Boston for the Braves (hard for me to forget,

I thought you were going to say you saw him live.

[Old Red]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Why give him a market price FA year? You only extend him if it's a team friendly deal.

Agree, and I don’t even expect to see Duran finish out his controlled years in a Red Sox uniform.

[moonslav59]

16 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Agree, and I don’t even expect to see Duran finish out his controlled years in a Red Sox uniform.

I thought he'd be gone by now.

[Hugh2]

Duran is the perfect candidate to let play out his team control years and then take the draft pick when he walks.  

I think he's a great player, and enjoy watching him play, but he's controlled to 31 with his main skill set one that typically doesn't age well.  

Take the two years and tip your cap to him when he gets paid. 

[Old Red]

10 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I thought he'd be gone by now.

I think how KC develops could be a determining factor also.

[Old Red]

14 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Duran is the perfect candidate to let play out his team control years and then take the draft pick when he walks.  

I think he's a great player, and enjoy watching him play, but he's controlled to 31 with his main skill set one that typically doesn't age well.  

Take the two years and tip your cap to him when he gets paid. 

Good player at times, but i wouldn’t go so far as to call him great.

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, JoeBrady said:

You're right, but I'd give him one market price in exchange for one option year.  It feels like the non-super guys are easier to work out.  They all know they get less when they get more guarantees.  To me, it's more a bet on character than skill, and I think Duran will be in great shape 4-5 years from now.

If you're betting on character, why give Duran an extension? Who knows what kind of PR nightmare he brings to the team in the next 4 years. 

[mvp 78]

31 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Duran is the perfect candidate to let play out his team control years and then take the draft pick when he walks.  

I think he's a great player, and enjoy watching him play, but he's controlled to 31 with his main skill set one that typically doesn't age well.  

Take the two years and tip your cap to him when he gets paid. 

If you offer him a QO, he probably takes it. 

[Hugh2]

47 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Good player at times, but i wouldn’t go so far as to call him great.

ok

[Hugh2]

31 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

If you offer him a QO, he probably takes it. 

I doubt that, the last 3 years Duran has been a 

2.5

6.8

3.9 FWar guy

Someone is going to pay him, and it's going to be his only payday.  I don't think he's going to get a huge contract......but he's worth a lot more than just some guy who accepts the Q.O. 

All of this is contingent on how he plays over the next 2 years.  

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

2 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

I thought you were going to say you saw him live.

No, but as soon as the snow melts I am installing chicken wire on my property fence to keep his descendants out and alive; the ladies want to save the bunnies, the farmer wants to save his crops, the dogs just want to save face.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Twins feed again today.

Dan Gladden - ex big leaguer? - announced the starting line-ups: "Batting leadoff, Ramone Anthony."

[mvp 78]

16 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Twins feed again today.

Dan Gladden - ex big leaguer? - announced the starting line-ups: "Batting leadoff, Ramone Anthony."

He must have been plunked in the head a bunch. 

[mvp 78]

Gladden has been doing broadcasts for the Twins for 26 years apparently.

[JoeBrady]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

If you're betting on character, why give Duran an extension? Who knows what kind of PR nightmare he brings to the team in the next 4 years. 

I like Duran.  He's in great shape, looks like a gym rat, and always runs full-out.

[Cameron Tran]

Slatens fastball looks sharp! would love to get him back to his 2024 spot, would give us a great three-headed bullpen monster

 

[mvp 78]

Sorry, moon. 

[moonslav59]

27 minutes ago, JoeBrady said:

I like Duran.  He's in great shape, looks like a gym rat, and always runs full-out.

There is a lot to like about him: I agree.

His defense has been all over the map, and I'm not sure it's about a lack of focus.

He did have the issue with the non PC comment towards that fan, and the whole issue with the Covid vaccine and not joining the team in Toronto, but that's not enough to get me to dislike him or think he's a drag on the team. The kid can hit and run.

[drewski6]

7 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Sorry, moon. 

Bummer, not sure he had much of a chance , but one less depth piece who could potentially hit lefties isnt great

[drewski6]

2 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

There is a lot to like about him: I agree.

His defense has been all over the map, and I'm not sure it's about a lack of focus.

He did have the issue with the non PC comment towards that fan, and the whole issue with the Covid vaccine and not joining the team in Toronto, but that's not enough to get me to dislike him or think he's a drag on the team. The kid can hit and run.

Hopefully not with a car!

[jad]

5 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Speaking of 5-5, don't forget Rabbit Maranville, the extremely shortstop who played for five clubs in 23 years of a Hall of Fame career -- 15 in Boston for the Braves (hard for me to forget, at least, since I once got a rug burn on the same diamond, diving for a ball on plastic turf which replaced all the natural grass Rabbit chewed up over the century).

 

My father's favorite player!  (or maybe he just loved repeating the name.). In tribute to him, he (dad) would always try to catch pop ups one-handed at his waist.  (Not sure Rabbit did that, but my father had a lot of fun pretending he did.)

[drewski6]

Being short can be a sneaky advantage. Small strike zone.  David Eckstein. Termarr Johnson (Pitt prospect who is supposed to be a very good prospect).  I think Durbin's height is actually an asset.  

[mvp 78]

Bennett's velo was up to 97.6 this game. This is higher than it has been before. Changeup is his plus pitch.

[Kimmi]

6 hours ago, Deja Doh said:

That should get him benched.  No more watching home runs:  It's narcissistic.  When God knocks it back into the playing field you suddenly are a loser.

 

I am not a fan of these things either.  I guess it's become readily acceptable behavior, but back in the day, you might expect a good beaning in your next at bat after showboating.  

[Kimmi]

5 hours ago, JoeBrady said:

You're right, but I'd give him one market price in exchange for one option year.  It feels like the non-super guys are easier to work out.  They all know they get less when they get more guarantees.  To me, it's more a bet on character than skill, and I think Duran will be in great shape 4-5 years from now.

I would extend Duran in a heartbeat.  Of course, I am now of the philosophy that we should lock up pretty much all of our young starting players before they become expensive free agents, including Narvaez, Mayer, and Abreu.  I understand the risks involved, but as MVP stated, you get team friendly deals which could turn out to be steals.

[Old Red]

19 minutes ago, Kimmi said:

I would extend Duran in a heartbeat.  Of course, I am now of the philosophy that we should lock up pretty much all of our young starting players before they become expensive free agents, including Narvaez, Mayer, and Abreu.  I understand the risks involved, but as MVP stated, you get team friendly deals which could turn out to be steals.

Duran turns 30 in SEPTEMBER, and I just don’t see any extension coming from the Red Sox. Abreu turned down an extension in 2024, so I don’t know if the Red Sox have tried since. Nothing on any extension for Mayer’s at this point either.

[moonslav59]

31 minutes ago, Kimmi said:

I would extend Duran in a heartbeat.  Of course, I am now of the philosophy that we should lock up pretty much all of our young starting players before they become expensive free agents, including Narvaez, Mayer, and Abreu.  I understand the risks involved, but as MVP stated, you get team friendly deals which could turn out to be steals.

He's not so "young."

He's not old, either. He turns 30 in September and will be 32 when his years of control run out. 32 seems like the age to move on, but I'd be okay with extending him one year beyond the current control years and buying out his 2 remaining arb years.

Maybe he gets $11-13M in '27 and $14-17M in '28, assuming he keeps doing well, so what would an extension look like?

$28M for the 2 arb years and $20M for the extra year? So... $48M/3?

[JoeBrady]

3 hours ago, Cameron Tran said:

Slatens fastball looks sharp! would love to get him back to his 2024 spot, would give us a great three-headed bullpen monster

 

That was the highlight point for me.  He looked really good.  I thought Bennett looked good.  Oviedo is  one big dude.