Red Sox sign Jake Bauers

[drewski6]

12 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Bauer can "play multiple positions" but not well! He's worse than Contreras at 1B and a bad OFer on a team with a bunch of them. He's going to be a DH for the most part. 

But can fill in if injuries at multiple positions so if you get a couple injuries, you arent going into a playoff series with a noodlebat team like they did last couple of years.

[drewski6]

Obviously, if the team stays healthy, guys will move around less.  Im not suggesting they will swap guys around for funsies.  Im saying they like having redundancy for coverage. And that includes maint days.

[drewski6]

Im not saying that Bauer will for certain move around, or that him at RF is ideal.  What I am saying is that in 2025 PLAYOFFS, you had like Eaton, Sogard, Masa, the wrong Lowe, Narvaez in you lineup.

Having bats that can play OF in a pinch prevents that. I count on injuries which is why i like versatility.

[drewski6]

Im not saying everyone should move around like musical chairs. Im saying that if like Roman has to miss a game in the playoffs, Id rather move Bauer to OF for a game and put Gasper at DH vs putting like Eaton starting in the OF.

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, WoxburyWommunityWollege said:

Bregman also has bad arm strength and just won his second GG at 3B.

Breggie's arm strength is 81.1 or 25th percentile and his OAA is 94th percentile. Curtis Mead's lack of range makes his OAA 4th percentile! 

Mead's arm strength is 164th out of 179th for 2b/ss/3b. Breggie's is 117th. Not great, but better. Durbin is 119th. That arm can play at 3b. Mead's can't! He was dead last for all 3b's. 

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

But can fill in if injuries at multiple positions so if you get a couple injuries, you arent going into a playoff series with a noodlebat team like they did last couple of years.

They can still go into the playoffs with noodlebats depending on injuries. That won't change. 

[mvp 78]

2 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Im not saying that Bauer will for certain move around, or that him at RF is ideal.  What I am saying is that in 2025 PLAYOFFS, you had like Eaton, Sogard, Masa, the wrong Lowe, Narvaez in you lineup.

Having bats that can play OF in a pinch prevents that. I count on injuries which is why i like versatility.

If they plugged him in at LF, it wouldn't be the end of the world. It's far from ideal, but it's not the end of the world. RF in Fenway? Nope. 

[moonslav59]

I'm kinda surprised, although the money part fits perfectly.

He's not the "elite" bat some of us wanted, and if this add keeps us from spending to get one, it's not what we wanted.

He's seems best suited for 1B or DH. Do we move Willson to DH?

I thought moving Mead or Anthony to DH might happen.

So, one more pretty good hitter added to our list, yet we're still short the elite batter.

[drewski6]

Just now, mvp 78 said:

If they plugged him in at LF, it wouldn't be the end of the world. It's far from ideal, but it's not the end of the world. RF in Fenway? Nope. 

Fine, then shift Roman over.  Still better than starting Eaton or Romy vs a righty out of position in a do-or-die game.

[mvp 78]

1 minute ago, drewski6 said:

Im not saying everyone should move around like musical chairs. Im saying that if like Roman has to miss a game in the playoffs, Id rather move Bauer to OF for a game and put Gasper at DH vs putting like Eaton starting in the OF.

Nate Eaton has a 1214 playoff OPS. He's never failed you in the postseason. He has had a hit every game. 

[drewski6]

Just now, moonslav59 said:

I'm kinda surprised, although the money part fits perfectly.

He's not the "elite" bat some of us wanted, and if this add keeps us from spending to get one, it's not what we wanted.

He's seems best suited for 1B or DH. Do we move Willson to DH?

I thought moving Mead or Anthony to DH might happen.

So, one more pretty good hitter added to our list, yet we're still short the elite batter.

The money seems reasonable, and we are now adding Mead, RA, and Bauer to last years team.  Im finding myself smiling. Would still love a trade for a superstar bat, but I like that theyve seemed to pumped the breaks on the oops all pitching and defense model.  And you are correct that it didnt just start now. It started at the deadline when they got Mead.  They didnt know obvs he would get hurt. 

Not tyring to like tell you this, agreeing with things youve said in teh past.

[drewski6]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

Nate Eaton has a 1214 playoff OPS. He's never failed you in the postseason. He has had a hit every game. 

Touche.

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

Fine, then shift Roman over.  Still better than starting Eaton or Romy vs a righty out of position in a do-or-die game.

Romy is a career .717 batter who has done very well with the Sox. (.762 w Sox)

He's been a top 15 batter vs LHPs since 2024.

Also:

.846 RISP career

.764 Men on Base career

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

The money seems reasonable, and we are now adding Mead, RA, and Bauer to last years team.  Im finding myself smiling. Would still love a trade for a superstar bat, but I like that theyve seemed to pumped the breaks on the oops all pitching and defense model.  And you are correct that it didnt just start now. It started at the deadline when they got Mead.  They didnt know obvs he would get hurt. 

Not tyring to like tell you this, agreeing with things youve said in teh past.

I've agreed with many of your main points, too.

I'm glad to see we are stull improving, but I hope this is not the main winter move.

[drewski6]

3 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Romy is a career .717 batter who has done very well with the Sox. (.762 w Sox)

He's been a top 15 batter vs LHPs since 2024.

Also:

.846 RISP career

.764 Men on Base career

Its game 7, they have a righty on teh mound? You want eaton or romy in the game? You dont.

[drewski6]

2 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I've agreed with many of your main points, too.

I'm glad to see we are stull improving, but I hope this is not the main winter move.

agreed, it raises our floor and extends our lineup.  Still would like one more masher.  WE'll see.  I think if its this plus a couple pitchers, we are looking solid to compete for a wild card (which is nothing to sneeze at), but one more superstar and we might actually win the division.  And that guarantees you get past the first round, something I think should be a goal this year.

[norbit]

Mead had a rough first week that dragged down his defensive numbers, he was about league average after that.

 

[norbit]

23 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

He's got really bad arm strength too! 77.1 average velo (9th percentile). 

It's crazy that Durbin won the the gold glove with an arm in the 25th percentile.

[Old Red]

Bauer is a journeyman, who had a good year last year, and nothing more. Can he do it again? Meh.