Spitball
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Everything posted by Spitball
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Predictions for Robinson Cano ... Team & Terms of Contract.
Spitball replied to marklmw's topic in Other Baseball
I think the Yankees are in a lose-lose situation with Cano. Unless they can trade for a Brandon Phillips or Ian Kinsler, they will be obligated to meet or come close to Cano's demands. I hope they have to sign the guy to a ten-year contract and are stuck with another bad contract. I can never understand how anyone outside of New York can possibly be a fan of the Yankees. I feel pretty much the same way about the Cardinals. -
Haha! If Span is not worth more than Alex Wilson, the Sox definitely don't need him.
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Right. There is no way the Nationals trade a top pitching prospect for Span one year and justify trading him away for a Franklin Morales the next. Span's numbers were down but not by a significant amount.
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Their bodies were falling apart largely because they played center field. Griffey definitely fits that mold, also. The position is a drain on the legs and body. I don't think we are disagreeing. With his leg and back issues, he needs to be in right field.
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I like Victorino in right field...especially in Fenway's spacious right field. Plus, I think it is a very good idea to move center fielders to a corner outfield spot as they age. Center fielders have a lot of wear and tear on their legs as the cover their position and back-up the other outfielders. Fred Lynn, Eric Davis, Torii Hunter, and Junior Griffey were among the former Gold Glove center fielders who moved to corner spots. As for Denard Span, I doubt he will come cheaply. Just a year ago the Nationals gave up a top pitching prospect in Alex Meyer to acquire him.
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I think the times are changing. We can see the problems that the Yankees have with long term contracts and the luxury tax. It is painful to let Ellsbury, Drew, and Saltalamachia go, but they can be replaced with younger and cheaper alternatives. They might not be as productive at this stage of their careers, but Bradley, Bogaerts, and Lavarnway are reasonably talented enough to fill the holes. The Cardinals let the amazing Albert Pujols walk but are now likely to be contenders for years to come. They have put their confidence in their strong supply of prospects. We will likely have to change our way of thinking to move into this new era. It is no longer wise to tie up aging stars to long term, expensive contracts. The Phillies, Angels, and Yankees missed the playoffs with all their long term, high priced contracts. The Sox are in a position with their prospects to avoid a similar problem.
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Epstein has recently admitted that he made a mistake in signing Jackson when his team was still years away from contending. And Jackson didn't live up to his "innings eater" reputation as he averaged less than 6 innings per start.
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Well, Epstein's hands were not clean with Crawford. Epstein favored the deal and was the one who called Henry in Liverpool, England, and asked for the owner to sign off on the $142 million required to get the deal done.
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It is a silly argument, but Cherington got rid of three big Epstein's expensive mistakes...which I believe trumps your three points. Btw, Epstein recently admitted he made a mistake in signing Edwin Jackson to a four-year, $52MM contract last winter. Jackson was 8-18 with a 4.98 ERA over 175 1/3 IP in 2013. It was one of the worst signings of the last off-season.
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This is not meant to keep hounding my point, but this was posted on MLB Trade Rumors this morning by Mark Polishuk.
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Yes, I did mean OBP. I would have caught that if I would just proofread my posts.
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Btw, Salty has an career OPS of .327 versus righties, Ross has a .321, and Hanigan has a career .349 OPS versus right-handers. I see the OPS and defense as the type of player that the Sox have employed to win this past season.
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McCann would be nice but very expensive. This is not Theo Epstein's era. Cherington won using a different formula. Hanigan has a .349 OBP versus right-handed pitchers for his career. Hanigan's OPS is better if we throw out last season's injury marred season. He is the type of batter and defensive player the Sox employed this past season to win the World Series. Btw, David Ross has a .321 OPS versus right-handed pitchers in his career and a .325 versus lefties.
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I am sorry to change the subject, but I would like to talk catching. If Saltalamachia is gone, I like the Reds' Ryan Hanigan as a cheap replacement. He is the best defensive catcher in baseball and has very decent on-base ability despite an injury marred year in 2013. He is an asset to a pitching staff with his pitch-framing abilities. http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/63855/qa-ryan-hanigan-on-the-art-of-pitch-framing The Reds have former first round pick Devin Mesorco and recently signed Branyan Pena...so someone has to go. Coupled with the acquisition of Pena and a down offensive season, Hanigan could be a cheap but valuable acquisition. He is basically a younger David Ross.
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I hope the Sox can avoid the temptation to sign anyone to a foolishly long contract. The Cardinals made Albert Pujols a very respectful offer, but he (his agent) wanted more years and more money. That was a huge choice by the Cardinals to decide to move in another direction. Pujols was the best player in baseball at the time, but the Cardinals have more than successfully moved beyond the Pujols era. And the Red Sox have traded away big contracts and been even more successful. I am in favor of the Cherington method and moving past the Epstein method we have been accustomed to embracing.
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If we should happen to win Game 6, who's our WS MVP?
Spitball replied to Dojji's topic in Boston Red Sox Talk
Every other player on both teams seems to be swinging at beebees, but Otiz is hitting beachballs. I have never seen a more dominant hitting performance. -
Good Luck Red Sox Fans I will say a prayer for your team
Spitball replied to Midwest Manners's topic in Boston Red Sox Talk
Most Cardinal fans are much like we are and are extremely dedicated and loyal. This poster is a troll and much like their casual fans who have jumped on their bandwagon now that they are in the series. I have run into them a lot in the last week. They are not fulltime fans or they would appreciate the mutual passion. I choose to ignore this troll. -
UN, I recognize you are making valid points. At this point, I am throwing the idea out there merely for discussion purposes. However, if Red Sox third basemen fail to generate any offense against Kelly and Lynn, and they lose games three and four, it would behoove the Red Sox to try Napoli at third against Wainwright to avoid elimination. I do not think trying him at third is a terrible idea. Bogaerts has had 6 chances in 8 post season games. Napoli's defense can probably be hidden. I bet Francona would have played Gonzalez in right had the Sox gone to the World Series in 2011.
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Napoli's hip is not a problem at this point. Medication has increased the flow of blood and stopped the bone loss. The guy generates a lot of power with those hips when he swings a bat, and he runs very well with 38 doubles, two triples, and a stolen base. He could not have played as much nor performed so well with that hip condition still bothering him. Heck, Brett Favre had the same condition for most of his career. As for the bunting, he has worked on that aspect as a first baseman. I am pretty sure he can field a bunt and make the throw. Who thought the guy would play Gold Glove quality first base after spending most of his career as a catcher?
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I throw this out as a point to discuss but know it will unlikely to happen. Still, I will never forget the 1968 World Series and Mickey Stanley moving to shortstop. It was a bold move by the Tigers' manager and actually could be said to have won the series. I believe Jim Northrup hit the ball that scored the winning run in game 7 versus Bob Gibson, and Northrup was Stanley's replacement in centerfield. I don't think a manager could withstand the scrutiny in today's highly televised world. That said, I do not think the hip argument is at all valid. Napoli has had absolutely no issues with his hip this season. None. He is taking osteoporosis medication which has halted the bone loss and is promoting healthy bone growth. Also, keep this in mind. Bogaerts has played 8 post season games at third (4 starts) and has 6 total defensive chances. I do recognize the threat of the bunt, but don't think that would be something Napoli could not handle.
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I am not a doctor but believe Napoli's hips can survive three games at third base. The position typically gets between three and four chances per game. There is more throwing, but fielding the position requires about the same movements as first base. I don't understand how his hips prevent him from fielding the position yet he can run out a career high 38 doubles. He even managed two triples and a stolen base. I do realize that Bogaerts has an impressive OPS in post season play at this point, but it is over too small of a sample size to be a valid measure. He is also OPSing .000 in the World Series which is with too few at-bats, but he does have 4 strikeouts in his last 6 at-bats.
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I know this will not happen in this day and age, but the 1968 Detroit Tigers beat the St. Louis Cardinals by shifting centerfielder Mickey Stanley to shortstop for the World Series. Regular shortstop Ray Oyler was providing absolutely no offense, and manager Mayo Smith made a bold strategic move and put his centerfielder in the shortstop role. It paid off well, and the Tigers were World Champions in a seven game series. We are talking small sample sizes here, but Middlebrooks and Bogaerts have provided little offense to this point. The third base position will likely see less than four chances defensively per game. The third base batter will likely see at least four at bats per game. Napoli has been very strong defensively at first base. Is there a positive payoff here? Would you support Farrell making the gamble to play Napoli at third for the three games in St. Louis?
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Probably they are. They certainly are great players. My point is that the Sox are winning despite lacking a Gonzalez, a Cabrera, a Fielder, a Verlander, or any big dollar, big name superstar. They are not a small market team, but they are winning with pieces that are getting on base, driving up pitch counts, and clicking well.
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The Sox are made up of lots of nice parts. There is not an Adrian Gonzalez superstar, but lots of guys who get on base, pull beards, and appear to be enjoying the ride. It is not a Nava or Gomes question because it is the package of the whole that has been working out so well. Btw, Gomes was a great part in Cincinnati when he was a platoon player, but he fell out of favor when they tried to make him full time.
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My favorite was by former Red Sox pitcher Bill "Spaceman" Lee. When asked about drug testing in baseball, he replied, "I am all for drug testing. In fact, I have tested lots of drugs."
