sk7326
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Everything posted by sk7326
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Perhaps elite for the position, and has been a good defender so far - and the age gap is signficant here also. Red Sox can't lose either way really ... there is no question Vasquez has some Molina-esque projection. Just a matter of which one.
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I think you're debating elite vs very good ... instead of elite vs Hanley Ramirez in LF ... neither will be a minus back there. When discussing the two catchers on this board, because Swihart is a good athlete, good enough to play an infield position competently - the discourse seems to lapse into him basically catching because of his bat, like he was Mickey Tettleton. He looks like he will be a very good defensive catcher. There is a real possibility Swihart's total package eclipses Vasquez, and the defense would be part of that package. The fascinating thing to me is Vasquez' pitch framing vs Swihart's bat - and that is probably where the decision point is ... that and whether you think Vasquez can hit better than what he has shown so far (which is not quite enough, but close)
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It is possible in theory I suppose, and certainly there might not be a fit. But in the land of business as I know it - and real jobs and such ... and I do have some personal experience here ... you go to a startup from a larger firm (or whatever), you're always thinking of guys you have worked with who you like. You don't fear upsetting your applecart - just finding a fit that makes everybody happy. In the Cubs case, where Ben is a guy the entire brain trust already knows and likes ... that fit is a lot simpler. They were not able to poach him earlier anyway, because the Red Sox made him GM, and Theo had no visible promotion (let alone the compensation talks that would have been required) to offer.
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Bradley's gonna be SOMEBODY's starting CF next season. We all understood - if Bradley could be a .250/.320/(who cares slg) guy, that is a quality starting CF. He is probably not "this guy" that we have seen lately, but it raises optimism he could be the .320 OBP guy, which is more than enough.
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Upset the chemistry by bringing back a guy they both worked with for 9 years, who Hoyer ran a baseball operation with as partners for one of them ... and who won several baseball games under their arrangement (as well as McLeod). I am sure there will be backstabbing there.
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Interestingly at this point, both guys have more or less identical ML samples: Vasquez 201 PAs .240/.308/.309 Swihart 210 PAs .259/.301/.345 Both rated well defensively. Really a question of upside and whatnot. I'd choose Swihart myself, but I would be against seeing what he can fetch because Vasquez is such a likely starter.
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Swihart is the ceiling guy, Vasquez is probability. Certainly Swihart has shown at lower levels he can be very good defensively too. Clearly there is a gap in pitch framing which is sad but true (sad that it is a thing). It is a good problem for the Sox to have. Swihart earlier on looked overwhelmed, but the tools - both offensively and behind the plate - are obvious. This isn't shoehorning a bat.
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Stood up? It's not like he didn't sign them. So he said that publicly and figured it out in private. Clearly he knows how to work with his bosses given having a job for so long there. He knew enough not to boink a cleaning lady and get in trouble with the boss.
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It will be interesting. He has a pristine name in scouting and development, and built a machine on that end here. Great integrity, and very talented guys loved working for him. A place like Philadelphia actually would be a very good fit, where they need modernization in much of what the front office does - while McPhail provides a good complement. Minnesota where Terry Ryan is not getting younger makes sense also. Obviously the Red Sox satellite offices in Chicago and Los Angeles probably already have called.
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But did Ben have final say? That is the main question which will drive the success of the Dombrowski era.
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Ownership meddling is ALWAYS a risk. That is the nature of working - you do what the man who signs the checks wants. I don't blame Dombrowski for doing what ownership wants in Detroit - Ilitch wanted a title and wanted to deal kids to make sure it happened (well, you can't MAKE SURE you win a title, baseball doesn't work like that). There are only 30 jobs, it's not like you can snap your fingers and make your own startup. Now will ownership priorities be healthy?
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I think Owens starts in Boston too. There is clear major league swing and miss and feel. His ability to shake off the horrible start to his last outing was a good sign. I think they need at least one more "top shelf" pitcher for the rest of the rotation to fall into place. Kelly in the pen seems obvious to me too.
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Hanley at 3B ... which he should be able to handle, and maybe even be good at. Move Sandoval whose ceiling is just not that high. Make those two fixes, and you'll find that the pitching gap will be easier to close too.
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Without a doubt. Shields can crank out 200 average-ish innings, which is what this team desperately needed as much as anything.
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Of course - the Detroit thing was in a much, much, much easier division ... but I am not going to s*** on him. His GM choice will be important.
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Except that they weren't. Ben predated every single one of them - unless you think he was not part of the brain trust at all the previous 14 years. It's not like he rolled out of bed and joined the team in 2012. And the 2012 disaster was almost entirely health-related. He predated the ownership. His responsibility was player development before full GM - and that would sure seem to include Pedroia and Ellsbury and Lester and Yoook. He made some mistakes. Iglesias for Peavy did not work out - but flags fly forever, and you take a stab when you can ... Peavy was good before the acquisition. The salary dump I don't give him a ton of credit for - that was an ownership level deal. Cherington actually got a couple of legit prospects out of a salary dump (which is not common). Neither worked out, but they were not without risk.
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I think Dombrowski could do a good job. What you say about the big league club is not unreasonable. The issue - and the concern - is throwing out the good stuff organizationally, which is considerable. He also let the Tigers system rot so that the team got old all at once. Now I don't think that was all his choice - Ilitch wanted it that way. But he is great at shaping a big league roster, and this team needs that. Cherington won't be out of work long, so nobody should pity him - Philadephia under McPhail would be a good match for one. I am more alarmed at the possibility of Frank Wren, who did a horrible job in Atlanta, being the GM. If Dombrowski is empowered to put his stamp without throwing out the good stuff (the scouting and development machine), there is a good fit here.
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Chicago, LA (which are kind of Red Sox satellite operations now) ... on the BBTN podcast Law noted that Philadelphia would make all sorts of sense for him too.
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Well he and Jed were the co-GMs at the time, so it is not an unreasonable call. Now it is possible that they were in conflict and Hoyer won an arm wrestling contest or something. I will be curious where he ends up. One suspects his standing in the industry was not tarred too much by this.
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Do you really think a career player development director who traded two blue chip prospects for Josh Beckett doesn't know #4?
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I thought the RUN PREVENTION on paper looked okay and that the rotation could be upgraded if the standings dictated it. I thought this team through 110 games could be some sort of 57-53 with more 13-9 losses than I'd prefer ... so you go harvest Johnny Cueto from the Enterprise Pitcher Rental shop and go for the finish In 2013 we were counting on two starters coming off of >4.50 ERA seasons and one who had a surgically repaired elbow and was the worst qualified starter in the American League before that. Some days you win.
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2016 Red Sox Hot Stove Discussion Thread
sk7326 replied to a700hitter's topic in Boston Red Sox Talk
Over those scant 17 years in player development predating this ownership he did not see the value of pitching or that time he traded multiple top 50 prospects for Josh Beckett. Got it. -
The team is overloaded with CF talent ... Bradley, Castillo, Margot, Benintendi (although he'd be a PTBNL), Betts. No doubt somebody might be attached to an albatross contract or bait to improve the ML roster. (obviously I am not including Betts as trade bait, just as part of the CF inventory).
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Moving Hanley to a position Manny Ramirez, Ryan Klesko, Albert Belle, Kevin Mitchell and several potted plants at various points have navigated without killing themselves is not inevitable. LF and 1B are very much the traditional "whew, well at least he can hit!" positions.