moonslav59

Plus, there's a lot of gray area when calling somone the "starter" or "full time", and I don't think Cora ever used the word "full time" with HRam at 1B. My guess is HRam starts 1B against every LH'd starter and maybe half the righties. If we face righties 68% of the time, that means HRam starts 34% (vs half the righties) and 32% (vs all lefties), which comes to about 66%. 66% of 700 PAs is just over 460. Add a few PH'ing PAs and it's perfect for not vesting. It's also not a "lie" to say, "HRam is the starter at 1B."

He'll be in AAA, where he belongs, at least until he proves he's over the concussion issues.

Certainly, he was off to a good start, but he only played 114 innings in LF, and I believe the UZR/150 guys claim 2-3 year sample sizes are best for truly judging a player's defensive value. Never the less, Swihart is not going to be DFA'd. 4th OF: We want to avoid using JD in the OF, except in NL parks. Nunez is the true 4th OF'er on the team (his best position defensively), but he's needed at 2B for quite a while. Even when Pedey returns, Nunez may play 2B 1-2 times a week. 1B: Clearly, HRam and Moreland have this position locked up, but if one gets hurt or struggles, there will be room for Swhiart tosqueeze in sometime here. 3B: I'm skeptical about Swihart's ability to play 3B at a decent level, but with Nunez tied up at 2B for a while, Swhihat could get some time here. With all three of these slots (actually 5, if you count CF and RF in the mix, since we can shift guys around) available for Swihart to squeeze out a few PAs, his value becomes much more than just as a 3rd catcher. This is how I see our bench need shaping up (not listed in order of importance): 1) We need depth at catcher, since we may want to PH for them. Having a 3rd catcher allows PH'ing for a catcher 1-2 times a game. That's a big plus. 2) IF defense. our defense at 3B, 2B and even SS is lacking (1B, too with HRam). Marrero or Lincan cover this, but having Swihart on thebench offers further depth as a jack-of-all-trades type that Cora seems to love. 3) Flexibility. This area is not so much of a great need as it was with the DH only Papi years. If Holt starts in AAA, as he should with his remaining option, keeping Swihart makes sense. Jack is right about a decision needing to be made once Pedey returns, but by then, we should know more about Swihart, Holt, Marrero, Leon and Vaz's ability to catch 4 out of 5 games. I don't project Swihart being the casualty when Pedey returns, but he might be traded at that time, depending on how our need areas are shaping up. If Devers is a butcher at 3B, and Swihart shows he's not a decent fielder there, maybe Swhihart's need is lessened. If Vaz catches 4 of 5 games and Leon remains Sale's caddie, then maybe finding time fr Swihart at catcher, other than as a late inning PH/replacement player, then his value may lessen. Right now, Swihart clearly has the value to stay on the 25 man roster. The only way he does not make the 25 is b y injury or trade.

I guess nothing is impossible, but when you watch a player's growth curve, you can pretty much project where the best he can be might occur. Sure, it's not an exact science, and writing Swihart off as possibly becoming a decent defender at the catching position is probably premature, but he's currently way behind Vaz and Leon right now, IMO. By playing him in LF, 1B and next 3B, it's not going to be easy for him to excel or grow quickly at catching. It's just not how it works.

The mid season move is going to be a starting pitcher. There are bargain basement deals to be had now. This was one alternative option (maybe in hindsight). I'm not even sure I'd be for the idea, but it certainly merits strong consideration. My own personal "what if" concerns signing Moose or Duda instead of Moreland (and Holt). Then, we'd have a lot of money left for summer. My second consideration would be to have signed Morrsion, instead of Moreland & Holt. We'd be about even on the summer spending budget with that one.

John Farrell joins Cincy... as a scout.

$4-5M left +$6.5M Moreland +2.0M Holt______ $13M for Lynn or Cobb

With Cobb, it's all about the value vs the stiff penalties for going more than $40million over the luxury limit. He's a hell of a pitcher when healthy.

I'd take Lynn or Cobb over Moreland and Holt to stay just under the major penalty line.

There was no rush to sign a 1B man. There about 5 still on the market. All 5 were better choices. It was a horrible signing day one: it's worse after watching prices bottom out on the better choices.

His defense has always been "not to like" to me. Our infield defense needs some late inning help, so Marrero is the better choice, even without the option issue.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/03/offseason-in-review-boston-red-sox-10.html

I said it. I still think it, but it's not an impossibility.

Holt doesn't need a phantom DL; he has an option left.

He's been at about .330 at every level.

I'm for starting Holt in AAA. I'm only for "dumping him," if weneed the $2M to acquire someone and stay under the $40M limit. "Bounce back" to what? With Nunez on board and Swihart looking for PAs at 1B and LF, where will Holt be the best back-up on the club? 2B? Nope (Nunez, Hernandez, Marrer/Lin) SS? Nope (Lin, Marrero, Nunez, Hernandez) 3B? Nope (Nunez, Lin, Marrero, Hernandez) LF? Nope (Nunez, Swihart, JDM) 1B? Nope (Moreland, Swihart, Travis) Nope, nope, nope! The Moreland signing was horrible. We needed power, and 1B is THE POSITION to add power. Morrison would have been better, but Moustakas and Duda were steals. (Note: this is not hindsight, as I called for signing them over Hosmer or Moreland all winter long.)

I meant as a 1 or 2 catcher. I've been lobbying for Swihart making the 25 based on the value he adds as a 3rd catcher, which allows us to PH for Vaz or Leon more easily.

Trade him while his stock is high! Trade 'em all! Start over with Beni and Devers as the foundation, ....err, wait... plagerism alert!

He missed almost all of 2016, and you claim he came back "noticably diminished". You're basing a lot on about 250 PAs from 2017, not counting his .997 OPS in 33 PAs this past winter and a torrid ST'ing this year. The guy was recovering from a serious injury and at the same time, was being asked to learn multiple positions. Look, I get how people caan view Swi as a long shot or worse, but there is certainly reason enough to see a chance at him becomming a meaningful MLB player. Nobody is projecting Swihart to be a starting 1Bman or LF'er, but as a sub, a .330 OBP brings something useful to the table. Having a 3rd catcher gives us much more late inning catcher options with PH'ing. That alone has value.

As a sub, yes, but even then, he never "excited" ,e.

Never excited me.

Injuries interrupted his growth. His hit tool is still largely unknown, so writing him off so soon might be wrong. His ability to play LF and 1B could keep him around long enough to explore the hit tool more closely. Nunez at 2B keeps him from being the 4th OF'er until Pedey returns, so Swihart could get some PAs there. We can PH for our catchers more freely with 3, and since our catcher position is our weakest offensive position, we could see Swihart's 3rd catcher role come in more handy than keeping two infielders on the bench who will never play. (Marrero or Lin might be used as late inning replacements, but I can't see Holt getting any reasonable amountof playing time. He's not a better fielder than anyone, excpet maybe slightly over Devers, but Marrero and Lin are better. Swihart should make the 25 roster, at least until Pedey returns, but even then he might have earned a spot by then with his bat and (assuming) decent defense in LF or 1B.

MLB.com click on stats- springtraing sortable, fielding- teams- position...

Maybe. Maybe not. I'm pretty sure that if someone better was offered the job, they'd have said yes rather than continue as an underling. I guess we'll never know.

If there was a better Theo underling candidate for the Sox GM than Ben, I'm going to assume, he'd have been offered the job over Ben.