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What would Lexi bring back in trade?


suicidesqueeze
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Ok, I was a big fan of Lexi last season, no surprise there as we most of us were. But he is a minus defensive player at shortstop, supposedly his natural position. Beckham, who never played 3rd before this year, to me has shown more improvement there since early June than Alexei has displayed at ss all season.

 

I also am wondering if Lexi is closer to reaching his ceiling as a player than we might want to realize. I really don't see him hitting for more than around a .290 average, 20-25 hr's and 80-90 rbi's in the future; all nice numbers, but he did that last year. Beckham, on the other hand, I believe will eclipse those numbers and continually get better along the way at a higher trajectory than Lexi.

 

So...my thought is, would it behoove the Sox to explore the option of trading Lexi for a 5th starter/3rd baseman in the off-season? Then move Beckham to ss (his natural position), keep Getz at 2nd base (good defense/nice speed on the basepaths, can handle the bat better), and get a proven 3rd baseman or starting pitcher (whichever we don't get in any potential trade involving Lexi)?

 

I like Lexi, don't get me wrong...but he has been a drag on the defense at ss, shown next to no discipline at the plate, and IMO does not hustle enough.

 

Thoughts?

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If he can avoid the bad month, Alexei is still an above average player despite his defensive shortcomings. He's also young and cheap. Trading for a more proven, more expensive veteran third baseman would be a lateral move at best. I would not be against another position change for him.

Edited by Buehrle>Wood
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After consuming all this payroll going forward, I highly doubt KW trades away one of his cheap talented players.

 

His cheap contract is what could net us a solid starting pitcher or 3rd baseman, IMO. Shed a little payroll here, a little there, and we're in the ballpark to add another piece...

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If he can avoid the bad month, Alexei is still an above average player despite his defensive shortcomings. He's also young and cheap. Trading for a more proven, more expensive veteran third baseman would be a lateral move at best. I would not be against another position change for him.

 

 

Sometimes what is deemed as a 'lateral move' on paper actually improves the overall effectiveness of the lineup a whole lot; I think this is an opportunity to do exactly that. We've already shuffled Alexei from 2nd to ss, now that Rios is here where exactly would he be moved to yet again, for the 2nd time in 3 years potentially?

 

Again, I'm not trying to bury the guy, I just think we could be better by upgrading in the infield and he would seem to be a pretty valuable trading chip that would net you the most in return. In hindsight, I think Lexi-Cabrera up the middle last year was a better combo than Getz-Lexi has been this year, and I bet most wouldn't have predicted that. It was more about getting rid of Cabrera's attitude, etc.

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QUOTE (suicidesqueeze @ Aug 11, 2009 -> 02:39 PM)
His cheap contract is what could net us a solid starting pitcher or 3rd baseman, IMO. Shed a little payroll here, a little there, and we're in the ballpark to add another piece...

Ramirez is just a freak with the bat. I hate to lose that. Honestly we maybe able to get a solid starting pitcher for Chris Getz. Pittsburgh will likely be looking into adding a 2B this offseason after losing Freddy Sanchez. I would love to bring over Zach Duke. Ramirez is much more effective at 2B. You could move Beckham to SS and perhaps bring up Viciedo for 3B if he's ready. The thing is Viciedo will likely not be ready for 2010.

 

Here is the latest Viciedo #'s from Double A Birmingham:

 

In 422 at bats he is hitting:

.277 with 10 HR, 63 RBI's with an OBP of .314. What worries me about Viciedo are his 77 strike outs.

 

The good news is he has improved greatly since the start of the season and he is proving to be developing into a solid run producer. My question is can he play defense. If he can't than its simple- keep the infield the way it is.

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We need to get much better defensively up the middle, bottom line. Rios patrolling CF is the 1st step in the right direction. Keeping the infield lineup the same leaves us with a deficient SS; Getz is fine at 2nd defensively, IMO.

 

Maybe it would make more sense to move Lexi back to 2nd, Beckham to SS and get a 3rd baseman from outside the organization? That way we keep Lexi's freakish bat in the lineup and have a better than average 2nd baseman, in terms of offensive production. And it would seem to me that his shortcomings with the glove would be less glaring at 2nd base than at SS.

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If you could aqcuire Zach Duke for a package centered around Chris Getz you do it. Our rotation would be set for many, many years.

 

Peavy, Buerhle, Floyd, Danks and Duke- thats simply amazing!

 

KW still wants to get younger and if Viciedo plays very well in Fall Ball- bring him up! KW has done a great job this season showcasing his prospects and young talent. I truly believe we could aqcuire a young starting pitcher such as Duke w/o giving up Ramirez. With the depth of our farm- we could risk losing Chris Getz.

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I don't think we should move him. Let him play, he is taking his lumps in stride and developing.

 

I can't wait to see reactions to Beckham's slip in numbers in his "sophomore slump" or in 3 years if he isn't hitting the 30 bombs people want from. Give Alexei a break here. He lacks some finer tunings from coming to play MLB Baseball but the kid didn't spend anytime in the minors. He will play better defense the next few years. He can hit and if he ever becomes used to April/early May weather out here then he could be a seriously dangerous hitter.

 

He is learning all about plate discipline, how to play the game the way we do and still adjusting to the culture. I don't think there is any real reason to deal him or his contract in particular unless it is for an absolute monster of a pitcher with a similar contract.

 

 

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Ha! I love how he is a minus defender in his FIRST professional season at a position, so we have to let him go. He's a extremely valuable player for the Sox, it wouldnt be a smart move at all to trade him, and Kenny knows this as well.

 

It's not his first year at the position. The Sox have been telling anyone who will listen that SS is his natural position. Doesn't look like it to me, he was better at 2nd last year.

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QUOTE (suicidesqueeze @ Aug 11, 2009 -> 03:24 PM)
It's not his first year at the position. The Sox have been telling anyone who will listen that SS is his natural position. Doesn't look like it to me, he was better at 2nd last year.

 

"First professional season" is correct.

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QUOTE (suicidesqueeze @ Aug 11, 2009 -> 03:24 PM)
It's not his first year at the position. The Sox have been telling anyone who will listen that SS is his natural position. Doesn't look like it to me, he was better at 2nd last year.

Yes it is. Where did he play SS professionally before? In Cuba he didnt, in the US he didnt. He's a rookie at the most important defensive position on the field, and hasnt even played a full season there yet.

Edited by RockRaines
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QUOTE (RockRaines @ Aug 11, 2009 -> 03:59 PM)
Yes it is. Where did he play SS professionally before? In Cuba he didnt, in the US he didnt. He's a rookie at the most important defensive position on the field, and hasnt even played a full season there yet.

 

Funny how I kept hearing last year his natural position was short? Personally I wasn't thrilled with stickin' him over there but Lexi is one of those guys you could probably put about anywhere on the field. I think I'd rather have Lexi at short than Beckham. I prefer Bacon either exactly where he is or 2B.

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They preached it being his natural position but natural doesnt mean he has been playing there. I dont believe he played SS in Cuba and obviously he didn't here last season. I think they more or less meant his range, arm-strength, athletic ability were meant for SS.

 

He struggles with the instinct part of it and hasn't made all the plays but those aren't things that scream trade him or override his conract that he well beyond earns with his bat. In two years if he is still playing poor defense and requests 10 mil a year - then by all means let him go. Until then - dealing him is not a good idea.

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I think he will be better at SS next year, just from experience.

 

I always think of hawk when people are talking abut Alexei's defensive capabilities.

"In my 50 years in this game, I have never seen a shortstop play that close to the line in this situation. Ozzie and Joey need to help him out."

*Soto grounds to Alexei and into an inning ending double play

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