Lillian

Lip, do you really think the Sox would have to sign a bunch of free agents, at the cost of raising the payroll by $75 million? Again, if they can keep the pitching, while bringing in a clean up hitter, and a SS who can bat second, I don't know why the Sox couldn't win a lot of the games they lost, giving up 2 or 3 runs. I just don't understand the rationale behind trying to fix every hole in the lineup. How many teams have good hitters 1 through 9?

1) H. R. is not too old, and he will only be 32, 33 and 34 during the remaining 3 years of his contract. 2) He is owed $22 Million for each of those 3 years. 3) I have no idea if he is a "Divo," or what kind of clubhouse presence he represents. In light of those facts, if the Red Sox would pay enough of his salary to reduce the cost to the Pale Hose to something around $12 to 15 Million, he could potentially solve the lack of run production problem. I assume that he would bat clean up vs. LHP and 5TH vs. RHP, while DH'ing. The top half of the order might look like this vs. LHP: Eaton ? Abreu H. Ramirez Cabrera Against RHP, it probably would make sense to flip H. Ramirez and Melky, in order to get the Left handed bat sandwiched between Abreu and Ramirez. If they could acquire him without giving up important pitching, it might make sense.

QUOTE (BrianAnderson @ Oct 8, 2015 -> 03:07 PM) I'd trade Garcia for a bullpen arm, or lower prospect. I don't think he is very good in my opinion. Or at least not a part of a winning successful team. First 6 hitters? Eaton, Melky, Abreu, Heyward, Trayce, Uribe? I mean, in my plan I'm not necessarily going for power. I am going for speed and defense. I think that outfield could straight out chase down balls. With a good pitching staff I think that's really important. Just another thought would maybe be someone like a Josh Harrison for 3B/multi UTIL man. He is signed through 2018 and Kang came on strong. In that case I'd go Eaton, Harrison, Abreu, Melky, Heyward, Trayce. And here is another crazy thought.. its the offseason, so why not throw out crazy ideas? If we aren't going to be a power team, and we are a better pitching team, maybe push the OF wall back again.. can push that thing 5-10 feet in most areas still I believe. Play to our team. Not sure of the process to get that approved league wise. I think we've adapted to this mentality that since our field is small we must build a team that is all power. Almost the last 20 years have been predicated on an all or nothing approach. I'd like to get away from that. Don't you think that it's a little too soon to give up on Garcia? Why not let Thompson and Garcia compete for an outfield spot? That middle of the order doesn't look like it would score a lot of runs. I hope the front office can do better than that.

QUOTE (Knackattack @ Oct 8, 2015 -> 12:26 PM) The Sox should see what it takes to get Danny Valencia from Oakland to plug up 3B. I'd send Micah & Beck over there for him and that plugs a huge hole in the line-up with a decent defender. He is arb eligible this year and a free agent after next season, but he is a good candidate to take a team friendly 3 year deal IMO. My new off season plan... Trade Micah Johnson and Chris Beck to Oakland for Danny Valencia & LHP Fernando Abad Trade Adam LaRoche + 4m to Pirates for nothing. Trade Frankie Montas, Erik Johnson, Tyler Saladino and Avisail Garcia to Rockies for Carlos Gonzalez Sign Matt Wieters 1 yr/12m + 5 mil in health/performance incentives and a club option for 18m Sign Ian Kennedey to 2 yr/20M deal Accept 10M option on Alexei Ramirez Sign Ben Zobrist to 2yr/25M deal Resign Albers 1 yr/2m Line-up LF - Adam Eaton 2B - Ben Zobrist 1B - Jose Abreu RF - CarGo DH - Melky Cabrera C - Matt Wieters 3B - Danny Valencia SS - Alexei Ramirez CF - Trayce Thompson SP - Sale Q Rodon Kennedy Danks (Traded or sent to bullpen after ASB, rotation spot taken by Fulmer) Pen Robertson Jones Duke Abad Putnam Albers Jennings Bench - Brantly - C Sanchez - IF Shuck - OF Garcia - IF/OF Interesting ideas, but do the Sox really need 4 new position players. If you merely tried to find the 2 hole hitter and a clean up hitter, what would your plan look like?

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Oct 8, 2015 -> 10:46 AM) Yeah honestly that team just doesn't look good. If I had to take a stab at it: Eaton CF Heyward RF Abreu 1B Cabrera DH Tracye LF Uribe 3B? In 996 career plate appearances, batting second in the lineup, Heyward is a .251 hitter. He hit in that spot just 74 at bats, last season, but the results were awful. He only hit .208 there, with an OBP of .230. He has had much better success batting 3rd through 5th, but still very little power. It seems as though if he were on the Sox, he would be much better suited in the heart of the order. Nevertheless, he is not a big enough run producer to fix our anemic lineup. I'm convinced the Sox need a really potent bat at cleanup, which Heyward does not possess.

QUOTE (BrianAnderson @ Oct 8, 2015 -> 09:36 AM) The real question is - what do you think the off-season budget allows? Does Uncle Jerry have an open checkbook? For instance, if he for some reason is buying into this three year plan, does he say, "Well, we have LaRoche at $13mm and Danks at $15mm coming off the books next year, so let's push the plan forward a year and basically sign a Cespedes or a Heyward??" Also, not saying it would, but could the Cubs advancing to the World Series or winning a WS, or just in general being ahead of their schedule affect the Sox plans? Meaning, if they own the city, maybe it's a good time to trade assets, and rebuild while the focus is off the Sox in a way? My opinion still stands that the best way to "quick fix" this team is to somehow keep the pitching together, while acquiring defense and speed. I believe if we can keep our 4 pitchers together for this upcoming year (Sale, Q, Rodon, Danks -- throw in Johnson as insurance) and then sign a FA on 1-2 year deal (Bartolo Colon, Iwukama, Kennedy ... though the latter two probably cost more $$ and years), keep the bullpen, and add defense? I think that makes us a contender. I would honestly throw the $200mm+ at Heyward. Which sounds crazy. But I would. (Look at his WAR) I think with him and Trayce in the OF that takes us to one of the top OF in the league. Melky to DH. LaRoche to back up bum who plays 60 games. 30 at 1B, 30 at DH. 3B you sign Uribe. I'm not the biggest fan of Uribe, nor do I think he fixes a problem, but can be a band-aid that supplies defense and is a known clubhouse presence. I take or leave Alexei at this point. I'd rather take him, but if for budgetary reasons you can't? I leave him. OF: Heyward, Trayce, Eaton (Melky) IF: Abreu, Sanchez, Alexei, Uribe (Saladino, LaRoche) C: ??? Someone DH: Melky You have Eaton and Trayce as your CF if one needs a day off. You slide in Melky as your 4th OF. Can play both corners and get 40-50 games out there. LaRoche gets the 40-50 DH games when Melky is in the OF and gets 15-20 games at 1B Saladino can back up the whole IF. Doesn't cost a WHOLE ton. Maybe about $40mm to the payroll, but knowing the expectation that $28mm comes off the following year. Improves the defense tremendously, still have some flexibility on the bench, and keep pitching staff in tact. In your plan, what happens to Garcia? More importantly, who bats cleanup? Who are your first 6 hitters in the lineup, after spending all of that money, to acquire Heyward?

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 7, 2015 -> 06:10 PM) See Kendrys Morales, 2015. Ian Desmond is flawed and he might be the best SS option, and it's not certain he will even be available. Don't get the sense they trust Saladino as a full-time player. Morales is the guy I wanted, last off season. I've lamented Hahn's choice for a long time. Is Desmond really a good enough SS, and a capable two hole hitter.

Is it really necessary to address all of the so called “holes” on the current Sox roster? This seems to be a very common approach employed, when we amateur GM’s advocate ways to fix this team. Very few teams are ever able to build rosters which don’t have any “holes,” especially in the era of soaring salaries and free agency. Any organization with limited resources simply can’t put an above average WAR player at every position. The Sox have playoff caliber pitching, which is the most important component of winning baseball. If they are able to keep the rotation of Sale, Q, Rodon, Danks & Johnson, with Fulmer on his way, and a bullpen of Robertson, Jones, Albers, Duke and Putnam/Petricka, the pitching should have the depth and quality to compete, all the way through the post season. I’d prefer to first address the middle of the order, from which teams normally obtain their offensive production. You all know how critical I think has been the failure to find a solid clean up hitter. This has been a significant issue, ever since Thome left. We all fretted over 3 years of Dunn, and this year’s fiasco with LaRoche. Fixing that problem should be the highest priority. A solid clean up hitter, preferably left handed, could make the first half of the lineup respectable. If a solid two hole hitter can be found, to fill out the top half of the order, the rest of the lineup could consist of average, to below average, offensive players, who contribute on defense. I think the best place to fill the two hole spot is SS. Ramirez is getting too old, and too expensive, and is really not suitable to bat second. It will probably be at least a year, maybe two, before Anderson is ready. If the front office can find a good defensive short stop, who could be a decent 2 hole hitter, that would allow Abreu to bat 3RD, where he belongs. It would also allow Melky to bat 5TH, which is more suitable. The 2ND spot in the line up doesn't require a great hitter, but at least a guy who can hit behind the runner, on hit and run plays, lay down a bunt, and get on base at a respectable rate. He doesn’t need to hit for a high average, or provide any power. It shouldn’t be that expensive to find an aging veteran, perhaps someone in the last year before free agency, whom they could acquire in a trade, to fill that role. The power bat at clean up would most likely be a DH, thus replacing LaRoche. You know that I don't care what they do with LaRoche. It's a sunken cost. With just those two holes filled, this offense becomes pretty good, with a solid defense: CF Eaton SS ? 1B Abreu DH ? LF Cabrera RF Thompson/Garcia 3B Olt C Flowers/Soto 2B Sanchez Thompson and Garcia could battle for the 3RD outfield spot. Olt is a worthwhile gamble for the potential power he could provide, if he figures it out. His Minor League history suggests that he can take his walks, and play solid defense. Flowers seems to be able to handle the pitching staff, so perhaps that hole can be overlooked. Sanchez could well take another step up in offensive production, and he provides stellar defense at 2ND. Ultimately, I still hope that he can develop into a good 2 hole hitter, which is where he has had his best Minor League success. So, does anyone have an idea who might be that 2 hole hitter at short, or who could be the clean up hitter? At least it's just two holes, not an unrealistic 4 or 5.

Would someone please explain to me how anyone can justify paying Heyward $25 Million, per year, on a multi year contract? I understand that he is a terrific defensive Right Fielder, but really? I'm sorry. I just don't get it. Someone even had him batting cleanup. Again, Adam Eaton had the same production. If anyone suggested batting Eaton cleanup, they would be laughed off this forum.

If it were actually possible to acquire Davis, he would be the DH. "Where would LaRoche play?" How about the bench. Does anyone actually believe that the Sox could be competitive with La Roche in the middle of the lineup? To me, he is the single biggest reason this season was such a disaster, in view of all the low scoring games, in which the Sox came up short, with him batting (striking out) right in the heart of the order. He'll probably be even worse next year, when he'll be 36. The front office has to accept that they have one more year of a sunken cost in La Roche. He simply cannot be the DH. If he were a middle infielder, who hit like that you might be willing to live with it, but not a middle of the order DH!!!! Regarding the remark about Eaton. I love him, and admire what he has accomplished. He is the prototypical "overachiever". However, I wouldn't consider him worth big money. His contract is a bargain. Advocates of Heyward are talking serious money. Moreover, if you can acquire a potent bat to DH, many of the other holes become less important. They don't need above average players at every position, with their starting pitching.

I don't understand the keen interest in Heyward. This team desperately needs another power hitter. The Sox don't need another outfielder. Cabrera, Eaton and Thompson/Garcia should have the outfield covered. Spending all that money on a guy who hit about the same as Eaton, in what was the best year of his career, makes no sense to me. Why not go after someone like Chris Davis, if the front office was really to spend that kind of money?

Earlier in the season, I advocated moving Melky from the 2 hole, to the middle of the order, at least against RHP. That thought was prompted by LaRoche's ineptitude. It seemed to me that he could replace the "black hole," which La Roche's bat represented, at clean up. I was pleasantly surprised when Robin actually did move Melky to the middle of the lineup. Cabrera provided some badly needed run production, from the left side, and had a pretty good run, in that slot. Batting left handed, he put up respectable numbers: .289 .335 .421 (Season Totals) He hit even better, from both sides while hitting 3RD: .313 .342 .497 I don't understand the desire to dump him. He has proven that he can be a run producer, and this team certainly needs more of that.

Like it or not, I would guess that the front office is planning to give Olt the inside track to fill the hole at third. It would be very surprising if they expend any resources on another third baseman, in the off season. I'd personally like to see what he could do in a full season, when healthy. He certainly has the power, and has a history of drawing walks. His defense is very solid at the hot corner.

QUOTE (EvilJester99 @ Sep 25, 2015 -> 08:57 PM) Sure would be nice if he would develop into something.. Sox have so many holes to fill would be nice to have one less. He did put up very good OBP stats, as a young Minor Leaguer. I'd take a .350 OBP with 25 + homers, and decent defense at 3RD. Is that feasible?

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 25, 2015 -> 08:11 PM) Pretty sure Olt leads the world in average HR distance Is Olt anywhere near as strong as his homers in a Sox uniform suggest? If so, now I understand why he was such an intriguing prospect, early in his career. I'm still intrigued!!

If this explanation regarding tipping pitches is legitimate, I would change my opinion to now, at least favor making a QO. However, I would still hope that the Sox would not try to sign him to a long term, expensive contract.

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 21, 2015 -> 06:59 PM) Johnson's velocity in the 90-91 range tonight according to mlb.com. Seems like he needs to be up a few mph to be more effective. Isn't that back down around the velocity, which got him in so much trouble last year?

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Sep 21, 2015 -> 05:23 PM) I would prefer neither option. And at least Laroche offers defensive value, whereas Viciedo has none I'm with you in not wanting either option. However, that was not the question, which I was addressing.

As bad as Viciedo was, in his 5 years with the Sox, at ages 21 to 25, he never had a year as bad as the one La Roche has had this year. Considering that La Roche will be 36 next year, and Dayan will be just 27, I'd prefer to take my chances with the player who has just entered his prime.

Do we agree with the following: 1) Coop will be the Sox pitching coach next season. 2) Samardjiza is not one of our best 5 starting pitchers 3) There are more important holes to fill with the money he would receive through a qualifying offer. 4) He had precisely the same incentive to pitch well this year, with a potential huge free agent contract on the horizon, and the results were terrible. If those things are true, I personally am not in favor of taking the chance that he accepts the QO. The money that he will cost, even for one year, is not justified and can better be spent elsewhere. Moreover, having him start every 5TH game significantly diminishes the chances for the Sox to win on that day. The Sox have some young pitchers who need to be given an opportunity. That list includes E. Johnson, Montas and later Fulmer. And finally, the record of "sandwich round" draft picks is not good enough to merit the sacrifice. Therefore, unless there is some assurance that he won't accept it, I hope that the front office doesn't make a QO.

What are the chances that MLB revises the method of determining qualifying offers? Requiring a QO of $15 Million for a pitcher of Samardjiza's quality is ridiculous.

Who could have predicted that Danks would actually out pitch Sale, over their last dozen starts each (minus the strike outs)?

QUOTE (KyYlE23 @ Sep 12, 2015 -> 08:08 AM) If the Sox enter 2016 planning on a 5 man situational handedness platoon, then I am going to be doing a lot of yard work next year I can understand your pessimism, however being realistic, they are probably stuck with Melky's contract, Eaton is a bright spot, signed to a decent contract, and the front office loves Avi. Therefore, we are probably stuck with that outfield. Why not try to make the best of it?

I posted this is another thread, but it sort of got buried: In lieu of acquiring another outfielder, there may be a way for the Sox to productively platoon Eaton, Cabrera, Garcia, Thompson and maybe even Shuck. Although he's a switch hitter, Melky has been better in his career vs. RHP, with the notable exception of 2012. He's been better this year batting from the left side: .283 .330 .404 Dido for Eaton this year, with all of his power vs. RHP: .283 .368 .461 Avi has been better vs. LHP: .298 .353 .404 Thompson has the reputation of being better vs. LHP, We've seen it during his brief stint this year, and it was much the same at Charlotte: .314 .346 .483 Shuck has actually hit lefties better, in his career, even though he bats from that side. I hate the idea of platooning young players like Thompson and Garcia, because it slows their development. Nevertheless, if it could boost production, and get the team on base percentage up to a respectable level, it might be worth a try. Why not pick the best 4 of these 5 guys and platoon them in the 3 outfield spots, again of course, barring an acquisition? For example; Eaton and Thompson could platoon in CF, Avi and Melky could do the same in Left. Late inning defense could include both Eaton and Thompson, for Center and Right, with either Melky or Avi for the other corner.

In lieu of acquiring another outfielder, there may be a way for the Sox to productively platoon Eaton, Cabrera, Garcia, Thompson and maybe even Shuck. Although he's a switch hitter, Melky has been better in his career vs. RHP, with the notable exception of 2012. He's been better this year batting from the left side: .283 .330 .404 Dido for Eaton this year, with all of his power vs. RHP: .283 .368 .461 Avi has been better vs. LHP: .298 .353 .404 Thompson has the reputation of being better vs. LHP, We've seen it during his brief stint this year, and it was much the same at Charlotte: .314 .346 .483 Shuck has actually hit lefties better, in his career, even though he bats from that side. I hate the idea of platooning young players like Thompson and Garcia, because it slows their development. Nevertheless, if it could boost production, and get the team on base percentage up to a respectable level, it might be worth a try. If they could dump LaRoche, I would pick the best 4 of these 5 guys and platoon them in the 3 outfield spots, again of course, barring an acquisition. Eaton and Thompson could platoon in CF, Avi and Melky could do the same in Left. Late inning defense could include both Eaton and Thompson, for Center and Right, with either Melky or Avi for the other corner.