1 hour ago, Quinarvy said:

Engel for JBJ swap? Yes or no.

That is completely disrespectful to Bradley Jr. 

1 hour ago, Quinarvy said:

Engel for JBJ swap? Yes or no.

Knowing our luck Engel would learn how to hit in Boston.

14 minutes ago, raBBit said:

That is completely disrespectful to Bradley Jr. 

This is assuming he's a complete salary dump at this point.

1 hour ago, Quinarvy said:

This is assuming he's a complete salary dump at this point.

He's not. He's a good ballplayer who provides more than enough value to warrant his last couple years of arbitration. 

13 hours ago, Balta1701 said:

Except Nova had his career best stretch (or at least one of his best stretches) right after he got to the Pirates?

There are certain types that work for the pirates. You can't really improve spin except using pine tar.

 

This means low spin guys do best low in the zone and high spin  guys do best up. Glasnow is a high spin  guy and they still tried him to pitch like a low spin sinker guy. 

If you try to make a low spin guy into a high heat guy it won't work either.

Nova's road splits were bad. 

15 hours ago, Balta1701 said:

I know Boston's payroll is pretty high but would they really make themselves that much worse next season by giving up a starting position player for nearly nothing?

No, I am sure they will want a return.  But remember they are juggling 4 outfielders in 3 positions w Martinez bouncing between OF/DH.  Betts is also an above average defender who could move to CF but not a Bradley.  I can see them moving Bradley especially if they have another outfield prospect on the horizon. 

2 minutes ago, SCCWS said:

No, I am sure they will want a return.  But remember they are juggling 4 outfielders in 3 positions w Martinez bouncing between OF/DH.  Betts is also an above average defender who could move to CF but not a Bradley.  I can see them moving Bradley especially if they have another outfield prospect on the horizon. 

Do they? 

5 minutes ago, SCCWS said:

No, I am sure they will want a return.  But remember they are juggling 4 outfielders in 3 positions w Martinez bouncing between OF/DH.  Betts is also an above average defender who could move to CF but not a Bradley.  I can see them moving Bradley especially if they have another outfield prospect on the horizon. 

Benintendi can play CF.

1 hour ago, dominik-keul@gmx.de said:

There are certain types that work for the pirates. You can't really improve spin except using pine tar.

 

This means low spin guys do best low in the zone and high spin  guys do best up. Glasnow is a high spin  guy and they still tried him to pitch like a low spin sinker guy. 

If you try to make a low spin guy into a high heat guy it won't work either.

You do realize that those two pitches have different spin rates on purpose? It's not that one is a low spin rate guy. If you throw a sinker, you want a low spin rate for the drop, hence you hold two seams of the ball. If you want the ball to maintain its path and not move, you hold 4 seams to increase the spin rate.

It's not about the spin rate in a vacuum. It's about how much you want the ball to move.

Not sure how their IF depth is shaping out. Yolmer for JBJ is reasonable if they want IF depth. I'm thinking they'll want relievers, though. 

Am I missing something? Why are so many people here disrespecting JBJ? 29 year old CFer with an ops north of 700. That's a solid player. 

With only one year of control is Bradley really worth acquiring?

2 minutes ago, Saufley said:

With only one year of control is Bradley really worth acquiring?

He has 2 years.

which is also like the perfect bridge.

1 minute ago, bmags said:

He has 2 years.

which is also like the perfect bridge.

This. Yolmer + Nate Jones makes sense to me. 

2 minutes ago, bmags said:

He has 2 years.

which is also like the perfect bridge.

Thanks, I thought I read somewhere it was one.

4 minutes ago, Hot FiRe said:

Am I missing something? Why are so many people here disrespecting JBJ? 29 year old CFer with an ops north of 700. That's a solid player. 

I agree.  With two years of control, he could be a nice addition to allow Robert to get ready.  I expect the Red Sox would want a decent return, probably too much for our Sox to consider.

3 minutes ago, bmags said:

He has 2 years.

which is also like the perfect bridge.

Makes it sound better!

Soxtalk: Ron, you criminally underrate Jose Abreu.

 

Soxtalk: Engel for JBJ?

14 minutes ago, hogan873 said:

I agree.  With two years of control, he could be a nice addition to allow Robert to get ready.  I expect the Red Sox would want a decent return, probably too much for our Sox to consider.

I don't have a feel for this one at all. Lessening the return would be sox taking on money. However, all of their "expensive" pieces are actually decent, Porcello is an overpaid 4th starter but you still need to give up something of value.

I would imagine Dombrowski would like closer to bigs talent. Weird fit, very low here. But there aren't that many buyers out there, so you never know.

22 minutes ago, hogan873 said:

I agree.  With two years of control, he could be a nice addition to allow Robert to get ready.  I expect the Red Sox would want a decent return, probably too much for our Sox to consider.

The Sox will need a decent CF. They don't have any near MLB ready. At earliest a callup in late 2020.

3 hours ago, ptatc said:

You do realize that those two pitches have different spin rates on purpose? It's not that one is a low spin rate guy. If you throw a sinker, you want a low spin rate for the drop, hence you hold two seams of the ball. If you want the ball to maintain its path and not move, you hold 4 seams to increase the spin rate.

It's not about the spin rate in a vacuum. It's about how much you want the ball to move.

Actually a sinker doesn't spin less, there are just less seams in the spin direction so there is less lift on the ball. The spin causes air to move around the ball and 4 seams can move more air than 2 seams.

You cant really change your spin rate, driveline has done tons of experiments (finger pressure, grip variations, finger length...) on this and they said the only thing that helps is using a sticky substance (illegal). Teams are still researchin this but it seems like nothing was found yet.

But of course it makes sense for the low spin guy to use more of a sinker grip and for the high spin guy to use a 4 seam grip.

Edited December 12, 20187 yr by dominik-keul@gmx.de

30 minutes ago, dominik-keul@gmx.de said:

Actually a sinker doesn't spin less, there are just less seams in the spin direction so there is less lift on the ball. The spin causes air to move around the ball and 4 seams can move more air than 2 seams.

You cant really change your spin rate, driveline has done tons of experiments (finger pressure, grip variations, finger length...) on this and they said the only thing that helps is using a sticky substance (illegal). Teams are still researchin this but it seems like nothing was found yet.

But of course it makes sense for the low spin guy to use more of a sinker grip and for the high spin guy to use a 4 seam grip.

Doesn't improving velocity improve spin rate?

31 minutes ago, dominik-keul@gmx.de said:

Actually a sinker doesn't spin less, there are just less seams in the spin direction so there is less lift on the ball. The spin causes air to move around the ball and 4 seams can move more air than 2 seams.

You cant really change your spin rate, driveline has done tons of experiments (finger pressure, grip variations, finger length...) on this and they said the only thing that helps is using a sticky substance (illegal). Teams are still researchin this but it seems like nothing was found yet.

But of course it makes sense for the low spin guy to use more of a sinker grip and for the high spin guy to use a 4 seam grip.

Are you saying that a sinker and something like a knuckleball don't spin less than a 4 seam fast ball? The physics behind it is the airflow which does change with the DIRECTION of the seams, this is the difference in all pitches including the 2 seam and 4 seam fastballs. I thought I read that the 2 seam does spin less as well.

4 minutes ago, bmags said:

Doesn't improving velocity improve spin rate?

Not necessarily. The spin rate and direction of the seams dictate movement more than velocity.