Going into the season with AJ at catcher instead of a Davis/Burke platoon how many wins do we add to this team? Is it fair to say 5? I'd like to hear some of your opinions. I'm jacked with this signing, this dude could be our best catcher since Fisk.

Going into the season with AJ at catcher instead of a Davis/Burke platoon how many wins do we add to this team? Is it fair to say 5? I'd like to hear some of your opinions. I'm jacked with this signing, this dude could be our best catcher since Fisk.

 

i believe that catchers dont add wins, if they did why were the pirates so horrible with jason kendall, aj brings power and a lefty bat and that should improve us

I'd say he adds at most, two wins.

 

And just because the number is that small, doesn't mean it's an unimportant addition. That number might even be a little too high, though.

 

But the additions of Pierz, Vizcaino, Duque, Dye, Hermanson (in the bullpen), and Podsednik ('03 version, PLEASE ) collectively adds a bunch of wins to this team.

 

A healthy Thomas, and I'll put this team up against anyone in a seven game series. Honest to God.

i believe that catchers dont add wins, if they did why were the pirates so horrible with jason kendall, aj brings power and a lefty bat and that should improve us

 

Pirates suck, that may be why. I am willing to bet that the team era will be at least .25 lower now that we have pierz rather than if we had ben davis starting. I actually think with pierz our era could be up to .50 lower.

0. AJ's production will even out with his cancerous self. This is an even move IMO. It definitely doesn't hurt us, but I don't think it really helps us.

It's my favorite move of offseason so far.

I hope he's not a cancer and has a good year.

I think we needed a decent bat at catcher. With him and Burke

we should be decent at catcher.

I would think Big Ben is a goner now.

It's my favorite move of offseason so far.

I hope he's not a cancer and has a good year.

I think we needed a decent bat at catcher. With him and Burke

we should be decent at catcher.

I would think Big Ben is a goner now.

 

No, burke will be the one to go. I do wish it was the opposite way around though.

this dude could be our best catcher since Fisk.

 

What about Office Ron Karkovice? He was no all star but he did his damage with the bat when he needed to, he had the second best gun in the majors to one Pudge Rodriguez and he called a good game (just ask McDowell, Fernandez, Alvarez, Bere, Scott Sanderson & Roberto Hernandez who all had career years with him behind the plate).

The answer, using WARP3, is about 4 wins.

I'd say he adds at most, two wins.

 

And just because the number is that small, doesn't mean it's an unimportant addition.  That number might even be a little too high, though.

 

But the additions of Pierz, Vizcaino, Duque, Dye, Hermanson (in the bullpen), and Podsednik ('03 version, PLEASE  ) collectively adds a bunch of wins to this team. 

 

A healthy Thomas, and I'll put this team up against anyone in a seven game series.  Honest to God.

 

Well, those wins are going to cost us a million bucks each....I cant wait to see them

If you like win shares, which I do, AJ ranked 8th among NL catchers in 2004 Win Shares with 13 in 131 games.

 

Last year Sox win shares = 5 (Burke) + 4 (Olivo) + 3 (Davis) + 2 (Alomar) = 14 in 162 games.

Maybe a couple of wins, but that's not the important thing. Sure his offensive talents will be much-welcomed, but IMO it's his attitude that is the best thing he brings to the table, and that's not something that can be quantified really.

 

Great signing for the Sox.

How many wins he directly contributes for us over last year depends on many factors. He is solid defensively and calls a good game, despite the criticisim that he doesn't. He just doesn't throw out runners well. In any respect, he will help us win more games IMO. As far as the Jason Kendall analogy, that is weak at best. He's one guy. It's like saying Oliver Perez suck because he didn't single handedly deliver them to the post season. More games won or not, he makes the team better, and that's all that is really relevant at this point.

My thought is about 1 win over the Davis/Burke/Olivo production from last year. If you are talking about over Davis/Burke's likely 2005 production, my guess is more like 2 wins.