One of the most exciting bad Sox teams of all time probably. Flowers is earning a chance to continue to start in '15 imo. Granted his high BABIP early on masks alot of suckitude but defensively and durability wise he's solid and that's important, especially if the Sox are trying to break in Rodon next year. Not saying they can't do better -- they can -- but he's at least an option, that's positive.

 

 

Flowers has 12 home runs in 370 at bats; Viciedo 18 in 456 at bats; Dunn 21 in 439 at bats. Is Tyler a big leaguer?

 

Great win. ... Flowers, Viciedo, Petricka, Sanchez, Hector, etc.

Edited September 3, 201411 yr by greg775

One of the most exciting bad Sox teams of all time probably. Flowers is earning a chance to continue to start in '15 imo. Granted his high BABIP early on masks alot of suckitude but defensively and durability wise he's solid and that's important, especially if the Sox are trying to break in Rodon next year. Not saying they can't do better -- they can -- but he's at least an option, that's positive.

 

That's a pretty excellent first sentence. Can't argue with that, except some of those Sunday games where they looked like dead fish and that recent homestand where they sucked eggs. Again, you said it all in one sentence.

Edited September 3, 201411 yr by greg775

That's a pretty excellent first sentence. Can't argue with that, except some of those Sunday games where they looked like dead fish and that recent homestand where they sucked eggs. Again, you said it all in one sentence.

 

Back when in May Hawk's "our guys won't quit" was actually pretty spot on. But it just meant this year they actually have an offense with a pulse and guys that can get on base and guys that can hit it out. They have a lot of superstars, they need a few more scrubs (relatively). It's a good approach to team building IMO there are more average players around then stars, and having a few superstars means you can get below average players in your everday lineup and still win.

Edited September 3, 201411 yr by chitownsportsfan

Flowers is the greatest catcher of all-time. Too bad he'll be left out of the hall once word of his PEG use gets out. Performance enhancing glasses.

 

Viciedo is such a tease.

 

How about Sanchez? A lot of you guys are ready to hand the job to Semien or Johnson and write off Sanchez as trade bait, but I like what I see out of the kid. Let those three battle it out for the job in ST then decide who to trade.

Flowers is the greatest catcher of all-time. Too bad he'll be left out of the hall once word of his PEG use gets out. Performance enhancing glasses.

 

Viciedo is such a tease.

 

How about Sanchez? A lot of you guys are ready to hand the job to Semien or Johnson and write off Sanchez as trade bait, but I like what I see out of the kid. Let those three battle it out for the job in ST then decide who to trade.

 

Sanchez is the real deal why people wrote him off as on the outside looking in is beyond me. He's still extremely young and has a defensive position at 2B locked down if he can hit 40 points above his weight. What I'm saying is of all the Sox' middle infield prospects it's Sanchez that has the glove to start in MLB right now. If he hits 280/310/390 and runs the bases a bit he's a 2 WAR player, easily better than Beckham. He played well in AAA this year and is holding his own in his brief MLB audition this year.

Edited September 3, 201411 yr by chitownsportsfan

I think Sanchez has the lowest ceiling of the 3 middle infielders and that's why he gets no love. That said if they think Micah is ready I won't be sad if they can get something useful(Like a bullpen arm) for him. I loves me some Micah Johnson.

 

 

Sanchez also has the highest floor of the 3. At present, he's at least a solid defensive 2B, can hit .270, and swipe 15 bags.

He is the best average hitter by far of the three and is probably the best fastball hitter of the three (and of course the youngest) I like Sanchez alot.

He is the best average hitter by far of the three and is probably the best fastball hitter of the three (and of course the youngest) I like Sanchez alot.

 

I wouldn't say by far...Micahs best year average wise is just .11 points lower than Carlos' best year.

Noesi 7 IP, 5 K, 0 BB. Really looking like the 5th starter for next year.

Noesi 7 IP, 5 K, 0 BB. Really looking like the 5th starter for next year.

 

He has definitely earned himself a starting spot on this team next year. He has really surprised me.

I was really impressed with Noesi. It was one of the first times I got to watch him for an extended look, and it seems like everything he throws has movement.

 

Other things I noticed:

 

-Jordan Danks really does read balls well off the bat in the outfield. I have no problem with him as a 4th outfielder

-I really like Sanchez a lot. Good swing plane, approach, and a nice short swing. He's also got tree trunks for legs. Just looking at those things, I think he can be a 10-15 homer guy eventually

-Viciedo is still country strong, and I think that alone is going to get him another chance next year. He's such an enigma at the plate.

-I really liked Taylor's swing at the plate but his approach was pretty poor. Every hack was trying to hit the ball as hard as he could. Still, he reminds me a bit of someone like Craig Monroe.

-Semien looked more confident, but his timing gets off when he switches levels. I think he just needs extended playing time at the MLB level and a lot of his issues will sort themselves out. I was also impressed with his range, hands, and ability to quickly get the ball out. That throw to try and beat Schaefer was obviously not good.

I was really impressed with Noesi. It was one of the first times I got to watch him for an extended look, and it seems like everything he throws has movement.

 

Other things I noticed:

 

-Jordan Danks really does read balls well off the bat in the outfield. I have no problem with him as a 4th outfielder

-I really like Sanchez a lot. Good swing plane, approach, and a nice short swing. He's also got tree trunks for legs. Just looking at those things, I think he can be a 10-15 homer guy eventually

-Viciedo is still country strong, and I think that alone is going to get him another chance next year. He's such an enigma at the plate.

-I really liked Taylor's swing at the plate but his approach was pretty poor. Every hack was trying to hit the ball as hard as he could. Still, he reminds me a bit of someone like Craig Monroe.

-Semien looked more confident, but his timing gets off when he switches levels. I think he just needs extended playing time at the MLB level and a lot of his issues will sort themselves out. I was also impressed with his range, hands, and ability to quickly get the ball out. That throw to try and beat Schaefer was obviously not good.

 

When he is thinking right and right center, he is so much better of a hitter. The guy is so damned strong he doesn't need to yank the ball towards the LF foul pole to hit homers. I honestly think he has better power oppo, then he does to LF. If someone could get through to him, they would have a star on their hands. The problem is, I don't know if anyone ever gets through to him.

When he is thinking right and right center, he is so much better of a hitter. The guy is so damned strong he doesn't need to yank the ball towards the LF foul pole to hit homers. I honestly think he has better power oppo, then he does to LF. If someone could get through to him, they would have a star on their hands. The problem is, I don't know if anyone ever gets through to him.

 

I'm not sure if he'd ever be anything more than a .260-.270 hitter, even at his peak, because it seems his hand/eye coordination is fairly weak, but there's enough talent there that he could hit 30+ home runs and make it worthwhile.

 

He looked good last night, but it seems that he'll look good for one game and the next 5 be terrible. I agree though, if he focused on just hitting the ball to right field, you can force guys to adjust and when they start coming in, then you get the quick wrists out to hit bombs out to left.

I'm not sure if he'd ever be anything more than a .260-.270 hitter, even at his peak, because it seems his hand/eye coordination is fairly weak, but there's enough talent there that he could hit 30+ home runs and make it worthwhile.

 

He looked good last night, but it seems that he'll look good for one game and the next 5 be terrible. I agree though, if he focused on just hitting the ball to right field, you can force guys to adjust and when they start coming in, then you get the quick wrists out to hit bombs out to left.

 

In the post steroid era, .250 with 30 homers is a star.

In the post steroid era, .250 with 30 homers is a star.

 

Especially if he can stay patient enough to draw a few walks. If he walks in 8% of his plate appearances instead of 5% in that situation, he could be a .250/.330/.470 type of hitter.

In the post steroid era, .250 with 30 homers is a star.

 

Except in the sabremetric world, defensive metrics will always weigh him down close to negative territory.

 

If he could hit close to 800 ops-wise, he has a full-time position despite the issues in the field...or maybe he's DH and they bring in another LH bat who can play the outfield.

 

The problem is how long will the Sox be waiting for that 800 season. 750ish is about the best we've come to expect due to the low walk totals/plate discipline issues.

 

He has, for the most part, at least earlier in the season, figured out a better approach against RHP and he's also done a better job of hitting fastballs at times.

Except in the sabremetric world, defensive metrics will always weigh him down close to negative territory.

 

If he could hit close to 800 ops-wise, he has a full-time position despite the issues in the field...or maybe he's DH and they bring in another LH bat who can play the outfield.

 

The problem is how long will the Sox be waiting for that 800 season. 750ish is about the best we've come to expect due to the low walk totals/plate discipline issues.

 

He has, for the most part, at least earlier in the season, figured out a better approach against RHP and he's also done a better job of hitting fastballs at times.

It's not the metrics' fault, it's his actual defensive "ability." He is a really horrible fielder and I'm convinced his bat will never come around. The sooner the Sox move on, the better.

In the post steroid era, .250 with 30 homers is a star.

 

Unless the OBP is .280 and the defense is butchery. Then you're a worse version of Mark Reynolds.

 

If the Sox can't do any better, then we can give Viciedo a shot to be our 7 hitter, but this is another guy who has had a LONG leash and a LOT of attention and just isn't working out. "Yeah but he manages to hit a slightly above average amount of homers" is pretty equivalent to "yeah but he plays slightly above average defense at second" for Beckham.

It's not the metrics' fault, it's his actual defensive "ability." He is a really horrible fielder and I'm convinced his bat will never come around. The sooner the Sox move on, the better.

 

I think you will have to deal with him for at least another year.

I think you will have to deal with him for at least another year.

 

I think he goes this off season.

 

I predicted both De Aza and Viciedo wouldn't be back next year. So far I am half right.

I think he goes this off season.

 

I predicted both De Aza and Viciedo wouldn't be back next year. So far I am half right.

 

 

Depends on what they're willing to spend in the offseason, and also whether they're willing to 1) trade Alexei Ramirez, or 2) trade Anderson/Hawkins/Montas/Danish.

 

I still think that Viciedo's going to come into the season as the 4th outfielder/back-up plan/occasional DH and depending on what happens with players like a Garcia or Wilkins or whatever bat they get for DH, he could still end up with 400+ at-bats in one last ditch attempt to see if he can put it all together for the Sox.

I think you will have to deal with him for at least another year.

That would be a mistake. He's had his shot, time to wash our hands.