How about those RED SOX! Part Deux

[Goondal]

Yeah, I think Hanley is the plan at DH, with Panda at third.  When Moreland has of days Hanley will play in the field and Pablo may yield third to Holt to DH or Young will DH. 

The most interesting thing will be what they do at C should Swihart be healthy.  Maybe try him at first to get him more AB?  They like his bat enough to have him wandering around the OF last year. 

[pantherphan96]

Catcher is going to be interesting. Vazquez is certainly the superior fielder to Swihart and Sandy. If Sandy isn't hitting I think Vazquez gets the starting job and Swihart gets the short end of the stick as he still has minor league options.

[Goondal]

You are probably right, although I prefer Swihart with Vazquez as defensive replacement.  I feel Leon had a flukey two months and wish he waited to crash until next season so we could have sold high. 

I read something that said Dombrowski refused to even talk Swihart at the winter meetings despite over a dozen inquiries.  That says something, not sure what. 

I am rooting for him, but agree that his options likely put him down to start. 

I am not always up to date on other teams but it seems our abundance of catchers is rare.  Hell, we had Hannigan who was good defensively too. 

[Goondal]

Eduardo tweaked his right knee while slipping on a wet mound in Venezuelan winter ball.  They are acting like it is not big deal, but we have been there before with him and that knee.

I would be lying if I said I was no concerned about him pitching in the WBC in a few months.

[Goondal]

Well, it appears Dombrowski already wants Pomeranz and Wright to round out the rotation.  I am not thrilled by this news.  Rodriguez-Wright is the best duo.  Rodriguez has the most upside of the three while Pomeranz has bullpen experience.  Wright makes sense as the #5 if for not other reason than we would have four lefties otherwise.  I also prefer ot not have a knuckleball pitcher coming out of the pen.

Regardless of which was they go though, to me it is stupid to announce this now.  Why not see who the best is when we hit camp?

I hope it is not the case, but I am worried that Dombrowski is determined to have Pomeranz in the rotation due to what he gave up to acquire him.  He has certainly had a short leash on other players (which I like) but those were not guys that he acquired at such a high price.

[Goondal]

In other Eduardo news, it seems he still wants to pitch in the WBC despite his injury.  I suppose that this is good from the standpoint that he feels he will be ready by then, but I still would prefer he not go.

[pantherphan96]

I'm guessing having Wright and Pomeranz in the rotation will allow them to manage E-Rod's innings to limit injury risk. Could use him as a spot starter.

[Goondal]

This is true, but I wonder why announce it?  All three had injury issues last season so it seems that waiting to see how they look would make the most sense.

On the plus side, having such good SP that someone getting left out of the rotation is a disappointment is a good thing.

[Goondal]

So, we signed Carlos Quinten this week.  Last appeared in the majors in 2014 and was most recently seen in the Mexican League.  He is a former All-Star that once hit 36 HR but also has struggled with his knees and is thirty-four.  I can think of another former AS with bad knees that ended up in the Mexican League before getting another shot and having a resurgence.  Oh wait, that was Major League.  We have very little depth in  the OF at AAA so I suspect that is all this will be.

Abad decided to take us to arbitration recently, first player to do so since '02 I believe.  As is typical for him, he lost.

Sandoval is much thinner and showed up for camp over a week early so maybe he will be an asset finally.  I am not holding my breath but if he can just be average I will be happy, despite the contract.

Pitchers and Catchers this week!!!

[Goondal]

It appears that last year's ill-advised move to LF and the resulting injury has turned Blake Swihart into Rube Baker.  He now struggles when attempting to throw the ball back to the pitcher.

He was already likely to begin in AAA anyway since we have three C and he is the only one with options, but it is still disappointing as I believe he has the most potential.  Dombrowski seems to as well.  At the winter meetings he refused to even discuss Swihart with other teams that saw our surplus at the position as an opportunity.

I suspect that this is easily fixable.  More concerning is that the move to LF cost him almost a whole season of development behind the plate.  Hopefully we do not screw him up the way we screwed up Daniel Bard.

 

[pantherphan96]

Opening Day!

[pantherphan96]

Poor Sale. Kimbrel has been unhittable lately but Farrell really should have kept Sale in at only 102 pitches.

[Goondal]

He has four runs of support in four starts.  All that being said, holy crap to I love this guy.  I think he is going to thrive in Boston.  He seems like the anti-Price.

[Goondal]

Manny Machado needs to be taken out on slides any chance we get from now until the end of the season.