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Spring Training thread


Balta1701

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38 minutes ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

Vaughn switches from RF to LF, Rutherford in Rf, Yoelqui in CF. Bennett Sousa now pitching. Hilliard K's, Sousa K's the side.

Top7 Burger and Adlofo K, Mendick ground out.

McClure in 2 singles to open the inning Yoelqui guns out the runner at 3rd.

Yoelkis keeps displaying the flashy tools. Not that I saw the throw. But this season Vaughn has RF, so Yoelkis would need to have epic MiLB stats and for Vaughn to collapse to get RF. Almost no chance without injuries 

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1 hour ago, ptatc said:

He's always seemed interesting in the minors. Just seemed to take him extra time to adjust at each level.

If the plan for Crochet really is to start using him in multi inning stints, as a spot starter, etc then I could see Sousa making the Opening Day roster. Particularly if rosters are expanded to start the season.

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4 hours ago, DoUEvenShift said:

The Rockies radio announcer as referred to the Sox as the Cubs two times already in the 20 minutes I've been listening.

I watched the highlight of Sheets knocking in Robert from 2nd and at least once and maybe twice in that same clip they refer to Luis as "Roberts" with an s. Like come on guys....he's one of the biggest young stars in this game. Maybe figure out what his name is?

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3 hours ago, MiddleCoastBias said:

Ok so then who is going to catch on those days...? If they want to prioritize Yaz at DH, maybe they should also prioritize getting an actual backup catcher?

I doubt they prioritize him. He's too old and injury prone. Catch him, rest him ,PH him Against lefties u got Vaughn or Eloy in LF Leury in RF and Vaughn or Eloy DH. Against righties you got Sheets, Vaughn ( both guys need all the AB's they can get) Grandal .

Rest Grandal early and often give them less opportunities to get injured and beat up. Keep the old dudes fresh for the playoffs. And all the big bats too Robert, Vaughn ,Eloy, Moncada Sheets. Sunday lineups. I don't care. Rinse and repeat . Abreu and Grandal will get DH AB's but TLR has to keep it minimal and let the youth sink or swim. It's their time.

A defensive whiz at catcher would be nice too if all other dreams get dashed before the season starts.

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2 minutes ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

I doubt they prioritize him. He's too old and injury prone. Catch him, rest him ,PH him Against lefties u got Vaughn or Eloy in LF Leury in RF and Vaughn or Eloy DH. Against righties you got Sheets, Vaughn ( both guys need all the AB's they can get) Grandal .

Rest Grandal early and often give them less opportunities to get injured and beat up. Keep the old dudes fresh for the playoffs. And all the big bats too Robert, Vaughn ,Eloy, Moncada Sheets. Sunday lineups. I don't care. Rinse and repeat . Abreu and Grandal will get DH AB's but TLR has to keep it minimal and let the youth sink or swim. It's their time.

A defensive whiz at catcher would be nice too if all other dreams get dashed before the season starts.

Sandy Alomar as player/manager in the Don Kessinger role...

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15 minutes ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

I doubt they prioritize him. He's too old and injury prone. Catch him, rest him ,PH him Against lefties u got Vaughn or Eloy in LF Leury in RF and Vaughn or Eloy DH. Against righties you got Sheets, Vaughn ( both guys need all the AB's they can get) Grandal .

Rest Grandal early and often give them less opportunities to get injured and beat up. Keep the old dudes fresh for the playoffs. And all the big bats too Robert, Vaughn ,Eloy, Moncada Sheets. Sunday lineups. I don't care. Rinse and repeat . Abreu and Grandal will get DH AB's but TLR has to keep it minimal and let the youth sink or swim. It's their time.

A defensive whiz at catcher would be nice too if all other dreams get dashed before the season starts.

Don't forget Engel.  He's hit well in limited duty the last 2 years.  Better than Vaughn against righties.   Much better defensively.  I think he'll be the starter, with Vaughn worked in to get opptys.  Engel just has to keep him hammys healthy and not make any hero plays in spring training.

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6 hours ago, VAfan said:

Don't forget Engel.  He's hit well in limited duty the last 2 years.  Better than Vaughn against righties.   Much better defensively.  I think he'll be the starter, with Vaughn worked in to get opptys.  Engel just has to keep him hammys healthy and not make any hero plays in spring training.

Look I've always liked Engel but he's 30 now and despite getting better offensively he hasn't been able to stay on the field long enough to prove anything.  Engel is far down the list of guys needing AB's.

He had a huge opportunity last year to prove he could be more than we thought he is but he just couldn't keep his body together. It's a shame really . Love the guy for defense but I don't take AB's away from Vaughn for Engel. Vaughn is the future and the future needs to get here faster. Engel hopefully can perform the 4th OF to a tee , a start once in a while and defensive replacement many many many times.

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Not to belabor the point that we desperately need a true backup catcher, but cherry picking a stat from MLBN with the worst pitch framers last year:

https://ibb.co/LhNRpSN

Sal Perez: -19 run in 120 games started

Collin: -10 runs in only 55 games started

Severino: -10 runs in 102 games started

Gary Sanchez: -6 in 110 games started

 

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22 minutes ago, MiddleCoastBias said:

Not to belabor the point that we desperately need a true backup catcher, but cherry picking a stat from MLBN with the worst pitch framers last year:

https://ibb.co/LhNRpSN

Sal Perez: -19 run in 120 games started

Collin: -10 runs in only 55 games started

Severino: -10 runs in 102 games started

Gary Sanchez: -6 in 110 games started

 

Zavala was even worse in his limited time…

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3 minutes ago, SouthSideGeorgia said:

On the 26-man roster, if the team stands pat on all roster moves now (so assumes no RF or Kimbrel trade), what is our Opening Day roster?

Who ends up our fourth bench player?

Engel, Leury, backup C, Romy or Mendick?

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8 minutes ago, SouthSideGeorgia said:

On the 26-man roster, if the team stands pat on all roster moves now (so assumes no RF or Kimbrel trade), what is our Opening Day roster?

Who ends up our fourth bench player?

Doing my own exercise here:

Pitchers (13)

Lynn, Giolito, Cease, Keuchel, Kopech

Lopez, Velasquez, Crochet (Long relievers to starters)

Hendriks, Kimbrel, Graveman, Bummer, J. Kelly (Ruiz on Opening Day until Kelly returns from IL)  


Position Players (13)

Grandal, Abreu, Harrison, Anderson, Moncada, Jimenez, Robert, Vaughn

L  Garcia, Engel, Collins, 4th bench player  

 

Thinking 4th bench player as 3rd catcher, OF or IF. So maybe they try to retain Adolfo as OF. Him and Engel can be defensive OF when we have late leads (bigger arm in RF). Or they go with Mendick again who is extra IF, but can play OF in a pinch. Maybe Burger also (feels like Romy needs more AAA at bats)  

 

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The horrifying thought that I don't think would happen, but briefly passed my mine this morning as a hypothetical:

What if Cespedes and Adolfo continue to hit really well ... and the team feels like breaking camp with one of them instead of getting a RF like Conforto.

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1 minute ago, SouthSideGeorgia said:

On the 26-man roster, if the team stands pat on all roster moves now (so assumes no RF or Kimbrel trade), what is our Opening Day roster?

Who ends up our fourth bench player?

Leury, Collins, Engel…we don’t really have a fifth outfielder now.

Could be Romy, Adolfo (out of options, but highly unlikely), Zavala, Mendick…more than likely this player is currently on another team right now, a late spring training cut.

Also depends on how many pitchers they want to keep in the bullpen early season, 13?

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Just now, Quin said:

The horrifying thought that I don't think would happen, but briefly passed my mine this morning as a hypothetical:

What if Cespedes and Adolfo continue to hit really well ... and the team feels like breaking camp with one of them. 

Adolfo, sure, showcasing him to get something back in trade, perhaps…Burger and Cespedes need to be playing everyday in the minors.

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5 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

Adolfo, sure, showcasing him to get something back in trade, perhaps…Burger and Cespedes need to be playing everyday in the minors.

Sorry, I should have clarified.

The horrifying thought is to bring them up as a semi-regular player. I guess they'd give Cespedes time to season in AAA, but TLR would get cute and go with "RF by committee" and go with Leury, Gavin, Engel, and Adolfo.

There was so much pain in typing that sentence.

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8 minutes ago, Quin said:

The horrifying thought that I don't think would happen, but briefly passed my mine this morning as a hypothetical:

What if Cespedes and Adolfo continue to hit really well ... and the team feels like breaking camp with one of them instead of getting a RF like Conforto.

That did cross my mind as well.  I don’t think we are getting Conforto at this point, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see something silly like this.  

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