Banks and Burger

[CentralChamps21]

Why were these guys not on the OD roster?

Burger provides more value than Sheets, and Alberto/Romy are somewhat redundant.

Banks is clearly a better option than Diekman.

[ChiSox59]

It’s very hard to find at bats for Burger if Eloy and the rest of the roster is healthy and Sheets is better than Burger against RHP, which is more of a team need than more lefty mashers. 

Tanner Banks sucks. Is he better than Diekman? Maybe. I certainly would make that move now, but there are 4 million reasons Diekman was on the OD roster. Pens are fickle AF, Diekman has a good arm and has been a useful enough pen piece that he’s hung around the big leagues for over 10 years. It’s reasonable to expect him to be more effective than a 30 YO career minor leaguer. That said, I am all aboard the DFA Diekman train at this point. Also, depth is important. Cutting guys like Diekman and Ruiz to make room on 26 man for guys already on the 40 man (like Banks) doesn’t make a ton of sense until you have to. 

[zisk]

11 minutes ago, ChiSox59 said:

It’s very hard to find at bats for Burger if Eloy and the rest of the roster is healthy and Sheets is better than Burger against RHP, which is more of a team need than more lefty mashers. 

Tanner Banks sucks. Is he better than Diekman? Maybe. I certainly would make that move now, but there are 4 million reasons Diekman was on the OD roster. Pens are fickle AF, Diekman has a good arm and has been a useful enough pen piece that he’s hung around the big leagues for over 10 years. It’s reasonable to expect him to be more effective than a 30 YO career minor leaguer. That said, I am all aboard the DFA Diekman train at this point. Also, depth is important. Cutting guys like Diekman and Ruiz to make room on 26 man for guys already on the 40 man (like Banks) doesn’t make a ton of sense until you have to. 

It's always about Sheets being better against righties. But Burger has only had about 30 ABs against righties in the majors.

And Sheets isn't real good against lefties. He's just ok. Given the opportunity, Burger would end up better from either side of the plate.

[Bob Sacamano]

Based on the first week, if they are platooning Colas, there could be DH at bats for Burger with Eloy in RF instead of Romy. Obviously not something we want but looks to be happening so far (platooning Colas).

[soxrwhite]

1 hour ago, CentralChamps21 said:

Why were these guys not on the OD roster?

Burger provides more value than Sheets, and Alberto/Romy are somewhat redundant.

Banks is clearly a better option than Diekman.

My grandmother was a better option than Diekman.

I sometimes wonder if Burger simply isn't  better than Jimenez.

[JoeC]

3 minutes ago, soxrwhite said:

My grandmother was a better option than Diekman.

I sometimes wonder if Burger simply isn't  better than Jimenez.

Agreed - at least Grifol would know your grandmother shouldn't be used in any meaningful situation.

[ChiSox59]

31 minutes ago, zisk said:

It's always about Sheets being better against righties. But Burger has only had about 30 ABs against righties in the majors.

And Sheets isn't real good against lefties. He's just ok. Given the opportunity, Burger would end up better from either side of the plate.

Its always about Sheets being better against RHP than Burger, because he is, and most pitchers throw with their right arm.  I not some big Sheets guy, but he hits righties pretty well (2nd best on the team last year), and Burger has alot more than 30 ABs against RHP in the majors.

Sheets against RHP in career (537 PA): wRC+: 117

Burger against RHP in career (165 PA): wRC+: 98

In his career, Burger is a below average bat against RHP and 56% above average bat against LHP.  He is a human LHP raking machine.  But so is Eloy, and both are DHs...hence why Burger doesn't really have a role on this team when Eloy (and Moncada) are healthy.  Would Burger post better numbers against RHP with more consistent playing time?  Ya, probably.  But he's not going to post 117 wRC+.  

And Sheets is awful against LHP, but he hardly faces them and shouldn't.  Not sure how that impacts this situation at all. 

That all being said, having a Sheets/Burger DH platoon if/when Eloy is hurt is nice.  Problem is, both those guys are out of options after 2023, so going to need to find a full time roster spot for them, or lose them.  But we can worry about that in 11 months. 

[Tnetennba]

Pedro loves Hanser Alberto.  For reasons I don't quite understand, but...

[wegner]

27 minutes ago, JoeC said:

Agreed - at least Grifol would know your grandmother shouldn't be used in any meaningful situation.

She would provide that veteran presence that is so important though.

[wegner]

6 minutes ago, Tnetennba said:

Pedro loves Hanser Alberto.  For reasons I don't quite understand, but...

He provides innings to save the bullpen.

[GreenSox]

2 hours ago, CentralChamps21 said:

Banks is clearly a better option than Diekman.

As were several others.  Somehow Diekman was sure to turn around 2 successive negative WAR seasons at age 36,  Avila was no sure thing, but at least he didn't walk a ton of people, which is refreshing and unique for this this organization (I guess I just explained why he's not on his team).
They needed to take some risks to contend; they did, but they took low-upside risks (turnarounds from Diekman, Ruiz, etc.)
 

[Tnetennba]

1 hour ago, wegner said:

He provides innings to save the bullpen.

You’re not wrong 

[wegner]

16 minutes ago, Tnetennba said:

You’re not wrong 

That's a new development 

[joejoesox]

SSS obviously but Burger seems to be a smarter hitter than Eloy. Hopefully Eloy proves me wrong but I like what Ive seen from Burger so far. Gotta remember he was a 1RDP, so there could be a lot of untapped potential left. 

[pcq]

5 hours ago, soxrwhite said:

My grandmother was a better option than Diekman.

I sometimes wonder if Burger simply isn't  better than Jimenez.

Burger has value because Eloy is a farce of a force. In his absence we anoint Burger King of homers. 

[Donny Lucy's Avocado Farm]

Neither of these guys is the answer and the problem should have been solved during the offseason.

[soxrwhite]

6 hours ago, wegner said:

She would provide that veteran presence that is so important though.

She passed away years ago. So I guess she resembles TLR more than anyone else in baseball.

[CentralChamps21]

On 4/8/2023 at 9:15 AM, CentralChamps21 said:

Why were these guys not on the OD roster?

Burger provides more value than Sheets, and Alberto/Romy are somewhat redundant.

Banks is clearly a better option than Diekman.

 

[35thstreetswarm]

It’s weird that the org and fan base just seem to have a hard time believing in Burger even though he’s a first round pick.  I think he’s hampered by the fact that people just wrote him off and forgot about him during his injury nightmares (myself included).  Maybe it’s time to consider that he might be a legit major league hitter. 

[Lip Man 1]

56 minutes ago, CentralChamps21 said:

 

Banks may be better but Diekman makes four million and they Sox are already eating Garcia's salary. That comes into play plus cutting him makes Hahn looks worse than he already is since he traded for this stiff last July. 

[Chick Mercedes]

On 4/8/2023 at 7:15 AM, CentralChamps21 said:

Why were these guys not on the OD roster?

Burger provides more value than Sheets, and Alberto/Romy are somewhat redundant.

Banks is clearly a better option than Diekman.

Organizational First base fetish

Edited April 16, 2023 by Chick Mercedes

[Chick Mercedes]

58 minutes ago, 35thstreetswarm said:

It’s weird that the org and fan base just seem to have a hard time believing in Burger even though he’s a first round pick.  I think he’s hampered by the fact that people just wrote him off and forgot about him during his injury nightmares (myself included).  Maybe it’s time to consider that he might be a legit major league hitter. 

It is weird. Tired of Burger being blocked. The braintrust seems incapable of designing and planning the major league roster to put  assets within  the organization  online. Like I have said previously, they just ride out the status quo forever without any sort of forward thinking like other trams do.

[wegner]

1 hour ago, 35thstreetswarm said:

It’s weird that the org and fan base just seem to have a hard time believing in Burger even though he’s a first round pick.  I think he’s hampered by the fact that people just wrote him off and forgot about him during his injury nightmares (myself included).  Maybe it’s time to consider that he might be a legit major league hitter. 

Back before he was drafted, I was reading about prospects and wanted the Sox to pick him and was excited when they did.. Then the injury setbacks. What a comeback he has had. I'm beginning to wonder if he is the future at DH, and I've always been a big Eloy fan.

[vilehoopster]

Burger seems to be doing just fine against right handlers the last two days. That sample size means as much to me as his small amount of at bats against righties before this series. 

I said this like a month ago, however bad he is or was against righties, he was leading the Sox in homers last year before he got hurt and was then later replaced by Moncada. Why is he not in the lineup?

Play him at 1st or 3rd or DH, but it seems completely obvious that the Sox need to be getting him lots of at bats and have him in the lineup everyday.

Edited April 16, 2023 by vilehoopster

[Heads22]

If Burger can continue to hit righties, Gavin's going to be playing first in Charlotte in a couple of weeks.