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Sox/Indians spring game thread 3/27


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I know what you mean Balta but I'll be at the game and I don't want to see that. I saw enough of that kind of pitching the first couple of weeks of spring training. On a non-related note, Konerko with 16 hits in his last 35 at bats. Man, is he hot! Yet he still hasn't homered this spring. :gosox1:

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QUOTE (BigEdWalsh @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 10:27 AM)
I know what you mean Balta but I'll be at the game and I don't want to see that. I saw enough of that kind of pitching the first couple of weeks of spring training. On a non-related note, Konerko with 16 hits in his last 35 at bats. Man, is he hot! Yet he still hasn't homered this spring. :gosox1:

I get you, i just want stewart starting at AAA rather than in the big league bullpen, and I think the latter might well happen if he has 2 more good outings.

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QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 08:06 AM)
Really hoping Stewart has a bad start. honestly.

 

I know what you mean, but Axelrod hasn't stepped up this spring, and Stults had a bad outing yesterday.

 

They could ultimately pick Axelrod, and just say he earned it based on how he ended the season last year.

 

Truthfully, I don't care who they pick. That's what they have minor league options for.

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QUOTE (flavum @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 10:43 AM)
Truthfully, I don't care who they pick. That's what they have minor league options for.

The reason why I care is that I think Stewart, as a sinkerballer, can be a solid asset as a starter long-term for this team, and because he was converted from relieving to starting, he doesn't have a whole lot of innings on his arm yet. So, if you put him in the bullpen, he'll basically be staying there.

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QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 09:45 AM)
The reason why I care is that I think Stewart, as a sinkerballer, can be a solid asset as a starter long-term for this team, and because he was converted from relieving to starting, he doesn't have a whole lot of innings on his arm yet. So, if you put him in the bullpen, he'll basically be staying there.

 

I agree with this in theory, but if the best thing for the major league club is to have Stewart being able to give 3-4 innings of relief at a time, what are they going to do?

When you have Sale and Humber in the rotation, there has to be a guy that can come in in the 3rd or 4th inning once in a while, and go 4 innings. If Axelrod sucks and Stewart pitches well, what choice do they have?

 

I heard Mark Gonzales bring up something interesting last night...there's a split squad tomorrow, and Axlerod is starting one of them. He said Robin is still going to manage the other game with Floyd and Santiago pitching. He seemed to be reading into it that Axelrod may not be making the team, otherwise Robin would want to manage that game. I dunno if I would go that far, but it's interesting.

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QUOTE (flavum @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 09:51 AM)
I agree with this in theory, but if the best thing for the major league club is to have Stewart being able to give 3-4 innings of relief at a time, what are they going to do?

When you have Sale and Humber in the rotation, there has to be a guy that can come in in the 3rd or 4th inning once in a while, and go 4 innings. If Axelrod sucks and Stewart pitches well, what choice do they have?

 

I heard Mark Gonzales bring up something interesting last night...there's a split squad tomorrow, and Axlerod is starting one of them. He said Robin is still going to manage the other game with Floyd and Santiago pitching. He seemed to be reading into it that Axelrod may not be making the team, otherwise Robin would want to manage that game. I dunno if I would go that far, but it's interesting.

 

I wonder which team Cooper is traveling with?

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QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 09:30 AM)
I get you, i just want stewart starting at AAA rather than in the big league bullpen, and I think the latter might well happen if he has 2 more good outings.

You and I seem opposed on this one. I think Stewart has reliever written all over him, whereas Axelrod looks like a potential major league starter to me.

 

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QUOTE (flavum @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 10:51 AM)
I agree with this in theory, but if the best thing for the major league club is to have Stewart being able to give 3-4 innings of relief at a time, what are they going to do?

Then you have to ask the question what the goal is for this season and what the downside is.

 

If you think there's a 95% chance Stewart is going to wind up in the bullpen anyway, then you just put him there. Personally I don't, but that's because I have always really liked the idea of putting guys with 2 seamers on the mound in the Cell as a way to get outs and eat up innings, and I really thought Stewart showcased some good off-speed stuff in his outings last year.

 

If you think it's 50/50 on whether or not Stewart would remain a starter, then you have to ask what your goal is for this year. If the team is "All in" at the major league level, you put him in the bullpen if you think he'll help you win 1 game. If instead, you have lost some of your older talent, cut back on salary, and are trying to develop kids, then you might well go with the lesser prospect in your bullpen in order to keep Stewart as a starter, and risk having it cost you a game or two early in the season.

 

Personally, I think we're in the latter scenario this year, which is why I would prefer Stewart starting at AAA and either Stults or Axelrod in the pen, and deciding from there based on how things go...but that's why I'm not the GM.

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QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 07:30 AM)
I get you, i just want stewart starting at AAA rather than in the big league bullpen, and I think the latter might well happen if he has 2 more good outings.

I don't get it. He's not very good. If he ends up being a good reliever I'll be happy.

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QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 11:03 AM)
I don't get it. He's not very good. If he ends up being a good reliever I'll be happy.

Well, i differ on this from you. The best case I can give is that "he's not very good" is what you probably should expect from most guys when they make the jump from AA to the bigs in their 2nd full year as a starter, and I think there's more buried in his arm from some of the stuff I saw from him last year.

 

I think his biggest weakness actually was in getting legit sink on his sinker, and that's something that I think a sinkerballer will develop more with time. I think he has the offspeed stuff to go with it, but getting the 2 seamer down was what I thought was his biggest issue last yera.

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I just noticed in the lineup both Lillibridge and Morel are at 3B. I'm guessing Lilli is in RF?

 

Curiously Lillibridge hasn't played at 1B this spring. I'm a little surprised at that.

Edited by BigEdWalsh
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QUOTE (BigEdWalsh @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 10:30 AM)
I just noticed in the lineup both Lillibridge and Morel are at 3B. I'm guessing Lilli is in RF?

 

Curiously Lillibridge hasn't played at 1B this spring. I'm a little surprised at that.

 

With Ventura playing Dunn more, he hasn't needed him really. Plus if they think Dan Johnson makes the team, that would push Lilli to at least the 4th 1B. If not, I would imagine that Tyler Flowers would be a candidate for 1B in order to get his bat into the line up more often.

 

You are correct on the line up.

 

Mark Gonzales ‏ @MDGonzales

Sox lineup vs. Tribe: De Aza CF Lillibridge RF Dunn 1B Konerko DH Fukudome LF Morel 3B Pierzynski C Escobar SS Olmedo 2B Stewart P

 

 

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I know I've only seen him in one spring training start, but maaan does Axelrod look like a hittable pitcher. He changes speeds well enough, but he has no plus pitches from what I can tell. Fastball is flat and not very fast, curveball is a slow lob, nothing moves or breaks and his delivery is awfully standard. His decent control and ability to mix up pitches is the only thing currently saving him, and I really doubt it can last at the Major League level. So I agree with Balta: Stewart should be starting in AAA because I think he's the better prospect. Not great, but all of his pitches are better than Axelrod's.

 

So I hope Stewart gets lit up. Weird sentiment.

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QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 09:57 AM)
Then you have to ask the question what the goal is for this season and what the downside is.

 

If you think there's a 95% chance Stewart is going to wind up in the bullpen anyway, then you just put him there. Personally I don't, but that's because I have always really liked the idea of putting guys with 2 seamers on the mound in the Cell as a way to get outs and eat up innings, and I really thought Stewart showcased some good off-speed stuff in his outings last year.

 

If you think it's 50/50 on whether or not Stewart would remain a starter, then you have to ask what your goal is for this year. If the team is "All in" at the major league level, you put him in the bullpen if you think he'll help you win 1 game. If instead, you have lost some of your older talent, cut back on salary, and are trying to develop kids, then you might well go with the lesser prospect in your bullpen in order to keep Stewart as a starter, and risk having it cost you a game or two early in the season.

 

Personally, I think we're in the latter scenario this year, which is why I would prefer Stewart starting at AAA and either Stults or Axelrod in the pen, and deciding from there based on how things go...but that's why I'm not the GM.

 

Stewart has to prove he can get MLB hitters out whether it be in the pen or as a starter. He doesn't project to be more than a 4-5 starter for this team long-term behind Danks, Sale, Molina, Humber. If he can get outs from the bullpen this year it doesn't preclude him from being a candidate for the rotation in 2013.

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QUOTE (Marty34 @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 12:44 PM)
Stewart has to prove he can get MLB hitters out whether it be in the pen or as a starter. He doesn't project to be more than a 4-5 starter for this team long-term behind Danks, Sale, Molina, Humber. If he can get outs from the bullpen this year it doesn't preclude him from being a candidate for the rotation in 2013.

He's never had the chance to get AAA hitters out.

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QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Mar 27, 2012 -> 03:11 PM)
He had five times as many innings at AAA as Chris Sale did.

And the first 25 of those were in 20 relief appearances before the blue jays decided to back off and make him a starter.

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