2014 Catching Scenarios

[witesoxfan]

His swing doesnt pass what eye test, yours. Outside of him starting out with an open stance the rest of it is relatively clean. Here is his swing at the point of the contact. And it looks pretty good. Head is down, back knee is bent, up on his toe, the bat is at the point of contact pretty well as well. Could he get into bad habits, sure. But making comments about its an atrocious looking swing is comical.

 

 

You awesome.

 

He was cheating a lot last year, looking for inside pitches. Pitchers were throwing him breaking balls away, and he was either missing them or rolling over them. That's very fixable.

[southsideirish71]

You awesome.

 

He was cheating a lot last year, looking for inside pitches. Pitchers were throwing him breaking balls away, and he was either missing them or rolling over them. That's very fixable.

 

The key is to keep patient and to drive the ball up the middle and to right field on the pitch away. Recognition of the pitch and how to attack it is usually a hard thing for young hitters as they come to the bigs. The breaking pitches are a lot tighter and the break is later. When you cheat like this at times is when scouting reports the second time through will kill you until you adjust back.

 

[witesoxfan]

The key is to keep patient and to drive the ball up the middle and to right field on the pitch away. Recognition of the pitch and how to attack it is usually a hard thing for young hitters as they come to the bigs. The breaking pitches are a lot tighter and the break is later. When you cheat like this at times is when scouting reports the second time through will kill you until you adjust back.

 

And the difference with catchers is that they have so much more going on both on and off the field. They are working with pitchers at all times coming up with plans of attack for hitters, learning hitters' weaknesses and pitchers' strengths. Then during the game, his knees are inevitably going to be sore from croushing while he's balancing what's going on with his pitchers and their batters while he's trying to worry about the pitcher on the mound as well. It's a bit overwhelming, especially for a young guy.

[Balta1701]

And the difference with catchers is that they have so much more going on both on and off the field. They are working with pitchers at all times coming up with plans of attack for hitters, learning hitters' weaknesses and pitchers' strengths. Then during the game, his knees are inevitably going to be sore from croushing while he's balancing what's going on with his pitchers and their batters while he's trying to worry about the pitcher on the mound as well. It's a bit overwhelming, especially for a young guy.

And on top of that, last year was more games/innings than he'd ever caught previously (and as others have noted, he has that 2010 season where he caught fewer than 50 games and probably 2-3 years that really hurt his long-term conditioning0>

[Y2Jimmy0]

http://www.bleachernation.com/2014/01/24/c...r-yenier-bello/

 

This is a Cubs article but does anyone think that the Sox may have interest in this guy? He's already 28 though.

[southsider2k5]

http://www.bleachernation.com/2014/01/24/c...r-yenier-bello/

 

This is a Cubs article but does anyone think that the Sox may have interest in this guy? He's already 28 though.

 

I am sure they will check in on him. No reason not to.

[ScottyDo]

Let's get ALL THE CUBANS!

 

How much would it cost to build and guard a bridge from Cuba to Chicago?

Edited January 24, 2014 by ScottyDo

[Quin]

Let's get ALL THE CUBANS!

 

How much would it cost to build and guard a bridge from Cuba to Chicago?

 

120 million dollars over 6 years.

[NorthSideSox72]

Let's get ALL THE CUBANS!

 

How much would it cost to build and guard a bridge from Cuba to Chicago?

Ya know, it has has crossed my mind... I wonder if any teams have had LatAm scout types that helped get money to fixers in Cuba to help get certain guys out. Pull a little money from scout operating funds, pay a guy to help with "marketing", then when the guy arrives in the States, the team that helped him get out maybe helps their chances of landing said player on a contract.

 

Not sure if that would technically break any laws, say the foreign corrupt practices act, depending on how it was done. Probably something that, if done, is done without direct knowledge of the club (but an understanding of what went on).

 

Nah, probably too much conspiracy theory here.

 

[Boopa1219]

If I were Rick Hahn and the team is about to head into Spring Training with the C's that we have on the roster I would be actively looking for a trade, specifically I would be looking to acquire on of the top catching propspects, i.e Gary Sanchez, Jorge Alfalo from the Yankees and Rangers respectively.

[cabiness42]

If I were Rick Hahn and the team is about to head into Spring Training with the C's that we have on the roster I would be actively looking for a trade, specifically I would be looking to acquire on of the top catching propspects, i.e Gary Sanchez, Jorge Alfalo from the Yankees and Rangers respectively.

 

I'm sure he is looking at those options, but teams aren't just sitting there willing to trade top catching prospects cheaply. Hahn shouldn't be giving up the farm for a catcher. A catcher probably isn't putting the 2014 Sox over the top anyway, so sit tight and wait for a good deal.

[Y2Jimmy0]

I'm sure he is looking at those options, but teams aren't just sitting there willing to trade top catching prospects cheaply. Hahn shouldn't be giving up the farm for a catcher. A catcher probably isn't putting the 2014 Sox over the top anyway, so sit tight and wait for a good deal.

 

 

Exactly. I am sure he has talked about numerous possibilities for a catcher long-term. It will be expensive though as far as the talent cost in trade. If you could get a young catcher with 6 years of control for De Aza and Rienzo I think it'd be done already. I bet most teams have asked for Quintana or Erik Johnson though.

[Vance Law]

http://www.bleachernation.com/2014/01/24/c...r-yenier-bello/

 

This is a Cubs article but does anyone think that the Sox may have interest in this guy? He's already 28 though.

 

We'd have to be looking at him. If the price doesn't go too high we could have him competing for a job and we could stick him in the minors if he doesn't beat out everyone else.

 

More and more I'm liking the Nieto acquisition. Assuming he isn't just completely overmatched at spring training, I think it sends the message to Phegley, Flowers that there's a good chance only one of you is making the club so go out and win the job ("our hands are tied. this guy has to be on the roster. he'd have no chance if you guys weren't so bad last year"). Assuming all 3 put up similarly blah but passable spring trainings it might be Flowers one last chance to lose the job while Phegley is made to hit his way back to Chicago from AAA.

[Balta1701]

Exactly. I am sure he has talked about numerous possibilities for a catcher long-term. It will be expensive though as far as the talent cost in trade. If you could get a young catcher with 6 years of control for De Aza and Rienzo I think it'd be done already. I bet most teams have asked for Quintana or Erik Johnson though.

Esp. with a steroid suspension on his background no one is giving up a lot for Rienzo until he establishes himself more in the big leagues than he's done so far.

[nickofypres]

If Nieto isn't on the 25 man roster come opening day he gets sent back to Nats, right? Doesn't that pretty much seal his fate on the opening day?

[Buehrle>Wood]

If Nieto isn't on the 25 man roster come opening day he gets sent back to Nats, right? Doesn't that pretty much seal his fate on the opening day?

He's got to stay on the roster all year. Or DL but not too much DL.

 

 

I think he gets offered back but then we trade for him.

[witesoxfan]

If Nieto isn't on the 25 man roster come opening day he gets sent back to Nats, right? Doesn't that pretty much seal his fate on the opening day?

 

Unless the trade for him. That's always an option too.

 

He's got to stay on the roster all year. Or DL but not too much DL.

 

 

I think he gets offered back but then we trade for him.

 

They keep him if he spends time on the DL, but if he spends time on the 60-day DL, the Sox have to make up for the time lost on the active MLB roster. They could hypothetically put him on the 60 day DL in May, keep him there all year, bringing him back next year, need the roster spot in June of 2015, and have to offer him back to Washington at that time.

[Dick Allen]

Hiding Nieto on the DL makes zero sense. He needs to play or what's the purpose? He isn't exactly Ivan Rodriquez. He either shows he can stick in spring training, or at least shows enough the Sox would want to keep him and work out a trade. You would think that shouldn't be too hard. If the Nats thought so much of him, I doubt they leave him exposed.

[southsider2k5]

Unless the trade for him. That's always an option too.

 

 

 

They keep him if he spends time on the DL, but if he spends time on the 60-day DL, the Sox have to make up for the time lost on the active MLB roster. They could hypothetically put him on the 60 day DL in May, keep him there all year, bringing him back next year, need the roster spot in June of 2015, and have to offer him back to Washington at that time.

 

I am pretty sure they cleaned that rule up. I believe a Rule V can only spend a certain number of days on the DL, otherwise the Rule V stuff kicked in again next year.

[southsider2k5]

I am pretty sure they cleaned that rule up. I believe a Rule V can only spend a certain number of days on the DL, otherwise the Rule V stuff kicked in again next year.

 

Yeah, here we go, has to be on the active roster for 90 days during the season

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_5_draft

[ShandyMan]

I don't see the sox letting Nieto going back to the nats. They'll find a way to keep him.

 

 

With that being said, I think it's whoever performs the best in ST that wins the job at this point

[NorthSideSox72]

I don't see the sox letting Nieto going back to the nats. They'll find a way to keep him.

 

 

With that being said, I think it's whoever performs the best in ST that wins the job at this point

Nieto is a long shot to make it, but yeah, not only do I think they will find a way to keep him, I'm guessing they already have a plan in place to do just that. I see no chance they acquired the guy with the idea that he was definitely or even almost definitely going to make it, considering there's been one catcher in modern history that has ever gone A-ball straight to MLB and stuck for a year.

 

[Leonard Washington]

Angels signed Torrealba to a minor league deal. I've been wanting the Sox to make a play for Conger, and with Torrealba now adding catching depth behind Ianetta, maybe now is a good time for old Ricky boy to give it a go.

[lasttriptotulsa]

I don't see the sox letting Nieto going back to the nats. They'll find a way to keep him.

 

 

With that being said, I think it's whoever performs the best in ST that wins the job at this point

 

They seem to really like Nieto. If he doesn't make the opening day roster, I'd imagine the Sox will try to work out a trade. It probably wouldn't take all that much to keep him.