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Around SBN: 2011 In Extreme Home Runs

Your new Starting catcher

Josh Bard is your new starting catcher. It looks more and more every day that VTek is going going gone. I can say this makes me very happy to say the least. Vtek was contributing next to nothing to the offense and was a defensive liability. Since Cash will catch Wakefield I see no reason for Vtek.

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And the

possibility of signing Tek didn’t go down the toilet or anything, I don’t think the market for him is strong at all so it’s more likely the Sox will sign him.

by DirtySouthSox on Jan 3, 2009 2:06 PM EST reply actions  

Draft Pick

The problem is no one is willing to sign Tek bc he is an “A” and they would have to give up their 1st round draft pick. So no market for Tek. Boras really did an amazing job on Teixeira and Burnett but he left Tek and Manny out in the cold.

Should of taking arbitration from the Red Sox.

People rarely talk about the guys Boras throws under the bus to get his “high priced” guys signed.

by SoxAcumen on Jan 3, 2009 3:48 PM EST up reply actions   1 recs

Burnett is not a Boras client.

"We're not going to give up," It doesn't happen, so who cares? There's always next year. It's not like it's the end of the world."

by revigik on Jan 3, 2009 4:44 PM EST reply actions  

Then

Boras did a pretty poor job just getting one of his client’s signed.

Lowe is the Boras client, another player who will take a significant pay cut this offseason.

by SoxAcumen on Jan 3, 2009 8:28 PM EST up reply actions  

It's hard to believe

That Burnett is worth $16.5MM a year (for 5 years), while Lowe’s biggest offer is $12MM a year (for 3 years). Lowe is a far more consistent player.

by Schulz on Jan 4, 2009 12:25 PM EST up reply actions  

but older one...

and without the MFY in the bidding, the price goes way down.

by BTLove on Jan 4, 2009 4:48 PM EST up reply actions  

Umm... besides this being a few days old...

As SoxAcumen said, Cash is a Yankee. Tek will most likely be brought back (IMO) and asked to catch Wake and another pitcher. He used to catch Wake back in ’98 and ’99, IIRC.

Clutch: A measurement of how much better or worse a player does in high leverage situations than he would have done in a context neutral environment. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/glossary/

by bdalebs on Jan 3, 2009 7:41 PM EST reply actions  

No way

Vtek Catches Wakefield. Vtek has proven to be horrible at catching him and his attitude and egotistical ways wouldn’t allow him to be a backup catcher ever. Vtek is gone. When the Sox open camp and Vtek is sleeping in his Michigan cabin we will all be able to rejoice for the k king will be gone.

Baseball is God's sport! All Truth Goes Through Three Stages 1.It is ridiculed 2.It is violently opposed 3.Finally, it is accepted as self-evident. kinesiologist

by E5 on Jan 4, 2009 3:18 AM EST up reply actions  

When?

When was Tek horrible at catching Wake? He did an admirable job in the extra innings of Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS (yes, THAT Game 7), especially considering that he hadn’t caught him in years.

I’ve always had the hunch that it isn’t that Tek can’t catch Wake, it’s that the physical toll of catching Wake would wear him down and prevent him from being a full-time starter.

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Jan 4, 2009 1:07 PM EST up reply actions  

Which he isn't capable of being now anyway...

…so there’s no reason why he couldn’t catch Wake.

by RSNexile on Jan 4, 2009 1:10 PM EST up reply actions  

Exactly.

(if my hunch is right)

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Jan 4, 2009 1:23 PM EST up reply actions  

Yep.

I think E5 has left over issues from being a Cleveland fan.

Clutch: A measurement of how much better or worse a player does in high leverage situations than he would have done in a context neutral environment. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/glossary/

by bdalebs on Jan 4, 2009 4:22 PM EST up reply actions  

Why don’t you take a look at Extra Innings of Game 5 in 2004. Three wild pitches in the inning, loaded the bases, I think that one or two runners were on because of errors from Varitek= YOU DO NOT WANT THIS GUY CATCHING TIM WAKEFIELD!!!

"We're not going to give up," It doesn't happen, so who cares? There's always next year. It's not like it's the end of the world."

by revigik on Jan 4, 2009 2:10 PM EST reply actions  

No runs.

Manny ain't the only bad man.

by tommy.otm on Jan 4, 2009 2:47 PM EST up reply actions  

Wild pitches are blamed on the pitcher. If they were past balls, then I would be concerned.

Clutch: A measurement of how much better or worse a player does in high leverage situations than he would have done in a context neutral environment. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/glossary/

by bdalebs on Jan 4, 2009 4:23 PM EST up reply actions  

You guys don't remember that game?!

It was absurd. My biggest worry (and everyone else’s) throughout that game was the passed balls. I don’t know how they were scored, but it was absurd. The balls were bouncing off his glove, if he even got his glove on them. It was one of the strangest baseball sequences I’ve ever seen. Now, I’m not sure you can judge Tek solely on that inning, he had caught how many innings in the previous 36 hours? like 30 or something? It was just extreme exhaustion.

by BTLove on Jan 4, 2009 4:55 PM EST up reply actions  

I think I might have been forced to go to bed by parents with a Nazi-like enforcement of bedtimes.

Clutch: A measurement of how much better or worse a player does in high leverage situations than he would have done in a context neutral environment. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/glossary/

by bdalebs on Jan 4, 2009 5:07 PM EST up reply actions  

I was on a semester in Madrid at the time

and was watching in a Boston-fan filled Irish Pub at 5 in the morning. The Spaniards thought we were all fucking nuts.

by BTLove on Jan 4, 2009 5:42 PM EST up reply actions  

Most people think that about Americans in general.

Clutch: A measurement of how much better or worse a player does in high leverage situations than he would have done in a context neutral environment. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/glossary/

by bdalebs on Jan 4, 2009 8:03 PM EST up reply actions  

I’m sorry, I meant passed balls.

"We're not going to give up," It doesn't happen, so who cares? There's always next year. It's not like it's the end of the world."

by revigik on Jan 4, 2009 7:35 PM EST reply actions  

Okay, but as people have said above, it had been a while since he had caught Wake.

Clutch: A measurement of how much better or worse a player does in high leverage situations than he would have done in a context neutral environment. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/glossary/

by bdalebs on Jan 4, 2009 8:05 PM EST up reply actions  

I can't believe this...

Sure, last year he couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. But Tek’s defense and game calling alone make him one of the best catchers of the last five years. I totally would love to have him sign back for a year at least, and have Kottaras catch Wakefield. That way he could teach Kottaras all he knows, making him a better catcher for the future in terms of calling games. A lot of people don’t understand the importance of a catcher who calls a good game, sometimes it could mean 1.00 ERA less for a team, and that’s a big deal. If not sign him to be the catcher, sign him to be a coach so he can teach the younger guys a thing or two, cause if we don’t sign him the dude’s probably out of a job.

by DirtySouthSox on Jan 4, 2009 11:07 PM EST reply actions  

One ERA less?

that means one run every nine innings. That means a catcher “who calls a good game” is worth 162 runs every year. That is absurd. There is no way the effect is that big. The catcher would be by far the most important man on the team and Varitek, if he was worth that much on defense, would be the highest paid player in the league.

by BTLove on Jan 5, 2009 5:02 PM EST up reply actions  

162- However many starts Wake has.

Or however many games Tek is worth.

Well, I'll appreciate for you to keep my zingers outta your mouth!

by BoSox415 on Jan 5, 2009 5:05 PM EST up reply actions  

do'h

Worth=injured.

Well, I'll appreciate for you to keep my zingers outta your mouth!

by BoSox415 on Jan 5, 2009 5:05 PM EST up reply actions  

The point still stands

If Varitek was worth 120 runs over replacement simply from how well he calls a game, that is worth about 12 wins per year and on the FA market $50 million per year. There is no way the “calling the game” factor is more valuable than Albert Pujol’s bat.

by BTLove on Jan 5, 2009 8:11 PM EST up reply actions  

Maybe it's factored into value at a different rate?

Clutch: A measurement of how much better or worse a player does in high leverage situations than he would have done in a context neutral environment. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/glossary/

by bdalebs on Jan 5, 2009 9:27 PM EST up reply actions  

Well OK

I used some exaggeration. Alot of exaggeration. But I think his game calling skills were rarely noticed this last season. Plus, Dice-K has ONLY worked with Tek. I don’t know, maybe a baptism by fire would be good for the Dice.

by DirtySouthSox on Jan 5, 2009 8:43 PM EST up reply actions  

Which requires a team to sign Tek.

Clutch: A measurement of how much better or worse a player does in high leverage situations than he would have done in a context neutral environment. http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/glossary/

by bdalebs on Jan 5, 2009 9:42 PM EST up reply actions  

I guess its actually getting to the point,

that teams wouldn’t want him at any price. I mean, how much is a first round pick worth at this point? I guess more than Varitek. Hilarious if he can’t sign anywhere. What would happen?

by BTLove on Jan 5, 2009 9:56 PM EST up reply actions  

Wait a second

I guess I’m confused. If we sign him, we don’t have to give up a draft pick right?

by DirtySouthSox on Jan 5, 2009 10:22 PM EST up reply actions  

right.

"Are you a real doctor, or a doctor like Dr. Pepper is a doctor?"

by Allen Chace on Jan 6, 2009 12:10 AM EST up reply actions  

right.

but if we don’t sign him and somebody else does, we get two picks; A sandwich pick and another depending on the signing team’s record and other FA signings.

by BTLove on Jan 6, 2009 3:33 AM EST up reply actions  

Oh

Yeah, you’re right, I forgot about that. Yeah that would be nice if someone is dumb enough to do it. In that case, I’m for a platoon of Kots/Dusty/Bard.

by DirtySouthSox on Jan 6, 2009 2:16 PM EST up reply actions  

That's what I thought

But BTLove said, “I’d just rather have the draft pick.” I guess you were just talking about other teams…

Well all I know is (honestly, I only played high school ball, but my brother played catcher at Miss. St.) that catcher and shortstop are the defensive leaders of the team. It’s very important to have one that can call a solid game, and Jason Varitek may be the very best at calling games. You guys are right, though, dude can’t hit. I’m just worried about how Kottaras is defensively, because he’s basically IT if not Tek. Josh Bard would not be the solution. I know that Kottaras has experience catching knuckleballs so maybe he could catch Wake, too, with somebody catching Matsuzaka or whoever exclusively. Again, this would only be valid if I were GM of the Sox.

by DirtySouthSox on Jan 6, 2009 2:35 AM EST reply actions  

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