Platooning LF?

by bloodysock04 on Oct 22, 2009 2:29 PM EDT

Listening to Theo's interview on WEEI today got me thinking:

The Sox aren't going to sign Jayson Bay for the money he's looking for (15-16 millions for 4-5 years) because of his defense and the fact that he's not in his "pre-prime" years.
There's a gap talent wise in term of prospects for 1-2 years.
Theo's REALLY dislike Scott Boras: A Matt Holiday signing is very unlikely.

If you look at the talent pool in the FA OFers market, what you see is discouraging: Abreu, Figgins (he played the OF), Dye, Crisp, Kapler...So why not take a flyer on platooning LF like the Rays did with the Gabes? You sign Crisp (If healthy) and Kapler or Connor Jackson who, because if illness, may not be tendered by the D-Backs for 1 year contract and you platoon them in the OF?

What do you think?

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Comments

Well

you make some good points here. It is a bad market. I think the Sox will probably end up signing Bay for 4/56 and have reservations about doing so. They obviously know about Bay’s horrible defense and do worry about an offensive decline. It is not a great signing but they are really up against a rock and a hard place.

by Buzzy on Oct 22, 2009 2:44 PM EDT reply actions

OR......

Sign someone like Abreu to a one or two year deal instead of overspending. Look to improve our offense via trade at other positions.

by drabidea on Oct 22, 2009 4:24 PM EDT up reply actions

Abreu is a severe downgrade from Bay

And is much older too. I can’t see the Sox giving him a multi-year contract.

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Oct 22, 2009 6:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Scott Boras is a necessary evil..

All MLB GMs “have to” deal with Scott Boras. He controls the draft, he has a retinue of players, including Tek, Ellsbury, and Drew.

If any team should have a huge beef with Boras it is the Dodgers, given they strongly feel there was collusion between Boras, Drew and the Sox to have Drew opt out of his contract, besides they signed two contracts that have given them headaches, Andruw Jones and Manny’s contracts presented to them by Scott Boras.

Personally, I rather the Sox signed Bay than Holliday. I also think Holliday would be better off in the NL.

by superferret on Oct 22, 2009 5:57 PM EDT reply actions

Why not

Why not sign one veteran player like Crisp and let him platoon with one of our young guys like Reddick

by cnubsbl16 on Oct 22, 2009 7:12 PM EDT reply actions

Because

the overall downgrade is to severe. Coco may not even be healthy. Reddick is not ready. And a healthy Coco+Reddick platoon is probably too weak offensively even given the defensive upgrade. However I do think things like this are interesting to consider.

by Buzzy on Oct 22, 2009 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions

I dunno

I dunno i just feel that Reddick is so close to being an everyday starter. He played decent when he was with Boston, and had a decent average and a good slugging percentage in AA. but maybe thats why im not the one making the call. I still feel platooning would give him a better chance at adjusting to the major leagues

by cnubsbl16 on Oct 22, 2009 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Reddick isn't that close

He’s 22, and only has 79 career PA in Triple-A.

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Oct 22, 2009 8:29 PM EDT up reply actions

a lot of guys are being called up from AA now a days….and if he wasnt that close he wouldnt have played in the MLB for a while like he did last year

by cnubsbl16 on Oct 22, 2009 9:14 PM EDT up reply actions

I hope I don't have to say this again for at least 10 years:

If everyone else was jumping off a cliff, would you do it too? He played with us last year because we didn’t have any other decent options, and it was a preview of the future for one of our better prospects. He still needs a LOT of seasoning in the minors.

@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation

by bdalebs on Oct 22, 2009 9:52 PM EDT up reply actions

look all im saying is it would be dumb to waste money on signing guys to long deals….which you know all of them are looking for…when we have one of our best prospects moving up the ranks in the outfield

by cnubsbl16 on Oct 22, 2009 11:21 PM EDT up reply actions

4 years for Bay isn't unreasonable

He could always DH in a few years.

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Oct 22, 2009 11:27 PM EDT up reply actions

yea but hes gonna want a lot of money….im not sure if hes worth the money

by cnubsbl16 on Oct 22, 2009 11:37 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm not sure if he's worth the money, either.

That’s definitely a balance the FO is going to have to strike, although I do like the DH option down the road.

Goddamn that DeMarlo Hale.

by Bloggy on Oct 23, 2009 8:41 AM EDT up reply actions

Got that.

Of course, we have another OF who will be gone pretty soon, so Reddick could always take his place. That’d actually probably make more sense, considering his defensive ability.

@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation

by bdalebs on Oct 22, 2009 11:37 PM EDT up reply actions

definitely not ready

his BA was .169 to finish out the year. His slugging was great considering his average, but certainly needs more time.

by wolf9309 on Oct 23, 2009 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions

it is unfair to Crisp...

He was in a bad situation. He should had won the Gold Glove in 2007, but he didn’t because he didn’t play much in Sept 2007. He lost his job in 2008. If Crisp ever gets his hitting back, he could be close to an all star CF, but I don’t think he will ever get his hitting back since he broke his knuckle in 2006

Anyway, the Sox need some power and someone with a better SLG, and hits with RISP.

by superferret on Oct 22, 2009 7:29 PM EDT up reply actions

I like Coco, but

I’m not sure what this means:

If Crisp ever gets his hitting back

Coco isn’t a good hitter. He has only had one year with an OPS over .800, and that was 2005 (his last year in Cleveland). He was brilliant defensively in 2007—and I agree about the GG. But, he’ll be 30 in November. He isn’t going to improve offensively.

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Oct 22, 2009 8:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Coco had two good hitting years...

2004 and 2005. He broke his knuckle at the beginning of 2006, and he never has been the same at the plate.

by superferret on Oct 22, 2009 9:11 PM EDT up reply actions

Coco has played 7.5 seasons

He has had only two decent hitting years. If player only hits decently in 27% of his career, he isn’t a good hitter. Crisp has a career OPS of .738. Overall, he’s pretty much the hitter he was in Boston. In other words, Coco isn’t a very good hitter.

If you want to cite the injury in ‘06 as the reason he isn’t a great hitter, that’s fine. But what are the odds that he’ll improve now?

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Oct 22, 2009 10:34 PM EDT up reply actions

I didn't say he is going to improve...

I just wrote that if he got his hitting back when he had two good years, when he was younger and he was peaking in his perfomance in his late 20s, he would or could had been an all star CF. His hitting should had gotten better, but it never was the same after his injury. His power went kaput after the injury.

My point is that he is a top rated fielder, if he could hit better, he would be a very valuable commodity for any team. Much like Ellsbury’s had a pretty good year hitting, and he should have the same or even better for next year.

by superferret on Oct 23, 2009 2:08 AM EDT up reply actions

I found the idea so interesting that I made a post in response

Check it out

"That was a lot of fun… You just keep pounding balls into the gap. The one thing you don’t want to do is hit a home run. That’s a rally-killer." Jeff Francoeur

by radiohix on Oct 22, 2009 8:34 PM EDT reply actions