LaRoche trade could push Kotsay out
by Randy Booth on Jul 23, 2009 12:05 PM EDT
in News
47 comments
Between Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell, David Ortiz and Adam LaRoche, the Red Sox have the corner infield positions and designated hitter settled.
So what about Mark Kotsay?
It seems like Kotsay, who has proven most valuable over the past year or so as a backup first baseman, could be the guy out the door with LaRoche coming in from Pittsburgh. While Kotsay is versatile and could also play the outfield, he's not the same player as he used to be out there. LaRoche, also, has a much better bat than Kotsay.
Per the Red Sox notebook in the Globe:
"We’ve had discussions,’’ Kotsay said. "I really don’t want to talk about that, but like I said, the organization is going to make some decisions and I think that’s been addressed by Theo and we’ll let it play out.
"Obviously you always have a concern any time you’re a role player on a club and they make an acquisition. For a player, you realize it could lie in your future. The cards could play out unexpectedly and if that’s the case, that’s the reality of the business. You deal with it and you move forward.’’
I'll be the first to admit that when the Sox acquired Kotsay, I wasn't too thrilled. I knew Kotsay didn't bring all that much to the table. But then once he was a Sox, he started to do certain things well. He wasn't the best player on the field, but he seemed to fill the gaps. He's kind of the Dave McCarty of the new generation: he doesn't do anything great, but he does it all good enough to get the job done.
So long, Mark. It's been a nice ride. But at this point, the Sox just need something more.
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Kotsay's been great, regardless of what some one here are going to say.
Hope he gets another shot at a ring, if we can’t keep him.
@bs_uf15bosox9be:OverTheMonster-ALLERGEN WARNING:May contain PB.
by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 23, 2009 12:27 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, he’s been surprisingly good to be honest.
by Randy Booth on Jul 23, 2009 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Agreed
Kotsay has been a great bench player. I just also feel like LaRoche is better offensively and defensively @ 1B. As much as I hate to see Kotsay go, I would rather it be him then anyone else.
by drabidea on Jul 23, 2009 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
This.
Hopefully someone will take a flier on him.
@bs_uf15bosox9be:OverTheMonster-ALLERGEN WARNING:May contain PB.
by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 23, 2009 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
No he hasn't.
You want to use the word “capable” or something… fine. He hasnt been “great” any way you cut it.
Bottom line, he can’t hit anymore. He hits like a pitcher the last few years. His defense has been nice, but its not anywhere close to making up for the bat. He’s a replacement or below replacement level guy right now.
We simply cannot afford to keep a guy like that in the lineup for long stretches when guys go down. We can do better and now we have.
by alskor on Jul 23, 2009 2:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
There's no reason to take that kind of offense and that kind of defense at 1B
There are hundreds of guys who would be available for nothing who could outperform Kotsay right now. The good soldier schtick only goes so far. He’s a nice guy and Ill be sorry to see him go, but there’s absolutely no reason to keep him around.
by alskor on Jul 23, 2009 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wifey.
Pretty good reason.
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by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 23, 2009 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Meh.
He was worth -0.4 WAR over his time with the Sox. Not horribly bad.
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by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 23, 2009 3:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
We can still do better with a 1B backup pretty easily
by alskor on Jul 23, 2009 4:25 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
True.
But Kotsay did fill the hole better than Bailey or Carter, and we only gave up a huge project in Luis Sumoza.
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by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 23, 2009 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
-.4 WAR is pretty damn bad.
"Ninety percent [of my salary] I'll spend on good times, women, and Irish whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."
-Tug McGraw
by BTLove on Jul 24, 2009 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Alright, he sucked.
Happy?
@bs_uf15bosox9be:OverTheMonster-ALLERGEN WARNING:May contain PB.
by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 24, 2009 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
LOL
“Kotsay” “great”
An average to below average bench player who has no business starting.
Sox need a hitter (s)
Sox need another lefty in the pen, not named Lopez
Sox need a utility guy prefer one with speed
by gizmosandy on Jul 23, 2009 7:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
what do you guys think the sox will do with kotsay? send him down? release him? try to move him in a deal?
by HeyYoCraig on Jul 23, 2009 1:43 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Can't send him down without his permission, right?
So I’d assume DFA-trade or just a straight up trade.
@bs_uf15bosox9be:OverTheMonster-ALLERGEN WARNING:May contain PB.
by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 23, 2009 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
So if Kotsay goes...
Doesn’t that leave Baldelli as our only back-up OF? I suppose in case of injury we could bring up someone like Reddick, but mayhaps Theo’s looking to upgrade our 4th OF spot to someone who can play more than one day in a row?
by South Coast Ghost on Jul 23, 2009 2:12 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Our bench would look like this:
- Kottaras
- Baldelli
- Green
- LaRoche
Fills all the gaps, that’s for sure. C – MIF – 1B – OF.
by Randy Booth on Jul 23, 2009 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Only recently have we started carrying two bench OFers
Most of the time under Theo our bench looked exactly like that.
and LaRoche or perhaps Youkilis could see emergency duty in LF if Baldelli is hurt/fatigued.
by alskor on Jul 23, 2009 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
It's not about filling the positions persay
We have all the right spots to fill if need be once, I’m merely thinking outloud about what would happen if (when) Drew or Ellsbury needs more than one or two days rest, maybe even a DL stint. Baldelli can’t play more than a few days in a row it seems.
Duncan could be it, but I’ve read that he’s pretty horrible defensively, can’t see him in CF unless it’s for one emergency game.
by South Coast Ghost on Jul 23, 2009 2:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
JD to center?
Baldelli? JvE could play center too.
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by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 23, 2009 3:32 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Didn't see that until I scrolled down.
I still need to learn to read all the comments.
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by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 23, 2009 9:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Why not...
We use Baldelli as trade bait instead of Kotsay?
Our bench would give us C – Kottaras, MIF – Green, 1B – LaRoche, OF/1B – Kotsay. This would allow all OFs to get a break and the corners with the Youk being able to move to 3B.
Do you think we would get anything due to Baldelli’s health situation?
~ ROLL TIDE ~
GO SOX!!
by Bama Sox on Jul 23, 2009 4:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Because Baldelli is a much better player than Kotsay
by alskor on Jul 23, 2009 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
And Baldelli could play 1B just as easily, likely.
He took grounders there recently, IIRC.
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by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 23, 2009 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, saw that too...
Which would be great, especially if Lowell goes down. Baldelli crushes LHPs, so he would be a great platoon partner for LaRoche.
by alskor on Jul 23, 2009 6:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Hmm.
A good though.
@bs_uf15bosox9be:OverTheMonster-ALLERGEN WARNING:May contain PB.
by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 23, 2009 7:29 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Indeed
Sox need a hitter (s)
Sox need another lefty in the pen, not named Lopez
Sox need a utility guy prefer one with speed
by gizmosandy on Jul 23, 2009 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I think that may be Duncan now...
Or JvE.
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by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 23, 2009 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Duncan has already been optioned to the minors
Van Every is injured, out for the season and was released.
by alskor on Jul 23, 2009 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, I was going to say that JvE is gone.
by Randy Booth on Jul 23, 2009 3:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Really?
I know he was injured, but I didn’t know about him being out for the season or being released… Ah, it was on the 18th. :(
Duncan could be brought up if someone goes on the DL though.
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by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 23, 2009 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
only have to make it a few more weeks, right?
Once the rosters are expanded, it’ll be easy to an OF.
by RickD on Jul 24, 2009 12:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Buehrle
just pitched a PERFECT game against the Rays-Wise made an amazing catch to rob Kapler of a HR in the 9th to preserve it…
by Buzzy on Jul 23, 2009 4:24 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Saw that.
Sucks that my sister decided to control the remote all day – I had a chance to watch the whole thing, but didn’t.
@bs_uf15bosox9be:OverTheMonster-ALLERGEN WARNING:May contain PB.
by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 23, 2009 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
On a side note, Wake probably just lost the argument of who least deserved an All Star spot.
Buehrle was worse to begin the season, but a perfect game should bring his stats close enough to make it a decent selection.
@bs_uf15bosox9be:OverTheMonster-ALLERGEN WARNING:May contain PB.
by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 23, 2009 5:17 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Of course, the PG did come AFTER the ASB…
by Randy Booth on Jul 23, 2009 8:46 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yes, but a decade from now, we will simply say that he threw a PG in a year that he was in the ASG.
Think forward, Randy. :)
@bs_uf15bosox9be:OverTheMonster-ALLERGEN WARNING:May contain PB.
by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 23, 2009 9:03 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
His FIP
is still not so good (assuming Fangraphs updated)…he is a good pitcher, don’t get me wrong. Sturdy and eats innings. But he is a career 4 FIP pitcher-quite good, but not great by a long shot.
by Buzzy on Jul 23, 2009 9:04 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
His tRA is above league average for this year.
tRA+ of 104. And this year’s his second worst year by tRA of his career – all pointers that he’s good, but not great. I was saying that he was worse than Wake at the time of the ASB, and this game closed the gap.
@bs_uf15bosox9be:OverTheMonster-ALLERGEN WARNING:May contain PB.
by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 23, 2009 9:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wake deserved his spot
11 wins plus 15+ years of service.
He also had a role he could play that nobody else could. It was just not needed.
by RickD on Jul 24, 2009 12:28 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Wins = HA.
@bs_uf15bosox9be:OverTheMonster-ALLERGEN WARNING:May contain PB.
by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Jul 24, 2009 4:02 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
He has been DFA'ed
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
by Rogue Nine on Jul 24, 2009 3:56 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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