The Red Sox Infield in 2011 (or, Why Lowrie Should Get Plenty of At-Bats . . . or Else!)
by lone1c on Dec 23, 2010 9:53 AM EST
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Okay, so like many people on this board, I saw Tito's recent comments, about platoons and the Sox's strategy for 2011, including the return of Jacoby Ellsbury to the top of the lineup; like most, my response to seeing that they had Lowrie pegged as the utility guy rather than the starting SS was a hearty "WTF?"
However, while I do reserve the right to go thermonuclear during the season if we see Lowrie needlessly riding the pine against a tough lefty, I can sort of—vaguely—kinda—maybe, just maybe can see why Tito wants Lowrie to be the "super-utility guy" rather than the starting shortstop. . . .
Basically, the problem comes from looking at the depth charts for the infield. Currently, redsox.com's official depth chart lists the following for the infield:
1B: Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Youkilis, Lars Anderson
2B: Dustin Pedroia, Jed Lowrie, Yamaico Navarro
SS: Marco Scutaro, Jed Lowrie, Yamaico Navarro
3B: Kevin Youkilis, Jed Lowrie
DH: David Ortiz
Now, if we go by the theory that the Sox will only have six infielders next season, that means that either Anderson or Navarro goes bye-bye. Since Navarro covers two positions and Anderson only one, I assume that Anderson gets a ticket back to Pawtucket. Moreover, the Sox will probably not want Youkilis bouncing back and forth between 3B and 1B, and he's expressed his dissatisfaction with that possibility before. That would mean he'd be more likely to be moved to DH in case Ortiz was given the day off. So, now, you're left with a depth chart like this:
1B: Gonzalez, Lowrie
2B: Pedroia, Lowrie, Navarro
SS: Scutaro, Lowrie, Navarro
3B: Youkilis, Lowrie
DH: Ortiz, Youkilis
Hmm. Looks like you've got the same guy as the principal backup for every infield position. Now, let's look at the list of people on that list who had significant injuries (not illnesses) in 2010:
Gonzalez (shoulder), Pedroia (foot), Scutaro (shoulder), Youkilis (thumb)
Ruh-roh! So, we have an entire infield potentially coming off of rehab and, in at least Gonzalez' case, perhaps unable to take the field on Opening Day. If that's the case, then you have the very real scenario where the infield is going to need a lot of days off early in the season. If this is true, then it makes sense to have Lowrie moving around as needed, rather than committing him to shortstop. Similarly, if Scutaro's rehab doesn't go well (shades of 2009, anyone?), then Lowrie may have to be committed to shortstop for an extended haul anyways.
Long story short? Lowrie should have plenty of opportunities for starting time, as long as Tito hasn't gone completely bonkers. If he has gone 'round the bend, then perhaps we here at OTM will need to take up a collection for a billboard outside of Fenway showing Jed's picture, and the following text:
0.907 OPS. ANY QUESTIONS?
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The thing is
Scutaro can also play any infield position. And we’ll miss his bat a whole lot less than Lowrie’s. You could make the same charts and swap Lowrie’s and Scutaro’s names
+1
I agree, Scutaro is just as useful as a super-sub and committing Lowrie to short would help him concentrate on his defense there. If he can be a plus defender, he might well be one of the best shortstops in the AL with his bat.
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by Mattsullivan on Dec 23, 2010 10:14 AM EST up reply actions
Not quite
Not sure Scoots can’t play 1B as of yet. Also, not sure he has the arm to play 3rd well. Which means they’re sort of right, Lowrie as the super-sub last year works. As Bill Hall proved last year, there will be plenty of at bats for that role, since Tito likes to give everyone lots of days off to rest and recovery and whatever else…..
Lowrie has played exactly one more inning at first base than Scutaro
and Scutaro has played much more third base. Even if Scutaro was only capable of playing 2B and SS, if Youk needed a day off, it would be a much better solution to move our shortstop (Lowrie) to third for one game and put in our supersub at short for the game than to commit more at bats to the worse player.
Yep, Lowrie isn't the backup 1B if Gonzo is slow to recover
Lowrie is then the starting 3B (assuming Scoot is the better SS of the two, I’m not sure if that is true or not).
Late in a blowout game, if you want to give Gonzo a few innings off in the middle of a road trip, you probably put Salty at 1B and Tek in to catch. Lowrie would probably be playing 3B for Youk or SS to rest the aging Scoot. I doubt you’ll get Pedey out much in those situations…..
But Lowrie is probably more the 4th string 1B behind Gonzo/Youk/Salty than the backup.
Again, Youk doesn't want to move back and forth between positions
If it’s for a couple of months, maybe. But for a few weeks, I don’t think they’re going to want to move Youk back to 1B.
It will be critical to watch the first few weeks of spring training to see how they deploy Mr. Doubles; that will give us a much clearer picture of their plans.
Fenway: "An alternate and better universe, disguised as a ballpark." --Thomas Boswell
youk can play first
but youk and tito have both said he doesnt want to go back and forth between the 2 positions. i dont think youk would be the short term fill in for first base.
by brady12mvp3 on Dec 23, 2010 11:38 AM EST up reply actions
I'll be happy with either one
whoever is on the bench, that’s a damn good utility guy.
by Marisa Ingemi on Dec 23, 2010 12:30 PM EST up reply actions
I agree that Scutaro in principle can play them
But clearly the Sox think that Lowrie can do a better job at them then Scutaro. Again, the point of the article is to figure out how Tito’s comments make any sense, when Lowrie would likely make the better shortstop.
Fenway: "An alternate and better universe, disguised as a ballpark." --Thomas Boswell
they make sense because of Tito's loyalty
he won’t say that someone has lost a job until they have completely lost it
+1
Twitter | "Almost every organization has a guy like Papelbon or Lester" - Dave Cameron 12/29/2005
Not sure about Scutaro.
Lowrie has shown an ability to move around a bit, I’m not as sure about Scutaro, although I’m sure he could do fine. We all know how this is going down, Francona is not going to bench his gritty, veteran SS unless he is forced to and he usually gets these things right. Lowrie will get plenty of time to play.
I dunno
moving around is exactly what Scutaro’s done his whole career, up until 2009. Lowrie’s won the shortstop position over a higher-paid veteran before, and I fully expect that there’s going to in reality be a spring training competition that Lowrie will win, assuming he comes out healthy, with the bat blazing.
I'm OK with either outcome
I just bet Francona will do everything possible to keep the status quo on the team.
as much as i love scutaro and the type of player that he is
I am a huge Jed Lowrie fan and i really want to see what he can do as a starter for a whole season. last year Scutaro filled in as a leadoff hitter played gritty defense even while being injured a lot of Scutaros errors were throwing errors and with the pinched nerve in his shoulder/neck there were a lot of times he said he couldnt even feel his hand. but the type of guy Scutaro is knowing his team needed him he just got out there and played as much and as good as he could. scutaro deserves a starting job in mlb he earned it and i think he has some value in trade. but either way i hope tito finds a way to get jed lowrie approx 500 at bats somewhere.
I like Lowrie, and would love to see him start
I believe Lowrie is the better player. But the odds are if Scutaro is on the Sox in April, he starts. He makes too much money to be a “super-sub.” The only way Lowrie wins a starting job is if he massively outperforms Scoot for over a month or Scoot gets hurt and Lowrie performs at a high level.
I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.
It's not a given that Scutaro will be good to go by Opening Day
It all depends on how his rehab goes. (Hmm: Sox shortstop undergoes nonsurgical process in attempt to get ready for Opening Day. Of whom might this remind us?)
Fenway: "An alternate and better universe, disguised as a ballpark." --Thomas Boswell
I remember that the DRaysBay.com has launched a "Free Zobrist" campaign 2 years ago and we know what happened in 09 when Zorilla was one of the best players in MLB
The similarities between both of them is staggering: Switch hitters with outstanding plate discipline, very respectable power and the ability to play good defense in different positions.
I think he’ll have a lot of PAs to start the season and he plays like he did in 2010, Tito will give him the starting job by mid-May, June (He’s done it before with Lugo) but if Scutaro plays at the 09 level: then Lowrie is the super-utility guy and that’s not bad: In 09 Maicer Izturis got 437 PAs while playing different IF positions and collected 3 fWAR: I’m OK with that if we have the 09 Scutaro at the SS position if not: I propose when change the OTM: An Unofficial Red Sox Blog to OTM: Free The Jedi
Twitter | "Almost every organization has a guy like Papelbon or Lester" - Dave Cameron 12/29/2005
I propose when we change the OTM: An Unofficial Red Sox Blog to OTM: Free The Jedi
Twitter | "Almost every organization has a guy like Papelbon or Lester" - Dave Cameron 12/29/2005
Why wont Gonzalez be able to take the field on opening day?
"I don't put any foreign substances on the baseball. Everything I use is from the good old U.S.A."
JVSM
Pedroya Lova
by Dustin's #1 Fan on Dec 23, 2010 4:19 PM EST reply actions
a small chance that his shoulder wont be ready
but most likely he will be ready and 100 percent by opening day.
Because he'll be wearing a Red Sox uniform.
That should be reason enough to spend half the season on the DL.
by BaseballGuru2 on Dec 23, 2010 4:54 PM EST up reply actions
yes because that's clearly what happens every season
I assume you started following baseball in 2010?
Sarcasm, FTW.
For some messed up reason, I’m chuckling at that.
Still, we’re all hoping 2010 was a freak season. Probably was too.
"Common sense is quite rare." - Voltaire
The Artist Formerly Known as PacoL250
Resident Psychologist and Tech Support at Over the Monster: SB Nation's Resident Red Sox Web Site
He is working hard on rehabbing his shoulder, pointing toward being ready to start swinging again in March. If he can play in 10 spring games, he said, he should be ready for the April 1 regular-season opener in Texas.
Twitter | "Almost every organization has a guy like Papelbon or Lester" - Dave Cameron 12/29/2005
Hello to my OTM folks ...................is it truck day yet ? :-(
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLLIDAYS AND MAY ALL BE WELL WITH YOU AND YOURS
by RED SOX are #1 in my heart on Dec 23, 2010 4:54 PM EST reply actions
No
But if and/or when it is Truck Day, I’m totally hitchin’ a ride.
"Common sense is quite rare." - Voltaire
The Artist Formerly Known as PacoL250
Resident Psychologist and Tech Support at Over the Monster: SB Nation's Resident Red Sox Web Site
Lowrie
I couldn’t agree more. As much as I like Scut,Jed is capable of putting up 27 HR"s,85RBI,and a .285 AVE.Added to this already explosive infield,it gives the the Sox a better chance to win games.As for Scut, I want either him or Lowrie filling in at DH for all and any lefties.I have had it with David Ortiz being an automatic out agains’t lefties. The same thing with Drew. I will expect to see Cameron or McDonald there. The stats don’t lie. Platooning,with many players makes sense.But above all, lets see what Jed can do over a full season.
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