2016 Red Sox
by mg050369 on Jun 10, 2011 11:56 AM EDT
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PrintThe MLB draft is one of my favorite times of the year as I enjoy seeing the infusion of future talent that may contribute down the road. It also got me thinking what the roster could look like down the road, based on the draft class and what is already in the system. What does your roster look like 5 years from now, based on solely on who is already in the system and assuming everyone is signed? Is Lowrie or Iglesias your starting SS? Is Salty still behind the plate? Do you bring back a 36 year old Beckett? In 5 years, everyone drafted and already in the system should be advanced enough (at least 22 years old) to be considered for a roster spot. Base your decision on who you think is worthy of a spot, a properly constructed roster (thus no 5 first basemen) and who would be worth the price to re-sign (ex: maybe Beckett is worth a spot but you think he will command too much). My 25:
C Salty (S)
1B Gonzo (L)
2B Pedroia (R)
SS Iglesias (R)
3B Middlebrooks (R)
LF Crawford (L)
CF Ellsbury (L)
RF Kalish (L)
DH/1B/OF Brentz (R)
C Swihart (S)
INF Lowrie (S)
INF/OF Navarro (R)
OF Bradley (L)
SP Lester (L), Buchholz, Ranaudo, Barnes, Beckett
RP Bard, A. Miller (L), Britton, Owens (L), Weiland, Doubront (L), A. Wilson
This was a really tough exercise for me. I went with Salty because I didn't see a great alternative out there, hopes he becomes the catcher everyone hopes for and envsion Swihart taking over in 2017 after a full season in the majors. I'm good with Lowrie or Iglesias at SS but opted for defense. I envision Navarro in a super utility role, filling all positions except CF and C. I like Bradley as a good 4th defensive outfielder. I went with Brentz at DH but could also make a case for many others including Jacobs or a 37 year old Youkilis.
The decided to bring back a 36 year old Beckett, like Miller and Owens as power lefties and round out the pen with Britton, Weiland, Wilson and Doubront.
Since it's so tough to speculate 5 years in the future, I don't think there is a right answer. However, it makes you think where some very promiment prospects fit and don't fit into the future (ex: I excluded Coyle, Bogaerts, Jacobs and Cecchini).
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this is very difficult because it assumes that they
have a full roster of 25 players from the organization and 0 outside free agents. That never happens
That said
I’d be highly surprised if Salty lasted that long, nor do I think Ellsbury (Boras client) will be with the team much longer and neither will Lowrie. You also seldom see propsects (Bradley) as 4th/5th outfielders
Agreed
I don’t want to give Salty the starting position but I’m not sure I can justify handing it to FedEx, Lavanaway, Expo or Albarro while I don’t see a 44 year old Tek behind the plate. :) I also gave CF to Ellsbury by default. He very well could be too costly but I’m not convinced (yet) that Bradley will be a great starting CF.
Agreed, however...
it’s an exercise an evaluating the system as it is now. I know it’s unrealistic the roster will be completely comprised of players already in the system.
I'll take a shot.
C – McKenry
1B – Brentz
2B – Pedroia
SS – Bogearts
3B – Cecchini
LF – Crawford
CF – Lin
RF – Reddick
DH – Gonzalez
C – Swihart
IF/OF – Navarro
IF – Coyle
OF – Hazelbaker
SP – Lester, Buchholz, Ranuado, Barnes, Balcom-Miller
RP – Bard, Doubront, Weiland, Workman, Tazawa, Pimental, Hernandez.
Long term I don’t see Salty working out. We can deal with him for a couple years but Boston demands more than just an average catcher. I have McKenry (who I consider our best catcher in the system who has the highest likelyhood of remaining at catcher) as a placeholder for whomever we trade for with glaring omissions Iglesias and Kalish and maybe Ellsbury.
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
The relief pitching is too hard to predict and almost never comes entirely from within
but even if it did, it seems like everyone is filling out the bullpen with starters from the minor leagues. I could see someone like Britton becoming a bullpen guy if his changeup doesn’t develop but I doubt all of these guys will transition to the bullpen.
by baseball2515 on Jun 10, 2011 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Well aware
But the exercise isn’t “predict the 2016 roster using anyone” it’s “predict the 2016 roster using only the people in our system”.
No team will every have a roster 5 years into the future using only their players. Every team makes trades and every team signs free agents to fill pressing needs. This is just for fun rather than a true prediction.
For my bullpen I pretty much just picked our next 6 starters and made them bullpen arms after Bard.
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
Here's my guess, I guess
C- Swiheart
1B- Youk
2B- Pedroia
SS- Iglesias
3B- Free Agent or trade
LF- Crawford
CF- Ellsbury
RF- Kalish/Reddick either or
DH- Reddick/Kalish
bench
C- Adalberto Ibarra
CI- Middlebrooks
MI- Lowrie (if we somehow still have him)
OF- Che-Hsuan Lin
Pitching
SP- Lester, Buchholz, Ranaudo, Barnes, Balcom-Miller or free agent/trade
RP- Bard, Doubront, Tazawa, Albers, Pimental, Workman
CP- Papelbon (unfortunately I think we keep him)
The Red Sox suck, and I am the dirt that was sucked in, I am a dirty.
I just don't like any of the 3B in our system enough to justify starting them.
The Red Sox suck, and I am the dirt that was sucked in, I am a dirty.
by outofleftfield on Jun 10, 2011 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Unless Lowrie wants to play 3rd.
Then I say we use the last spot on a reliever like Miller
The Red Sox suck, and I am the dirt that was sucked in, I am a dirty.
by outofleftfield on Jun 10, 2011 3:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Youk instead of Gonzo?
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
I thought his contract was up for some reason... oops
The Red Sox suck, and I am the dirt that was sucked in, I am a dirty.
by outofleftfield on Jun 10, 2011 9:55 PM EDT up reply actions
We traded him for Ryan Zimmerman.
Twitter: @BoldandBrash
by BoldandBrash on Jun 11, 2011 12:11 AM EDT up reply actions
I'll use
C – Swihart
1B – Gonzo (still under contract)
2B – Pedroia
SS – Navarro
3B – Middlebrooks
OF – Crawford
OF – Lin
OF – Kalish
DH – Anderson
Starters:
Lester, Buchholz, Beckett, Barnes, Ranaudo
Closer: Bard
"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 Jun 10, 2011 6:31 PM EDT reply actions
Try This
C-Ibara
1st-Gonzalez
2nd-Coyle
SS-Iglesias
3rd-Pedroia
LF-Crawford
CF-Wesmoreland
RF-Jacobs
DH-Lavarnway
SP-Ranaudo, Hernandez, Workman, Barnes, Doubront
RP-Rice, Weiland, Rodriguez, Prtice, Gomez, Rivera, Price
Pedroia's Defensive range could posibly be wasted at 3rd
Plus I’m not sure he has the arm
"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 Jun 10, 2011 10:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Don't tell him that.
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
Let's try this one out:
C- Geovany Soto – Signed a 4 year deal with Boston in 2014
1B- Adrian Gonzalez – Traded Anthony Rizzo, Casey Kelly, Reymond Fuentes, and Eric Patterson to SD in 2010
2B – Sean Coyle – Organizational Prospect, 1 year service time (2015)
SS – Yamaico Navarro – Organizational Prospect, 4 years major league service (2012)
3B – Chase Headley – Traded Prospects J. Iglesias and D. Britton to SD in 2013
LF – Carl Crawford – Signed 7 year deal in 2010
CF – Ryan Westmoreland – Organizational Prospect, 2 years service time (2014)
RF – Josh Reddick – Organizational Prospect, 4 years service time (2012)
DH – Ryan Lavarnway – Organizational prospect, 2 years service time (2014)
OF – Ryan Kalish – Organizational Prospect, 3 years service time (2013)
C – Jarrod Saltalamacchia – Signed 2 year deal in 2015
INF – Jed Lowrie – Signed 1 year deal in 2016
OF – Matt Joyce – Signed 2 Year Deal in 2015
SP – John Lester – Signed 4 year deal in 2014
SP – Clay Buchholz – 2016 Option
SP – Anthony Ranaudo – Organizational Prospect, 2 years Service Time (2014)
SP – Matt Cain – Signed 5 year deal in 2013
SP – Matt Barnes – Organizational Prospect, Rookie
CL – Andrew Miller – Signed 4 year deal in 2014
RP – Daniel Bard – Signed 2 year deal in 2014
RP – Micheal Bowden – Organizational Prospect, 4 years service time (2012)
RP – Joe Thatcher – Traded J. Iglesias and D. Britton to SD in 2013
RP – Alex Wilson – Organizational Prospect, 2 years service time (2014)
RP – Stolmy Pimental – Organizational Prospect, 3 years Service time (2013)
RP – Felix Doubront – Signed 1 year deal in 2015
DFA Rev Halofan
I'm a 7 WAR player in bed.
Official Baker of Red Sox Nation
Fear the Roar.
As awesome as it'd be to have Soto, I think
That we likely won’t trade for Headly, and that Westmoreland is not gonna hit the majors before 2016, if at all.
I also doubt that we have Cain and Thatcher.
Other than that I’d largely agree, although I wonder where Pedroia goes.
The Red Sox suck, and I am the dirt that was sucked in, I am a dirty.
by outofleftfield on Jun 10, 2011 9:58 PM EDT up reply actions
That was my thought as well.
Still, not an overly aggressive consideration of some free agents either.
I tried to be realistic
I don’t want to project all young guys, but I also don’t want to make an All-Star team here, I tried to stay in the middle ground.
DFA Rev Halofan
I'm a 7 WAR player in bed.
Official Baker of Red Sox Nation
Fear the Roar.
by TheLoneDavid on Jun 10, 2011 11:51 PM EDT up reply actions
If you don't think Westy hits the majors, swap him for Lin
or Bradley. I think if we don’t trade for Headley we might sign him in Free Agency. I also don’t think Thatcher comes over, but if we trade Iglesias AND Britton, that’s the package I would expect in return.
I definitely see Cain or another big name signing here in 2013, that’s when Dice-K’s money is off the books remember, and with only two years left of both Beckett and Lackey the Sox are going to want someone to step in and anchor that #2-3 slot in the rotation. Beckett and Lackey will be older after next season, and Cain will likely headline that FA class. If he doesn’t go to NY, he comes here.
DFA Rev Halofan
I'm a 7 WAR player in bed.
Official Baker of Red Sox Nation
Fear the Roar.
by TheLoneDavid on Jun 10, 2011 11:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Ask and you shall receive:
BOSTON RED SOX NOTABLE DEPARTURES (2012-2016)
Kevin Youkilis 1B,3B – Milwaukee Brewers: After failing to keep Prince Fielder around long term, the Brewers make a sizeable offer to Youk, along with the Chicago White Sox and Texas Rangers, Youk moves to the NL and anchors the Milwaukee lineup with Ryan Braun.
David Ortiz DH – retired: David sticks around for one last hurrah in Boston for 2012 and 13, his slash line for 2013 is .298/.376/.495. Big Papi retires at the top of his game, mimicking another great Red Sock and blasting a home run in the last at bat of his career, Game 7 of the 2013 World Series.
Dustin Pedroia 2B – Washington Nationals: With Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, Jordan Zimmerman, and Stephan Strasburg, Washington knows it’s time to start reaching for the World Series, they bring in the best 2B on the market in 2015 to play alongside SS Ian Desmond, giving them one of, if not the best double play combo in the National League.
Jacoby Ellsbury CF – Chicago Cubs: The Scott Boras Hype Machine scores another victory as Jim Hendry dishes out Aaron Rowand money for the speedster. Not a bad signing, but Jim Hendry desperately needed a coup in what would be his last year with the Cubs.
John Lackey P – Retired: Unfortunately, back and shoulder injuries plague John’s last year with Boston, he retires at the end of the year having won a World Series in Boston in 2011, and 2013.
Josh Beckett P – New York Mets: The Mets continue their trend of signing old Red Sox aces, unlike Pedro though, Beckett is relatively injury-free while with New York, anchoring their rotation alongside Niese and Gee as they bring the Mets to the NLCS in 2015.
Jonathan Papelbon P – New York Yankees: Upset that the Rafael Soriano bid didn’t work out, Hank and Hal force their new GM to sign Jonathan Papelbon, who also blows for the Yankees.
Honorable Mentions:
Tim Wakefield- Retired: 193 wins, Jason Varitek- Retired, Alfredo Aceves- Seattle Mariners, Daisuke Matsuzaka- Retired, Hideki Okajima- Philadelphia Phillies, Marco Scutaro- San Francisco Giants.
DFA Rev Halofan
I'm a 7 WAR player in bed.
Official Baker of Red Sox Nation
Fear the Roar.
by TheLoneDavid on Jun 11, 2011 12:22 AM EDT up reply actions
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
boo
by QW on Jun 11, 2011 7:25 PM EDT up reply actions
Are you booing Big Papi's epic retirement?
DFA Rev Halofan
I'm a 7 WAR player in bed.
Official Baker of Red Sox Nation
Fear the Roar.
by TheLoneDavid on Jun 12, 2011 12:19 AM EDT up reply actions
My Try (Age)
C: Blake Swihart
1B: Bryce Brentz (27)
2B: Sean Coyle (24)
3B: Will Middelbrooks (27)
SS: Yamaico Navarro (28)
LF: Carl Crawford (37)
CF: Che-Hsuan Lin (27)
RF: Josh Reddick (29)
DH: Adrian Gonzalez (36)
What year are you talking about?
At the beginning of the 2016 season, Crawford will be 34, Adrian will be 33.
By 2019 (the ages you cite) both contracts will have expired.
The first person to make a 2012/Mayan Prophecy joke gets banned
crap, keep forgetting I’m not an admin.
Dude
We’d have to get through the now-sure-to-be-accurately-predicted rapture on October 21 this year before we even begin thinking about how the Mayans are going to destroy us.
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
Hmmm...
Well, okay then:
C: Federowicz (probably hits 9th, but strong defense and pitch calling I figure. Catcher was probably the most difficult to plug in, because it could just as easily be someone else here from outside the organization)
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
2B: Dustin Pedroia/Sean Coyle
SS: Jose Iglesias (Hard to figure out, could very well be someone outside the org or someone not yet drafted)
3B: Blake Swihart/Garin Cecchini, Xander Bogaerts/Will Middlebrooks (one of the four, my thinking is Swihart’s bat progresses much faster than his defense and is moved to get him to see better competition)
RF: Ryan Kalish/Bryce Brentz/ Josh Reddick (in that order)
CF: Jackie Bradley Jr./Che-Hsuan Lin/Ryan Westmoreland
LF: Carl Crawford
DH: Miles Head
SP: Lester, Buchholz, Ranuado, Barnes, FA/Trade
RP: Bard, Miller, Rice, CBM, Noe Ramirez, Rich Hill, Alex Wilson (really, who knows, it’s the bullpen, also why I won’t do a bench here)
by South Coast Ghost on Jun 11, 2011 1:25 PM EDT reply actions
I hope this exercise reflects reality
I like it a lot except I vote Youk for DH and maybe switch Navarro with Iglesias.
I'm the only one who made bold free agent predictions
I feel that, knowing this team and how it operates, to suggest that between now and 2016 Theo will not sign any big name Free Agents or pull off a trade is rather… I don’t want to say stupid, because it’s not, but we all know Theo’s going to pick some guys up.
Knowing what we know now about the Boston farm system, the contracts of current major league players around the league, and general tendencies of the Boston front office, the main targets for Free Agent/Trade Targets should be 3B, Bullpen, 3-4th starter, 4th outfielder, and utility infielder. Theo isn’t going to make the young guys ride the pine, and with the exception of Ranaudo, I don’t see anyone in the next couple of years capable of filling Dice-K’s spot while Beckett and Lackey age. The Sox wouldn’t need a replacement #5 starter, they would need a solid #3, because Beckett and Lackey would be making the transition to the #4 and #5 spots in the rotation. Likewise, when Youkilis is due for Free Agency in 2012-13, he’ll be one of the premier first basemen in the league. He’ll get paid to play first, likely elsewhere, and the Sox are going to need a new 3B. If you all think Lowrie, Navarro, or Middlebrooks are up to handling that, then good on you, but I’m thinking Navarro likely lands at SS, Lowrie’s bat wouldn’t hold up as well at third, and despite his performance this year I’m not sold on Middlebrooks. The Sox may want to pick up a piece there.
Finally, in the bullpen we have a lot of people slotting underperforming minor league starters into the long relief roles. I’m guilty of this as well (Pimental, Doubront) But I do think that Theo will pick up more and more Aceves types to fill that role.
In short, for all of you who filled in positions with “FA or Trade” I want to know who you think Theo targets for those positions.
DFA Rev Halofan
I'm a 7 WAR player in bed.
Official Baker of Red Sox Nation
Fear the Roar.
That's because you weren't playing by the rules sir.
What does your roster look like 5 years from now, based on solely on who is already in the system and assuming everyone is signed?
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
Its not realistic to assume that the Sox won't sign any FA
Frankly it’s asinine. It makes more sense to project what the team will look like in 2016 based on a combination of FA and prospects than to put on your blinders and only look at in-system names. If this were the Royals or pirates then sure, but Boston thrives on the free agent market
DFA Rev Halofan
I'm a 7 WAR player in bed.
Official Baker of Red Sox Nation
Fear the Roar.
by TheLoneDavid on Jun 12, 2011 8:57 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Then rephrase it.
Predict the 2016 team. Since it is impossible to predict the FA signings in that period, predict the players in the system currently who would man those positions if not a FA.
Accuracy isn’t the point, but “Which one of the young OF’ers do you expect to rise from the pack to start in R?.”
Of course it's a pointless venture
But to state “I’m the only one making bold free agent predictions” is silly because you were asked not to consider outside free agents from the start of the exercise.
This is more of a ‘which prospects do you really think have a chance’ thing than a real ‘what will our roster look like’ thing.
But if I were to make a roster for 2016 using outside and attainable players:
C – Chris Iannetta $6M
1B/DH – Adrian Gonzalez $21M
2B – Dustin Pedroia $8M
SS – Yamaico Navarro $1.5M
3B – Chase Headley $8M
LF – Carl Crawford $22M
CF – Che-Hsuan Lin $400K
RF – Josh Reddick $2M
C/1B/DH – Ryan Lavarnway $400K
OF – Denard Span $5.5M
OF – Jeremy Hazelbaker $400K
IF – Sean Coyle $400K
IF – Omar Infante $3.5M
SP – Jon Lester $20M
SP – Jered Weaver $22M
SP – Anthony Ranuado $400K
SP – Clay Buchholz $10M
SP – James Shields $10M
RP – Daniel Bard $7M
RP – Chris Balcom-Miller $2M
RP – Felix Doubront $1.5M
RP – Andrew Miller $1.5M
RP – Stolmy Pimental $400K
RP – Junichi Tazawa $1M
RP – Chris Hernandez $400K
Contract values are COMPLETE guesses and some of the guys on 400K contracts might actually be in arb by this time. But these complete guesses put us around $150M, which might be very low given how contracts are going up these days and how our payroll has steadily risen. I added in Weaver, since he’s a Boras client and the Angels are involved, somehow they don’t extend him and as Theo is known to do sometimes, he goes out and gets a great player. Shields I figure might be a fairly attainable option as well, his results mask some really good peripherals and he has AL East experience, I might be short changing him, he’s an innings eater also. I think we’re going to have money to spend over the next few years and we might as well spend it on proven pitching since as it seems so far, our system is stocked with high upside positional players.
I pick up Infante and Span as utility players, since combined they can do just about every position except pitch or catch. Bill Hall, but in two players. Pedroia was kept on for a couple more years while we transition Coyle into the 2B position. Lavarnway provides some (surprising) versatility in the lineup. He can give both Ianetta and Gonzalez days off or be a DH.
I didn’t bother with a free agent or trade in the bullpen. It’s very unlikely that a reliever that is good this year, will be good in 5 years from now. So in fantasy land our bullpen is filled with Bard and a series of starters that just didn’t have it, realistically, that is the most difficult area to fill knowing only what we know right now, hell, Wakefield may pitch into his 50s, who knows.
Iglesias, Kalish, Brentz, Barnes and Middlebrooks are the center-pieces of trades for Headley and Ianetta and probably a bullpen arm that emerges during the 2013 season on our run to our 3rd straight championship.
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
it can be asinine
but when the thread is asking for what players you would use in that situation, it’s also kind of asinine to not follow the rules and then call out everybody else for following the rules.
I don't think the point of this exercise was to be as realistic as possible....
I thought it was a fun little thing designed to see how individual members of this community foresaw about our own prospects.
by South Coast Ghost on Jun 13, 2011 9:07 AM EDT up reply actions
Exactly
Confidently predicting a roster 5 years in the future is not realistic. I would also argue that trying to build a 2016 roster based on anticipated or a wishlist of trade and free agent acquisitions is equally asinine. I would also argue that trying to predict the Opening Day 2012 is difficult at best.
It was intended to be more of a fun exercise of evaluating the current (major and minor league) system. For example, who do you like better, Iglesias or Lowrie? Who do you like at 3B, Middlebrooks, Vitek, Cecchini, Renfroe, Tejada, Bogaerts, Lowrie or someone else? Do you find an obvious weakness at any position (ex: 3B, C, etc.)? These are the types of questions that I pondered. Those who wish to speculate based on trades and free agent acquisitions are welcome to explore those questions via a different fanpost.
Ideally
C-Swihart
1B-Gonzalez
2B-Pedroia
SS-Iglesias
3B-Middlebrooks/Cecchini (really tough call)
RF-Lin
CF-Crawford
LF-Jacobs
DH-Lavarnway
Starting Rotation-Beckett, Lester, Buchholz, Pimentel, Ranaudo
Pen-Bard, Miller, Britton, Younginer, Workman, Morales, Doubront
Bench:
IF/OF-Navarro
C-Fedorwicz
OF-Hazelbaker
IF-Cecchini/Middlebrooks (whoever isn’t starting at 3B
A lot of tough calls, like omitting Kalish and Reddick, but that’s how high I am on Lin and Jacobs.
Theo-trade John Lackey for a used condom and a punch in the nose. Remember, it's all about value.
Hmmm
I’ll start with my most confident predictions:
1B: Gonzo
SS: Iglesias (now, when he gets to the majors is big question mark….)
LF: Crawford
CF: Kalish
DH: Lavarnway
SP: Lester, Buch, Randaudo
Assuming health, those guys will be in those positions.
The Not Quite Sure positions:
C: Salty — If he’s healthy, he will provide a + bat and solid defense. He will have to be beat out, he has enough not to be benched. Swihart looks great, but in 5 years, he will only be 23, so we may see Tek to Salty to Swihart.
3B: Vitek — Between Vitek and MIddlebrooks really. I think I see Middlebrooks ceiling, but I’m not sure what Vitek can become. I see his progress this year as a bit of learning curve issue.
SP: Everyone loves Barnes, but we haven’t seen him throw a pitch yet. So…probably Barnes as the #4 starter.
The I Have No Freaking Idea list:
2B: Navarro (?) …really, I don’t know. I don’t think Pedey ages well and I think Coyle has very little margin for error. But, if Navarro really is the solution, he won’t hang around for the next 4 years while Pedey plays out the string.
RF: Brentz. I’m just not quite sold on the longterm consistency of Reddick, and I think he’ll get traded because of that uncertainty. I really like Williams Jerez, but he will be about where Reddick is right now in 2016. I would like to believe in Lin, but he is just to unique that I find it hard to project him as a starter for a top-line franchise like Boston. This spot could be Jacobs, but we still know very little.
SP: Tazawa: I’m just taking a flyer here on a 5th starter. Could be CBM, Workman, Doubront, Stolmy, or that tall lefty drafted this year. I’m just guessing that Tazawa has starter stuff and has a better work ethic than say a guy like Doubront. I think my feel good story is that it’s Andrew Miller, and he’s the #2 starter, not the #5……
Oh, and a batting order:
1. Kalish
2. Crawford
3. Lavarnway
4. Gonzo
5. Vitek
6. Brentz
7. Salty
8. Navarro
9. Iglesias
I think Vitek is overrated.
He’s and Error-machine at 3B, and I’d prefer either Middlebrooks or Cecchini. Pretty good other than that.
Theo-trade John Lackey for a used condom and a punch in the nose. Remember, it's all about value.
Yeah, I think Vitek's future is in the OF.
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
I like Cecchini a lot, but I think he's young to be starting in 2016.
Maybe only by a year.
Not neccessarily
He’ll be 25 although I agree he wouldn’t exactly be on the cusp of free agency. I chose 5 years because I could see even the teenage bonus babies having a realistic shot at getting a roster spot and, perhaps, a starting position.
Sort of in response to mg up above
But I found that the most difficult area to predict was the entire left side of the infield. Will Pedroia still be here? Seems that the guys we’ve acquired lately to be a SS seem to have futures to either the left or right of that, Coyle they say projects better to 2B and Cech to 3B. Maybe Navarro is the answer there long term, though I haven’t given up on Lowrie quite yet. I still have 0 faith in Iglesias to have a bat good enough to not neutralize his glove.
Another issue is 1B. Will Gonzo still be a 1B in 2016? I’d like to say yes, but I also know that he will need some days off more frequently at that age at minimum. Ryan Lavarnway might need some cross training because he’s the only one hitting like a 1B in the upper levels right now.
OF was a problem mainly because of the ridiculous amount of talent we have in the system that only has two spots up in the air.
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
Agreed
Pre-draft the Sox system was an interesting position. After the Gonzo trade, once you get past the top prospects (Ranaudo, Iglesias, Kalish, etc.) there is a lot of relatively unproven talent in the low minors that could be boom, bust or more likely somewhere in the middle. The draft provides some infusion but provides not gaurantees. 3B is a big question mark, however, I think the 3B of the future is already likely in our system, I just don’t know if it’s Lowrie, Middlebrooks, Bogaerts or Cecchini. On the flip side, as much as I hope that Salty, Swihart or Lavarnway run with the catching position, I’m not convinced their long term catcher is already in the system.
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- Keeping good company: Albert Pujols becomes fourth-youngest player to hit 450 home runs
