[startBBtoday]

Originally Posted by Eich696

I don't know if it will be a lost season but it will be another dog fight like last year. Lester will be better this year, clay will be back, crawford will definitely have a better year, and lackey won't be pitching (should help a lot). You guys arent in that bad of shaPe.

I am sure you know all this though and were being a bit sarcastic/dramatic lol

I was being overdramatic, but at the same time, anyone fully expecting the Red Sox to make the playoffs could be pretty disappointed.

Buchholz is coming off a stress fracture in his back. Beckett is as inconsistent as they come, its usually one good year, one bad year. The 4th and 5th starter options are Daniel Bard, Alfredo Aceves, Aaron Cook, Tim Wakefield, Andrew Miller, Carlos Silva and Vicente Padilla.

They're going into the season with Ryan Sweeney, Darnell McDonald and Nick Punto in right field until god knows when Ryan Kalish (unproven, injury prone rookie) comes back.

I mean, obviously they still have Lester, Agon, Pedroia, Youk, Crawford, Ortiz and Ellsbury, plus Melancon and Bailey but even with those guys there's doubts. Youk's had a lot of trouble staying healthy lately, Crawford could just as well struggle again and we can't expect the same Ellsbury as last year.

I don't know, I know I'm being overly dramatic, and that's fine to disagree with, but I'm not sure if its going to be enough against the Rays or even the Blue Jays this year. I really wish the Sox would go into the luxury tax to grab a fourth starter like Oswalt.

Hopefully I'll be wrong and Buchholz and Youk will be fully healthy all year, Ellsbury will be an MVP candidate again, Bard and Aceves will be stellar all year as starters, Kalish will come back right away and be the future at RF and Crawford can regain his Tampa form, but that seems like a lot of Peter Gammons ifs.

[bigmike]

Originally Posted by cshadows2887

Doesn't Kotchman have a reputation as good with the glove? I was surprised to see he had negative dWAR on baseball-reference the last two years.

dWAR on baseball reference is defense+positional adjustment, so make sure you're looking at Rfield when looking at a players defensive numbers. That says nothing of the fact that defensive metrics are largely unreliable.

[cshadows2887]

Originally Posted by bigmike

dWAR on baseball reference is defense+positional adjustment, so make sure you're looking at Rfield when looking at a players defensive numbers. That says nothing of the fact that defensive metrics are largely unreliable.

Thanks for the tip. I'm still really new to actually paying attention to defensive metrics. Not sure why people are so down on a guy who had a .378 OBP and a slick glove, then.

[bigmike]

Originally Posted by cshadows2887

Thanks for the tip. I'm still really new to actually paying attention to defensive metrics. Not sure why people are so down on a guy who had a .378 OBP and a slick glove, then.

No problem. B-Ref is so weird in their decision to split it up as oWAR and dWAR. The former includes "replacement runs" (which essentially is ap playing time bonus) and the latter includes positional adjustment and defense. So it throws off people that don't know that and it's confusing and, IMO, dumb.

[startBBtoday]

Originally Posted by cshadows2887

Thanks for the tip. I'm still really new to actually paying attention to defensive metrics. Not sure why people are so down on a guy who had a .378 OBP and a slick glove, then.

Because its just one season. It was his only "good" season with the bat since 2007 and you'd expect more power out of a first baseman than he'll ever provide.

[DooDooBird]

Originally Posted by cshadows2887

Doesn't Kotchman have a reputation as good with the glove? I was surprised to see he had negative dWAR on baseball-reference the last two years.

I have a hard time buying into dWar. Especially for 1st basemen. My man Freddie Freeman killed it with the glove at 1B... and his dWAR numbers are iffy as well.

[Killadelphia]

http://elnuevodiario.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=272101

So, Raul Mondesi is a mayor and someone lit his gate on fire out of anger.

[DooDooBird]

I've always hated Raul Mondesi. Props to whomever lit his gate on fire.

[Until The Bombs]

Having Kotchman as your starting 1B is lIke losing musical chairs. But unless Laporta finally makes good, it might be worth adding a decent glove guy to thr mix, Though with such a limited upside, the money could be better spent elsewhere.

[Until The Bombs]

Scutaro deal back on. 50% intrigued, 50% terrified.

[MyBestFiend]

Bleacher Report has outdone itself.

Quote:

Potential $100 Million Deals:
Yadier Molina, Josh Hamilton, David Wright*, Curtis Granderson*, Ian Kinsler*, Brian McCann*

[gonz]

Originally Posted by Until The Bombs

Having Kotchman as your starting 1B is lIke losing musical chairs. But unless Laporta finally makes good, it might be worth adding a decent glove guy to thr mix, Though with such a limited upside, the money could be better spent elsewhere.

Supposedly LaPorta has tweaked his swing and has been progressing nicely in the offseason. But we've all heard shit like that before. I'll believe it when I see him able to hit a breaking ball.

[phaynes1]

Gordon Edes is reporting the Scutaro deal is complete.

[troubledbyinsects]

Scutaro to Colorado for Clay Mortensen.

Clay Mortensen? Really?

[startBBtoday]

I actually like dumping Scutaro. There isn't much of a dropoff with the bat or glove between him and Aviles. And while there's a drop with the bat to Punto, Punto's a lot better fielding SS.

If the Sox can sign Oswalt because of this, Oswalt:Aceves/Bard > Scutaro:Aviles/Punto.

Also, Aceves/Bard adds a lot to the bullpen.