https://twitter.com/GordonEdes/status/501431325350711296
Dave Joppie will work with JBJ to fix his swing I'm guessingRed(s)HawksFan said:They waited until they wouldn't have to burn an option to send Bradley down, which makes perfect sense if their primary objective is to get a jump start on seeing what Mookie can do over the last 5-6 weeks of the season. There's not a lot of benefit for Bradley in being sent down other than he gets to keep playing everyday for the next 2-3 weeks rather than ride pine on the big league roster.
DrewDawg said:One thing that sucks about JBJ's struggles is that it might cost him a Gold Glove. I know it doesn't matter in the long run, but the kid was ridiculous out there and with all his offensive struggles it would have been nice to see him rewarded.
Can we expand on this?Laser Show said:Interesting, especially in light of Farrell's comment this weekend that (paraphrasing) "Jackie and Mookie can't coexist"
Red(s)HawksFan said:They waited until they wouldn't have to burn an option to send Bradley down, which makes perfect sense if their primary objective is to get a jump start on seeing what Mookie can do over the last 5-6 weeks of the season. There's not a lot of benefit for Bradley in being sent down other than he gets to keep playing everyday for the next 2-3 weeks rather than ride pine on the big league roster.
Mookie starts 6 out of every 7, with Holt getting the other one. In the other 6, Holt gets 2 or 3 games at 3B, 1 at SS, and plays RF against LH.Sprowl said:Jackie gets two weeks worth of at-bats against inferior pitchers to restore his confidence, then comes back when rosters expand. Betts and Holt split centerfield duties.
Little I've seen him, Mookie's got a nice swing, and a really powerful turn for a smallish guy. If he struggles for as long as X and JBJ have, I'm going to be really bummed about our position player prospects.mauidano said:Kind of a head scratcher. So if Mookie isn't knocking the cover off the ball, then what? This is a last place team.
That said, the timing of the move to Triple-A is slightly unexpected, given that Bradley had shown offensive improvement in recent games, going 5-for-16 with a pair of walks and just four strikeouts in his last 20 plate appearances after snapping an 0-for-35 spell. Bradley will be in the lineup as the center fielder in Pawtucket on Monday night.
In sending Bradley down now, it’s possible that the Sox could allow him to catch his breath in Triple-A before returning to the roster in September. If that happens, then by virtue of a minor league assignment of fewer than 20 days, the team would not have used one of his two remaining options through this late-season demotion.
LeoCarrillo said:
Alex Speier @alexspeier 40s
Sox had laid groundwork for this scenario. Betts started exclusively in CF (10Gs) and DH (1G) since being sent down
Just that they're players with similar skill sets - athletic outfielders, strong defensively, on-base abilities, etc. - but the way he said it seemed, at least to me that there's only room for one of them next year, and whoever that is is earmarked for center field.OptimusPapi said:Can we expand on this?
Laser Show said:Just that they're players with similar skill sets - athletic outfielders, strong defensively, on-base abilities, etc. - but the way he said it seemed, at least to me that there's only room for one of them next year, and whoever that is is earmarked for center field.
Although, I may be extrapolating too much from that and he could have merely been talking about the next 6 weeks.
Exactly. I called for this two weeks ago I did not realize at the time how his option played in the timing.bosockboy said:This is Mookie's audition for the 2015 CF job.
As long as he's batting 9th, and able to lay down sacrifice bunts and hit beind the runner in the few spots where they're called for. But, you can't have him hit 235 on a team with 2 or 3 other 650 OPS players, because then one of those guys end up hitting 7th, as was the case far too often this season.Kliq said:Despite his incredible suckage at the plate this year, JBJ doesn't really have to make that big of a jump to be a solid every-day player for the Sox. If he could just hit .235, he could be a starter here for a long time. He can be world class in CF, steal a few bases, contribute what he can on offense, and he can have a good career. He doesn't have to be this cornerstone, franchise player, but he isn't that far away from being a decent player in the majors.
I think most recognize this to be accurate as well. However if Betts can provide enough of JBJ's defense along with plus offense and shows to be the better overall player it gives us more flexibility in structuring the club moving forward.Kliq said:Despite his incredible suckage at the plate this year, JBJ doesn't really have to make that big of a jump to be a solid every-day player for the Sox. If he could just hit .235, he could be a starter here for a long time. He can be world class in CF, steal a few bases, contribute what he can on offense, and he can have a good career. He doesn't have to be this cornerstone, franchise player, but he isn't that far away from being a decent player in the majors.
Yea this makes much more sense, I just couldn't help taking Farrell's statement as ominous regarding JBJ.Red(s)HawksFan said:
I think he's talking about the next six weeks (and arguably the last two weeks since Betts was last sent down as well). If they feel Betts' best chance to make the club in 2015 is as an outfielder, it makes sense that it would be down to him and JBJ in center since they seem to have the corners more than covered. The thing is, Betts is an infielder as well, so he could theoretically be in the mix at 3B or even SS. He gives the team a ton of flexibility as far as making moves in the off-season goes. I doubt they're prepared to lock him down to one position for next year until they see how the off-season shakes out.
Jimy Williams, of course, would have him as the lead-off batter.Kliq said:Despite his incredible suckage at the plate this year, JBJ doesn't really have to make that big of a jump to be a solid every-day player for the Sox. If he could just hit .235, he could be a starter here for a long time. He can be world class in CF, steal a few bases, contribute what he can on offense, and he can have a good career. He doesn't have to be this cornerstone, franchise player, but he isn't that far away from being a decent player in the majors.
Red(s)HawksFan said:
I think he's talking about the next six weeks (and arguably the last two weeks since Betts was last sent down as well). If they feel Betts' best chance to make the club in 2015 is as an outfielder, it makes sense that it would be down to him and JBJ in center since they seem to have the corners more than covered. The thing is, Betts is an infielder as well, so he could theoretically be in the mix at 3B or even SS. He gives the team a ton of flexibility as far as making moves in the off-season goes. I doubt they're prepared to lock him down to one position for next year until they see how the off-season shakes out.
Papelbon's Poutine said:Short of a brief stint at Lowell his first professional season (13 games) they've never played him at SS otherwise in almost 300 games in the minors. I don't think they view him as a SS for whatever reason that may be.
NDame616 said:I'm sure everyone here is right so excuse my ignorance, but why is it not burning an option?
In sending Bradley down now, it’s possible that the Sox could allow him to catch his breath in Triple-A before returning to the roster in September. If that happens, then by virtue of a minor league assignment of fewer than 20 days, the team would not have used one of his two remaining options through this late-season demotion.
NDame616 said:I'm sure everyone here is right so excuse my ignorance, but why is it not burning an option?
He played SS in high school, but when he committed to Tennessee he was reportedly going as a second baseman. For whatever reason--size, maybe--scouts and coaches don't seem to see him fitting the SS mold.Harry Hooper said:
Right, but that decision was made with Iglesias on board and Bogaerts and Marrero in the pipeline. Things are looking at least a bit different now.
Papelbon's Poutine said:I think that's revisionist history. Teams don't act like that. You leave a guy at his most capable spot on the defensive spectrum as long as you can and worry about moving him off it later if need be. Either you move him down or you have a nice trade chip.
They didn't move a 19/20 yo at Low A off of SS because of prospects ahead of him. They moved him because they don't view him as a SS, be it for his arm strength or whatever. If they honestly thought like that - to move him because of prospects ahead if him - then they probably wouldn't have moved him to 2B given that that position is covers for the foreseeable future.
I think he's saying exactly the opposite. They kept him at 2B as long as they could regardless of the lack of opportunity in front of him.Harry Hooper said:
??? You think Betts was moved from 2B to CF was because he couldn't play 2B?
Papelbon's Poutine said:
A large combination of Vinicio and Marerro, as well as a smattering of random guys that aren't anybody. I understand your point, but if the reason was because there was another guy on the same team, I think it's easily avoided by promoting/not promoting. If they though Betts was a SS and wanted to play him there, they could have not promoted him to Salem in 2013 where Marerro was. At the very least, don't you think he would have gotten even a game or two at SS over the last couple years?
LostinNJ said:It looks like we may have a lot of guys who can become capable major leaguers, even contributors to a championship team, but maybe not stars. The problem is you can't win a championship with a team full of guys like that. Just as you can't win with a rotation full of 3's and 4's, you can't win with a lineup full of competent players -- you need some that stand out. For the Betts/Bradley debate, it looks like we are saying Bradley can make himself a competent major league contributor if he can take a couple of steps forward as a hitter, whereas a lot of us seem to think Betts can become something better than that -- he can be a standout performer.
It's too bad, because we've been anticipating Bradley's arrival for a while, but if Farrell is right that there isn't room in this town for both of them, Betts is the better bet.
I expect one of them gets traded this winter. I assume they'll be looking to trade quantity for quality, breadth for depth -- lots of competence for one big star.
Yes. In Mookie's AAP thread - http://sonsofsamhorn.net/topic/79002-mookie-betts/ - the second post states that his arm strength moved him off SS.People don't like him at SS or Third because he has a very difficult time with the throws, not from an arm strength issue but from an accuracy issue.
His arm in the outfield has looked average at worse with flashes of above average. He has the range to play 3rd, 2nd, RF, LF and CF.
Do we know if Bradley has the necessary work ethic to do this? I vaguely recall hearing how JBJ didn't believe in video work when he first came up claiming he was a "see it and hit" type of batter. The last time I heard this come from a Red Sox prospect was Donnie Sadler.Eddie Jurak said:
If Bradley can make himself a competent major league hitter, then he would be a well above average player once his defense is factored in.