If we give big deals to Devers, Bogaerts and some top shelf FA, we may be looking to go cheap in other places. You could imagine Dalbec being useful to give Devers, Casas, and a potential LH DH time off against lefties.
Yeah it's not like he's blocking anyone in the minors right now. He has options and can sit there mashing AAA pitching and be called up in case of emergency if we're able to improve the "backup corner infielder" depth chart.Not a chance.
A trade maybe: he's arb eligible in 2024 and a FA in 2027, plus he's got two options. He's a legitimate threat to lefties, and can play 1B and 3B in at least non-embarassing way. The downside is that he'll be 28 and has been far more cold than hot in his career, especially against righties.
Some team with an actualpitchingcoach might think they can get more consistency out of him.
Edit - technically correct, but I had meant to type "hitting." :facepalm:
Now there's something you don't hear everyday.Looking forward to the return of bob! tonight.
Open auditions with an eye toward next season. If Xander goes you know that this cheap ass organization isn't going to sign a FA.You can never have too many backup short-stops on the club.
Sadly, Dalbec -- he of the -0.5 WAR for the year -- still has a higher OPS than Casas. Small sample size and all (for Casas), but I'm not sure I foresaw that outcome.
He’s got an 82 EV and 3% LD, though. It’s not all bad luck. You’re going to have a low BABIP when 62% of our contact is ground ballsIt is a small sample, but if Casas gives Boston 500 PAs next season with a BB rate of 14.3%, a K rate of 26.5% and an ISO of .214, no one will be complaining.
He's getting killed on balls in play but this hasn't been a bad debut.
He seems to be having some growing pains with the MLB strike zone, or maybe it's just the rookie strike zone. Looking through his savant page, it looks like he has been having trouble making contact with offspeed pitches, so that will be an interesting thing to watch.low BABIP, sure. But sub .100?
I get it, he's slow and he's hitting way too many groundballs, but that's never really been an issue for him up the chain. It would be strange if that continues long term.
I'm encouraged by the K rate. We should expect struggle in debuts. The gap between the minors and majors seems harder than it has in years.
The fact that he's not whiffing and maintaining walks is a really positive sign.
The pitch recognition and plate discipline skills of mL'ers translating the same into their early transition to ML plate appearances usually, from my reading, projects to good results sooner or later. The problem with Duran was that it didn't.... at all. I haven't totally given up on him (even though I think he's an idiot that makes Damon look like a Rhodes Scholar) and he has other issues (including his age), but Casas just looks good at the plate. I'm pretty bullish on him. Expecting a slow start that I hope is at the ML level for '23 without Cora already deciding he shouldn't hit against lefties, and giving up on him too fast. Patience is needed to develop these kids and the Sox fans don't actually have much of that, and not sure that Cora does either.He seems to be having some growing pains with the MLB strike zone, or maybe it's just the rookie strike zone. Looking through his savant page, it looks like he has been having trouble making contact with offspeed pitches, so that will be an interesting thing to watch.
He doesn't swing a lot in general, but his general swing decisions and very low out-of-zone chase rate also bodes well for his pitch recognition. He was whiffing in the zone a lot in his first few games, but that seems to be coming back down already.
But I think I read somewhere that he had the highest quality of contact in the International League this season, although I'm not sure where it was. He only has ~30 balls in play so far, and one of them went 411 feet. I think we can safely assume based on his minor league track record that he won't post below-average exit velocities for long.
With Duran, I'm actually wondering if the rule changes could turn him into a useful player.The pitch recognition and plate discipline skills of mL'ers translating the same into their early transition to ML plate appearances usually, from my reading, projects to good results sooner or later. The problem with Duran was that it didn't.... at all. I haven't totally given up on him (even though I think he's an idiot that makes Damon look like a Rhodes Scholar) and he has other issues (including his age), but Casas just looks good at the plate. I'm pretty bullish on him. Expecting a slow start that I hope is at the ML level for '23 without Cora already deciding he shouldn't hit against lefties, and giving up on him too fast. Patience is needed to develop these kids and the Sox fans don't actually have much of that, and not sure that Cora does either.
Yeah, it's hardly unusual for great prospects to come up and initially struggle.low BABIP, sure. But sub .100?
I get it, he's slow and he's hitting way too many groundballs, but that's never really been an issue for him up the chain. It would be strange if that continues long term.
I'm encouraged by the K rate. We should expect struggle in debuts. The gap between the minors and majors seems harder than it has in years.
The fact that he's not whiffing and maintaining walks is a really positive sign.
yeah, most reports are that he's a very good athlete but foot speed is not part of a game. 40 runner at best.Is Casas actually slow? He looked like he got down to first faster than I expected last night when IKF took his time getting the ball over there.
Still complaining about Duran???? Everyone's favorite punching bag. Can't hit....Can't field...Can't thow...Now...he can't steal bases. What's next? Can't score in a woman's prison?With Duran, I'm actually wondering if the rule changes could turn him into a useful player.
The problem with him is that he's a really fast guy but doesn't have a base-stealer's instincts. If the new pickoff and pitch clock rules and bigger bases tilt the cat-and-mouse game towards players like that, maybe that could really help him. If we could get him to focus on worrying less about SLG, and instead taking his walks (pretty good eye!) and hitting oppo linedrive singles over the shortstop's head, these new rules could suddenly turn him into a 40 SB type guy. Some of the linedrive singles are probably doubles anyway with his speed.
On a pre-arb salary, that could be a pretty useful player, maybe even a guy worth giving a couple hundred DH PAs to, along with 4/5 outfielder duties.
What he does not look like at present is the CF of the future, which is a shame. But is that Ceddane Rafaela's music I hear?
Maybe you meant to quote someone else, but I don't read nvalvo's post as complaining about Duran. Seems more like he's postulating a way to salvage some value out of Duran. He's trying to find some glimmer of hope from a player who hasn't shown a whole lot of anything as a big league player thus far.Still complaining about Duran???? Everyone's favorite punching bag. Can't hit....Can't field...Can't thow...Now...he can't steal bases. What's next? Can't score in a woman's prison?
I read it the same way.Maybe you meant to quote someone else, but I don't read nvalvo's post as complaining about Duran. Seems more like he's postulating a way to salvage some value out of Duran. He's trying to find some glimmer of hope from a player who hasn't shown a whole lot of anything as a big league player thus far.
As for the bolded, gross.Still complaining about Duran???? Everyone's favorite punching bag. Can't hit....Can't field...Can't thow...Now...he can't steal bases. What's next? Can't score in a woman's prison?
Yes, exactly. Do we think the coming rule changes could make that difference smaller, though?I think there’s a big difference between being fast and being a good base stealer. Frankly, Duran seems like a guy who is a great athlete but not a particularly good baseball player. His instincts seem below average across the board.
I’ll take that with Casas! Sox haven’t had one of those in years.People keep spelling Casas in a way that I'm unaccustomed to.
Duran has offensive tools. He has been a steady to good offensive player in the high minors for a while now. What is going to determine whether or not he will be a big leaguer will likely be his defense. If he can get to average in center (I'm doubtful) he will probably have a nice long major league career. If he can be good in LF, his bat will be tested, but there's a good chance he's a useful role player with that profile.
This was a older college draftee from a weird baseball program that emphasized a pretty unusual approach to batting. I think he's too toolsy to give up on, but he faces too many steep challenges to bank on. He's a lottery ticket. He shouldn't be penciled in for anything next year, but his progress is something we should all be paying attention to.
2 more BBs with Casas, yesterday. I think this guy is going to be an OBP machine wen he gets more comfortable.
He’s the Floridian God Of Walks20.7% BB% in his first 58 PA
Funny you should say that. Watching the game today I was thinking the opposite. After Judge got his walk, The Camera showed him and Casas at first base. Judge looked a whole head taller than Casas. Maybe Judge was standing in the middle of the bag? Except for little leaguers, baseball players don't usually do that. They usually have the back foot just touching the edge of the bag and the front foot on the ground ready to go to the next base. I deleted my recording of the game so now I have to watch Sunday's game. Casas has to play first and Judge has to get on while he does. BBREF has Judge at 6'7" and Casas at 6'4".Jeez I didnt know but Casas is a big dude.
“I think discipline comes with a trickle-down effect,” Casas said. “I don’t think I’m going to come into the league and they’re just going to attack me with fastballs, and I'm going to hit home runs and they’re going to be scared to pitch to me. I think they’re going to work the edges and try to see how much I’ll chase, how far I'll go off, and then if I keep chasing after it, they’re not going to attack me with anything in the zone. I think if I display that discipline for the edges, they’ll come to the middle of the zone eventually.”
How far back in his baseball life has Casas been so selective? It turns out it goes back very far, as in childhood.
“It’s definitely something that I’ve always worked on,” Casas said. “If you don’t swing at good pitches, you’re just going to be chasing and you’re going to be off-balance, and they’re never going to attack you. Yeah, it’s definitely been something that some of my early coaches and my dad were really hard on me to swing at good pitches and pick the right ones to hit.”
SoxProspects has Casas at 6'5". He's young enough that maybe he added an inch?Funny you should say that. Watching the game today I was thinking the opposite. After Judge got his walk, The Camera showed him and Casas at first base. Judge looked a whole head taller than Casas. Maybe Judge was standing in the middle of the bag? Except for little leaguers, baseball players don't usually do that. They usually have the back foot just touching the edge of the bag and the front foot on the ground ready to go to the next base. I deleted my recording of the game so now I have to watch Sunday's game. Casas has to play first and Judge has to get on while he does. BBREF has Judge at 6'7" and Casas at 6'4".
I thought I was comparing, like, face to face. Maybe Casas was standing in the same hole the entire team has been standing in for a lot of the year.One’s wearing a batter’s helmet and the other a cap.
Maybe Judge is 7 feet tall?He also has 4 HR in like 55 PA.
SoxProspects has Casas at 6'5". He's young enough that maybe he added an inch?
Could be measuring in shoes or not, like basketball. Probably just an inconsitency, since baseball doesn't care as much about height. MLB.com has him at 6'5", MiLB.com at 6'4", so your theory could be correct.He also has 4 HR in like 55 PA.
SoxProspects has Casas at 6'5". He's young enough that maybe he added an inch?
I suspect Judge is more like 6’8 or 6’9. He really towers over guys that are listed 6’2, 6’3 (avg. baseball height) by way more than a few inches.Maybe Judge is 7 feet tall?
I hope Casas plays today with lefty Nestor Cortes going.
The impression I got from the Fox/Apple broadcasts was that Judge levitates. And also glows in the dark. So take that into account.I thought I was comparing, like, face to face. Maybe Casas was standing in the same hole the entire team has been standing in for a lot of the year.
Indeed, during the broadcast I was drinking a bottle of water, and when Judge was up it turned into wine. Cheap wine, but still.The impression I got from the Fox/Apple broadcasts was that Judge levitates. And also glows in the dark. So take that into account.
“I was a little jelly-legged my first 40-somethings ABs,” Casas told reporters, as seen on NESN postgame coverage. “But today felt good getting on base that many times. I think it was career-high so far. It was definitely good. I came up in a couple big spots and was able to grind out some at-bats and get on base.”
“I think seeing everybody for the first time, seeing the league and just being uncomfortable with just playing at this level in front of this many people. I think that was the initial shock reaction,” Casas said. “But getting my feet wet, finally understanding how to control my emotions and use the adrenaline to my advantage has been something I’ve been working on. Definitely trying to control my effort level as well. Just making sure I’m staying calm, trying to see the ball and try to read it before I make a decision to swing.”
https://nesn.com/2022/09/triston-casas-comfort-evident-in-terrific-performance-vs-yankees/
Christopher Smith for MassLive said:Casas was asked if he heard any Yankees fans cheering for the Red Sox to tie it.
“I couldn’t hear anything. I couldn’t hear anything except for the little voice in my head telling me to try to grind this at-bat out, pass the baton,” Casas said. “I know after I swung through that second one to get two strikes, the crowd got into it a little bit. I heard that. No specific words though.”
Agree as to both, although I watched a bit of the game last night and it appears to me that Bello is going to have to work on speeding things up next year with the pitch clock in place. He was REALLY slow to the plate with runners on base.Casas needs to be the every day first baseman next year. He’s good. He has a chance to be really really good.
Bello needs to be in the rotation next year. He’s already pretty darned good. He has a chance to be elite.
This season has sucked but seeing these two gems ascend has been very fun for me and a real bright spot moving forward.