http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/11/nexen-heroes-to-post-byung-ho-park.html
NOVEMBER 3: Nexen indeed posted Park yesterday, as expected, Jee-ho Yoo of Yonhap reports. As explained further below, bids are due this Friday.
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/11/nexen-heroes-to-post-byung-ho-park.html
NOVEMBER 3: Nexen indeed posted Park yesterday, as expected, Jee-ho Yoo of Yonhap reports. As explained further below, bids are due this Friday.
The Mets with Mets pitching maybe should have worried about first base, or at least a late inning sub like a Mientkiewcz.Fireball Fred said:If the Sox had the Mets' pitching, they wouldn't have to worry about first base.
My feeling is that Hanley may work out at first. Sure, he'll need some flexibility, but a lot of bulky guys have been fine at that position. Also (as others have noted) his infield experience is a big plus because he knows something about footwork. The worst-fielding Sox 1B I have ever seen (and I saw Dick Stuart) was Brian Daubach in '02, a converted OF who just had no idea -- don't think Hanley will be like that. The thing about Ramirez is that he might be able to play 1B or DH, whereas Sandoval is the starting third baseman or nothing.
I can't have been the only one who thought about Hanley when Duda made that awful throw. I know he's been an infielder, but if he's still all bulked up, it might be ugly.Al Zarilla said:The Mets with Mets pitching maybe should have worried about first base, or at least a late inning sub like a Mientkiewcz.
Fireball Fred said:The worst-fielding Sox 1B I have ever seen (and I saw Dick Stuart) was Brian Daubach in '02, a converted OF who just had no idea -- don't think Hanley will be like that.
chrisfont9 said:How projectable are Korean hitters? I'm a little skeptical Dombrowski is going to spend much on a guy who is yet another "who the hell knows" option, when we already have an expensive, out-of-position Hanley, Shaw and his befuddling track record, and potentially out-of-position Sandoval. I'm for sticking with Shaw and not blowing big dollars but if they are going to spend I'd guess Dombrowski will want to know (more or less) what he's getting, e.g. Davis, or someone cheaper.
Yes, confused on circumstances. But Daubach was in fact awful, or looked awful after Clark - especially with sidearmers at SS and 3B. Couldn't stretch while keeping foot on the bag.Plympton91 said:
Brian Daubach's Red Sox career began in 1999, as the replacement for Mo Vaughn, after having played 1B almost exclusively during his final minor league seasons. You're either thinking of someone else, perhaps Jeremy Giambi, or just completely confused about Daubach.
I guess I'm cautiously optimistic at the upper end and not dreading too much Hanley at first at the lower end. He has fielded thousands of grounders to his left and to his right, and thrown to all the bases and to home, albeit from the other side of the IF. I guess his back could give out and he can't bend over, but if not, I think he'll be passable. Is it February yet?InsideTheParker said:I can't have been the only one who thought about Hanley when Duda made that awful throw. I know he's been an infielder, but if he's still all bulked up, it might be ugly.
Thanks for this. Seems like there's a case to make based on past production, but it's thin, and real judgment will come down to the usual things scouts do when trying to project a foreign player.alwyn96 said:
Well, Jung Ho Kang had a very solid 2015 for the Pirates, hitting 287/355/461. He had hit 356/459/739 in the KBO in 2014, and is a 298/383/504 career hitter, but he was a starter at 21 and has been on a fairly upward trajectory. As mentioned, Park hit 343/436/714 in the KBO in 2015, so that seems fairly comparable, at least stat-wise. Hee-Seop Choi had some limited success in MLB.
Of course, famous Americans who crushed the KBO include former Red Sox sluggers Yamaico Navarro (287/393/596), and Andy Marte (348/414/569) and the immortal (Eric Thames (381/497/790). Maybe those guys would be solid hitters in MLB right now, but I have my doubts.
Dae-ho Lee is another Korean 1B, although he's actually playing in NPB, which is a more competitive league, and is now a free agent (.282/.364/.524 last year). He's older, but he might take a short, cheap deal. He also has a bit of a...Ruthian physique, which is not going to sell a lot of jeans. Probably not a great fit for the Red Sox.
It's hard to say how well guys from the Asian leagues are going to translate to MLB, though. It's sort of like predicting which college quarterbacks are going to be successful in the NFL (non-Andrew Luck division).
InsideTheParker said:I can't have been the only one who thought about Hanley when Duda made that awful throw. I know he's been an infielder, but if he's still all bulked up, it might be ugly.
so far its been confirmed that the Indians, Tigers, Rangers and Orioles did not place the winning bid for Byung-ho Park.
Dennis Lin @dennistlin 1m1 minute ago
The Padres are not the team that won the negotiating rights for Byung-ho Park.
And it would give them a monsterously expensive bat on the bench with no position.This is like an episode of Maury Povich. You are NOT the father!
Seriously, I hope the Red Sox are the winners for Park. It would fix the 1b hole at a bargain compared to signing Chris Davis. It would keep Travis Shaw in the 1B/3B utility role off the bench or in AAA getting regular ABs.
Sell Hanley off for whatever you can get from him and pay whatever you have to. At this point, chalk it up to a massively expensive mistake by the previous management team and move on.And it would give them a monsterously expensive bat on the bench with no position.
What does this mean? Working agreement?Jeff Passan @JeffPassan 2m2 minutes ago
Red Sox have working agreement with Nexen Heroes, Park's Korean team. Pirates, Cardinals and Rockies make sense. Seattle didn't scout much.
http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20140106/Sports/301069941What does this mean? Working agreement?
http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/culturesports/2014/01/06/86/0702000000AEN20140106002200315F.htmlWhat does this mean? Working agreement?
South Korean baseball club Nexen Heroes announced on Monday they've reached a strategic partnership agreement with the reigning World Series champion Boston Red Sox.
...
Under the partnership, the Red Sox agreed to share their expertise in establishing and operating the farm system and in utilizing advanced metrics to analyze and evaluate players, among other operational techniques.
...
Baird said the Red Sox had been seeking a potential partner in Asia for the past two years and felt the Heroes' brand of aggressive and dynamic baseball fell in line with Boston's philosophy.
Baird added the Red Sox are also hoping to learn what they can from South Korean baseball.
The working agreement has nothing to do with the bids, but it is known that the Red Sox have big interest in Park.It looks like Passan was looking at an apple and calling it an orange. That the Sox have this agreement with the team doesn't make them a logical fit to be the team that bid the most for Park.
They might be, but the agreement would have nothing to do with a sealed bidding process
This is like an episode of Maury Povich. You are NOT the father!
Seriously, I hope the Red Sox are the winners for Park. It would fix the 1b hole at a bargain compared to signing Chris Davis. It would keep Travis Shaw in the 1B/3B utility role off the bench or in AAA getting regular ABs.
Paying whatever you have to completes negates obtaining a bargain on Park. Frankly, both are something of a crap shoot and I'd rather roll the dice counting on Hanley being able to play 1B than Park's hitting making the transition - other than Choo, there's no track record of positional players making the move successfully. Kang looks like he might be the second guy, but he's had one year.Sell Hanley off for whatever you can get from him and pay whatever you have to. At this point, chalk it up to a massively expensive mistake by the previous management team and move on.
Choo never played in the KBO. He signed with the Mariners as an international free agent straight out of high school.Paying whatever you have to completes negates obtaining a bargain on Park. Frankly, both are something of a crap shoot and I'd rather roll the dice counting on Hanley being able to play 1B than Park's hitting making the transition - other than Choo, there's no track record of positional players making the move successfully. Kang looks like he might be the second guy, but he's had one year.
Didn't realize that, thanks. So we have one season of history to work with. Didn't mention it before, but given the reverse sample, where Eric Thames and Yamaico Navarro put up 48 HRs this year in the KBO, color me not all that confident in Park being the answer, at least to the point where I'd be comfortable on a long deal combined with subsidizing Hanley.Choo never played in the KBO. He signed with the Mariners as an international free agent straight out of high school.
Here's an English-language article: http://www.masslive.com/redsox/index.ssf/2015/11/hanley_ramirez_to_play_first_b.html#incart_story_packageHanley is going to play in the Dominican League for the Licey Tigers (ESPN Deportes link, so Spanish). Apparently, he's primarily going to DH but seems reasonable to think he'll get some time at 1B as well.
Probably even less than that. Assuming days off, Hanley's annual DL stint, filling in at DH, and Travis Shaw playing the final inning or two of many games, I'm thinking, like, a maximum of 100 games' worth of innings at first base.Well I hope he does some fielding. It's one season at 1b for him. Hoping for mediocre.
It's the position least likely to result in injury too. If April Hanley can stay on the field he's valuable to the team, even if he's got some growing pains at 1B.I hope he doesn't play winter ball. He doesn't need that wear and tear at his age. I would rather he just get the shoulder stronger and his body less bulky and more flexible. Based on the photo posted above, he is obviously taking his off season workouts seriously.
I also don't get all the angst about his being able to field the position. He was a ML shortstop. I doubt he forgot how to field a grounder or that he needs more than spring training to figure out the footwork. I think he will be at least an average defensive first baseman who can bring a much needed right handed power bat to the line up.