95 replies to this topic

[Red(s)HawksFan]

And it's Podsednik to the DL to make room for Ross, who is starting tonight in LF.

[Corsi]

Ellsbury ran and took BP today.

[luckysox]

Seriously, it's going to be difficult to see Nava and Kalish either leave or have very limited roles in a few weeks when CC and Ells are back. I know no one thinks Nava is for real...but I actually do. He is a tremendous hitter and works an at-bat better than almost anyone in the line up right now. If he gets a pitch to hit, he puts a good swing on it and squares the ball up more often than not. Is there any way that Sweeney gets traded and Nava and Kalish stay up as the 4th and 5th outfielders? You can then platoon, to some extent, Ross and Nava, and have Kalish spell Ellsbury/Crawford as they need days off after they return.

I like Sweeney, too, though. This really could be a potentially crappy situation. I know both Nava and Kalish have options...but if they make you better, that may not be a good enough reason to send them don once the big boys return. Yay for a return of two potentially fantastic, all star quality players, but boo for this coming situation.

Edited by luckysox, 22 June 2012 - 07:34 AM.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Seriously, it's going to be difficult to see Nava and Kalish either leave or have very limited roles in a few weeks when CC and Ells are back. I know no one thinks Nava is for real...but I actually do. He is a tremendous hitter and works an at-bat better than almost anyone in the line up right now. If he gets a pitch to hit, he puts a good swing on it and squares the ball up more often than not. Is there any way that Sweeney gets traded and Nava and Kalish stay up as the 4th and 5th outfielders? You can then platoon, to some extent, Ross and Nava, and have Kalish spell Ellsbury/Crawford as they need days off after they return.

I like Sweeney, too, though. This really could be a potentially crappy situation. I know both Nava and Kalish have options...but if they make you better, that may not be a good enough reason to send them don once the big boys return. Yay for a return of two potentially fantastic, all star quality players, but boo for this coming situation.

I suspect the plan is to have Kalish up here to stay. Kalish is eyed as the next starting RFer, but Nava's older and doesn't really have a place to play once Crawford and Ellsbury come back. Nava's 29 years old and unlike Kalish has lost some of his prospect status. And while Nava's a switch hitter he's so bad from the right side that he's essentially worthless there.

I suppose they could trade Sweeney (although the return would be pretty minimal) to keep Nava, but the difference isn't going to be a huge one.

IMO it's all going to boil down to whether Nava has options left. We all know the club likes to keep as many assets as possible. If CC and Ellsbury come back and Nava has an option while Sweney doesn't, Nava's going to be sent down.

[Drek717]

Seriously, it's going to be difficult to see Nava and Kalish either leave or have very limited roles in a few weeks when CC and Ells are back. I know no one thinks Nava is for real...but I actually do. He is a tremendous hitter and works an at-bat better than almost anyone in the line up right now. If he gets a pitch to hit, he puts a good swing on it and squares the ball up more often than not. Is there any way that Sweeney gets traded and Nava and Kalish stay up as the 4th and 5th outfielders? You can then platoon, to some extent, Ross and Nava, and have Kalish spell Ellsbury/Crawford as they need days off after they return.

I like Sweeney, too, though. This really could be a potentially crappy situation. I know both Nava and Kalish have options...but if they make you better, that may not be a good enough reason to send them don once the big boys return. Yay for a return of two potentially fantastic, all star quality players, but boo for this coming situation.

Nava could probably use a little time off to get his hand completely 100%, so a week of inactivity would likely do him a world of good once the team can spare it. Kalish is a high tempo guy but his production isn't consistent enough, some time in AAA won't do him a bit of harm so soon after playing baseball again. I'd say the big sticking point is what you do with Sweeney and Podsednik.

If you were picking between them to find a platoon partner for Ross it'd probably have to be Sweeney, who also has a little long term control left. If you're looking for a 5th OF Podsednik's speed likely makes him the better choice (superior pinch runner).

So the real question is: Do the Sox view a Ross/Nava platoon in RF as better than a Ross/Sweeney platoon when you balance offense, defense, and versatility out in the equation? Personally I'd rather roll with Nava as the LH side of that platoon and occasionally have him spell Crawford in LF against LHPs too. That means Sweeney needs to be removed from the 25 man by the time everyone gets healthy, either via trade or if my quick google search is accurate, by using his last remaining option and sending him to AAA.

[Koufax]

Wouldn't Nava have trade value? Surely he would be worth a decent prospect. If there is no room for him here, why not get some value for him?

[czar]

Wouldn't Nava have trade value? Surely he would be worth a decent prospect. If there is no room for him here, why not get some value for him?

This is debatable. Remember, Nava was DFAed (about a year ago) to get him off the 40 and he easily slipped through waivers.

You'd get something for him now, but teams probably wouldn't give you more than filler. At that point, I'd almost rather try to stash him and see if he can keep hitting like this off the bench when CC/Ells return.

[Snodgrass'Muff]

I think the best thing for both the team and Kalish in the long term is to send him back down when there isn't a starting spot for him. After all the time he missed, consistent at bats are vital right now so I'd rather not see him coming off the bench even if he does improve the 2012 team. Ryan Kalish, as much as I love him as a prospect, isn't the difference between a playoff team and a third straight year of golfing in October.

Nava is more interesting. He's not going to develop any further, so keeping him up as a bench bat is really enticing. Having an outfield of Crawford, Ellsbury, Ross, Sweeney and Nava would be a great way to go, IMO.

[Rudy Pemberton]

I think Sweeney could ultimately be the odd man out. I don't really see any upside with him, and expect him to be non-tendered in the offseason. If there's a team interested based on his average this season, I'd trade him for a low level prospect. He's a good defensive player but I don't think he brings anything else to the able, and if Kalish is healthy, he's expendable.

[OttoC]

I think I'd just as soon see Nava in LF than Crawford. The problem is that there is nothing to do with Crawford. He still has ~$100M coming on his contract through 2017. I did not understand the signing when it was made and even if he had two typical Crawford-years with Boston, it would still be hard to move him.

I've long been a proponent of building from within. Unlike the current generation of fans, the media, the businessmen owners, I don't have a problem with rebuilding years. Perhaps this is because I was a Red Sox fan for so many years when they did nothing inured me to it, but it is also because I follow the farm teams and get attached to some of the players. This current team with Nava, Middlebrooks, Kalish (for the short time), Doubront is exciting. Then, I see Reddick, Moss, etc., doing well and I wonder why the owners spent so much money and parts for players who aren't producing.

[Saints Rest]

I think in this case it is vital taht they keep 40-man roster depth in play (thus optioning Kalish and/or Nava). Neither Ells nor CC will be sure things health-wise in the short-term, which in this case, could mean thru September 1. So I think it is doubtful that there would be any return coming in trade that would be worth losing that depth.

Ells, CC, Sweeney, Ross, Pods, with Nava and RK at Pawtucket. If Pods regresses past the mean, then maybe you DFA him and bring Nava or RK back.

But more importantly, if the Outfield Injury Plague strikes again, Nava and RK are just a short car ride down I-95 away.

[Snodgrass'Muff]

As to your first point, Crawford is here and isn't going anywhere, so I don't really see the point in continuing to lamenting the deal. He'll be the starting left fielder once he's healthy no matter how well Nava keeps up his current pace. I was a proponent of the signing when it happened, but at this point I'd be just as happy as anyone else to see them find a sucker team willing to take a chance on him to clear out his roster spot and free up at least part of his contract, but I just don't think there's any real chance of it happening.

I agree with your second point, though. Rebuilding seasons are just fine and building from within is a great approach... especially for a team with deep enough pockets to occasionally wrangle in a really high impact player who might be available through trade or who might insist on hitting free agency. Saving that big spending for talent up the middle and young starting pitching would be ideal and would help keep the team from situations like they're in this year with older players and big dollars locked up on the corners with many of the big money guys not even on the field.

[TheoShmeo]

Crawford is here and is of course not movable.

But his return to the line-up is going to be fascinating. Given how well Sweeney, Ross, Podsednik, Nava and Kalish have played, and with all appropriate SSS disclaimers (especially with Podsednik), if Crawford gets off to another sucktastic start, there's going to be tremendous pressure on all involved.

To what extent should Bobby factor in his contract in giving him playing time? To what extent will he? Will it be out of his hands? And if Crawford is really stinking it up, will the Sox bite the bullet and put him on the bench?

[Saints Rest]

With CC, as with Youks, I don't think it is contract per se, but rather past history. BV, like Tito before him, is likely to put more stock in multiple years of high-level play than in a few months of sub-par play. One could argue that with CC, the subpar play is now a season long (plus whatever length the aforementioned "sucktastic start" might entail). Likewise, with Youks, one could argue that he is a man in decline, based on a combo of age and injury. On the other hand, one could also argue that injuries can affect play without necessarily predicting the future, post-rehab. So my guess is taht BV will give CC plenty of time to shake off the cobwebs in the hope of regaining his 2007-2010 form, at the plate, on the bases and in the field.

[Dogman2]

I think Sweeney could ultimately be the odd man out. I don't really see any upside with him, and expect him to be non-tendered in the offseason. If there's a team interested based on his average this season, I'd trade him for a low level prospect. He's a good defensive player but I don't think he brings anything else to the able, and if Kalish is healthy, he's expendable.

This is how I see it too. He isn't going to develop any power, he plays an average OF spot and gets on base at roughly the AL average for OF. I'd prefer that Sweeney is used as a second or third piece in a Youks package that nets us pitching prospects.

[ShaneTrot]

Crawford is here and is of course not movable.

But his return to the line-up is going to be fascinating. Given how well Sweeney, Ross, Podsednik, Nava and Kalish have played, and with all appropriate SSS disclaimers (especially with Podsednik), if Crawford gets off to another sucktastic start, there's going to be tremendous pressure on all involved.

To what extent should Bobby factor in his contract in giving him playing time? To what extent will he? Will it be out of his hands? And if Crawford is really stinking it up, will the Sox bite the bullet and put him on the bench?

I am not a huge believer in Bobby V but if Crawford comes up and stinks and Bobby V benches him, he will be my hero. I know we like to think of sports as a meritocracy, that huge contract on the bench will probably never happen.

As an aside, the Angels only have three OFers on their 25 man roster right now. Of course, one is Mike Trout who could probably play the whole OF by himself.

[joe dokes]

The "contract/veteran status will determine playing time" zombie is back. Isn't how BV is handling Youkilis at least a little bit instructive? Youk went out, Middlebrooks did well; Youks came back and didn't do too well & they've sorta shared the spot; then, after last night:

But Valentine also acknowledged that Middlebrooks has earned the right to play more by playing so well.
“I think that’s a fact of the game that we play,” the manager said

This suggests that the pendulum has swung Middlebrooks's way.

I think that's how BV will handle Crawford. He'll get some time show he can produce, but if he doesn't AND he's out-produced by others, he wont get the bulk of the PT.


As for Sweeney, and assuming Youkis is gone, I'd like to see one of them return at least a guy who can play reasonable IF corners. Is Punto really enough as the only backup IF? Especially with Iglesias on the 3000 day DL? Maybe there' a team that will swap a backup infielder for a backup outfielder.

[Al Zarilla]

As an aside, the Angels only have three OFers on their 25 man roster right now. Of course, one is Mike Trout who could probably play the whole OF by himself.

Did one of Trout, Trumbo, Hunter or Bourjos get hurt on their day off, because I saw all four of them play in Wednesday's game against the Giants. Angel's ESPN roster list shows no more outfielders beyond them though. Trout is something else. They were quoting 3.5 seconds speed down to first for him, albeit on a bunt (no backswing to recover from), and he's a right handed hitter.

[trekfan55]

One problem with the whole Gonzalez-Youks-Middlebrooks carousel is that as the Sox start getting more outfielders who are playing well it becomes tougher to sit one of them down to play Gonzalez in RF. I think the Sox will have to make many tough decisions soon.

One interesting note is that Crawford is on the 60 day DL so they need to make a 40 man move, not just a 25 man move when they activate him. And if he indeed starts a rehab this weekend the clock is 20 days.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

The "contract/veteran status will determine playing time" zombie is back. Isn't how BV is handling Youkilis at least a little bit instructive? Youk went out, Middlebrooks did well; Youks came back and didn't do too well & they've sorta shared the spot; then, after last night:



This suggests that the pendulum has swung Middlebrooks's way.

I think that's how BV will handle Crawford. He'll get some time show he can produce, but if he doesn't AND he's out-produced by others, he wont get the bulk of the PT.

Youkilis is in the last year of his contract. That makes him easier to bench, since you're rid of the problem at the end of the year. If he gets pissed off so what? He's gone soon enough.

Crawford is here for another 6 1/2 years.

[joe dokes]

Youkilis is in the last year of his contract. That makes him easier to bench, since you're rid of the problem at the end of the year. If he gets pissed off so what? He's gone soon enough.

Crawford is here for another 6 1/2 years.

Fair point. But I think Valentine can buy some Youk-style time, in the near future, since Crawford will have missed more than half the season. It would hardly seem like a benching. I'd think the pressure to "give" him the job back won't really be there til next season.

Hell, BV only has a two-year deal. What does he care?

[dbn]

I think Sweeney could ultimately be the odd man out. I don't really see any upside with him, and expect him to be non-tendered in the offseason. If there's a team interested based on his average this season, I'd trade him for a low level prospect. He's a good defensive player but I don't think he brings anything else to the able, and if Kalish is healthy, he's expendable.

Exactly. I was pleasantly surprised with Sweeney's performance to start the season, but he's been a sub-0.600 OPS hitter the past two months. Given his defense, he's a more than acceptable back up outfielder, but as R.P. said, there is no upside.

year OPS
2008 0.733
2009 0.755
2010 0.725
2011 0.687

2012 0.734

April 0.961
May 0.599
June 0.563

89.5% of his ABs in 2012 have been against RHP, which is 10% more than his 2009-11 avg.

That said...

I think in this case it is vital taht they keep 40-man roster depth in play (thus optioning Kalish and/or Nava). Neither Ells nor CC will be sure things health-wise in the short-term, which in this case, could mean thru September 1. So I think it is doubtful that there would be any return coming in trade that would be worth losing that depth.

Ells, CC, Sweeney, Ross, Pods, with Nava and RK at Pawtucket. If Pods regresses past the mean, then maybe you DFA him and bring Nava or RK back.

But more importantly, if the Outfield Injury Plague strikes again, Nava and RK are just a short car ride down I-95 away.

... is a good point. Maybe the best thing to do is to go the option route and re-asses trading Sweeney at the deadline. For reference, the non-waiver deadline is July 31 4pm ET, while the waiver trade deadline is Aug 31, with postseason eligibility lists established at midnight ET.

[mabrowndog]

Jason Repko activated from the 60-day DL and outrighted to Pawtucket.

[AB in DC]

So Byrd should be the odd man out

In more ways than one.

http://espn.go.com/m...gets-suspension

Outfielder Marlon Byrd, who admitted to working with the man whose center triggered a federal investigation of steroids use and distribution among athletes, has tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
The league announced on Monday that the free agent has received a 50-game suspension after testing positive for Tamoxifen. He will be put on the restricted list and will remain there until Aug. 20.

[Eric Van]

This actually looks simpler now than it has in a while. The only complicating factors are Sweeney and, to a lesser extent, Podesdnik.

As I just pointed out in the Ross thread, Nava has to move to RF when Crawford comes back.

MacDonald gets DFA'd at some point, which is probably Crawford coming off the DL.

Kalish goes back to AAA at some point, which will probably be when Ellsbury comes off the DL. He hasn't shown he's a better option to start in RF than Nava, and there's no point in keeping him around as a bench player instead of having him play every day in Pawtucket.

(It's possible that it's the other way around: Kalish goes down when Carl comes back and they go Crawford, Ross, Nava / McDonald for a while; then McDonald goes when Ellsbury comes back. Depends of course on how Kalish does.)

There's no word at all when Sweeney will be back from the broken toe, but ultimately that will force a roster decision between him and Lillibridge. If Nava settles in well in RF, with Kalish in AAA they could certainly deal Sweeney. Or if Lillibridge gives nothing on offense and Nava comes back to earth and/or struggles defensively a bit in RF, you might want to keep Sweeney and have RF be a three-man platoon.

When you factor in defense, it's not clear at all that Podesdnik is a better option in CF than Kalish, should he come off the DL before Ellsbury. If he comes off before both Crawford and Ellsbury and Kalish is struggling, I suppose you could try Podesdnik, Ross, Nava / McDonald for a while and see if the crazy BABIP magic can continue. But ultimately he's a goner, and may well join the presumably small list of players who put up a .400+ OBP, went on the DL for a minor injury, and never got a chance to play again. It's conceivable some team would give them a C or C- prospect for him.

[SoxScout]

JimBowdenESPNxm Ben Cherington just told us that they are projecting both Ellsbury and Crawford to return by the All Star Break

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

When you factor in defense, it's not clear at all that Podesdnik is a better option in CF than Kalish, should he come off the DL before Ellsbury.

I know it's anecdotal at best, but Kalish has looked, to me, very unimpressive in CF in his return stint to the majors. Much of that is undoubtedly due to rust and getting reacquainted with Fenway's contours, but so far he's been pretty awful out there.

[joe dokes]

I know it's anecdotal at best, but Kalish has looked, to me, very unimpressive in CF in his return stint to the majors. Much of that is undoubtedly due to rust and getting reacquainted with Fenway's contours, but so far he's been pretty awful out there.

Agreed on Kalish, at least by the eye test. But Podsednik isn't much of a CF, either.

[Koufax]

Either way, Ellsbury's return will be most welcome.

[Corsi]

His road back to baseball is likely to begin this weekend, though, as Sox manager Bobby Valentine said Tuesday that Ellsbury could play his first rehab game on Friday night for the Gulf Coast Red Sox in Fort Myers, Fla.

http://boston.cbsloc...s-this-weekend/

[normstalls]

(from the glass half full thread)
I guess you're not counting on Carl Crawford for much. Given that this is the glass half full thread, his imminent return must count for something.


Honest question and this is not to bash on Carl Crawford (that's been done plenty, and rightfully so, already)...

Does anyone expect Crawford to produce anything like Nava has been? 440 obp and 500 slg

We probably all agree that Nava can not and will not sustain that, but that is his production to date. I for one do not expect Crawford to put up numbers anywhere close to that.
That said, his return will probably actually hurt the team and be a regression.

Will be curious to watch how all this plays out. I just hope they find a way to not take away at bats from Nava...especially while he is so locked in.

Edited by normstalls, 27 June 2012 - 11:40 AM.

[Rasputin]

Does anyone expect Crawford to produce anything like Nava has been? 440 obp and 500 slg

We probably all agree that Nava can not and will not sustain that, but that is his production to date. I for one do not expect Crawford to put up numbers anywhere close to that.

So you don't think Crawford is going to put up those numbers and you don't think Nava is going to put up those numbers and the point is what, exactly?

We should, ultimately, have an outfield of Crawford, Ellsbury, Sweeney, Ross, and Nava. That's better than what we got now.

[Eric Van]

Does anyone expect Crawford to produce anything like Nava has been? 440 obp and 500 slg

We probably all agree that Nava can not and will not sustain that, but that is his production to date. I for one do not expect Crawford to put up numbers anywhere close to that.
That said, his return will probably actually hurt the team and be a regression.

Will be curious to watch how all this plays out. I just hope they find a way to not take away at bats from Nava...especially while he is so locked in.

The total overall offense from LF has been .289 / .375 / .452, 5 SB, 1 CS. All three defensive metrics (UZR, DRS, TZ), amazingly, are in agreement: +1 so far in range and +5 in arm.

When you include SB and defensive range, there's a pretty good chance that it is not a significant downgrade at all. You may lose some OBP and baserunner kills, gain a lot of range, some SB value, and a little power.

Meanwhile, the CF have hit .260 / .302 / .348. We're hoping for a massive upgrade there. And a Nava / Ross platoon should be able to upgrade the .287 / .343 / .475 we've gotten in RF (mostly the OBP).

Edited by Eric Van, 28 June 2012 - 01:41 PM.

[E5 Yaz]

Edes weighs in on the coming roster decisions

... other clubs already have been sending scouts, anticipating that Sox GM Ben Cherington will be open to moving an outfielder (or two) before the July 31 trading deadline.
What will the Sox outfield look like after July 31? Health will dictate a great deal, but here's the most plausible scenario:
Retained: Crawford, Ellsbury, Cody Ross, Daniel Nava (platoon in right), Brent Lillibridge.
Most likely to be moved: Sweeney, Podsednik and Darnell McDonald.
Most likely to be sent back to Pawtucket: Ryan Kalish.
Most likely to attract the greatest trade interest: Kalish.

http://espn.go.com/b...ure-get-crowded

[Phil Plantier]

A little surprising: Darnell McDonald designated for assignment.


Darnell McDonald ‏@MacDime54
Dream come true to play in Boston want to wish my boys good luck the rest of the year! Much love to RSN! #ShowGoesOn

Edit: Here's the Herald link: http://www.bostonher...for-assignment/

Edited by Phil Plantier, 30 June 2012 - 05:15 PM.

[Pumpsie]

A bit of a surprise because I thought that Sox management had a bit of a soft spot for Darnell. But it keeps all our pitching intact which is a good thing, and gives Lillibridge and Kalish a chance to show what they can do before Buchholz, Podsednik, Sweeney, Ellsbury, Crawford, Hill, and Bailey arrive. There will probably be a few trades before the deadline involving veteran relievers and an outfielder or two in order to get back younger players with options who can be stashed in the minors for the near future.

[dbn]

The McDonald fan in me is sad, as I always really like Darnell. He seems like a really nice guy, a good teammate, made some nice plays in the field and had some timely hits. Also, his kid is cute. That said, the Red Sox fan in me is glad they are looking forward to guys with more upside -- like Kalish -- or versatility -- like Frodo (I mean Lillibridge).

[Darnell's Son]

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

[ThatsMyPeskyPole]

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry son. daddy will be okay.

[SoxFanPJ]

Not really sure how it is surprising given McDonald's production in 2011 and 2012 and the fact that he will have very little if any trade value. Podsednik should be ready to get the boot next.

[OilCanShotTupac]

My wife may be the only person in the world who has a Darnell McDonald name/number T-shirt. She will be devastated.

Thank You, Darnell McDonald.

[Eric Van]

After they signed Cody Ross, who is essentially Darnell McDonald but much better, he was basically playing with house money for his roster spot. It never made any sense to fill the fourth bench spot with another RHH outfielder: that spot would be better filled by a LH bat like Sweeney or a utility guy like Lillibridge. I think they didn't bother obtaining such a guy in the off-season because they figured that either Kalish would bump Sweeney into that role, or that Iglesias would bump Aviles. As it transpired, it was Nava who bumped Sweeney into his slot, plus they traded for Lillibridge.

[RoDaddy]

I have the sinking suspicion that Dan Nava is well into the 14th minute of his 15 minutes of fame. I was surprised that he even ended back in the bigs at almost 30 years of age, but he has made the most of his time in Boston, and even improved his defense to boot. But he's now 4 for his last 36, and with a bunch of outfielders on their way back from injury, he may very well be headed back to AAAA status.

[Plympton91]

I have the sinking suspicion that Dan Nava is well into the 14th minute of his 15 minutes of fame. I was surprised that he even ended back in the bigs at almost 30 years of age, but he has made the most of his time in Boston, and even improved his defense to boot. But he's now 4 for his last 36, and with a bunch of outfielders on their way back from injury, he may very well be headed back to AAAA status.

Doesn't Nava's cold streak basically correspond to the point where he missed a bunch of games and got a cortisone shot before returning? He came back from the cortisone shot and had a couple good games right off the bat, but has since been cold. Easy to understand if the effects of the shot were fleeting and he's the latest outfielder to need a DL stint. Just in time for the return of Crawford or Ellsbury. How conveniently annoying.

He's also been playing more against lefties, which he shouldn't do.

Edited by Plympton91, 05 July 2012 - 12:45 PM.

[Eric Van]

Doesn't Nava's cold streak basically correspond to the point where he missed a bunch of games and got a cortisone shot before returning? He came back from the cortisone shot and had a couple good games right off the bat, but has since been cold. Easy to understand if the effects of the shot were fleeting and he's the latest outfielder to need a DL stint. Just in time for the return of Crawford or Ellsbury. How conveniently annoying.

He's also been playing more against lefties, which he shouldn't do.

You don't even need to invoke the injury.

He came off the injury white hot, until he went 0-5 with 2 K in the Monday night rain delay game June 25th, when the Sox scored 6 runs. Had the next night off, then went 0-4, BB while the Sox were scoring 10 off of Romero -- but 4 of the PA were versus LHP.

Subsequently he's started seven games on the road trip. In six of them, the Sox scored a total of 10 runs, and Nava went 3-23 with 2 BB and a 2B. Is that significantly different from the rest of the team when it's averaging 1.67 R/G?

In the middle of all this apparent suck, the Sox put 5 runs on the board in one game, and Nava was 1-4, HR, BB, which is a 1400 OPS.

So in this "cold streak" there was one game where you said, wow, Nava had a bad day.

[Eric Van]

Oh, and of course there's luck. The road trip:

6/28, inn 1: Takes a 3-2 ball four and the ump calls strike 3. This was the game where King Felix got the benefit of a completely different strike zone than Morales.
6/28, inn 8: Wells makes a great catch in foul territory.
6/29, inn 7: hits a near-bomb off a 2-0 pitch from Kelly that dies at the back of the warning track just to the left of dead center.
6/30, inn 1: lines out (fliner) to right.
6/30, inn 5: lines right to SS, vs. LHP
(7/1, 3 PA versus LHP)
7/2, inn 5: lines right to 3B

He was 2-5 on line drives on the trip, so that's 2 hits that disappeared into opposition gloves.

He was one bad call, one bout of cold dead air, and some BABIP luck from going .269 / .367 / .538 on the trip instead of .148 / .233 / .296.

Edited by Eric Van, 05 July 2012 - 03:46 PM.