29 replies to this topic

[xjack]

Per Rotoworld:

Red Sox designated OF Marlon Byrd for assignment.
The move clears a 40-man roster spot for the return of Daisuke Matsuzaka. Byrd struggled in his 34 games with the Red Sox and is batting just .210/.243/.245 overall this year, but he seems likely to refuse the assignment to Triple-A Pawtucket and attempt to latch on with another team. Jun 8 - 11:10 PM

http://www.rotoworld...403/marlon-byrd

I was wondering how long they'd stick with Byrd. Hopefully, this eventually leads to a call-up for JC Linares.

Edited by xjack, 08 June 2012 - 10:23 PM.

[Plympton91]

Per Rotoworld:

http://www.rotoworld...403/marlon-byrd

I was wondering how long they'd stick with Byrd. Hopefully, this eventually leads to a call-up for JC Linares.

Nothing against Linares but he needs to take a number and go to back of the line. The scenario in which Linares is needed is one in which more than one of Ellsbury, Crawford, and Kalish don't make it back and Nava falls off a cliff. God willing, they're about a month from having to demote their most productive outfielder this season to date.

[TheYaz67]

"If I leave here tomorrow, would you still remember me?"



Free Byrd, man!

[Hendu's Gait]

Marlon's(kind of) old and won't get much better. Can't fault this move.

Edited by Hendu's Gait, 08 June 2012 - 10:45 PM.

[Nomar813]

It's not a surprising move since there's no one in the bullpen worthy of being DFA'd and Middlebrooks continues to be one of the more effective hitters on the team. Podsednik at least gives them speed, so it was either Byrd or McDonald for Matsuzaka and Byrd looks more cooked.

[aksoxfan]

Thanks for the effort, Marlon. Good luck to you.

[mauidano]

Best wishes Marlon. Good guy. Wish you would have made the decision harder but it is what it is. Can't figure out why in your last AB (and you knew it was), you swung at the first pitch. Dude, work the count, enjoy that moment.

BTW, JC Linares? Really? He's not even close to being in the conversation with more guys coming off the DL.

[The Gray Eagle]

Wouldn't we have been better off if we had just let Che Lynn Swann (I mean Che Hsuan Lin) play every day for a few weeks instead of trading for Byrd?

Lin could have got some more valuable experience while playing better defense and probably have gotten on base at least as often as Byrd, while not costing however much money Byrd cost-- the Cubs picked up "most" of his salary, but was there ever a report of how much money the Sox are actually going to pay for the privilege of trading a Michael for a Marlon?

After watching Middlebrooks, Nava, Reddick, Lowrie, etc. it seems like the Red Sox should probably trust their own system players more than they have done lately. At least when your own system guys don't cut it, you can cut them/demote them for no dead payroll, and give another young cheap guy a shot.

Hopefully they at least won't trade any more young promising position players for relief pitchers, the penny stock of major league players.

[dbn]

Call me an optimist, but I feel that Marlon Byrd's best contribution to the Red Sox is yet to come. By this I of course mean that, ten years from now, he'll inspire an ironic screen name for a poster on a Red Sox fan discussion web site named after a less obscure former Red Sox.

[86spike]

Call me an optimist, but I feel that Marlon Byrd's best contribution to the Red Sox is yet to come. By this I of course mean that, ten years from now, he'll inspire an ironic screen name for a poster on a Red Sox fan discussion web site named after a less obscure former Red Sox.

I bet it will be "Marlon Tyrd"

[Toe Nash]

Wouldn't we have been better off if we had just let Che Lynn Swann (I mean Che Hsuan Lin) play every day for a few weeks instead of trading for Byrd?

Lin could have got some more valuable experience while playing better defense and probably have gotten on base at least as often as Byrd, while not costing however much money Byrd cost-- the Cubs picked up "most" of his salary, but was there ever a report of how much money the Sox are actually going to pay for the privilege of trading a Michael for a Marlon?

Bobby seemed petrified to even give him an AB when he was here. In the Salty walk-off game, he pinch-ran Lin for A-Gon in the 6th but then pinch-hit Podsednik for Lin when his lineup spot came around. Then in the 9th he PH Punto for Shoppach and Salty for Byrd, which ended up working out but would have led to Punto playing the OF if Salty had doubled and not HRed and the game went to extras.

I do agree that Lin's chances of beating Byrd's .286 OBP were decent and no one says his defense is poor. But apparently Bobby didn't like those chances. We'll never know.

[Dick Pole Upside]

No longer the Word.

[xjack]

All those other guys are lefties. Linares is RH.

[DanoooME]

At least they get to keep the cash they got from Theo to pay him.

[judyb]

All those other guys are lefties. Linares is RH.

Isn't Ross expected to be back before Ellsbury and Crawford, though?

Edited by judyb, 09 June 2012 - 11:22 AM.

[RingoOSU]

At least he lasted longer on a MLB roster than Bowden did with the Cubs.

[dylanmarsh]

I bet it will be "Marlon Tyrd"

The Byrd Reich

[LondonSox]

And there was much rejoicing.
Given the success of the likes of nava and doub this year it seems surprising to me that there was no attempt to try Lin a bit, he has a solid obp at all levels of the minors and plays an excellent cf.
If not now, well then, when. I really really hate the retread veterans who we know are crap versus youth.

[Super Nomario]

Lin certainly could have put up a better line than the .270/.286/.320 Byrd put for the Sox. But the Sox didn't trade for Byrd thinking that's what he'd hit. They were hoping they'd get something more like Byrd's .278/.336/.413 career line or at least his .276/.324/.395 from last year, either of which is better than Lin could hit in 2012. It was a low-downside move - with OF coming back, they could always DFA him if it didn't work out - and an unusual case where the old guy had higher upside than the young guy. But this Byrd was truly cooked.

[Pumpsie]

Truly a no-brainer. Would have been shocked by any other move. Next DFA: Darnell or Pods.

[Rasputin]

Truly a no-brainer. Would have been shocked by any other move. Next DFA: Darnell or Pods.

Pods can pinch run and steal a base. Darnell can pinch hit v lefties. My guess is Darnell sticks.

[SoxScout]

I don't know why Valentine would say it, but:

ScottLauber: Bobby V said #RedSox had to choose between Marlon Byrd, Darnell McDonald. Familiarity with McDonald was big factor in keeping him over Byrd

[JakeRae]

Pods can pinch run and steal a base. Darnell can pinch hit v lefties. My guess is Darnell sticks.

Darnell is at no risk of being DFA'd until Ross is healthy. With Sweeney and Pods starting, they really would ideally have two platoon right handed outfielders. Byrd was failing at that role, so they are essentially using Middlebrooks as their second platoon bat right now. They aren't going to carry 4 or 5 left-handed outfielders at the same time so McDonald has the safest roster spot other than Sweeney prior to Ross' return.

Pods is the guy who needs to be looking over his shoulder with the way Kalish is performing right now.

[Sprowl]

I don't know why Valentine would say it, but:

Perhaps Bobby the Fifth means organizational familiarity with Darnell, who for an occasional 25th man is almost a Red Sox lifer.

Byrd is probably a better overall centerfielder than Darnell, but Darnell is better in just about all other dimensions: lefty-raking, power, throwing arm, and competent flytracking in all three outfield positions.

Byrd will probably get another major-league job for the minimum because he showed that he wasn't completely cooked -- he's just not very good.

[E5 Yaz]

Perhaps Bobby the Fifth means organizational familiarity with Darnell, who for an occasional 25th man is almost a Red Sox lifer.

Byrd is probably a better overall centerfielder than Darnell, but Darnell is better in just about all other dimensions: lefty-raking, power, throwing arm, and competent flytracking in all three outfield positions.

Byrd will probably get another major-league job for the minimum because he showed that he wasn't completely cooked -- he's just not very good.

Sure, but why put it out there that DMac was the other option to cut? Couldn't he have just said "We evaluated out options and though this was the way to go."

It's pretty obvious to any fan what the choices were; it just adds a level of awkwardness to hear your manager say to the press that one guy is out of a job because we kept you instead

[Darnell's Son]

Sure, but why put it out there that DMac was the other option to cut? Couldn't he have just said "We evaluated out options and though this was the way to go."

It's pretty obvious to any fan what the choices were; it just adds a level of awkwardness to hear your manager say to the press that one guy is out of a job because we kept you instead

I think at this point it's safe to assume that Bobby the V doesn't always think about players' feelings when he talks. It seems wrong, because not many other managers talk that way, but it's the way he operates. Personally, I'm not a fan of his unmeasured approach with the media, but hemming and hawing over everything he said is silly at this point. He's just too honest and we have to live with it until he's fired.

Oh, and Darnell doesn't care, he knows he's sticking with the team long term.

[lexrageorge]

Also, keep in mind that this "quote" was a tweet from a guy who's essentially paraphrasing what Valentine said to him. One scenario:

Lauber: "Why did you choose to keep McDonald and DFA Byrd?"

Valentine: "A number of factors, of which one is the familiarity the organization has with McDonald's abilities due to his tenure here".

We'll never know, as we don't have the actual Q&A, as that's too difficult for most media types these days.

[kartvelo]

And when I awoke
I was alone
This Byrd had flown
- DMac

When Byrd first showed up here, he seemed really promising. He was fast, made some nice plays, had some good hits. All things must end.

[TheYaz67]

When Byrd first showed up here, he seemed really promising. He was fast, made some nice plays, had some good hits. All things must end.

Everything always ends badly or else it wouldn't end at all ...

Will be interesting to see if he can play his way onto another team post-suspension. Guess he was juicing for that "doubles power"!

[Lose Remerswaal]

Funny how with all the discussion here about Linares, no one mentioned the callup he got to AAA last week, except as a note in JBJ's prospect thread.