Recent content by The X Man Cometh

  1. The X Man Cometh

    Mauricio Dubon

    It's early, but Mauricio has been quite "Dubonaire" at the plate for the Salem Sox. 13 hits, 6 walks, 2 strikeouts and 2 sacrifices in 45 plate appearances. They often say power develops last - if the 21 year old can field his positions and continue to get the bat on the ball, he ought to be in...
  2. The X Man Cometh

    The 25-Man Roster: A Work In Progress

    Sandoval is under contract for 3 years beyond this one. He's in a multi-year downward spiral performance-wise and showed up out of shape despite coming off a year in which he was the worst player in baseball. Pushing his buttons until something works is part of the big picture. They need him to...
  3. The X Man Cometh

    Infinite trade speculation

    There are reasons to think Shields is in decline. But you could make a similar argument about Sandoval, whose wRC+ has gone down every year for the past five years, who has lost the athleticism necessary to play in the field, who relies on O-contact% at the plate, a skill which has been shown to...
  4. The X Man Cometh

    Infinite trade speculation

    Also worth nothing that Sandoval's contract runs a year longer than Shields. Given the age of the roster, it would be easier to swallow Shields as a 4th or 5th starter than it would be to swallow Sandoval as a bench player or no-bat 1B.
  5. The X Man Cometh

    Which type of plate discipline is eating Panda?

    Jeff Zimmerman did some research into this using a binary definition of 'overweight' (3 1/4 lbs or more per inch of height) and found that the heavy set aged a good deal quicker. Now, the extent to which this establishes any causation rather than just being an observation of past results is...
  6. The X Man Cometh

    Swihart v. Vazquez: The Value of Framing

    I definitely see people on internet forums using framing runs as a proxy for defensive aptitude, simply because its something they can measure and latch onto. I won't name names :) Regarding the thread itself. Something which is worth mentioning is Blake's platoon splits. As RHH vs. LHP (91...
  7. The X Man Cometh

    Start, Sit, Trade: Play Along with Dave

      Okay, thanks for the response. What I'm wondering is if the bolded abilities are something that can be scouted out and identified effectively. If we pay for an Alex Gordon (who has both the range and the mental chops), we're paying full price for only part of the defensive package. Wouldn't it...
  8. The X Man Cometh

    Start, Sit, Trade: Play Along with Dave

      So is there any way of anticipating if an OF has the unusual skills to match Fenway's unusual left field? Or is it something you don't know until you try?   If the latter is the case, isn't it hard to justify paying out any significant sum for a left fielder?
  9. The X Man Cometh

    "This too shall pass" ---- righting the ship for 2016

    Regarding the discussion of playoffs versus the regular season: Playoff teams are a stronger pool of competition. So if certain tendencies are typical of playoff competition (i.e. better players), and vice versa, wouldn't players who are equipped to take advantage of those tendencies fare...
  10. The X Man Cometh

    "This too shall pass" ---- righting the ship for 2016

      5 years/$56M taking him from his from age 28 through age 32 seasons isn't a "monster" deal but is it a tradeable one either?   To date, he's a plus defensive CF (if you're willing to believe that the routine drops are behind him), with above-average range and with a hose, good for an 83 wRC+...
  11. The X Man Cometh

    Henry Owens so far

    While I don't think writing off Owens solely on velocity is fair, from a roster construction standpoint it is fair to wonder where he fits in 2016. In Rodriguez, Porcello, Miley, Wright, Kelly, Johnson if healthy, and Owens, we have seven candidates for three rotation slots. If/when Sox add an...
  12. The X Man Cometh

    Mookie Betts

    Do we know of any particular reason Betts wears #50? Has he ever been asked about his jersey number? I'm wondering because I'd rather not buy a shirt and find out he's wearing a number that is more befitting of a regular.
  13. The X Man Cometh

    Red Sox sign Rich Hill

    Which is why... You don't rely on him. This is exactly the kind of move that a big bad 180M payroll is for. Spend 6M short term on an arm that is likely relief, possibly more, and has enough of a chance to be less that it will scare away teams with shallower pockets.
  14. The X Man Cometh

    "This too shall pass" ---- righting the ship for 2016

      He's been mentioned on here before but Danny Valencia 2.0 is an option. Career .324/.368/.496 line against LHP, can play OF or 1B in a pinch, and was on waivers a month ago so he can't be that coveted around baseball.
  15. The X Man Cometh

    "This too shall pass" ---- righting the ship for 2016

      Yeah, you have a valid point in that his 2011 was an outlier, and that the difference between 118 and 117 isn't something dramatic. Its just that trends are not going to be obvious in baseball most of the time - Pablo's stretch at the plate over the past few years seems like as much of an...
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