AJP gets exorcised and Christian Vazquez up. Starts tonight
- Thread starter RedOctober3829
- Start date
Just like Steven Drew won't be with the 2014 Red Sox?SouthernBoSox said:
Reports were they offered him a 2-year contract but he preferred just the remainder of this year. They like him as a player, they just like him at their prices and term rather than Boras's demands. If he starts hitting again at some point and he's more reasonable this offseason, perhaps realizing that he's sucked donkey balls again and needs to redo the "make-do" contract year of 2013, they may try to get him for 2015 to be the bridge to Marrero. Of course "starts hitting again" is not something I'm sure he's going to do anymore, but if he does, then that wouldn't be a bad strategy at all.
I wonder if one factor driving this decision and the timing of it is that Vazquez could benefit from a few months to sit at the feet of Blue Wolf while he's still here.
Awesome awesomeness. I had hoped for June 1st and in the playoff hunt for this move, but the team doing badly and Vasquez not tearing up Pawtucket lead to a delay.
Now extend Lester (or get closer to having an offer he can realistically agree to the day after the season ends if he prefers), and dump Peavy to the Cards, etc.
What is important is winning in 2015, not exploding and rebuilding. Dumping Drew and putting XB back at short would be the other great move, and I would do that anywhere between eating all the salary and getting next to nothing in return, and even consider a DFA (just don't consult with Farrell or he won't let us).
Now extend Lester (or get closer to having an offer he can realistically agree to the day after the season ends if he prefers), and dump Peavy to the Cards, etc.
What is important is winning in 2015, not exploding and rebuilding. Dumping Drew and putting XB back at short would be the other great move, and I would do that anywhere between eating all the salary and getting next to nothing in return, and even consider a DFA (just don't consult with Farrell or he won't let us).
2012 was a mirage, possibly drug induced; and he had a .676 OPS and .275 OBP in the second half of 2013. This was a terrible signing. Hundreds of SOSH memebers said so at the time it was announced.DrewDawg said:
Lose Remerswaal said:
Man, carrying two young catchers is tough. Much like pinch-hitting for a C, it's something managers just don't like because if it goes bad it goes baaaaad. I would say it's unlikely, but I'm very heartened by the potential of Vazquez to get maybe 750 PA at the ML level before Swihart is ready to come up. With his defense, if CV can handle a pitching staff, he can play the 'veteran C' role.
I think the reasoning was that he projected as roughly average to slightly below, was familiar with the AL, was a LH so he could platoon with Ross, and didn't require a long-term commitment so you could DFA him quickly if he sucked and bring up the almost-ready Vazquez. That was always my understanding of the signing. This is all kinda what I expected, although I thought AJ would hit for a tad more average.Plympton91 said:
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Yes, I had that as the major reason for the timing in my post upthread. No question about it, IMO.Savin Hillbilly said:
Plympton91 said:
Isn't the reasoning crystal clear today? He came cheap, he was expected to provide a little pop but wasn't being relied on to be a major offensive contributor (and didn't single-handedly sink this season) and he could be painlessly disposed when the time came.
I think the Red Sox might approach Ross to extend his contract an additional year as player-mentor-coach. He's an excellent fit for the organization in many ways (especially if they want to sign Lester).
Swihart's callup projects to June 2015 (as well as September 2014), so Vazquez will get several months in both years to be the starting catcher before serious competition emerges.
Swihart's callup projects to June 2015 (as well as September 2014), so Vazquez will get several months in both years to be the starting catcher before serious competition emerges.
mfried said:
Ross definitely can handle #2. Maybe we can find someone better as well, but while his career OPS trend is down and his age keeps getting older (funny the way that happens), he hasn't had a 200 PA season since 2007 so I think is lower mileage than his birthdate suggests, and less likely to have a dramatic fall off at age 38. He also has trended back to his recent average over the last couple months after a slow start which given his actual swings could be the small sample outlier here.
The value added by getting a different #2 catcher who is a little better is probably statistically minimal and not worth the allocation of resources it might take, plus the disruption to mentor and continuity, which while generally overstated by the media, I do feel have some value especially in a minor role like backup catcher.
So if Vazquez is up to #1 to start 2015 I'm all for having Ross be plan A for the backup while we scour the market for something better to fall in our lap. However if Vazquez isn't ready to be the #1, we have to figure out something better than Ross but not road blocking CV as a stop gap, and there tend to be a few of those every off season on reasonable and short deals (but hopefully more talented than AJP).
rembrat said:
I believe he has been training with them for the past few off-seasons, at least...
Are you punting the idea of Xander being a shortstop? Because it's the only arguement for suggesting that Drew will be on the 2015 squad.Plympton91 said:
Yes, we are all happy AJ is gone but he did hit .282 / .319 / .400 vs. Rs for us. The big problem was Farrell would leave him in when a L reliever would come in late in the game or START him vs. a L (many times it wasn't the dreaded "day game after a night game). 33% of his ABs were against Ls and that should have never happened and many of us screamed about it in game threads.
But still, very glad AJ is gone. I need a new avatar.
But still, very glad AJ is gone. I need a new avatar.
Ryan Hannable @RyanHannable 45s
Ross said he and Vazquez have already exchanged cell phone numbers and he will do anything he can to help his development.
https://twitter.com/RyanHannable/status/486961210852511744
Brian MacPherson @brianmacp 2m
David Ross on Christian Vazquez: "I'm anxious to be part of the catching corps with him." Plans to attach himself to Vazquez going forward.
Brian MacPherson @brianmacp 2m
Ross: Having a pitching staff with veterans who already often call their own games will ease transition for Vazquez.
Ross said he and Vazquez have already exchanged cell phone numbers and he will do anything he can to help his development.
https://twitter.com/RyanHannable/status/486961210852511744
Brian MacPherson @brianmacp 2m
David Ross on Christian Vazquez: "I'm anxious to be part of the catching corps with him." Plans to attach himself to Vazquez going forward.
Brian MacPherson @brianmacp 2m
Ross: Having a pitching staff with veterans who already often call their own games will ease transition for Vazquez.
SouthernBoSox said:
There was no point playing AJP because you were never going to get anything for him. Drew is different. If Drew can get hot the next three weeks, maybe the Tigers decide they want him for the postseason and given you a prospect for him.
And even if that guy you get in a deal isn't an ELITE prospect, it could be someone of value, who might play for the 2015 Red Sox.
I hope it wasn't what Ben was 'expecting', I'd rather not have them bet $8.25MM on a average to below average 37yr old catcher to platoon.alwyn96 said:
I'd rather save/use those shekles' to extend a lights out 39yr old closer, but thats for a different thread.
All the stuff about Ross and Peavy lately are reminders of what a terrific job the front office did in putting quality people in that clubhouse. Even when this team is struggling, it's a team full of guys who are easy to cheer for.
Plympton91 said:
Oh bullshit. You know damn well AJP was a one year bridge to Vazquez at a low cost. You also know offering Salty 3 years at a similar per annum cost was something the team didn't want to do because of the young C's in the organization. As mentioned, AJP was dumped painlessly today and only owed 3.6M. The same can not be said if this was Salty behind the Yawkey dish.
Oh, and AJP and Salty are having very similar seasons.
Have a nice day.
He also had a 0.319 BABIP against RHP's, but only a 0.213 BABIP against LHP's. This is well below his career BABIP splits of 0.300/0.280. So the disparity is likely BABIP driven over a SSS.Hee Sox Choi said:
In any event, it was time to move on for the reasons many here have stated.
Lose Remerswaal said:
Only in the same sense that "Ding, Dong, the Witch is Dead" is a song about a witch.
Not by blood, but he's basically an adopted Molina from what has been reported of his off-season work. Trains with them all regularly, frequently talks with them through the season, etc.. Supposed to be quite close to the lot of 'em.rembrat said:
He'd make a great player-coach in AAA next year, help out in ST and then really focus on Swihart's development as a game caller during the 2015 season.soxhop411 said:
Ryan Hannable @RyanHannable 1m
Farrell said as a guide to start Ross will catch 3 games per week, Vazquez 4.
Farrell said as a guide to start Ross will catch 3 games per week, Vazquez 4.
Didn't everyone love the AJ era in Boston? Sure he finished with more GIDPs than walks, and the team has been horrible his entire time here, but at least he's a really nice, easy-to-root-for... uh, nevermind.
soxhop411 said:
rembrat said:
With the ASB next week there are 7 games in the next 11 days. Ross can be worked into 2 over the next 5 and then 1 of the 2 that follow the break. There's are 7 games in the following week, but 3 games after getting a 3 or 4 day break the week before should be fine. Then they are off on the 31st meaning only 6 games that week. Vazquez takes 4, Ross takes 2. They are then off on the 4th and the 11th, so they can give Ross 2 games in each of those weeks as well. By that point, they may be able to push Vazquez to 5 games a week.
Or they could do a 4/3 split with them and just use the off days to give Ross more time off between starts.
rembrat said:
Not 3 in a row, anyway.
They needed some time to see if Vazquez could play in MLB this year. The time is up & they thibnk he can. If AJP were playing better this might have been a trade, not a DFA
The Drew comps are off. At least he's contributing defense. And at the moment, as long as both middlebrooks (so X at 3B) and Victorino (so Holt in RF most of the time) are out, theres a need for a player who contributes something.
I like the move; and, yeah, this is waving the white flag. Trying to win a title every year catches up with you eventually. It's why Theo's in Chicago and the Yankees suck. Boston made a few curious moves this season after unexpectedly winning the title last year, as there seemed to be some pressure to give it another whirl. I'm glad to see the FO stick to their new way of doing things -- operating like the rich man's Tampa Bay Rays.
strek1 said:Well as long as some of them don't get traded
I know this was posted in jest, but if the vets are traded, aren't they going to be replaced by young guys that Vazquez has been catching in Pawtucket all year? (not to mention in the lower minors over the last couple years)