Alex Verdugo - on-field discussion thread

InsideTheParker

persists in error
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Jul 15, 2005
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Edoug's video worked, yay! If I heard that right, the Dodgers and the Sox knew he had a fracture before the trade.
He seems like a nice enough kid. We'll probably never know exactly what happened in that hotel room, but at this point, I hope the issue's dropped, unless more information comes out. He was obviously told he had to go through that; he must have been tired afterwards. I was, anyway.
 

SoxinSeattle

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He came off very well. I might be a sucker but I'm going to root for him and give him every chance. I'm very excited about between the lines Verdugo.
 

DanoooME

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Players accrue service time while on the injured list (15 or 60 day variety). So if Verdugo starts the season on the IL, he'll earn service time and if he's out for the whole year, it is a "wasted" year of his service time from the Red Sox perspective.

I think the only way around the service time thing is if he's already optioned to the minors when he's injured/placed on the IL. I can't imagine if he's not ready to go on Opening Day that the Sox would option Verdugo in order to IL him in Pawtucket and save his service time.
They can't send him to the minors if he's injured. I can't find the MLB rulebook, but I would think BBRef would be accurate.

An injured player cannot be removed from the 25-man roster by being sent to the minors - his team must place him on the DL until he is healthy or the season ends.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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They can't send him to the minors if he's injured. I can't find the MLB rulebook, but I would think BBRef would be accurate.
Of course that is the case during the regular season. I was thinking there might be a window in spring training when there technically isn't a 26-man roster yet (nor an IL) in which they could put him in the minor league camp first. Again, I don't think they'd do it if they could and it wouldn't surprise me if there is no such loophole to begin with.
 

Savin Hillbilly

loves the secret sauce
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The wrong side of the bridge....
Of course that is the case during the regular season. I was thinking there might be a window in spring training when there technically isn't a 26-man roster yet (nor an IL) in which they could put him in the minor league camp first. Again, I don't think they'd do it if they could and it wouldn't surprise me if there is no such loophole to begin with.
I would think that they could. Otherwise, this is basically saying that if you acquire a player with options remaining during the offseason, and they happen to be hurt when you acquire them, your choice about whether to start them in MLB or the minors is made for you by their injury. Seems pretty counterintuitive. I mean, what if Verdugo was a lesser player (or not as far along in development) and starting him in the minors was the logical move regardless of his health? Would him being hurt mean you couldn't start him in AAA even though that was the right destination on the merits?
 

Harry Hooper

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I am not predicting a disaster, but Verdugo going through delayed/abbreviated ST prep and then jumping in as the starting RF in a new league the second week of the regular season is not the ideal platform for a successful launch.
 

A Bad Man

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Dec 12, 2016
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ZiPS has 1.6 fWAR for Verdugo 2020 in 476 PA. Seems reasonable.

Steamer usually performs better and has him for 2.7 fWAR, but the 516 PA and the .336 BABIP seem quite generous. Granted, the .336 BABIP is essentially his average BABIP from the minors.

If we can get 10 fWAR out of Verdugo from 2020-2024, I think that's a win (zing?). Cromulent upside is 20.
 
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MartyBC

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Jul 22, 2017
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I'd love to see the Red Sox attendance drop about 50% this year. Given that they were willing to give up one of the best players in the game along with a starting pitcher (while still paying half his salary) in return for some players with injury problems makes me think that they wanted to get below the luxury tax threshold come hell or high water. The farm system doesn't have much to offer so they are now signing marginal major-league talent to fill holes.
You’re gonna love to see attendance drop 50% but still post on message board about them? Confusing position.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
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I'd love to see the Red Sox attendance drop about 50% this year.
I'd rather not see may favorite team lose so much that attendance drops 50%. You know, you can pretend interest in the team dropped that far and take one for the fan base and just not post about them.
 

Le Bastonois

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Jun 16, 2019
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Or your statement might be half racist, thinking Mexicans can't have douch-y hair
Does hair have a national identity?

On the male side, hair was anything but uniform throughout the Spanish Empire, as those who were "Spanish", were former Greek colonists, Basques, Sephardi, Arabs, and Berber's from North Africa. Then the hodge-podge of Spanish-Empire male phenology would mate with a slave or an indigenous female and produce offspring with any number of crazy type hairs.

But, if the absurd notion of national hair identity were applied to immigration policy (what duly elected moron could possible think of that?), then at least half of Alex Verdugo's hair was detained by ICE.
 

JimD

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Loved the reaction to meeting Papi - there's no way that was scripted.

He probably has the perfect personality to withstand the initial period with some fans being pissed at his presence simply because he isn't Mookie.
 

BaseballJones

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Just for fun....though I think Mookie will have a big year, it's entirely possible that his true level is not at all like what he put up in 2018. Here's last five seasons:

2015: 18 hr, .291/.341/.479/.820, 117 ops+
2016: 31 hr, .318/.363/.534/.897, 133 ops+
2017: 24 hr, .264/.344/.459/.803, 108 ops+
2018: 32 hr, .346/.438/.640/1.078, 186 ops+
2019: 29 hr, .295/.391/.524/.915, 135 ops+

So obviously he's a phenomenal player if his worst season still produced 24 homers, an .803 ops, and 108 ops+. But it does seem that his true level is much more in the .900 ops, 130 ops+ range rather than the uber-monster season of 2018. Not that he couldn't do that again, but it does seem to be a statistical outlier.

It would be reasonable to think that Mookie's 2020 stat line could look something like: 27 hr, .290/.375/.520/.895. That would represent an excellent season for most players, and it wouldn't be crazy to imagine. I mean b-ref's 2020 projection for him is: 27 hr, .297/.386/.540/.926, so my hypothetical line isn't too far off from that.

Verdugo is NOT the player Mookie is. He's not. At all. But it wouldn't be crazy to imagine him, playing a full season, putting up a line of: 20 hr, .295/.360/.475/.835.

Which doesn't take into account base running or defense, but wouldn't be a terrible replacement in RF. Especially at about 1/50th the cost.
 

edoug

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Jul 15, 2005
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I posted this on the first page of the thread:

http://sonsofsamhorn.net/index.php?threads/alex-verdugo-on-field-discussion-thread.29623/post-3766082

He definitely has a fly ball swing for Fenway....goes oppo quite a bit.
Clumsily fixed, My apologies

Looks that way. (Sorry for the low res--had to do it quickly. But it gives the general idea. Looks like he has enough power to right that he won't lose much to Fenway in that direction, and enough power to left that he should gain quite a bit -- doubles at least, and probably some homers as well.)

View attachment 28599
It looks fine to me. Both actual chart res. and his ability to go the other way.
 

nvalvo

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Jul 16, 2005
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Per Julian McWilliams' twitter, Verdugo took 20 swings in the cage as part of a broader workout.

Seems like he's getting closer.