PTBNLs named in Benintendi/Cordero trade

Saints Rest

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I'm not especially worried about this and I don't think Bloom's done. There's whispers that he's shopping Chavis and it's plausible he could sneak one or two of Brice, Springs, Walden, Valdez, Brewer, Wilson or even Arroyo through waivers once everyone sets their rosters, with no great loss if any are claimed. We'd need to add Downs, Duran, Jimenez, Ward, Bello, German and maybe Feltman to the 40-man next winter.



Most of their young arms (Allan, Santos, Ginn, Dominguez, Cornielly) don't need to be added to the 40-man for another 2-3 years. Mark Vientos, a power-hitting 3B and fringe Top 100 guy, fits your description and could be on the bubble. He'd need to be added to the 40-man next winter but may have been lapped by Baty in the org's plans.
I'm betting that it is Vientos coming back. AS you note, he's been likely lapped by Baty. And the Sox might want someone behind Devers.
 

jon abbey

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I haven't looked at the Mets prospects, but I will guess that it will be one of their 2019 draft picks, no rule 5 decision needed for a few years.

Edit: Matthew Allen seems like the best match from 2019 but Vientos makes more sense as you guys say, especially having been teammates with Casas.
 

Tuff Ghost

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Franchy got listed as one of 10 potential breakout hitting candidates for 2021.
Franchy Cordero -- CF, Red Sox
Key number: Career 12.4% barrel rate
Cordero has amassed just 315 plate appearances in four big league seasons, missing significant time with a right forearm strain, a right elbow sprain and a fractured right hamate bone. But in that small sample size, the 6-foot-3, 226-pound slugger has shown some impressive raw power. Nine of Cordero’s 12 career homers have traveled 420 feet or more, including a 489-foot blast in 2018 that is tied for the 12th-longest homer in Statcast history (since 2015).

The 26-year-old has recorded 22 barrels (batted balls with the optimal combination of exit velocity and launch angle) as a big leaguer, with a 12.4% barrel rate. To put that in perspective, only 30 qualified hitters had a barrel rate of 12.4% or better in 2020. Cordero has shown a tendency to swing and miss, but after recording a 38.4% whiff rate and a 38.8% strikeout rate in his first three seasons, he lowered those marks to 20.2% and 9.5%, respectively, in 2020. It’s unclear how much playing time Cordero will get after being traded from the Royals to the Red Sox last week, but it will be fun to watch him take aim at Fenway Park’s famous red seats in the right-field bleachers this season.
-- Thomas Harrigan
https://www.mlb.com/news/breakout-hitter-candidates-2021

It's hard to stop looking at his numbers on Baseball Savant. In his (small sample sized) career thus far, when he puts a ball in play, it is hard and has a high probability of success. His career xwOBACON (Expected Weighted On-Base Average on Contact) is .515. In the past three seasons, this is the complete list of qualified batters who had an xwOBACON above .500:
  1. Joey Gallo (2018): .554
  2. Mike Trout (2019): .543
  3. Nelson Cruz (2019): .541
  4. Teoscar Hernandez (2020): .533
  5. Miguel Sano (2020): .532
  6. J.D. Martinez (2018): .531
  7. Ronald Acuna, Jr. (2020): .526
  8. Mike Trout (2018): .512
  9. Christian Yelich (2019): .512
  10. Jorge Soler (2019): .511
  11. Marcell Ozuna (2020): .509
  12. Christian Yelich (2018): .507
  13. Matt Olson (2019): .507
  14. Ronald Ocuna, Jr. (2019): .505
When you hit the ball like that, a 30%+ K rate stops being quite as worrisome. (For what it's worth, four players on that list have K rates that rounded up to 30% or above: Gallo, 2018: 35.9%; Hernandez, 2020: 30.4%; Sano, 2020: 43.9%; Acuna, Jr., 2020: 29.7%.)

I would really love a healthy season for him, just to figure out what he is really capable of. Maybe his underlying numbers are fluky from a small sample and he'll get figured out, but for now, there are good reasons to believe that he can be an above average offensive contributor if he gets a chance and maintains health.
 

Green (Tongued) Monster

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I haven't looked at the Mets prospects, but I will guess that it will be one of their 2019 draft picks, no rule 5 decision needed for a few years.

Edit: Matthew Allen seems like the best match from 2019 but Vientos makes more sense as you guys say, especially having been teammates with Casas.
If it's Matthew Allan, sign me up, but I don't think he is even in the discussion. He is only 19 and already slated for A ball with two plus pitches - 97 mph fastball and curveball - and an above average changeup according to his scouting report. He is also currently ranked as the 4th best prospect in the Met's organization. Two other intriguing young prospects further down in the Met's system that could be possible are #11 Robert Dominguez (19 year old, 6'5" righty who already touches 99 mph) & #13 Alexander Ramirez (18 year old tall OF with a good hit tool already and plenty of room to fill out for power). If any others know more about these two, I am definitely interested.
 

Niastri

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Franchy got listed as one of 10 potential breakout hitting candidates for 2021.
https://www.mlb.com/news/breakout-hitter-candidates-2021

It's hard to stop looking at his numbers on Baseball Savant. In his (small sample sized) career thus far, when he puts a ball in play, it is hard and has a high probability of success. His career xwOBACON (Expected Weighted On-Base Average on Contact) is .515. In the past three seasons, this is the complete list of qualified batters who had an xwOBACON above .500:
  1. Joey Gallo (2018): .554
  2. Mike Trout (2019): .543
  3. Nelson Cruz (2019): .541
  4. Teoscar Hernandez (2020): .533
  5. Miguel Sano (2020): .532
  6. J.D. Martinez (2018): .531
  7. Ronald Acuna, Jr. (2020): .526
  8. Mike Trout (2018): .512
  9. Christian Yelich (2019): .512
  10. Jorge Soler (2019): .511
  11. Marcell Ozuna (2020): .509
  12. Christian Yelich (2018): .507
  13. Matt Olson (2019): .507
  14. Ronald Ocuna, Jr. (2019): .505
When you hit the ball like that, a 30%+ K rate stops being quite as worrisome. (For what it's worth, four players on that list have K rates that rounded up to 30% or above: Gallo, 2018: 35.9%; Hernandez, 2020: 30.4%; Sano, 2020: 43.9%; Acuna, Jr., 2020: 29.7%.)

I would really love a healthy season for him, just to figure out what he is really capable of. Maybe his underlying numbers are fluky from a small sample and he'll get figured out, but for now, there are good reasons to believe that he can be an above average offensive contributor if he gets a chance and maintains health.
Is xwOBACON (Expected Weighted On-Base Average on Contact)only balls in play? So, with a 33%strikeout rate, 10%bb rate and a 55 xwOBACON, you would bat .346 with a .415obp? Plus unknown but probably extremely high slugging?
 

Tuff Ghost

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Is xwOBACON (Expected Weighted On-Base Average on Contact)only balls in play? So, with a 33%strikeout rate, 10%bb rate and a 55 xwOBACON, you would bat .346 with a .415obp? Plus unknown but probably extremely high slugging?
xwOBACON is based on batted balls, which include any fair ball as well as any foul balls that result in an out or error, I believe. It uses three main factors to determine the value: (1.) Exit Velocity, (2.) Launch Angle, and (3.) Sprint Speed. Your question about the batting average, though, sounds more like the xBA (expected batted average) metric, which measures the likelihood that a batted ball will become a hit using Statcast data. There is also a measurement of xSLG (expected slugging percentage) using Statcast data.

Here is a quick description of xwOBA:
Expected Weighted On-base Average (xwOBA) is formulated using exit velocity, launch angle and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed.

In the same way that each batted ball is assigned an expected batting average, every batted ball is given a single, double, triple and home run probability based on the results of comparable batted balls since Statcast was implemented Major League wide in 2015. For the majority of batted balls, this is achieved using only exit velocity and launch angle. As of 2019, "topped" or "weakly hit" balls also incorporate a batter's seasonal Sprint Speed.
http://m.mlb.com/glossary/statcast/expected-woba
Tying together xwOBA and xwOBACON, the xwOBACON excludes walks and HBPs:
xwOBA is expected weighted On Base Average takes wOBA and adds in Statcast data — specifically, “exit velocity, launch angle and, on certain types of batted balls, Sprint Speed.” xwOBAcon is a very specific derivation: it is the expected Weighted On Base Average of just the contact, so it excludes walks and hit by pitches, but still uses Statcast data on the contact.
https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/2019/4/18/18485855/mlb-chronicles-bryan-tries-out-statcast-understanding-baseball-analytics-is-easier-than-ever-before
League average xwOBA is .321 and league average xwOBACON is .376.


Edit: I realized that I should also add the context of wOBA, which can help you understand xwOBA better, except xwOBA is using Statcast data to predict the outcomes instead of using the actual outcomes.
wOBA is based on a simple concept: Not all hits are created equal. Batting average assumes that they are. On-base percentage does too, but does one better by including other ways of reaching base such as walking or being hit by a pitch. Slugging percentage weights hits, but not accurately (Is a double worth twice as much as a single? In short, no) and again ignores other ways of reaching base. On-base plus slugging (OPS) does attempt to combine the different aspects of hitting into one metric, but it assumes that one percentage point of SLG is the same as that of OBP. In reality, a handy estimate is that OBP is around twice as valuable than SLG (the exact ratio is x1.8). In short, OPS is asking the right question, but we can arrive at a more accurate number quite easily.

Weighted On-Base Average combines all the different aspects of hitting into one metric, weighting each of them in proportion to their actual run value. While batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage fall short in accuracy and scope, wOBA measures and captures offensive value more accurately and comprehensively.
Fangraphs link to wOBA information
 
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BigJimEd

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There really is no need for those comments especially insinuating that Benintendi's motivation was all about getting paid.
 

Auger34

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There really is no need for those comments especially insinuating that Benintendi's motivation was all about getting paid.
Yeah, there’s 0 upside to this type of honesty with the Boston media. Cora ends up, inadvertently I’d presume, making Benintendi look greedy and selfish
 

mr_smith02

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I hate the Boston media's obsession with players/managers once they've left the organization, especially when the intent is to portray them in a poor light. I don't necessarily think Cora was trying to knock Beni, but this definitely doesn't come across well and gives the media fodder to attack.
 

nvalvo

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I think Cora was trying to make the more narrow point that he and the front office didn't ask Benintendi to bulk up, but he's not thinking all the way through what the media is going to make out of that.

edit: We really need to revise the arbitration system so that it stops distorting the game. Right now the league is doing everything it can to try to find ways to get more balls in play and stop players from just swinging for the fences. They're tinkering with the ball and regulating shifts; they're apparently going to start policing pitchers' who apply substances to the ball; everything but thinking about the actual financial motivations that actually drive individual players' decision making. Those people should look long and hard at what Benintendi did here and why.

Start by saying that arb awards will be based on some chosen measure of defensive ability combined with something like wOBA or wRC+, maybe with a baserunning component, too. If you want to see athletic players with gap power and good defense — fun, right? — pay for it! Basically, it's time to develop mlbpaWAR.

Otherwise, players like Benintendi — who already were the ideal of what we say we want to watch — will change themselves to fit the established incentives.
 
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allmanbro

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I think Cora was trying to make the more narrow point that he and the front office didn't ask Benintendi to bulk up, but he's not thinking all the way through what the media is going to make out of that.

edit: We really need to revise the arbitration system so that it stops distorting the game. Right now the league is doing everything it can to try to find ways to get more balls in play and stop players from just swinging for the fences. They're tinkering with the ball and regulating shifts; they're apparently going to start policing pitchers' who apply substances to the ball; everything but thinking about the actual financial motivations that actually drive individual players' decision making. Those people should look long and hard at what Benintendi did here and why.

Start by saying that arb awards will be based on some chosen measure of defensive ability combined with something like wOBA or wRC+, maybe with a baserunning component, too. If you want to see athletic players with gap power and good defense — fun, right? — pay for it! Basically, it's time to develop mlbpaWAR.

Otherwise, players like Benintendi — who already were the ideal of what we say we want to watch — will change themselves to fit the established incentives.
Well, if you change the incentives in the game, you make certain skillsets more valuable, which will then change the free agent market and get different kinds of players paid. The arbitration system is a weird backwater in that sequence - presumably it would filter down eventually if arb awards are supposed to be based on some assessment of the market, but that would take several years, and might not even happen at all (the assumption that arb is meaningfully connected to the FA market seems . . . tenuous).

The idea of a heavier MLB hand in arbitration is interesting. I'd guess the union would hate the precedent it sets even if they like the actual measure they try to implement.
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

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Cora pretty candid on Benintendi and confirms a lot of our suspicions about where his swing and footspeed went.

View: https://twitter.com/masslivesports/status/1374670795604176901?s=21
Fair. If anyone "knows that" a hitter is wrong, its the career .240 utility guy with 35 career homeruns.

And dont come at me with your, "baseball nerds understand swing mechanics, too!1!" bullshit. Dude didnt need to dog Beni out the door and into a new clubhouse. Especially with the amount of baggage he has coming from Houston. I dont want this shit. The whole organization has enough negatives. Just focus on the roster and shut the fuck up.
 

Pitt the Elder

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Well, if you change the incentives in the game, you make certain skillsets more valuable, which will then change the free agent market and get different kinds of players paid. The arbitration system is a weird backwater in that sequence - presumably it would filter down eventually if arb awards are supposed to be based on some assessment of the market, but that would take several years, and might not even happen at all (the assumption that arb is meaningfully connected to the FA market seems . . . tenuous).

The idea of a heavier MLB hand in arbitration is interesting. I'd guess the union would hate the precedent it sets even if they like the actual measure they try to implement.
I think there's another thread on this on the MLB board, but isn't a big part of this issue with the arb system itself? Keeping guys locked up through their peak years for artificially depressed below-market values based on criteria determined by a third party has to be the crux of the entire issue.
 

The Gray Eagle

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There is nothing new to Cora's comments on Benintendi. The Athletic article linked below goes into his weight gain before 2019.

Nice article in the Athletic about Benintendi and his plans for this year:
https://theathletic.com/2385557/2021/02/13/hes-excited-why-andrew-benintendi-is-optimistic-about-his-royals-opportunity/


After his freshman year at Arkansas, Benintendi made changes to get stronger to try to hit more home runs, and it worked out great:


He injured his oblique in 2019 and combined with his rib injury last year, he hasn't been the same since:


He was still struggling with his swing before last season:



Who knows whether he really will be able to get back to the swing and production he had before Sept. 2019. This might just be all "best shape of my career" talk. But it's more promising from his perspective than if he was saying things like "I've been working out hard all offseason, getting stronger. I should be hitting more homers this year" or something like that. It will be really interesting to see if he is able to regain some sprint speed or not. It seems like he understands that he needs to.

From that Athletic article, his own dad publicly commented on AB's 2019 weight gain, and way more critically than Cora did:
Benintendi had slashed .290/.366/.465 in 2018, hitting 16 home runs, driving in 87 runs and striking out only 106 times. The Red Sox had just won a World Series. It’d make sense for a player and a team to mimic what made them successful, but part of what makes a professional baseball player is his drive to improve. While Andrew was appreciative of the 2018 results, he thought he could make strides by lofting the ball more. So he bulked up, adding 15 or so pounds to his 5-foot-9, 175-pound frame.
Watching a game in spring 2019, Chris noticed his son’s added weight. “It was like, ‘Man, now he’s got an ass like I do,’” Chris said recently, laughing.
 

cournoyer

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Fair. If anyone "knows that" a hitter is wrong, its the career .240 utility guy with 35 career homeruns.

And dont come at me with your, "baseball nerds understand swing mechanics, too!1!" bullshit. Dude didnt need to dog Beni out the door and into a new clubhouse. Especially with the amount of baggage he has coming from Houston. I dont want this shit. The whole organization has enough negatives. Just focus on the roster and shut the fuck up.
Sorry but I don't think Cora's career numbers are relevant to the discussion. He is part of the decision making progress on the team one way or another, plenty of shitty ballplayers become great managers. So if he sees something with Beni and sees him as a better fit to be a contact/speed guy, then I'm sure these were conversations that were had with Andrew. What happened behind closed doors I have no idea, but Cora does seem jaded about that. I'm guessing Beni probably felt like it wouldn't impact his other attributes if he lifted a little more for strength.

That being said, I agree with your second point. What's done is done, let's concentrate on the 2021 Sox. Doesn't help anyone when you open your mouth, and Cora has become a media darling because he loves being buddy-buddy with them. Not my favorite Alex Cora trait.
 

allmanbro

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I think there's another thread on this on the MLB board, but isn't a big part of this issue with the arb system itself? Keeping guys locked up through their peak years for artificially depressed below-market values based on criteria determined by a third party has to be the crux of the entire issue.
Ya, in one of those threads, I suggested cutting the controllable years down (maybe to 4) and massively increasing the MLB minimum. I think those changes would help solve a few problems.
 

changer591

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How many of you actual read the entire article that quote was pulled from? Cora was actually saying that that is what Benintendi had bulked up without being asked to, BUT "“Right now, if you see him, his body has changed and he’s more athletic right now." The whole thing was not Cora talking bad about him, but rather that AB is back to being what he was before he bulked up. If you take the quote by itself with no context (which I could understand since it's also in the headline of the article), it sounds like Cora was being extremely negative about AB, but once you read the whole thing, it was more informative.
 

lexrageorge

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Yeah, the reaction here against Cora is way overdone. There is literally nothing he can do about the headline. And if he said nothing, other people would criticize him and bring up his Houston history (which is no longer relevant, but whatever).
 

cournoyer

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How many of you actual read the entire article that quote was pulled from? Cora was actually saying that that is what Benintendi had bulked up without being asked to, BUT "“Right now, if you see him, his body has changed and he’s more athletic right now." The whole thing was not Cora talking bad about him, but rather that AB is back to being what he was before he bulked up. If you take the quote by itself with no context (which I could understand since it's also in the headline of the article), it sounds like Cora was being extremely negative about AB, but once you read the whole thing, it was more informative.
“I always said, and before we traded him, I was telling everybody -- and I told Chaim (Bloom) -- I’ll take the .400 on-base percentage, 40 doubles, 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases every year from Andrew Benintendi rather than the .260 with 30 home runs,” Cora said. “Right now, if you see him, his body has changed and he’s more athletic right now. That’s what happened in that stage. I think it was more (Benintendi) looking around, seeing what’s going on, what people are talking about and who’s getting paid. He decided, ‘You know what, I’m going to do this.’ He knows that he was wrong.

This was the full Cora quote, so as to not take the quote you cited without context. I don't fully disagree with you, it sounds like Cora is looking back on the changes Benintendi was going through once he started getting stronger. I do think they clearly weren't thrilled Beni went that route without discussing it with the organization.
 

Kenny F'ing Powers

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An assessment of MLB managers or coaches based on their MLB careers has little value.
That was the point, although I obviously did a shitty job of illustrating it.

What was done in the past - Cora or Beni - was done in the past. Rehashing it looks shitty and petty. If a media member had posted what I did in an article, it would (rightfully) come across as an unnecessary potshot. Its no different than what Cora did to Beni.

If thats how he felt about what Andrew did, fine. Say it to players and friends. Hell, say it off record (although, giving ammo to the media is still super shitty). But I'm completely over the way players are continuously brought down a few pegs on the way out the door. He competed for the team, he tried his hardest, he didn't run off to a competitor (we fucking traded him), he made World Series saving plays, and he never caused drama.

Leave Britney alone.
 

joe dokes

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That was the point, although I obviously did a shitty job of illustrating it.

What was done in the past - Cora or Beni - was done in the past. Rehashing it looks shitty and petty. If a media member had posted what I did in an article, it would (rightfully) come across as an unnecessary potshot. Its no different than what Cora did to Beni.

If thats how he felt about what Andrew did, fine. Say it to players and friends. Hell, say it off record (although, giving ammo to the media is still super shitty). But I'm completely over the way players are continuously brought down a few pegs on the way out the door. He competed for the team, he tried his hardest, he didn't run off to a competitor (we fucking traded him), he made World Series saving plays, and he never caused drama.
I thought the written story, which itself was a summary of a radio appearance, was more nuanced than "Cora rips ripped ex-Sox." As far as I know, Cora hasn't ever come off as malicious towards players. He was tough-publicly-on ERod and ERod himself said it helped him. However it comes off or is portrayed, I think Cora probably thinks that it will help Benintendi and that he wants Benintendi to succeed no matter where he plays. I'm not going to listen to even one second of Misserotti to get the full context, but overall, it seemed like a pretty thoughtful answer to "why do you think Benintendi declined so much"? And I dont think the "guys getting paid" is an accusation of selfishness, unless you read Cora's comment to suggest that Benintendi knew that success -- hitting more HRs -- would lead to the overall dropoff that resulted in all parts of his game.
 

Leather

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I'm not sure I'm comfortable with how ridiculous this statement is.
Why is it ridiculous? Beyond being RR's personal opinion, I think the vast majority of people would agree with it if actually confronted with the situation.

I would be bothered if I thought my boss was willing to share private details of my life, however trivial or "all in good fun," in order to curry favor with any third party, never mind the press.

In the abstract (because we don't know what actually went down), it creates the appearance of a conflict of interest on Cora's part, and it's unprofessional.
 

JBJ_HOF

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Why is it ridiculous? Beyond being RR's personal opinion, I think the vast majority of people would agree with it if actually confronted with the situation.

I would be bothered if I thought my boss was willing to share private details of my life, however trivial or "all in good fun," in order to curry favor with any third party, never mind the press.

In the abstract (because we don't know what actually went down), it creates the appearance of a conflict of interest on Cora's part, and it's unprofessional.
Trying to equate this to some accountant sitting in a cube that wants to kill himself and his boss at work to this is so stupid and beyond ridiculous. Cora and the team bend over backwards to protect players from every minuscule thing, Cora and Martinez are friends, pretending this is an Office Space situation is active ignorance.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Trying to equate this to some accountant sitting in a cube that wants to kill himself and his boss at work to this is so stupid and beyond ridiculous. Cora and the team bend over backwards to protect players from every minuscule thing, Cora and Martinez are friends, pretending this is an Office Space situation is active ignorance.
Huh?

Where in the world did anyone bring this up?

RR's objection, and it's one I agree with, is that the fact that you've spent the last two days shitting and vomiting due to food poisoning isn't something you want your boss broadcasting to anyone, let alone media.

Simply saying that Martinez has had food poisoning for the last couple days should suffice as explanation for why he's not been in the lineup. Details are egregious and unnecessary, not to mention potentially embarrassing. Doesn't really matter if JD was cool with it or not (which we don't know).
 

OurF'ingCity

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Huh?

Where in the world did anyone bring this up?

RR's objection, and it's one I agree with, is that the fact that you've spent the last two days shitting and vomiting due to food poisoning isn't something you want your boss broadcasting to anyone, let alone media.

Simply saying that Martinez has had food poisoning for the last couple days should suffice as explanation for why he's not been in the lineup. Details are egregious and unnecessary, not to mention potentially embarrassing. Doesn't really matter if JD was cool with it or not (which we don't know).
Gonna go out on a limb here and say that JDM, a public figure whose work and life is scrutinized by the media on a regular basis and who plays in a sport where men are constantly spitting and walking around naked in the clubhouse in full sight of the press, does not give two shits (pun semi-intended) that Cora, a guy by who all accounts has a great relationship with Martinez, made a joke/got a little graphic when describing Martinez's ailment.

This and the Benintendi thing is a very odd line of criticism of Cora.
 

lexrageorge

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The criticisms of Cora's statements means we are well past the point of needing to watch meaningful games, so we can criticize things that actually matter, like lineups, pitching changes, etc.
 

Rovin Romine

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Gonna go out on a limb here and say that JDM, a public figure whose work and life is scrutinized by the media on a regular basis and who plays in a sport where men are constantly spitting and walking around naked in the clubhouse in full sight of the press, does not give two shits (pun semi-intended) that Cora, a guy by who all accounts has a great relationship with Martinez, made a joke/got a little graphic when describing Martinez's ailment.

This and the Benintendi thing is a very odd line of criticism of Cora.
I didn't say anything about the Beninendi thing. Nor did I say whether or not Martinez minded Cora's statements. ('cause who really knows.)

I know there are some people here who are deeply invested in Cora's ability to press-conference. Just as some others were equally invested in John Farrell's. (I don't really watch them and don't much care.)

You're free to make the argument that it projects professionalism, care, and class. Maybe he's building a lot of trust with players who might want to confide something to him.


Trying to equate this to some accountant sitting in a cube that wants to kill himself and his boss at work. . .
I'd lay off the sauce while posting.
 

mauf

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Yeah, the reaction here against Cora is way overdone. There is literally nothing he can do about the headline. And if he said nothing, other people would criticize him and bring up his Houston history (which is no longer relevant, but whatever).
I dunno. Was this incident overblown? Yes. Does it illustrate the wisdom of Belichick’s habit of refusing to discuss players who aren’t on his team, unless it’s in the context of an upcoming matchup or something? Also yes. Cora can politely decline to talk about still-active former players without turning every press availability into “variations on a theme of saying absolutely nothing” the way Belichick does.
 

catsooey

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Jun 27, 2019
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Trying to equate this to some accountant sitting in a cube that wants to kill himself and his boss at work to this is so stupid and beyond ridiculous. Cora and the team bend over backwards to protect players from every minuscule thing, Cora and Martinez are friends, pretending this is an Office Space situation.
Are you talking about Milton?
 

radsoxfan

Member
SoSH Member
Aug 9, 2009
13,622
Pretty nice turnaround for Benintendi recently.

Not sure we will see an equivalent from Franchy.
 

gryoung

Member
SoSH Member
He has been hitting pretty well the past week or so. Not a pretty picture for Sox fans when Franchy is really struggling and may be heading to Worcester for a stint.

If this was a 1:1 trade there would be more noise. But it wasn’t, so the jury will be out for some time.
 

barbed wire Bob

crippled by fear
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YTF

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He has been hitting pretty well the past week or so. Not a pretty picture for Sox fans when Franchy is really struggling and may be heading to Worcester for a stint.

If this was a 1:1 trade there would be more noise. But it wasn’t, so the jury will be out for some time.
Yep, we're a month onto the season and as BWB stated, Benintendi's having a nice little streak and each player came to his new club with different expectations concerning playing time. A month into the season is a fairly SSS and Beni has nearly 40 more PA's at the moment. Worcester might not be a bad idea in order to get him some regular ABs.
 

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
72,428
Yep, we're a month onto the season and as BWB stated, Benintendi's having a nice little streak and each player came to his new club with different expectations concerning playing time. A month into the season is a fairly SSS and Beni has nearly 40 more PA's at the moment. Worcester might not be a bad idea in order to get him some regular ABs.
Call up Chavis or Wilson? (Or someone else)
 

radsoxfan

Member
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Aug 9, 2009
13,622
Solid post. Care to back up beyond Beni hitting the ball well recently, or are you just sad a binky was traded away?
LOL. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Confusing vitriol, try again.

God forbid someone mention Benintendi is on a nice streak. Can it not be pointed out? Just starting discussion, Cora mentioned it in his presser recently as well.

I was never particularly against the trade, thought it was a good change of scenery chance for him. I hope Franchy goes on a similar run, and as pointed out above, it wasn't a 1 for 1 trade. Will take awhile to shake out.
 

nvalvo

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Jul 16, 2005
21,478
Rogers Park
When he was traded, the stats painted a very scary trajectory for Benintendi. His contact skills, exit velocities, and sprint speed had all totally collapsed. But just as clearly, he was a tremendous talent and had a great track record as a younger player. There was a real possibility that he was basically finished; there was also a real possibility that he would get back on track as a high-end talent.

The real possibility that Benintendi *wouldn't* get it back, and we'd be stuck with a corner outfielder with declining defense and a messed up swing with high Arb salaries based on his play as a younger player, is why he was available. If Benintendi had a bad 2021, he was a non-tender candidate.

The real possibility that Benintendi *would* get it back is why the Royals gave us a haul for him — the full extent of the haul is still TBD.

That was the state of play when he was dealt. It would have been very risky to keep him, and it was very risky for the Royals to give up value for him. I don't actually think it matters all that much to evaluating the deal whether he in fact turns it around — obviously the Royals will be delighted if he does, and good for them — because I really don't think that was knowable with much confidence in advance.

I think the Royals had more appetite for this kind of risk than we did, and that makes some sense given what the franchises thought they were trying to do with this season. KC was trying to be a long-shot contender in a fairly weak division, and on their budget, one way to do that is to roll the dice on high-ceiling players with some question marks. Boston was trying to rebuild talent in the organization and figure out who to build around with an eye to 2023. That the pitching has — so far — been better than expected, making the team look closer to contention than they looked to be in the offseason shouldn't change this evaluation much.
 

mauf

Anderson Cooper × Mr. Rogers
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SoSH Member
The PTBNL from the Mets is the key piece of the deal for us. Franchy’s upside made him an interesting second piece in the deal, and I was more hopeful than most, but if he ends up being nothing it’s really no big deal.

I always thought Beni was more likely to get his groove back somewhere else, so it would take a lot for me to hate this trade. I hope his hot streak is an indication he’s figured some things out.
 

Jerry’s Curl

New Member
Feb 6, 2018
2,518
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The PTBNL from the Mets is the key piece of the deal for us. Franchy’s upside made him an interesting second piece in the deal, and I was more hopeful than most, but if he ends up being nothing it’s really no big deal.

I always thought Beni was more likely to get his groove back somewhere else, so it would take a lot for me to hate this trade. I hope his hot streak is an indication he’s figured some things out.
They would have to be some good prospects to make up for Frenchy. He’s been absolutely terrible both offensively and defensively. We sure could use a player like Benintendi now. What’s done is done but I think they gave up on Andrew a little too quickly.