Is Bradley winning the starting CF gig?

KillerBs

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Speier writes here that yes indeed he may be:
 
http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/alex-speier/2014/04/09/new-outfield-order-why-jackie-bradley-jr-grady
 
If so, as Speier writes, that would seem to put Carp or Nava on the hot spot once Victorino returns (ETA?). I wouldn't think it would be easy to move either of these guys, but Milwaukee, Houston and Pittsburgh (assuming Ishikawa flames out before long) still seem like candidates for being interested in (a healthy) Carp.
 
I am having a hard time seeing how a deal of Carp or Nava could improve the ML roster.
 

pokey_reese

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Really, it seems like a question of whether you believe more in Carp's bat or Nava's glove.  For the purposes of this discussion, I think that we need to think of Carp as a backup 1B/DH, with OF only being a very last resort.  However, our problem is too many OFers, so that positional flexibility doesn't matter much.  Obviously with Napoli's health issues it makes sense to keep a backup 1B on the roster, but Nava seems like he can handle the position defensively for a short time period (plus the frequency of interleague games could see Ortiz playing first some in the event that Napoli were hurt).
 
Nava's switch hitting (I know, that's a big asterisk) seems like a point in his favor, along with his history with the club and playing time so far this year.  However Carp certainly demonstrated a huge value off the bench last year, and Gomes could platoon in LF with Sizemore if Nava were dealt, removing some of the handedness advantage.
 
It's a tough call, but really, I would wonder how long we will get to see Sizemore before this decision needs to be made, and see if he even forces the issue by playing better than either of those guys.
 

teddywingman

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Well, it seems like when Victorino returns, one of them will have to go. Carp and Nava are redundent.
I would think Carp is the player to trade because he probably has a little more market value, while Nava is actually more valuable to the Sox (can play passable right field and center in a pinch); neither of which Carp should ever attempt.
 

TomRicardo

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Right now I would say with a healthy Victorino the Red Sox best defensive line up is Sizemore LF Bradley in CF and Victorino in RF. 
 

Paradigm

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Bradley has played absolutely sparkling defense in right field. His catch on Arencibia's fly ball on Monday was beautiful, and he made another at the track/wall (can't remember if it was Monday or Tuesday) in very nonchalant fashion. He just looks smooth out there, and who knows -- maybe he's playing well in the field, on the big stage, and that confidence is carrying over to the plate. 
 
The question to me is not who to trade, but who to play. If you play Sizemore, Victorino, and Bradley every day, you have no AB's for Nava, and Nava deserves to be in this lineup. His on-base skills should continue to play and his approach at the plate is sound. Gomes has played himself into being a clubhouse leader, but if Bradley sticks he's not very useful on the roster considering the outfield dept.
 
 
Carp won't have a lot of trade value, but he's not nothing. Would it be worth trading him for one of those supplemental round draft picks, or some international slot money? 
 

SaveBooFerriss

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Rudy Pemberton said:
The only issue with trading Carp is that if Napoli gets hurt, you're down to Nava and Brandon Snyder as your 1B. 
 
You do have Ortiz, who I think is much more competent at 1b than he is given credit for.   Aslo, Lavarnway is AAA.  
 
If Napoli went down for an extended period, you can trade for a guy like Carp (although it would cost something). 
 

teddywingman

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Rudy Pemberton said:
The only issue with trading Carp is that if Napoli gets hurt, you're down to Nava and Brandon Snyder as your 1B. Which is certainly less than ideal. Carp's role is basically to act as insurance. 
 
But Victorino is the bigger injury risk. There's no 'ideal' if Napoli or Victorino spend significant time on the DL, but Nava can back up both.
 

Savin Hillbilly

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Paradigm said:
Gomes has played himself into being a clubhouse leader, but if Bradley sticks he's not very useful on the roster considering the outfield dept.
 
He's useful as a guy with a proven ability to hit lefthanded pitching. Pokey called Nava's switch-hitting an "asterisk," but really "train wreck" would be more like it. His *best* single-season slash line vs. LHP is last year's .252/.311/.336. There is absolutely no reason to think he is a better option against lefthanded pitching than Mike Carp, and some reason to suspect he's worse. So if it's down to a Carp/Nava decision, platoon split value is (at best, from Nava's POV) a wash.

teddywingman said:
But Victorino is the bigger injury risk. There's no 'ideal' if Napoli or Victorino spend significant time on the DL, but Nava can back up both.
I think the jury's still out on that (depending, of course, on where you set the bar for 1B defense--I think we've seen enough to feel pretty sure Nava is not as good at it as Carp, but he might still be good enough for a backup that you hope you rarely have to use).
 

Mighty Joe Young

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If you (the collective SoSH You) , or the FO for that matter , has decided that Bradley has shown enough to be playing everyday in the majors  then the best lineup is Sizemore in LF, Bradley in CF and Victorino in RF.
 
I don't think that there is much disagreement with that.
 
If Bradley is here then he has to play a lot - which means fewer ABs for Nava or Carp - and one has to be off the roster.
 
Of the two redundant guys I like Carp more - Papi/Napoli insurance > Backup OF Insurance
 
AFAIC the jury is still out on Sizemore - he has hit well, but his  defense is probably a little below average (at least compared to JBJ). I don't think you trade anyone until Sizemore demonstrates he can stay on the field.
 
So , seems to me that:
 
- Nava should be headed for Pawtucket.
- Gomes is the backup LF / occasionally spelling Sizemore
- JBJ is the CF 
- Victorino is the RF 
 
This is great flexibility - all three regular OFs should be able to play anywhere 
 

Puffy

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It's great to see JBJ pressing the issue - particularly through his defense, but also his poise and confidence at the plate. But doesn't Sizemore belong in the same conversation as Nava and Carp as a possible odd man out. He appears to have defensive limitations in CF to the point where LF may be his best (and potentially only) position. His health appears to limit him from playing more than two games in a row, and sitting out day games after night games. He is only going to be around in 2014 anyway. And while there is some offensive upside there, it's not hard to imagine him putting up middling numbers, mitigated by questionable defense and nagging health/durability questions. I don't know why it's a no brainer that it would be Nava or Carp who goes and not Sizemore. Maybe less obvious than Carp, but it has to at least be in the conversation until Victorino returns.
 

YouDownWithOBP?

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TomRicardo said:
Right now I would say with a healthy Victorino the Red Sox best defensive line up is Sizemore LF Bradley in CF and Victorino in RF. 
 
Completely agree. I think between Vic and Grady's health issues, there are enough AB's to go around with Nava and Gomes. I could the see a rotation like this:
 
Carp is traded of DL'ed (remember he hasnt played since the back injury the other day)
 
Day 1: Sizemore LF, JBJ CF, Vic RF
Day 2: Nava/Gomes LF (depending on RHP/LHP), JBJ CF, Vic RF
Day 3: Nava/Gomes LF, Sizemore CF, JBJ RF
 
Planned off days for both our injury plagued OF while utilizing the Nava/Gomes platoon that worked last year. JBJ plays everyday to keep a solid defense going.
 

teddywingman

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Yeah that's a good point. (Re: Puffy) I guess we're all on the Grady train because he's hitting like he never missed a beat. That could easily be derailed with an extended slump or injury.
 

ItOnceWasMyLife

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In order, the injury risks are
 
Victorino
Sizemore
Napoli
 
I think the gap between Vic and Grady is small and between Grady and Nap is large.
 
Therefore, to me, the outfield contingency is a bigger need than the 1B one is.  That speaks (if everything remains the same) to Nava meaning more to this team than Carp.  Of course, the team will let it play out and we'll see where we are when Vic is ready.  But, I'm ready for JBJ to take over center. 
 

dbn

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If I were in charge, I'd have a talk with Victorino about playing LF in Fenway. I imagine he could get used to playing the wall fairly quickly, and with less ground to cover, there would be less chance of pulling something. Bradley has been fantastic in Fenway's big RF. Given that there is another more-than-competent CF in Sizemore, I think Bradley might be more valuable in RF than CF. Man, that would be a good outfield D. On Sizemore's days off, flip Victorino back over to RF, Bradley to CF, Nava in LF. 
 
I like Carp and would not be at all surprised to see him excel at the plate given regular ABs, but he just doesn't have enough of a role on the team to justify keeping him on the 25 when everyone is healthy (unless Nava doesn't stop sucking at the plate.)
 
Edit to add that, as mentioned in the linked article, a lot might change before Vic is ML ready.
 

glennhoffmania

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I think it's also a big stretch to say that Bradley won a starting gig based on 20 PAs.  In another thread, people are arguing that 2 starts by Felix and 1 by Buchholz aren't enough to say that there should be concern there.  But 20 PAs is enough data to show that Bradley is now ready?  I'm not saying he isn't, but I don't think the determination will be made based on a week of games.
 
We also know how this team operates.  They hoard talent whenever possible.  So unless Bradley proves beyond any doubt that he's the best option in CF (or RF, or whatever) right now and going forward, I'd bet that he'll be back in AAA when Victorino is ready as opposed to dumping Nava, Carp or Sizemore. 
 

Average Reds

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Just to make sure that I get it, we're saying that it's perfectly acceptable to use the 6 games that Sizemore has played to judge that JBJ is the better option in CF, but it's not acceptable top use the very same small sample size to say that Sizemore's 1.031 OPS is an indication of his value?
 
Guys, I get that we're all excited about the way JBJ has played, but the guy who needs to prove it over the long haul is JBJ rather than Sizemore, Nava, Gomes or Carp.  When Victorino comes back, I don't think anything changes.  JBJ goes on the Pawtucket shuttle until there's an injury or a move that makes room for him.  And I don't think we'll have to wait for very long before an injury brings JBJ back to the big club. 
 

URI

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ItOnceWasMyLife said:
In order, the injury risks are
 
Victorino
Sizemore
Napoli
 
I think the gap between Vic and Grady is small and between Grady and Nap is large.
 
Therefore, to me, the outfield contingency is a bigger need than the 1B one is.  That speaks (if everything remains the same) to Nava meaning more to this team than Carp.  Of course, the team will let it play out and we'll see where we are when Vic is ready.  But, I'm ready for JBJ to take over center. 
 
Really?  You think Shane Victorino is a bigger injury risk than the guy who just missed 2.5 seasons due to injury?
 

MakMan44

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dbn said:
 
Is that true? I'm asking seriously because I haven't seen any poor play in the field from him. I have missed a couple of games, and during others I'm not paying attention to every AB, so it seems I might be missing something.
He's had more than a couple plays where he took poor routes to the balls and he's flat out misjudged a couple too, as alwyn points out. I think it's rust TBF but placing him in LF with JBJ in center is still probably the right play. 
 
As to the actual topic, I'd like to believe that JBJ's defense if ML ready based on what I've seen so far this season. His bat has also looked solid but ghoff is right, it's a little too early to make a judgement on that. If the FO determines that JBJ is going to stay up, attempting to send Nava down is the second best way to conserve as many resources as possible. However, as pointed out to me in the GT last night, it's extremely likely he'll get claimed in the process. So I honestly don't know, gauging the trade market on Nava and Carp right now might help determine which of them you're more likely to move once Vic is healthy.
 

teddywingman

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alwyn96 said:
 
Sizemore misjudged a popup last night that led to several runs. I'm guessing that's part of why he's not in there tonight. 
It wasn't just last night's popup--which was one of the most misjudged flyballs I've ever seen--he just doesn't seem to have CF speed anymore. This has been a factor in several games already in this young season.
Meanwhile JBJ looks like a gold glove caliber outfielder; but we've known that for a while.
 

Mighty Joe Young

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glennhoffmania said:
I think it's also a big stretch to say that Bradley won a starting gig based on 20 PAs.  In another thread, people are arguing that 2 starts by Felix and 1 by Buchholz aren't enough to say that there should be concern there.  But 20 PAs is enough data to show that Bradley is now ready?  I'm not saying he isn't, but I don't think the determination will be made based on a week of games.
 
We also know how this team operates.  They hoard talent whenever possible.  So unless Bradley proves beyond any doubt that he's the best option in CF (or RF, or whatever) right now and going forward, I'd bet that he'll be back in AAA when Victorino is ready as opposed to dumping Nava, Carp or Sizemore. 
 
 
Well, the premise of this thread is that Bradley HAS won a starting gig - so what should the roster be given that reality.
 
If it's my decision he WOULD be the starting CF - and not based on his recent success - rather on his minor league success and his rather obvious defensive skills.
 
I still think that it's too early to be trading anyone because we don't know if Sizemore is going to hold up. In the interim I send Nava to AAA to make room when Vic comes back.
 
If, come June, Sizemore is still healthy and playing well then you look at trading Carp/Nava. I don't think it's fair to keep Nava in AAA for the long term. 
 

MakMan44

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I mentioned it in my edited comment but I feel it might be worth repeating just so more people see it: I brought up the idea of sending Nava to AAA last night in the GT. It was pointed out to me that he would still have to pass through waivers to get there and would likely be claimed upon doing so.
 

MrNewEngland

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Personally I really like Carp and would hate to lose him just for the sake of losing him.  If Victorino went down and we needed an outfielder we could call up Bryce Brentz.  I think he'd be overmatched against ML pitching but the guy has some power and by all accounts can play RF well to go with a cannon of an arm.  
 

Mighty Joe Young

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MakMan44 said:
I mentioned it in my edited comment but I feel it might be worth repeating just so more people see it: I brought up the idea of sending Nava to AAA last night in the GT. It was pointed out to me that he would still have to pass through waivers to get there and would likely be claimed upon doing so.
 
Those would be revocable waivers IIRC. If they can't send him down then the only options are a 11 man staff or making a trade - which I think is premature. But the Sox medical staff have to have a major input into this as well - and we have no access to that information.
 

MakMan44

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BCsMightyJoeYoung said:
 
Those would be revocable waivers IIRC. If they can't send him down then the only options are a 11 man staff or making a trade - which I think is premature. But the Sox medical staff have to have a major input into this as well - and we have no access to that information.
I think that's correct as well. I was just mentioning it because it's not as simple as Nava can go down in the place of JBJ. 
 

Paradigm

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MrNewEngland said:
the guy has some power and by all accounts can play RF well to go with a cannon of an arm.  
 
But can he play ... FENWAY RIGHT FIELD??? *cue horror music and cackling maniacal laughter*
 

bobesox

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Talking strictly defense here... The guy who has to prove himself is..... Sizemore.
 

Rasputin

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MakMan44 said:
I mentioned it in my edited comment but I feel it might be worth repeating just so more people see it: I brought up the idea of sending Nava to AAA last night in the GT. It was pointed out to me that he would still have to pass through waivers to get there and would likely be claimed upon doing so.
 
Hi there. How ya doin'?
 
I confess myself a little bit amused that this question has come up after all the talk before the season started. I guess the question is whether Nava will have played himself into not being picked up on waivers by the time Victorino is ready.
 
More to the point of this thread though, is the fact that if Sizemore were looking great defensively, Bradley wouldn't be winning the starting gig, but Sizemore isn't because, surprise, when someone's injuries make them less than stellar in the field and they then lose two years to injuries, well, when the come back, they're not stellar in the field. I know, I'm shocked too.
 
My guess is someone gets DLed when Vic is ready and when folks see the beauty of the Sizemore/Gomes platoon in left, Bradley in center, and Vic in right, they aren't even going to be paying attention when Nava gets put on waivers when he's ready to come off the DL. 
 

JimD

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SaveBooFerriss said:
 
You do have Ortiz, who I think is much more competent at 1b than he is given credit for.  
 
Didn't Ortiz admit during the WS that his knees were bothering him after the games in St. Louis? 
 

alwyn96

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JimD said:
 
Didn't Ortiz admit during the WS that his knees were bothering him after the games in St. Louis? 
 
Not to my knowledge. Got a link for that?
 

The Gray Eagle

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Maybe a trade of Carp for Khris Davis might make some sense? Davis should have options remaining, and could next year could compete for the RH half of the LF platoon. He looks like he might be a really solid RH bat, but was never considered a hot prospect, is already 26 and can really only play LF, so his value is a bit limited. His value to us over Carp is that he could go up and down to Pawtucket while Carp can't, and he could have a role with us next year, or this year whenever there is an injury. The Brewers don't need to shuttle a hitter up and down, they need a first baseman who is cheap who can hit.
 
Maybe the Brewers are high on Davis and wouldn't want to move him, but Carp is still pretty young and cheap and the Brewers are playing the corpse of Lyle Overbay at first base. 
 
Or maybe we could Carp for one of the Pirates' many prospects. Last I looked, a masher like Stetson Allie wasn't even in their top 20, so they have more prospects than they know what to do with.
 
But most likely what will happen is that someone will go on the DL when Victorino is back. Carp already had the back issue, and Sizemore is made of glass, so we might not even have to make a decision even when Victorino is back.
 

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JimD said:
 
Didn't Ortiz admit during the WS that his knees were bothering him after the games in St. Louis? 
 
No link, but it's known that Ortiz cannot handle playing 1B on a regular basis.  In the World Series he played all 3 games (whereas he'll usually sit one or two when it's an interleague series) and he can make the plays at 1B but it's an issue.  If Napoli has an injury do not expect Ortiz to be even a mid term solution.
 

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teddywingman said:
It wasn't just last night's popup--which was one of the most misjudged flyballs I've ever seen...
 
I think there's some over reaction on this play, mostly because of the situation at the time.
 
We've seen plenty of plays to dead center field where a big swing on the wrong part of the bat decoys the fielder into thinking it's going to travel far. Yes, it was a poor play, but it doesn't require hyperbole.
 
Given that, there's still some merit in platooning Gomes/Nava in LF with Victorino, Sizemore and Bradley splitting time between CF and RF (and the odd man out a late inning defensive replacement) until JBJ proves he's a legitimate major league starter (which means Carp is traded).
 
That's a decent approach for ~1800 ab's split between 5 players - 2 of whom are injury risks.
 
Bradley has a couple of weeks to prove he's worthy of sticking with the big league team - at which point a decision on Carp needs to be made. His glow may be gone by the time early May rolls around.
 

Savin Hillbilly

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The Gray Eagle said:
Maybe a trade of Carp for Khris Davis might make some sense? Davis should have options remaining, and could next year could compete for the RH half of the LF platoon. He looks like he might be a really solid RH bat, but was never considered a hot prospect, is already 26 and can really only play LF, so his value is a bit limited. His value to us over Carp is that he could go up and down to Pawtucket while Carp can't, and he could have a role with us next year, or this year whenever there is an injury. The Brewers don't need to shuttle a hitter up and down, they need a first baseman who is cheap who can hit.
 
Maybe the Brewers are high on Davis and wouldn't want to move him, but Carp is still pretty young and cheap and the Brewers are playing the corpse of Lyle Overbay at first base. 
 
The Brewers traded Aoki to make room for Davis--I would guess they're committed to him for this year at any rate, unless he slumps badly.
 
But I agree that the Brewers ought to want Carp, so maybe something could be worked out there if we decide to go that route.
 

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It's not just that one play that has people upset, although that play was the worst of them. I haven't watched every inning of the young season, but already I have seen three misplays by Sizemore lead to runs. His CF play has been a very tangible contributor to the team's poor start. Nava has also been pressed into service in right, where he's something of a liability, which has only made matters worse. 
 
My view is that the LF platoon, while successful last season, raises roster issues that we're finally confronting now. Basically, platoon players so far to the bad end of the defensive spectrum handcuff the roster defensively. Nava is fine in left, but below average in right (especially in *LIGHTNING CRACKS ACROSS THE SKY* FENWAY'S RIGHT FIELD) while Gomes should really never play anywhere but LF and DH. Carp only exacerbates this issue. The roster, especially with Victorino shelved, requires Farrell to field poor defensive outfields more frequently than the pitching staff can cope with. 
 
If Sizemore's bat — which has looked fantastic in a small sample — is for real, I would like to see him installed as the starting LF, where his questionable range and arm would be less of an issue. Nava becomes a fourth outfielder/1B who plays a lot, filling in for Victorino, Sizemore, Ortiz and Napoli as necessary to keep everybody healthy. Bradley needs to play everyday or close to it. 
 
When Victorino returns, Gomes or Carp should be dealt. While I would make the decision between them in part based on who would return the best value, my preference would be to deal Gomes, who is too one-dimensional to warrant a roster spot in my view. Power against lefties is Gomes' major contribution, and it's a good one. But on a roster with Napoli, Pedroia, Victorino and Middlebrooks (okay, the last two are on the DL) it isn't really a commodity in short supply. He should be dealt for the most interesting high-ceiling prospect someone will give us. 
 

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ItOnceWasMyLife said:
Yes I do.  Although that's not the point of the post, is it?
That we need more coverage in the outfield than first?  Well no shit.
 
But replacing a right fielder who can cover center in a pinch is much different than replacing a center fielder, even in Fenway Park. 
 
Coverage for Sizemore is more important because it's a more difficult defensive position to fill, unless you don't care about having a complete cipher with the bat out there.  When you combine that with the fact (this is objective fact, not opinion) that Sizemore is the bigger injury risk than Victorino, you shouldn't really worry about getting rid of Carp/Nava/JBJ, you should start worrying about getting rid of the 12th pitcher (or the most useless at the bottom of the roster).
 

SouthernBoSox

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As far as the question in the thread title? Yes. He absolutely is. His at bats are as professional as anyone onto team, and given the terrible production from the lead off spot, I think you just throw him up there and see what the hell happens.

He's too talented and to productive to send down now.
 

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Imo, it's been pretty obvious Bradley has been a much better defensive player than Sizemore in these first few games of the 2014 season. It's obviously early, and SSS and all that, but I would agree with nvalvo and say Sizemore has been a problem in CF so far, and I'd be concerned about him out there going forward.  
 

radsoxfan

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nvalvo said:
It's not just that one play that has people upset, although that play was the worst of them. I haven't watched every inning of the young season, but already I have seen three misplays by Sizemore lead to runs. His CF play has been a very tangible contributor to the team's poor start. Nava has also been pressed into service in right, where he's something of a liability, which has only made matters worse. 
 
 
Agreed as well.  Although the misplayed short flyball to center was the most obvious and egregious mistake, that one actually bothered me the least as far as it related to his future in CF.  Grady clearly got a horrible read, ran the wrong way, and didn't have the closing speed to make up for the mistake (like Ellsbury could).  But at least on a play like that you can say perhaps it's a bit of a fluke, maybe related to rust, losing the ball in the lights, or something that won't continue to happen.
 
More worrisome to me is the consistency with which he just cannot make plays that most CF are able to make, even when he starts running in the correct direction right away. I don't know if it's a lack of straight away speed, quickness, tentativeness, or what the issue is.  I know watching on TV significantly limits our ability to fairly evaluate him since we can't see his positioning and his jumps, but a lot of balls in the gap and over his head have fallen for hits when the ball has been in the air a very long time. He just doesn't seem to be moving very smoothly out there.
 
I'm hesitant to bring up UZR, but it's probably worth noting that his most recent numbers in the majors are pretty terrible.  He was a negative UZR CF in 2009, 2010, and 2011 (806, 269, and 479 innings respectively). Obviously not huge samples, and he was likely hurt part of that time.  But adding that to the eye test this season, it seems highly unlikely he will even approach being close to an average CF in 2014.  Playing him 6 games per week in CF is way too much in my opinion, and Bradley needs to stay.  Grady should be filling in at the corner OF spots, maybe occasionally in center, and getting a few days off a week as well.  If he stops hitting, he should be traded/released. 
 

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URI said:
But replacing a right fielder who can cover center in a pinch is much different than replacing a center fielder, even in Fenway Park. 
"Well no shit." 
 
Hey, that's easy.  I should use it more often.
 

URI

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ItOnceWasMyLife said:
"Well no shit." 
 
Hey, that's easy.  I should use it more often.
I wouldn't. You aren't as good at it as me, and you think it's more worrisome (according to your list) to have a Victorino covered rather than Sizemore, since Sizemore will probably play center all things equal, and Victorino won't.
 

threecy

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Getting way ahead of myself here, but it would be pretty neat to see JBJ and Xander in a head to head ROY race this season.
 

Reverend

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Montana Fan said:
Has the Gold Dust Twins already been used?
Dunno, but NESN reported that today was the first time that two rookies on the Red Sox walked twice in the same inning since Dewey and Lynn.
 

riboflav

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Reverend said:
Dunno, but NESN reported that today was the first time that two rookies on the Red Sox walked twice in the same inning since Dewey and Lynn.
 
Evans preceded Lynn. Or am I missing something?
 

ToeKneeArmAss

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radsoxfan said:
 
More worrisome to me is the consistency with which he just cannot make plays that most CF are able to make, even when he starts running in the correct direction right away. I don't know if it's a lack of straight away speed, quickness, tentativeness, or what the issue is.  I know watching on TV significantly limits our ability to fairly evaluate him since we can't see his positioning and his jumps, but a lot of balls in the gap and over his head have fallen for hits when the ball has been in the air a very long time. He just doesn't seem to be moving very smoothly out there.
 
 
Piling on a bit. the play that really got me wondering about Sizemore in CF was on Saturday in the top of the third.  (Just went back and re-watched on MLB.TV to make sure I was remembering it correctly.)
 
Lucroy drove a ball headed for the CF-RF gap and to his credit Sizemore took a good line, hustled hard, and got to it before it could bounce to the wall.  
 
But he couldn't stop.  He must have taken ten steps before he could set and throw back into the infield, by which time Lucroy had easily stretched it into a double. 
 
Sample size of one obviously, but it does make you wonder about how his knees are affecting his play in CF.  I'd love to see him in LF and assuming Victorino can come back (and stay) fully healthy, going with Sizemore, Bradley Jr. (assuming his bat holds up) and Victorino could be a lot of fun to watch for the rest of the season.
 
Losing Nava or Carp would be disappointing but not the end of the world.
 
Is it too old-fashioned for me to think that just maybe going with 11 pitchers for a while might be a better experiment?  That would give time to see if Sizemore and Victorino can both stay healthy, and if Bradley's offense is for real.  How much load does that 12th pitcher have to carry anyway?
 

URI

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riboflav said:
Evans preceded Lynn. Or am I missing something?
I'm pretty sure they were both classified as rookies in September 74.