Marwin Gonzalez DFA'd, Kyle Schwarber called up

soxin6

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This seems like it is great news all the way around. Even if Schwarber starts off slowly, he has a much better chance of making an offensive impact than Marwin.
 

nattysez

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I guess the Orioles' pitching is probably not a lot better than what Schwarber would see in AAA and they're having him DH tonight, so this move makes sense.

Marwin will go down as one of my least-favorite Sox players in recent memory. I hope whatever decision process led to signing him is very carefully revamped.
 

YTF

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I really do wonder how much of Marwin's one great season, 2017, was trash can aided.
To be fair and not that I'm feeling incredibly charitable here, he had six consecutive seasons in which he would have been a solid contributor to this team. I think Bloom may have look at last season as an anomaly as it was for many players and felt that $3M for anything similar to the worst of those previous six seasons was worth taking a shot on. That said Gonzalez's time in Boston was a dreadful, failed experiment. He's a guy who may have been a decent last guy off the bench type due his defensive flexibility, but this roster is far from deep enough to carry that sort of player
 

InsideTheParker

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I guess the Orioles' pitching is probably not a lot better than what Schwarber would see in AAA and they're having him DH tonight, so this move makes sense.

Marwin will go down as one of my least-favorite Sox players in recent memory. I hope whatever decision process led to signing him is very carefully revamped.
Well, Watkins has a slightly lower ERA than Pivetta, so we'll see.
Thrilled about the DFA of Gonzalez.
 

DJnVa

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This seems like it is great news all the way around. Even if Schwarber starts off slowly, he has a much better chance of making an offensive impact than Marwin.
Oh, I'd say Marwin made an impact.
 

DJnVa

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I was being mildly hyperbolic about activating him without any ramp-up activity or first base practice.
He's only DHing right now, so the first base practice will be with the big league coaches.

And he's replacing Marwin's bat, which shouldn't be hard, so he can hopefully run into a few as he gets ready to play 1B.
 

chawson

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I remember being terrified of Marwin whenever he’d come up during the ALCS, he was so locked in that series. To be charitable to him, he’s been useful defensively this year and is definitely a hitter whose end was hastened by advanced defensive positioning. This sure seems like the right move though. At least Santana can still hit the ball hard.
 
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OurF'ingCity

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Marwin will go down as one of my least-favorite Sox players in recent memory. I hope whatever decision process led to signing him is very carefully revamped.
Really? I mean don’t get me wrong he was terrible - but they didn’t pay him much and didn’t hesitate to cut him loose when better options presented themselves.

I can count on all my fingers and toes and then some players I’ve liked less on the Sox just in the last ten years.
 

Scoops Bolling

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Well, Watkins has a slightly lower ERA than Pivetta, so we'll see.
Thrilled about the DFA of Gonzalez.
Watkins is also a soft tossing righty who generates a ton of flyballs, doesn't miss a ton of bats, and gets hit hard with some frequency. There's a reason his ERA in AA and AAA was around 5, and he hasn't suddenly gotten better...I mean, he sucks. He's had a nice 2021, but the dude is only in the MLB because plays in Baltimore.
 

amlothi

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Watkins is also a soft tossing righty who generates a ton of flyballs, doesn't miss a ton of bats, and gets hit hard with some frequency. There's a reason his ERA in AA and AAA was around 5, and he hasn't suddenly gotten better...I mean, he sucks. He's had a nice 2021, but the dude is only in the MLB because plays in Baltimore.
Great. Now he'll throw a no hitter tonight.
 

RobertS975

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I remember being terrified of Marwin whenever he’d come up during the ALCS, he was so locked in that series. To be charitable to him, he’s been useful defensively this year and is definitely a hitter whose end was hastened by advanced defensive positioning. This sure seems like the right move though. At least Santana can still hit the ball hard.
Marwin's Red Sox career peaked in a game against the Twins when he hit 2 HRs. Of course, it was in Fort Myers during Spring training!
 

Philip Jeff Frye

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He had a couple of against-the-odds big hits in a game against the MFYs a few months ago, if I recall correctly, but it's been all down hill from there.
 

Humphrey

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After they get through playing the shell game with Houck, who's the next stiff to get sent packing?
 

Sox Puppet

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Marwin was a miss, but he's nowhere near Pablo Sandoval in my pantheon of terrible Red Sox FA signings.

Funny, by the way, that Bobby D had one of his best offensive games ever on the first day that Schwarber joined the lineup (2 2B and a HR). If nothing else, it's nice to light a fire under his ass.
 

Salem's Lot

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I guess the Orioles' pitching is probably not a lot better than what Schwarber would see in AAA and they're having him DH tonight, so this move makes sense.

Marwin will go down as one of my least-favorite Sox players in recent memory. I hope whatever decision process led to signing him is very carefully revamped.
Are you forgetting about A. J. Pierzynski?
 

YTF

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I think so too. As much as his speed can be weapon, it's not of much use if he's rarely on base. He looks completely overmatched by MLB pitching right now.
Yeah I've been advocating this. He's not helping the team and sitting him won't help his development. Send him down with "to do list", let him play everyday in WOOster, work with him in hopes of seeing real time results and hopefully he can contribute more in a few weeks.
 

Petagine in a Bottle

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I agree that Duran looks somewhat overmatched - although he’s had a few good games recently- but, this seems to be really common among offensive players these days. Kelenic, for example, has been pretty awful for the Mariners and he’s a better prospect than Duran. Wander Franco took his lumps, albeit not against the Sox. Ryan Mouncastle, Andrew Vaughn, and Alec Bohm all struggled a bit, especially early.

The gap between AAA and MLB seems particularly large now, especially for offensive players. I don’t profess to know the answers why but the struggles of Duran and even Dalbec don’t seem particularly unique.

I guess this is a player development question, but how do you know when a player needs more minor league at bats or when they are ready for the bigs, but just need to get their AB’s? Certainly a balancing act particularly when you are trying to contend.
 

mfried

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I think so too. As much as his speed can be weapon, it's not of much use if he's rarely on base. He looks completely overmatched by MLB pitching right now.
Unless Duran could play a Dave Roberts type role. Unfortunately he doesn’t seem inclined to steal very much.
 

Niastri

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I agree that Duran looks somewhat overmatched - although he’s had a few good games recently- but, this seems to be really common among offensive players these days. Kelenic, for example, has been pretty awful for the Mariners and he’s a better prospect than Duran. Wander Franco took his lumps, albeit not against the Sox. Ryan Mouncastle, Andrew Vaughn, and Alec Bohm all struggled a bit, especially early.

The gap between AAA and MLB seems particularly large now, especially for offensive players. I don’t profess to know the answers why but the struggles of Duran and even Dalbec don’t seem particularly unique.

I guess this is a player development question, but how do you know when a player needs more minor league at bats or when they are ready for the bigs, but just need to get their AB’s? Certainly a balancing act particularly when you are trying to contend.
It seems to me when you have a very good core of, say Bogaerts, Martinez, Verdugo, Renfroe, Schwarber and Devers, you can afford to have two or three rookie guys who are taking their lumps.

It's when you have four or five slots hitting like pitchers, and some of them are veteran free agents that you really notice Dalbec and Duran stinking up the joint.

Plawecki hitting like a first baseman for the last few weeks certainly helps as well.

Hopefully it all comes together and the Sox finish strong and overtake the Rays by season end.
 
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Petagine in a Bottle

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That’s a great point, and anecdotally at least, it seems like the Dalbec / Duran types offensive performance is largely piling on when the rest of the team is doing well too. An 0/4 with 3 K’s is a lot more annoying in a game where the team gets shutout.
 

Sandman5756

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Unless Duran could play a Dave Roberts type role. Unfortunately he doesn’t seem inclined to steal very much.
I noticed the same thing. He runs the bases like crazy when he hits the ball or when others get base hits and he is on base. Stealing is reading the pitcher and knowing when to take off. Not sure he has those skills just yet.
 

Harry Hooper

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I noticed the same thing. He runs the bases like crazy when he hits the ball or when others get base hits and he is on base. Stealing is reading the pitcher and knowing when to take off. Not sure he has those skills just yet.
Dave Roberts was coached on base-stealing by Maury Wills. I don't know who has worked with Duran.
 

Rovin Romine

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He played with us as if he was on Houston's payroll all along...
0 for 13 against them.
.440 OPS against the Rays.

The main grace note of his batting is a .961 OPS in 18 at bats against the Yanks.

While I'm glad this particular temptation has been taken out of Cora's hands, I will respectfully doff my cap for his mini-mashing of the Yanks.