Mookie Betts Promoted 6/28

Plympton91

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kieckeredinthehead said:
Aaand another perfectly good thread ruined. 
Since I know certain powers that be are obsessive compulsive about keeping threads directly aligned with the title, let's get back to Betts and how he relates to the future.

He's destroyed every level of the minor leagues, even AAA. He's clearly the type of player, like Pedroia, who you put in the lineup and let him adjust and thrive even if he struggles a lot initially. Because of Pedroia, his future with the Red Sox is in the outfield. Where should he play? I was pleasantly surprised by the arm he showed; it isn't Bradley level, but it's perfectly good for rightfield. This is a great asset, as his speed makes him perfect for Fenway's RF as long as he can learn the angles.

But, his ability to handle center field is also the key to avoiding having a black hole at 2 positions in 2015 if he struggles. The goal for next spring should be a competition between Betts and Bradley, with the loser going back to AAA if Victorino is healthy.
 

mfried

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Plympton91 said:
Since I know certain powers that be are obsessive compulsive about keeping threads directly aligned with the title, let's get back to Betts and how he relates to the future.

He's destroyed every level of the minor leagues, even AAA. He's clearly the type of player, like Pedroia, who you put in the lineup and let him adjust and thrive even if he struggles a lot initially. Because of Pedroia, his future with the Red Sox is in the outfield. Where should he play? I was pleasantly surprised by the arm he showed; it isn't Bradley level, but it's perfectly good for rightfield. This is a great asset, as his speed makes him perfect for Fenway's RF as long as he can learn the angles.

But, his ability to handle center field is also the key to avoiding having a black hole at 2 positions in 2015 if he struggles. The goal for next spring should be a competition between Betts and Bradley, with the loser going back to AAA if Victorino is healthy.
Could he play 3rd base?
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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mfried said:
Could he play 3rd base?
 
With Middlebrooks and Cecchini in the mix as well as Marrero potentially pushing Bogaerts over full-time, the team probably would be better served if Mookie sticks in the outfield somehow.
 

Rasputin

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Red(s)HawksFan said:
 
With Middlebrooks and Cecchini in the mix as well as Marrero potentially pushing Bogaerts over full-time, the team probably would be better served if Mookie sticks in the outfield somehow.
 
Yeah, it certainly looks to me like right field is the best fit. I think we come to camp next year with some kind of significant bat brought in to play left, with Holt, Betts, Bradley, and some mostly fungible vets to fight it out for right, and I expect Bradley and Betts to win the jobs with Holt being a super sub.
 
And I really expect Middlebrooks to get one last chance at third with Bogaerts at short until Marrero has had time to force the issue.
 

Drek717

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Plympton91 said:
But, his ability to handle center field is also the key to avoiding having a black hole at 2 positions in 2015 if he struggles. The goal for next spring should be a competition between Betts and Bradley, with the loser going back to AAA if Victorino is healthy.
Why send the other back to AAA instead of using them as the 4th OF?  Victorino isn't a safe bet to stay healthy.  Neither of the LF platoon guys should be playing RF if it can be helped, especially not CF.  So if the light comes on for Bradley then Betts is a super sub across the OF, at 2B, maybe even some 3B or SS.  If Betts wins then Bradley focuses on getting his hitting in order as the #4 OF with a second shot at winning a full time job as the every day RFer when Victorino leaves after 2015.
 

Plympton91

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Drek717 said:
Why send the other back to AAA instead of using them as the 4th OF?  Victorino isn't a safe bet to stay healthy.  Neither of the LF platoon guys should be playing RF if it can be helped, especially not CF.  So if the light comes on for Bradley then Betts is a super sub across the OF, at 2B, maybe even some 3B or SS.  If Betts wins then Bradley focuses on getting his hitting in order as the #4 OF with a second shot at winning a full time job as the every day RFer when Victorino leaves after 2015.
That works if you acquire an everyday LF, but it can't work if you still have the Gomes/Nava platoon in LF. And, there's no available FA who's better than Gomes, frankly, so finding an everyday LF means making a big trade. Kemp has started to resemble his old self?
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Drek717 said:
Why send the other back to AAA instead of using them as the 4th OF?  Victorino isn't a safe bet to stay healthy.  Neither of the LF platoon guys should be playing RF if it can be helped, especially not CF.  So if the light comes on for Bradley then Betts is a super sub across the OF, at 2B, maybe even some 3B or SS.  If Betts wins then Bradley focuses on getting his hitting in order as the #4 OF with a second shot at winning a full time job as the every day RFer when Victorino leaves after 2015.
 
He is specifically talking about 2015, when at least one of the LF platoon guys is going to be gone.  And building off what Ras said, if the in-house outfield options are Bradley, Betts, Holt, Nava, and Victorino (plus Brentz/Hassan/etc), I think signing a power bat to man LF more or less full time makes a ton of sense (say someone like Nelson Cruz, though he's probably pricing himself out).  With that guy, as well as Victorino and Nava having no options, it makes sense that if Bradley is the odd man out of the CF equation, he gets sent down with Holt/Betts filling CF and the super-sub role.  And if he's not, one of Holt or Betts rides the shuttle, at least to start the year.  The guy on the shuttle is your Victorino insurance.
 

Rasputin

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Red(s)HawksFan said:
 
He is specifically talking about 2015, when at least one of the LF platoon guys is going to be gone.  And building off what Ras said, if the in-house outfield options are Bradley, Betts, Holt, Nava, and Victorino (plus Brentz/Hassan/etc), I think signing a power bat to man LF more or less full time makes a ton of sense (say someone like Nelson Cruz, though he's probably pricing himself out).  With that guy, as well as Victorino and Nava having no options, it makes sense that if Bradley is the odd man out of the CF equation, he gets sent down with Holt/Betts filling CF and the super-sub role.  And if he's not, one of Holt or Betts rides the shuttle, at least to start the year.  The guy on the shuttle is your Victorino insurance.
 
Hmm. Player X, Betts, Bradley, Holt, Victorino.
Middlebrooks, Bogaerts, Pedroia, Napoli, UTPTBNL
Catcher Z, Vazquez.
David Ortiz
 
Depending on who all the players to be named later, are, I think that's a roster that could work. Vic strikes me as the kind of guy who might thrive in a bench role. He can back up center and right which means he can pinch run for damn near anyone and get replaced by Holt or the UT depending on the position.
 

Stitch01

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Plympton91 said:
That works if you acquire an everyday LF, but it can't work if you still have the Gomes/Nava platoon in LF. And, there's no available FA who's better than Gomes, frankly, so finding an everyday LF means making a big trade. Kemp has started to resemble his old self? 
Why cant Gomes, Nava, Victorino, Betts, Bradley be your five OFs?  Don't think you'll get enough playing time for the young guys, not enough offense?
 

OttoC

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I'm not sure that Betts is ready for the outfield, especially right field. I saw him play a few games in center at Double-A and he didn't look too bad but I also didn't see many hard chances. Could it just be nerves or does he need a lot more experience?
 

RedOctober3829

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OttoC said:
I'm not sure that Betts is ready for the outfield, especially right field. I saw him play a few games in center at Double-A and he didn't look too bad but I also didn't see many hard chances. Could it just be nerves or does he need a lot more experience?
He needs a lot more reps to play a solid major league OF.  Fenway is one of the toughest OF's to play in the majors and can be botched up by good OFs.  
 

Stitch01

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Stitch01 said:
Why cant Gomes, Nava, Victorino, Betts, Bradley be your five OFs?  Don't think you'll get enough playing time for the young guys, not enough offense?
To be clear, not advocating this as the best option, just don't understand why it doesn't work from a roster construction standpoint.
 

Plympton91

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Stitch01 said:
Why cant Gomes, Nava, Victorino, Betts, Bradley be your five OFs?  Don't think you'll get enough playing time for the young guys, not enough offense?
I don't see a lot of playing time for the 5th outfielder in that scenario, if a rational decision maker is in charge. But, I'm also starting to worry that Farrell is a lot like Jimy Willians in that he seems to prefer to lose 1-0 than win 8-6. So we'd see a lot more of Jackie Bradley and his 580 career OPS than we should if he's left on the roster.
 

Rasputin

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Stitch01 said:
To be clear, not advocating this as the best option, just don't understand why it doesn't work from a roster construction standpoint.
 
It could work, but it would be nice to have a left fielder who didn't have to be platooned so you could legitimately have two bench OFers, one of whom can also cover first and third, if not all the infield positions.
 
Otherwise, imagine this. Gomes in left, Bradley in center, Vic in right, Holt is playing first to give Nap a blow and Nava is on the bench with Nap, the utility guy, and the backup catcher.
 
You can't pinch run because nobody on the bench is fast enough. Pinch hitting other than Nava for Gomes would pretty much be limited to Nap for Bradley or Vic with Holt moving to the OF defensively and Nap taking first. If Nap is out for a tweaked hammy or something, you've just got nothing going on the bench.
 
If you have one left fielder, and two OFers that can play infield positions in addition to a regular utility infielder, you have options out the wazoo. If your left fielder is a plodder and he gets on base, you can pinch run with any of Betts, Vic, or Bradley whoever isn't playing that day, or if they're all playing, you can pinch run with the utility guy or whichever infielder is getting the day off.
 
I'm a big fan of flexibility.
 
And pinch running.
 
Also, scoring more than one run a game.
 
But I digress...
 

Stitch01

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I'd like to go back to an 11 man staff with the 11th spot being used to rotate young guys with options and usage restrictions through with fresh arms, but that's probably a pipe dream.
 

soxhop411

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“@RyanHannable: The guy who caught Mookie's homer actually played against him in high school summer ball. Small world. He got the ball back.”
 

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Tracking Mookie Betts' first home run
 
 
BOSTON -- When Chris Large bought tickets to Wednesday night's Red Sox game last month he had no idea he would have the chance to renew acquaintances with an old adversary. 
 
It wasn't until a week before the game, when Large received a text from a friend, that he knew a phenom prospect by the name of Mookie Betts had been called up to make his major league debut for the Boston Red Sox. 
 
"[My friend] told me, 'Mookie just got called up,'" Large said. "And I was like, 'Whoa, I'm actually about to go to Boston, maybe I'll get to see him.'" 
 
***
 
Large says that, after his senior year of high school in 2010, he threw a four-hitter during summer league play in Nashville against a team including a then 17-year-old Betts, who had two of the hits. 
 
***

 
A year later, Betts was drafted by the Red Sox in the fifth round of the 2011 draft. In two short years, he became the team's top prospect, completing a meteoric rise through the minor leagues by being called up to Boston on June 28. 
 
Four days later, off to a 1-for-12 start at the plate and in search of his first hit at Fenway Park, Betts stepped up with A.J. Pierzynski on first in the fifth inning of Wednesday's game against Chicago Cubs reliever Carlos Villanueva. 
 
It was then that Chris's sister Lindsey made a bold prediction. 
 
"She said right before the at-bat, 'He's about to hit a home run,'" Chris said. "I said, 'What if I caught it?'" 
 
***

 
"I saw it and I could tell it was coming over here. So I jumped up [to catch it] but I wasn't tall enough." 
 
The ball caromed off the row above Large, bouncing forward with enough hang time for him to recover and make the catch ("It was kind of slow motion," Large said). Fenway Park staff approached Large to retrieve the ball, which he was more than happy to turn over. 
 
"When we were talking about it I said, 'If I get it, it's his first home run. I'm glad to give it to him,'" Large said. "I didn't mind a bit." 
 
Betts later validated the well-intentioned exchange. 
 
"He said as soon as he found it he wanted to find a way to get it to me," Betts said. "I really appreciated that." 
 
After he made the catch, Large was told he would receive a few signed Mookie Betts items and get the chance to meet Betts (or, in his case, see Betts again). 
 
As clubhouse attendants brought Betts over to meet Large and his sister after the game, Large told Betts everything -- about getting the tickets early, his sister's prediction, their history -- all facts that Betts said he couldn't remember. 
 
 

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HriniakPosterChild said:
all facts that Betts said he couldn't remember.
See the ball, hit the ball.  Everything else is superfluous. That's why one is a MLBer and the other is that guy.
 
Or the guy's a pathological liar. Could be that, too.
 

epraz

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Well, what's there to remember?  The guy pitched one game against Betts years ago.  I remember the time I sat next to Rachel Dratch on the Amtrak.  She probably doesn't.