I'm never too sure about starting any thread but since the season is nearly afoot, it seems like a good time to hear from posters here about the Devers, Martinez short term outlook and the handful of good prospects at 3rd.
A lot of people are already prepared to move Devers across the diamond after this season... to me that's premature. I have a lot of optimism in his bat to be consistently somewhere around a .950 OPS starting towards the second half of this season and into his long term success. (A little rocky start then a kick-ass second half and landing somewhere around an .875 OPS with 35 HR's). Most of the reasoning to move him though is defense based (or lack thereof)... citing his errors and fielding pct. more than most SoSH'ers are normally comfortable with- but it wasn't hard to see him struggle there. People who watched the games more said his footwork and handiwork and first step were actually all pretty good and could see him putting together a few seasons of above average defensive work there... Still seems to be pretty conclusive then that he'll be moved across the diamond. I think he'll be there full time in 2020.
Which brings me to JDM. He's a DH 50% of the time and really should be 90% of the time (that 10% only being games in NL parks). I think he'll be closer to that this season... and I do also think the Sox will extend him as the full time DH for another 5 years soon.
So that leaves 1B and DH wrapped up.... but an obvious hole at the Hot Corner.
I don't know much about Chavis, Dalbec and especially Casas... and hoping to get input here. Obviously 3 prospects can't fill the one spot. So... is any of their defense good enough to stick there long term? The other long term weak spot is 2B.... if (hypothetically, obvz) we get another 2 seasons out of Pedroia... is one of those 3 a possible solution to take over in 2022? Or is one of them a possible outfield solution, with likely one of JBJ and/or Betts gone soon. Other than those 3 guys, there isn't much else blooming on the offensive side... Casas is obviously much farther away... should he be taking some time at 2nd?
And yes.. I'm asking all of this for a friend.
A lot of people are already prepared to move Devers across the diamond after this season... to me that's premature. I have a lot of optimism in his bat to be consistently somewhere around a .950 OPS starting towards the second half of this season and into his long term success. (A little rocky start then a kick-ass second half and landing somewhere around an .875 OPS with 35 HR's). Most of the reasoning to move him though is defense based (or lack thereof)... citing his errors and fielding pct. more than most SoSH'ers are normally comfortable with- but it wasn't hard to see him struggle there. People who watched the games more said his footwork and handiwork and first step were actually all pretty good and could see him putting together a few seasons of above average defensive work there... Still seems to be pretty conclusive then that he'll be moved across the diamond. I think he'll be there full time in 2020.
Which brings me to JDM. He's a DH 50% of the time and really should be 90% of the time (that 10% only being games in NL parks). I think he'll be closer to that this season... and I do also think the Sox will extend him as the full time DH for another 5 years soon.
So that leaves 1B and DH wrapped up.... but an obvious hole at the Hot Corner.
I don't know much about Chavis, Dalbec and especially Casas... and hoping to get input here. Obviously 3 prospects can't fill the one spot. So... is any of their defense good enough to stick there long term? The other long term weak spot is 2B.... if (hypothetically, obvz) we get another 2 seasons out of Pedroia... is one of those 3 a possible solution to take over in 2022? Or is one of them a possible outfield solution, with likely one of JBJ and/or Betts gone soon. Other than those 3 guys, there isn't much else blooming on the offensive side... Casas is obviously much farther away... should he be taking some time at 2nd?
And yes.. I'm asking all of this for a friend.