Tag Archives: Red Sox

Two Red Sox in Baseball America Top 100 Prospects

Baseball America released its annual top 100 prospects list Monday. If you go searching for Red Sox, it might take you awhile. The Red Sox have two of their prospects included on the list, and both are in the bottom twenty. What happened to the Red Sox system you might ask? Well, they traded away a lot of their young assets, but most of the deals have worked out. Some of them were dealt to Chicago for staff ace Chris Sale, others were sent to San Diego for Craig Kimbrel and Drew Pomeranz. Others are just no longer eligible, as Andrew Benintendi and Rafael Devers are on the big club. The Red Sox still have plenty of young talent, as for the farm system; let’s take a look at the two who made the list.

Jason Groome

Groome, unsurprisingly, is the highest Red Sox on the list. What is a bit surprising is him coming in as low as eighty-third on that list. Groome was a top prospect coming into the 2016 draft, some places even ranked him as the best eligible player in the draft. He fell to the Red Sox at twelfth, presumably due to signability issues and minor character concerns. The Red Sox got a bargain, having arguably the best talent in the draft slip to them at twelve. And as a left-handed pitcher with ace potential that was like striking gold.

Groome is a big kid, standing at 6’6″ 220. At just nineteen years old, he has room to add to his frame and maybe pick up a couple of ticks on his fastball velocity, which already reaches the mid-90’s. There is no real concern over his body, as it is a great size to withstand the rigors of pitching all season long and approaching 200 innings a year. Groome also has the makings of a devastating curveball, which Keith Law said was the best in the entire 2016 draft class and one of the best he had ever seen from a high schooler.

Work Left to Do

Groome still has work to do; he is only nineteen years old after all. He needs to work on his mechanics and his control as he walked 4.9 batters per nine innings last season. Groome also needs to improve his changeup to give himself a reliable third pitch. It is hard to make it as a starter in the big leagues with only two pitches, so the development of a third pitch is key. He has the talent to do so, pitching in high school there was no need for him to ever throw a changeup because no one could hit his fastball and curveball. With some work, I expect his changeup to become at least adequate with time.

The reason Groome likely slips to number eighty-three on the prospects list is due to his disappointing 2017 campaign. In all fairness to Groome, he was injured right out of the gate and played catch up for most of the year. Groome took a shellacking in his debut at Greenville and didn’t pitch again for over two months. He made three rehab starts at Lowell, finishing up with a five inning no-hitter. After making it back to Greenville Groome showed inconsistency, pitching a couple stellar games but also exhibiting his control problems in others. He was just 3-7 with a 6.70 ERA at Greenville, but throwing out that first start in which he was injured, the ERA comes down to 5.02. For a positive, Groome struck out 11.77 batters per nine innings at the level.

Moving Forward

A good sign for Groome’s development is he worked out with Chris Sale in the offseason. The Red Sox top prospect, a left-hander, taking the initiative to work out with fellow left-hander and staff ace can only be a good thing. I think if Groome can enter this season healthy he will show a lot more of his potential and show why he was so highly though of out of high school. He has already shown the ability to miss plenty of bats, I think he will put that to better use this season. With it, Groome should fly up the prospect rankings by season’s end. If things go well, he may even threaten the top twenty next year.

Groome grew up a Red Sox fan despite living in New Jersey surrounded by Yankees fans.

Michael Chavis

Chavis came in at eighty-fifth on the prospects list, just two spots lower than Groome. As the top power bat in the Red Sox system, Chavis got a lot of attention last season. A first round pick back in 2014, Chavis struggled adjusting to pro ball. Chavis started in Greenville in 2015 and only batted .223. The only positive of his debut were the sixteen home runs he hit. At just twenty years old the Red Sox had Chavis repeat the level in 2016, and it didn’t go any better. For a first round pick, Michael Chavis was certainly not living up to expectations.

2017

Chavis entered the season last year at twenty-one years old. He also opened the season with high-A Salem, a team he had only played for briefly towards the end of the 2016 season. Chavis showed immense improvement, not only hitting for power, but for average as well. In 223 at-bats with Salem, Chavis hit .318 with seventeen long balls and a 1.029 OPS. He was beginning to show why the Red Sox had made him a first round draft pick three years earlier.

The performance earned Chavis a mid-season callup to AA Portland. Although his bat slowed some, Chavis still exhibited the power potential he had shown in Salem earlier in the year. His average dropped to .250 in Portland, but he still managed a nice .802 OPS. In 248 at-bats he added fourteen more home runs for the Sea Dogs, giving him thirty-one on the season between the two levels. Playing in the Arizona Fall League, Chavis’ numbers remained in line with what he had done in Portland, batting .261 with four home runs and an .805 OPS. Thirty-five home runs in 563 at-bats is a nice year’s work.

Chavis batting with the Portland Sea Dogs.

What’s To Come

Can Chavis be the hitter he was in Salem, hitting for a good average and power? Or will he be a power hitter who struggles to make contact and hit for a mediocre average? The evidence so far leads me to believe he will be closer to the player we saw in Portland then the one with Salem. Hey, there’s a market for power bats, it’s not a bad thing. Even when going well, Chavis has some swing and miss to his game and hasn’t walked a ton. Last year he drew 39 walks against 113 strike outs. It would be nice to see him walk more by the time he makes it to the Major Leagues. Then again, sometimes guys hit the ball with more authority when they have an aggressive approach.

Chavis’ defense at third base is a little questionable, but if Rafael Devers shows improvement at the hot corner the Red Sox are set there for years to come. The ultimate home for Chavis on the diamond might be at first base, where the Red Sox don’t have anyone locked up past 2019. With Mitch Moreland and Hanley Ramirez back in the fold, the Sox shouldn’t need Chavis this year. They even have Sam Travis, who Baseball America rated as the Red Sox seventh best prospect. With another season like 2017, he might force his way up for 2019, but he needs to focus on continual improvement to his game first. Chavis has some work to put in down on the farm, as Major League pitchers will do a better job finding the holes in his swing and exploiting his weaknesses.

Feature picture from Baseball Hot Corner

The Worst Designated Hitters in Red Sox History

Leave a reply

The designated hitter has been around for 45 seasons so far. David Ortiz was the Red Sox main DH for 14 seasons, nearly one-third of that time. There are only three other players who were the Red Sox main DH for more than just two seasons, Reggie Jefferson, Carl Yastrzemski and Cecil Cooper. So, for the final position of this series of articles, I dig to the bottom of the barrel to find the worst Red Sox designated hitters of all-time.

Jeremy Giambi

Prior to the 2003 season, the Red Sox signed Yankee star Jason Giambi’s younger, less famous brother, for two million dollars. Like his brother, Jeremy walked a lot, but he didn’t hit as well or for as much power. He didn’t really seem any better than David Ortiz at the start of the year, but he had first shot at the starting job at designated hitter versus righties. For some reason, he had a pretty long leash. The Red Sox started Giambi most days through the end of May despite him not doing much of anything.

Giambi ended up playing in 50 games for the Red Sox, batting .197 with five home runs and a .696 OPS. This stellar performance was good enough to keep David Ortiz on the bench for almost the first two months of the year. Ortiz went on to become an MVP candidate that season anyways. Giambi was relegated to mostly a pinch-hitting role after May and did not play at all after August 1st. Not only was his play terrible, his presence kept a budding superstar on the bench for far too long.

http://www.athletespeakers.com/speaker/jeremy-giambi/

Bob Bailey

Bob Bailey had a long career, playing in parts of 17 seasons from 1962-78. Bailey hit 20 home runs three times, topping out at 28 in 1970 with the Expos. By the time he came to Boston however, it was at the end of his career. They acquired him late in the 1977 season, then tried to make him their designated hitter in 1978. He only ended up playing 34 games at DH, Jim Rice was used more that season at the “position.” Rice played mostly left, but on days he was at DH Yaz would play left. On other days Yaz was at first base as the Red Sox tried to find a rotation that worked.

As for Bailey, he batted just .188 as a member of the Red Sox, homering four times and driving in nine runners. Two of his at-bats came at the end of the 1977 season, for the Red Sox 1978 season he batted .191 with a .679 OPS. Maybe that season would have turned out better had the Red Sox never had Bailey on the team.

Sam Horn

I like Sam Horn, so it saddens me to include him here. However, he was a bust after 1987. Horn was a big man, standing at 6’5″, and had a lot of power. In 1987, he hit 30 home runs for the Pawtucket Red Sox, posting a 1.037 OPS. After being called up by the Red Sox, he continued his tear, homering in each of his first two games and five of his first eight. By season’s end, Horn had homered 14 times while hitting for a .278 average over 158 at-bats with the Sox. His .589 slugging percentage and .945 OPS as a rookie gave great hope for the future. On the season, combined between the two levels he had homered 44 times.

Horn never regained that stroke, and was a total disaster in the Red Sox organization the next two seasons before moving on. In 1988, Horn batted .148 with two homers over 61 at-bats for the big league club. Sent to Pawtucket where he had homered 30 times the year before, Horn batted just .233 with 10 home runs. The next season he struggled again, batting .232 with eight home runs in AAA. In 54 at-bats in Boston, Horn again batted .148. This time, he did not hit any home runs.

Over parts of three seasons with the Red Sox, Horn did hit 16 home runs in only 273 at-bats, but he only hit .233. With his limited defense, Horn had to really mash the ball to find playing time. Horn hit a career high 23 home runs with Baltimore in 1991 and finished his Major League career averaging 26 home runs per 162 games played. In 1993, Horn homered 38 times in AAA Charlotte and batted .455 with four home runs for the Indians in September.

Dishonorable Mention:

Jack Clark, Jim Leyritz

Feature picture from DailySportX.com

The Worst Right Fielders in Red Sox History

Leave a reply

Nearing the end of my series of articles about the worst players in franchise history, I take on right field. Fenway’s spacious right field has been home to some of the most beloved players in team history; Dwight Evans, Tony Conigliaro, and Trot Nixon. But the team hasn’t always received stellar play from the position, sometimes giving up quality assets to bring someone aboard who proceeds to flop. Some just may have never been good to begin with. So who among them let us fans down the most?

Rusney Castillo

Castillo takes up the top spot for what little he has accomplished versus what was paid to get him. Castillo was a star in Cuba who became highly sought after once eligible for Major League teams. The Red Sox shelled out a 72.5 million dollar contract spanning seven seasons to sign him, the largest contract ever given to an international free agent. After defecting from Cuba, Castillo was out of baseball for over a year so some rust was to be expected.

Castillo impressed initially, batting .333 with a couple of homers over 36 at-bats for the Red Sox towards the end of the 2014 season. After such a long layoff, this gave many high hopes for his future. Castillo also stole three bases without being caught that September. Unfortunately, the production didn’t last, and the high hopes fizzled out with it.

After being ranked as the 21st best prospect by Baseball America prior to the 2015 season, Castillo batted just .253 with a meager .288 on-base percentage for the Red Sox. His five home runs showed less power than what was expected and he finished with a .359 slugging percentage, lower than Pablo Sandoval’s that season. He was also caught stealing more times than he successfully stole on the bases. As for the field, Castillo finished 4th worst in the American League with his five errors. Of his five errors, four of them came in right field in only 39 starts. His play looked amazingly unrefined.

Castillo was outrighted off the 40 man roster in 2016 and hasn’t been back on it since. Four years into his seven year contract the Red Sox have gotten seven home runs, seven stolen bases and five errors out of their 72.5 million dollar man. Castillo’s contract will only count against the luxury tax if he is added to the 40-man roster, so while there is still a little hope for salvaging some value, he would have to make a big impression to be given another chance. He made strides last season, batting .314 with 15 homers across 87 games in Pawtucket. Will he get another chance to prove himself?

baseballreference.com

Mark Whiten

Nicknamed “Hard Hittin’ Whiten”, it is not hard to figure out what Whiten did well. He had his breakout year with the Cardinals in 1993, hitting 25 home runs while driving in 99 runs. That year he also tied Major League records by hitting 4 home runs and driving in 12 runners in one game! The next year, shortened by a strike, Whiten posted a career high .849 OPS. He also had a cannon for an arm out in right field, throwing out 47 base runners over the previous four seasons.

The Red Sox acquired Whiten from the Cardinals in advance of the 1995 season. With how he’d hit the ball in recent seasons, he would fit nicely into a revamped lineup. Well, that was the thought anyways. Whiten lasted with the team until July 24th when they finally shipped him off to Philadelphia. In that time, “Hard Hittin’ Whiten” had managed to hit one home run and three doubles. His batting average was below the Mendoza Line at .185. His rate stats fell off a cliff, posting a .239/.241/.480 triple slash. Instead of Whiten filling the need in right field, Troy O’leary, picked off the scrap heap from Milwaukee answered the call.

As for Whiten, his bat rebounded pretty quickly after leaving Boston, posting an .846 OPS the rest of the way with the Phillies. In 1996, he was mostly good again, hitting 22 home runs with an .848 OPS. So, he was good his two years prior to joining the Red Sox, and just as good, if not better after leaving Boston. In between, he couldn’t hit his own weight. The only thing he did keep in Boston was his strong arm, throwing out four base runners from right field in 31 games.

Wily Mo Pena

Pena was not designed to be a right fielder in Fenway Park. He had little range, and little glove, and the spacious confines of right field did not suit him. Pena was a big man, standing at 6’3″ 260, and had hit 26 home runs in only 336 at-bats in 2004 with the Reds. The biggest problem, the Red Sox traded fan favorite and durable workhorse Bronson Arroyo to acquire him. Arroyo had won 24 games the previous two seasons and had pitched 200 innings in 2005 for the Red Sox. The team would miss his arm, as the rotation experienced injuries and ineffectiveness all season.

Pena had a good first season at the plate, batting .301 with 11 home runs and an .838 OPS in 276 at-bats. He showed the same underlying concerns he had in Cincinnati though, walking just 20 times as opposed to 90 strike outs. He also posted a -0.9 dWAR that season, a number he would duplicate with the Red Sox in 2007.

Wily Mo’s bat fell apart in 2007 as pitchers adjusted to his free swinging ways. A breaking ball in the dirt is all it took to get the big man swinging away. Pena batted .218 that second season with the Red Sox, hitting five home runs across 156 at-bats. The Red Sox cut their losses, sending Pena with cash to the Nationals for a player to be named later (Chris Carter). The power was always real, but his game had too many holes.

Dishonorable Mentions:

Jeremy Hermida, Joe Lahoud, Wes Chamberlain, Shano Collins, Jay Payton

Featured picture from masslive.com

http://www.masslive.com/redsox/index.ssf/2017/03/rusney_castillo_boston_red_sox_6.html

It’s Time to Make Christian Vazquez the Guy

Leave a reply

After the best offensive season of his young career, Christian Vazquez has solidified himself as the mainstay behind the plate. All he needs to do in order to ascertain the starting role is to keep this momentum going. In addition to playing with a fire attitude, Vazquez has one of the best clubhouse and on-field personalities on the Red Sox. His excitement is on display on every pitch he catches. Just watch how fired up he was after hitting a walk-off home run:

The point of this article is not to bash Sandy Leon. Instead the intention is to point out why Vazquez should receive the most time behind the plate.

“Personal Catchers”

The “personal catcher problem” began in Boston with Jon Lester and David Ross. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was behind the plate to catch a significant amount of Jon Lester’s starts. In my opinion, the only time a personal catcher situation is acceptable is for a knuckleball pitcher and catcher. As Red Sox fans, we saw what Tim Wakefield was like when Doug Mirabelli was not with the team. As Chris Sale and Rick Porcello continue to be accustomed to Sandy Leon being behind the plate or their games, Alex Cora needs to take a firm stance behind Vazquez and not coddle the pitchers.

Sandy Leon

Sandy Leon is a good defensive catcher. However, watching his effort, or lack thereof in the playoffs, it is clear his playing time should take a hit. Leon would walk to fetch balls that sailed past him, even though there were runners on base. Vazquez will give a 110% effort on every single pitch. Sandy Leon had the best offensive season of his career in 2016. Leon hit .310 with an OPS of .845. In addition to the fact his season his numbers fell off to .225 and an OPS of .644, his effort behind the plate also fell.

Furthermore, I do not believe that Vazquez can keep up the numbers he put up this season. However his defense and knowledge of the game are more than enough to make him the mainstay. Sandy Leon and Christian Vazquez can become one of the best catching tandems in Red Sox history. The pair has the highest caught stealing percentage of catchers since 1987, with a minimum of one hundred starts. Vazquez owns a career percentage of 46.4 percent, also Leon’s career percentage is 44.3 percent. Also Ivan Rodriguez’s career percentage is 41.7 percent.

Going Forward

I am arguing for Christian Vazquez to receive the majority of playing time going forward. Likewise, I believe Sandy Leon will continue to be an important part of the Red Sox. Having both of these guys fighting for playing time is a good situation for Alex Cora to have. A catching battle can only benefit the team as the pitching rotation continues to get comfortable with both of them.

Follow Matt McGurn on Twitter: @MickGurn

The Worst Center Fielders in Red Sox History

Leave a reply

Just as they have in left field, the Red Sox have a pretty good history of center fielders. Now, they don’t have a stretch of seven consecutive decades of stellar play, but it’s a good run nonetheless. So who are some of the less than stellar center fielders the Red Sox have employed?

Mike Cameron

Mike Cameron had a solid career prior to joining the Red Sox. He was never one hit to for a good average, batting .249 for his career, but he had some power and was a great defensive center fielder. He also was a good base stealer earlier in his career, but those days were starting to pass him by. At the age of 37, Cameron’s speed was waning and with it his range in center field. Couple these factors with Cameron’s swing and miss bat and the Red Sox decision to give Cameron two years at 7.75 million dollar per year at the age of 37 was a curious one.

That first season in Boston, Cameron’s bat was relatively similar to what he had been before, but his defense dropped off a cliff. He made two errors in just 43 games and missed some balls diving to make a play he may have been able to make in prior years. He also got injured, hurting his groin and missing most of the season. By 2011, Cameron had nothing left. He batted just .149 over 94 at-bats, posting a .212/.266/.477 slash line. The Red Sox sold him to the Marlins in July. During his time in Boston, Cameron batted .212 with 7 home runs and a .637 OPS. As for his defense, the former Gold Glove center fielder posted a -0.9 dWAR while in Boston.

Mike Cameron dives for a ball hit in the first inning on July 8 against Cleveland. (http://elyriact.smugmug.com/895212773_M3tfT-M.jpg)

Jose Tartabull

Tartabull has a spot in Red Sox history, throwing out Ken Berry at the plate to win a crucial game down the stretch in 1967 over the White Sox. However, Tartabull wasn’t really a good player, so thank him for what he did in that 1967 game and not much else. That season he batted .223, drove in just 10 runs and was caught stealing as many times as he successfully stole. Also, despite the famous assist from right field in 1967, Tartabull had one of the weakest outfield arms in the game. His defense was a negative, totaling a -1.4 dWAR during his time with the Red Sox.

At the plate, Tartabull didn’t offer much. Over parts of three seasons with the Red Sox, Tartabull failed to homer. He also walked just 35 times, leading to a .295 on-base percentage. Combined with his barely existent power, Tartabull posted a .594 OPS as a member of the Red Sox. At least Tartabull had his moment in the sun.

Boston Red Sox outfielder Jose Tartabull slides into home plate around Detroit Tigers catcher Bill Freehan during a game at Fenway Park in Boston May 12, 1967. Red Sox outfielder Carl Yastrzemski looks on. (Photo by Dan Goshtigian/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Herm Winningham

Winningham is the only player in baseball history with “winning” in his name. Despite this, he didn’t help a lot, posting a negative wins above replacement for his career. With the Red Sox, he was less helpful than usual, posting a -0.8 over 105 games. Winningham was often brought in during the late innings, but wasn’t particularly good in the field or on the base paths. Along with his so-so defense, Winningham was caught stealing five times in 11 tries.

At the plate, Winningham batted .235 with a home run over 234 at-bats. He walked just 10 times as opposed to 53 strike outs, leading to a .266/.291/.557 triple slash line. Essentially, Winningham didn’t add any value in the field or on the base paths, and he most definitely brought negative value at the plate.

A 1993 Topps card of Herm Winningham with the Red Sox.

Dishonorable Mentions:

Steve Lyons, Willie Harris, Tom Oliver, Mel Almada, Gary Geiger

Featured picture courtesy of overthemonster.com

https://www.overthemonster.com/2011/7/5/2260329/red-sox-trade-mike-cameron-florida-marlins

Boston: The City of Champions

Leave a reply

City of Champions

In recent years Boston has been called the City of Champions. It has inherited this name due to its sports teams winning an incredible ten championships since 2000. Each professional team has won at least one championship, while the Patriots have won the most with five titles. Even when the quartet of teams that includes the Bruins, Celtics, Red Sox, and Patriots don’t win it all they’ve still been successful. This year has proven to be no different.

New England Patriots

Over the past eighteen years, the Patriots have been the most successful franchise in football and all of sports. They’ve won five titles and made the playoffs fourteen times. They have arguably the best coach and quarterback in the history of the game. Every year they are competitive, and unlike other teams have not needed to rebuild. They are the most controversial team in sports, but that’s what happens when you’re good for eighteen straight years. Today they play the Tennessee Titans to begin their playoff run. They are again favorites to win another championship, which would give them three in a four-year span.

Photo Credit: AP/ Photo Darron Cummings

Boston Celtics

The Celtics have struggled at times over the years. That does not mean that it’s all been bad. In 2008 after acquiring Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to join Paul Pierce, the Celtics won their first title since 1976. The Big three made back to the finals in 2010 but lost in seven games to the Lakers. They were unable to win another championship before the blockbuster trade that changed the franchise in 2011. The Celtics, however, have used that trade to build the current roster and speed up their rebuild, which only took two seasons. For the past three years, the Celtics have made it to the playoffs but have been unable to advance very far. This year the Celtics are primed to win a title and have a core in place to keep them competitive for the foreseeable future.

Photo Credit: Tim Cato

Boston Bruins

Boston is said to be a hockey town at heart and that was apparent when they won the Cup in 2011. Since 2000 the Bruins have made it to the playoffs eleven times and the Stanley Cup Finals twice. Last year they made it to the playoffs for the first time in two years. This season they have been one of the best which has come as a surprise to many. Like the Celtics, they are full of young talent and primed to be good for years to come. The Bruins have struggled at times over the years but have made the playoffs the majority of the time. Their future looks bright and they are primed to win a title with this core before the end of the decade.

Photo Credit: Elsa- Getty Images

Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox like the Patriots have been very successful since. They’ve won three titles and made the playoffs nine times. They’ve provided the city with some of its most thrilling postseason moments. In 2004 they came back and stunned the world against their arch-rivals. Some seasons have been tough, but the Red Sox have been able to recover without going through extended rebuilds. They’ve lifted up the city when it needed them the most such as in 2013 after the marathon bombings. In what is a common theme among Boston sports teams they are rich with young talent. Going into next year the Red Sox are not the favorites, but they aren’t that far off from being champions again.

Photo Credit: Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images

Why Boston Fans Should Be Thankful

For the past eighteen years, Boston fans have been spoiled. Unlike any other city, the teams are almost always good and at least one team is always a favorite to win a championship. Some sports fans never see their team win a championship. In Boston, it’s considered a failure if these teams go two years without a title. That excellence is rare, and all these teams are filled with young talent. This impressive run won’t end anytime soon meaning Boston will be considered the city of champions for a while.

The Worst Left Fielders in Red Sox History

Leave a reply

The history of Red Sox left fielders has been a long and storied one. The team’s five greatest left fielders practically all played in succession, with Williams, Yaz, Rice, Greenwell and Manny, spanning nearly the entire length of seven decades. That might be the most remarkable run of players at one position, in the history of the game. With all those years taken up by good players, it doesn’t leave much for poor play.

Carl Crawford

Let’s start with the easy one. Crawford was one of the biggest free agent busts the game has ever seen. Over the eight years prior to joining the Red Sox, Crawford had batted .299, and averaged 50 stolen bases per season, for the division rival Devil Rays. Crawford made four all-star teams in that span, and was coming off a season in which he won the Gold Glove Award. The Red Sox rewarded Crawford with a seven-year deal, worth 142 million dollars.

The Red Sox entered 2011 as huge favorites, having added Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez. However, Crawford was not the weapon he was expected to be near the top of the lineup. He rewarded the Red Sox faith in him with the worst season of his career, up to that point. Crawford would bat .255 that season, a meager 23 walks, and finished with an ugly .289 on-base percentage. He stole just 18 bases in 24 tries, the fewest steals during a full season for his career. In the outfield, he managed just 1 assist. Playing in front of the Monster usually aids in a left fielder’s assists, as they can play shallow and get the ball back in to the infield quickly following ricochets off the wall.

In 2012, Crawford missed a good chunk of the season. He fared better, batting .282 over 117 at-bats, but still wasn’t the weapon he was supposed to be. Crawford was also miserable in Boston, later admitting to hating the city. Luckily, the Red Sox were able to get out from the remainder of his contract, and they shipped him to Los Angeles in August of that season.

Carl Crawford reacts to striking out during the second inning at Fenway Park Sept. 4, 2011. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Hanley Ramirez

This is a selection for the one season in which Hanley played left field. The Red Sox’ misguided attempt to put Hanley Ramirez in left field, so they could disastrously sign Pablo Sandoval, was an embarrassment before it started. Hanley made four errors in 92 games, and it seemed so much worse. Whenever a ball was hit to left, it seemed to be an adventure for Ramirez. In less than 100 games, he managed to put up a -2.5 dWAR.

Ramirez was also a disappointment at the plate in that season. Some of it could possibly be attributed to trying to learn a new position, but he only batted .249. He hit 19 home runs, and only doubled 12 times. Hanley’s .717 OPS was lower than many others on the team, including over 100 points lower than outfield fill-in, Alejandro De Aza. Hanley bounced back in a big way the following season, after moving to first base, but his time in left field was a mess.

Davis/Globe Staff

Heinie Manush

This final spot gets even harder, as the Red Sox just haven’t had many bad left fielders. Manush was actually a Hall of Fame player, but for what he did prior to his time in Boston. Manush batted .330 for his career, and averaged 205 base hits, per 162 games played. He won a batting title in Detroit, and led the league in hits for both the St. Louis Browns, and the Washington Senators. From when he broke in during the 1923 season, up through 1934, he hit .337 with an .878 OPS.

Manush came to the Red Sox in 1936, coming off a down season. He was 34 years old, and would turn 35 during the season. However, as recently as 1934 Manush had batted .349, with a .915 OPS. That season he had 64 extra base hits, leading to a slugging percentage of .523. The Red Sox traded for him from the Senators hoping for a bounce back season. It turned out he was just in the decline stage of his career. His defense wasn’t great, he committed more errors than he had assists. At the plate, he did bat .291, but failed to homer, and only totaled 20 extra base hits for the year. His .700 OPS that season, was the lowest of his career.

Typically, this one season from Manush that wasn’t good, but wasn’t terrible, wouldn’t land him on one of these lists. Since the Red Sox have had such great left fielders over a long period of time though, the pickings are slim.

Leslie Jones/ Boston Public Library

Dishonorable Mentions:

Billy Hatcher (His one season in left field was poor; played better in center)

Ivan Calderon

Featured picture courtesy of 12up.com

http://www.12up.com/posts/4317717-7-biggest-free-agent-busts-in-mlb-history

The Worst Shortstops in Red Sox History

Leave a reply

Following up a position monopolized by one guy, I return to a more normal position at shortstop. Even though the Red Sox have had quite a few good shortstops in their history, there are also a lot of bad ones to choose from. After reading the worst three of the bunch, make sure to check the mentions at the bottom, as there are plenty of worthy candidates.

Julio Lugo

After mistakenly letting Orlando Cabrera leave after winning the World Series in 2004, the Red Sox were unsettled at the shortstop position for several years. They thought they could solidify it by signing Julio Lugo for the 2007 season. In parts of four seasons with Tampa Bay, Lugo had batted .287 with 40 home runs and 88 stolen bases. His fielding left something to be desired, but he had speed and was more than capable at the plate. The Red Sox gave him a four year deal worth 36 million.

Needless to say, Lugo didn’t work out. The Red Sox won the World Series his first season despite him. Lugo batted .237 that year with a .294/.349/.643 slash line. Lugo also made 19 errors in the field. Sadly, his defense got worse. In 2008 Lugo had a .945 fielding percentage, and in 27 starts before being traded in 2009 he managed to make seven errors, leading to a .928 fielding percentage.

Lugo’s hitting did improve after that first season on the other hand, but it was hard not to. In 82 games he batted .268 in 2008. However, an extra base hit was rare, leading to an anemic .330 slugging percentage. Before he was traded to the Cardinals for Chris Duncan (remember him?) in 2009, Lugo was hitting .284 with an improved .719 OPS. His defense was not even close to up to the task at shortstop though and the Red Sox had to make a change. In his three seasons in Boston, Lugo batted .251 with 10 home runs and a .664 OPS while playing weak defense. My wife, who doesn’t pay attention to baseball, referred to him as “hock a loogie.”

Jackie Gutierrez

Jackie Gutierrez has the lowest WAR of anyone I came across, totaling an astounding -3.5 in only two seasons. After making a brief appearance in 1983, Gutierrez was the Sox main shortstop in 1984. Although he batted a respectable .263 that season, Gutierrez walked a total of 15 times in 151 games! This led to a measly .284 on-base percentage. Gutierrez also only had 17 extra base hits, helping him to a .316 slugging percentage. So despite a passable batting average, Gutierrez was pretty worthless at the plate. He also made 31 errors in the field that season, giving him a total WAR of -2.1.

Somehow, Gutierrez retained his job in 1985. He only wound up starting for a partial season though, accumulating 275 at-bats. His averaged plummeted to .218 and he hit a mere nine extra base hits. His OPS fell all the way to .523. On top of that, he managed to make 23 errors in only 99 games, 83 starts. The Red Sox somehow got the Orioles to trade for him that offseason and they moved him to second base.

Shortstop Jackie Gutierrez of the Red Sox awaits a throw on May 15, 1984 against the Cleveland Indians. (Photo by Ron Kuntz Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images)

Rabbit Warstler

Warstler is a guy going back to the dark ages of the early 1930’s. He couldn’t hit his way out a wet paper bag. In four seasons with the Red Sox he batted .215 with 2 home runs and 74 runs batted in. Warstler had a feeble .285 on-base percentage and .276 slugging percentage. In those four seasons he only had 49 extra base hits.

It’s not as though Warstler added a lot defensively, he made 41 errors in 1932. He actually got moved to second base for a few years after leaving the Red Sox. His WAR was in the negatives in all four seasons with the Red Sox, bottoming out at -1.3 in 1932.

A portrait of Harold B. (Rabbit) Warstler of the Red Sox in 1933. (Photo by Sporting News and Rogers Photo Archive via Getty Images)

Dishonorable Mentions:

Edgar Renteria AKA: Rent-A-Wreck, AKA: Edgar Rent-error-ia

Mike Lansing, Craig Grebeck, Glenn Hoffman, Dud Lee, Johnny Mitchell

Featured picture credit goes to Bostondirtdogs.boston.com

David Price Opt Out is For the Best

Leave a reply

David Price’s career in Boston can be described as shaky at best. There are Price lovers and Price haters, most fans can agree that Price has not been all that. Fighting with fans, Hall of Famers, and the media, Price cannot handle the pressures of playing in Boston. David Price’s 7 year/ $217 million contract came a year after Jon Lester was offered a 4 year/ $70 million contract. Lester is a good pitcher who can perform in the playoffs. However he was 30, and according to John Henry the Red Sox refuse to sign pitchers over 30.

Before Boston

Price is sensitive, and cannot handle big games. Dave Dombrowski and the Red Sox still still gave him one of the biggest contracts ever given to a pitcher. Before Price was verbally assaulting Hall of Famers, he was attacking Red Sox fans on Twitter. Price is about as tough as a plastic bag in a tree. He also went after David Ortiz for the unholy act of admiring the two home runs he hit in the playoffs. David Ortiz again proved himself the bigger man by burying the hatchet. It seemed that Price would never sign here, and if he did it would be a huge mistake. Like Carl Crawford, Price went blind at all those zeroes.

2016

Price was “Ace” going into the 2016 season. He was “saving all his postseason wins for the Red Sox”. At the end of the season his ERA was 3.99, which is not good at all. Price is making the same amount of money that Clayton Kershaw is, and that’s how he turned out? Kershaw had a 1.69 ERA in 2016. Many would argue and say it is unfair to compare Price and Kershaw, but why is that? Price is making that much money and supposedly one of the league’s top pitchers. Why can he not perform like the league’s top talent?

Price started 35 games that season and threw 230 innings. He also ended with a record of 17-9. All that is impressive, but Price can’t have an ERA that high. Price was rocked in the playoffs, giving up 5 runs in 3.1 innings pitched. After the season, Price was critical of reporters for having the audacity to point out that he has never won a playoff game as a starter.

2017

Price started the season with an elbow injury in spring training. This caused the former Cy Young Award winner to miss significant time this past season. Even though Price was not on the mound all season, he was certainly in the news. During a rehab start in Pawtucket, Price’s play was not good, and the boo’s fell down on him. Price missed his scheduled interview with the media and quickly drove away. His record: 6-3 with a much lower 3.38 ERA in 74.2 innings pitched. Price, to the delight of his cowardly teammates, went after Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley on a team flight. This season was one headache after another. Price was outstanding coming out of the bullpen in the playoffs, but the Red Sox need starters to show up in the postseason.

Going Forward

The best-case scenario going forward is that Price either dominates or is at least decent this season. The Red Sox need production from their starters, and Price needs another big contract. Price will be 32 this season and his performance will continue to go down. His elbow is still in question. The Red Sox get what they can from Price, let him opt out, and move on. They would save themselves $119 and a whole lot of headaches.

Follow Matt McGurn on Twitter: @MickGurn

Media Credit: www.bosoxinjection.com

The Worst Third Basemen in Red Sox History

Leave a reply

The “hot corner” is next up on the list in my series of the three worst players at each position in Red Sox history. There is one man who stands above all the rest at third base. In fact, he really does take up a lot more room when standing than the rest.

Pablo Sandoval – The Signing

I remember my Grammy switching over to a Giants game one day when I was visiting her. The year would have been 2014, because the announcers mentioned that Pablo Sandoval would be a free agent that coming offseason. I laughed and said to my Grammy, “some idiot team will give him a big contract and he will eat his way out of baseball.” Little did I know that team would be the Red Sox.

Sandoval wasn’t even that good. After his first three seasons he was a .307 career hitter. However, the league had adjusted to him. Sandoval swung at practically any pitch, so why throw him one over the plate? Therefore, he rarely walked, which, coupled with limited power for a corner infielder made him somewhat mediocre. Over his final three seasons he batted .280 in San Francisco. Solid, but with a somewhat average .335/.424/.759 slash line. His 14 home runs per year left something to be desired. He had also batted under .280 in three of the previous four seasons. He was a third baseman who hit under .280, rarely walked and had limited power. That doesn’t even start to talk about his body, which anyone could tell wasn’t suited to last long in the Majors let alone at third base.

I think I went on a multi-hour rant in a chat group with my brothers and a couple of friends when it became clear the Sox would sign “Panda.” I figured he would last two years tops at third base before having to move to DH. His bat might be alright for third base, but a .750 OPS at designated hitter? There was also the fact his weight would probably make him less effective as he pushed past the age of 30.

Pablo Sandoval’s First Season in Boston

Sandoval was a disaster from the start. The “Kung Fu Panda” marketing ownership wanted predictably didn’t work, because the whole city hated him. Playing in 126 games, Sandoval only hit 10 home runs and drove in 47 runners. On top of driving in only 47, Panda only scored 43 times himself. Despite playing in the fourth most games on the team, he combined for fewer runs scored and driven in than David Ortiz drove in and Mookie Betts scored himself.

Beyond his run production, Sandoval batted only .245. His .292 on-base percentage placed him just outside the bottom 10 in the league. Coupled with his limited power, Sandoval’s .658 OPS placed him fourth worst in the American League. It wasn’t easy for him to be much more useless, but he might have managed that in the field. Panda had very limited range as one could imagine. When he did get to the ball, it was still an adventure. According to Fangraphs, out of 20 eligible third basemen, Sandoval was the least valuable defensively that season. He scored a -15.1 rating from them. His fielding percentage of .949 placed him 18th among the 20.

In other words, Sandoval’s first season in Boston was about what I expected from him by year three or four of his contract, and I thought he was one of the worst signings ever. He already wasn’t good enough to man the hot corner, and his bat wasn’t good enough for third base, let alone first or DH. The feature picture for this article actually shows Pablo Sandoval swinging and missing at a pitch that hit him. He got hit by a pitch, but struck out and had to leave the game injured.

This belly wasn’t meant to play the hot corner. (Sportsgrid)

Pablo Sandoval’s Final Two Seasons

Sandoval only made seven plate appearances in 2016. In those seven plate appearances he failed to get a hit, walking once and striking out four times. He also managed to break his belt swinging at a pitch, in just seven appearances at the plate!

Pablo Sandoval breaks his belt while swinging and missing at a pitch. (Via Bleacherreport)

Boy, is that embarrassing. Starting one game at third base that season, Sandoval managed to make an error. He was disabled for the rest of the season. Out of sight, out of mind, but unfortunately eating up a large chunk of the payroll. Sandoval made 17.6 million dollars that season.

Heading into 2017 there were reports of Sandoval working out a lot and having slimmed down. It didn’t do him any good. Sandoval batted .212 over 99 at-bats for the Red Sox. He struck out three times as much as he walked, a common occurrence for his days in Boston. He struck out 101 times versus just 34 walks for his entire Boston career. Sandoval made 25 starts at third base for the Sox and made five errors, coming to a .914 fielding percentage.

In parts of three seasons for Boston, Sandoval batted .237 with 14 home runs and 59 runs batted in. He had an OPS of .646 and an OPS+, which adjusts for ballpark and league factors, of just 71; the league average is 100. His total WAR during this time was -2.1, and that seems to be kind to him. For all of that, the Red Sox are still paying Sandoval millions. When all is said and done the Red Sox will have paid Panda nearly $95M to be one of the worst players in baseball for parts of three seasons.

Dishonorable Mentions:

Yes, that is it for the top three spots. Pablo Sandoval was so extraordinarily bad that he occupies all three spots in my list of the worst Red Sox third basemen of all time. As for other poor third basemen who warrant a mention…

Will Middlebrooks, Rip Russell, Red Morgan, Aaron Hill

Feature pic courtesy of cbssports.com

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/look-pablo-sandoval-swings-at-and-misses-pitch-that-hits-his-arm/