If Pablo is reduced to platooning with Rutledge, after all the work he has put in to lose weight, that's a disaster.
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Getting in shape probably has little to do with his inability to hit lefties well.
He should have been platooned since 2013.
Last year, we only faced 37 left-handed starters. That's less than 23% of all games.
I don't think sitting Pablo about 1 out of 5 games is a disaster. Chances are, he'll PH and then play in some of those games he doesn't start.
Pablo's contract is a sunk cost. If they can get him onto the blasted field without him breaking down immediately like last year, I'll take that as a clear improvement.
Panda was a very overrated player. Now, he is a shell of his overrated self.
I was probably against the Sandoval signing more than any other guy. I thought he was in decline and that steep decline would easily make his contract an over pay in money and years.
However I'm rooting for the guy now, everyone loves a comeback story. I would bet the farm on him (no pun intended) but I have at least some level of confidence in this man making a comeback this year. A man on a mission can be very dangerous.
I agree, but I said it the day we signed him. "He's an obvious platoon player."
It was a horrible signing from the start, and I'm not Monday morning QB'ing here. I was dead against the signing before it even happened.
(I was also against the HanRam signing, but not by as much. (Note: I had hoped HR would play 3B, until I heard of the Pablo signing.)
I can't see how any of the ops guys in the Sox front office ever thought signing Pablo was a good idea.
This reeked of Lucchino and PR from day one. "Ortiz is near the end, so let's sign another big, lovable guy with a "cute nickname" who seems to shine in the spotlight. He's perfect for this town. We need a 3rd baseman and there's not much else available, right?. He's still young, right? Can you imagine all of the "Panda" stuff we'll sell?"
I wish I was kidding.
I think they might have viewed Pablo as Papi light (pun intended).
Maybe they felt he was "clutch", because I hear team management people believe in that type of stuff.
I think they took a long view: upgrade offense that year and pitching the next year when so many FA aces were to be available.
Pablo and HanRam happened to be two of the best offensive players available that winter at areas they needed, although they forced HR into a position he never played.
I think the theory was sound, but the timing and execution fell way short.
Maybe they felt Papi would help Pablo get back to his previous level of play and continue blasting away in October.
HanRam was at least a legitimate hitter showing some signs of health concerns and up and down years, but no clear decline trend like Pablo.
I would have been fine with HanRam at 3B and signing Scherzer or re-signing Lester, but I still thought HR was a mistake too.