Can someone teach Hanley how to play 1st base? I mean the seasons almost over and I dont think he knows how to put 1 foot to the bag and stretch......
Can someone teach Hanley how to play 1st base? I mean the seasons almost over and I dont think he knows how to put 1 foot to the bag and stretch......
Meet next year's DH.
This or E5.Originally Posted by moonslav59
Papi vocal about the latter.
There's really nothing wrong with HanRam's performance. People expecting brilliant defense at 1B are really laughable considering this is the first time the guy's ever played there. He's not great but he's not a disaster either, and 22 HR and 92 RBI tells me he's doing the REAL job of a first baseman pretty well, especially given the tough start he had at the plate this year.
Can we do better? Yeah, probably, but we're stuck with this guy, and he's put up about 2 WAR at the first base position between offense and defense. We have too many other areas we also have to upgrade, to spend a lot of time sweating about an above average player playing first base.
Just think -- it's within Hanley's power to improve his value just by putting in reps at first in the offseason. I hope he does so, because if he can get that defense up to average level, he'll earn himself another contract with some team or another after this one's over.
If history tells us anything, the path to redeption for any bad baseball team is marked with a deep rotation of durable starters, a world class defense in both infield and outfield, a lineup that can generate runs in more than one way, a bullpen that won't steal defeat from the jaws of victory, and a top end catcher to hold the whole package together. These are the conditions by which victory is achieved, anything that does not accomplish these objectives is a waste of resources.
Not sold on a real improvement at 1B being available, unless Moncada pushes Shaw off the hot corner. But Shaw as a 1B has problems offensively, he's picking up some value playing at the harder position and his offense is only adequate. I know Sam Travis impressed us last Spring but he followed that up by putting up mediocre numbers in AA and getting hurt -- not exactly an auspicious sign.
Personally I suspect our DH next year will either be Mr. Blake Swihart, or a mix between Young and Shaw as we get a little squiggly trying to find places for all our infield talent to play. Dealing with Hanley at first might be a necessary evil to maximize the at bats of the best available talent, especially if Moncada breaks into the team early next year, which he easily could..
If history tells us anything, the path to redeption for any bad baseball team is marked with a deep rotation of durable starters, a world class defense in both infield and outfield, a lineup that can generate runs in more than one way, a bullpen that won't steal defeat from the jaws of victory, and a top end catcher to hold the whole package together. These are the conditions by which victory is achieved, anything that does not accomplish these objectives is a waste of resources.
Hanley looks like a Gold Glover at first base in comparison to how he played left field last year. He is still below average, but he is about 25 runs better than he was last year in UZR and 15 runs better in DRS. Being one who thought he was going to really hurt the team with his defense this year, I'll take it. He has not been a liability.
Edwin Encarnacion will be an enticing option for you guys at DH
Hal sucks
It makes sense to take your weakest defensive player, as long as he can hit, and make him the DH once Papi retires.
That would be HanRam.
I get the argument that not all players are cut out to be DH's. It's hard to keep focused, and focus is something HanRam seems to struggle with. However, there are other reasons to move HanRam to DH vs RHPs only with Young DH'ing vs lefties..
1) Moncada is likely to win the 3B job at some point next year, if not on day one.
2) Pablo may surprise us all and win the 3B or 1B job next year. As fat as he is, he's probably still a better fielding 1Bman than HanRam.
3) T Shaw has the best UZR/150 at 1B from 2015-2016, He could play 1B vs RHPs. (Maybe he plays 3B vs LHPs, if he ever learns how to hit them.)
So, we could have this at not extra financial cost:
....vs RHPs...vs LHPs
DH: Ramirez Young
1B: T, Shaw Ramirez
3B: Moncada Shaw/Moncada
Wild Card: Pablo
Shaw has been exposed.
Hal sucks
I'd love to add him to our roster, but he's going to want mega bucks and mega years. Some GM will offer him 5-6 years at $25+M. I don't think we should.
My guess is we make a play for Beltran for 2 years. (note: I wouldn't.)
Who gives a shit? HanRam is imperfect, but this season--you know, the one in which the Sox really have a shot--he is in fact our first baseman. To me all the complaining and erudite discussion about next year misses the point. We are also imperfect at 3B and even at SS, fielding-wise, and I find myself able to live with those imperfections as well.
Our OP seems to have completely forgotten two salient facts: 1) we are paying HanRam an awful lot of money, more than anyone else in the lineup; 2) we know he can't play the outfield and probably can't play him at 3B either. Meanwhile, however, it turns out he can still hit and his defense at 1B is hardly a disaster.
I'm not complaining about HanRam. I'm tickled pink he's doing so well.
He's not great on defense, but he's good enough to not be an issue.
I was talking next year, in terms of him being moved to DH vs RHPs.
It's not a demotion. It's just one adjustment to help minimize the loss of Papi.
And Shorer can improve.
Regardless of what your chart says!
"Hating the Yankees like it's a religion since 94'" RIP Mike.
"It's also a simple and indisputable fact that WAR isn't the be-all end-all in valuations, especially in real life. Wanna know why? Because an ace in run-prevention for 120 innings means more often than not, a sub-standard pitcher covering for the rest of the IP that pitcher fails to provide. You can't see value in a vacuum when a player does not provide full-time production."
And our whole team sux, I wish we were more like the Orioles
This message board sux like the sox
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote