Help me. This doesn't make any sense to me.Originally Posted by moonslav59
Are you saying that if Hanley is having a great year (OPS>.850) and the Sox are in the running for a playoff spot you'd rather see the Sox put him on the bench than give him the AB's necessary for his option to vest? Even if it may mean missing the playoffs this year??
It's a mere moment in a man's life between the All-Star game and the Old Timer's game.
-Vin Scully
Depends on how well Moreland and/or Nunez are doing, and how well HRam is doing vs RHPs.
I'm not saying I'd definitely bench HRam, if he's over .850, but the point remains, he won't be worth the $22M in 2019, even if he hits .900, and we'll end up losing Pom or worse by having HRam vest.
I'd give Moreland (vs RHPs) and Swihart as many ABs as possible early in the year, and find out what Swihart has to offer (us or in trade).If HRam is at .850, and Moreland is hitting .750, I'll revisit the issue mid-season or late season, but I'm starting the season looking to limit HRam's PAs, until he proves something. It's not like the guy has proven jack shit to this team. He's earned nothing. If anything, he's earned a spot on the bench, and this is coming from someone who thinks HRam will have a good year.
Other here are saying we should DFA him or trade him while paying $20M of his salary. I don't want HRam on the team next year. I want to win it all this year. If I felt we needed HRam to winit all, of course I'd change my mind, but my mind needs to be changed before I say we should play HRam FT.
Clearly worth $22. mil times 5.
"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."
Yes!
He's done EVERYTHING!
And that's why I wouldn't let him reach his PA goal.
Obviously the best case scenario would be for HanRam to have a good season but not reach the vesting option. I just don't think Alex Cora should be expected to manage the team with one eye on that number if HanRam is going well.
If he goes over PA's, I won't blame Cora. He needs to use the roster he has been given.
He just needs 56 less PAs than last year.
We have a very small window now of two years or three years maximum to make it happen. I don't want to miss a chance at the playoffs in 2018 just so Hanley doesn't vest.
As Ralph Houk said, " Don't save a pitcher for tomorrow. It may rain tomorrow."
It's a mere moment in a man's life between the All-Star game and the Old Timer's game.
-Vin Scully
I'm not totally convinced of giving HRam his vest, assuming he's doing well. He has to win me over.
If he does, I'm still thinking long and hard about letting him vest. A lot depends on how well Moreland is doing, or if Swihart or Travis have entered the 1B picture.
I want to win in 2019,also.
Besides, playoff PAs don't count, so unless we're fighting for the last playoff slot, playing HRam more and more might not really matter as much as having a rested HRam in October.
What if we're fighting for the division with the Yanks?
It will depend on just how much of a better choice HRam is over Moreland (particularly vs RHPs) and maybe Swihart/Travis.
It depends on just how good HRam is doing.
It depends on how far ahead or behind we are from the Yanks and the last wild card slot.
Right now, I'm for not letting him vest. He has to convince me he deserves the vest.
He's got a long way to go.
Talk can sound awfully tough through the written word on a forum like this. It is just my opinion but if Ramirez is healthy and having a decent season there is no way that this organization would jerk him around by keeping a close eye on his at bats allowing him to come close but to not quite reach the designated number of at bats. As a group, this ownership has proven to be very sensitive to just about anything. If he is healthy and hitting, I don't think that there is any way they would want to deal with the crap that would come along with playing a game like this with anyone 22 million at stake or not. Now if he is injured, or just not playing well, I think the game changes.
For argument's sake, let's say by mid July, HRam is on pace for 500 PAs and just barely reaching his vesting option.
He's doing "decent" enough: .825 OPS, but he's .900 vs LHPs and .790 vs RHPs.
Moreland is doing pretty much the same and is at .790 vs RHPs. Moreland is the better fielder.
Would you start Moreland vs RHPs more often vs RHPs? It's the better choice for improving our chances at winning? (Would HRam feel okay with the choice?)
What if HRam is at .800 vs RHPs, and Moeland's at .780? Moreland's defense probably makes up for the .020 in OPS?
Do you use OPS?
It's not really going to be a cut and dry choice, and I'm pretty sure HRam might view the ultimate choice differently, if he comes up short due to being benched for Moreland, regardless of the OPS differential and all the explaining that can be done.
I hope it turns out to be an easy choice, and we're probably arguing about the one scenario that won't happen, but if it's a close choice, the choice is obvious to me: keep HRam from 497.
If it's not that close, but somewhat close, then the debate can begin, IMO.
Right now, I'd start the season by sitting HRam vs about half the RH'd starters and let him convince me by doing better than Moreland & Swihart by a clear enough margin to overcome his defensive disparity with Moreland..
I'm pretty sure Cora has been told just to play the best guys he has. Managing a team has to be difficult enough without having to go through the lucubrations we have here (since it's spring training--I assume we're all just filling up the air until the season starts [and with modern athletes--what's the point of a long ST? is it just to placate fans in Arizona and Fla?]). On a lighter note, anyone have any thoughts on JBJ's swing? (Ihaven't seen any games yet.) At .180, he seems on the way to having a predictably disappointing year. My recollection is that he generally burns it up in the spring. (Or is this just an example of his streaky hitting).
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote