On second thought...

[mvp 78]

Bill James: Josh Donaldson is 30, turns 31 in December. Not young. I know you will think this is crazy, but I am not sure I would trade the Red Sox' Marco Hernandez for any of those guys. I have been waiting since the opening day of spring training for Marco Hernandez to do something I wasn't impressed with, and I'm still waiting. He is way faster than any of those guys. May not have the arm to play third every day; I haven't seen enough of him at third to be sure. But everything else is good."

Someone must have slipped something into his coffee.

[mvp 78]

Bill James projections for 2017 Marco:

Marco Hernandez: 94 games, 245 at-bats, 73 hits, 12 doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs, 27 RBI, 30 runs, .298 batting average, .331 OBP, .424 slugging, .755 OPS, 34 runs created, 5.08 runs created per 27 outs, 12 walks, 49 strikeouts, 4 stolen bases, 2 caught stealing, 67 stolen base percentage.

[Wade Boggs]

Bill James projections for 2017 Marco:

Marco Hernandez: 94 games, 245 at-bats, 73 hits, 12 doubles, 2 triples, 5 home runs, 27 RBI, 30 runs, .298 batting average, .331 OBP, .424 slugging, .755 OPS, 34 runs created, 5.08 runs created per 27 outs, 12 walks, 49 strikeouts, 4 stolen bases, 2 caught stealing, 67 stolen base percentage.

If that is what James projects , Hernandez should and will make it. The only problem is if Panda can't hit LHP, He may use Rutledge @ third. Of course they can carry both of them along with Holt, and break camp with the 4 starters Farrell is hinting about. That might open up a spot for him. I have a hunch about this kid. The board members on this board know more about him. IMO he might be a useful piece.

[mvp 78]

If that is what James projects , Hernandez should and will make it. The only problem is if Panda can't hit LHP, He may use Rutledge @ third. Of course they can carry both of them along with Holt, and break camp with the 4 starters Farrell is hinting about. That might open up a spot for him. I have a hunch about this kid. The board members on this board know more about him. IMO he might be a useful piece.

I like Marco. I think he can be a useful MLB guy. However, I don't think he's good enough to move Xander off position.

[Nick]

Here's my positional depth chart:

3B:
vs RHPs: 1) Pablo 2) Hernandez 3) Holt
vs LHPs: 1) Rutledge 2T) Hernandez & Holt

SS: 1) Bogey 2) Hernandez 3) Holt

2B: 1) Pedey 2T) Hernandez & Holt

1B: 1) Moreland/Ramirez 2) Travis 3) Holt (maybe Swihart after some practice)

LF: 1) Beni 2) Young 3T) Selsky & Holt (Moreland in a pinch)

CF/RF: Move Beni to position and Young to LF, 3T) Selsky/Holt in LF

Once again, as I've brought up several times over the last few months, why not trade the guy with some nice trade value- Brock Holt?

Rutledge and Hernandez start the season on the 25 man roster. Selsky and Marrero are extended depth with a positional move by Swihart to 3B or 1B remaining as an option or emergency plan C.

You've said all along Holt may NOT be our 2nd option at any position. I agree. I would also contend that I may want Selsky at 1B before Holt also. Hell maybe even at 3B. He started out as a 3B.

[mvp 78]

You've said all along Holt may NOT be our 2nd option at any position. I agree. I would also contend that I may want Selsky at 1B before Holt also. Hell maybe even at 3B. He started out as a 3B.

RotoWire News: Selsky, who has played outfield and first base during his career, will get some playing time at third base, Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe reports. (3/18/2017)

[mvp 78]

http://www.masslive.com/redsox/index...ed_sox_ro.html

Article that mentions Selsky potentially playing 3rd.

[mvp 78]

And another: http://boston.locals.baseballprospec...an-of-mystery/

What’s the catch?

– He’s had 54 major league plate appearances since getting drafted six years ago. Fifty-four. If he was a sure bet to even reach his relatively low ceiling, you’d think he’d be closer to reaching it by now.

– Sure, he’s had some good years. But he also hit .181/.281/.205 over 32 games at Double-A in 2013 and .240/.259/.339 over 55 games in Triple-A in 2014. He’s had some clunkers.

– He strikes out a LOT. Like, a lotttttttttt. His career K% hovers around 20 percent, and over 54 games with the Reds, that number shot up to 40 percent. I don’t care about your small sample size caveats; that’s so many strikeouts. You might even say it’s a lot with extra Ts.

– For being someone who supposedly brings some power potential, he doesn’t have that much power. After hitting 15 homers in 2012 and 13 in 2013, Selsky hasn’t reached double-digit home run totals since. In fact, outside of 2016, when he had nine homers (which is actually good news for Red Sox fans but we’re already past the good news part of this article), he hasn’t had more than two in a season since 2013.

– Even his major league numbers are misleading. .314/.340/.471 over 24 games is just enough time to be optimistically intrigued, but those numbers were never going to last. Over that time period, besides striking out 40 percent of the time, he also has an absurd .519 BABIP. He also only posted a 3.7 percent BB%. To recap: he was striking out half the time, never walking, and was abnormally lucky.

[Thunder]

How well has Xander played at third in the WBC? I haven't seen too much of it, especially the Dutch team. It's worth having this conversation if he's been a standout, but I think moving him will mess a lot of this team's mojo and chemistry.

[dustcover]

Here's my positional depth chart:

3B:
vs RHPs: 1) Pablo 2) Hernandez 3) Holt
vs LHPs: 1) Rutledge 2T) Hernandez & Holt

Am I correct in assuming that you have no confidence in Sandoval, a switch-hitter, batting from the right side versus LHP's, giving precedence to Rutledge, and even Hernandez & Holt, both batting from the left side.

Care to elaborate?

[dustcover]

How well has Xander played at third in the WBC? I haven't seen too much of it, especially the Dutch team. It's worth having this conversation if he's been a standout, but I think moving him will mess a lot of this team's mojo and chemistry.

Do note however the intentional use of the word "willingly" in my original post. If Bogaerts supports the move wholeheartedly, the team might very well follow the lead of his 'team first' attitude and thus create a positive mojo and increase team chemistry, particularly if the move creates a dynamic winning environment. Just speculating!

[moonslav59]

Am I correct in assuming that you have no confidence in Sandoval, a switch-hitter, batting from the right side versus LHP's, giving precedence to Rutledge, and even Hernandez & Holt, both batting from the left side.

Care to elaborate?

Pablo sucks vs LHPs. I've showed the numbers over the last 3-4 years. He's the league's worst hitter vs LHPs in some sample scenarios and bottom 5 in about all of them.

Holt actually hasd a better OPS vs LHPs over his career.

Rutledge bats RH'd and I have him above Holt & Hernandez.

Hernandez has been over .700 vs LHPs in recent years in the minors.

Pablo should not start vs a LH'd starter.

Is that enough?

[FredLynn]

Do note however the intentional use of the word "willingly" in my original post. If Bogaerts supports the move wholeheartedly, the team might very well follow the lead of his 'team first' attitude and thus create a positive mojo and increase team chemistry, particularly if the move creates a dynamic winning environment. Just speculating!

There is no way Bogaerts should move to 3B. Last season he made huge strides defensively at SS. There is no need to mess with that.

[Nick]

Pablo sucks vs LHPs. I've showed the numbers over the last 3-4 years. He's the league's worst hitter vs LHPs in some sample scenarios and bottom 5 in about all of them.

Holt actually hasd a better OPS vs LHPs over his career.

Rutledge bats RH'd and I have him above Holt & Hernandez.

Hernandez has been over .700 vs LHPs in recent years in the minors.

Pablo should not start vs a LH'd starter.

Is that enough?

YEP.....We're stuck with his salary no matter what. Put your best team out there. If that means platooning Pablo, I have no problems with it. We owe him NOTHING. Well we owe him $19M and that's being paid.

[moonslav59]

YEP.....We're stuck with his salary no matter what. Put your best team out there. If that means platooning Pablo, I have no problems with it. We owe him NOTHING. Well we owe him $19M and that's being paid.

We benched him last spring, so I don't think a platoon would be a big slap in his face, besides, he knows he sucks vs lefties. Why else would he try to tinker with giving up switch-hitting?