Running 2011 Baseball Thread, Vol. I: Dedicated to spnited

This should end the debate over which big market GM is better. Cashman's got 27 catchers of the future and made the playoffs with a bargain basement back of the rotation. Theo spent $82 million on John Lackey and the Sox started a Yale kid behind the plate the last two games of the year.

 

Baseball's a funny game. Last year, we wondered how Cashman blew all that money on Granderson.
Before we start (deleted Winston Wolf reference), which AL East GM gave away a 2011 20-game winner?

 

Seriously?

 

27 catchers of the future? Montero can't catch at the major league level, Martin is emulating the Jason Kendall career path, Romine was iffy at AA, and Cervelli has hit five HRs in a season's worth of at-bats over four years. I think the Yankees making the playoffs despite a shaky rotation to start the season is more a credit to their medical staff, the one area where I think the Red Sox are really far behind. Too many seemingly minor injuries - Buchholz, Ellsbury in 2010 - morphing into season-ending affairs.

 

I was exaggerating, obviously, and you're right, nobody knows yet if any of those guys will pan out. Just funny that Theo's been searching for Varitek's replacement since 2003 and is no closer to finding him now than then. Meanwhile, the Yankees at least have a handful of legit homegrown options.

As for medical issues, whose responsibility is that? I'm sure Tom Gill is in trouble but who hired him? Bet you Bill Morgan is having a good drunken laugh right now.

 

Its starts off with a name-drop of Amy Madigan in an LA grocery store.

That about sums up the Red Sox.

 

Red Sox fans were also looking to replace Varitek in 2003. Then he turned into "Tek" and became a Boston sports legend.

 

Saltalamacchia and Lavarnway are probably about equivalent to whatever the Yankees are going to throw out there next season - Martin and Cervelli or Romine. (Then again, Lavarnway's defense at catcher is described as Napoli-like by scouts, so I'm not sure if he can stick there. Montero is given no shot of sticking at catcher, but he'd be a huge asset for the Yankees if he could.) Also, catcher has kind of morphed into its 1980s and 1990s, like shortstop, where the offensive level had gone back down to guys hitting .250ish with a couple HRs.

I think the Sox are fine at catcher, but have holes in the rotation and bullpen that'll be tough to fill. Also, I've never liked Crawford in left - You can take advantage of Fenway by putting some guy who can mash but barely field in LF 81 games a year. If he can handle it, I'd move him to RF this coming year, since Drew is presumably gone, and sign or trade for someone for LF. (While I like Josh Reddick, I think he's kind of like David Murphy; he could start for a non-playoff team, but he's probably league average, a little above-average at best.)

 

way too early to say Montero has no shot at catcher. His arm is at least average and release is decent, he's big and blocks the plate. needs to work on footwork and softer hands. but that can be improved. Posada pretty much resfused to block the plate and a lot of times was bad at framing, he would stab at the ball and looked as if he didn't what pitch was coming, but he lasted 15 years at catcher.

 

With 5 World Series rings to show for those 15 years.

 

Not exactly fair to say they gave away Kennedy since he was part of the deal that got them Curtis Granderson, but they certain did seem to sour on him too quickly.

 

Are you fucking kidding me?