Red Sox create Options and Flexibility - Trading probably not done

 

Thanks to my cousin Brad for sparking an overdue conversation about what the lineup might look like. He had his reasons, and suggested this:

 

CF - Castillo (R)

2B - Pedroia (R)

DH - Ortiz (L)

Change is in the air at the Fens.

LF - Cespedes (R)

1B - Napoli (R)

RF - Craig (R)

SS - Boegarts (R)

3B - leaning Brock Holt (L)

C - Vazquez (R)

 

I noted some issues here. I think it's unlikely that Castillo will play CF and/or bat leadoff. He's never seen a major league pitch, and typically the Sox don't throw people to the wolves like that. There's too many right-handers, forcing you to go four deep at one point - that won't fly. Cespedes has a cannon that is unused in LF. You went from not having enough outfielders to having too many. That tells me that a trade is on the way. One problem in figuring out who can get traded is almost everyone has value,  but this is a guess:

 

Best Trade Candidates:

 

  1. Pitchers: They are showcasing guys right now.
  2. Napoli - totally tradeable.
  3. Nava - strong second half, totally tradeable. Lefty (not really switch anymore).
  4. Craig. Solid player, still worth something to someone.
  5. Victorino - 1 year deal).
  6. Middlebrooks

 

 

Most Unlikely Trade Candidates:

 

  1. Cespedes (why trade for him if not to keep him)
  2. Castillo (ditto)
  3. Pedroia (contract is untradeable)
  4. Boegarts (too much upside, too cheap)
  5. Ortiz (contract)
  6. JBJ (lefty, stellar defense, near worthless on the market right now)

 

 

It looks to me like Cherrington wants to make sure he's got a surplus of power, and he thinks he get "Enough" pitching either by developing assets or trading for it.

 

Anyway, I tried to take my concerns with the his lineup and the current roster and proposed this:

 

3B - Holt (L)

SS - Boagerts (R) This is preparation for him batting leadoff.

DH - Ortiz (L)

RF - Cespedes (R) (his arm is wasted in LF. Clearly he's headed for RF)

1B - Napoli (R)/Craig - one gets traded

CF - Victorino (l)

2B - Pedroia (R) (yes, down here, if Boegarts progresses).

LF - Castillo (R)

C - Vazquez (r)

 

 

This line up has an OK leadoff hitter, and too many righties down the bottom, and Victorino in CF is a concern, but it gives time to groom Castillo for CF (if that's the goal), and you should keep JBJ in case of injury anyway.

 

So here's what I think:

 

Trades are in store. They need lefties. Don't have enough. The lefties that they do have aren't perfect: Holt has zip for power, and Ortiz keeps getting older, so you can't be this unbalanced. And it's not out of the realm of possibilities that they go looking for a SS (Mookie?), and move Boegarts back to 3B.

 

Too hard to project because there's clearly a trade coming, but we both had fun taking a shot.