Meanwhile, Bradley has gone 4/8 in the two games against NY, tacking .091 onto his BA and .255 onto his OPS.
Two questions:Can JBJ's career in Boston be saved? His career looks useful for a GG caliber fielder (2000+ PA, OPS+90) but he is far below that now.
This question relevant. https://bosoxinjection.com/2018/05/06/red-sox-save-jackie-bradleys-career/
Regarding your first question I believe he meant that if he hit to his career average it would be acceptable for an OF as good as JBJ is but since he is hitting worse than that then it is in question.Two questions:
In what world is JBJ far below GG caliber and why do you cite OPS to demonstrate it?
What did the article in that link contribute to any understanding of JBJ?
Yankee stadium is a decent ballpark to hide JDM. I'd do that and get the best lineup possible since they are facing Severino.Makes sense to get Swihart back out in left for a few games, no?
This was my takeaway, as well. And I didn’t even open the link.Regarding your first question I believe he meant that if he hit to his career average it would be acceptable for an OF as good as JBJ is but since he is hitting worse than that then it is in question.
As to your second question I can only assume the poster wrote that article.
I think it's a coin flip at this point in what is the better overall team. Hanley's .366 obp this season is more in line with his career .362 and obp is far more valuable than slugging. His exit velocity has improved a bit - not sure if 3mph is significant enough over last year, but it's also 1 mph higher than his good 2016.isn't the real debate between Jackie and HANLEY?
Moreland was a better hitter than Hanley last year, is better again this year, and is obviously far better defensively.
The only reason Hanley's line looks better than last year so far is due to his likely unsustainable .340babip.
Hanley is a league average bat with no defensive value - I.e. a replacement player.
now if bradley's bat has deteriorated even further and turned him into a replacement level playee himselt, then there might be an argument for hanley to start.
And he's been easier prey to the shift so far this year than ever before. Teams are shifting on him more-- the percentage of his PA that ended in a BIP against a shift has gone up from 32% in 2016 to 43% so far this year--because it's working: JBJ's pulled ground ball rate vs. the shift has gone up from 27.5% to 42.3%. The result has been that while JBJ hit a grounder into a shift in only 8.8% of his PA in 2016, so far this year it's been more than double that, 18.2%.He's been pulling the ball (hard!) on the ground more than he should, which makes him pretty shiftable.
I actually agree that a day off couldn't hurt. However to say the difference on defense between JBJ is not like a night and day difference when that's pretty much exactly what it is.He's on thin ice imho. Cora should sit him for a few games and give Swihart a couple of games. Can't be any worse except maybe on defense but it's not like a night and day difference.
If Blake Swihart is JBJ's biggest threat for PT then he's pretty safe for the time being.He's on thin ice imho. Cora should sit him for a few games and give Swihart a couple of games. Can't be any worse except maybe on defense but it's not like a night and day difference.
It sure seems as though the writing's on the wall. Fortunately for Jackie, Benintendi is stuck in his rut also. I'm not sure if putting the extra pressure of a more challenging position on Benintendi is really the best thing for him right now. He needs to focus on offense, not spend his time studying defensive skills, strategies, alignments etc. Do you think about putting Holt in center every now and then? At any rate, I don't think they will put up with much more than 3-4 more weeks of futility from JBJ. After that, Holt, JD, possibly Swihart and Nunez can all eat into his innings until they make a deal for an outfielder in July. Or they could try and shed $5 million off the books in order to get a half season of Rusney. But certainly not if he's still OPSing .750.If Blake Swihart is JBJ's biggest threat for PT then he's pretty safe for the time being.
That said I do fully believe JBJ came into this year at a career crossroad, and that his time here had/has the potential to end in a much more sudden and disappointing manner then a lot people would have previously been projecting a month ago. It would be one thing if we were talking about a sub-25yo kid here, but I'm doubting DD rides out more then 2 consecutive halves of .600ops'ish hitting at this point.
Given the LF and CF dimensions, Yankee Stadium is not one of the parks where you want JBJ on the bench, unless you're moving Betts over to CF. That is highly unlikely at this point.I actually agree that a day off couldn't hurt. However to say the difference on defense between JBJ is not like a night and day difference when that's pretty much exactly what it is.
I'd take my chances with the extra ~.500 points of OPS Moreland brings to the table and JDM in the OF.Given the LF and CF dimensions, Yankee Stadium is not one of the parks where you want JBJ on the bench, unless you're moving Betts over to CF. That is highly unlikely at this point.
Betts did start one of the Toronto games in CF to give JBJ a day off and start JDM in RF.Given the LF and CF dimensions, Yankee Stadium is not one of the parks where you want JBJ on the bench, unless you're moving Betts over to CF. That is highly unlikely at this point.
You're right. I'd be fine with JDM in RF in this series.Betts did start one of the Toronto games in CF to give JBJ a day off and start JDM in RF.
He's still passable vs R but fell off a cliff this year vs lefties. Considering we have 2 other guys who can play CF, it shouldn't be too hard to find a bat if need be.yes his GG defense is what makes him a good player when he has an OPS of .725. but he isnt anywhere near that right now. we really need pedroia back and we need to reevaluate or longterm options at CF and C
Probably not that simple. As a golfer, I'm fine taking a full swing with the driver and any of the other clubs. But if I'm less than a pitching wedge from the green and need to take something off, I muff the shot much more often. Jackie's probably been swinging that way all his life and it would be hard to "take something off". Try to go to left more, maybe. Probably. I'd love to be a fly on the batting cage when he's hitting in front of Tim Hyers and Cora though and hear what they say.Baseball Prospectus addresses this very issue
http://boston.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/05/09/theres-little-projection-left-for-jbj-and-thats-okay/
JBJ's AB's are about as frustrating as watching Xander last half of 2017. Constantly missing the one pitch to hit and flailing away at everything else. Is Jackie so stubborn that he doesn't see how bad he is at the plate? To my untrained eye, he shown no inclination to just try & make contact, hit it where he's pitched, always swinging for the stands.
That's a good point, Al. Muscle Memory is probably pretty hard to change.Probably not that simple. As a golfer, I'm fine taking a full swing with the driver and any of the other clubs. But if I'm less than a pitching wedge from the green and need to take something off, I muff the shot much more often. Jackie's probably been swinging that way all his life and it would be hard to "take something off". Try to go to left more, maybe. Probably. I'd love to be a fly on the batting cage when he's hitting in front of Tim Hyers and Cora though and hear what they say.
Considering it isn't actually a thing and just a myth, probably impossible to change.That's a good point, Al. Muscle Memory is probably pretty hard to change.
This information isn't all that hard to find out on your own.Does he have an option left? He could use a few weeks of AAA pitching.
So does that make the presumption that JBJ did not make adjustments after his abysmal showing in 2014 that led to his resurgence in late 2015 and a great 2016? That he just stubbornly plowed through with the exact same mechanics and approach then and things turned around for him anyway? In that case, I think we just wait him out until he gets hot again.Well, no, muscles do not have a "memory" but a swing gets honed over the years and I bet JBJ is reluctant to change what got him to the majors. How low does his production have to get before he realizes a change is needed?
We've actually seen him change his swing since coming to the majors.So does that make the presumption that JBJ did not make adjustments after his abysmal showing in 2014 that led to his resurgence in late 2015 and a great 2016? That he just stubbornly plowed through with the exact same mechanics and approach then and things turned around for him anyway? In that case, I think we just wait him out until he gets hot again.
But seriously, I have to think he can make adjustments and/or changes to what got him to the majors, but it's not like it will happen overnight. He's probably working on anything they think will help "fix" him, but it's not as though even the right fix is something he can instantly apply and be accustomed to and repeat, especially if it is mechanics-related.
It's hard to do so because it's really just an extended exposition on the fact that he's struggling and has been disasppointing.Any chance of summarizing that for those of us stuck behind a paywall?
Judicious (enough, I hope) excerpting:Any chance of summarizing that for those of us stuck behind a paywall?
You're right, Rev, I completely forgot about the infamous Toe-Tap From Hell. At this point, I don't know what to say about Jackie except that I'm sure it's all Farrell's fault and he should be fired forthwith.We've actually seen him change his swing since coming to the majors.
Or did I just hallucinate all that, with the leg kick and the nineteen moving parts he had. People documented the change in the hole in his swing and everything, in my recollection anyway...
I forget to add that I was talking about the other guys on the roster that have the ability to play CF. I guess I can't assume that others here can read my mind (I can't even understand me sometimes). He's is one of the better defensive players in the game with the glove but that bat. Lots of great responses here and thinking.I actually agree that a day off couldn't hurt. However to say the difference on defense between JBJ is not like a night and day difference when that's pretty much exactly what it is.
In the words of Alex Cora "I trust the guy. I trust him, but we’ve got to sit down and talk, obviously."Any chance of summarizing that for those of us stuck behind a paywall?
This better not be a segue into a crappy link about what they might be able get for trade from him.In the words of Alex Cora "I trust the guy. I trust him, but we’ve got to sit down and talk, obviously."
And that brings us to where the Red Sox stand and the question that recessitated this thread remains:
Can JBJ's career in Boston be saved?
I don't know, Cafardo, can it?In the words of Alex Cora "I trust the guy. I trust him, but we’ve got to sit down and talk, obviously."
And that brings us to where the Red Sox stand and the question that recessitated this thread remains:
Can JBJ's career in Boston be saved?