Red Sox acquire Eduardo Nunez

MikeM

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Getting someone like Duda to lock in at 1B or Jay Bruce to DH with Hanley back to 1B would be when I'd be in favor of sending Devers back down. Supposedly the Mets aren't finding many takers on either so maybe the price is better than expected, but I'm not optimistic on that front.
Even then I really can't see the "send Devers back down" logic adding up after having already pulled the trigger there. Especially if we are already penning him in to break camp as a starter next spring.

A step above the absolute worst case scenario Devers is probably not much of a downgrade to a full time Nunez, but while offering infinitely more upside to pair with a Duda/Bruce acquisition (which by itself only improves our power shortage by so much). Best case scenario he goes bonkers, provides the huge boost Nunez realistically won't, and potentially changes the whole perception dynamic to how DD approaches his winter shopping. I mean there is what...a month left of AAA? After already having a decent start is Devers being down there instead of up here really going to play out to be a difference maker in development? I'd actually argue he has more to gain there being up.

Again, I like this trade as a upgraded depth move. But the time to look at it as anything more then that was 6 months ago, before we essentially conceded 2/3 of the season at 3B and got to the very end of the bridge.
 

Drek717

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Even then I really can't see the "send Devers back down" logic adding up after having already pulled the trigger there. Especially if we are already penning him in to break camp as a starter next spring.

A step above the absolute worst case scenario Devers is probably not much of a downgrade to a full time Nunez, but while offering infinitely more upside to pair with a Duda/Bruce acquisition (which by itself only improves our power shortage by so much). Best case scenario he goes bonkers, provides the huge boost Nunez realistically won't, and potentially changes the whole perception dynamic to how DD approaches his winter shopping. I mean there is what...a month left of AAA? After already having a decent start is Devers being down there instead of up here really going to play out to be a difference maker in development? I'd actually argue he has more to gain there being up.

Again, I like this trade as a upgraded depth move. But the time to look at it as anything more then that was 6 months ago, before we essentially conceded 2/3 of the season at 3B and got to the very end of the bridge.
What meaningful trigger was actually pulled? Putting him on the 40 man? That isn't a particularly relevant concern given Devers' career arc to date, he was going on the 40 man soon enough. Starting his clock? As soon as he's optioned back down that clock stops. Using an option? If we're in a case were we're ever wishing we had another option year on Devers something has gone seriously wrong with his career.

Meanwhile it does stop the clock and lets him have a larger AAA sample before being tasked with the 3B job full time come next spring. Not saying it's absolutely the right choice, but if there is a combination of Devers not hitting out of the gate plus a reasonable price of acquisition leading to adding Duda/Bruce, plus Bogaerts bouncing back to where a DL stint is less a concern and one of Holt/Lin showing themselves to be a valid platoon partner alongside Nunez for 3B it could add up to demoting Devers making the most sense.

My point was more that this move seems like subtraction by addition if they send Devers down without/prior to acquiring someone like Duda/Bruce and letting Moreland continue to fail at the plate, but that if they get a legitimate power bat to replace him it wouldn't be unreasonable to then option him back down.

If he's hitting at the ML level come that acquisition though the math shifts further in favor of keeping Devers up, obviously. Ideally in a time share equation with Nunez, Hanley, and a power hitting LHB. Something where Devers and the acquisition face every RH starter and Hanley and Nunez face every LH starter, with the odd two out splitting time at the open position, which should ideally be DH.
 

Cesar Crespo

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It seems like letting Devers DH with Hanley taking over 1B and getting Moreland to the bench is the perfect solution. Wasting an option on Devers for a handful of games seems implausible.
I doubt options will ever matter when it comes to Devers. Service time is more important.

The first rule of the DSL is you don't talk about stats from the DSL
Kinda. Showing power in the DSL is rare so when someone hits a lot of xbh, it's noticeable. Also young pitchers who have low bb%. Santos is not one.

Well, if I had a pitcher who had a 60% GB rate as a 16-year-old and 80+% as a 17-year-old, I think I'd like to see what he does when he gets a little more experience rather than just use him as fodder for a trade for a suspect utility man.
He's been pretty insane this year but the DSL is a GB hitting league in general. It's also a SSS and his k rate and bb rate leave something to be desired. The BB rate is much improved this year though.
 

The Gray Eagle

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Seeing how little it cost to get Duda makes me really dislike this trade. Duda would have helped this team more than another utility player like Nunez and it seems like he would have cost the same, if not less, to acquire.

Nunez is a career 279/317/405 hitter, that is what they should expect from him. Okay hitter, but mediocre OBP, not much power. He is RH so if they platoon him with Devers, he won't be playing third very often. He's bad defensively at SS, so I hope we don't see much of him there either.
 

Rasputin

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Seeing how little it cost to get Duda makes me really dislike this trade. Duda would have helped this team more than another utility player like Nunez and it seems like he would have cost the same, if not less, to acquire.

Nunez is a career 279/317/405 hitter, that is what they should expect from him. Okay hitter, but mediocre OBP, not much power. He is RH so if they platoon him with Devers, he won't be playing third very often. He's bad defensively at SS, so I hope we don't see much of him there either.
You don't upgrade your production at third by getting someone who doesn't pay third.

I think people are massively misunderstanding this trade. There are two problems on offense, lack of power and lack of production at third. The power is the sexy but it's not everything. Even if this team added power--and they still might--the third base thing would be a problem.

Maybe Devers is the answer at third. It certainly looks promising based on his first two games but that's far from a guarantee. And, by the way, if Devers is the answer at third, he's going to be providing the power you want.

Nunez is Plan B. He's the guy that can play third if Devers doesn't work. He also the guy who replaces Brock Holt if Holt is as toast as he looks.

Remember, even with a home run heavy lineup, most runs are scored by other means. Every offense is sequential and having a dead spot in the lineup is a huge suck on runs scored.

Getting better production from third, even if it doesn't come with much power is a big improvement. There will be fewer innings where the Sox have minimal chance to score. There will be fewer rallies killed. There will be more runners for the other guys to drive in.

The production at third was horrifically bad. The Nunez acquisition Congress as close as possible to guaranteeing it's not that bad going forward. That's a significant improvement that came with minimal cost.
 

soxhop411

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“@ScottLauber: The plan, as we suspected, is for Eduardo Nunez to play regularly at multiple positions. Has never played 1B, but will begin working there.”
 

charlieoscar

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...Remember, even with a home run heavy lineup, most runs are scored by other means....
Actually, in 2016 there were 8742 RBI associated with home runs and 8741 associated with singles, doubles, and triples combined. There were 3262 that came from other means: sac flies, bases loaded walks, infield outs, etc. [Source: Retrosheet play-by-play files and bb-ref]
 

soxhop411

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I can't go back farther than 2008 on the baseballsavant website, but its interesting none the less
 

Devizier

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I can't go back farther than 2008 on the baseballsavant website, but its interesting none the less
The more relevant spray chart would be his flyball outs -- last year alone he had 11 that would have been hits in Fenway.

That is Mike Lowell-esque.
 

soxhop411

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The more relevant spray chart would be his flyball outs -- last year alone he had 11 that would have been hits in Fenway.

That is Mike Lowell-esque.


This is ALL FLY BALL/LINE DRIVE outs from Nunez at his home park(s) from 2014-2017 (so MIN and SF parks
 

sean1562

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so, uh, he has had a pretty good start with us, no? looking like a pretty good pickup at this point
 

SouthernBoSox

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There are 2 things I think we discounted, or at least I discounted, when acquiring him.

1) He was red hot and has continued that in the move - hitting .385/.420/.569 since the break

2) He's pulling the ball much more this year and doing damage when he does it. He's has wRC+ 181 when he goes to left field with a .445 wOBA. He's really learned to pull with authority and that's only going to improve with a ton of games at Fenway.
 

Harry Hooper

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The MLB Microwave - Nunez has jolted the offense like Vinnie Johnson with the Pistons.
 

The Gray Eagle

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The team also probably knew that Pedroia would be missing some time soon, so getting a better hitter than Holt right now who can cover second base was smart.

Nunez will cool off at some point, but hopefully his hot streak lasts at least until Pedroia is back.
 

SouthernBoSox

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Nunez 3-5 last night with 4 more RBI. All three hits to left, 2 off the monster. He is 12-22 with 4 doubles, 2 HR, and 9 RBI in just five games with the Red Sox.

He now has a +111 OPS on the year which leads the team. In combined stats, he leads the team in AVG, SB and 2nd in SLG. He seems to have a TON of confidence aiming for that green monster. What a pick up.

(Devers is obviously a non qualifier or he'd lead basically everything)
 
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Buzzkill Pauley

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I have to think Nunez was target #1 because of dat Fenway swing, and because the team knew Pedroia's knee was worse than anyone had let on.

Good get!
 

Savin Hillbilly

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The wrong side of the bridge....
He now has a +111 OPS on the year which leads the team. In combined stats, he leads the team in AVG, SB and 2nd in SLG. He seems to have a TON of confidence aiming for that green monster. What a pick up.
Not to be the bastard child of Debbie Downer and Captain Obvious here, but when a 111 OPS+ leads your team, you have a bad offense. Also, when Eduardo Nunez leads your team in OPS+, you have a bad offense.

OTOH, at least it's good news that Nunez has a 111 OPS+. I hope it continues, though I suspect it may get harder when opposing pitchers get wise and start working him relentlessly away.
 

Snodgrass'Muff

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Nunez 3-5 last night with 4 more RBI. All three hits to left, 2 off the monster. He is 12-22 with 4 doubles, 2 HR, and 9 RBI in just five games with the Red Sox.

He now has a +111 OPS on the year which leads the team. In combined stats, he leads the team in AVG, SB and 2nd in SLG. He seems to have a TON of confidence aiming for that green monster. What a pick up.

(Devers is obviously a non qualifier or he'd lead basically everything)
A 282 OPS+ since joining the Red Sox.

STUD!
 

joe dokes

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Not to be the bastard child of Debbie Downer and Captain Obvious here, but when a 111 OPS+ leads your team, you have a bad offense. Also, when Eduardo Nunez leads your team in OPS+, you have a bad offense.
OTOH, at least it's good news that Nunez has a 111 OPS+. I hope it continues, though I suspect it may get harder when opposing pitchers get wise and start working him relentlessly away.
My guess (hope?) is that everyone here knows that if Nunez is their best hitter, then Nunez is their best hitter. If the other normally good hitters don't hit good, it probably wont matter what Nunez does.
 

grimshaw

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Quick and seemingly dumb question, but when Pedroia returns does Nunez still play every day?
That's what they indicated when they traded for him. I would guess he would platoon DH, spell Pedey, X and Beni once a week.

The young guys seem tired. Moreland heating up probably takes him out of the bulk of DH playing time, though it's only been two games.
 

Savin Hillbilly

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The wrong side of the bridge....
That's what they indicated when they traded for him. I would guess he would platoon DH, spell Pedey, X and Beni once a week.
I would add Devers to that last. Awesome start or not, it will make sense to sit him now and then vs. tough lefties.

I'm still marveling at that HR last night. I keep watching it on replay. First-pitch changeup, right at the knees on the inside edge, only the second change Nunez had seen all night (and the other one was up and away). Probably 80% of hitters watch that pitch and hope it misses for 1-0. Another 10% swing and miss. The other 9.999% either ground it weakly to the left side or foul it off their foot. Nunez yanks it over everything. Just an amazing piece of hitting.
 

shaggydog2000

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I would add Devers to that last. Awesome start or not, it will make sense to sit him now and then vs. tough lefties.
This is probably not the logical part of my brain speaking, but I wouldn't sit Nunez or Devers right now unless they got hit by lightning or a mack truck on the way to the park. And even then I would have to talk to the trainers and think about it first.
 

Cesar Crespo

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With his HR today, he has just as many HRs in Boston as he did SF. 4 HRs in 42 PA vs 4 HRs in 318.

How much is Nunez going to cost in FA? He'd be great in the Holt role next year but he is going to get paid well.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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With his HR today, he has just as many HRs in Boston as he did SF. 4 HRs in 42 PA vs 4 HRs in 318.

How much is Nunez going to cost in FA? He'd be great in the Holt role next year but he is going to get paid well.
He's making $4.2M this year. Conservatively, he'll probably double that in free agency, maybe more if he finishes this year anywhere close to his current slash line.

I have to think he'll have suitors who want him to be their full time starter at one position, which will make it that much harder to get him to stay in Boston for a "Holt role" even if the Sox can be competitive salary-wise.

Realistically, with the luxury tax cap, they'll probably opt to continue to use Holt in the "Holt role" next year (with Marco Hernandez as plan B) rather than spend the extra money on Nunez.
 

Cesar Crespo

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He's making $4.2M this year. Conservatively, he'll probably double that in free agency, maybe more if he finishes this year anywhere close to his current slash line.

I have to think he'll have suitors who want him to be their full time starter at one position, which will make it that much harder to get him to stay in Boston for a "Holt role" even if the Sox can be competitive salary-wise.

Realistically, with the luxury tax cap, they'll probably opt to continue to use Holt in the "Holt role" next year (with Marco Hernandez as plan B) rather than spend the extra money on Nunez.
And Lin as plan C. Nunez fits in better being the right handed bat but we can't offer him the money, years or a starting role that other teams can. It's too bad because he's a perfect fit roster wise.
 

BaseballJones

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Nice little boost to the offense...

Nunez: 9 g, 40 ab, 4 hr, 12 rbi, .400/.429/.800/1.229
Devers: 11 g, 43 ab, 3 hr, 6 rbi, .349/.429/.605/1.033

Combined: 83 ab, 7 hr, 18 rbi, .341 avg

So this has worked out well so far.
 

soup17

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meanwhile, Todd Frazier is at .200/.333/.309(!)/.642 - OPS plus of 71.