Yoan Moncada to be called up on Friday

HriniakPosterChild

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 6, 2006
14,841
500 feet above Lake Sammammish
I had no idea about the '75 squad being so young. So it was not just the pennant drive that revitalized the fan base? It was all those kids, as the future looked pretty rosy. Am I close?
Yes, and then free agency came and the Yawkey ownership shat the bed with the End Of Baseball As We Knew It. Sox players loved Mr. Yawkey, so why would they want to take more money to play for someone else,
 

Al Zarilla

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 8, 2005
59,528
San Andreas Fault
I had no idea about the '75 squad being so young. So it was not just the pennant drive that revitalized the fan base? It was all those kids, as the future looked pretty rosy. Am I close?
1967 is the year that provided the huge shot in the arm for attendance. 1975 gave it another goose. See baseball almanac or BBREF for the numbers.

Ed., 1946 is the year that first put The Red Sox on the map as a premier attendance team. Fenway had no 10,000 or above average attendance/game years until that year! No other team was really setting the world on fire until 1946 though.
 
Last edited:

Toe Nash

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 28, 2005
5,649
02130
Yes, and then free agency came and the Yawkey ownership shat the bed with the End Of Baseball As We Knew It. Sox players loved Mr. Yawkey, so why would they want to take more money to play for someone else,
Read Gammons' Beyond the Sixth Game for the best overview of the 70s era Sox.

Excited to see Moncada.
 

BestGameEvah

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 21, 2012
1,089
This is pretty cool. I've seen him here in Portland three times, and was lucky enough to see him hit a homer (one from each side) in two of those games. Raw power is intense - both homers were ropes.

But, yeah, he swings and misses a lot.

In the field, he's very quick, and I saw him make some great plays at second. Never saw him at 3rd.

In general, he was clearly a major league calibre Sea Dog, with the same kind of obvious talent as X, Mookie, Benintendi, etc., who've come through lately and sped past.

Shaw, on the other hand, never seemed like anything special. I was genuinely surprised by his rapid assent.
The Portland mgr told ESPN recently that Moncada, in his opinion, was the most talented player he had seen at AA since Carlos Beltran! If the pitcher is 1.3 to the plate then Yoan is going!
 

joe dokes

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
30,680
I heard Bradford on the WEEI broadcast today and he said that Moncada was being called up as part of a "boost" heading into the end of the season. He was openly wondering why Farrell and the front office did not make a statement saying that his role would be much more than pinch runner / cup of coffee since they do in fact intend it to be at least a platoon against LH pitching. Said 3B production has been "nothing" and needs to be addressed ASAP.

Why? Does Bradford think that that it exactly what Farrell will say to Moncada? Does Bradford think he isn;t going to play? How exactly does Bradford think Moncada will give the team a "boost" if he doesn;t play? Cuban coffee. Why should the front office ever make a prediction/statement like that? Who gives a shit what the Manager says in public? Bradford should shut up. He's stupid.
 

BaseballJones

ivanvamp
SoSH Member
Oct 1, 2015
24,859
Looking forward to Moncada on the roster. As long as he doesn't play in the Bermuda Triangle of left field, I'll be happy. I can't imagine he'll give the Sox less than what Shaw has been giving them offensively. And it'll be good just to have him get major league experience of any kind.

The downside: The Sox seem to be running out of great prospects still in the minors! ;-)
 

JimD

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 29, 2001
8,698
What do we expect defensively from Moncada at third base? I'm more than a little concerned that he will be manning this position after less than a month's apprenticeship in the minors - I hope that the fanbase and the media don't dump on the kid when he inevitably makes an error or two.
 

Buzzkill Pauley

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 30, 2006
10,569
What do we expect defensively from Moncada at third base? I'm more than a little concerned that he will be manning this position after less than a month's apprenticeship in the minors - I hope that the fanbase and the media don't dump on the kid when he inevitably makes an error or two.
With a 30% strikeout rate against AA pitchers, Moncada shouldn't worry about the media dumping on him for fielding.

He'll have enough on his plate trying to put the ball in play against a steady diet of MLB breaking stuff.

Then again, he probably won't get blamed if he can't hit, either.

If Moncada succeeds, it'll be sunshine and roses. If he struggles, and unless the Sox run away with the division over the next month, the groundwork is already set for the media to blame Farrell instead.

Which may be warranted.

Because all the articles I read before this news came out indicated Farrell has been the driving force behind Moncada's promotion, while DDski sounds ambivalent. So if Moncada actually needs another 4-6 months' worth of learning to hit more advanced pitching in the minors, criticism of the guy who's been actively lobbying to bypass that development time seems fair.
 

Bob Montgomerys Helmet Hat

has big, douchey shoulders
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Because all the articles I read before this news came out indicated Farrell has been the driving force behind Moncada's promotion, while DDski sounds ambivalent. So if Moncada actually needs another 4-6 months' worth of learning to hit more advanced pitching in the minors, criticism of the guy who's been actively lobbying to bypass that development time seems fair.
Any chance you can link some of these articles so we can understand how ambivalent DD sounds? Seems like an interesting twist. TIA.
 

Buzzkill Pauley

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 30, 2006
10,569
I'll try to track down some links.

I do have a full-time job, though, so hunting through articles on the work computer or my phone isn't something I can dedicate a lot of time to until later this evening.
 

joe dokes

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
30,680
So if Moncada succeeds, all will be well. But if he doesn't hit, unless the Sox also run away with the division this month, it's going to be John Farrell who takes the hit.
Unless Moncada ends up at career destroying levels of disappointment over not hitting, I dont think there's much a "hit" to be taken since Moncada is taking the place of two players who suck so bad right now that they are on the verge of being replaced by a guy being called up from AA to play a position he never played before August 1.
 
Last edited:

Buzzkill Pauley

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 30, 2006
10,569
Unless Moncada commits suicide over his failure, I dont think there's much a "hit" to be taken since Moncada is taking the place of two players who suck so bad right now that they are on the verge of being replaced by a guy being called up from AA to play a position he never played before August 1.
And I don't think it's in good taste to make jokes about a kid committing suicide because he can't meet the expectations of others, even if those expectations are unreasonable.

But each of us can think what he or she wants.
 

Bosoxen

Bounced back
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 29, 2005
10,186
Also, when is the last time a big time prospect made their debut at home? Jeff Suppan?
Jon Lester and Jonathan Papelbon both debuted at home. In 2006, they were the #22 and #37 ranked prospects, respectively. I'm not sure if you'd qualify that as "big time prospects" but there you have it.

Coincidentally, I was at Fenway for both of those.
 

joe dokes

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
30,680
And I don't think it's in good taste to make jokes about a kid committing suicide because he can't meet the expectations of others, even if those expectations are unreasonable.

But each of us can think what he or she wants.

Fair enough, edited to make the same point with more decorum.
 

joyofsox

empty, bleak
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
7,552
Vancouver Island
Speier was on the NESN broadcast last night and said that Moncada was still getting his fundamentals down at 3B. Had made 3 errors in 9 games. Far from a finished product, but making solid strides.
 

HomeRunBaker

bet squelcher
SoSH Member
Jan 15, 2004
30,504
I think he plays every day. Hill/Shaw/Holt/Young is a pretty strong bench when Benintendi is back.
I can't imagine him facing LHP right off the bat. Moncada's usage figures to mirror Benintendi's right down to the timing of the callup. He'll get a start or two against a younger Athletics SP on the road then be exposed to Fenway. He could be a trainwreck defensively which coupled with his questionable readiness to hit LHP at this level it doesn't make much sense for him to be playing every day this year where his glove could cost us a game. Hill is still going to get those starts I'm guessing.
 

mauf

Anderson Cooper × Mr. Rogers
Moderator
SoSH Member
Jun 22, 2008
36,185
He has three options. The minor league season only lasts for like three more days. He won't be optioned this year.

He might--probably will be--optioned in 2017. If he is then optioned every year, he will be out of options by 2020.
I thought you could option a player four times if it happened in his first four seasons -- so if Moncada was first called up in 2017, he would still have an option left in 2020. I'm wondering if the September 2016 callup negates that.

Even if it does, I'm still in favor of the call-up -- the team is in a pennant race and has a need he can address, plus if Moncada's option status is relevant in 2020, his rights won't be worth terribly much.
 

BestGameEvah

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 21, 2012
1,089
Any chance you can link some of these articles so we can understand how ambivalent DD sounds? Seems like an interesting twist. TIA.
Not sure if these were the one's he was referring to but they seem like different takes!
DD's comments:
http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2016/08/29/dave-dombrowski-offers-insight-to-likelihood-of-yoan-moncada-christian-vazquez-call-ups/
Farrells comments: http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2016/08/31/john-farrell-insinuates-yoan-moncada-will-be-playing-third-base-for-red-sox-soon/
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,995
Maine
I thought you could option a player four times if it happened in his first four seasons -- so if Moncada was first called up in 2017, he would still have an option left in 2020. I'm wondering if the September 2016 callup negates that.

Even if it does, I'm still in favor of the call-up -- the team is in a pennant race and has a need he can address, plus if Moncada's option status is relevant in 2020, his rights won't be worth terribly much.
You only get a fourth option year if one of two conditions are met...1) the player spends less than 90 days on an active professional roster during a given year or 2) the player spends less than 60 days on an active professional roster and at least 30 days on a disabled list. Both of these conditions are primarily aimed at giving teams a bonus option year for players who spend a year playing only on a short-season roster, such as a low-A or Rookie league, since those leagues typically have seasons of less than 90 days.

Typically the players that get these extra option years are the ones that sign Major League contracts right off the bat. The last player in the Red Sox system I can recall getting a fourth option year was Jose Iglesias because his first year with the organization was spent with Lowell then Portland and totaled just 70 games (and probably about 80 days).

Someone at Moncada's level (or Kopech's since he's been discussed too) is unlikely to go back to short-season leagues once he's added to the 40-man roster so is also unlikely to qualify for a fourth option year. The only chance is an injury that keeps him out for most of the year, such that he spends less than 60 days active on a roster. I don't think anyone wants to see that.
 

joe dokes

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
30,680
I can't imagine him facing LHP right off the bat. Moncada's usage figures to mirror Benintendi's right down to the timing of the callup. He'll get a start or two against a younger Athletics SP on the road then be exposed to Fenway. He could be a trainwreck defensively which coupled with his questionable readiness to hit LHP at this level it doesn't make much sense for him to be playing every day this year where his glove could cost us a game. Hill is still going to get those starts I'm guessing.

I think Farrell mentioned the Bentintendi go-slow comp, and then how Benintendi "blew the doors off the plan" pretty quickly. So I think the go-slow-ish platoon will be it at forst.
 
Do I understand correctly that Moncada will not be eligible for the postseason? If he's ready enough to help the team in September, why isn't he ready enough to help the team in the playoffs too?

Edit: In other words, why wait until 9/1 to call him up? Why not call him up on 8/30 or 8/31?
 

Mighty Joe Young

The North remembers
SoSH Member
Sep 14, 2002
8,466
Halifax, Nova Scotia , Canada
Do I understand correctly that Moncada will not be eligible for the postseason? If he's ready enough to help the team in September, why isn't he ready enough to help the team in the playoffs too?

Edit: In other words, why wait until 9/1 to call him up? Why not call him up on 8/30 or 8/31?
He is eligible .. Anyone in the entire organization as of August 31st is eligible.
 

Saints Rest

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Do I understand correctly that Moncada will not be eligible for the postseason? If he's ready enough to help the team in September, why isn't he ready enough to help the team in the playoffs too?

Edit: In other words, why wait until 9/1 to call him up? Why not call him up on 8/30 or 8/31?
No. You don't understand correctly.
This is stated in multiple threads multiple times by multiple people.
 

joe dokes

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 18, 2005
30,680
Do I understand correctly that Moncada will not be eligible for the postseason? If he's ready enough to help the team in September, why isn't he ready enough to help the team in the playoffs too?

Edit: In other words, why wait until 9/1 to call him up? Why not call him up on 8/30 or 8/31?
he is eligible....or can be made eligible.....by virtue of the fact that he was in the organization on 9/1 (even though not on the 40) and is thus permitted to "replace an injured player" (like anyone on the 60DL--Swihart, for example).

All guys on the 40 are playoff eligible without need to replace anyone.
 

Grady's Cousin

New Member
Jul 9, 2016
12
I want this kid velcroed to Big Papi as much as possible over the coming weeks. Coming to Boston with huge expectations in the heat of a pennant race, I hope he takes every opportunity to bask in Papi's wisdom.
 

wilked

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 17, 2005
4,090
Do I understand correctly that Moncada will not be eligible for the postseason? If he's ready enough to help the team in September, why isn't he ready enough to help the team in the playoffs too?

Edit: In other words, why wait until 9/1 to call him up? Why not call him up on 8/30 or 8/31?
On 8/30, calling him up means 1 less body on the 25 man roster. Calling him up 9/1 removes that limitation.
 

Snodgrass'Muff

oppresses WARmongers
SoSH Member
Mar 11, 2008
27,644
Roanoke, VA
Do I understand correctly that Moncada will not be eligible for the postseason? If he's ready enough to help the team in September, why isn't he ready enough to help the team in the playoffs too?

Edit: In other words, why wait until 9/1 to call him up? Why not call him up on 8/30 or 8/31?
At this point, I'm pretty sure SoSH is just a collection of solipsists that happen to be hovering around the same inter-dimensional real estate.
 

Curt S Loew

SoSH Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Apr 12, 2001
6,861
Shantytown
Yeah. Can we just put a banner up on the page saying "Yes, they are eligible"? It's getting pretty bad.
 

absintheofmalaise

too many flowers
Dope
SoSH Member
Mar 16, 2005
23,925
The gran facenda
Do I understand correctly that Moncada will not be eligible for the postseason? If he's ready enough to help the team in September, why isn't he ready enough to help the team in the playoffs too?

Edit: In other words, why wait until 9/1 to call him up? Why not call him up on 8/30 or 8/31?
Do I understand that you didn't read this thread before posting? Please don't do that again.
 

mauidano

Mai Tais for everyone!
SoSH Member
Aug 21, 2006
36,087
Maui
I think we need to dial back the expectations level a bit. Major League pitching will be a little more difficult for a guy who likes to swing hard at everything than it is at A & AA. Lots of potential but let's give the kid a little breathing room to grow. Benintendi is a different type of hitter than Moncada so up front let's not compare the two. Okay that being said wishing him the best and let's have some fun.
 

SpaceMan37

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 30, 2013
225
I think we need to dial back the expectations level a bit. Major League pitching will be a little more difficult for a guy who likes to swing hard at everything than it is at A & AA. Lots of potential but let's give the kid a little breathing room to grow. Benintendi is a different type of hitter than Moncada so up front let's not compare the two. Okay that being said wishing him the best and let's have some fun.
Hopefully it will take a few weeks for pitchers to get a book on him. He might be better in the short term than you think.
 

Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588
Shaw, on the other hand, never seemed like anything special. I was genuinely surprised by his rapid assent.
Probably arguing semantics, but Shaw played parts of 3 seasons in Portland and 2 seasons in Pawtucket. His ascend was anything but rapid. Especially compared to the other guys you named. Maybe you meant his results, in which case I agree. Of course the more he is exposed, the more he is looking like the guy we thought he was.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,995
Maine
I think we need to dial back the expectations level a bit. Major League pitching will be a little more difficult for a guy who likes to swing hard at everything than it is at A & AA. Lots of potential but let's give the kid a little breathing room to grow. Benintendi is a different type of hitter than Moncada so up front let's not compare the two. Okay that being said wishing him the best and let's have some fun.
My expectations for Moncada are fairly tempered for the short term, but I do expect him to at least outplay what Shaw and Hill have done the last month or so. I think expectations should really be tempered for Moncada in 2017, especially if he plays well now in the short term.

We have all these comps for late season call-ups that filled a hole/gave the team a shot in the arm such as Ellsbury in 2007 and Bogaerts in 2013. What I expect is that if Moncada follows the same path and is a boon to the 2016 team, people will anoint him the second coming and hand him the Opening Day 3B for 2017. Then he'll experience the same sort of "sophomore slump" that the other two experienced over their first full season in the bigs and cause all sorts of disappointment. That's not to say I don't think he's going to be really good for a long time, but I think we all need to be careful with what we expect out of him no matter what he does in the next month or two.
 

SpaceMan37

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 30, 2013
225
My expectations for Moncada are fairly tempered for the short term, but I do expect him to at least outplay what Shaw and Hill have done the last month or so. I think expectations should really be tempered for Moncada in 2017, especially if he plays well now in the short term.

We have all these comps for late season call-ups that filled a hole/gave the team a shot in the arm such as Ellsbury in 2007 and Bogaerts in 2013. What I expect is that if Moncada follows the same path and is a boon to the 2016 team, people will anoint him the second coming and hand him the Opening Day 3B for 2017. Then he'll experience the same sort of "sophomore slump" that the other two experienced over their first full season in the bigs and cause all sorts of disappointment. That's not to say I don't think he's going to be really good for a long time, but I think we all need to be careful with what we expect out of him no matter what he does in the next month or two.
Well that's when they can earn another year of control when he's sent down to work on stuff. I hope they don't do with him what they did with JBJ and Bogaerts and let him struggle for way too long because of a lack of other options.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,995
Maine
Well that's when they can earn another year of control when he's sent down to work on stuff. I hope they don't do with him what they did with JBJ and Bogaerts and let him struggle for way too long because of a lack of other options.
Frankly, no matter what he does now, I don't expect Moncada to break camp with the big club next season. He does have more developing to do (just as Bogaerts did and Ellsbury as well). I think they'll want to give that time to him while Sandoval gets the first crack at his old job, with Shaw likely in the mix at both first and third, not to mention Holt as well.

That won't stop the hue and cry from the WEEI callers and some folks here demanding Moncada be in the lineup from day one. And if they get their wish, I don't expect it to be sunshines and rainbows.