Michael Chavis, SS: 2014 MLB Draft 26th overall

charlieoscar

Member
Sep 28, 2014
1,339
You saw him at the ballpark, close enough to tell if the 5'10 is "generous"?
Back in the days when I went to spring training (after the Sox moved to Fort Myers), I spent quite a bit of time at the minor league camp and one could wander around the area. I recall standing right next to a player who was listed as the same height that I am and I could see the button on the top of his cap. They were very lax about recording height and my guess is that they went by what a player listed. This led me to make up my own method of interpreting heights: someone who was 5'6" became 5'9"; 5'9" became 5'10", 5'11" became 6", etc.

Maybe they actually measure players today.
 

soxhop411

news aggravator
SoSH Member
Dec 4, 2009
46,276
Michael Chavis' mad scramble to reach The Show


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- As he packed for a quick, three-game road trip to Syracuse, New York, on Thursday, Michael Chavis stared at his bag, then his locker, and again at his bag.

He'd packed too much stuff. He didn't need all those gloves, bats and knickknacks, he thought. Just three T-shirts and a pair of jeans. After all, the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox were scheduled for only three games out of town, just a quick weekend getaway. He figured he'd be back in Pawtucket on Monday.

But a phone call, a turbulent flight, a hectic trip into an airport clothing store and a quick ride to the ballpark later, Chavis found himself standing in front of a locker at Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays. So he was very much not in Syracuse, let alone Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He was more than 1,300 miles away and not even knowing the day of the week off the top of his head.

"I should've brought all that stuff," Chavis said with a chuckle. "I need that now."

Everything started a little over 24 hours earlier, when Chavis woke up at 10:45 a.m. on Friday in Syracuse to three missed calls from PawSox manager Billy McMillon, who told him he'd been called up to the big leagues. As he began to gather his stuff, Chavis FaceTimed his mom, Dorothy, who immediately began crying. She'd taken up a second job at night to help pay for Chavis' travel baseball as he was growing up.
more at the link



Really good ESPN story on Chavis’s crazy two days


http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/26569305/michael-chavis-mad-scramble-reach-show
 

Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588
Two days ago Cora said he wasn't quite ready to play 2b. Today's he's starting at 2b. The next long-term plan this team sticks to will be the first .
That was 2 days ago before Cora really had a chance to watch Chavis get reps at 2b in person.

I also don't think it's a big deal. Xander didn't get many reps at 3b in 2013, Betts didn't get many reps in the OF. Travis Shaw played a competent 2b last year. How many games would people want Chavis to play at 2b before trying in the Majors? 10? 20? More?

5 games is obviously a very small sample size but I think it's a big enough sample to know if someone is going to be a complete disaster out there. Chavis could still be really bad, but chances are he's not going to be historically bad. Plus the other current options aren't very good.

I'm an unabashed Lin fanboy and think given a chance, he'd prove to be a fringe average to average hitter. That's an incredibly valuable player when you factor in plus defense at 2b, SS, 3b and a competent CF. He has the arm strength for RF and LF too. If he is a fringe average hitter, he's the only one I could see being considerably more valuable than Chavis because there could be a huge gap in defensive value. I'm pretty sure I'm on my own island in regards to Lin though.

I mentioned before how Lin and Chavis had breakout years in 2017 and went into Chavis more in depth. Here's Lin:

minors 2012-2016: 1770 PA, .235/.305/.306, 84 xbh, 170bb/275k, 15.5% K rate, 9.6% BB rate, 5.4% XBH
minors 2017-2019: 671 PA, .286/.346/.426, 55 xbh, 57bb/126k, 18.8% K rate, 8.5% BB rate, 9.1% XBH
Majors 2017-2019: 148 PA, .246/.333/.362, 10 xbh, 17bb/37k, 25.0% K rate, 11.5% BB rate, 6.8% XBH

It's well documented he changed his swing after his dreadful 2016 (.223/.287/.293) to add more power to his swing. Less than a year later, he was making his Major league debut.
 

Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588
You saw him at the ballpark, close enough to tell if the 5'10 is "generous"? Re 5'10 first baseman, Steve Garvey comes to mind first. He won a gold glove in each of his first four full time seasons at first, so 5'10 is possible at first. Still have to have the athleticism though.
I've seen him in Hadlock a few times. My vision kinda sucks but he looked slightly shorter than me and I'm 5'9.
 

nattysez

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 30, 2010
8,433
That was 2 days ago before Cora really had a chance to watch Chavis get reps at 2b in person.
There are many scouts and other people in the org who've seen him play there and relayed to Cora that he needed more time. The ideas that Cora is the sole arbiter of whether Chavis plays second and that he only needed to see him in warmups at 2b for 2 days to determine that he's ok to play 2b are preposterous.
 

Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588
There are many scouts and other people in the org who've seen him play there and relayed to Cora that he needed more time. The ideas that Cora is the sole arbiter of whether Chavis plays second and that he only needed to see him in warmups at 2b for 2 days to determine that he's ok to play 2b are preposterous.
Either way, "not quite ready" could mean a day or 3 weeks. It's coach speak for "we're giving him a day or two to absorb it all before starting him." It doesn't answer the question of how many games do you think he needs at 2b before playing there in an actual game? And how is he going to play those games at 2b when he's on the big league roster? If there was a lack of a long term plan, it was calling him up in the first place. Once they called him up, they have no choice but to play him at 2b.
 

Al Zarilla

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 8, 2005
58,871
San Andreas Fault
Back in the days when I went to spring training (after the Sox moved to Fort Myers), I spent quite a bit of time at the minor league camp and one could wander around the area. I recall standing right next to a player who was listed as the same height that I am and I could see the button on the top of his cap. They were very lax about recording height and my guess is that they went by what a player listed. This led me to make up my own method of interpreting heights: someone who was 5'6" became 5'9"; 5'9" became 5'10", 5'11" became 6", etc.

Maybe they actually measure players today.
I thought your post was going to end up “it was Yaz.”
 

LoweTek

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
May 30, 2005
2,183
Central Florida
Yaz is not 5'10" now. I doubt he ever was. I have a picture standing next to him from about 15 years ago. I'm barely 5'6" and he was maybe 1.5 inches taller than me. Maybe.
 

Minneapolis Millers

Wants you to please think of the Twins fans!
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
4,753
Twin Cities
Yaz is not 5'10" now. I doubt he ever was. I have a picture standing next to him from about 15 years ago. I'm barely 5'6" and he was maybe 1.5 inches taller than me. Maybe.
Yaz was typically listed as 5'11" but his baseball cards listed him anywhere from 5'10" to 6' (and his height somehow alternated throughout his career!). I agree with the general point of height inflation - people usually round up, because "taller" is deemed better than "shorter" and/or "truer."
 

Sandy Leon Trotsky

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 11, 2007
6,347
Any reports on how he’s looking out there defensively so far? Offense seems okay... better than Holt/Nuñez/current Pedroia
 

mfried

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 23, 2005
1,680
Chavis needs to learn (from the likes of Xander, R. Maris, etc. that home runs can often be 370-410 ft. 440 not required. Does anyone know if he ever hits with doubles power to right field?
 

PaulinMyrBch

Don't touch his dog food
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 10, 2003
8,316
MYRTLE BEACH!!!!
Chavis needs to learn (from the likes of Xander, R. Maris, etc. that home runs can often be 370-410 ft. 440 not required. Does anyone know if he ever hits with doubles power to right field?
He did hit a spring training oppo line drive HR versus the Yankees, but I don't know where to find minor league spray charts. Not sure how often he uses right field.

Here is a link to the video (my embedding skills suck)
 

Madmartigan

Member
SoSH Member
May 1, 2012
5,664
Anyone feel a little gross rooting for him given that he got busted for PEDs? That stain is hard to get out.
 

Sandy Leon Trotsky

Member
SoSH Member
Mar 11, 2007
6,347
I cheered for Schilling every second he was on the team... I couldn’t stand him before or after. I’m fine rooting for Chavis who seems way less of an asshole than Schilling
 

terrynever

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Aug 25, 2005
21,717
pawtucket
Yaz was typically listed as 5'11" but his baseball cards listed him anywhere from 5'10" to 6' (and his height somehow alternated throughout his career!). I agree with the general point of height inflation - people usually round up, because "taller" is deemed better than "shorter" and/or "truer."
Old Guy stat: People lose a half-inch in height every decade after they turn 50. Yogi was around 5-4 when he cashed out.
 

rhswanzey

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 17, 2017
111
Monmouth, ME
.214/.421/.500 in his first 19 PA.
Ants at the picnic:

His OBP drops .067 if you remove his final two PA tonight. His HBP came against a guy who has retired two of the eight hitters he's faced (a shiny 16.47 xFIP!). His third walk came against a guy who walked in three consecutive runs in mop up duty.

Positive signs here, but we really don't know anything yet.
 

pokey_reese

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 25, 2008
16,247
Boston, MA
Ants at the picnic:

His OBP drops .067 if you remove his final two PA tonight. His HBP came against a guy who has retired two of the eight hitters he's faced (a shiny 16.47 xFIP!). His third walk came against a guy who walked in three consecutive runs in mop up duty.

Positive signs here, but we really don't know anything yet.
At least we know he won’t get himself out against bad pitchers by swinging at junk. For a rookie in his first week, that’s something.
 

DJnVa

Dorito Dawg
SoSH Member
Dec 16, 2010
53,840
Ants at the picnic:

His OBP drops .067 if you remove his final two PA tonight. His HBP came against a guy who has retired two of the eight hitters he's faced (a shiny 16.47 xFIP!). His third walk came against a guy who walked in three consecutive runs in mop up duty.

Positive signs here, but we really don't know anything yet.
You’re saying with only 20 or so plate appearances the sample is too small?
 

redsox11507

Member
SoSH Member
Feb 6, 2006
261
New York
poor pugnacious pedroia potentially prematurely pipped
As Eck said last night, "verrrry interesting." Pedroia has been an injured man for the last couple of years, but Nunez limited offensive value in his two full years with the Sox (1.8 bWAR) has been offset by his defensive liability (-1.7 bWAR). Over the same stretch, Holt is at 1.1 bWAR offensively and 0.4 defensively. Both of these guys have been on the cusp of getting the boot for the last two years, but have managed to stick around. Does fan favorite in Pedroia get the benefit of the doubt here moving Chavis to the utility role (drafted SS, 3B in the minors, getting reps at 2B with the sox)?

As a Pedroia fan that's the route my heart goes, but more rationally I've got to imagine any of the permutations of those 4 guys probably makes at least as much sense.
 

SouthernBoSox

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 23, 2005
12,084
With Lin and Chavis readily available with options I honestly have no idea what utility Nunez has with this team
 

Rasputin

Will outlive SeanBerry
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Oct 4, 2001
29,421
Not here
Lin and Chavis seem to be decent and cheaper substitutes for Holt and Nunez
I'm pretty much assuming Holt and Nunez are gone after the season if not before, and if that means Lin and Chavis are backing up and starting respectively, I am more than perfectly cool with that.
 

rhswanzey

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 17, 2017
111
Monmouth, ME
Lin and Chavis seem to be decent and cheaper substitutes for Holt and Nunez
Marco Hernandez was activated by the Sox this week, rehabbing in Salem and now active there
Are you going to move forward without a 5th OF? Are you okay playing Pearce out in LF on more than an emergency basis? C/Pearce/Lin - 4th bench spot is Pedroia, an outfielder, or an 8th reliever

Er.. I guess we've got the 26th roster spot on the way next year, so the positional flexibility is a little less of an issue going forward. Still, boy this team is lucky it didn't cut Holt in March like a lot of us were expecting.

With Lin and Chavis readily available with options I honestly have no idea what utility Nunez has with this team
On paper, a RH infielder to protect Devers from tough lefties makes sense. However, Nunez has always performed better against righties, in nearly 3000 career PA. Plus, he hasn't hit anyone since 2017, and we've got a RH infielder who looks a lot less lost up there. Too bad he can't play both second and third. It's possible he's not going to survive the whole season. With Pedroia a total question mark, you can't really pull the trigger there until Holt is back, at a minimum.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,676
Maine
Are you going to move forward without a 5th OF? Are you okay playing Pearce out in LF on more than an emergency basis? C/Pearce/Lin - 4th bench spot is Pedroia, an outfielder, or an 8th reliever.
Lin plays the outfield. He's the direct Holt replacement in this scenario. That said, if healthy, I don't expect Holt is going anywhere anytime soon. I've said it before, but he seems primed for an extended, Wakefield like career with the Sox.
 

Lose Remerswaal

Experiencing Furry Panic
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Exactly. Lin had never played OF until he did. Same as Holt. And I am not sure how "lucky" we are to not have cut Holt in March. He sure didn't help the team any in his time prior to going on the IL.

With Pedroia a question mark, we have a kid named Chavis filling in ok, plus Lin, and maybe Hernandez down the line, who had a big upside before he got hurt.
 

In my lifetime

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Dec 18, 2003
959
Connecticut
Lin plays the outfield. He's the direct Holt replacement in this scenario. That said, if healthy, I don't expect Holt is going anywhere anytime soon. I've said it before, but he seems primed for an extended, Wakefield like career with the Sox.
One of the differences working against Holt (and in a much more significant way against Kimbrel and a possible RS contract) is the luxury tax. As second time offenders, every dollar the RS save by finding a less expensive replacement saves $1.30 this year and $1.40 next. That is a significant savings as long as they don't lose much talent in the exchange (of course not too much loss comparing Holt and Lin; much more comparing Kimbrel and whoever).
 

Savin Hillbilly

loves the secret sauce
SoSH Member
Jul 10, 2007
18,783
The wrong side of the bridge....
One of the differences working against Holt (and in a much more significant way against Kimbrel and a possible RS contract) is the luxury tax. As second time offenders, every dollar the RS save by finding a less expensive replacement saves $1.30 this year and $1.40 next. That is a significant savings as long as they don't lose much talent in the exchange (of course not too much loss comparing Holt and Lin; much more comparing Kimbrel and whoever).
Isn't Holt a sunk cost for both bottom-line and luxury tax purposes this year? What did I miss?
 

iddoc

New Member
Nov 17, 2006
137
Some folks seem eager (again) to jettison Holt, but he saved 2B from being an utter black hole last year and has a track record of major league competence.
 

Lose Remerswaal

Experiencing Furry Panic
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Yes. He has a contract for this year so that cost is sunk unless they could trade him, which is unlikey. I just don't understand the "thank goodness we didn't get rid of him in March" comment, as he has contributed nothing positive to the team so far this year.

(changed "unlucky" to "unlikely")
 
Last edited:

Red(s)HawksFan

Member
SoSH Member
Jan 23, 2009
20,676
Maine
Yes. He has a contract for this year so that cost is sunk unless they could trade him, which is unlucky. I just don't understand the "thank goodness we didn't get rid of him in March" comment, as he has contributed nothing positive to the team so far this year.
Pretty sure that comment was talking about last March (2018), when everyone and their mother didn't seem to want or expect Holt to break camp or ever be a productive major leaguer again.
 

rhswanzey

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 17, 2017
111
Monmouth, ME
Pretty sure that comment was talking about last March (2018), when everyone and their mother didn't seem to want or expect Holt to break camp or ever be a productive major leaguer again.
Yep, I was referring to Holt in 2018, and I was in the camp expecting him to be cut before OD - but the statement wasn't clear, and I more egregiously missed that Lin has had some AAA time in center the past couple seasons.

With both Nunez and Holt getting ready to return, once demoted, I wonder what Chavis would have to do in AAA to force the Sox to make room for him. Holt is the only one of these three who can be used at shortstop, so it's Nunez with the target on his back.