From the BP thread. Definitely like him as Moreland's 1B partner and like that he has some additional positional flexibility.How much available money is there to throw at the pen? Considering salary increases.... the Sox REALLY only have a need for a starter and at least one major bullpen addition. The platoon with Moreland doesn't totally seem necessary to me as much as the other two priorities. I'd list them in this order:
1. Bullpen addition ($7 million available for '19?)
2. Starter addition ($15 million available for '19?)
3. 1st base platoon ($6 million available for '19?)
Obviously I'm guessing at these numbers.... but basing it loosely on available totals from Kimbrell, Hanley leaving....
ThisI almost feel guilty that he deserves more. $10 million is what I thought. Great signing.
For what, nostalgia? He’s a 36 yo platoon journeyman that hit 11 homers last year. I think this is more than fair and I’m glad to have him back, but paying guys like this $10M is how your payroll ends up bloated. That’s $3.5M more to spend on a reliever.I almost feel guilty that he deserves more. $10 million is what I thought. Great signing.
The Sox year-by-yeared Big Papi too (for about $9MM more a year,) so it’s hardly an insult. I’m surprised teams give multi-year contracts to players older than 30, no matter how good they are, considering the much greater injury/decline risk.I love that they are bringing him back but glad that it is for one year given his age at a fair price too.
“Almost”.For what, nostalgia? He’s a 36 yo platoon journeyman that hit 11 homers last year. I think this is more than fair and I’m glad to have him back, but paying guys like this $10M is how your payroll ends up bloated. That’s $3.5M more to spend on a reliever.
If he “almost” feels guilty then he actually doesn’t.“Almost” what? Next year will be his age 36 season.
11 homers in 252 plate appearances. Plus, you know, four more in 47 playoff plate appearances. And just consistently excellent hitting overall.For what, nostalgia? He’s a 36 yo platoon journeyman that hit 11 homers last year.
Most teams don't platoon at 1B so $6.5M is plenty. As the right-handed half, and outside of injuries to JDM or Moreland, he will be lucky to see more than 300 PAs, including pinch-hitting. His experience at other positions is in the OF which won't happen with the Sox. He's no slouch against right-handing pitching, but any PAs will primarily be at the expense of Moreland.I almost feel guilty that he deserves more. $10 million is what I thought. Great signing.
I'm sure there's a syllogism lurking in there, but damned if I can see it.Most teams don't platoon at 1B so $6.5M is plenty.
I’m perfectly fine with $6.5m and think that’s what he deserves for what he brings to table. I was responding to the poster who said he deserved $10m. I think that’s too much to spend on a platoon guy.11 homers in 252 plate appearances. Plus, you know, four more in 47 playoff plate appearances. And just consistently excellent hitting overall.
OPS
.890 regular season (.901 w/ BOS, .868 w/ TOR)
.762 ALDS
.853 ALCS
1.667 World Series
1/$6.25M? Yes, please. I mean, he could fall off a cliff at age 36 (post age 30, he's had a weird trend of killing it in his odd-numbered seasons and slumping in his even-numbered ones). But at that price it's worth the risk, imo.
Career splits:I'm sure there's a syllogism lurking in there, but damned if I can see it.
You don't pay a player based on how your roster-usage strategy compares to other teams'. You pay him based on how much value you expect to get from him. Pearce is projected to be worth more than $6.5M next year (though not a whole lot more), so the Sox are getting a likely bargain, which is great.
This is kind of an odd platoon situation, anyway. Guess how many of the past six years Mitch Moreland has been a better hitter vs. RHP than Steve Pearce?
One: 2015
Granted, this is probably because Pearce has sat against the toughest RHP, but still, this is a platoon situation more because we already have Moreland under contract than because Pearce needs a platoon partner. I will be very surprised if the playing time situation doesn't translate to more like 50/50, or even something like 90/70 games in Pearce's favor, than a straight platoon.
There was no poster who said he “deserves $10 million.”I’m perfectly fine with $6.5m and think that’s what he deserves for what he brings to table. I was responding to the poster who said he deserved $10m. I think that’s too much to spend on a platoon guy.
All of this, plus he's clearly knows and is comfortable with what his role is here and has already bought into Cora's management style. .Pearce wanted to come back, the Sox wanted him back, and they struck an eminently reasonable deal to accomplish this. He also seems popular in the clubhouse and just generally a good guy who's easy to root for. This signing makes me happy.
I see this all the time, but what does "bought into" mean? For the most part, Pearce has been used as a platoon player during his entire career in MLB. Cora's usage of him is likely to be similar.All of this, plus he's clearly knows and is comfortable with what his role is here and has already bought into Cora's management style. .
Can't see how much value Moreland might have in a trade. As with last year's market, there's no shortage of 1B options out there. I think a team could sign a comparable player without having to give up anything of value other than cash.I wonder if Moreland would have any value in a trade and/or if Pearce could handle 1b full time. Moreland isn't much of an upgrade offensively vs R.
For his career, he has about 30% more starts vs. RHP than LHP. In 2017, he had more than twice as many, which is approximating normal (non-platoon-biased) usage. Even this year, when he spent the entire season on teams with LHH or switch-hitting incumbent 1Bs, he only had two more starts vs. LHP than RHP, and had slightly more PA vs. RHP (131 to 120).I see this all the time, but what does "bought into" mean? For the most part, Pearce has been used as a platoon player during his entire career in MLB. Cora's usage of him is likely to be similar.
I think what I'm trying to say is based on his time with the Sox in '18, there is a certain level of trust in knowing he'll be used in a much similar way. He was brought in to serve a particular role and was kept here to fill that same role. That said, I'm sure there have been discussions where Cora has told Pearce that he has a somewhat defined role that might be subject to change depending on circumstances. Cora's playoff results have afforded him a certain "currency" with his players and I think and Pearce re-signing as quickly as he did for the money he signed for may be a sign that he's on board with more of the same.I see this all the time, but what does "bought into" mean? For the most part, Pearce has been used as a platoon player during his entire career in MLB. Cora's usage of him is likely to be similar.
I checked his stats and you're correct. He has a better OPS against LH pitching so it doesn't seem to make sense that he's never been a full-time player. And then, Moreland has been better against RH pitching than Pearce. Will they trade Moreland?For his career, he has about 30% more starts vs. RHP than LHP. In 2017, he had more than twice as many, which is approximating normal (non-platoon-biased) usage. Even this year, when he spent the entire season on teams with LHH or switch-hitting incumbent 1Bs, he only had two more starts vs. LHP than RHP, and had slightly more PA vs. RHP (131 to 120).
He's been a part-time player, and his usage has been biased a bit to the platoon-advantage side. But he's never really been a platoon player in anything approaching a strict sense of the term.
I checked his stats and you're correct. He has a better OPS against LH pitching so it doesn't seem to make sense that he's never been a full-time player. And then, Moreland has been better against RH pitching than Pearce. Will they trade Moreland?
I hope not and doubt it. Pearce and Moreland are not only a good platoon pair at 1B, both are reasonably good pinch hitters with HR power. And then there’s the matter of depth. Aside from Pedroia, the team was fortunate injury-wise last year. If any of the four outfielders (including JDM) miss games in ‘19, Pearce Moreland are viable at DH.I checked his stats and you're correct. He has a better OPS against LH pitching so it doesn't seem to make sense that he's never been a full-time player. And then, Moreland has been better against RH pitching than Pearce. Will they trade Moreland?
I agree with your overall point, but it's not because we were fortunate injury-wise, unless you're only talking OFs. If so, only Betts spent time on the DL, but then why mention Pedey? In addition to Betts, we had 4 other starting position players go on the DL. In the pen, we lost C.Smith forever and Thornburgh for a big chunk of the season. 3 of our SPs lost a total of 174 days on the DL and that doesn't include Wright's and Johnson's stints. We weren't hammered by injuries, but we weren't fortunate....Aside from Pedroia, the team was fortunate injury-wise last year. If any of the four outfielders (including JDM) miss games in ‘19, Pearce Moreland are viable at DH.
Aside from Pedroia, were the Red Sox REALLY fortunate injury-wise last year? It seemed to me that they were only fortunate injury-wise in the playoffs.I hope not and doubt it. Pearce and Moreland are not only a good platoon pair at 1B, both are reasonably good pinch hitters with HR power. And then there’s the matter of depth. Aside from Pedroia, the team was fortunate injury-wise last year. If any of the four outfielders (including JDM) miss games in ‘19, Pearce Moreland are viable at DH.
Wright as well.Aside from Pedroia, were the Red Sox REALLY fortunate injury-wise last year? It seemed to me that they were only fortunate injury-wise in the playoffs.
Betts
Price
Bogaerts
EdRo
Sale
Vazquez
Devers
Kinsler
I don’t want to derail the Pearce thread with a digression about injuries, but I’ll clarify by saying I was thinking about position players, not pitchers, in my comment about Pearce and power-hitting bench depth. And when I said *relatively* fortunate, I didn’t mean that there weren’t any position-playing starters on the DL, but instead that aside from Pedroia, no one was in the DL for very long. Even Devers played 121 games and Vazquez played 80. That’s obviously fewer than they’d have played had they not been injured, but it’s not as if they were lost for the season.I agree with your overall point, but it's not because we were fortunate injury-wise, unless you're only talking OFs. If so, only Betts spent time on the DL, but then why mention Pedey? In addition to Betts, we had 4 other starting position players go on the DL. In the pen, we lost C.Smith forever and Thornburgh for a big chunk of the season...
Again, I was referring to position players.Aside from Pedroia, were the Red Sox REALLY fortunate injury-wise last year? It seemed to me that they were only fortunate injury-wise in the playoffs.
Betts
Price
Bogaerts
EdRo
Sale
Vazquez
Devers
Kinsler