Rafael Devers | The Boneyard

Rafael Devers

Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Messages
1,262
Reaction Score
1,164
The Sox brought young (20 year old) Rafael Devers up from Pawtucket to fill the void at third base and add some pop to the line-up. For most of his young career he has played in the lower minors with just 77 games with AA Portland and 9 games with AAA Pawtucket. He has hit well where ever he has played and for the first time this year is showing some power (20 doubles and 20 home runs in just 86 games). But is this a move of desperation because Dumbrowski cannot find a competent third baseman or is this a brilliant move on his part? I think desperation. It is unlikely that this young man will adjust quickly enough to fill the scoring drought the Sox are in and it could damage his development. I hope I am wrong.
 
Joined
Mar 20, 2015
Messages
4,383
Reaction Score
1,362
How does it damage him anymore than playing everyday against awful AAA pitching?

I don't think the jump from AA to AAA pitching is so special, it's mostly bad all around.

The Sox brought young (20 year old) Rafael Devers up from Pawtucket to fill the void at third base and add some pop to the line-up. For most of his young career he has played in the lower minors with just 77 games with AA Portland and 9 games with AAA Pawtucket. He has hit well where ever he has played and for the first time this year is showing some power (20 doubles and 20 home runs in just 86 games). But is this a move of desperation because Dumbrowski cannot find a competent third baseman or is this a brilliant move on his part? I think desperation. It is unlikely that this young man will adjust quickly enough to fill the scoring drought the Sox are in and it could damage his development. I hope I am wrong.
 

Waquoit

Mr. Positive
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
32,176
Reaction Score
82,177
I think desperation. It is unlikely that this young man will adjust quickly enough to fill the scoring drought the Sox are in and it could damage his development. I hope I am wrong.

The same things were said when the Sox called up Ellsbury. They won the Series and he signed a $153M contract.
 
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Messages
1,262
Reaction Score
1,164
The same things were said when the Sox called up Ellsbury. They won the Series and he signed a $153M contract.
When Jacoby came up to the Sox he was 3 years older than Rafael and was joining a team that was loaded with offense. They were solidly in first place and were 27 games over .500. Arguably, they would have won with or without Jacoby. Devers is joining a team that is desperate for offense. If the Yankees get hot (and they have done some retooling) the Sox may not even get to the post-season. I would hate to see Devers carry any of that blame. Boston is already a tough place to play.
 
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
8,233
Reaction Score
17,484
I assume you would have preferred that they swap a prospect for a career .246 "power" hitter with an OPS well below .800 . . .
 

Stainmaster

Occasionally Constructive
Joined
Aug 7, 2014
Messages
22,005
Reaction Score
41,503
I would take these threads a little more seriously if it wasn't the same thing every time with the name subbed out. This move sucks and won't pan out, Dombrowski is an idiot...
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
7,129
Reaction Score
7,592
Nunez joins the Sox on Friday and will play 3B . Good pickup but I would like to see more power from the corners.
 
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Messages
1,262
Reaction Score
1,164
Nunez joins the Sox on Friday and will play 3B . Good pickup but I would like to see more power from the corners.
Agree. Eduardo is a good hitter and has great speed but is not the power hitter the Sox need. If they don't do something more, I don't see them making the playoffs or if they do, being an early out.
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
7,129
Reaction Score
7,592
Agree. Eduardo is a good hitter and has great speed but is not the power hitter the Sox need. If they don't do something more, I don't see them making the playoffs or if they do, being an early out.
I think the Sox make to the playoffs because their pitching is very good. Their hitting should be better and more consistent than it is. They continue to get in stretches where their bats go dead and have trouble driving in runs. Bogarts looks like he may be hurt and is in a dismal slump, Betts isn't close to having the year he had last year, Bradley continues to be very streaky ,Moreland has been horrible (maybe the toe injury) and Young hasn't performed to his strength against left handed pitchers. All of this can turn around if a few players get hot.
For one thing they probably need to run more because without HR power they have to get too many hits to score.
 

intlzncster

i fart in your general direction
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
29,094
Reaction Score
60,516
Nunez joins the Sox on Friday and will play 3B . Good pickup but I would like to see more power from the corners.

I think they went after Nunez cause of multiple positionality. If Boagy is hurt, Nunez can shift right into to SS. He's played 3rd,ss,2nd and both corner OF spots. And has shown the ability to handle all of them. He's been on a bit of a run lately, and Giants fans seem to love him. It's a really good pickup from this perspective.
 

Stainmaster

Occasionally Constructive
Joined
Aug 7, 2014
Messages
22,005
Reaction Score
41,503
I think they went after Nunez cause of multiple positionality. If Boagy is hurt, Nunez can shift right into to SS. He's played 3rd,ss,2nd and both corner OF spots. And has shown the ability to handle all of them. He's been on a bit of a run lately, and Giants fans seem to love him. It's a really good pickup from this perspective.

And if Devers can hold down 3B, Nunez offers a HUGE upgrade over anyone the Yankees have in that utility role (Torreyes).
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
2,450
Reaction Score
2,552
I think they went after Nunez cause of multiple positionality. If Boagy is hurt, Nunez can shift right into to SS. He's played 3rd,ss,2nd and both corner OF spots. And has shown the ability to handle all of them. He's been on a bit of a run lately, and Giants fans seem to love him. It's a really good pickup from this perspective.

He is not a good defensive player at all.
 

intlzncster

i fart in your general direction
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
29,094
Reaction Score
60,516
He is not a good defensive player at all.

Poorly phrased. I didn't mean he was good, just versatile. He can hold down a spot (enough) if they need it, given his offense. He's a good temporary fill-in/backup. He's better player than that other utility guy they have who's name escapes me atm.

I mean, if the plan is to slot this guy in at 3rd for the rest of the year and call it a day...defensively, that could be an issue.
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
33,481
Reaction Score
96,125
I like Nunez wanted the Yanks to keep him. A threat offensively more gap power than HR but may hit a few more with LF there. He can run good on the base paths, defense is eh, so so but he's a solid pick up I think.
 
Joined
Sep 21, 2011
Messages
4,591
Reaction Score
13,679
The move to make is to DL Bogaerts, who is still bothered by the HBP to the hand two weeks ago AND has a sore groin as of a few days ago....which explains why he looks like the worst player in baseball lately....put Nunez at SS for 10 games (or for 7 and have Holt/Marrero whatever fill in) and keep Devers at 3B. Or bench Moreland who has been maybe even worse then Bogaerts, keep Hanley at 1B and DH Nunez.

Just watching two games of course, but Devers seems to put up good at bats, doesn't swing at a lot of crap in the dirt and is willing to go the other way as all good hitters do. His HR was a fastball outside half that he launched 430 to CF. Some rookies (and vets) probably get pull happy on a pitch like that and hit a grounder to 2b. He went with it beautifully.
Also, just a small thing but his 1st game there was a pitch he was clearly beat on - hard fastball outside corner - and he still hit about a 340 foot liner down the LF line about 10 feet or so from the pole. The kid has great raw power and is playing for a team that lately has none. Oh, and he's actually looked pretty good in the field and the basepaths.

Again, it's just two games, but keep the kid in while he's looking good. Nunez to SS or DH. Get he and Devers at bats. Nunez has been on fire at the plate since June 1st.

Also, I remember Nunez always killing us when he was on NY. Big time slasher, I remember him peppering the wall a few times when he came here...and very good speed....
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
2,450
Reaction Score
2,552
Nunez to SS or DH. Get he and Devers at bats. Nunez has been on fire at the plate since June 1st.

Also, I remember Nunez always killing us when he was on NY. Big time slasher, I remember him peppering the wall a few times when he came here...and very good speed....

Yes, please play Nunez at SS, that would be great as a Yankee fan. I love how people are talking about how great a player he is. In 8 seasons he has a career 2.8 WAR, what Aaron Hicks has in 60 games this year.

But please, keep going on about how amazing he is.
 

intlzncster

i fart in your general direction
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
29,094
Reaction Score
60,516
Yes, please play Nunez at SS, that would be great as a Yankee fan. I love how people are talking about how great a player he is. In 8 seasons he has a career 2.8 WAR, what Aaron Hicks has in 60 games this year.
But please, keep going on about how amazing he is.

Guy was an All Star. You're acting like he's a total bum. He hasn't played consistently enough to be sure, both in production and in number of games per season (others beating him out).

He's a guy who came in raw as can be defensively. He's improved enough in that time frame. Is he good there? No.

The reason people are expressing hope is probably that they're still bitter about trading Travis Shaw for a reliever who spends his entire season on the disabled list. Travis is looking nice too. Was pissed about that trade. Total sell-low move on Dombrowski's part.
 
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
2,450
Reaction Score
2,552
Guy was an All Star. You're acting like he's a total bum. He hasn't played consistently enough to be sure, both in production and in number of games per season (others beating him out).

He's a guy who came in raw as can be defensively. He's improved enough in that time frame. Is he good there? No.

-1.0 Def WAR this year, that is some awful improvement. An OPS+ of 98 this year and 95 for his career. Wow, the Sox just traded for a below average offensive player too, congrats.
 
Joined
Aug 27, 2011
Messages
680
Reaction Score
2,010
Guy was an All Star. You're acting like he's a total bum. He hasn't played consistently enough to be sure, both in production and in number of games per season (others beating him out).

He's a guy who came in raw as can be defensively. He's improved enough in that time frame. Is he good there? No.

The reason people are expressing hope is probably that they're still bitter about trading Travis Shaw for a reliever who spends his entire season on the disabled list. Travis is looking nice too. Was pissed about that trade. Total sell-low move on Dombrowski's part.
I love when people throw that out there...but he was an all star! I've seen all stars who didn't even play. Brock star was an all star because every team has to have one and no one deserved it. Nothing but a popularity contest for the most part.
 
Joined
Sep 21, 2011
Messages
4,591
Reaction Score
13,679
-1.0 Def WAR this year, that is some awful improvement. An OPS+ of 98 this year and 95 for his career. Wow, the Sox just traded for a below average offensive player too, congrats.
I can tell you haven't watched Sox games over the past month. Nunez is a beast compared to the drek performances we've been seeing.

And no one called him "amazing", but hey keep rolling with it.
 
Joined
Sep 21, 2011
Messages
4,591
Reaction Score
13,679
-1.0 Def WAR this year, that is some awful improvement. An OPS+ of 98 this year and 95 for his career. Wow, the Sox just traded for a below average offensive player too, congrats.
While you're throwing out OPS+, he's 145 in June and 132 in July. Not bad for a rental. Throw in 18 steals, for this lineup in the shape its in he's definitely a very good pickup.

For comparison, Bogaerts was 98 in June and 9 - yes that's not a typo in July.
 

intlzncster

i fart in your general direction
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
29,094
Reaction Score
60,516
While you're throwing out OPS+, he's 145 in June and 132 in July. Not bad for a rental. Throw in 18 steals, for this lineup in the shape its in he's definitely a very good pickup.

For comparison, Bogaerts was 98 in June and 9 - yes that's not a typo in July.

He's also injured though
 

intlzncster

i fart in your general direction
Joined
Aug 24, 2011
Messages
29,094
Reaction Score
60,516
I love when people throw that out there...but he was an all star! I've seen all stars who didn't even play. Brock star was an all star because every team has to have one and no one deserved it. Nothing but a popularity contest for the most part.

He was an all star because he posted 321/.347/.489 with 12 home runs in the first half.
 
Joined
Mar 20, 2015
Messages
4,383
Reaction Score
1,362
Ok, sure. Boaegarts blows. Lousy defensive player, no power, dumb baseball player overall,

He'll be moved either at deadline or offseason

He's also injured though
 

Online statistics

Members online
78
Guests online
2,152
Total visitors
2,230

Forum statistics

Threads
155,752
Messages
4,030,445
Members
9,864
Latest member
leepaul


Top Bottom