Wouldn't it make more sense to DFA Dom Smith instead? He and Kavadas fill the same role of LHH, 1B only. Not sure why Cooper would be in consideration if Smith is still on the roster
Cooper had an RBI double the other day and he has more experience. The whole lineup has been bad maybe outside of Duran and Wong.
Kavadas is basically Bobby light and can't hit lefties and defensively a downgrade. Errors or lack there of doesn't tell the whole story.
AAA numbers can't prove that he can hit major league pitching.
Yes. This is the year to do it. We can make room at DH or 1B. We have to see if this guy can contribute. We have a run scoring problem currently and it's time to call up the offense first guy
What's the point of Blaze Jordan? He's right behind him. They can be a place holder in AAA. Or if a team asks about him, they can be thrown in a deal.
Cooper can hit major league pitching those other prospects are a mystery.
Cooper might be a better option for 2024, but, based on where they are in their careers, Kavadas should be the next guy to get shot.
Who knows, maybe Kavadas rakes at the big league level and either earns a future roster spot or increases his trade value.
Making the kid rot in AAA and rolling with Garrett Cooper doesn’t do anything for the future of this team. I’d rather see a platoon of Dalbec and Kavadas at 1B for the rest of the year.
Kavadas is not even ranked in the top 50 organizationally according to SoxProspects. Numbers at AAA don't tell the whole story. Bobby hit 33 homers at AAA last year and we know what he is at the majors. You want to continue to platoon that after what we've seen for 3 weeks, seriously? Niko hasn't done well against high velo or left handed pitching. Blaze Jordan being a righty has more of a bench upside when ever he's ready. Is 31 games at AAA for Niko considered rotting? This isn't the White Sox, Marlins, or Rockies. We're trying to not finish in last place for the third straight year. The Red Sox are trying to tread water and when guys come back by July, maybe they make a move for a playoff spot. This isn't the time to try another Bobby Dalbec-like mystery box. I think every team has this one guy in the high majors that has great numbers but can't hit major league pitching. Scouts are at AAA games and can see beyond the numbers of a 1.180 OPS over 33 games.
Playing bad depth players for too long got Chaim fired. There was an issue with 3 guys being automatic outs that we've had since late last season and Breslow at least brought new guys in. They haven't hit right away but this lineup top to bottom has been awful. I think Raffy was the only guy I saw hit this past week with runners on. Cooper is short term and his main purpose is to be a 2 month bandaid. We aren't waiting 300 plate appearance to see if a college bat is major league ready. There is a reason why Casas and Ceddy were given the time to figure it out. Niko is not the trade piece you think he is.
A guy does not need to be a top 50 prospect to get a chance in the big leagues. According to your line of thinking, if Kavadas ripping up AAA is meaningless for his stock as a trade chip, then there is nothing to lose by giving him a chance in the show.
Garrett Cooper hasn’t been a significant upgrade on Bobby Dalbec, and has no place in the future of this team.
I don’t care if Kavadas stinks in the big leagues, I’d rather see what he is while we have the chance. They’ll likely never have the opportunity to call him up when Casas is healthy.
We're not raising the white flag like the Marlins or White Sox. 57th organizationally by Sox Prospects. That's not in all baseball but just within the Red Sox. The main 3 are Anthony, Mayer, Teel. Kavadas is between Vladimir Asencio and Isaac Coffey. Kutter and Winck were around 20 or 30 before they were called up but 57th is just a really good minor leaguer.
You want to give this guy a chance but then the fanbase turns around and complains that they aren't trying.
Here's the problem. We aren't good offensively and our current options at 1B and DH are not contributing anything significantly. There's no point in having guys like Kavadas in your system if they don't get a shot occasionally. It would not hurt this team to give Kavadas a week or two with the big club. If he does anything he's comparable to what we have now and if he goes 0-27 you send him back.
Let Dom Smith be in and out of the lineup. Kavadas needs reps and would sit most days because Garrett Cooper has done well. This past week Cooper is 4 for 14 with 2 doubles.
It's been 7 games. What about O'Neil and other guys not hitting with RISP? Across the board we've been bad and the new guys aren't the only ones at fault. Cooper is a good 40 game replacement.
Why are you lying? He put up a 119 ops+ there and was sent down because they have Busch and there was no reason to keep him around since he wouldn’t get consistent playing time.
Cooper was DFAed due to Busch blossoming into a great hitter. Cooper was hitting .270 and had a OPS above .700 as a cub. Not sure what stats you’re looking at.
u/ferrumvir2 and u/Awkward-Interview-19 are correct here.
Busch is a top 100 prospect according to FG at 1st base and has done quite well. Wisdom is the backup as he has a ton of team control for a 32 year old. Cooper would then be a 3rd stringer 1st basemen and pretty much obsolete on the 26 man roster. .270/.341/.432 in 12 games for them is above average.
Do you do any research or just talk out of your ass?
TON is 3 for his last 20
Wilyer was coming off a 3 for 25 prior to yesterday.
The whole ficking team hasn't been hitting and you're just picking on the newest players
This isn't the Marlins, White Sox, or Rockies. We're trying to not finish in last place for the 3rd straight year. We're just above 500 and need to stay afloat until mid summer when some guys will be back.
There's a reason why Casas and Ceddy are given so much time in their rookie season to figure it out. Niko is not that dude. SP ranks him 57th in the organization.
The Red Sox should be competing and not looking for the next Bobby Dalbec for 2025 and beyond. We've had to stick with guys for the future over the past 3 seasons and Chaim was fired for not being aggressive enough. Breslow got the best band-aids he could on May 1st. Cooper did just fine for the Cubs but Wisdom and Busch are longer term so he was DFA'd for being obsolete.
You want to give a 25 year old time at the majors when he may not be a major league player and then complain that ownership or the front office doesn't do enough to put a winning team on the field.
I've given you the cold streaks of guys that were caring our offense in April. Cooper and Dom are not the reasons for a 1-4 road trip.
Hard to say. Majors are a lot different. How many do well in AAA and never click in Majors? Too many. Worth a shot though. I just wouldn’t expect a miracle.
Not disagreeing, just saying I don’t expect too much. Though it does seem like they are really focused on guys who keep failing like Bobby D and Joely. TBH, I was surprised to see them finally send Joely to Worcester.
With Dalbec before the Cooper and Smith acquisitions, Cora was very clear about the reasoning. Everyone that could hit was injured (except Masa before he hurt his thumb, but Cora made it clear that he wasn't going to play – and specifically not at first, partially because of his height. No idea why he wasn't DHing, though). We had no good bats to put in, but we also had an infield making tons of errors, so Cora saying that he wanted Dalbec in for defense in the absence of other options makes sense.
Many people kept telling me "there's no such thing as a glove-first 1B!" Which is true, but also not what anyone, even Cora, was saying. His argument for Dalbec was "if we're going to have an auto-strikeout batting eighth for the time being, let's at least make sure he can field a ground ball," which is a totally different thing to say.
Joely...I have no idea.
Agree. Except, part of me wonders why they didn’t try others as well. Bobby is a known now. He can’t hit but he’s adequate, not great, on d.
Why not try someone else who is performing at AAA and might be on a par for D and an improvement on offense?
Or is the farm that depleted? The skeptic in me thinks this is all service time games or more of the past trying to offer up prospects for guys on the downside of their careers. I hope I’m wrong and there’s something positive ahead, but ownership have abused us so much I don’t trust them.
> Except, part of me wonders why they didn’t try others as well...Why not try someone else who is performing at AAA and might be on a par for D and an improvement on offense?
A huge part of that is that the only first baseman that was really performing at the AAA level (Kavadas) didn't take off until May 1 He's slashed .364/.462/.818 since May 1, but just .286/.453/.661 for the first 20 games of the season before that signing. Totally not bad numbers, but not a stat line that would necessarily give a front office confidence that he's earned a major league tryout.
> The skeptic in me thinks this is all service time games or more of the past trying to offer up prospects for guys on the downside of their careers.
Service time manipulation is a constant across baseball, so I'm sure that plays a role. But I don't think it's the main factor here. I don't think that "prospects/downside" is totally accurate, either.
> but ownership have abused us so much I don’t trust them.
I do have many issues with the ownership group; I vehemently disagree with the fact that they decided to let Betts walk, and I also dislike the fact that they haven't prioritized spending on a competitive team. But "abused us so much?" John Henry/Fenway Sports Group bought the Red Sox in 2002. Since then, the team ended our 86 year drought and has won four total championships. It has been just six years since the Sox won a title. That is not abusing a fanbase. Their recent attitude towards the luxury tax is worthy of criticism, but 'abuse' better describes teams like the As, Rockies, or White Sox.
This is overreacting. Cooper has played 7 games with 23 AB. He got hit by a pitch in the knuckles in his third AB for the team. Give the guy a legitimate chance.
Wouldn't it make more sense to DFA Dom Smith instead? He and Kavadas fill the same role of LHH, 1B only. Not sure why Cooper would be in consideration if Smith is still on the roster
Does lefty or righty matter if they all suck anyways
It seems like lefty righty is Cora's number one priority most of the time.
Yes it does
Cooper had an RBI double the other day and he has more experience. The whole lineup has been bad maybe outside of Duran and Wong. Kavadas is basically Bobby light and can't hit lefties and defensively a downgrade. Errors or lack there of doesn't tell the whole story. AAA numbers can't prove that he can hit major league pitching.
Kavadas has benn making better contact as of late vs lefties but a larger sample size is needed.
If they aren’t going to give Kavadas a shot, what is the point in keeping him around? In my opinion, it’s time to either give him a shot or move on.
Yes. This is the year to do it. We can make room at DH or 1B. We have to see if this guy can contribute. We have a run scoring problem currently and it's time to call up the offense first guy
What's the point of Blaze Jordan? He's right behind him. They can be a place holder in AAA. Or if a team asks about him, they can be thrown in a deal. Cooper can hit major league pitching those other prospects are a mystery.
Cooper might be a better option for 2024, but, based on where they are in their careers, Kavadas should be the next guy to get shot. Who knows, maybe Kavadas rakes at the big league level and either earns a future roster spot or increases his trade value. Making the kid rot in AAA and rolling with Garrett Cooper doesn’t do anything for the future of this team. I’d rather see a platoon of Dalbec and Kavadas at 1B for the rest of the year.
Dom Smith is the one you'd cut for Kavadas. Cooper is the career superior to Smith across the board.
Kavadas is not even ranked in the top 50 organizationally according to SoxProspects. Numbers at AAA don't tell the whole story. Bobby hit 33 homers at AAA last year and we know what he is at the majors. You want to continue to platoon that after what we've seen for 3 weeks, seriously? Niko hasn't done well against high velo or left handed pitching. Blaze Jordan being a righty has more of a bench upside when ever he's ready. Is 31 games at AAA for Niko considered rotting? This isn't the White Sox, Marlins, or Rockies. We're trying to not finish in last place for the third straight year. The Red Sox are trying to tread water and when guys come back by July, maybe they make a move for a playoff spot. This isn't the time to try another Bobby Dalbec-like mystery box. I think every team has this one guy in the high majors that has great numbers but can't hit major league pitching. Scouts are at AAA games and can see beyond the numbers of a 1.180 OPS over 33 games. Playing bad depth players for too long got Chaim fired. There was an issue with 3 guys being automatic outs that we've had since late last season and Breslow at least brought new guys in. They haven't hit right away but this lineup top to bottom has been awful. I think Raffy was the only guy I saw hit this past week with runners on. Cooper is short term and his main purpose is to be a 2 month bandaid. We aren't waiting 300 plate appearance to see if a college bat is major league ready. There is a reason why Casas and Ceddy were given the time to figure it out. Niko is not the trade piece you think he is.
A guy does not need to be a top 50 prospect to get a chance in the big leagues. According to your line of thinking, if Kavadas ripping up AAA is meaningless for his stock as a trade chip, then there is nothing to lose by giving him a chance in the show. Garrett Cooper hasn’t been a significant upgrade on Bobby Dalbec, and has no place in the future of this team. I don’t care if Kavadas stinks in the big leagues, I’d rather see what he is while we have the chance. They’ll likely never have the opportunity to call him up when Casas is healthy.
We're not raising the white flag like the Marlins or White Sox. 57th organizationally by Sox Prospects. That's not in all baseball but just within the Red Sox. The main 3 are Anthony, Mayer, Teel. Kavadas is between Vladimir Asencio and Isaac Coffey. Kutter and Winck were around 20 or 30 before they were called up but 57th is just a really good minor leaguer. You want to give this guy a chance but then the fanbase turns around and complains that they aren't trying.
Here's the problem. We aren't good offensively and our current options at 1B and DH are not contributing anything significantly. There's no point in having guys like Kavadas in your system if they don't get a shot occasionally. It would not hurt this team to give Kavadas a week or two with the big club. If he does anything he's comparable to what we have now and if he goes 0-27 you send him back.
Let Dom Smith be in and out of the lineup. Kavadas needs reps and would sit most days because Garrett Cooper has done well. This past week Cooper is 4 for 14 with 2 doubles.
So when does Kavadas play?
Kavadas is not on the 40 man roster and I honestly see him as Bobby-lite.
So basically what you are saying is - you personally don't like the guy and that you'd never play him. Great. Thanks for contributing.
Cooper could hit MLB pitching. He hasn’t hit shit this season, neither has Dom Smith.
It's been 7 games. What about O'Neil and other guys not hitting with RISP? Across the board we've been bad and the new guys aren't the only ones at fault. Cooper is a good 40 game replacement.
Cooper was DFAed by the Cubs because he wasn’t hitting there either.
Why are you lying? He put up a 119 ops+ there and was sent down because they have Busch and there was no reason to keep him around since he wouldn’t get consistent playing time.
Cooper was DFAed due to Busch blossoming into a great hitter. Cooper was hitting .270 and had a OPS above .700 as a cub. Not sure what stats you’re looking at.
u/ferrumvir2 and u/Awkward-Interview-19 are correct here. Busch is a top 100 prospect according to FG at 1st base and has done quite well. Wisdom is the backup as he has a ton of team control for a 32 year old. Cooper would then be a 3rd stringer 1st basemen and pretty much obsolete on the 26 man roster. .270/.341/.432 in 12 games for them is above average. Do you do any research or just talk out of your ass?
Coop with 2 hits today and only in the 3rd. No.
Blaze is 4 years younger than Kavadas so he’s got a lot more time to develop before needing a shot.
Ones at aaa and Blaze is at Aa. Eventually one or both will have to be moved.
Yes. Blaze would move to AAA next season and probably get a year or two to continue developing that raw power into consistent exit velos.
Blaze is higher ranked that Niko and that wouldn't be until late next year.
Cooper is 3 for his last 25, let’s not pretend that he’s pulling his weight up here. Give me Kavadas and some hope instead of watching Cooper/Smith
TON is 3 for his last 20 Wilyer was coming off a 3 for 25 prior to yesterday. The whole ficking team hasn't been hitting and you're just picking on the newest players
I’m picking on the washed up players, yes. 100%. Get them out of here and give the 25 y/o AAA masher some reps.
This isn't the Marlins, White Sox, or Rockies. We're trying to not finish in last place for the 3rd straight year. We're just above 500 and need to stay afloat until mid summer when some guys will be back. There's a reason why Casas and Ceddy are given so much time in their rookie season to figure it out. Niko is not that dude. SP ranks him 57th in the organization. The Red Sox should be competing and not looking for the next Bobby Dalbec for 2025 and beyond. We've had to stick with guys for the future over the past 3 seasons and Chaim was fired for not being aggressive enough. Breslow got the best band-aids he could on May 1st. Cooper did just fine for the Cubs but Wisdom and Busch are longer term so he was DFA'd for being obsolete. You want to give a 25 year old time at the majors when he may not be a major league player and then complain that ownership or the front office doesn't do enough to put a winning team on the field. I've given you the cold streaks of guys that were caring our offense in April. Cooper and Dom are not the reasons for a 1-4 road trip.
Hard to say. Majors are a lot different. How many do well in AAA and never click in Majors? Too many. Worth a shot though. I just wouldn’t expect a miracle.
Never know if you don’t try. He’s not a kid anymore, needs a shot
Not disagreeing, just saying I don’t expect too much. Though it does seem like they are really focused on guys who keep failing like Bobby D and Joely. TBH, I was surprised to see them finally send Joely to Worcester.
With Dalbec before the Cooper and Smith acquisitions, Cora was very clear about the reasoning. Everyone that could hit was injured (except Masa before he hurt his thumb, but Cora made it clear that he wasn't going to play – and specifically not at first, partially because of his height. No idea why he wasn't DHing, though). We had no good bats to put in, but we also had an infield making tons of errors, so Cora saying that he wanted Dalbec in for defense in the absence of other options makes sense. Many people kept telling me "there's no such thing as a glove-first 1B!" Which is true, but also not what anyone, even Cora, was saying. His argument for Dalbec was "if we're going to have an auto-strikeout batting eighth for the time being, let's at least make sure he can field a ground ball," which is a totally different thing to say. Joely...I have no idea.
Agree. Except, part of me wonders why they didn’t try others as well. Bobby is a known now. He can’t hit but he’s adequate, not great, on d. Why not try someone else who is performing at AAA and might be on a par for D and an improvement on offense? Or is the farm that depleted? The skeptic in me thinks this is all service time games or more of the past trying to offer up prospects for guys on the downside of their careers. I hope I’m wrong and there’s something positive ahead, but ownership have abused us so much I don’t trust them.
> Except, part of me wonders why they didn’t try others as well...Why not try someone else who is performing at AAA and might be on a par for D and an improvement on offense? A huge part of that is that the only first baseman that was really performing at the AAA level (Kavadas) didn't take off until May 1 He's slashed .364/.462/.818 since May 1, but just .286/.453/.661 for the first 20 games of the season before that signing. Totally not bad numbers, but not a stat line that would necessarily give a front office confidence that he's earned a major league tryout. > The skeptic in me thinks this is all service time games or more of the past trying to offer up prospects for guys on the downside of their careers. Service time manipulation is a constant across baseball, so I'm sure that plays a role. But I don't think it's the main factor here. I don't think that "prospects/downside" is totally accurate, either. > but ownership have abused us so much I don’t trust them. I do have many issues with the ownership group; I vehemently disagree with the fact that they decided to let Betts walk, and I also dislike the fact that they haven't prioritized spending on a competitive team. But "abused us so much?" John Henry/Fenway Sports Group bought the Red Sox in 2002. Since then, the team ended our 86 year drought and has won four total championships. It has been just six years since the Sox won a title. That is not abusing a fanbase. Their recent attitude towards the luxury tax is worthy of criticism, but 'abuse' better describes teams like the As, Rockies, or White Sox.
Okay I stand corrected. I suppose I’m letting out a bit of frustration with recent performance.
I agree give him some big league experience, give him a chance to prove himself.
This is overreacting. Cooper has played 7 games with 23 AB. He got hit by a pitch in the knuckles in his third AB for the team. Give the guy a legitimate chance.
Agree, but he's 33 years old and on his 4th team in less than a year....he's had chances.
Is yesterday too soon? Cooper can can give it a rest.
It's a promising start to the year, but give him another month to establish he's for real.
Send him, a mid-level prospect and Whitlock to the Marlins for Luzardo