OF Musings

[Frayed Knot]

Boston's "multi-year" signing of former NYM Chris Young (the black OF, not the tall, white RHP) is interesting in that they already seemed a bit crowded out there before this acquistion.
Papi says he's retiring after 2016 which would open up the DH slot but that's still a year away and Panda should be ready for that spot by then anyway.

Hanley Ramirez, Mookie Betts, Rusney Castillo (L, C, R) spent the most time out there this past season although Jackie Bradley (65 starts across all 3 positions) and super-utility guy Brock Holt logged significant OF starts too. So even with the late-season shedding of Shane Victoino & Alejandro de Aza they've still got the first five guys still on the active roster and now Young makes six.
They are, of course, looking for pitching.

Ramirez -- everyone knows they'd love to dump him, his attitude, and mainly the $95 still owed him over the next four seasons. Ill-suited for the OF, if he couldn't (or wouldn't) handle the hybrid IF/OF position that is LF in Fenway then he's even less well suited for CitiField. I think he'd like to go back to SS but I believe that ship has long since sailed. If he stays w/Boston it's likely to be a 1B where they were trying to break him in late last season. Oh yeah and he gets hurt a lot: averaging 106 G/350 ABs over last three seasons.

Betts -- 23 y/o and just coming off his first full season. Has a bat (68 XBHs) speed and a glove. Probably the one they'd most like to hold onto.

Castillo -- Cuban emigre who turns 28 in mid-2016, he was signed to a big deal in summer 2014 but is only slowly adjusting to ML life and brings a typical Cuban free-swinging approach [.253/.288/.359 over 273 ABs]. Owed $72.5 mil over the next five years although he can opt out on his own after 2019. Would be a high-risk gamble for a team to take on.

Bradley -- Will turn 26 in April. .213/.290/.345 across 700 ABs over parts of 3 seasons to date. A true CF glove though almost certainly slots in behind Betts if he stays in Boston. Bats Left if you're thinking of a Lagares platoon.
Were his better hitting stats this season [.249/.335/.498] a sign of things to come?

Holt -- Played more IF then OF but has done everything except pitch & catch which has given him two full-ish years (900 ABs for 2014-15) despite not having a position to call his own.
.280/.340/.380 ('14 & '15 combined). Not a lot of power, gets the "scrappy" label (cuz he's versatile & white) and was Boston's lone All-Star this year. Bats left. Turns 28 in mid-2016

[Lefty Specialist]

The only way they get Betts is to overpay. Their first request will be for one of the Big Four.

Hanley, stay far, far away. Holt would be nice, but they'll want too much for him, too.

Bradley, meh. And anybody who's owed significant money won't be coming to the Mets.

[Vic Sage]

i don't think its overpaying to trade one of the "big 4" for Betts. He's a 5-tool CFer with many years of team control ahead of him.