Eric Hosmer - Tristan Casas

[MongoLikeSox]

So, I had been thinking about the kind of positive effect sharing some time with Hosmer at 1B might have on Casas. Hosmer's a past GG'er and can still play the position well. Much could be learned if Casas is the type receptive to that. Getting Casas 50 PA's would remove some of the abstract going forward. He can think about the MLB pitching he faced rather than wondering what it would be like.

The danger is if we can't somehow get Casas to maintain focus on the game and not get sucked into the team's tense atmosphere like Duran did. The other danger is if he sees Hosmer's massive high octance swing and decides that he'd like to do that. There goes the mechanics.

This all assumes we will not be in the Wild Card mix after Labor Day.

[SeaBeachFred]

So, I had been thinking about the kind of positive effect sharing some time with Hosmer at 1B might have on Casas. Hosmer's a past GG'er and can still play the position well. Much could be learned if Casas is the type receptive to that. Getting Casas 50 PA's would remove some of the abstract going forward. He can think about the MLB pitching he faced rather than wondering what it would be like.

The danger is if we can't somehow get Casas to maintain focus on the game and not get sucked into the team's tense atmosphere like Duran did. The other danger is if he sees Hosmer's massive high octance swing and decides that he'd like to do that. There goes the mechanics.

This all assumes we will not be in the Wild Card mix after Labor Day.

Good points Mongo, but let me comfort you with the fact that we will NOT be in the Wild Card chase by Labor Day, but, unfortunately both Bloom and Cora will still be with us then.  Hopefully with a month or so after that they will be gone for good.

[longgame]

It makes sense to have him learn from Hosmer.  On the hitting side I’m hopeful they do something about a system that produces poor hitting, fielding and pitching at all levels. They haven’t seemed to figure that part so they’re just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic until they do.

[MongoLikeSox]

Last night (8/25) is enough reason to not want to have a top prospect up right now. The situation is horrible. Not a good message of "here's how to be a big leaguer".

I agree that it's not Casas-time. Casas is just getting to the point now where I think everyone expected him to be at the beginning of June had he not had that 2-month ankle injury. A couple more weeks might not be enough, either. I would hate to lose this opportunity is all, which is an opportunity looked at in a silo.

This is from the Athletic a few days ago, which is becoming basically a fluff space for the Red Sox reporters brigade with very gentle gloves.

"
Aug. 23 is not circled on every baseball calendar. It’s not Opening Day or trade deadline day or the day Bobby Bonilla gets his annual paycheck from the Mets. It is Mark Bellhorn’s birthday, but that’s not universally celebrated, at least not outside of New England.

The date could have passed with little fanfare on Tuesday, except for this: The Red Sox called up a first baseman, and it wasn’t Triston Casas. How much did the Red Sox at least discuss promoting their top upper-level prospect?

“From my end, none,” manager Alex Cora said.

Such lack of consideration stood out because of the date. As of Tuesday, Aug. 23, the Red Sox had 44 calendar dates left in the regular season. Players with less than 45 days of big league service time retain rookie status for the following season. The new collective bargaining agreement includes a Prospect Promotion Inventive that rewards teams with an extra draft pick if one of their top prospects makes the Opening Day roster and wins Rookie of the Year.

Add it all together, and Tuesday could have been Triston Casas Day at Fenway Park. It was the first date the Red Sox could have promoted him while retaining his rookie eligibility for next season, they just so happened to need a first baseman with Eric Hosmer going on the injured list with lower back inflammation, and Casas was red-hot in Triple A, hitting .305 with a .923 OPS in August.

Considering where they are in the standings … why not?

“If we were to do it right now,” chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said, “we’d be doing it for reasons besides what serves Triston Casas best in terms of what’s going to enable him to have the best big league career he’s going to have.”

So, does this effectively rule out Casas making his big league debut this season? If he wasn’t called up Tuesday â€" Franchy Cordero was put back on the roster instead â€" would there be any reason to call him up when rosters expand in September?

“We get one more (position) player in September and we’re still competing,” Cora said. “If he’s the guy that should be here to help us win ballgames, he’ll be the guy.”

Same question to you, Chaim Bloom.

“I’ve been asked a couple of times, is it out of the question we could see him here this year,” Bloom said.  I’ve said, ‘Absolutely not,’ and that’s still the case. We just didn’t feel that right now was the right time.”

The reasons for keeping Casas in the minors (for now) seem to fall into two categories: the limits of this particular opportunity and the value of a few more Triple-A at-bats.

Frankly, this call-up might not last long for Cordero. He too was playing really well in the minors â€" 1.100 OPS in his past 12 games â€" and he homered as the Red Sox’s 27th man on Sunday, but Hosmer might miss only another week (he’s on the 10-day IL back-dated to Sunday â€" and when he returns, he’ll keep getting the bulk of the first base playing time. Trevor Story is beginning a Double-A rehab assignment on Wednesday, and when he returns, Christian Arroyo is going to get first base playing time as well.

“All of those things contributed,” Bloom said.

Also, Casas hasn’t exactly stalled in Triple A. He missed two months with an ankle injury and as of July 27 was hitting just .228 without much power. Lefties were giving him trouble early in the year. Since his return from the injury, though, he’s taken off. He’s been terrific lately, but the hot stretch dates back less than a month. It’s been brief, but certainly encouraging for such an advanced hitter.

“Oh yeah,” Bloom said. “Look, he is improving, both on the surface and under the hood with some of the things we are tracking. He’s definitely making progress, no question about it. He’s not running in place at all.”

But here’s the obvious pushback: The Red Sox are in last place. Their chances of making the playoffs are less than 10 percent. Not one of Hosmer, Arroyo or Cordero is likely to be the long-term solution at first base, so why not just call up the kid, get a look at him for six weeks, and use that to determine whether he’s a realistic option for Opening Day 2023 that â€" let’s be honest â€" is probably going to be the next game that really carries any weight for this franchise.

What say you, Chaim Bloom?

“Two things,” Bloom said. “One, we’re obviously not where we wanted to be at this point, but this group is fighting hard, and we have a lot of important games coming up. So, I don’t think anyone in the clubhouse is thinking (that these games don’t matter). I don’t think it would be fair for us to think that way right now.

“But even aside from that, regardless (of the state of the team), we still want to be thoughtful when we need to do these things. It’s easy to say, ‘Well, what does it matter? Just throw stuff against the wall.’ But I don’t think that’s how we should be handling these guys that are so important to us. You always learn something from seeing guys in the big leagues. Players learn things about themselves from their first taste of the big leagues. But it’s still important to set them up for success, and ultimately, that sets us up for success, too.”

Triston Casas Day is coming, but it’s not printed on any calendar just yet.

“Triston should be here when it’s right for him to be here, and not because of a date on a calendar, and not because of someone else’s injury,” Bloom said. “We want him to be fully ready for that opportunity, and we want to feel like it fits where we are and fits the roster. … All of those things contributed (to his being left in the minors this time), but the No. 1 factor is, when he’s knocked down the door to be here, he’ll be here.”
(end of article)
"

So Bloom cares about Roster fitment now?
So, what are these things being measured below the surface? Screw that. Can the kid play? Are these sort of things that they are keeping track of have anything to do with a players ability to field his position when he gets here? To a basic 101 level, I mean. You know, like having to teach Duran how to react and determine routes? Too bad he didn't get that instruction down there. I mean, he is a second baseman. Just saying. Oh, and is that the same system that had Franchy get called up after getting 13Ks in his final 24 ABs before being called up? In fairness, 3 of those ABs resulted in HRs. Nice well rounded ball player.

My point is simple. Bloom talks so far out of both sides of his mouth that it's an insult.

[SeaBeachFred]

Last night (8/25) is enough reason to not want to have a top prospect up right now. The situation is horrible. Not a good message of "here's how to be a big leaguer".

I agree that it's not Casas-time. Casas is just getting to the point now where I think everyone expected him to be at the beginning of June had he not had that 2-month ankle injury. A couple more weeks might not be enough, either. I would hate to lose this opportunity is all, which is an opportunity looked at in a silo.

This is from the Athletic a few days ago, which is becoming basically a fluff space for the Red Sox reporters brigade with very gentle gloves.

"
Aug. 23 is not circled on every baseball calendar. It’s not Opening Day or trade deadline day or the day Bobby Bonilla gets his annual paycheck from the Mets. It is Mark Bellhorn’s birthday, but that’s not universally celebrated, at least not outside of New England.

The date could have passed with little fanfare on Tuesday, except for this: The Red Sox called up a first baseman, and it wasn’t Triston Casas. How much did the Red Sox at least discuss promoting their top upper-level prospect?

“From my end, none,” manager Alex Cora said.

Such lack of consideration stood out because of the date. As of Tuesday, Aug. 23, the Red Sox had 44 calendar dates left in the regular season. Players with less than 45 days of big league service time retain rookie status for the following season. The new collective bargaining agreement includes a Prospect Promotion Inventive that rewards teams with an extra draft pick if one of their top prospects makes the Opening Day roster and wins Rookie of the Year.

Add it all together, and Tuesday could have been Triston Casas Day at Fenway Park. It was the first date the Red Sox could have promoted him while retaining his rookie eligibility for next season, they just so happened to need a first baseman with Eric Hosmer going on the injured list with lower back inflammation, and Casas was red-hot in Triple A, hitting .305 with a .923 OPS in August.

Considering where they are in the standings … why not?

“If we were to do it right now,” chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said, “we’d be doing it for reasons besides what serves Triston Casas best in terms of what’s going to enable him to have the best big league career he’s going to have.”

So, does this effectively rule out Casas making his big league debut this season? If he wasn’t called up Tuesday â€" Franchy Cordero was put back on the roster instead â€" would there be any reason to call him up when rosters expand in September?

“We get one more (position) player in September and we’re still competing,” Cora said. “If he’s the guy that should be here to help us win ballgames, he’ll be the guy.”

Same question to you, Chaim Bloom.

“I’ve been asked a couple of times, is it out of the question we could see him here this year,” Bloom said.  I’ve said, ‘Absolutely not,’ and that’s still the case. We just didn’t feel that right now was the right time.”

The reasons for keeping Casas in the minors (for now) seem to fall into two categories: the limits of this particular opportunity and the value of a few more Triple-A at-bats.

Frankly, this call-up might not last long for Cordero. He too was playing really well in the minors â€" 1.100 OPS in his past 12 games â€" and he homered as the Red Sox’s 27th man on Sunday, but Hosmer might miss only another week (he’s on the 10-day IL back-dated to Sunday â€" and when he returns, he’ll keep getting the bulk of the first base playing time. Trevor Story is beginning a Double-A rehab assignment on Wednesday, and when he returns, Christian Arroyo is going to get first base playing time as well.

“All of those things contributed,” Bloom said.

Also, Casas hasn’t exactly stalled in Triple A. He missed two months with an ankle injury and as of July 27 was hitting just .228 without much power. Lefties were giving him trouble early in the year. Since his return from the injury, though, he’s taken off. He’s been terrific lately, but the hot stretch dates back less than a month. It’s been brief, but certainly encouraging for such an advanced hitter.

“Oh yeah,” Bloom said. “Look, he is improving, both on the surface and under the hood with some of the things we are tracking. He’s definitely making progress, no question about it. He’s not running in place at all.”

But here’s the obvious pushback: The Red Sox are in last place. Their chances of making the playoffs are less than 10 percent. Not one of Hosmer, Arroyo or Cordero is likely to be the long-term solution at first base, so why not just call up the kid, get a look at him for six weeks, and use that to determine whether he’s a realistic option for Opening Day 2023 that â€" let’s be honest â€" is probably going to be the next game that really carries any weight for this franchise.

What say you, Chaim Bloom?

“Two things,” Bloom said. “One, we’re obviously not where we wanted to be at this point, but this group is fighting hard, and we have a lot of important games coming up. So, I don’t think anyone in the clubhouse is thinking (that these games don’t matter). I don’t think it would be fair for us to think that way right now.

“But even aside from that, regardless (of the state of the team), we still want to be thoughtful when we need to do these things. It’s easy to say, ‘Well, what does it matter? Just throw stuff against the wall.’ But I don’t think that’s how we should be handling these guys that are so important to us. You always learn something from seeing guys in the big leagues. Players learn things about themselves from their first taste of the big leagues. But it’s still important to set them up for success, and ultimately, that sets us up for success, too.”

Triston Casas Day is coming, but it’s not printed on any calendar just yet.

“Triston should be here when it’s right for him to be here, and not because of a date on a calendar, and not because of someone else’s injury,” Bloom said. “We want him to be fully ready for that opportunity, and we want to feel like it fits where we are and fits the roster. … All of those things contributed (to his being left in the minors this time), but the No. 1 factor is, when he’s knocked down the door to be here, he’ll be here.”
(end of article)
"

So Bloom cares about Roster fitment now?
So, what are these things being measured below the surface? Screw that. Can the kid play? Are these sort of things that they are keeping track of have anything to do with a players ability to field his position when he gets here? To a basic 101 level, I mean. You know, like having to teach Duran how to react and determine routes? Too bad he didn't get that instruction down there. I mean, he is a second baseman. Just saying. Oh, and is that the same system that had Franchy get called up after getting 13Ks in his final 24 ABs before being called up? In fairness, 3 of those ABs resulted in HRs. Nice well rounded ball player.

My point is simple. Bloom talks so far out of both sides of his mouth that it's an insult.

Good points made as usual by you Mongo but to be honest I almost got sick reading the article.  If Bloom didn't come across as a bumbling fool with his opinions and to demonstrate his unfitness for the job  nothing else can.  I wonder what is going on in owner John Henry alleged mind  right now.  Is he thinking how he can extricate himself from this disaster he has had a large part in making, or is he trying to save more money by finding a way to bring this bozo of a Baseball Ops director back by actually taking some of the blame and hope the media and press don't go too hard on him.  Either way the whole picture is disgusting, and as for Cora, he had developed a bad case of hubris and actually makes me think he believes he is bulletproof.   Both jokers need to be given their walking papers in November.

[longgame]

The lack of leadership and execution is stunning. Baghdad Bloom isn’t in Tampa Bay anymore.  There are people who have lived and died with this team for decades, watching 1000s of games.

Meanwhile other teams lock up good young players for years.  Instead of TB as a model, maybe look at what the Braves have been doing.

Can’t wait until he says we will have the Mother of All Bullpens!

[MongoLikeSox]

Sometimes I wonder who he thinks he is talking to when he has his chats with the press. Every one of those "obviously we wanted it to work better than this...." shpeels followed by the do what's best for the organization blah de blah de blahs is just spinning buzzword BS. I would have a lot of trouble getting out of bed if I was a reporter having to treat that as if it was actual intellect. 

you go boggie!!!!!

Anyhow, that's got to be grating to be spoken to as if you had not seen more baseball that he ever has. Does he really think he's giving good information????  Gawd!!!!