In response to carnie's comment:

Bradley Jr. doesn't necessarily need more time in the minors, although the fact is that he hasn't even played a single inning above AA. He does need to continue to adjust to the longer professional season as his offensive production really fell off last year once he exceeded the length of a college season. He also needs to play CF every day, which he won't do if he opens the season in Boston unless there's a very significant injury.

Most talented guys make the jump from AA. No need for him to go to AAA.

Other teams are willing to take a risk with their prospects but not the RS. Risk is not in their vocabulary.

They would rather waste money on a bunch of washed up has-beens than let guys like Bradley and Iggy, and even Lavarnway, play.

In response to Alibiike's comment:

Other teams are willing to take a risk with their prospects but not the RS. Risk is not in their vocabulary.

They would rather waste money on a bunch of washed up has-beens than let guys like Bradley and Iggy, and even Lavarnway, play.

The Sox don't hold back their prospects any more any any other team.

In response to ThefourBs's comment:

In response to Alibiike's comment:

Other teams are willing to take a risk with their prospects but not the RS. Risk is not in their vocabulary.

They would rather waste money on a bunch of washed up has-beens than let guys like Bradley and Iggy, and even Lavarnway, play.

The Sox don't hold back their prospects any more any any other team.

This may be somewhat true but it also true that the Sox have not had a position player prospect  inserted into the line-up FT since Pedey.

Truth is it's all about control. The sooner thewy start at the MLB level, the sooner the clock starts.

In response to ThefourBs's comment:

In response to Alibiike's comment:

Other teams are willing to take a risk with their prospects but not the RS. Risk is not in their vocabulary.

They would rather waste money on a bunch of washed up has-beens than let guys like Bradley and Iggy, and even Lavarnway, play.

The Sox don't hold back their prospects any more any any other team.

This may be somewhat true but it also true that the Sox have not had a position player prospect  inserted into the line-up FT since Pedey.

Truth is it's all about control. The sooner thewy start at the MLB level, the sooner the clock starts.

In response to Alibiike's comment:

In response to carnie's comment:

Bradley Jr. doesn't necessarily need more time in the minors, although the fact is that he hasn't even played a single inning above AA. He does need to continue to adjust to the longer professional season as his offensive production really fell off last year once he exceeded the length of a college season. He also needs to play CF every day, which he won't do if he opens the season in Boston unless there's a very significant injury.

Most talented guys make the jump from AA. No need for him to go to AAA.

Could you supply some examples?

Other teams are willing to take a risk with their prospects but not the RS. Risk is not in their vocabulary.

They would rather waste money on a bunch of washed up has-beens than let guys like Bradley and Iggy, and even Lavarnway, play.

In response to ThefourBs's comment:

In response to Alibiike's comment:

Other teams are willing to take a risk with their prospects but not the RS. Risk is not in their vocabulary.

They would rather waste money on a bunch of washed up has-beens than let guys like Bradley and Iggy, and even Lavarnway, play.

The Sox don't hold back their prospects any more any any other team.

This may be somewhat true but it also true that the Sox have not had a position player prospect  inserted into the line-up FT since Pedey.

Truth is it's all about control. The sooner thewy start at the MLB level, the sooner the clock starts.

In response to carnie's comment:

In response to Alibiike's comment:

In response to carnie's comment:

Bradley Jr. doesn't necessarily need more time in the minors, although the fact is that he hasn't even played a single inning above AA. He does need to continue to adjust to the longer professional season as his offensive production really fell off last year once he exceeded the length of a college season. He also needs to play CF every day, which he won't do if he opens the season in Boston unless there's a very significant injury.

Most talented guys make the jump from AA. No need for him to go to AAA.

Could you supply some examples?

I am a proponent of JBJ making the jump and there doesnt seem to be an obvious list out there of players who have made the jump, so this may hurt my position, but I looked at the last 5 ROY in the AL and NL, Trout, Hellickson, Feliz, Bailey, Longoria and Harper, Kimbrel, Posey, Coghlan and Soto respectively and all of them spent some time as AAA, though for some it was very little....could have been for financial reasons, but to say Most talented guys jump from AA would seem to be wildly inaccurate.

In response to Alibiike's comment:

In response to ThefourBs's comment:

In response to Alibiike's comment:

Other teams are willing to take a risk with their prospects but not the RS. Risk is not in their vocabulary.

They would rather waste money on a bunch of washed up has-beens than let guys like Bradley and Iggy, and even Lavarnway, play.

The Sox don't hold back their prospects any more any any other team.

This may be somewhat true but it also true that the Sox have not had a position player prospect  inserted into the line-up FT since Pedey.

Truth is it's all about control. The sooner thewy start at the MLB level, the sooner the clock starts.

Ellsbury or Middlebrook?

In response to tomnev's comment:

In response to carnie's comment:

In response to Alibiike's comment:

In response to carnie's comment:

Bradley Jr. doesn't necessarily need more time in the minors, although the fact is that he hasn't even played a single inning above AA. He does need to continue to adjust to the longer professional season as his offensive production really fell off last year once he exceeded the length of a college season. He also needs to play CF every day, which he won't do if he opens the season in Boston unless there's a very significant injury.

Most talented guys make the jump from AA. No need for him to go to AAA.

Could you supply some examples?

I am a proponent of JBJ making the jump and there doesnt seem to be an obvious list out there of players who have made the jump, so this may hurt my position, but I looked at the last 5 ROY in the AL and NL, Trout, Hellickson, Feliz, Bailey, Longoria and Harper, Kimbrel, Posey, Coghlan and Soto respectively and all of them spent some time as AAA, though for some it was very little....could have been for financial reasons, but to say Most talented guys jump from AA would seem to be wildly inaccurate.

Color me shocked. That's not to say I don't like JBJ, because I think he might be the best position player we have in the minors right now, and that includes Bogaerts. I just don't see the point to starting him in Boston unless he's going to be in CF and leading off every day.

I actually think JBJ is going to be a highly underestimated player at the MLB level.  He's going to have above average defense, maybe even gold glove some years but he will likely never hit for power.  He will have good average and OBP, but that may only translate to a .280 -.300 avg .360 OBP guy, hit 8-10 HR's and steal 15 bases.  Now I think that is very good, and he will do all the little things that don't show up on the stat sheets. But all the box score scouts who expect a .330 hitter who belts 30 HR's and/or knocks in 100 RBI's are probably going to turn on JBJ quickly

That is my prediction. 

In response to ctredsoxfanhugh's comment:

I actually think JBJ is going to be a highly underestimated player at the MLB level.  He's going to have above average defense, maybe even gold glove some years but he will likely never hit for power.  He will have good average and OBP, but that may only translate to a .280 -.300 avg .360 OBP guy, hit 8-10 HR's and steal 15 bases.  Now I think that is very good, and he will do all the little things that don't show up on the stat sheets. But all the box score scouts who expect a .330 hitter who belts 30 HR's and/or knocks in 100 RBI's are probably going to turn on JBJ quickly

That is my prediction. 

That's probably accurate. The way I see Bradley is a potentially Gold Glove CF with an above average arm defensively. Offewnsively he looks like the ideal leadoff hitter to me.

In response to carnie's comment:

In response to ctredsoxfanhugh's comment:

I actually think JBJ is going to be a highly underestimated player at the MLB level.  He's going to have above average defense, maybe even gold glove some years but he will likely never hit for power.  He will have good average and OBP, but that may only translate to a .280 -.300 avg .360 OBP guy, hit 8-10 HR's and steal 15 bases.  Now I think that is very good, and he will do all the little things that don't show up on the stat sheets. But all the box score scouts who expect a .330 hitter who belts 30 HR's and/or knocks in 100 RBI's are probably going to turn on JBJ quickly

That is my prediction. 

That's probably accurate. The way I see Bradley is a potentially Gold Glove CF with an above average arm defensively. Offewnsively he looks like the ideal leadoff hitter to me.

Yeah I'm not convinced he's a perenial first division lead off hitter.  He may be more of a #2/ or a #7 guy.  Although I can see him being an above average leadoff hitter during some of his peak seasons.  JBJ seems to be the type of guy who gets 100% maximum out of his tools, which as good as they are, are not great (with the exception of his defense, which is elite) 

In response to ctredsoxfanhugh's comment:

In response to carnie's comment:

In response to ctredsoxfanhugh's comment:

I actually think JBJ is going to be a highly underestimated player at the MLB level.  He's going to have above average defense, maybe even gold glove some years but he will likely never hit for power.  He will have good average and OBP, but that may only translate to a .280 -.300 avg .360 OBP guy, hit 8-10 HR's and steal 15 bases.  Now I think that is very good, and he will do all the little things that don't show up on the stat sheets. But all the box score scouts who expect a .330 hitter who belts 30 HR's and/or knocks in 100 RBI's are probably going to turn on JBJ quickly

That is my prediction. 

That's probably accurate. The way I see Bradley is a potentially Gold Glove CF with an above average arm defensively. Offewnsively he looks like the ideal leadoff hitter to me.

Yeah I'm not convinced he's a perenial first division lead off hitter.  He may be more of a #2/ or a #7 guy.  Although I can see him being an above average leadoff hitter during some of his peak seasons.  JBJ seems to be the type of guy who gets 100% maximum out of his tools, which as good as they are, are not great (with the exception of his defense, which is elite) 

Well, I've been a pretty big Bradley fan ever since we drafted him which probably accounts for the disparity in our assessments of his offensive abilities. However, one skill that seems to translate pretty well across levels is the ability to get on base. And Bradley didpost an OBP of .430 last year despite a fairly horrific slump to end the year. And I'd take a leadoff guy that's getting on base at a 43% clip every day.

You have to think there is a chance Bradley starts the seson in Boston.  They have an opening, a weakness in the OF, and are starting him in nearly every ST game, probably for a good reason. ..

In response to carnie's comment:

In response to ctredsoxfanhugh's comment:

In response to carnie's comment:

In response to ctredsoxfanhugh's comment:

I actually think JBJ is going to be a highly underestimated player at the MLB level.  He's going to have above average defense, maybe even gold glove some years but he will likely never hit for power.  He will have good average and OBP, but that may only translate to a .280 -.300 avg .360 OBP guy, hit 8-10 HR's and steal 15 bases.  Now I think that is very good, and he will do all the little things that don't show up on the stat sheets. But all the box score scouts who expect a .330 hitter who belts 30 HR's and/or knocks in 100 RBI's are probably going to turn on JBJ quickly

That is my prediction. 

That's probably accurate. The way I see Bradley is a potentially Gold Glove CF with an above average arm defensively. Offewnsively he looks like the ideal leadoff hitter to me.

Yeah I'm not convinced he's a perenial first division lead off hitter.  He may be more of a #2/ or a #7 guy.  Although I can see him being an above average leadoff hitter during some of his peak seasons.  JBJ seems to be the type of guy who gets 100% maximum out of his tools, which as good as they are, are not great (with the exception of his defense, which is elite) 

Well, I've been a pretty big Bradley fan ever since we drafted him which probably accounts for the disparity in our assessments of his offensive abilities. However, one skill that seems to translate pretty well across levels is the ability to get on base. And Bradley didpost an OBP of .430 last year despite a fairly horrific slump to end the year. And I'd take a leadoff guy that's getting on base at a 43% clip every day.

Yes I don't think he will ever have the power and speed, (in terms of talking about his offensive ability) but his OBP should play.  I think my assesment is more safe than yours, I'm trying not to be too big of a homer and project him to be a .400 OBP guy (although I'm secretly hoping he is) But out of all his tools on offensive if there is one that he can really develop into a above average skill set (on his offense) then it's his ability to work counts and draw walks. 

I think I've said this before, but the stories on him taking batting practice and practicing fouling of tough pitches speaks volumes to his work ethic. 

He's had a great spring, but it will help his confidence to tell him that he still needs to play more minor league baseball so he can learn to become an everyday MLB palyer like Gomes and Shane and Ellsbury. The kids has a lot to learn, when it comes to being ready to play MLB. The Red Sox have three outstanding veteran OF'ers who are total professionals and talented producers. They have the 100% confidence of management and fans, who are optimistic about the Red Sox contending for the AL East division title.

Other teams are willing to take a risk with their prospects but not the RS. Risk is not in their vocabulary.

They would rather waste money on a bunch of washed up has-beens than let guys like Bradley and Iggy, and even Lavarnway, play.

Does anyone else find it awesome that a thread that was started by Softy obviously being sarcastic has turned into a real conversation about Bradley.  Sorry I shouldn't of said his name, I feel like if I say it two more times now he will show up in here.  

In response to softlaw2's comment:

He's had a great spring, but it will help his confidence to tell him that he still needs to play more minor league baseball so he can learn to become an everyday MLB palyer like Gomes and Shane and Ellsbury. The kids has a lot to learn, when it comes to being ready to play MLB. The Red Sox have three outstanding veteran OF'ers who are total professionals and talented producers. They have the 100% confidence of management and fans, who are optimistic about the Red Sox contending for the AL East division title.

Seriously??????

Did I wake up in Sheldon's alternative universe? Where everything is the opposite of the real world?  I am totally confused by this post by softy where he actually praises Elsbury never mind Gomes or Victorino. I think I will go back to bed and wake up again and hope the real universe returns.