Impressions from the B Team - Red Sox game

[Frobby]

I watched a lot of last night's game, and came away with the following:

1. Josh Bell looks like a completely different player, both in terms of physical appearance and his approach at the plate. I think he could be in the conversation for a bench spot.

2. Fox raked another double, and seemed to catch a good game. Right now I think he beats out Tatum for backup C.

3. Randy Winn looks DONE.

4. I really like Brandon Snyder's swing and his set-up at the plate. He's got to go back to Norfold, and I see Bell as a big obstacle to Snyder now that Bell is taking some turns at 1B. But, I still hold out hope for Snyder.

5. Brendan Harris had two opportunities with a runner on 3rd and less than 2 outs. First time he hit a weak grounder directly at the SS, second time a weak pop-up to 1B. Fail.

6. Joe Mahoney looks the part of a major league player. He definitely showed good speed for a big man, almost beating out a high chopper to 2B, and later getting a triple on a hit in the gap. He didn't look overmatched at the plate. I'm not saying he'll be a major leaguer, but he looks like one.

7. Wynn Pelzer is in the Radhames Liz category. Pass.

8. Andino had a pretty good game in the field, turning a very difficult DP and fielding a bad hop chopper to his right and gunning the throw for the out. He has good skills defensively, though his style is a bit unorthodox.

9. Matt Angle is pretty fragile looking, but he made a nice catch in foul territory while playing RF, and hit a nice sac fly when he came up with a Mahoney on 3rd and one out. For me, he's in the Jeff Fiorentino mold -- a guy who won't hold a major league job for a full season, but who can come up to replace an injured player and not embarass himself.

[Dr. FLK]

I agree with you on a lot of these points.

I agree on Bell, but he still doesn't look like a regular to me. I see him developing into a 1B/3B bench player...a useful part, but still disappointing to me.

I'm going to be seriously annoyed if Tatum beats out Fox for backup C. It shouldn't even be close at this point.

Winn better not make this roster. He really brings nothing to the table.

Is there still talk of moving Snyder back to C? He doesn't look like a 1B to me, and I don't think he makes it to the bigs via 1B.

[Tony-OH]

I watched a lot of last night's game, and came away with the following:

1. Josh Bell looks like a completely different player, both in terms of physical appearance and his approach at the plate. I think he could be in the conversation for a bench spot.

2. Fox raked another double, and seemed to catch a good game. Right now I think he beats out Tatum for backup C.

3. Randy Winn looks DONE.

4. I really like Brandon Snyder's swing and his set-up at the plate. He's got to go back to Norfold, and I see Bell as a big obstacle to Snyder now that Bell is taking some turns at 1B. But, I still hold out hope for Snyder.

5. Brendan Harris had two opportunities with a runner on 3rd and less than 2 outs. First time he hit a weak grounder directly at the SS, second time a weak pop-up to 1B. Fail.

6. Joe Mahoney looks the part of a major league player. He definitely showed good speed for a big man, almost beating out a high chopper to 2B, and later getting a triple on a hit in the gap. He didn't look overmatched at the plate. I'm not saying he'll be a major leaguer, but he looks like one.

7. Wynn Pelzer is in the Radhames Liz category. Pass.

8. Andino had a pretty good game in the field, turning a very difficult DP and fielding a bad hop chopper to his right and gunning the throw for the out. He has good skills defensively, though his style is a bit unorthodox.

9. Matt Angle is pretty fragile looking, but he made a nice catch in foul territory while playing RF, and hit a nice sac fly when he came up with a Mahoney on 3rd and one out. For me, he's in the Jeff Fiorentino mold -- a guy who won't hold a major league job for a full season, but who can come up to replace an injured player and not embarass himself.

Holy crap Frobby, get out of my head.

Seriously, I was going to put something together like this today but you hit most of what I wanted to talk about. The only slight disagreement I have is with Bell. I agree that he looks like a completely different player, but that's exactly why I would send him down to Norfolk to play everyday. I don't see him getting enough at bats to keep him on the big league roster unless Lee can't answer the bell.

The other thing I would mention is that I wasn't impressed with Drese even though he didn't pitch all that badly. I'd be happy to have him as depth at Norfolk if he would accept the assignment, but I don't seebthis guy being anything but a mop up guy.

I disagree with you on Angle though. I think he's does a lot of the little things well and he's not a guy that's going to impress you with one look. I can see him carving out a nice 4th outfielder spot eventually and in the right situation might end up as someone starter in CF. He's a much better player all around than Fiorentino, although Fio brought more pop. Angle looked a bit overmatched by Buchholz and Jenks, and that's a concern since the one knock against him offensively (besides the lack of power) is the concerns that he can be overmatched by good fastballs. I think he can end up better than a AAAA guy though.

One guy I did kind of like was left-hander Mike Ballard. He reminds me of Troy Patton but with a better slider. Not sure he's much more than a long guy, but there's some potential for some depth at Norfolk. He looks like he has the potential to be tough against lefties as well. Not a ton of fastball, but he might be worth keeping an eye on this year at Norfolk.

[webbrick2010]

Felix Pie continues to show me nothing.

His week ground out to 1B on a 3-0 count is typical.

He has zero walks for Spring Training with a .600 OPS

Will Buck force AM's hand and keep Reimold over Pie????

[Shopay]

I watched a lot of last night's game, and came away with the following:

1. Josh Bell looks like a completely different player, both in terms of physical appearance and his approach at the plate. I think he could be in the conversation for a bench spot.

2. Fox raked another double, and seemed to catch a good game. Right now I think he beats out Tatum for backup C.

3. Randy Winn looks DONE.

4. I really like Brandon Snyder's swing and his set-up at the plate. He's got to go back to Norfold, and I see Bell as a big obstacle to Snyder now that Bell is taking some turns at 1B. But, I still hold out hope for Snyder.

5. Brendan Harris had two opportunities with a runner on 3rd and less than 2 outs. First time he hit a weak grounder directly at the SS, second time a weak pop-up to 1B. Fail.

6. Joe Mahoney looks the part of a major league player. He definitely showed good speed for a big man, almost beating out a high chopper to 2B, and later getting a triple on a hit in the gap. He didn't look overmatched at the plate. I'm not saying he'll be a major leaguer, but he looks like one.

7. Wynn Pelzer is in the Radhames Liz category. Pass.

8. Andino had a pretty good game in the field, turning a very difficult DP and fielding a bad hop chopper to his right and gunning the throw for the out. He has good skills defensively, though his style is a bit unorthodox.

9. Matt Angle is pretty fragile looking, but he made a nice catch in foul territory while playing RF, and hit a nice sac fly when he came up with a Mahoney on 3rd and one out. For me, he's in the Jeff Fiorentino mold -- a guy who won't hold a major league job for a full season, but who can come up to replace an injured player and not embarass himself.

I agree with most of these points, although I'm not ready to give up on Pelzer yet.

Mahoney really impresses me with his athleticism for someone his size. He can run and apparently jump (per prior post on team verticals). I love how in hung in on curve from lefthander to triple. Smooth looking player. I like what what I'm seeing from Bell as well. He's clearly progressed from last year and weight loss has to have helped.

[wildcard]

I watched a lot of last night's game, and came away with the following:

1. Josh Bell looks like a completely different player, both in terms of physical appearance and his approach at the plate. I think he could be in the conversation for a bench spot.

2. Fox raked another double, and seemed to catch a good game. Right now I think he beats out Tatum for backup C.

3. Randy Winn looks DONE.

4. I really like Brandon Snyder's swing and his set-up at the plate. He's got to go back to Norfold, and I see Bell as a big obstacle to Snyder now that Bell is taking some turns at 1B. But, I still hold out hope for Snyder.

5. Brendan Harris had two opportunities with a runner on 3rd and less than 2 outs. First time he hit a weak grounder directly at the SS, second time a weak pop-up to 1B. Fail.

6. Joe Mahoney looks the part of a major league player. He definitely showed good speed for a big man, almost beating out a high chopper to 2B, and later getting a triple on a hit in the gap. He didn't look overmatched at the plate. I'm not saying he'll be a major leaguer, but he looks like one.

7. Wynn Pelzer is in the Radhames Liz category. Pass.

8. Andino had a pretty good game in the field, turning a very difficult DP and fielding a bad hop chopper to his right and gunning the throw for the out. He has good skills defensively, though his style is a bit unorthodox.

9. Matt Angle is pretty fragile looking, but he made a nice catch in foul territory while playing RF, and hit a nice sac fly when he came up with a Mahoney on 3rd and one out. For me, he's in the Jeff Fiorentino mold -- a guy who won't hold a major league job for a full season, but who can come up to replace an injured player and not embarass himself.

Great post.

I had many of these same thoughts during last night game. I agree on Bell, Fox and Winn.

I think Bell and Mahoney may both be passing Snyder in the 1B peaking order. Although I agree Snyder is not without talent.

Harris is not an RBI guys. Unfortunately for him is competing with two RBI guys, Bell and Reimold, for the 25th man spot and the RBI guys are likely to win.

Mahoney is #3. The way Mahoney is playing this spring combined with what he did last year makes him the O's third best minor league prospect behind Britton and Machado. He is that guy that should have been somewhere between 75 and 100 on the top 100 prospects. He is hitting right now against major league and AAA pitchers and doing it well. He needs to flash a little more power with that speed but with his build and what he did last year it should be something that develops.

I look for Andino to get traded last in ST. He shows enough that he probably should be backing up someones infield but it is unlikely to happen in Baltimore because of Izzy. He is out of options and as been outrighted once so he can refuse a minor league assignment this year. He is showing enough that some scout may be looking for an infielder and recommend him. The trade will not bring much back but he may not make it through waivers.

[EutawStreet]

I watched a lot of last night's game, and came away with the following:

1. Josh Bell looks like a completely different player, both in terms of physical appearance and his approach at the plate. I think he could be in the conversation for a bench spot.

2. Fox raked another double, and seemed to catch a good game. Right now I think he beats out Tatum for backup C.

3. Randy Winn looks DONE.

4. I really like Brandon Snyder's swing and his set-up at the plate. He's got to go back to Norfold, and I see Bell as a big obstacle to Snyder now that Bell is taking some turns at 1B. But, I still hold out hope for Snyder.

5. Brendan Harris had two opportunities with a runner on 3rd and less than 2 outs. First time he hit a weak grounder directly at the SS, second time a weak pop-up to 1B. Fail.

6. Joe Mahoney looks the part of a major league player. He definitely showed good speed for a big man, almost beating out a high chopper to 2B, and later getting a triple on a hit in the gap. He didn't look overmatched at the plate. I'm not saying he'll be a major leaguer, but he looks like one.

7. Wynn Pelzer is in the Radhames Liz category. Pass.

8. Andino had a pretty good game in the field, turning a very difficult DP and fielding a bad hop chopper to his right and gunning the throw for the out. He has good skills defensively, though his style is a bit unorthodox.

9. Matt Angle is pretty fragile looking, but he made a nice catch in foul territory while playing RF, and hit a nice sac fly when he came up with a Mahoney on 3rd and one out. For me, he's in the Jeff Fiorentino mold -- a guy who won't hold a major league job for a full season, but who can come up to replace an injured player and not embarass himself.

Agree with you for the most part. However, I think the Wynn Pelzer judgement is a little premature. Sure, he had a bad inning...it happens. Do you remember when Cesar Izturis hit a bomb off Cliff Lee? All i'm saying is don't disqualify a guy based on one appearance.

[Frobby]

Felix Pie continues to show me nothing.

His week ground out to 1B on a 3-0 count is typical.

He has zero walks for Spring Training with a .600 OPS

Will Buck force AM's hand and keep Reimold over Pie????

Putting aside the fact that you hate Pie (as a player) and will go to great lengths to mention anything that he does that is negative, I have to agree that it annoyed me no end that he swung at that 3-0 pitch. I meant to mention that in the OP.

[wildcard]

Putting aside the fact that you hate Pie (as a player) and will go to great lengths to mention anything that he does that is negative, I have to agree that it annoyed me no end that he swung at that 3-0 pitch. I meant to mention that in the OP.

For me the things that are mentioned here is why Pie is probably not a regular outfielder and is more of 4th OF. It is why if Angle has a good first half at Norfolk, Pie could be traded at the deadline. However, Angle is not ready yet and Pie is needed on this team to backup CF.

[Miller192]

I really think Mahoney is going to become a solid MLBer.

I've been high on him since his Aberdeen days.

[Shopay]

Putting aside the fact that you hate Pie (as a player) and will go to great lengths to mention anything that he does that is negative, I have to agree that it annoyed me no end that he swung at that 3-0 pitch. I meant to mention that in the OP.

Yep. You have to believe Buck makes a mental note of plays like that. It shows that either the player doesn't have a good understanding of game situations (tie game, late, need base runners) and/or he's selfish. Not a good play by Pie, IMO.

[UpstateNYfan]

I watched a lot of last night's game, and came away with the following:

1. Josh Bell looks like a completely different player, both in terms of physical appearance and his approach at the plate. I think he could be in the conversation for a bench spot.

2. Fox raked another double, and seemed to catch a good game. Right now I think he beats out Tatum for backup C.

3. Randy Winn looks DONE.

4. I really like Brandon Snyder's swing and his set-up at the plate. He's got to go back to Norfold, and I see Bell as a big obstacle to Snyder now that Bell is taking some turns at 1B. But, I still hold out hope for Snyder.

5. Brendan Harris had two opportunities with a runner on 3rd and less than 2 outs. First time he hit a weak grounder directly at the SS, second time a weak pop-up to 1B. Fail.

6. Joe Mahoney looks the part of a major league player. He definitely showed good speed for a big man, almost beating out a high chopper to 2B, and later getting a triple on a hit in the gap. He didn't look overmatched at the plate. I'm not saying he'll be a major leaguer, but he looks like one.

7. Wynn Pelzer is in the Radhames Liz category. Pass.

8. Andino had a pretty good game in the field, turning a very difficult DP and fielding a bad hop chopper to his right and gunning the throw for the out. He has good skills defensively, though his style is a bit unorthodox.

9. Matt Angle is pretty fragile looking, but he made a nice catch in foul territory while playing RF, and hit a nice sac fly when he came up with a Mahoney on 3rd and one out. For me, he's in the Jeff Fiorentino mold -- a guy who won't hold a major league job for a full season, but who can come up to replace an injured player and not embarass himself.

I can't argue most of your points.

I hope Winn doesn't take a spot in Norfolk, he looks done.

Mahoney is intriguing..looked way behind on first pitch fastball on his last PA..hung in well on the curve, thought pitcher should have done another fastball....I wouldn't call him a smooth runner, not pretty to watch, but gets from A to B at decent speed.

I am not an Andino fan, bad fielding habits, an error machine IMO.

Liked Angle....didn't look fragile to me at all...

Now the NESN announcers, guess it was Remy and someone...were embarassing to MLB and themselves...

[flashjordnk]

Putting aside the fact that you hate Pie (as a player) and will go to great lengths to mention anything that he does that is negative, I have to agree that it annoyed me no end that he swung at that 3-0 pitch. I meant to mention that in the OP.

He did hit the ball to Pedroia's right pretty hard and he made a solid play on it. So his OPS in ST so far shouldn't be the only reason we send him down.

Yeah there are definitely things I haven't liked what I've seen. I'm definitely on record as saying Pie has more value to us as a trade piece now before teams see that he can't fill his potential.

If he stays about league average as a backup there really isn't much future value in that. I've said Angle can give us a lot of what Pie does. It's really more a question about his future market vs his current market than anything else right now, IMO.

[wildcard]

I can't argue most of your points.

I hope Winn doesn't take a spot in Norfolk, he looks done.

Mahoney is intriguing..looked way behind on first pitch fastball on his last PA..hung in well on the curve, thought pitcher should have done another fastball....I wouldn't call him a smooth runner, not pretty to watch, but gets from A to B at decent speed.

I am not an Andino fan, bad fielding habits, an error machine IMO.

Liked Angle....didn't look fragile to me at all...

Now the NESN announcers, guess it was Remy and someone...were embarassing to MLB and themselves...

Remy is absolutely loved in Boston. I thought he was pretty hard to watch last night for O's fans though. I thought we were watching "America can't dance".

[flashjordnk]

Now the NESN announcers, guess it was Remy and someone...were embarassing to MLB and themselves...

This! I actually had to flip the game on mute for a while when the started talking about the Dancing stuff and then the uniform stuff. It was pretty tough to listen to.