Sean Casey 2008 Sox MVP?

[Robb]

We know Manny is going to hit, Ellsbury is going to run and patrol the field, Tek is going to call great games, and Lowell, when he's back, will put balls on the Monster and grab them up at third.  We know that Paps will close out 90+% of the games he's in, Beckett will win 17+, and Okie and Delcarmen will hold down the pen, but I think a healthy Sean Casey is everything that the Red Sox need this year. 

We've seen Youk break down toward the end of the past two seasons and early this season it's clear that Papi isn't recovered from his surgery, so I think if Casey is swinging the bat anywhere near this well and staying healthy, we need him to put in a few games a week at first and let him spend some time at DH.  I think it might be a good idea to make a plattoon with Papi and Casey rotating at DH and Casey and Youk rotating at first.  When Lowell is back, we need two of Papi, Youk and Casey in our lineup every day, with the third getting some rest.

Casey's bat needs to stay in the lineup and Papi and Youk need to be playing well in early-to-mid Fall, not late-Spring.  If Casey can spell Papi and Youk for a couple hundred at bats and innings in the field, all three of them can be fresh for the stretch run and the playoffs.

As far as the MVP comment, if he can keep Youk hitting in the .300s into the playoffs, and let Papi get healthy so he swings the bat well late in the season, he's opening up two of our top 5 hitters.  That's pretty valuable.  Everyone else will do what they do, but Casey's production will reap benefits threefold of everyone elses because it's giving Youk and Papi the chance to get fresh and stay fresh.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I was really surprised when I saw we had him and this cheap.  I've always felt that he could swing the bat, and someone in the AL should've offered him a decent salary even if it's just for DH purposes. We're paying him pratically nothing, and I'm surprised that this signing wasn't announced more by the Boston media.  At least I didn't hear of him being on our team till near the end of Spring Training.

Last year he played 143 games and batted .296; I'd say that deserves a bit more than $800K.

[Robb]

Last year he played 143 games and batted .296; I'd say that deserves a bit more than $800K.

Another great example of his value:  His contract.  Thanks for pointing that out.

Also, I had thought he was old.  Seems like he's been around for a while, so I figured late-thirties or something.  Nope.  He's 33.  For reference:  Youk is 29 and Papi is a Dominican 32.

[mattyweb]

The title of this thread is a bit over-the-top, but with Lowell hurt and Papi starting slow Casey has helped the Sox lineup pack some punch.  He's essentially just a replacement for the Hinske/Kietly combo, but I agree that he's an upgrade--he's a better hitter than both and being a lefty means he'll be able to platoon both Youk and Lowell.

[Celtic]

MVP may be a stretch, but he is extremely valuable, and is vastly underpayed on the Sox, though you wouldn't know it by the way he carries himself.

[Robb]

The title of this thread is a bit over-the-top, but with Lowell hurt and Papi starting slow Casey has helped the Sox lineup pack some punch.  He's essentially just a replacement for the Hinske/Kietly combo, but I agree that he's an upgrade--he's a better hitter than both and being a lefty means he'll be able to platoon both Youk and Lowell.

Of course it's a little over-the-top, it's meant to generate the discussion, but I obviously think it's a pretty sound argument.  Right now Papi isn't Papi and here are Youkilis' month by month stats:

April:  .306
May:  .355
June:  .283
July:  .230
August:  .258
September:  .242

If he can get rest early in the season, maybe he can pull some .300 averages in the second half.  We saw the value of rest in the regular season last year when Beckett and Okajima were sent to the DL late in the season to get ready for the playoffs, and even better in the Cleveland series.  Beckett took a few starts off during the season and was outstanding in the postseason, whereas C.C. Sabathia threw 241 innings and couldn't handle the Sox, but I bet that Cy Young looks really nice.  There's your consolation Cleveland.

If Casey can put a day in for Youk here and there, and then DH while Papi gets right, then maybe all three are going to be healthy and ready in the playoffs.  Sean Casey, if he just plays like Sean Casey with a .302 career batting average, smart with and a solid glove at first, can positively affect an additional two players other than himself.  And those two players are our number two hitter and our number three hitter.  Sounds valuable to me.  No other player on the roster is able to actively make someone else better other than Tek.

[USG]

I would agree that Casey should be used semi-liberally to give Youk and Lowell some days off. He's incredibly good for a man who isn't playing every day. But I think the absolute worst thing to do with Papi is give him regular rest. He's just now getting his swing back, and I guarantee you that a big part of making him hot and keeping him hot is rhythm and regularity. He's 7-16 with maybe 8 RBIs in this Texas series, and to take him out for any good period of time now would be an awful idea. I wouldn't feel comfortable with giving Ortiz another day off until he's either hitting .300+ consistently again, or if he slumps back down below the Mendoza line.

[Robb]

I would agree that Casey should be used semi-liberally to give Youk and Lowell some days off. He's incredibly good for a man who isn't playing every day. But I think the absolute worst thing to do with Papi is give him regular rest. He's just now getting his swing back, and I guarantee you that a big part of making him hot and keeping him hot is rhythm and regularity. He's 7-16 with maybe 8 RBIs in this Texas series, and to take him out for any good period of time now would be an awful idea. I wouldn't feel comfortable with giving Ortiz another day off until he's either hitting .300+ consistently again, or if he slumps back down below the Mendoza line.

He's 7-16, but at least three of those hits should have been outs.  He had two 'infield singles' and one dropped fly ball.  It looks pretty obvious from his batting stance that he isn't 100% (didn't see the last game) so I don't want him over-exerting himself trying to beat out throws to first.