FORT MYERS, Fla. – Vaughn Grissom goes to be given each likelihood to turn into Boston’s second baseman, however his new supervisor gave him some excessive reward on Thursday when he in contrast the newcomer to his former shortstop.
“He’s physical, he’s physical,” Alex Cora mentioned of Vaughn, whom the Red Sox acquired from the Atlanta Braves in trade for Chris Sale and money concerns. “There was a physical shortstop here in 2013, and he grew into what he is right now.”
Guess who?
“I think body-wise, if you compare Vaughn and Xander (Bogaerts), they’re very similar,” the Sox skipper assessed. “Actually, probably he’s a little stronger at this stage (than) when Xander was 23. So, hopefully he can get stronger and be as good (a) player as Xander is.”
“We saw how tall and how far he can hit the ball two years ago,” Cora mentioned, referring to Grissom hitting a towering house run over the Green Monster in his Major League debut with the Braves.
Grissom performed some shortstop in his first two years within the Majors, however on his new crew that job belongs to Trevor Story, so second base it’s. Cora’s spring coaching plan for achievement at second boils down to 2 key components: repetition and double performs.
“Getting him repetitions at second base is the most important thing,” the Sox skipper mentioned. “We know he can play short, we know he can stand at third base, but I do believe 95% of his innings in spring training, maybe more, are going to be at second.”
“We have to make sure he can turn double plays, which is the most important thing,” he added. “I think double plays are momentum builders and killers.”
“He’s a good defender,” Cora lauded. “I do know he has his struggles at shortstop prior to now, however the place he’s going to play, we do imagine he’s going to be okay.
“I’m very excited about him.”
Spring coaching tidbits: Feb. 15
FORT MYERS, Fla. – After Chris Martin spoke about consistently listening to Kenley Jansen enjoying his bass guitar by means of resort room partitions final 12 months, the veteran nearer gave the Herald an inventory of his favourite tunes. “Easy,” by the Commodores topped the checklist. Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish” is one other. He additionally enjoys strumming some Brian McKnight.
Jansen has been taking classes for over half a decade, together with over three years on the Torrance Arts Academy throughout his Dodgers days. He owns 5 bass guitars, together with a four-string gifted to him by the Red Sox when he joined the 400 Saves membership final May. A real multi-hyphenate, he additionally performs piano.
Marcelo Mayer and Masataka Yoshida have been among the many new arrivals at JetBlue Park on Thursday.
Source: www.bostonherald.com