Tag: Lars Anderson

12
Dec/12

Lars Anderson: 3 Things You Need to Know on Diamondbacks’ New Prospect

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The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired first baseman prospect Lars Anderson, shortstop Didi Gregorius and left-hander Tony Sipp in a three-way trade with the Cleveland Indians and the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday, via MLB.com.

In exchange, Arizona traded right-handed pitchers Trevor Bauer, Matt Albers and Bryan Shaw.

Time to dissect who the Diamondbacks received. Here are three things you need to know about Lars Anderson.

 

2012 Stats

Anderson hit a combined .250 with nine home runs, 27 doubles and 59 RBI with Triple-A Pawtucket (Boston Red Sox) and Triple-A Columbus (Cleveland Indians) in 2012.

He went 1-for-8 in six games with the Red Sox.

 

Scouting Report 

First of all, Anderson is a left-handed hitter. He has a smooth swing with good gap power and can hit the ball to the opposite field. He also has a good feel for the strike zone.

Anderson generally has trouble with breaking balls and inside fastballs, and has below-average speed, according to SoxProspects.com.

He’s improved defensively, but still needs work in that area, making him more of an offensive player rather than a complete one.

His trouble making contact at the next level is evident. He went 7-for-35 in his first big league action with the Red Sox in 2010.

In 2011, he went hitless in five at-bats.

 

Background

The 25-year-old from Oakland was widely considered to be an early-round prospect in the 2006 MLB draft, but dropped to the 18th round due to issues signing him.

He eventually agreed to a $825,000 bonus with the Red Sox, equal to the money a supplemental-round draft pick would receive.

Anderson was a star at Jesuit High School and had committed to Cal before deciding to enter the pro ranks.

Fun fact: Anderson replaced Mike Lowell in the former first baseman’s last major league game on Oct. 2, 2010. 

 

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30
Apr/10

Boston Red Sox Experiencing Power Outage

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Twenty-two games into this season, the Red Sox have finally drawn even at 11-11, putting them alone in third place.

The Sox have won five of their last six games and seven out of nine. With the exception of Wednesday’s 2-0 victory,  every one of them was won by one run. That hasn’t happened since 1943. Over those eight games, the Sox have scored 47 runs and their opponents 45. 
That’s just squeaking by. 
The Red Sox are eighth out of the 14 AL teams in runs this season, and seventh in batting average, putting them solidly in the middle of the pack.
That’s clearly not the sign of a playoff team. 
Dustin Pedroia continues to lead the team in home runs with five, yet he hasn’t hit one out of the park since April 17. That’s how impotent Red Sox’ bats have been so far this season.
David Ortiz, JD Drew, Victor Martinez, and Bill Hall are doing nothing but making outs. Yet, 31-year-old minor league outfielder Darnell McDonald is suddenly one of the team’s offensive stars. 
McDonald has driven in six runs since he arrived, more than Martinez and Ortiz. He is eight for 24 with five runs scored, four extra-base hits, three walks and six RBI in the nine games since arriving in Boston. 
While McDonald is a great story, he’s not the solution to the Red Sox offensive woes. The Sox’ primary bats need to wake up soon, or they’ll need to get help elsewhere. 
That’s why the promotion of Lars Anderson to Pawtucket is so interesting. 
Anderson was hitting .355, with five homers, five doubles, 15 RBI, and a 1.086 OPS through 17 games, when he was advanced.
His promotion is an intriguing development because it came so early in the season. Are the Sox hoping that he responds positively and can contribute to the big league team before the season is over?
Anderson is only 22, and he struggled mightily last year in Portland. Yet, you can’t help but think this is a reaction to the struggles of Ortiz and the lack of a true masher in the Sox lineup. 
After having built the team around its pitching staff, and with Clay Buchholz being their most consistent and effective starter so far this year, the Sox surely don’t want to trade him for a power hitter right now. Yet, they’re going to need an upgrade at some point if the offense doesn’t come alive.
However, a trade for a premier hitter would be very costly in terms of prospects, potentially upsetting the balance of everything Theo Epstein has been working toward the last few seasons—inexpensive, club-controlled, homegrown talent.
As it stands, the team payroll is approaching $175 million. 
It’s hard to figure that the young Anderson can be the solution to the Sox’ offensive needs, but it sure would be one hell of a story if he continues to tattoo the ball and earns his way onto the big league club this season.
The Red Sox could use some firepower from wherever they can get it. Look no further than Darnell McDonald.
 

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