I need to justify this...

[redsox4evur]

Re: I need to justify this...

I'm in my second season, Ortiz retired and Napoli left via FA... This is my team...
C Blake Swihart
1B Steve Pearce
2B Dustin Pedroia
SS Xander Bogaerts
3B Pablo Sandoval
LF De Aza/Brandon Barnes
CF Mookie Betts
RF Charlie Blackmon
DH Hanley Ramirez
(Holt's on my bench and Castillo's in AAA)

Some players have played their way into the lineup, others I acquired to try out and play with (like Pearce and Blackmon).
There's no internal 1st base replacement and Napoli declined pretty heavily, also theres no telling what the Sox might do without Ortiz at DH. Do they get a big left bat? Shift Hanley and get a LF? That's what I'm playing around with now...

BTW, thanks for all the feedback guys!

Chances are after Ortiz retires Sandoval gets move to DH because of weight issues. But the case can be made for Ramirez as well because he is a dog.

[Caucasianator]

Re: I need to justify this...

When I force a guy to a position I know he doesn't want to play, I use him there as his secondary position, and if he's a 6+ year free agent, I let him leave to go play his primary position somewhere else, if not, I trade him in the offseason.

I think this is roughly realistic.

With a player like Zimmerman, where eroding skills made the move to 1B make sense completely, I would switch primary position and keep him. But there's a lot of teams that would pay Sandoval to play 3rd, and his value is a lot lower as his bat at 1st doesn't really measure up.

That's exactly why I suggested you keep Napoli at 1st. But since you don't have Napoli anymore go for Z-Man. Keep in mind, he's decreasing and I'm sure the game will display such as well. So you'll probably only get 2-3? Good/Decent years outta him. Might almost be better to search for young prospects with decent to good power/contact that could possibly start now, or maybe even hit DH for a year.