Ross was especially effective in 2012 at home and against left-handed pitching. He finished the season hitting .267 with an .807 OPS and 22 home runs in 130 games, but totaled a .298 average with a .921 OPS at Fenway Park, while managing a .295 average with 1.010 OPS vs. lefty pitching.

Or to put it another way, in 252 PA on the road he hit for a .684 OPS, and in 378 PA vs RHP he hit for a .729 OPS.

Does anyone know how to parse the splits to see how he hit at Fenway vs. RHP and how he hit on the road vs. LHP? Paying him on any sort of long term commitment at his age his silly, and he already should only play on the road vs. LHP.

I don't subscribe to the idea that because he fits well at Fenway the Sox should pay more to keep him; he should be offering the Sox a discount to play at Fenway. The Sox should be able to find another defensively competent platoon OFer who will similarly benefit from Fenway's park effects.

Vs RHP at Fenway - .289/.353/.494

Vs LHP on road - .266/.382./516

Baseball musings wonderful database was the source.

in 378 PA vs RHP he hit for a .729 OPS.

And league average for RHB vs RHP was a 708 OPS. Overall league average vs RHP, ignoring handedness of batter, was 732. Ross did just fine against RHP.

Folks seem to get surprisingly worked up about Ross sometimes. He is what he's been since he came into the majors -- a top 4th OF or a below-average but adequate starter. He's the player everybody in baseball seems to think Francoeur is. It's true that he's probably not long for this baseball world but no reason not to think he'd got another couple of Reed Johnson seasons in him.

Jeff Francoeur did himself okay for his career. Going to earn $18,000,000 by his age 30 season.

Folks seem to get surprisingly worked up about Ross sometimes. He is what he's been since he came into the majors -- a top 4th OF or a below-average but adequate starter. He's the player everybody in baseball seems to think Francoeur is. It's true that he's probably not long for this baseball world but no reason not to think he'd got another couple of Reed Johnson seasons in him.

This may be true, but this isn't the context in Boston. A good number of Red Sox fans - and apparently also Ross himself - see Ross as a good major league regular deserving of a deal in the 3/20 to 3/30 range. I don't think anyone (other than Ross) would have a problem with a contract that actually fit his production.

(And it does appear that Cody Ross is peculiarly suited to Fenway, as a dead-pull flyball hitter. I think he can be a good bit better than Reed Johnson if he gets to play half or more of his games in Fenway.)