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Post by 07redsox on Apr 5, 2024 20:46:50 GMT -5
Ok so is it just my audio feed, but is the start time running a little behind? First pitch was supposed to be 6 mins ago… Game is currently delayed. Home opening for Angels.
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Post by 07redsox on Mar 28, 2024 21:55:22 GMT -5
I would like to take credit for that Devers homer since I wore my Devers jersey to bed to watch this game.
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Post by 07redsox on Mar 23, 2024 11:50:27 GMT -5
I share the frustration with the tepid offseason but I don't get the extreme pessimism about the team. If anything, my frustration comes from my view that they're already pretty decent and thus worth the investment. They've held steady or improved at basically every position, with the possible exception of right field and DH, and even those could be solid. And yes, the rotation has a wide range of possible outcomes, as others have noted, and the quality depth is questionable (depending on what you think about Criswell and Winkowski as starters), but when I look at the top five, I don't think it takes rose colored glasses to imagine that they'll be average or better. If Bello, Crawford and Pivetta pick up where they left off and Houck and Whitlock are serviceable, that's a pretty good rotation. (I'm actually more optimistic about Whitlock, in particular, but I get why others might see him differently.) This is just blatantly not true. They have replaced Turner, Verdugo, Duvall and Arroyo/Urias with Tyler O'Neill, Wilyer Abreu and Grissom and (I think?) Bobby Dalbec. They've replaced Sale and Paxton with...Cooper Criswell?
If a team wins 78 games in back to back years and they do nothing to improve the team (and arguably have gotten worse), you can't expect any media outlet to pick them to win anything. To add on that ownership came out and said they are cutting payroll and there is zero reason anyone should expect they are anything more than a 78 win team again. Bello, Crawford, Pivetta, Houck and Whitlock were all on the team last year, and they had one of the worst rotations in baseball. Why would you assume this rotation would be any better than last year?
There is a very big difference between complaining people aren’t picking them to win anything and saying they are one of the worst teams in all of baseball. I have not seen anyone complain about what you mentioned. It’s objectively insane, however, to rank them below the likes of the Pirates, Tigers, etc. You put this team in the AL Central and I don’t think it would be much of a surprise if they won it or at least came in second. Plus, the replacements you mentioned is not the only thing to look at. Having Story at SS all season is a huge boost. Whatever they end up with at 2B should be a huge boost compared to last year as well. I don’t think this team is going to be the best of the best or anything, but it’s not hard to see how they are in a decent position to be middle of the pack or so.
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Post by 07redsox on Mar 23, 2024 10:34:43 GMT -5
He had the presence to understand that, from where he scooped up the groundball, he had a good angle on the throw to Story at second. He may even have planned the short hop pickup to get that angle. His instincts seem to be over the top. Just give Rafaela a gold glove now. What position? Who cares. Just give him a gold glove. Maybe MLB needs to create a new award - gold glove, utility. There already is a gold glove utility. Dubon won it last year.
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Post by 07redsox on Mar 7, 2024 23:42:13 GMT -5
IMO this is the best sign yet that Bello has a massive ceiling. The Red Sox would not give this much guaranteed money to a 25 year old pitcher unless they thought he was gonna be a stud. I personally think it’s hard to draw a conclusion like that from this, or any extension like it. It’s not like they overpaid to get him. They essentially bought out his arb years for what you would generally expect him to receive so that he has guaranteed money in place for buying out some free agent years. It’s risk vs reward for both parties. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the player should be viewed differently. As long as Bello stays healthy, he would have most likely earned this much money to begin with. Sure, he could blow out his arm and be worth nothing, but he could also excel and be worth more than they are going to be paying him now. If that were to happen, we would be paying him much more than we will be now during his arb years. As I said before, risk vs reward.
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Post by 07redsox on Feb 27, 2024 13:30:15 GMT -5
I believe there's a feature on mlb.tv about blackouts where you can out in your zip code or city/state and it will tell you about what's backed out in your area. I did this a week or so ago. Anyone know if the relevant zip is the T-mobile billing account or the location of the device in use? The app uses your location to tell which teams are blacked out, so it will change if you are traveling/move into another team’s territory.
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Post by 07redsox on Feb 27, 2024 12:30:04 GMT -5
Question for the T-Mobile folks: do you have to watch the games on your phone or can you cast onto the tv? Anything that you can download the MLB.TV app onto will work (phone, smart TVs, laptops/computers)
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Post by 07redsox on Feb 21, 2024 19:04:59 GMT -5
There’s a big difference to me between “wasn’t tough to turn down” and “low-balled”. No team is going to come with their best offer first in a negotiation. Low-ball in my eyes would be to characterize the entire negotiation if the team never gets to at least a respectable number. This is another thing that social media and the constant reporting has ruined and caused PR issues to the extreme. Years ago the contact was just reported. Now we get updates when pretty much anything happens with most news. Of course a contract negotiation that just started is going to look different before something is actually signed. Is there a difference? I can't imagine a good offer being easy to turn down? In the case of Casas, it's not the media's fault Casas said he got an offer that wasn't what he wanted. He said he wants to be here forever and wants enough money to take care of his family for the rest of his life. That’s the point of what I was saying though. That offer to Casas was most likely the first offer, or at least the very beginning stages. I wouldn’t expect it to be what he wanted at that point. I highly doubt most teams offer a “good offer” on the first try that the player takes immediately. Casas/his agent most likely said “no thank you, this is closer to what we want”. If the team stays stuck at/near their original offer then for sure that’s low-balling him. That’s where the issue with media comes in, not that it’s their fault or anything. It’s not like in the past that players never got offers they didn’t like in a negotiation, it just was not reported like it is today.
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Post by 07redsox on Feb 21, 2024 18:25:36 GMT -5
One - do we really trust WEEI? Who there is claiming this? Two - even if Bello thinks they low-balled him, it doesn't mean they really did. No idea what's really what, but the thread was started from reports they've been talking and they were building towards an agreement. Casas has already said his contract extension offer wasn't tough to turn down. It's not much of a leap to say the same is true for Bello. Doesn't mean it's true, but one player in a similar situation is saying this. There’s a big difference to me between “wasn’t tough to turn down” and “low-balled”. No team is going to come with their best offer first in a negotiation. Low-ball in my eyes would be to characterize the entire negotiation if the team never gets to at least a respectable number. This is another thing that social media and the constant reporting has ruined and caused PR issues to the extreme. Years ago the contact was just reported. Now we get updates when pretty much anything happens with most news. Of course a contract negotiation that just started is going to look different before something is actually signed.
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Post by 07redsox on Jan 30, 2024 10:44:54 GMT -5
Ghostofjuanpena beat me to it, Grissom is a guy who can hit. As a 22 year old in AAA last year he had a 135 wRC+ and in 41 games as a 21 year old in the MLB in 2022 had a 121 wRC+. The question with Grissom is not hitting. Grissom can hit...for a 2B, where the bar is extremely low. And he's also 23 years old. If the Red Sox have a guy who will struggle to hit more than 10 home runs anywhere in the top half of the lineup, this team deserves to come in last place again. Why does the lead off or two hole hitter absolutely need to hit more than 10 HRs? Grissom has the ability to be a high AVG/OBP type of player. That’s exactly what you want near the top of the lineup.
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Post by 07redsox on Jan 28, 2024 22:13:21 GMT -5
Odd how about two weeks ago an ad had both KC and SF listed for the Super Bowl. Sure it was merely an accident AND also just an amazing coincidence. You can fool most people most of the time. You mean the 49ers and Ravens? That’s the only “leak” that I saw…which clearly was incorrect…
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Post by 07redsox on Jan 19, 2024 11:39:54 GMT -5
Been posting here for well over a decade and just used the block function for the first time. Loving the results so far. Thanks for the reminder that this is an option! Never done it before myself either, but getting really close.
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Post by 07redsox on Jan 19, 2024 11:21:52 GMT -5
Did I Mention Boras Guys ? No I Didn’t , I know what he fucking does every year , I’m talking as a whole , good quality players at this stage of the winter , this Many ? Teams are colluding , prices will just keep going down as spring training nears Is that seriously how you are going to talk here when someone has the opposite opinion of you? The fact is that Boras controls the market right now. The top remaining guys are his and if he is asking for the moon for them then things aren’t going to move much. Until that changes I don’t think much of the activity is going to change either.
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Post by 07redsox on Jan 7, 2024 18:29:44 GMT -5
I have to assume if a coach is good, he creates his strategy with the pieces he has. Hopefully that means if the Sox have guys able to go 6-7 innings, Bailey doesn’t force some “creative” approach. I’d love to imagine a scenario where it’s like Bello + Imanaga/Giolito/Pivetta + one more competent starter (5 guys who can consistently go 5+ innings), with Whitlock/Houck/Crawford at the ready for multi-inning bursts if they’re not starting. As I recall that’s been the initial plan for those guys for two straight years, but injuries or poor performance from others have drawn them into the rotation. The reason someone like Whitlock could be utilized the way he was in 2021 (aside from the unique circumstances of Rule 5/post TJ) was because a rotation of Eovaldi, E-Rod, Pivetta, Richards and Martin Perez more or less made every start through the trade deadline, until Sale/Houck returned from injury. I’m pretty sure the plan for Whitlock going into 2023 was always to be a starter. Houck I believe was also preparing for a starters workload, but it wasn’t a sure thing. I think with everything not going as planned with Whitlock to start the year, that’s essentially what forced Houck into the rotation. I feel like only 1 of those 3 you mentioned should be in the rotation with the other 2 providing valuable innings in the bullpen. I still have high hopes for Whitlock as a starter, but I honestly think Crawford is the one who should be in the rotation next year.
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Post by 07redsox on Dec 30, 2023 15:50:43 GMT -5
They likely don’t exist because he exhausted prospect eligibility already. Can you find any scouting reports saying Mookie Betts has 30+ HR power? Or how about Juan Soto being a consistent .400 OBP/.500 SLG guy? Fangraphs still has him as a future 55 hit/55 power. When players arrive ahead of schedule it tends to be because they’re outperforming the scouting reports. A guy getting a 55 hit at 21 and then hitting .291 in the big leagues straight from AA is a pretty good sign that he has a good hit tool. Thank you for confirming that there aren't any more recent scouting reports showing a 60+ Hit tool. With respect to Soto/Betts, as I've said a few times now, either the scouting reports are wrong or a regression is coming. In the instance of Soto/Betts, the scouting reports were proven to be wrong. Well see on Grissom. That’s not the issue here, you just seem to not be listening to what people are saying. Scouting reports change over time. The issue is that they don’t get updated for players who jump quicker than expected. That’s exactly what happened with Grissom. He made the majors at 21 because he was so advanced with the bat. To say he is going to hit .220 because of his initial scouting report is asinine.
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Post by 07redsox on Dec 30, 2023 15:12:44 GMT -5
Grissom and Hamilton shouldn’t even be in the same sentence together, let alone being compared to one another. He’s already a legitimate ML bat at 22 years of age. He has a lot of potential. Doesn’t mean he will get there, but this is the kind of trade that in a couple of years could look very good. Actually was thinking of Valdez, not Hamilton, but same thing really. This is going off the comments about him being a bad defender and probably a 1-1.5 WAR guy, but Valdez with 139 ABs was exactly 0.0 and also 25. Pretty sure I would take Grissom’s bat over Valdez any day of the week. Check out his 2022 season. He slumped near the end during his time in the majors, but was putting up insane numbers for a decent chunk of time before that. That was after skipping AAA entirely at the 21 and getting 150 or so ABs in the majors that season. Didn’t have a great season in the majors in limited time last season, but was great in AAA. Very high on him myself. Like. I said before, if things break right, I could see this being a deal we all look back on and think “what was ATL thinking”. Now after saying that I’m sure he will be flipped to another team for a pitcher.
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Post by 07redsox on Dec 30, 2023 14:53:36 GMT -5
I'm expecting Sale to have his healtiest season in a Cy Young year now. Joking aside. I don't know the kid they got back, but it sounds like a guy the Red Sox already have in David Hamilton, but I guess more upside in the age. Didn't realize Hamilton was 26. I also feel like they can get the same exact player in Chris Sale with James Paxton. So, might as well get a kid who you can either plug in and hope there's continued development to plug into a position of need OR they just acquired another guy they can use to flip in another deal (or Yorke) for a guy that shouldn't be hard to replace. Chris Sale does not pitch and is getting older. So, big move with a result that really doesn't move the needle anywhere. It does seem like it's opening the door for more possibilities. So, something is hopefully in the works. Grissom and Hamilton shouldn’t even be in the same sentence together, let alone being compared to one another. He’s already a legitimate ML bat at 22 years of age. He has a lot of potential. Doesn’t mean he will get there, but this is the kind of trade that in a couple of years could look very good.
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Post by 07redsox on Dec 24, 2023 15:46:26 GMT -5
I think its pretty obvious how its not either options you just laid out. They were interested in pitchers like Rodriguez and Lugo, but signing them before the Yamamoto sweepstakes ended would have taken them out of the running entirely. Now, you can argue whether the Red Sox were right to pursue Yamamoto so heavily when it seemed like our chances were slim. But then we all know the narrative would be: "the Red Sox won't give out big contracts". Also considering they were the top 5-7 suitors for Yamamoto, I think its pretty obvious they're not just shopping for the "same bargain bins"(a statement I also find amusing). Why would it have taken them out of the YY sweepstakes? They reset their luxury tax. Signing Lugo and YY doesn't put them first in spending. The valuation and JH wallet are enough to cover the expenses. The issue isn’t the money, it’s the number of new players they plan to sign/put on the roster. If they plan to sign 2 pitchers and they like 6 different pitchers total, but they like pitchers 1-5 more than Lugo/Rodriquez, then signing one of them earlier in the process takes them out of the running for at least one of pitchers 1-5. I don’t agree that it would outright take them out of signing YY, but it changes the overall calculus of the offseason. If those pitchers want to sign earlier than anticipated then you have to decide if you want to risk still trying to sign 2 of the 5 pitchers you liked better, or settle for a pitcher lower on your list to at least have someone signed. Without actual leaks/reports on what their plans are, it’s hard to say what’s actually happening. Pretty much everything posted in this entire thread are opinions/guesses. Wish I could just skip ahead to February and see how it actually plays out.
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Post by 07redsox on Aug 29, 2023 16:27:28 GMT -5
While everything you said is true, what you posted seems to line up well with the earlier reports that many in the bullpen were deemed unable to pitch by doctors due to exhaustion and using then risked injury. While that leads to a ton of other questions related to management of the players and those on the roster, it does make Cora’s decision seem more sensible/understandable. If true, it’s not that he just decided to throw a AAAA player out there in the middle of an important game/series (which makes no sense on it’s own), but rather that he pretty much had no other choice for the most part. No matter the outcome, the decision to give most of the bullpen 2 days or more off in late September deserves questioning and analysis at many levels. Playing Hamilton instead or Urais tonight baffles me as well. Cora has been handed a tough deck to play this season, but I really don't think he has played it very well. Agreed completely. Unfortunately, that type of thought process doesn’t seem to be too common outside Red Sox fans though. I have heard on a handful of occasions on MLB Network/MLB Network Radio people (specifically the commentators, not fans) saying that Alex Cora has done a wonderful job managing this team. However, that view is because they are basing the teams current record/results against their pre-season expectations, many of which were not very friendly at all. I think most people here didn’t view this team as a low to mid-70s win team, but rather around 80-85 wins or so. With that view in mind, nothing that Cora has done really stands out all that much overall.
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Post by 07redsox on Aug 29, 2023 16:21:41 GMT -5
Well the point I was trying to make is just because two guys throw slower than average, doesn't mean they are the same type of pitcher. Really the only thing that Jamie Moyer and Greg Maddux had in common was they had below average fastball velocity in the latter half of their career and above average command. I also don't get the obsession with pitcher from decades ago and questioning why modern day starters can't be soft tossing inning eaters. There's a reason why we don't see it anymore. Guys that throw slow have little to no room for error these days. I feel this backs up my point: Along with that, throwing harder leads to more stress on the body, so obviously pitchers won't be able to go the length they once did and also injuries are more of a factor. Its a double edged sword, but one you must deal if you want to succeed in modern baseball I think we just need to accept that with all the information and advances made in sports training, the average athlete is much better than the average athlete of 20-30 years ago. Hitters and pitchers are much better nowadays. They are better trained for their sport and they are given more information than ever to prepare. You take early 2000s Jamie Moyer and put him up against the modern day hitters, he would likely not be nearly as effective. You say that like the same pitchers we are mentioning wouldn't have access to the same advances today's players have. They most certainly would, and because of the type of pitchers they were, they would utilize it. I'm also not entirely convinced increased athleticism = better baseball player. Because of this increased strength they are more prone to injury, and because of the data available they are more exploitable then ever. Pitchers can't even pitch 3x through a lineup, and that's not a product of better hitters, just pitchers unable to sequence their pitches in a fashion and harness the stuff that they have to last over the course of a game. The league has changed, it's max effort for shorter bursts and then these guys are gassed, not to mention what that continued max effort is doing to their longevity in the game, I mean Tim Lincecum is the poster boy for the new age. John Kruk never strained his core, or his teres major, because he didn't have one, but he could roll out of bed and hit a baseball. Tony Gwynn could hit everyone and anyone, same for Wade Boggs. Kirby Puckett was built like a fire hydrant, and if it wasn't for his eyes. Hell, our own Dustin Pedroia, not exactly an Adonis, could still play in this league if not for a cheap play. Lest us not be heretical and mention Jose Altuve, who at 5' notin handed us our ass last night. Baseball is a sport that requires balance. Willy Mo Pena, Franchy, Billy Hamilton, the list could go on and on of supremely athletic people who couldn't hack it in the sport. Even with that said, Early 2000's Moyer or Maddux would carve up this league because of their pinpoint command, guys miss their spots so regularly now, those guys almost never did. History is littered with former MLB players who would hold their own against this current crop of players, it's similar to the Labron James/Curry arguments in the NBA vs Bird, Magic, and Jordan.. Those guys careers would have been 10 years shorter just because of the physicality of the old NBA game. It's fine to appreciate the new players, but it's also not fair to call them superior to the old players just because they have more resources than the old players had. If anything, that should elevate them. It's like saying the Negro leagues weren't that much because they didn't get to play their contemporary white opponents. Satchel Page alone disproved that in the twilight of his career when he was finally "allowed" to compete. While I don’t disagree with the general premise of what you are trying to say, this is also assuming that those pitchers would get the same results against today’s players as they did against players in their own time. To play devil’s advocate here, if those pitchers would have all the same advantages that current pitchers have as well, then it’s fair to say that they will be facing hitters that have more advantages on their side then those that they had actually faced. I have no doubt that they could have done very well in today’s game, but I also don’t think it’s as simple as just transplanting them over and expecting the same results. Would sure be fun to see though!
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Post by 07redsox on Aug 29, 2023 16:12:24 GMT -5
Cora basically forfeited this game with a lead, per Barraclough: “When I came in after I got that out (to end the fifth), (Cora) said, ‘It’s your game, so go back out there and grind through it,'” nesn.com/2023/08/alex-cora-made-offer-to-kyle-barraclough-amid-rough-outing/amp/With a lead, against a team he needed to beat Cora decided that he was going to just let a AAAA play mop up man. I’m sorry that is inexcusable. That is saying that I don’t care if we win this game while the game is still very much in contention. The Red Sox should offer every fan who attended a refund for that. There are times you tell a pitcher to grind it out, those times are when the game is already out of reach. You do not do so in a pennant race, against a team you need to leapfrog, with a lead in the sixth inning. While everything you said is true, what you posted seems to line up well with the earlier reports that many in the bullpen were deemed unable to pitch by doctors due to exhaustion and using then risked injury. While that leads to a ton of other questions related to management of the players and those on the roster, it does make Cora’s decision seem more sensible/understandable. If true, it’s not that he just decided to throw a AAAA player out there in the middle of an important game/series (which makes no sense on it’s own), but rather that he pretty much had no other choice for the most part.
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Post by 07redsox on Aug 27, 2023 14:48:24 GMT -5
After all, Murphy is just a AAAA pitcher. We haven't drafted pitchers in the first few rounds since Bloom took over, SS after SS and wasted so many 1st and 2nd rounders on position players. Other than Bello, just a lot of average pitching prospects in the league and AA/AAA. This isn’t the argument you seem to think it is…
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Post by 07redsox on Aug 25, 2023 19:14:16 GMT -5
KKKKKKutter
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Post by 07redsox on Aug 21, 2023 16:40:46 GMT -5
How on earth do you justify playing Story over Turner at DH, especially after yesterday’s game, and against Houston? Wtf Turner's day off explained above, but the bigger question for me is what's up with Story's stamina that he still can't play SS every day? Can’t really comment on the stamina, but I believe they said this would be the last series where this takes place. Once they come back home to play the Dodgers he should be full time at SS.
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Post by 07redsox on Aug 18, 2023 18:55:07 GMT -5
If you use the MLB.TV app, you should be able to get a free 2 month trial. Have seen it pop up most of the season, so been saving it for a night like tonight. smart move, i bought the Sox only, at the beginning of the year. Love the access, but frustrating to watch this team a lot this year. Same here man, wife bought it for me as an early Father’s Day gift. Was a great gift, but too bad the team could live up to it much lol Here’s hoping that changes the rest of the season and we see a long October run!
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