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Post by jmei on Aug 29, 2023 6:15:25 GMT -5
I think the only thing anyone is saying is that you can't manage all 162 games like a playoff game. Not even the last 35 or whatever there is left. If there was one game that you were going to manage like a playoff game, wasn’t it this one? (This coming from a guy who does not really believe in must win games.)
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Post by jmei on Aug 28, 2023 21:24:36 GMT -5
Rotating a replacement-level arm through that last spot in the bullpen, especially when you've got a few short-term issues to manage (Bernadino on the COVID IL, rotating Murphy out since he ate innings yesterday) is something every single organization does, including successful ones like the Dodgers and Rays. You just don't expect the manager to use that guy in a high-leverage situation. but this post doesn't really respond to the point. Why was he the guy chosen to be up here, during the most important games of the season ? Who made that choice ? Were there other options in the minors ? Were there deadline trades ? was it a salary issue ? it is fine to blame Cora in real time. that is when mangers deserve criticism. But what about all the hours of research and planning before that moment ? That is the point most people around here wont acknowledge. Because he can throw bulk innings in a low-leverage situation. That's it.
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Post by jmei on Aug 28, 2023 21:17:06 GMT -5
Well, that wasn't so great.
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Post by jmei on Aug 28, 2023 21:15:53 GMT -5
Chasing a pitch out of the zone on his first MLB pitch - typical.
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Post by jmei on Aug 28, 2023 21:14:17 GMT -5
Barraclough was obviously not brought up to shutdown anyone. He was brought up to eat innings in a mop up role. The pen was rested. This has nothing to do with Bloom. A GM shouldn't call up a pitcher he doesn't expect his manager to use. If you are calling up a pitcher only for "garbage innings", it means you've failed to build MLB depth. Rotating a replacement-level arm through that last spot in the bullpen, especially when you've got a few short-term issues to manage (Bernadino on the COVID IL, rotating Murphy out since he ate innings yesterday) is something every single organization does, including successful ones like the Dodgers and Rays. You just don't expect the manager to use that guy in a high-leverage situation.
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Post by jmei on Aug 28, 2023 21:05:58 GMT -5
I do not buy the "the guys are tired" excuse. If that was true, IL somebody and call up Walter or Jacques or Garza or Politi (they have J. Rodriguez as a 60-day IL candidate if they needed a 40-man spot). It was Cora trying to steal a few outs and having it blow up in his face. Defensible to have him start the inning with bad hitters coming. Pitching to Altuve, Bregman and Alvarez in high leverage spots was not defensible. And I am okay making him throw 100 pitches once we're down by a lot. Disagree with the first sentence. Barraclough's strength is that he can eat some innings. No reason to use him in a spot where he'd go three outs max. Frankly, there's no reason to pitch him in any medium- or high-leverage situation at all. I'm fine leaving him in to eat these innings, though.
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Post by jmei on Aug 28, 2023 20:59:06 GMT -5
They showed all the bullpen guys sitting next to each other several times during that sixth inning. Either the medical staff is phoning it in worse than Cora, or it's not COVID. Eh. If the entire bullpen was not there it would be just as bad. I mean. If cora wanted to throw a game there are less blatant ways of doing it. This game is totally out of character for him. I don't think he intentionally tried to throw the game. I think he has a poor grasp of pitcher leverage and is bad at managing a bullpen.
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Post by jmei on Aug 28, 2023 20:57:37 GMT -5
Still no one up in the pen btw. He’s going to ride Barraclough for 100+ while telling his starting hitters to go get ‘em. Literally bench the best hitters then. What the fuck are you even doing if you’re not trying to win the game that’s in front of you. Tone down the profanity.
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Post by jmei on Aug 28, 2023 20:55:35 GMT -5
I do not buy the "the guys are tired" excuse. If that was true, IL somebody and call up Walter or Jacques or Garza or Politi (they have J. Rodriguez as a 60-day IL candidate if they needed a 40-man spot). It was Cora trying to steal a few outs and having it blow up in his face.
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Post by jmei on Aug 28, 2023 20:50:55 GMT -5
And IIRC the new covid rules disallow teams removing a player from the 40 man like in previous seasons. So. Outside of getting an exemption from the commissioner, any player on the Covid IL still takes up a 40 man spot They showed all the bullpen guys sitting next to each other several times during that sixth inning. Either the medical staff is phoning it in worse than Cora, or it's not COVID.
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Post by jmei on Aug 28, 2023 20:49:46 GMT -5
Barraclough acting like such a loser on the mound with his body language and screaming F bombs after every bad pitch is really not helping On the one hand, this is his long-awaited MLB comeback and he needs to have some veteran composure. On the other hand, everyone (including himself) knows he's being hung out to wear it, and that's not always easy to take.
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Post by jmei on Aug 28, 2023 20:47:54 GMT -5
I just don't think Alex Cora really understands pitcher leverage all that well. He regularly brings Janssen and Martin in when it gets within three runs in the ninth (even if there are one or two outs already) but also regularly uses his worst pitcher down one run in the sixth.
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Post by jmei on Aug 28, 2023 20:43:46 GMT -5
Alright folks, I've tolerated some profanity given how this night has unfolded, but let's try to tone it down from here on out.
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Post by jmei on Aug 28, 2023 20:28:33 GMT -5
Oh good now he doesn't cover first base.
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Post by jmei on Aug 28, 2023 20:27:12 GMT -5
This is ****ing embarassing.
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Post by jmei on Aug 28, 2023 18:55:51 GMT -5
Duvall is not a very good defensive outfielder.
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Post by jmei on Aug 28, 2023 18:15:32 GMT -5
That's the exact kind of lazy, poor fundamentals baseball that just can't happen.
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Post by jmei on Aug 28, 2023 9:47:57 GMT -5
I wouldn't focus too too much about trying to upgrade the outfield as compared to 2023. The Red Sox have received pretty good outfield production this year, coming in at seventh in MLB in fWAR and fifth in MLB in wRC+ so far. Running in place is more than sufficient. (Where they really need to upgrade is 2B (29th in MLB), SS (28th) and SP (23rd), but those are other threads.) With that said, I'm supportive of bringing back Duvall, trading Refsnyder, keeping Verdugo, not re-signing Turner and going into opening day with something like this (with further adjustments as you get deeper into the season based on performance/health): - LF: 70% Duvall, 30% Yoshida
- RF: 80% Verdugo, 20% Duvall
- CF: 70% Duran, 30% Rafaela
- DH: 60% Yoshida, 40% Devers/assorted others
Or, put another way: - 90% Yoshida (60% DH, 30% LF)
- 90% Duvall (70% LF, 20% RF)
- 80% Verdugo (all RF)
- 70% Duran (all CF)
- 30% Rafaela (all CF, with some additional playing time at SS/2B)
(If you like, you can swap Duvall with Duran so that Duran plays mostly LF and Duvall plays mostly CF. But I think they're about equivalent defenders at this point in their respective careers, and doing it this way makes the platoons a little easier to implement. You could also think about putting Duvall mostly at RF and Verdugo mostly at LF, but Verdugo has been great at RF this year and his superior range will be useful there in Fenway.)
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Post by jmei on Aug 28, 2023 5:44:47 GMT -5
I don’t think Refsnyder makes enough money or plays good enough defense to impact what they do with Duvall. Duvall would be signed as an every day player. If they trade Verdugo I think he’s brought back. I understand we have guys like Abreu and Rafaela waiting in the wings but you can’t bank on them and be serious about contending. I also think they could move on from Refsnyder pretty easily, it’s not something that would be a hard decision to wrestle with if there isn’t a roster fit after the off-season Assuming the Red Sox can get Duvall to Re-sign, then Refsnyder could be traded for a minor league prospect who does not need to be added to the 40-man, effectively open a spot for an additional Red Sox Rule 5 player. The timing does not quite work since players need to be added to the 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule 5 draft quite early in the offseason before most free agents have signed and trades completed.
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Post by jmei on Aug 27, 2023 21:20:01 GMT -5
On the one hand, it speaks to how poorly the incumbent tackles have played. On the other hand, better for the front office and coaches to have recognized that and try to do something about it rather than just praying that they’ll play better in the regular season.
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Post by jmei on Aug 27, 2023 19:34:54 GMT -5
Feels like Strong was not going to make the 53-man roster (or there was significant risk of him being left off) so might as well get first dibs on a developmental tackle.
Also feels like they’re going to trade one of their kickers (most likely Folk) in the next few days.
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Post by jmei on Aug 26, 2023 17:45:02 GMT -5
God Martin is so good.
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Post by jmei on Aug 26, 2023 8:50:39 GMT -5
I moved a post re: Verdugo trade ideas to its own thread in the trade discussion sub forum.
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Post by jmei on Aug 25, 2023 20:56:02 GMT -5
Alex Cora time to go. How is your team still being retarded on the bases We don’t use that kind of language here. Do it again and you’re out of here.
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Post by jmei on Aug 25, 2023 18:43:23 GMT -5
In play, run(s).
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