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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 28, 2020 6:35:31 GMT -5
we got a break from watching this pitching staff for a day, embrace that boys. It was lovely. The sky was bluer today. The crickets outside right now sound more alive. There’s a crow chirping and it’s never sounded more beautiful Best yet our team ERA wasn’t 9 "Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright, The band is playing somewhere and somewhere hearts are light"....
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 25, 2020 19:33:45 GMT -5
Yes. He had a 6.27 ERA in the second half, too. In 2016, his second half ERA was 5.04. And 2017 it was 5.01. So he has pitched 150+ innings 3 times and never had an ERA under 5.00 in the second half of one of those seasons. Were talking about a 4 starter here right? Can I get a list of 4 starters in the Al with an era under 4.5. Hell most 3s in the Al are not under 4.5. You guys are grasping at straws. I have not researched what you espouse but on what I've seen this year, Perez appears an adequate 5th/spot starter at 4.50 ERA. Eovaldi, off this season, would be suitable at #4. Using a curve has helped him greatly. If Sale and Rodriguez fully recover by 2022, a 2-3 very good starter is what we need by then. We have so much time. Mata,Houck,Groome (acquisition(s) given payroll reduction....It will happen. Xander, if not traded, would be 29 and Devers 25. It will be tough to trade our young stars on hopey changey.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 23, 2020 9:36:31 GMT -5
trade barnes for a bag of balls.....if any team is even willing to part with that. Barnes' trouble, obviously, is lack of control. He has a good enough fastball and a great curve. A third pitch would help. He wouldn't bring squat at present so he needs resurrection. Verdugo is what we hoped Beni would be (might be, will be?). Nice throw from shallow left but damn the runner was in cement. It was a terrible decision to send him.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 22, 2020 20:52:23 GMT -5
Eric, just some points of info: 1) Seabold was #30 in the BA Handbook for Philly. The draftees pushed him off midseason. 2) I think he was #23 on MLB Pipeline. They had already moved him when you looked, I think. 3) Pivetta was with the MLB club until he was optioned on 8/11. I actually have a question in with a source to see how long he'd need to stay down for the Red Sox to get an extra year of control. --------- DFA, I think manipulating the service time to get an extra year of control is of far more importance than preserving his option. Thanks for all that info, Chris! It didn't occur to me that Pipeline would be so quick. I did sneak a peak at Pivetta's pitch-type results while typing up my promise to do no more research about him today. And I have not!
But I did chew over all the data I already knew while I was nuking and eating lunch. His best pitches are his curve and slider, but he has a bigger than average split between getting ahead and behind in the count. His fastball's been a bad pitch.
Hypothesis: with less than 2 outs, he'll throw the breaking stuff ahead in the count as a chase pitch, and hence for strikeouts, but because he's terrified of big innings and 3-run jacks, he will not try to get guys to chase when he's behind in the count, fearing they won't bite. Which is obviously backwards. When guys are ahead 2-0 they're sitting on the FB, and that's exactly when you do want to throw a curve in the dirt or a slider away.
Instead, he throws the FB. Which they often hit out. Which makes him terrified of big innings and 3-run jacks. So he doesn't trust his stuff. There are still things that are totally puzzling. His changeup is his worst pitch, so how can he have been tougher on lefties than righties? He doesn't throw it much, though.
So does this trade help, hurt or is it indifferent to the Sox? We got younger and have greater control but did we step forward on talent or promise?
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 22, 2020 11:37:48 GMT -5
Seems the bullpen doesn’t want to get traded next. En masse?
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 21, 2020 21:00:23 GMT -5
Seabold's numbers are great--goid control and misses bats, so I wonder if somthing makes that fastball play up. And if there's something they see in Pivetta as a buy-low guy, I am down with that. Bittersweet trading Workman though. Feels like they shouldn't have needed to swallow so much salary on such a straightforward trade but I will leave that to the experts. Yes but what is $900,000 in the greater scheme? We have probably seen the best of Workman and Hembree is serviceable but not a stud muffin. We got younger. Seabold is a control pitcher, no outstanding pitches but with low whip....maybe a Porcello type starter? Pivetta has shown little with a very high ERA but is young. It seems we took a flyer on his youth and stuff in the hope that we can extract something of value thru analysis and development. Bloom is not a guy to stand still and I like the aggressive approach.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 21, 2020 16:49:59 GMT -5
I have to admit, I wonder if expectations for Dalbec are too high. My big concern is he is Chavis with a touch more power but an even worse hit tool. I see him ending up in the same limbo as Chavis has thus far. I still have hope that Chavis can work out, so that is not dismissing Dalbec either, but I think it is massively risky to be planning lineups with him in them in the next few years. I'm surprised by his top 100 ranking given his age. Yet his ability to draw walks and play an average to above average 3B given him a good chance. Chavis needs to take more walks. I hope you're right. From the outside C & D seem two peas from the same pod. Both have a lot of swing and miss. It appears that Chavis has to commit very early to catch up with gas...resulting in wild swings at not even faintly tantalizing pitches. "Hair" up totally escapes injury. If Dalbec can better lay off, maybe they aren't the same vegetable.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 20, 2020 21:28:30 GMT -5
I'm sure you remember the final day of the 2011 season. I can guarantee you that a lot if not a majority of diehard Yankees fans were rooting for their team to lose to TB that day - just so they could screw the Red Sox over. It happens. I'll root for the Red Sox to lose if I think it's benefitical to help them win. Not all games are equal. Some games are meaningless while others mean so much. I'm always fine with the Sox losing a few here and there after they clinch a playoff spot - as long as they don't go completely dead - like 1988, 2016, and 2017 come to mind. I say that because as a believer in the law of averages I'd be nervous if they won their last 10 games in a row - figuring they'd be due to lose and it will happen in the playoffs which I wouldn't want so I root for them to be .500ish after clinching so that there's no indicator either way. And I know what I just said makes NO logical sense whatsoever, but that's my superstition. And this year - if it helps them immensely in draft position - I'll root for them to lose. Honestly, whether I root for them or not - it really doesn't affect what's happening on the field. On the field the 2020 Red Sox suck. I'd rather see them go 15-45 and pick 1st in the draft (if Manfred lets them). What's the point of this lousy sinking team going 26-34 and picking toward the middle? I think it benefits the 2024 Sox immensely to pick higher in the draft leading to hopefully more future wins, which means more important games - ones where I can intently root for the Red Sox. For me, the wins matter more when they're good and the losses hurt more when they're good. When they win now, it's like who cares? They might as well lose. And if they lose, there's little pain beyond the "Man, how did the greatest team in Red Sox history go so bad so fast?!" Makes it easier to cut the chord though and move onto future Red Sox teams - without the "wish we could have kept Porcello - he was one of 25" sentiments. I agree with this. The worst thing of all is protracted mediocrity. I’d rather be the worst for a year or two than win 85 games 5 years in a row. This year will yield better results than last year — provided the draft order is as it should be. But I’ll go a step further. I have a bit of a sense of schadenfreude watching a team that has done bad/dumb things pay the price. If we aren’t punished for our transgressions, how can we learn? Sucking is a form of penance. Manfred I agree with you in the most part. To be clear overall, I don't support tanking or any activity that detracts from the integrity of the game. I reserve schadenfreude for those manipulating result. Let the Sox be what they are. Management and players are trying their best. I just think that our record accurately reflects what we are. And, to your point, shorter term acute pain is more tolerable than that of many years of chronic 75-85 win mediocrity. For me, I've witnessed 4 world championships when my long Sox history of failure 1957 to 2003 offered only despair. How fortunate I feel. Yeah the draft isn't scientific but I'll take my chances with higher picks. The 'science' is less precise the lower the pick. Those that hope for higher picks are ultimate Sox fans who want badly for the Sox to do well and are willing to experience the immediate pain for doses of the curative vaccine.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 20, 2020 7:21:05 GMT -5
So there’s all kinds of fans. I’m firmly in the camp of people who never will root for the Red Sox to lose a game. I understand the logic some of you espouse in wishing for failure and loses in this particular season. That doesn’t work for me at all and tbh seems weird. You do you, but I want the pitchers to throw well and the batters to collect runs. Always. You're a better man than I am Gunga Din. It's time for a retool. It's so clear that we desperately need an influx of pitching et al talent. The horse is flagging in the stretch. I so much want the Sox to win that I don't want to endure a 5-6 year time frame. The sooner they get access to better players thru the draft and organizational sagacity, the better. Maybe Sale will still be good nearer term and E-Rod's condition doesn't derail his career. Maybe a Duran and a Downs bolster a sagging offense at positions needing that. Maybe drafting high for a couple of years is a panacea for a DNA deficient farm.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 19, 2020 21:46:43 GMT -5
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 19, 2020 6:34:43 GMT -5
There's no chance this team wins 15 games. I could understand if this was a fun team to watch too and they had some young developing pieces but thats not the case. Verdugo and Xander are becoming the only reason I watch this team. Please don't invoke the "green weenie". Otherwise the Sox might win three in a row. And speaking of alexcora, who could have imagined that his leaving would have been a good thing for him? If one looks on Wikipedia under the definition of sacrificial lamb, there is a grainy tintype of Ron Roenike. He will have the unfortunate legacy of managing the worst Sox team in history. But at least he will be able to say to his great grandkids sitting on his knee that he once managed a 'season' in the major leagues during the great Covid War.
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Bloom
Aug 18, 2020 18:18:59 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by sarasoxer on Aug 18, 2020 18:18:59 GMT -5
I will hate Bloom and curse him til the day he dies for trading Mookie, but.... no. He hasn’t done anything that wasn’t a response to the situation he found on arrival. Let’s see what he does for a couple years before deciding. Also, let’s how Nick Yorke works out. That was a head scratcher for some people, but the Sox seem to believe in the kid. If he hits, it looks like genius. If not, we can look back on it as a bad pick. But that needs time. Demainah I was born and bread in Maine. I still have siblings and immediate family there. I recognize you as an ardent and emotional fan and salute you for that. But Mookie was going to test the waters no matter what we (the Sox) offered. And, with financial penalties far in excess of his contract (if he had signed), it wasn't feasible. Inherently you know that. And Mookie could see that if he did sign with Boston, there was going to be a period of rebuild given the likelihood of other jettisoning of salaries in offset and a poor farm. He held the cards. Going to LA not only got him the highest bucks but a multiple near term opportunity for championships that the Sox could not match. Chaim has not been given a chance to which, if you were honest with yourself, would agree. He was a major part of an organization that made a chicken s__t payroll into a chicken salad team that is far superior to the Sox with a top payroll. I think that your devotion to the Sox, while admirable, colors your powers of calm reason. We are at the bottom. Embrace and enjoy the ride up. It's going to be fun.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 16, 2020 21:03:36 GMT -5
I hope Warner, Henry, Kennedy, Bloom...whomever.....checks in on this site periodically and sees this. The product you are putting out on the field is a mess. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Great years, thank you so much, but this is doggy doo doo. You need to hear that from your customers. But we have mostly the same players minus Mookie on the field. And Verdugo has been pretty good. Those players have underperformed. We are absent our 4 best starters from last year and the good 2018-19 bullpen members have lagged. I don't see underperformance or injuries Management's fault. We had no money to pursue a Cole and/or others. And we had a depleted farm on which to draw. Our only choice was to take flyers on other teams' discards Really it seems that we encountered the perfect storm. Two years from now the sky will at least be partly sunny.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 16, 2020 8:42:54 GMT -5
Still, what does combined 'formula" mean? Is it just combined records for 2 years or is it a true formula that would give more credence to 2020 than merely 60 games?
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 15, 2020 9:37:46 GMT -5
Ok it's obvious that we are in for multiple years of rebuild. That part can be fun too. The only way is up. At least we dropped fast rather than over several years. We won't be trying for years to patch. Great. Let's get going. I don't blame Bloom one iota. He was in an untenable position. Bloom grabbed a bunch of stuff and threw it against the wall. Some were former first round picks that still could morph and stick. The Sox are the Queen. It will take a bit to turn around, but Bloom is not standing still. I'm sitting here having witnessed 4 world championships. I can handle a few years of climbing back up the ok mountain. We were IMO, lucky to get Bloom. A seasoned GM might not have taken the job. This guy is young and vibrant. He will be on top of emerging trends and game nuances. I don’t get the Bloom love. I mean, what has he done? I can accept wait and see, but there is no reason to assume he is some genius. Bloom hasn't had much of a chance (no chance). He had to cut payroll and in doing so lost his best player with less than optimum leverage and one of his best starters. Two other starters were sidelined unexpectedly. His former #5 starter is now his ace. Other players and the pen have not performed to expectations. Hey, it's a great time to start the renewal. Bloom is panning a trickling available talent stream in the hope of finding a fleck or two of gold. That means at present picking up other teams discards on a maybe. He's active where he can be currently. Let's see what the trade deadline brings.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 15, 2020 8:48:50 GMT -5
Ok it's obvious that we are in for multiple years of rebuild. That part can be fun too. The only way is up. At least we dropped fast rather than over several years. We won't be trying for years to patch. Great. Let's get going.
I don't blame Bloom one iota. He was in an untenable position. Bloom grabbed a bunch of stuff and threw it against the wall. Some were former first round picks that still could morph and stick. The Sox are the Queen. It will take a bit to turn around, but Bloom is not standing still. I'm sitting here having witnessed 4 world championships. I can handle a few years of climbing back up the mountain.
We were IMO, lucky to get Bloom. A seasoned GM might not have taken the job. This guy is young and vibrant. He will be on top of emerging trends and game nuances.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 13, 2020 20:35:56 GMT -5
When does the pool start for this year's number of wins? Is 6 taken ? Damn you! You took my number!
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 13, 2020 20:12:27 GMT -5
When does the pool start for this year's number of wins?
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 13, 2020 17:22:04 GMT -5
Arauz is a .243 hitter in 5 minor league seasons with a high of 11 home runs but maybe he's Joe Hardy.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 13, 2020 16:38:37 GMT -5
Let's send him down like we did with Weber then bring him back up and he'll be rejuvenated as Weber was.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 13, 2020 11:31:46 GMT -5
I never got sending Weber down after his last start because it was easily his best one. At the minimum it makes our manager not look crazy after saying we don't have anyone better to replace Weber, we've finally seen what he was seeing. Stay tuned. I know that Catfish Hunter pitched well with an 88 mph 'heater', Randy Jones dazzled at 80, and Moyer in the low 80s but....I think that we are wishin' and hopin'.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 13, 2020 8:02:26 GMT -5
Silver lining, apparently two bullpen sessions in Pawtucket and the Red Sox found the Weber they thought they had in the spring? Chris I think that you may possibly be the legendary cockeyed optimist. But we have to find it where we can.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 9, 2020 19:20:54 GMT -5
Benintendi I'm legitimately worried about not rebounding because he's been lost for longer than this season. His swing is still near perfect, just in the wrong place. Big uppercut. To me he's under the fastball and over soft stuff...I don't think that his bat is in the pitch plane very long. When he is on the ball or a bit out in front, his rising bat tops the ball like Bradley. Also like Bradley he more often hits the ball in the air to left...as his bat is lower on its path and slightly behind the pitch. He then hits on or just under the ball. As with Bradley, the shifts leave almost the entire left side open. If you're 2-36, an easy base hit by bunt will help the team and perhaps you. Bradley did so early or in the Spring. Both should do so whenever given the chance until they get untracked. Less macho, more help for the team. Waaay back Dalton Jones was said to have the prettiest swing. Too bad it didn't translate. He ended up hitting .235 and was out of baseball at 28.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 8, 2020 20:16:25 GMT -5
This team is in danger of becoming a .500 team rather than a truly awful team. I'm just as worried as you are. BTW, I believe that Devers has slimmed down since the season restarted. He is still trying to hit 500 footers tho. Next year, Raffy... next year.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 8, 2020 8:43:06 GMT -5
.311 BA, 1.011 OPS. On track for Golden Glove. That guy. we all miss mookie; but can't we still be excited to see verdugo's talent At least we have one outfielder who can hit.
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