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Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 4, 2024 16:34:33 GMT -5
Strong game all around.
Abreu with a great game despite the sad news he's dealing with.
The bullpen finally had a great day. I'm not sure why Pivetta was yanked so quickly. I thought he settled down after giving up 2 early HRs.
Duran and Hamiltom had strong games, too. 2 out of 3 ain't bad. Too bad yearerdays game slipped away, but at least they got 2 wins.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 4, 2024 14:17:10 GMT -5
Guess we're not in April anymore. Looks like the rest of the league adjusted and the Sox starters are hitting the proverbial wall.
They better get a top flight pitcher or 2 in the offseason.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 4, 2024 14:10:03 GMT -5
Wow, is Crawford pitching today, too? A HR per inning? Man, they're giving up a lot of HRs lately.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 3, 2024 14:30:32 GMT -5
Dont really understand why its necessary to try to mitigate the plain fact that Crawford has given up 12 HRs in 3 games. Thata a lot no matter what factor gets used.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 3, 2024 14:21:28 GMT -5
I don’t know how I’d feel about $288M 8 yrs for Burnes. I think we go after a top FA starter(Fried,Snell also) but I don’t know about $36M. 36M is probably about the going rate for that type of SP. Then again how many teams are going to have that type of flexibility? I'd imagine the yankees and dodgers don't. Feels like Mets and Sox do but nobody else jumps out immediately. I'm sure I'm forgetting a team or two though. The Orioles have new ownership. They could spend. As far as the Sox go, they're going to have to spend their money on some top notch free agent. They're awash in talented young cheap players. They actually have two waves. They got the Big 3 and Campbell on the way. Then eventually Montgomery, Arias, Cespedes, Bleis, and the Garcia brothers are the next wave afterwards. So pitching seems to be the one thing that they should spend their money on, top notch pitching and if so, it'll cost 300 million or so. Just the nature of the beast. I think theyll have the offense all around the diamond and unless there's a bug RH bat they need, like Manny level, then they should focus on spending the money there as they try to turn Sandlin, Priester, and maybe others into young cheap strong pitching they can incorporate onto the staff. The Sox won't have to build the core of their time around free agency but they certainly can use their financial advantage. And if not Burnes, then who? I mean Sasaki would be great, but there's not many beyond Burnes that I'd want to see them get.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 3, 2024 14:12:02 GMT -5
Rice had 15 in 1977, as well. I never really pictured him as a triples hitter. He had no trouble hitting the ball to the deepest part of CF and he wasn't slow in the 70s like he was in the 80s, so he could motor to 3b.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 3, 2024 8:32:54 GMT -5
I like Sogard but the guy was a .279 hitter at age 25 in Worcester. Thats not that overly impressive. I'd rather have Hamilton on my bench than Sogard although at the moment there's room for both as they platoon. Sogard can play the 2018 Ian Kinsler role for now. That's fine but eventually Grissom or even Campbell will seize the 2b job as a regular and should run with it. I think Hamilton will be the main utility guy, unless he's dealt which would open up a spot for Sogard depending upon what happens with Meidroth who does give off some Brock Holt vibes. I think the walks will certainly fall off for Meidroth as he will get challenged a lot more. Will he hit enough? That I don't know. I'm sure he'll continue to get more than his fair share of walks. With Meidroth he could sneak into the 2b job if both Grissom and Campbell dont cut it, or like Hamilton could be a valuable bench piece, or even traded to become a regular for another team with a need. Of course Story clouds the issue as I'm assuming hes the SS to begin next season but could eventually cede SS to Mayer and go to 2b if need be. Truth of the matter is I have trouble seeing him staying healthy for an extended period, but if Sale can do it.... The Sox just have so many options I think there would have to be a lot of trades to elevate Sogard into a long term bench piece. I'm happy for him that he got his chance yesterday and played well. I just think going forward, particularly beyond this year it'll take a lot to keep him on the roster and I dont think hes much more than a .250 hitter or so. He can help out sone teams. Just dont think it will be for the Sox much beyond now and When Casas comes back I think Sogard winds up back in AAA I mean it’s a .382 OBP, that’s pretty damn good lol It is but pitchers normally have better control and command in the majors so a portion of those walks do go away and you do wind up relying more on the hit tool because the free pass isnt quite as prevalent in the majors. But like you point out hes not a hacker, so he would be less prone to getting himself out, which can be half the battle at times.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 3, 2024 8:20:18 GMT -5
Very concerning he’s still experiencing this type of pain on contact. I continue dwelling on his extension talks and how both sides feel about it at this point. Hope he’s completely pain free (mentally & physically) in spring training. I find that concerning too. I guess its pain tolerance for him, although I hope he doesnt make the issue worse playing thru it. If he cant play the way hes capable of playing and were going to get a severely diminished version I'd rather they just go with Smith. I was hoping theyd grab Bell or Turner to platoon when they were available but they made the judgment call that Casas will be the guy when he's back. I just hope it is the real Casas they're getting back and not a lesser version of him, which is what I worry about when I'm listening to what Casas is saying. As an aside, did anybody notice the putdown of Casas that Jim Rice was insinuating when he basically thought Casas needs to be playing thru the pain? I know Rice played thru injuries when he played and cut off his cast when he had a broken wrist in 1975 because he badly wanted to play in that 1975 Series where if he had been healthy there might have been a different outcome. I get that. I remember reading how he'd chide Freddy Lynn who had a lot of injuries he wouldnt always play through, the be a man and tough it out thing, which is true to an extent, but where do you draw the line? I dont want to see Casas there being a shadow of himself or worse, making things even worse where he could ruin his career. If he gets his most pain from making contact, you almost wonder if the brain subconsciously compensates by trying to minimize contact to avoid the pain. I dont pretend to know. The only thing I do know is that any suggestion that Dom Smith isn't needed on this roster once Casas comes back is wrong.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 3, 2024 8:01:12 GMT -5
OK, I'll bite. Who the hell is Cason ? Conrad Cason. The kid they drafted in the 9th round who can hit as a SS and can pitch and theyll let him try to be a 2 way player. Interesting player. I wouldnt put him in the top 10 though.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 3, 2024 7:59:47 GMT -5
I like Sogard but the guy was a .279 hitter at age 25 in Worcester. Thats not that overly impressive.
I'd rather have Hamilton on my bench than Sogard although at the moment there's room for both as they platoon.
Sogard can play the 2018 Ian Kinsler role for now. That's fine but eventually Grissom or even Campbell will seize the 2b job as a regular and should run with it.
I think Hamilton will be the main utility guy, unless he's dealt which would open up a spot for Sogard depending upon what happens with Meidroth who does give off some Brock Holt vibes.
I think the walks will certainly fall off for Meidroth as he will get challenged a lot more. Will he hit enough? That I don't know. I'm sure he'll continue to get more than his fair share of walks. With Meidroth he could sneak into the 2b job if both Grissom and Campbell dont cut it, or like Hamilton could be a valuable bench piece, or even traded to become a regular for another team with a need.
Of course Story clouds the issue as I'm assuming hes the SS to begin next season but could eventually cede SS to Mayer and go to 2b if need be. Truth of the matter is I have trouble seeing him staying healthy for an extended period, but if Sale can do it....
The Sox just have so many options I think there would have to be a lot of trades to elevate Sogard into a long term bench piece.
I'm happy for him that he got his chance yesterday and played well. I just think going forward, particularly beyond this year it'll take a lot to keep him on the roster and I dont think hes much more than a .250 hitter or so. He can help out sone teams. Just dont think it will be for the Sox much beyond now and When Casas comes back I think Sogard winds up back in AAA
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 3, 2024 7:45:14 GMT -5
Yeah, Hamilton's destiny is to be an excellent major league bench player. He could stick for several years. Agreed. Hamilton will either wind up a 2nd division regular elsewhere or most likely a valuable bench player, one who can play a passable SS, a decent 2b, and probably will get some looks on the OF before all is said and done, and that speed is something most teams dont have - I honestly think hes the Sox best base runner which is saying a lot when the kamikaze kid is on the roster in Duran. I kind of think there's some overanalyzing going on about Hamilton. Hes slumping now because hes simply finding his level. Hes not the AAAA player that he appeared to be before he found his footing and the Sox arent sending him down nor should they - if they make the postseason he will be on the roster and should be. Hes also not the allstar smashing line drives and going deep like he was. That guy, doing that over a full season, is an all star. That's not really Hamilton either. I think hes a .250 hitter who has versatility and a ton of speed, can impact a game off the bench and can provide a spark when he gets a chance to play due to injury. I noticed the Red Sox woke up from their .500ish yoyo when Hamilton got blazing hot. As big as Duran has been most of the year I feel like when Hamilton got hot the Red Sox got too much for other teams to handle. I felt he was impactful when the Sox needed it. Now the Sox have leveled off and Hamilton's bat cooled off and hes not as often on base wreaking havoc. But in totality, a really damn good bench player to have although I do wonder if other teams will target him to be their 2b and leadoff hitter in trade talks.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 2, 2024 16:21:10 GMT -5
Ichiro’s career wRC+ was weighed down in part by playing below-average ball from ages 37-44 - which is almost a testament to how talented he was that he could still be a Major Leaguer when most dudes have already hung it up. But it does make me wonder if wRC+ can’t fully account for extreme outliers when it comes to contact - because the idea that Ichiro as a career MLB hitter is barely better than 2024 Dom Smith is kind of mind-boggling. Even if homers and strikeouts > litany of singles, Ichiro - Ichiro!!! - grading out as a merely above average MLB hitter feels like some sort of glitch I definitely agree that "career 104 wRC+" conceals more than it reveals about what kind of hitter Ichiro was. Part of it is the inclusion of those decline years like you say. But:
Age 27-36: 115 wRC+, .331/.376/.430, 10 straight 200+ hit seasons Even that wRC+ feels low for such an incredible run, right? A big part of it - and I think the sort of thing redsoxchamps is getting at - is that he just had an incredible talent for making contact with the baseball and getting hits. So we think of him as a superlative player in that sense; but 115 is not a superlative wRC+ because it incorporates stuff he was bad at, like hitting for power and drawing walks.
Yup, you're right. That's what I was getting at - old fashioned batting average, one who could constantly keep batting averages of .310 plus consistently. I'm not talking total offense. A guy like Ichiro had little power, but man he could hit. He didnt take walks, but he could turn singles into doubles with his speed. He also had a great arm and played an excellent RF so he did have more than the hit tool, but yeah that was an overwhelming majority of his value. That guy had 262 hits in 2004. Think he batted .372. I think he won the ROY and MVP in 2001 batting .350. Gwynn wasnt known for defense. His speed dissipated as he aged but his power increased as he got older and he actually became a better hitter in his 30s. .338 lifetime. Amazing. I always said if you could combine Boggs' 20s and Gwynn's 30s, you have a higher batting average than Ted William's I think. Boggs was phenomenal. Hed bat .350 plus consistently, smash 200 hits AND walk 100 times. He was ALWAYS on base. He was never quite the same hitter after 1988. Carew was an amazing hitter. Dont think he was great at 2b, but eventually went to 1b where he didnt have the power of a hitter playing the position, kind of like Pete Rose, but Carew could hit .330 and above consistently. Didnt miss .400 by much in 1977 when he batted .388. The thing is batting average and hit tool has been marginalized and I understand why, that slugging and OBP are more important, etc. But I do miss guys that can truly hit. Especially when there's a runner on 3rd and 2 outs and there's a 3 true out one guy up who might walk but is so less likely to get that damn single that's needed to score the run, so at best they go deep, or they walk and the next guy whiffs instead, or the batter simply whiffs. That .010 to .020 difference in league BA doesnt seem like a lot but it just makes the offense feel so different. So yeah, Arraez has his issues, but I do love that hit tool, and if I had a runner in scoring position I'd like him up because to me hed be more likely to make contact and more likely to hit a needed single that can score a needed run.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 2, 2024 13:10:19 GMT -5
He's this generation's Rod Carew. Hes up there with Carew, Boggs, Gwynn, and Ichiro, just not quite as up there but in the neighborhood. I'd say Altuve would be a neighbor, too. These guys have the best hit tools of their generations. Except Arraez walks 30% less and is a worse defender I'm not talking about their defense, their power or even their plate selectivity. That's all kind of irrelevant to what I'm talking about. Boggs walked a lot more than the guys I mentioned but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about bat to ball skills to consistently hit pretty well above .300 when everybody else is well below that - the pure hit tool. Arraez is doing his things when the league batting average is barely .240.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Aug 2, 2024 11:44:51 GMT -5
“The last time Luis Arraez struck out was on July 13. He has not swung and missed in his last 22 plate appearances and has not struck out in his last 48 plate appearances.”- Inside Edge MLB How is this possible in 2024 with dudes throwing 100 and with pitches that bend like CGI He's this generation's Rod Carew. Hes up there with Carew, Boggs, Gwynn, and Ichiro, just not quite as up there but in the neighborhood. I'd say Altuve would be a neighbor, too. These guys have the best hit tools of their generations.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Jul 31, 2024 18:32:53 GMT -5
They badly needed that one.
The pitching finally didnt suck although Kelly made me very nervous and I'm hoping Kenley is alright. He has been lacking finish on his pitches, that extra zip, or at least in my very amateur opinion.
Looking forward to a pen that hopefully has a healthy Kenley, Hendrik back and effective, Martin, Garcia, Slaten, and Sims as the main guys from the right side.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Jul 31, 2024 17:46:27 GMT -5
In this situation O'Neill could A'Rod slap the ball out of a fielders glove or even tackle him.
Sure. The batters out, but if runners can advance at their own risk, they could take off which is why the rule is there, to keep a runner from interfering whether the out is automatic or not. Granted that Turner didnt wind up being the fielder but that's probably why O'Neill was rules out.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Jul 31, 2024 15:01:23 GMT -5
Should have sold then. I would have loved to have gotten that Astros haul they gave to Toronto for Pivetta. If a team is 1 game out going into the trade deadline and waves the white flag then what's the point of trying to compete? Why would anybody want to play on a team or watch a team like that who gives up so damn easily. We're a whole game out. Its insurmountable! We quit!!!
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Jul 31, 2024 14:57:36 GMT -5
Fractured right hand after being hit by a pitch for Jordan Westburg. He might be out the rest of the regular season.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Jul 31, 2024 14:44:02 GMT -5
What do you give the Sox as a post trade deadline grade? C+ to B- for me.. That's where I'm at. It has potential to move up a lot higher if they really hit on Priester. I like that Breslow did attempt to improve a lot of the areas that need improving. I'm relieved that the top 6, if that includes Arias, is intact. I know my heart skipped a beat when I saw Morosi's post about Roman Anthony being scratched. I feel that the upgrades were so marginal that they might not go far enough to push them past KC or Minnesota or even Seattle. Paxton was low hanging fruit to get but hes not very good these days, but he is their viable starting depth should an injury occur. Danny Jansen is not the guy I would have chosen as THE RH bat that they needed. He is an upgrade to McGuire. I might have liked to have seen Turner return it sign Josh Bell. I know Smith has hit better as of late but it would be nice to have a useful RH bat to go with him. I know Casas is supposed to to return but I'm worried that he wont be right this year. I would have liked a higher quality reliever than Sims or Garcia, but even with Sims' control issues they should be an upgrade to what theyve been using in the pen. Garcia has a longer record of respectability than I thought although hes hardly dominating. Sims is tough to hit but watching relievers walk guys in high leverage situation drives me nuts. All that said I understand the concept if the price being too high and if so then I'm fine with them not paying it, but some teams made some deals where you felt like, that wasn't THAT much. In the deals they made I dont think they gave up much of consequence but as a prospect hugger, I had to come around to losing Lugo in the Garcia deal. I thought Lugo had defensive utility as an outfielder, 3b, and 2b, but apparently hes restricted to LF and soon Campbell will be a much better option. I dont think Coffey is hopeless. The power and walk are there but the hit tool is pretty questionable and he wint be pushing Raffy out of the way anytime soon anyways. While Portes is intriguing, and I complain about Sims' control, Portes doesnt exactly have impeccable control and if it doesnt improve then maybe the best he becomes is Lucas Sims. Maybe Breslow laid down 4 bunt singles. I dont think Priester will have much value for the Sox in 2024, but if they can get him to be a top to mid rotation starter at some point in the bear future, then that would be a HR. The thinking behind the deal is sound. I believe that both of Grissom and Campbell will be as good if not better than Yorke. This is the trade that could go any way especially if Yorke develops nicely as a 2b and the Sox continue to struggle at 2b and if Priester is just a marginal back end starter. We will see on that one. The idea is good. Did they pick the right guy to spend Yorke on?
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Jul 31, 2024 10:52:18 GMT -5
Sims gave up 33 hits in 61 innings last year. Is that good? Its kind if necessary when a pitcher walks way too many batters.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Jul 31, 2024 6:42:09 GMT -5
The pitching would have looked a lot better if not for the god awful fielding and Yohan Ramirez. To me, Paxton looked promising. Coop was also money. Offense didn’t give up. Again, take away those bonehead fielding plays and I saw positive signs. Also, if Garcia and Sims were in Boston tonight, I think it would be a very different result. I don't know how he looked promising. His numbers weren't that good against the free swinging Mariners. His meh start could have been better, but turned into an atrocious one because of the awful defense. Take that one inning out he still gave up 2 runs in 4 innings including a HR and a double. I'm just giving him an incomplete grade. It's concerning they pulled him against Justin Turner with a low pitch count, but I'm guessing it wasn't because Cora thought Paxton's stuff was becoming flat, but rather a bad matchup and that situation determined the game. Yeah, the defense stunk again, but the pitching was not good. Paxton was undermined by his defense no doubt but he wasn't particularly good. The Sox go up 3-1 on Devers' blast and a shutdown inning would have been huge, si what does he do? He gets 2 hits out quickly and then gives up a HR. Cant blame the defense there. Kelly comes into the game and nearly gives up a grand slam. Cant blame the defense on that one. Kelly has been brutally bad ever since the Slaten and Martin injuries when Cora had to rely on him more. I'm hoping the Garcia and Sims acquisitions knock Kelly into more of a middle man role, which he was in yesterday but it didnt go well. Ramirez was awful and pretty much has always been. He couldn't even succeed pitching in the cozy confines of Dodges Stadium. He is nothing more than one of the many pitchers the Sox have quickly cycled thru who can be forgotten 5 minutes later. The pitching has been brutal and yeah, the defense has started to act up again. With that combo, it's kind of like the chicken and the egg, which came first? If they pitch better I think the defense will get into a better flow. Hyst like if the defense settles down, the pitching should get better. But all o know is for the past 2 weeks the pitching has been horrendous and I'm not sure what the pitching coach ad company are able to do to stop this but they have to do something or else theyll find themselves behind Minbesota, KC, Seattle, and even a Tampa team that has punted. Today is a big game, not insurmountable if they lose, but it's important and the pitching matchup is ominous. I hope Bello doesnt put them in an early hole line he has quite often done throughout the season. They really need to win this one and actually take a series against a team they need to stay in front of.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Jul 30, 2024 20:13:36 GMT -5
They released Chase Anderson for Ramirez? Its hard to find a worse pitcher than Anderson but they succeeded, lol.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Jul 30, 2024 20:12:55 GMT -5
Stunning that a guy with a 6 ERA pitching in a pitchers ballpark like Dodger Stadium isn't too good. Hopefully he and the guy who pitched last night won't pitch for the Sox anymore.
Now if the other pitchers who are capable of pitching alright can stop being lousy and if Sims and Garcia can be a step up, get Slaten and hopefully Martin back, hopefully the bullpen will look a lot different a couple of weeks from now. Just hope they can survive until then. Let the short-lived (they're both free agents) Sims/Garcia era start.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Jul 30, 2024 20:10:07 GMT -5
Hopefully the Yohan Ramirez era will start tonight and end tonight.
At some point the pitching has to not suck every freaking night, yes?
And maybe on rare nights both the pitching and defense won't suck?
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Jul 30, 2024 19:36:37 GMT -5
Kelly has been giving up his share of rockets lately.
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