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Post by p23w on Aug 29, 2015 15:18:49 GMT -5
When discussing Buchholz and injury it should be noted that he was originally put on the 15 day DL. After getting at least a second and third opinion (none of which suggested surgery) it was thought that another 7 day stint would be all that was needed for Clay to begin re-hab and possibly join the roster. A total of 30 days MIA or 6 starts. Problem was this 30 day hiatus coincided with the team plunging into last place, and the approach of the trading deadline. It was all too obvious that the Sox were going to be sellers, not buyers. There being no need for Buchholz, he was placed o the 60 day DL. The trading deadline came and went. Victorino and Napoli were jettisoned. Shaw and Bradley were brought up. The bullpen experimented with numerous call ups (with little success) and with Clay still on the DL, starts were parceled out to Barnes, Johnson, Wright and Owens. Point being, Clay was on the shelf for far longer than need be, given the plight of the team and the desire to separate the wheat from the chaff with regard to MLB ready pitching prospects. I think it worked (or at least for me it did).
Enter a new GM (or the equivalent) with a proven track record of signing top tier free agent pitching. I get the speculation. I am not on board. Keep in mind Dombrowski, while having fantastic talent and going to two World Series he has never built a bullpen that was better than mediocre at best. Compare that to Sabean, who attracted very good talent but also built a quality bullpen.... and won 3 World Series titles in 5 years.
I am almost on board with the idea that we already have the starting pitching. Almost. Regardless of whether we do or do not, we don't have have a quality bullpen and we don't have a front office that seems to know how to build and maintain one.
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Post by p23w on Aug 29, 2015 12:19:31 GMT -5
I'd rather place the focus on guys who cannot (or should not) be traded. The list is short and subjective. Betts Swihart Pedroia Owens Boegarts
One caveat that is totally unknowable at this point. IF Buccholz comes back healthy (i.e. 28 starts 180IP). Then the list would expand slightly. A quality starter, similar to an optimistic projection for Buccholz would be needed to compete in the post season next year. In any event, the end to a dismal 2015 season shows great promise from within. If one of Barnes, Johnson or Wright really turns the corner, I'd be tempted to favor a stand pat winter.
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Post by p23w on Aug 28, 2015 22:07:27 GMT -5
28 pitches.... 17 balls.
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Post by p23w on Aug 28, 2015 22:05:58 GMT -5
28 pitches.... 17 balls.
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Post by p23w on Aug 24, 2015 12:41:00 GMT -5
www.mlbdailydish.com/2015/8/21/9187405/the-longest-tenured-lifer-for-every-mlb-club-in-a-post-utley-tradeFound this interesting. The longest-tenured "lifer" with each team (note: not longest-tenured player - Ortiz for the Sox - but longest-tenured player who has played for only 1 MLB team). I was surprised at the number of teams that have had so much turnover that they have nobody prior to 2010. As one of the people who updates our 40-man page, I'm often struck by the fact that, say, Steven Wright is the sixth-most-tenured 40-man player on the club. However, this list shows me that may not be as weird as I think it is. Like they say, the only constant is change. Interesting. Gotta' believe, though, that this is about MLB Labor Laws, specifically free agency, moreso than the entropy of "change".
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Post by p23w on Aug 24, 2015 12:18:28 GMT -5
OK maybe we need to replace the entire bullpen. What a major task this will be.......Three BP guys and two starters? I've written this before. Relief pitching has the greatest year-to-year performance variation of any commodity in baseball. That's exactly what makes peripherals so important. If you know what you're doing you can pick up someone like a Badenhop or Layne for pennies on the dollar. That doesn't fill all your needs, of course, but it gets you down the road. The price for those relievers has been going up, but that doesn't change the dynamic of those acquisitions at all. Disagree with your premise. Good bullpens can be built and sustained. Recent examples include NYG, KC and most recently the NYY.
The issue for the Sox is the starters, getting the right staff and keeping them healthy. Getting relievers in place pales in comparison. We're also getting mixed messages here. There's angst about completely rebuilding the bullpen, and annoyance that Tazawa and Uehara - who was still very effective till he took one of his arm - weren't traded. Which is it? If anything the failure of the 2015 bullpen began in the off season. NOT signing Miller, KEEPING Breslow on the roster were front office mistakes, IMHO As for starters.... letting your innings eater walk was confounding. Cherrington appeared to go "frugal" with known proven commodities while spending freely for unproven Cubans. [/b [hr
Can't believe Tazawa was kept in the whole inning. Since when was he Dennis Eckersly in that he can't be lifted? Who lets a two bit reliever allow 4 runs & 6 hits in ONE inning? OK... tell us who you would have brought in?
Robbie Ross. Tazawa had zip. zilch. That was obvious. [/b
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Post by p23w on Aug 23, 2015 16:06:35 GMT -5
Feels like May.
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Post by p23w on Aug 12, 2015 17:37:30 GMT -5
So what is it with Ortiz. He can only homer off lefties now?
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Post by p23w on Aug 11, 2015 22:12:45 GMT -5
To put this loss into perspective..... the bullpen gave it away to the team with the worst (or second worst) record in the game who were without the services of their two best hitters. Weak bullpens, like ours deflate the morale for the entire team. This problem was apparent in ST, and never remotely resolved. Lots of attention and number crunching applied to this roster, the bullpen seemed like an afterthought. It shows.
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Post by p23w on Aug 10, 2015 12:34:38 GMT -5
I bet he starts in Portland next year no matter what happens this year. But at what position?
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Post by p23w on Aug 4, 2015 21:04:46 GMT -5
Perhaps Farrel should bring in position players off the bench in relief.....instead of the bullpen.
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Post by p23w on Aug 2, 2015 17:03:00 GMT -5
The bullpen is the achilles heel of this team.
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Post by p23w on Jul 28, 2015 17:44:07 GMT -5
[br Castillo to the bench? So much for the "need of playing time". I don't get it. I couldn't agree more. With each passing week I feel more confused about what this team thinks it's trying to achieve. Is this an example of advanced saber metric analysis?
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Post by p23w on Jul 23, 2015 19:43:16 GMT -5
At least for me I have cut JF and BC a lot of slack because of 2013. Back to back last place finishes will result in all benefit of the doubt disappearing. I am quickly losing confidence in the FO and manager. While this team had SP pitching questions entering the season not even the most pessimistic among us would have foreseen this team having the worst record in the AL... Shilling was crushed by the trade to the O's. His Father was dying of cancer and he desparately wanted his Dad to see him pitch at Fenway. Shillings Father died in 1988. Shilling was messed up for quite some time. The guy who turned him around was Roger Clemens. Shilling most probably would not have been screwed up for so long had he and Roger connected in Boston. BTW Boddicker SUCKED the big one in both the 88 and 90 playoffs. WAY overrated by Boston fans. Anderson was also "crushed" by the trade. Had not Cal Jr. not taken him under his wing he might have washed out completely.
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Post by p23w on Jul 22, 2015 20:40:22 GMT -5
Traded Schilling and Brady Anderson for Mike Boddicker in 1988 You got me, I forgot about that. Of course, apparently you knew then he was going to be a hall of famer, so I am sure you were pissed when it happened. I damn sure was.
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Post by p23w on Jul 21, 2015 16:35:49 GMT -5
As the saying goes when hitting against a knuckle baller.... if it's high let it fly, if it's low let it go.
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Post by p23w on Jul 21, 2015 12:59:34 GMT -5
Well, they should now know they'll be sellers. 1) Trade Miley plus everyone who will be a FA, for whatever they can get. Do not trade anyone else who is signed for next year, because the team can absolutely contend with appropriate tweaks. And, yes, a better manager. 2) Recall Bradley, activate Nava, select Craig. Recall Castillo when and if he starts hitting better, or on 9/1. Let Bradley play RF against everyone but tough LHP. Craig platoons with Nava in LF. When Castillo gets recalled, he shares LF, while Craig platoons with Ortiz. The goal here is to find out if Craig can hit LHP adequately in a platoon role next year, if Nava can still be good enough to be a bench guy, and, obviously, if JBJ should be next year's starting CF. And whether Castillo needs more AAA time, or can play a platoon (or greater) role in 2016. 3) Move Hanley to 1B.
4) If necessary depending on when Miley is traded, Kelly takes his rotation spot. After Owens has two more starts with improved K/W, select him and put him into the rotation, and give Kelly a serious look in a high-leverage relief role. 5) Do not rush Buchholz back. When he returns, though, pitch Wright regularly in relief to see if that can give him consistency with the knuckler. 6) Continue to give Holt as much PT as possible, especially by having him rest Pedroia, Ortiz, and Sandoval. It's all about finding out what you have for next year. I don't think you take an established veteran who is playing a new position... and move him to an entirely "new" position in mid season. Spring Training would be the proper time to make this switch. Kelly and Barnes.... just frustrating. Someone needs to have a serious talk with those two and reach a mutual agreement on how to proceed. That is how Papelbon got direction and focus. Pretty sure we know what we've got. Sox need to rethink their strategy with respect to pitching, both starters and bullpen.
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Post by p23w on Jul 21, 2015 12:39:38 GMT -5
Not sure it's fair to suggest that it's been "at both levels." He had one bad AAA start, but he's otherwise been pretty great there (19% K, 6.8% BB, 3.03 FIP). I said "lately". In AAA, last three starts: 2 HR, 12 ER, 16 R total which I think is pretty important with knuckleballers because of pass balls. He hasn't been good over the past month, certainly not as good as Owens, and decision making has indicated that Wright has no future in this rotation long term. Owens does. It's less about Wright doing poorly and more about giving Owens a shot when he's equally productive as Wright (at least). Agreed. Wright's pitches are up in the zone. When he goes down, he risks passed balls or wild pitches. For Wright to be successful he needs to "command" his knuckle ball down in the zone. I don't care about movement as I do location for Wright. He is definitely pressing right now. I really want to see Owens. I think his experimenting is very nearly complete. He needs to bring what he has learned to the show. I think we all need something in the way of young pitching to look forward to.
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Post by p23w on Jul 21, 2015 12:27:59 GMT -5
After all the talk of acquiring ground ball pitchers, the Sox GB:FB ratio is 25th in the MLB, pretty close to where they have been in the two years. Yep. In addition to that the INF DEFENSE has not been up to the task. Double whammy.
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Post by p23w on Jul 10, 2015 11:44:55 GMT -5
Just win baby.
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Post by p23w on Jul 8, 2015 20:01:44 GMT -5
It's funny, when something bad happens, you know there's going to be a dozen posts complaining about it. When something good happens... silence. I guess that's the fatalistic Red Sox fan mindset in a nutshell. Makes for speed practice reading during the game.
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Post by p23w on Jul 5, 2015 17:04:24 GMT -5
Whew. I think this win portends good things for the clubhouse. Would LUV to see a post All-Star game implosion by the O's and the Yanks.
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Post by p23w on Jul 4, 2015 10:57:58 GMT -5
Fingers are crossed. Ramierez's stuff is just OK. I'm hoping his make up will thrive at the challenge and confidence will ensue. The flip side would be an implosion. Interesting that Chamberlain gets designated today also. Curious to see if this amounts to a reunion with the Yanks and his buddy Elsberry. He's the 13th guy on the staff. He's basically here to save the rest of the pen should Masterson get killed. Not sure about that ranking. Plunking the leadoff batter is not good. The ensuing defense lead to Noe's unraveling, somewhat. Not the best scenario with which to bring the kid into the game, but thems the breaks. Feel bad for the kid. Hope he is stronger for the experience.
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Post by p23w on Jul 3, 2015 15:57:33 GMT -5
Fingers are crossed. Ramierez's stuff is just OK. I'm hoping his make up will thrive at the challenge and confidence will ensue. The flip side would be an implosion. Interesting that Chamberlain gets designated today also. Curious to see if this amounts to a reunion with the Yanks and his buddy Elsberry.
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Post by p23w on Jul 1, 2015 17:30:26 GMT -5
My .02 with respect to Porcello. I was bullish on trading for him from well before they acquired him. That said he has pitched badly in a Red Sox uni. 2015 aside, the man does have a decent track record. I still believe he will pitch well (better than he has to date this year). I am also of the opinion that he needs a first class defense to maximize his skill set. The Sox defense has not played well this year, nor has Porcello's "Stuff" bitten down in the zone as it has in the past. What I think we are seeing is a worst case scenario for the RS and Rick Porcello. There is also the matter of a bullpen which is not up to playoff standards IMHO. I can't comment on the contract other than to say, the RS spent a boatload on two cubans without MLB experience and since it's their money (investment), it's their responsibility to ride it out. It is painful, as a fan to watch Porcello struggle, Castillo inconsistently flash his skill set and Monada struggle. I can be patient with Yoan, but I am downright frustrated at the MLB level by the performance to date of both Porcello and Castillo. My only consolation is that this front office strategy is a work in progress. This cognitive rationalization does not alleviate the frustration of watching this team or perusing the box scores. Being a RS fan is like taking an old fashion marriage vow. I know, I'm a "til death do us part" Red Sox fan. As in a relationship, some years are not so good, some slumps can extend for years, but the bliss of a pennant and a world series is akin to a honeymoon all over again. Sorry there are no statistics to back my thoughts up.... I am also from the school that believes that figures don't lie, but liars can figure. You can make numbers say just about anything you want, but if your premise is flawed your machinations are for naught.
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