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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 16, 2022 7:48:48 GMT -5
Pretty sure there was something going on with him at the plate last year, I fully expect his bat to come back and then there is the ballpark difference. This is a huge pickup for Toronto, great D and another dangerous bat. Sox are falling further behind everyday it seems, need Suzuki more than ever and maybe more. Suzuki just signed with the Cubs. Well that news just made my day.........
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 16, 2022 7:39:25 GMT -5
Helps their defense immensely and maybe he turns back the clock a bit with his bat but unless he does that he doesn't really scare me as an addition to that team. Pretty sure there was something going on with him at the plate last year, I fully expect his bat to come back and then there is the ballpark difference. This is a huge pickup for Toronto, great D and another dangerous bat. Sox are falling further behind everyday it seems, need Suzuki more than ever and maybe more.
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 16, 2022 7:34:06 GMT -5
Seems like a pretty modest deal for how good he was last year. I read that he lives in Georgia, so that might have influenced the deal. Probably took a discount to stay close to home, like Charlie Morton. His wife also has a business in Atlanta, perfect for him to end his career at home.
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 16, 2022 7:19:46 GMT -5
Screw you, refs. One of the most ridiculous calls I've ever seen vs. Chicago. Thank goodness they got the W anyway in OT. Yeah it was pretty obvious the interference came from his own player. It is frustrating when a bad call is made to say the least, but it is infuriating when it is held up under review. Makes one start to question the league itself when it is made in conjunction with league officials. That sounds hyperbolic I know but when the announcers, who in this case were not Bruins guys, are saying what they did it creates doubt. Good thing it didn't cost them the game.
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 15, 2022 17:00:04 GMT -5
I don't think we can make any judgments on all the guys drafted recently at LB quite yet. The Pats have taken quite a few guys that could be ready to fill roles this year if BB decides to tweak his defense from what he has always liked to do. If you look at the roster it is not lacking young LBs, Bentley, Jennings, Uche, Perkins, McGrone and McMillan are all 25 or under. Speed might trump size going forward and that takes time to implement within his schemes. They have some guys with speed and some big guys so we shall see if they consider that a true need. At corner it is dangerous to play man with a QB that can run as it opens up the field for long gains so maybe BB is thinking of playing more zone in the future. There could be some big changes in defensive philosophy this season if BB realizes the game has changed and thus he needs to also. They definitely need to do something to compete with Buffalo in the division and KC and Cinncy also with the QBs they have. We don't know what they think of those guys at LB but it seems to me they have a greater need at CB, WR and Oline depending on who they get in FA. edit. And now we can add Mack Wilson to that group so that is 3,4 undersized fast LBs on the roster. You need to be able to do both. You can’t play zone against a good QB that can stand in the pocket and throw the ball. You’ll get absolutely destroyed. Of course you have to mix it up but here is a graph that shows some very successful D's that play less man and more zone. By letting JC go the Pats might find it difficult to play man a lot. You mention "stand in the pocket", well that needs to be addressed also. They need to be more aggressive and force the issue as the bend don't break didn't work so great. operations.nfl.com/gameday/analytics/stats-articles/which-nfl-teams-mix-up-defensive-coverages-the-most-week-to-week/
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 15, 2022 7:56:31 GMT -5
I don't think we can make any judgments on all the guys drafted recently at LB quite yet. The Pats have taken quite a few guys that could be ready to fill roles this year if BB decides to tweak his defense from what he has always liked to do. If you look at the roster it is not lacking young LBs, Bentley, Jennings, Uche, Perkins, McGrone and McMillan are all 25 or under. Speed might trump size going forward and that takes time to implement within his schemes. They have some guys with speed and some big guys so we shall see if they consider that a true need.
At corner it is dangerous to play man with a QB that can run as it opens up the field for long gains so maybe BB is thinking of playing more zone in the future. There could be some big changes in defensive philosophy this season if BB realizes the game has changed and thus he needs to also. They definitely need to do something to compete with Buffalo in the division and KC and Cinncy also with the QBs they have.
We don't know what they think of those guys at LB but it seems to me they have a greater need at CB, WR and Oline depending on who they get in FA.
edit. And now we can add Mack Wilson to that group so that is 3,4 undersized fast LBs on the roster.
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 14, 2022 19:11:56 GMT -5
This not much fun right at the moment. Maybe we get the last laugh.
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 14, 2022 19:08:47 GMT -5
Bad for NE. Good for JC. Gets paid. Plays with friend Derwin James and a crazy pash rush (including Bosa and now Mack). Pretty good situation all around for Jackson. I'm glad the Pats aren't playing the AFC West next yr, that division looks about as stacked as any I can remember. Vegas has McDaniels, just made the playoffs and looks like the weakest team on paper. I think we would all enjoy KC having a hard time and it could happen, there were cracks in the armor this season and they have cap issues as usual.
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 14, 2022 15:18:14 GMT -5
They would have had to "Daisuke" him and blow away the field to get him. If they were that high on him I would have hoped they'd do that. Now the options are not overly appealing. I mean if you have to pay 20 million per year for Schwarber then I'd rather see that money go to Suzuki who can actually play defense. Now I guess its Soler or trading for Myers? Not overly appealing. Soler is an intriguing option. He looked great for ATL last year. Big time power bat. Once again he has had 1 good season in his career, can't play D and had a 658 OPS in 94 games with KC last yr. He was worse than Dalbec and then Dalbec had a better last 2 months. Didn't you just say you didn't have any faith in him? Soler is not a good player, I would rather put Casas at 1st, BD in left and Verdugo in right than take my chances with Soler.
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 14, 2022 15:01:15 GMT -5
Since the transaction freeze has listed have they really missed out on anyone that would move the needle? Maybe Rodon but I'm fine with not having him for 22 mil for 2 years with him having the option to leave anyway if he stays healthy and plays well. I'm getting antsy too but I'm not to the point of waiving the white flag on a season that hasn't even started yet. Honestly, a lot of anxiety is because of the uncertainty of Suzuki. The backup plan if they dont get him is unappealing. Will Myers doesn't excite me unless Campusano comes stapled with him, but even that doesn't really make me think the Sox really improved their OF much. Myers is so-so. The pen is still scary. They're heavily dependent on a Barnes comeback and the rotation minus ERod is weaker and the available replacement options aren't overly appealing. Rotation minus ERod but plus Chris Sale is not weaker.
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 14, 2022 14:46:51 GMT -5
It is interesting for me to grasp the value of an ok starter like Pivetta having more value than most closers. I get the innings thing but as far as salaries and perception goes a good closer is seems to be more important. The way Pivetta performed out of the pen and his energy it would look to me like he could be a good candidate. And out of all of those pseudo starters the Sox have I think I would prefer to see him in the closer role over Houck and Whitlock, could Wacha be a candidate? Good thought. He would be a candidate. The issue with him is that he's probably the guy most likely to throw a no-hitter on the Red Sox staff. I keep thinking there's a next gear there for him to find so he can be more than a back-end starter, but he has had a lot of chances to establish himself as a frontline starter and has yet to really do it. This is unlike Houck who has barely started with his starting pitching chances and Whitlock who has yet to start in the majors. Those two should be given much longer rope to establish themselves as starters. With Pivetta, maybe they turn to him to close if need be? He did look like an adrenaline junkie when he pitched in the post-season. But then again, he had an awesome start in Game 4, the kind of tantalizing start that makes you think there's a front line starter in there somewhere.... My thinking is similar to yours, but. Pivetta has had years to prove he can be good, was given up on by Philly and last season was his best as a backend starter. He has never shown the promise that Houck and Whitlock showed last year. Sure they both need to develop a 3rd pitch and prove they can do it but they have at least been dominant to a degree. If Pivetta has another gear that would be awesome but taking a look at his career would cause one to doubt that and think last yr was a high point. He could turn his career around as a closer though. But hey who knows maybe he can learn to harness that adrenaline from the playoffs and take the next step. I like the spaghetti on the wall approach and think enough will stick to make the staff a strength of the team. But if they don't do something big to improve that OF soon they don't have much of a chance against the 3 headed monster that the AL East is.
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 14, 2022 8:13:23 GMT -5
It is interesting for me to grasp the value of an ok starter like Pivetta having more value than most closers. I get the innings thing but as far as salaries and perception goes a good closer is seems to be more important. The way Pivetta performed out of the pen and his energy it would look to me like he could be a good candidate. And out of all of those pseudo starters the Sox have I think I would prefer to see him in the closer role over Houck and Whitlock, could Wacha be a candidate?
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 14, 2022 6:49:35 GMT -5
If it turns out that the Sox don't get Suzuki, which isn't looking good, then IMO they need to find a trade partner to bolster the roster. Although I wouldn't hate the idea of Schwarber coming back it isn't an ideal fit and Soler isn't an option in my mind. Going into the season with the OF looking like it does is not a good thing and I am sure they know that.
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 14, 2022 5:44:30 GMT -5
I was surprised that he retired in the first place. He played so well this year that he should have been voted MVP. He cannot play for anyone he wants because he still has a contract with TBay. However, perhaps a smart move for TBay is to trade him to any club he wants in return for a NO 1 draft pick. That pick is worth more than just one more year of Brady. If that happens, Gronk will surely follow Brady to a new club. Of course, if that doesn't happen, Gronk will just sign again with TBay. I love watching him play, so it's okay with me. If the Bucs win a SB he is worth a lot more than that 1. If Russell Wilson is worth 2 ones and 2 seconds with the hope of winning a SB then....... Who knows if he plays 1 or 2?
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 14, 2022 5:39:26 GMT -5
I did watch it and thought the agree the refs were bad in the 3rd. Out of the 38 scored by the Mavs 10 were at the the FT line while the C's had zero, I think.
Not so funny how games are decided by 3's falling or not in todays NBA although the C's also missed a lot of bunnies. For a good portion of the game I thought the C's would run away with it but then the shots stopped falling. PP had one three where the announcer said that was 99% thru the bucket and then popped back out. Oh well can't win them all.
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 13, 2022 18:51:20 GMT -5
In regards to Wacha my hope is that his stuff plays up better in shorter stints just like many others, like Whitlock this past season.
edit. I meant Richards not Whitlock, I get the Garretts mixed up.
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 13, 2022 18:36:14 GMT -5
TB coming back.... not surprised one bit. He still has tread on the tires.
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 13, 2022 17:41:59 GMT -5
16 assists enough said
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 13, 2022 16:37:44 GMT -5
How about war over past 3 years? I’m not paying $350 million for 1 year. But yes I listed turner twice. Still listed 10 players equal to or better than at shortstop. Simeon did play 2nd because of bichette. I also didn’t list Baez so yes it’s very debatable. Just look at shortstop rankings for mlb. There are plenty of people who could argue Correa isn’t in top 10 given injury history and a contract at $35 million a year. Not anybody with credibility Also Javier Baez being debatably better than Correa is preposterous. Lets compare the contracts they’ll each get in the same off-season. Correa has consistently been a ~7 WAR guy when not dealing with back issues, and he’s still a good player even when dealing with back issues. Now if you don’t want to commit a large deal to a guy with back issues then fine, but it’s incredibly disingenuous to argue Correa is not a top 10 guy at SS. I don’t think you’d find a single executive that agrees with you. My 2 cents. Correa is a top 10 SS yes. But to get the money he wants he needs to be a top 10 player period, out of all players as far as I am concerned.
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 13, 2022 15:10:32 GMT -5
They have been relying on Barnes for years and last season he had a break out season because he was convinced to stop nibbling and go after batters. He was lights out til August and then something happened. I will bet we see the lights out guy more than the August disaster. They might not want to completely depend on him closing but he is still the best high leverage RP they have at the moment and he was one of the best in the league until said break down. He had a breakout and then regressed immediately after sticky stuff was banned. His spin efficiency was top of the league in the first half before dropping down (along with his spin rate) after the sticky stuff ban, so it seems safe to assume we won’t see first-half Barnes again unless he starts using sticky stuff again. Worst-case, we may not even see a productive Barnes, depending on how much he was using the stuff in previous seasons, though I have faith he’ll figure something out. I will remain optimistic that he will be a productive high leverage reliever.
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 13, 2022 14:25:30 GMT -5
With so may swingy, 3-inning type guys on the staff - plus Bloom's stated view that it made sense to use some pitches in such in-between roles - I'm just not even thinking about the pitching staff in terms of "starters" vs. "relievers." I think it makes more sense to just figure out how many innings you can get out of each guy. Whitlock, Houck, Wacha, Hill... those guys might all end up closer to 100 IP than a 60 IP traditional reliever or 180 IP traditional starter.
(Also, I am... seeing absolutely nothing appealing about Kennedy.)
I was thinking they could get between 120 and 160 from the six not named Eovaldi that could be used in those 3-5 inning roles. Sale could ramp up to more but if everything is going smoothly as a staff but why push it. I want him healthy for game 7 of the WS. He might not like it but it would be for his own good.
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 13, 2022 14:18:45 GMT -5
He has a career OPS against of 661. I know it is just one stat but it is a favorite of mine and covers a lot of areas. Career FIP of 3.46. The walk rate spiked last yr so maybe that can be fixed. I like the guy, I think.
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 13, 2022 13:59:46 GMT -5
Yeah I was gonna say I hope he turns into Gausman lol Some pretty prominent arms in the division were big time xwOBA overperformers. McClanahan, Berrios, Gausman among them. Not to say their seasons were flukes at all, but it wouldn't be shocking to see their ERAs jump a little bit. Still, not super jazzed with our roster in its current state compared to the other 3 major league rosters in the AL East. Which is why it is imperative to out bid everyone for Suzuki, no reason not to. They have the money and the need. Broken record, I know.
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 13, 2022 13:09:23 GMT -5
I suspect Hill, Wacha, Houck and Whitlock are competing for two spots in the rotation with the two losers becoming psuedo-starters with scheduled multi-inning relief stints. I would add Pivetta and maybe even Sale at times to that group and suggest we are going to see a lot of short starts. Sale, Pivetta and Hill will start but they will all be on short leashes as it just makes sense to get the most out of them and keep them healthy. This will be the season of restraint with pitchers innings and I think it is going to be very successful. Just take a look at TBays staff and how they are used. I also think the BP is going to be a strength and the team era is going to be around 3.8 or better. They have depth and enough quality to be one of the best staffs in the league. Of course this is highly dependent on Sale coming back and being Chris Sale. I know this isn't popular with a lot of guys but this is going to be the way they manage the staff.
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Post by voiceofreason on Mar 13, 2022 11:21:06 GMT -5
I am going to remain optimistic on Suzuki!! Japan’s paper isn’t even listing us as a possibility He and his agent are just waiting for the competition to heat up.
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