A Realistic View of 2024: Part II

[Maxbialystock]

You do realize that once Dombrowski gave up trying to extend Betts, he instead spent heavily on Sale and Bogaerts. Those two are the Mookie Compensation. Yoshida was 3 years after Mookie was dealt away…

At the time--and I'm rarely right on these points--I thought the Sox had little chance of signing Mookie long term because I believed the Dodgers would spend what it took to get him.

In his last 5 seasons (2015-2019) with the Sox, Mookie's WAR's were 6.0, 9.6, 6.4, 10.9, and 6.8. In his first four seasons--making top dollar--with the Dodgers his WAR's have been 3.4, 4.2, 6.4, and 8.4.

Nevertheless, I agree with the consensus on talksox--that Mookie, not Raffie, was the one to keep. But the 2019 season, when the Sox had the biggest payroll in MLB and couldn't even make the postseason, convinced JH that spending big was not spending smart. Since then, the Sox have spent less and spent dumb.

[dgalehouse]

You do realize that once Dombrowski gave up trying to extend Betts, he instead spent heavily on Sale and Bogaerts. Those two are the Mookie Compensation. Yoshida was 3 years after Mookie was dealt away…

You can stick to your own narrative as long as you like. But Dombrowski , Sale and Bogaerts are not the issue. The simple fact is that the Sox are shelling out 40 million per for the " services" of Story and Yoshida.

[moonslav59]

Disagree.

And I complained about it loudly the day it was signed. But Offerman had a .364 OBP his first 3 seasons back before any is us cared about OBP. His defense at 2b left a lot to be desired but he was ok at 1b.

I’m not going to say it was a good deal, but I don’t think of it as a bad one anymore. My only complaint is Roberto Alomar signed for only slightly more that off-season…

You won't say it was a good deal, because it wasn't. That was big money, back then, and he sucked on D and was okay on O for 3 years.

[moonslav59]

You do realize that once Dombrowski gave up trying to extend Betts, he instead spent heavily on Sale and Bogaerts. Those two are the Mookie Compensation. Yoshida was 3 years after Mookie was dealt away…

He had also extended Nate after 2018.

[mvp 78]

Jacques DFA'd.

See, there is a difference between Bloom & Brez.

Finally

[moonslav59]

Of our top 13 pitchers by IP (6.2 or more,) only4 have an ERA over 3.27 and none are over 4.91.

4.91 Joely
4.63 Wink
4.50 Martin

Only 2 are in the 3's:
3.27 Anderson
3.04 Bello

Only 2 are in the 2's
2.70 Jansen
2.08 Weissert

6 are under 1.96
1.96 Whitlock
1.35 Houck
1.23 Bernardino
0.82 Pivetta
0.73 Slaten
0.42 Crawford

The #14-17 pitchers have 15.1 IP and allowed 14 ERs (no help from the D, as there were 4 Unearned runs in those 15.1 innings.)

Slaten is 5th on the team in IP, which is more than Pivetta, Wink and Anderson.

Another fantastic job by a Sox SP'ers. This is getting beyond a "small sample size."

Bello has 5 GS, and like last year, started a bit slowly and is improving.
Crawford has been incredible in 4 GS, despite the 8 BB in 21 IP.
Houck has 28 Ks and just 2 BBs in 26.2 IP. (That's the same IP as Bello but in 1 less start!)
Whitlock & Pivetta were off to very good starts before going on the IL. Maybe they can come back, soon Combined:
29.1 IP
22 Hits
8 BB
30 Ks
5 ERs (1.53 ERA)

Criswell and Bernardino did pretty well in their starts/openers:
6 IP
5 Hits
2 BB
6 Ks
2 ERs (3.00 ERA)

This has to be one of the most surprising starts by a MLB rotation in a very long time.

[Maxbialystock]

Of our top 13 pitchers by IP (6.2 or more,) only4 have an ERA over 3.27 and none are over 4.91.

4.91 Joely
4.63 Wink
4.50 Martin

Only 2 are in the 3's:
3.27 Anderson
3.04 Bello

Only 2 are in the 2's
2.70 Jansen
2.08 Weissert

6 are under 1.96
1.96 Whitlock
1.35 Houck
1.23 Bernardino
0.82 Pivetta
0.73 Slaten
0.42 Crawford

The #14-17 pitchers have 15.1 IP and allowed 14 ERs (no help from the D, as there were 4 Unearned runs in those 15.1 innings.)

Slaten is 5th on the team in IP, which is more than Pivetta, Wink and Anderson.

Another fantastic job by a Sox SP'ers. This is getting beyond a "small sample size."

Bello has 5 GS, and like last year, started a bit slowly and is improving.
Crawford has been incredible in 4 GS, despite the 8 BB in 21 IP.
Houck has 28 Ks and just 2 BBs in 26.2 IP. (That's the same IP as Bello but in 1 less start!)
Whitlock & Pivetta were off to very good starts before going on the IL. Maybe they can come back, soon Combined:
29.1 IP
22 Hits
8 BB
30 Ks
5 ERs (1.53 ERA)

Criswell and Bernardino did pretty well in their starts/openers:
6 IP
5 Hits
2 BB
6 Ks
2 ERs (3.00 ERA)

This has to be one of the most surprising starts by a MLB rotation in a very long time.

Nice try, but I think what you say is falling on deaf ears (note: world class mixed metaphor).

mvp 78 just wrote that the Sox are currently 2d in MLB in dingers, so there just might be some life in those bats. Of the 28 dingers to date, only 2 have been by Story (0) and Devers (2).

The way ahead just might be this simple: fewer unearned runs. It is possible to make fewer errors. In fact, making fewer errors is way easier than hitting the 2d most dingers in MLB.

[moonslav59]

Kudos also should go out to our catchers, who seem to have gained the confidence of the staff and are maximizing their talents. Then, on top of that, they are hitting very well (great for catchers.)
.922 Wong (43 PAs) No BBs! 3 HRs and 8 RBI
.791 McGuire (44 PAs)
Before tonight's 2-5 game from Wong, the Sox were T3rd in catcher wRC+ at 141!
5th in OBP .353
3rd in SLG .507
4th in OPS at .859
(McGuire is also 1.000 as a PH in 3 PAs, but Wong is .000 as a DH.)

I had a feeling they were going to do better on offense, this year. The defense is hard to evaluate, but the staff is doing much better.

[moonslav59]

Nice try, but I think what you say is falling on deaf ears (note: world class mixed metaphor).

mvp 78 just wrote that the Sox are currently 2d in MLB in dingers, so there just might be some life in those bats. Of the 28 dingers to date, only 2 have been by Story (0) and Devers (2).

They way ahead just might be this simple: fewer unearned runs. It is possible to make fewer errors. In fact, making fewer errors is way easier than hitting the 2d most dingers in MLB.

I'm not sure what the mixed metaphor was.

Our top 13 pitchers have been amazing.

[notin]

He had also extended Nate after 2018.

Technically Nate was a free agent…

[moonslav59]

If I were a carpenter...

https://www.mlb.com/news/cam-booser-...-up-by-red-sox

[moonslav59]

Technically Nate was a free agent…

Yes, true. The money for Betts was spent before 2020 even arrived, let alone Story & Yoshida.

We could have had Mookie for about what we paid for Sale, Bogey & Nate.

[Maxbialystock]

Kudos also should go out to our catchers, who seem to have gained the confidence of the staff and are maximizing their talents. Then, on top of that, they are hitting very well (great for catchers.)
.922 Wong (43 PAs) No BBs! 3 HRs and 8 RBI
.791 McGuire (44 PAs)
Before tonight's 2-5 game from Wong, the Sox were T3rd in catcher wRC+ at 141!
5th in OBP .353
3rd in SLG .507
4th in OPS at .859
(McGuire is also 1.000 as a PH in 3 PAs, but Wong is .000 as a DH.)

I had a feeling they were going to do better on offense, this year. The defense is hard to evaluate, but the staff is doing much better.

Great point. Catchers are huge, both of them.

[Maxbialystock]

If I were a carpenter...

https://www.mlb.com/news/cam-booser-...-up-by-red-sox

So was Harrison Ford.

[Maxbialystock]

I'm not sure what the mixed metaphor was.

Our top 13 pitchers have been amazing.

Maybe it wasn't mixed.

Top 13--agree.