Second Half Predictions

[SoxFanForsyth]

Pretty self explanatory. I'll start it off.

 

1. Mike Napoli tears the cover off the ball in the 2nd half and ends the season with 28 HR

 

2. Buchholz gets more bad news on his shoulder, doesn't return until early September.

 

3. Due to said bad news, and a very slow start to the 2nd half (for the Phillies, pushing them into sellers), the Phillies trade Cliff Lee to the Red Sox for Middlebrooks, Barnes, and Coyle.

 

4. Xander Bogaerts is your third baseman on August 7th. He goes on to hit .272/.342/.448 with 7 HR to finish the season.

 

5. John Lackey actually gets better. As a second half pitcher his whole career, he continues the trend and posts a 2.45 ERA in the second half. Wins comeback player of the year.

 

6. Stephen Drew hits the DL two more times.

 

7. RDLR comes up and gives the bullpen a huge boost.

 

8. The Red Sox win 96 games and take the AL East by 6 games. The Rays win the 2nd wild card over the Orioles on the last game of the year when the Red Sox beat them in Baltimore.

 

I know it's late (3 hours until game 1 of the second half), but with the deadline coming up and a lot of prospects showing a lot of potential, I thought this would be a fun thread

[BornToRun]

Jon Lester removes at least some portion of his head from his ass and gives us a high 3 low 4 ERA by year's end.

 

We win 95 games, seal the division, and the Yankees miss the playoffs.

 

John Lackey continues to be awesome and impregnates 5 Boston area women and 3 more on the road by the end of the season due to the copious amounts of ass he will be getting.

[User Name]

Cliff Lee does not come to the Red Sox.

 

Red Sox trade for Bud Norris, who pitches to a low 4.00 ERA and helps them win the division.

 

Napoli OPS's .900 in the second half.

[SoxSport]

The pitching has reached a point where they might have to dig into the prospect pool to save the season. I don't know if they can afford to be typecasting their pitching prospects as starters or relievers at this point. They need help with both--especially relievers. They should ask themselves why all these guys are going down. OK, Miller was an accident--but the others are all arm or shoulder breakdowns. Mainly the bullpen.

[SoxSport]

On those that think some of those name prospects might go for pitching right now, I would say don't be surprised if it happens. Bailey may be the last straw.

[jung]

Well I will say this much. We are going to find out REAL FAST, what the Sox brass really thinks of the team that they have constructed for this year. I for one would not be at all surprised to see them make modest moves in the effort to make a run. I don't expect them to give up any prospects that they really care about. Although I would not be surprise to see them spend more money as they can do that.

 

If they give up prospects they really care about, even one of them, then they will be telling us they really think they have a shot at this thing with this set of guys.

[mvp 78]

They play 2 games under .500, win 89 games and lose the one game playoff against the O's.

[Behindenemylines]

I think the next week and a half will go along way in determining how the Sox finish in 2013. They play the Rays and O's and the trading deadline will have come and gone. I think you can answer the question on how the Sox will finish on August 1.