Red Sox Offense – Bold Moves

[curiousd]

Yup, everyone knew the rotation would be a crapshoot.

Who knew they'd roll twos every time out.

 

No one complained about the offense, except the odd move of signing two 3b.

 

The defense on this road trip has been abysmal, with Sandoval's two errors yesterday being the coup de gras.

 

 

Yesterday on the radio a commentator said that HanRam has a negative WAR despite the good hitting, because of the abysmal defense. So far this year his fielding might be approaching historical badness - vying with the likes of Dick Stuart (Dr. Strangeglove) at first or the legendary Smead Jolley in the OF. Did HanRam ever attempt LF before?

[Kimmi]

2--- The reason why I question stats so much is sometimes I think some are full of crap. I think Pedroia's defense has been super his year.

 

The thing with defensive stats is that the sample is way too small to conclude anything after 2 months of baseball. Even one season is not a large enough sample. They are good to look at to get some sort of feel, but at this point you have to take them with a grain of salt.

[Kimmi]

I don't see how Ben is getting a pass in some quarters. Not gonna say everything is his fault, but this is NOT a good roster, even on paper.

 

I would have to disagree. On paper, this is a roster good enough to win the division. IMO, Ben gets a pass because he cannot control what happens on the field. He can't help it that the players are underperforming so such a large extent.

[Kimmi]

Whoever says they expected the offense to be this bad is full of s***. It's a good roster, with an obvious hole they could have fixed. The problem is they're not doing anything right, inexplicably.

 

Posts like this are the reason why you, sir, are the king.

[Kimmi]

It's just sad and embarrassing at this point. I really want to be the patient fan who knows things will turn around, but we've had some real terrible seasons recently which makes it harder and harder to have faith. Something is going on here beyond what we can see. This is a poor organization right now. Somebody tell me I'm wrong and convince me this streak is an anomaly and soon I'll be having fun watching the Sox compete for wins again.

 

You are wrong. This streak is an anomaly. (Personally, I like enigma.) You will soon be having fun watching the Sox compete for wins again!

[iortiz]

I would have to disagree. On paper, this is a roster good enough to win the division. IMO, Ben gets a pass because he cannot control what happens on the field. He can't help it that the players are underperforming so such a large extent.

 

3/4 of horrible years would speak volumes of how bad this team has been run, even with that WS. If this ends bad again (as it seems), Ben will likely lose his job.

[jad]

Exactly. The only anomaly in the last four years is the WS win.

[cp176]

The thing with defensive stats is that the sample is way too small to conclude anything after 2 months of baseball. Even one season is not a large enough sample. They are good to look at to get some sort of feel, but at this point you have to take them with a grain of salt.

 

I will not argue with you stat (master or mistriss)? I would only say that Hanley does not pass the eye test. In my estimation, he is an enigma. An adequate fielder in the infield and a man on a mission in the outfield. Not talking about the nuances of the wall or anything particularly technical. In a normal situation, you take a shortstop, a very good athlete (usually 1 of the best on your team) and stick him in the outfield- you expect him to be able to track and catch a fly ball. Not so much with HR. I like him too. Initially I did not like the aquisiton but I like him. His attitude has been perfect and he appears to be a good teammate. It is a conundrum. Eventually it looks like he is heading for the dh role. Right now I wish that he could be somewhere else other than left field.

[wyo-sox]

You are wrong. This streak is an anomaly. (Personally, I like enigma.) You will soon be having fun watching the Sox compete for wins again!

 

I will give you two weeks to make good on this, if not you are in lots of trouble!

[Kimmi]

3/4 of horrible years would speak volumes of how bad this team has been run, even with that WS. If this ends bad again (as it seems), Ben will likely lose his job.

 

I would not be surprised if Ben loses his job if this season continues as it is going now. I just don't think he's at fault here. This is on the players. I felt the same way last year.

[Kimmi]

I will not argue with you stat (master or mistriss)? I would only say that Hanley does not pass the eye test. In my estimation, he is an enigma. An adequate fielder in the infield and a man on a mission in the outfield. Not talking about the nuances of the wall or anything particularly technical. In a normal situation, you take a shortstop, a very good athlete (usually 1 of the best on your team) and stick him in the outfield- you expect him to be able to track and catch a fly ball. Not so much with HR. I like him too. Initially I did not like the aquisiton but I like him. His attitude has been perfect and he appears to be a good teammate. It is a conundrum. Eventually it looks like he is heading for the dh role. Right now I wish that he could be somewhere else other than left field.

 

I agree with you completely that Hanley does not pass the eye test. His defense has been terrible. That said, I like the Hanley signing. Let's hope that he can improve defensively at least to the point where he's not a liability, until the time the Sox can put him at DH. Ortiz is not going anyway in the near future, unless he gets injured.

[Kimmi]

I will give you two weeks to make good on this, if not you are in lots of trouble!

 

Two weeks is all the team needs.

[a700hitter]

The month of June will bring better fortune if Ben makes some moves. Staying pat will not get it done, and they will be more likely to swoon further than to improve.

[Bellhorn04]

I would not be surprised if Ben loses his job if this season continues as it is going now. I just don't think he's at fault here. This is on the players. I felt the same way last year.

 

Kimmi, I'm afraid the pre-season projections about the Sox having a great offense this year may have been made with rose-colored glasses. The facts are that we had one of the worst offenses in the league last year, and our big additions were Hanley and Panda, who had an unspectacular OPS of .739 last year.

 

Declines by Ortiz and Napoli this year are not shocking.

 

Where exactly was this big leap from bad offense to great offense supposed to come from, when you break it down?

 

Was it based on high hopes for Mookie, Bogaerts and Castillo - maybe even Craig?

 

Go through our offense one by one. The numbers are consistently disappointing, and yet, none of them should really be all that shocking.

[User Name]

Exactly. The only anomaly in the last four years is the WS win.

 

Are you serious with this BS?

[User Name]

Posts like this are the reason why you, sir, are the king.

 

Indeed I am.

[User Name]

Kimmi, I'm afraid the pre-season projections about the Sox having a great offense this year may have been made with rose-colored glasses. The facts are that we had one of the worst offenses in the league last year, and our big additions were Hanley and Panda, who had an unspectacular OPS of .739 last year.

 

Declines by Ortiz and Napoli this year are not shocking.

 

Where exactly was this big leap from bad offense to great offense supposed to come from, when you break it down?

 

Was it based on high hopes for Mookie, Bogaerts and Castillo - maybe even Craig?

 

Go through our offense one by one. The numbers are consistently disappointing, and yet, none of them should really be all that shocking.

 

Yet Pedroia has bounced back, Xander has improved, they're one of the best teams at getting on base (which directly correlates into scoring runs) avoiding strikeouts, and pitches per AB. They just can't drive guys in. It's an anomaly.

[mvp 78]

Are you serious with this BS?

 

SRSLY! He shoulda said last 4.2 years!

[mvp 78]

Indeed I am.

 

The True King of Talk Sox

[Northern Star]

I would not be surprised if Ben loses his job if this season continues as it is going now. I just don't think he's at fault here. This is on the players. I felt the same way last year.

 

Ben is the one who put Hanley in left field and just assumed he'd adjust. Do you have an advanced stat on how many runs Hanley's given up in the field compared to a left fielder of average ability?

[mvp 78]

Everyone is at fault. No one is blameless. Especially Tom Werner who cursed our beloved team with that pathetic LETS GO REDSOX chant during the 2013 WS postgame festivities.

[example1]

Hard to join this discussion out of nowhere, but here I go.

 

So far I'd say that I was wrong being optimistic about this team during the off-season. I figured that Miley, Kelly, Porcello and Masterson would be able to produce at MLB average and the offense would carry them to a decent, but not dominant, season. Additionally, I thought that Bogaerts and Betts and Castillo would each offer some catalytic moments to round out a decent team. I didn't expect MVP production from Sandoval and Hanley, just solid MLB production.

 

So far what we've seen has looked inexplicably bad in just about every area. Mediocrity at every position, with the exception perhaps of Pedroia and early flashes of optimism for Betts and Bogaerts. I still have high hopes but I do wonder if a fundamental change might need to happen to change the culture of the club. I'm not against trading for Cole Hamels, assuming the right price. I think he's got a bit of an edge to him and that might be good for them. And this club needs a stopper. Maybe not an "Ace" by traditional standards, but someone who could take the ball and virtually guarantee a competitive outing. Lester played that role for a long time and they could benefit from it. Hamels might play that role.

 

I also wonder how Farrell's personality plays with this group behind closed doors. They have a fairly boring and listless demeanor on the field. They just look like they're going through the motions. I don't know if that's something a manager can control but leadership has its way of creating culture. That said, them looking boring and listless could be a function of their losing--it makes me feel boring and listless too. The pitching can't prevent runs so they're losing early and not holding leads when they get them. Most teams would look bad in that situation.

 

Then there's Ben. I'm not in the camp that's ready to fire him. I don't think anyone within the organization was eager to blow the roof off to get Jon Lester back and I think there's probably alignment on how they approach free agency. Beyond that it's a matter of which decent but not super-expensive players you choose to fill out your roster. I was pretty pleased with their acquisition of Miley and Porcello, and okay with Masterson. I just hoped they'd move them all one spot lower in the rotation with another good pitcher. That hasn't happened yet.

 

The player I miss most on this club is Christian Vazquez. He showed some great things defensively last year and I think a really good catcher can improve a pitching staff and defense considerably. He was a good leader on the field despite his age last year. Losing him has been tough.

 

Overall I'm not ready to write them off yet but I'm already in the "this is pathetic" camp, and usually I don't go to that level until at least July.

[a700hitter]

Hard to join this discussion out of nowhere, but here I go.

 

So far I'd say that I was wrong being optimistic about this team during the off-season. I figured that Miley, Kelly, Porcello and Masterson would be able to produce at MLB average and the offense would carry them to a decent, but not dominant, season. Additionally, I thought that Bogaerts and Betts and Castillo would each offer some catalytic moments to round out a decent team. I didn't expect MVP production from Sandoval and Hanley, just solid MLB production.

 

So far what we've seen has looked inexplicably bad in just about every area. Mediocrity at every position, with the exception perhaps of Pedroia and early flashes of optimism for Betts and Bogaerts. I still have high hopes but I do wonder if a fundamental change might need to happen to change the culture of the club. I'm not against trading for Cole Hamels, assuming the right price. I think he's got a bit of an edge to him and that might be good for them. And this club needs a stopper. Maybe not an "Ace" by traditional standards, but someone who could take the ball and virtually guarantee a competitive outing. Lester played that role for a long time and they could benefit from it. Hamels might play that role.

 

I also wonder how Farrell's personality plays with this group behind closed doors. They have a fairly boring and listless demeanor on the field. They just look like they're going through the motions. I don't know if that's something a manager can control but leadership has its way of creating culture. That said, them looking boring and listless could be a function of their losing--it makes me feel boring and listless too. The pitching can't prevent runs so they're losing early and not holding leads when they get them. Most teams would look bad in that situation.

 

Then there's Ben. I'm not in the camp that's ready to fire him. I don't think anyone within the organization was eager to blow the roof off to get Jon Lester back and I think there's probably alignment on how they approach free agency. Beyond that it's a matter of which decent but not super-expensive players you choose to fill out your roster. I was pretty pleased with their acquisition of Miley and Porcello, and okay with Masterson. I just hoped they'd move them all one spot lower in the rotation with another good pitcher. That hasn't happened yet.

 

The player I miss most on this club is Christian Vazquez. He showed some great things defensively last year and I think a really good catcher can improve a pitching staff and defense considerably. He was a good leader on the field despite his age last year. Losing him has been tough.

 

Overall I'm not ready to write them off yet but I'm already in the "this is pathetic" camp, and usually I don't go to that level until at least July.

Hey E-1, good to see you. You picked up on the conversation as if you had been here all season long. Excellent points. I share most of your thoughts. This team has needed another pitcher since day one. Now, it is becoming obvious that 2 pitchers are needed. Hopefully, Rodriguez fills one of those spots and we acquire the other one by trade. I don't think we can stand pat and make a run.

[sk7326]

Yet Pedroia has bounced back, Xander has improved, they're one of the best teams at getting on base (which directly correlates into scoring runs) avoiding strikeouts, and pitches per AB. They just can't drive guys in. It's an anomaly.

 

If you look at fangraphs the Guardians and Red Sox are both walking a lot, and not striking out much at all. The Guardians though are 3rd in Fangraphs Offense, the Red Sox are 24th. The Red Sox BABIP is STILL dead last at .269, although it has improved a little bit. (it's not barely last instead of last with a bullet)

 

Red Sox are 25th in isolated power (to give you an idea, the Guardians are 12th). They have perked up a LITTLE, but are still 21st in "hard contact" and 24th in line drive rate and 17th in fly ball rate. There has been a weird teamwide epidemic of not squaring balls up. The team is 2nd in infield popup rate. What is interesting is the Blue Jays, an offensive juggernaut have some of the similar batted ball stats, but have hit more fly balls (9th vs 17th) and more of those fly balls have been homeruns.

 

The other miscalculation the team made was that moving Ramirez to an easier position defensively would result in a strong defensive backbone to augment the pitching. That has largely not happened, both because Ramirez has been lousy in LF, but because to date Pedroia has not had a great defensive year.

[Bellhorn04]

The player I miss most on this club is Christian Vazquez. He showed some great things defensively last year and I think a really good catcher can improve a pitching staff and defense considerably. He was a good leader on the field despite his age last year. Losing him has been tough.

 

It does seem that losing Vazquez, and then Hanigan as well, has hurt a lot in that intangible area of leadership.

[iortiz]

.

Hard to join this discussion out of nowhere, but here I go.

 

So far I'd say that I was wrong being optimistic about this team during the off-season. I figured that Miley, Kelly, Porcello and Masterson would be able to produce at MLB average and the offense would carry them to a decent, but not dominant, season. Additionally, I thought that Bogaerts and Betts and Castillo would each offer some catalytic moments to round out a decent team. I didn't expect MVP production from Sandoval and Hanley, just solid MLB production.

 

So far what we've seen has looked inexplicably bad in just about every area. Mediocrity at every position, with the exception perhaps of Pedroia and early flashes of optimism for Betts and Bogaerts. I still have high hopes but I do wonder if a fundamental change might need to happen to change the culture of the club. I'm not against trading for Cole Hamels, assuming the right price. I think he's got a bit of an edge to him and that might be good for them. And this club needs a stopper. Maybe not an "Ace" by traditional standards, but someone who could take the ball and virtually guarantee a competitive outing. Lester played that role for a long time and they could benefit from it. Hamels might play that role.

 

I also wonder how Farrell's personality plays with this group behind closed doors. They have a fairly boring and listless demeanor on the field. They just look like they're going through the motions. I don't know if that's something a manager can control but leadership has its way of creating culture. That said, them looking boring and listless could be a function of their losing--it makes me feel boring and listless too. The pitching can't prevent runs so they're losing early and not holding leads when they get them. Most teams would look bad in that situation.

 

Then there's Ben. I'm not in the camp that's ready to fire him. I don't think anyone within the organization was eager to blow the roof off to get Jon Lester back and I think there's probably alignment on how they approach free agency. Beyond that it's a matter of which decent but not super-expensive players you choose to fill out your roster. I was pretty pleased with their acquisition of Miley and Porcello, and okay with Masterson. I just hoped they'd move them all one spot lower in the rotation with another good pitcher. That hasn't happened yet.

 

The player I miss most on this club is Christian Vazquez. He showed some great things defensively last year and I think a really good catcher can improve a pitching staff and defense considerably. He was a good leader on the field despite his age last year. Losing him has been tough.

 

Overall I'm not ready to write them off yet but I'm already in the "this is pathetic" camp, and usually I don't go to that level until at least July.

Well, some will tell you that this department is not the problem. In 30/50 games this team has allowed 5+ R and still this team won some of those games. Sure, the offense has been disappointment as well, but I can easily see a come back there (they better), but once again, we need that this pitching stay away from the last places in that department.

[jacksonianmarch]

5+ runs allowed in 60% of your games is a good way to have a 40% winning percentage

[jacksonianmarch]

I get that your offense has sucked balls of late, but your team ERA is 28th out of 30 teams. Your starters ERA is the WORST in baseball at 5.05. Your relievers have been MLB average at 16th. You will not win with those numbers. The hitters will eventually hit. The pitching may not eventually pitch

[VA Sox Fan]

The True King of Talk Sox

 

It is known

[iortiz]

I get that your offense has sucked balls of late, but your team ERA is 28th out of 30 teams. Your starters ERA is the WORST in baseball at 5.05. Your relievers have been MLB average at 16th. You will not win with those numbers. The hitters will eventually hit. The pitching may not eventually pitch

Kind of my point.