How will this team finish the season?

[mvp 78]

Robbie Ross is fine. He's a completely useful bullpen arm. I don't understand the hate that he receives on here.

[User Name]

How many games have Ross Jr. and Layne started where they've put the team in a 3+ run hole by the third inning? What's that, you say? None? Then they're not the problem.

[Kimmi]

I think they are missing the X factor to be championship caliber. This is my totally unscientific gut feeling.

 

I understand gut feelings. I'm wondering what your gut feeling was before the last month or so. I know several people posted on here that the team reminded them of 2013's team. Most people seemed to think they had the X factor then.

[Kimmi]

I thought the Sox were going to the playoffs last week and a handful of crappy games hasn't changed my mind.

 

So, do the doom & gloomers now think Price sucks, is that it?

 

Finally, a voice of reason. Thank you.

[Kimmi]

It's up to Price and Wright.

I'm not worried about the Sox getting a replacement for the #5 spot.

 

I am somewhat worried that Price is either hurt or is having some trouble living up to his contract.

If he can't improve and Wright slips, it wont matter who else they get.

 

Personally, I think Price gets his act together and Wright pitches well all year, with a few games like Sats game thrown in, just to keep it interesting.

Porcello is who he is, good for 6 innings and 2 or 3 runs per start.

The Sox get bullpen help and, if we're lucky, a servicable starter by the deadline.

The offense will get back to tearing the cover of the ball.

Not like they did in May, but good enough to carry the team on occasion, like most good offensive teams do.

 

Baltimore is on a tear, but it wont last. They're not running away with the division.

 

 

A voice of reason times two.

 

Good post.

[Spudboy]

This team needs two decent rotation pieces to make it to the playoffs.

 

How long can fans say "IF" this and "IF" that?

 

The bullpen is not a problem when the rotation does it's job.

 

"IF" this team does not have two more mid rotation arms added very soon 3rd or 4th place in the east is it's ceiling.

[Kimmi]

This team needs two decent rotation pieces to make it to the playoffs.

 

How long can fans say "IF" this and "IF" that?

 

The bullpen is not a problem when the rotation does it's job.

 

"IF" this team does not have two more mid rotation arms added very soon 3rd or 4th place in the east is it's ceiling.

 

Your opinion is well noted. I don't share your sense of despair, but we'll see.

 

Personally, I have 'Red Sox playoffs' penciled into my calendar for October. To be fair though, I usually do, and am often wrong.

[Maxbialystock]

Here's my two reasons for retaining hope: 1) last year's team was 2 games below .500, 78-80, on 30 September and could have finished strongly but the FO put in lesser players to give them a final look and the Sox lost the final 4 games to finish 6 games under. I think of last year's team as a .500 team. 2) And I think this year's team is a lot better with Price and Wright at the top of the rotation and with a heckuva lineup, worlds better than last year's. Last year the Sox should have won 81 games, and this year they should win 91. However, this year's AL East is better than last year's. If the season had ended before yesterday's games, the AL East would have had 3 teams--Baltimore, Boston, and Toronto--in the playoffs.

[Spudboy]

Your opinion is well noted. I don't share your sense of despair, but we'll see.

 

Personally, I have 'Red Sox playoffs' penciled into my calendar for October. To be fair though, I usually do, and am often wrong.

 

I don't feel any despair. The Sox are following my projected arc for their 2016 season.

[a700hitter]

I don't feel any despair. The Sox are following my projected arc for their 2016 season.

We were just looking forward to competitive baseball-- a .500 team. In the end that is what they will probably be. I expect that Baltimore or Toronto will put distance between us and them. The other team we might be fighting with for a wild card spot.

[devildavid]

I understand gut feelings. I'm wondering what your gut feeling was before the last month or so. I know several people posted on here that the team reminded them of 2013's team. Most people seemed to think they had the X factor then.

 

I thought from the start they didn't have the X factor. Now I'm starting to think I am too optimistic in thinking they will have a playoff run. Clay, ERod and Kelly have been disasters. Price has been inconsistent and not the flat out ace I expected. Porcello surprised me with his strong start but seems to have settled back into the mediocrity I expected. And now the offense has cooled off considerably. I am on the brink of despair.

[SoxnCycles]

I understand gut feelings. I'm wondering what your gut feeling was before the last month or so. I know several people posted on here that the team reminded them of 2013's team. Most people seemed to think they had the X factor then.

 

Well, we all know the 2013 team was just lucky.

The 2016 team ran out of luck a tad early.

[Slasher9]

We were just looking forward to competitive baseball-- a .500 team. In the end that is what they will probably be. I expect that Baltimore or Toronto will put distance between us and them. The other team we might be fighting with for a wild card spot.

 

i, for one, am expecting quite a bit more since this past offseason we spent $217MM on an "Ace" and traded away some good talent for a stud "Closer".......

[Kimmi]

I thought from the start they didn't have the X factor. Now I'm starting to think I am too optimistic in thinking they will have a playoff run. Clay, ERod and Kelly have been disasters. Price has been inconsistent and not the flat out ace I expected. Porcello surprised me with his strong start but seems to have settled back into the mediocrity I expected. And now the offense has cooled off considerably. I am on the brink of despair.

 

I understand the sense of despair, believe me. As I posted before, I vow to 'quit' baseball several times a season (and many times in this last month) because the losses are so disheartening.

 

But then the emotion subsides, and the rational side of me takes over again.

 

It looks bad right now. Really bad. It will get better.

[Jack Flap]

In May we looked like the best team in the AL...in June we suck. There are some really serious issues with this team, but also time and resources at hand to find solutions. I don't see this as panic time yet. Let's see what happens over the next month or so.

[a700hitter]

i, for one, am expecting quite a bit more since this past offseason we spent $217MM on an "Ace" and traded away some good talent for a stud "Closer".......

And if we didn't do that we would be fighting Tampa for last place. If we wanted to be a top contender, we needed to add another good reliable starting pitcher.

[Kimmi]

And if we didn't do that we would be fighting Tampa for last place. If we wanted to be a top contender, we needed to add another good reliable starting pitcher.

 

Whether we should have added another starter or not, it doesn't change the fact that Price has not pitched like the ace that he is supposed to be. When the #4 and #5 slots in the rotation are in shambles and the pen sorely needs a breather, you expect your ace to step up. When your team is in the midst of a June swoon, you expect your ace to be a stopper, not add to the swoon.

 

As I posted before, he needs to be better.

[Bellhorn04]

Whether we should have added another starter or not, it doesn't change the fact that Price has not pitched like the ace that he is supposed to be. When the #4 and #5 slots in the rotation are in shambles and the pen sorely needs a breather, you expect your ace to step up. When your team is in the midst of a June swoon, you expect your ace to be a stopper, not add to the swoon.

 

As I posted before, he needs to be better.

 

Yes, although he had a good stretch for a while, a 4.74 ERA halfway through the season is not what we had in mind.

[a700hitter]

Whether we should have added another starter or not, it doesn't change the fact that Price has not pitched like the ace that he is supposed to be. When the #4 and #5 slots in the rotation are in shambles and the pen sorely needs a breather, you expect your ace to step up. When your team is in the midst of a June swoon, you expect your ace to be a stopper, not add to the swoon.

 

As I posted before, he needs to be better.

He will do better. Where is the patience that you preach? You have one stud in the rotation and you are all over him after 3 months of a 7 year contract. The problem is not Price, Wright or Porcello. We will not win every one of their games, but they give us a chance. The other 2 spots are like putting gas cans on the mound. They are the problem. The problems are what needs to be addressed. This reminds me of your argument last year how our offense (which ended up as one of the top offenses in baseball) was responsible for the Red Sox not being in first place when it was clearly the entire pitching staff that was broken.

[Bellhorn04]

He will do better. Where is the patience that you preach? You have one stud in the rotation and you are all over him after 3 months of a 7 year contract. The problem is not Price, Wright or Porcello. We will not win every one of their games, but they give us a chance. The other 2 spots are like putting gas cans on the mound. They are the problem. The problems are what needs to be addressed. This reminds me of your argument last year how our offense (which ended up as one of the top offenses in baseball) was responsible for the Red Sox not being in first place when it was clearly the entire pitching staff that was broken.

 

Kimmi's far from alone in thinking Price should be doing better than a 4.74 ERA.

[User Name]

This pitching staff blows as a unit. Pointing fingers accomplishes nothing.

[a700hitter]

Kimmi's far from alone in thinking Price should be doing better than a 4.74 ERA.

if this team ends up in the crapper, it will not be because of Price. He is underperforming right now, but he will be a solid contributor. He has had some very solid games this year where he went deep into games. We get none of that from the 4 and 5 spots. Zero. Those guys are helpless. If Price puts up 200 innings with 17 wins and a 4.25 ERA, I am not going to be pulling my hair out of my head, because it is a pretty solid contribution. It is not up to his standards and it is not worth the money, but if we had 5 guys that could do that, we should be competitive for most of the year, although we would probably miss the playoffs. I think he will get his ERA under 4. And I don't give a rats ass whether he lives up to $30 million in 2016. He gives us a chance to win every time he takes the ball. That is all I want from a starter and the 4 and 5 spots don't give us that. The 4th and 5th spots are forfeit spots. If you think Price is the problem on this roster that is being seriously short-sighted and misguided. Talk about a lack of patience.

[devildavid]

Whether we should have added another starter or not, it doesn't change the fact that Price has not pitched like the ace that he is supposed to be. When the #4 and #5 slots in the rotation are in shambles and the pen sorely needs a breather, you expect your ace to step up. When your team is in the midst of a June swoon, you expect your ace to be a stopper, not add to the swoon.

 

As I posted before, he needs to be better.

 

You are right about Price. At this point in the season he should be the stopper of the staff. His track record indicates he has the talent, so I don't know why he's been so frustratingly inconsistent. I hope it's just a matter of minor mechanical adjustments and not anything deeper. We need him to lead this staff and set the tone and he has come up short.

[a700hitter]

On a day when the Red Sox scored a big goose egg, Price had an off day giving up 4 runs and striking out 10 in 6 1/3 inning. He had a bit of an off day. He didn't blow up on the mound. On most days for the Red Sox that is a good enough performance to win the game. People are really getting hysterical about the one really solid pitcher on the staff. You all must want to throw yourselves off a roof when Buch and random #5 pitches.

[TheBabeStrikesBack]

He will do better. Where is the patience that you preach? You have one stud in the rotation and you are all over him after 3 months of a 7 year contract. The problem is not Price, Wright or Porcello. We will not win every one of their games, but they give us a chance. The other 2 spots are like putting gas cans on the mound. They are the problem. The problems are what needs to be addressed. This reminds me of your argument last year how our offense (which ended up as one of the top offenses in baseball) was responsible for the Red Sox not being in first place when it was clearly the entire pitching staff that was broken.

 

How do you know "he will do better"??

[TheBabeStrikesBack]

On a day when the Red Sox scored a big goose egg, Price had an off day giving up 4 runs and striking out 10 in 6 1/3 inning. He had a bit of an off day. He didn't blow up on the mound. On most days for the Red Sox that is a good enough performance to win the game. People are really getting hysterical about the one really solid pitcher on the staff. You all must want to throw yourselves off a roof when Buch and random #5 pitches.

 

But you don't give him the biggest SP contract in history for him to be a "serviceable starter".

Sugar coat it how you like, but he's certainly not performing up to expectations.

 

Bigger question is, if this is how he performs, will he opt out (probably not), and the sawx are saddled with an albatross contract.

[TheBabeStrikesBack]

if this team ends up in the crapper, it will not be because of Price. He is underperforming right now, but he will be a solid contributor. He has had some very solid games this year where he went deep into games. We get none of that from the 4 and 5 spots. Zero. Those guys are helpless. If Price puts up 200 innings with 17 wins and a 4.25 ERA, I am not going to be pulling my hair out of my head, because it is a pretty solid contribution. It is not up to his standards and it is not worth the money, but if we had 5 guys that could do that, we should be competitive for most of the year, although we would probably miss the playoffs. I think he will get his ERA under 4. And I don't give a rats ass whether he lives up to $30 million in 2016. He gives us a chance to win every time he takes the ball. That is all I want from a starter and the 4 and 5 spots don't give us that. The 4th and 5th spots are forfeit spots. If you think Price is the problem on this roster that is being seriously short-sighted and misguided. Talk about a lack of patience.

 

Delusional at best. You can't pay that money and justify that performance.

 

I'm a Yankee fan and I know what it feels like.

[jacksonianmarch]

I see the point Babe. Yes, Price should be playing better. That being said, he guy has won his fair share of games, and although this has had a bad half season to this point, he's effectively allows the offense to win a few. The sox problem is that they basically get a bullpen game twice in the rotation. This team is sinking fast, mostly because, as has been proven year after year, an all offense only team does not win consistently.

[a700hitter]

Delusional at best. You can't pay that money and justify that performance.

 

I'm a Yankee fan and I know what it feels like.

i don't have to justify his salary. I am glad that you are on the other side of the argument. It puts some of my fellow Talk Sox members in the awkward position of agreeing with you. LOL! Unlike them who I respect, you I can just call a fool if you think Price is the problem for the Red Sox. I am sure that you would rather have your Bronx Dirt Bags face Price instead of Buch or our random #5.

[TheBabeStrikesBack]

i don't have to justify his salary. I am glad that you are on the other side of the argument. It puts some of my fellow Talk Sox members in the awkward position of agreeing with you. LOL! Unlike them who I respect, you I can just call a fool if you think Price is the problem for the Red Sox. I am sure that you would rather have your Bronx Dirt Bags face Price instead of Buch or our random #5.

 

Swing and a miss , Skippy.

 

You missed the point entirely.