The Bullpen thread

[SoxHop]

Maybe Valazquez out of the pen could be a good thing going forward. He doesn't seem to have the stuff for a lineup to look at him three times around...

[Larry Cook]

@PeteAbe

 

RH hitters vs. Heath Hembree:

 

2016: .201/.255/.336

2017: .272/.306/.456

 

Kelly on the DL, Scott to AAA. They need to deal, and soon

 

I think they should just rotate some more AAA arms up and see if any stick. Hembree is just awful right now.

 

I do not think hembree has any options left. But I could be wrong.

[mvp 78]

@RedSox

 

The #RedSox today placed RHP Ben Taylor on the 10-day disabled list (retro to 7/23) with a left intercostal strain.

 

Well, now you know why they didn't go to Taylor last night.

[mvp 78]

They don't need to trade for a LOOGY

 

@EvanDrellich

 

Fernando Abad vs. lefties this year: .167/.234/.286

 

Craig Kimbrel vs. LHP: .172/.232/.266

 

Aroldis Chapman: .172/.294/.241

 

@EvanDrellich

 

Robby Scott vs. LHP: .111/.226/.244

[mvp 78]

@alexspeier

 

Carson Smith just wrapped up a throwing session off the Fenway mound with Chris Young standing in the box.

[a700hitter]

@alexspeier

 

Carson Smith just wrapped up a throwing session off the Fenway mound with Chris Young standing in the box.

Did he leave the mound holding his arm?

[mvp 78]

Did he leave the mound holding his arm?

 

Unclear!

[Spudboy]

CARSON FREEKIN' SMITH!!

 

 

This team is now on track for post season glory!

[bowman]

Getting him back is like making another trade. We got so many relievers now, maybe we can go get a hittaaa

[Larry Cook]

Ok, we now have reed to pitch the 8th.

 

But reed gives up a ton of fly balls! Fenway is not kind to fly ball pitchers.

 

Let's hope desperate dave did not Screw this up, yet again!

[a700hitter]

Ok, we now have reed to pitch the 8th.

 

But reed gives up a ton of fly balls! Fenway is not kind to fly ball pitchers.

 

Let's hope desperate dave did not Screw this up, yet again!

Citifield is a much friendlier fly ball satdium than Fenway Park. I am concerned.

[moonslav59]

Reed may give up a lot of fly balls, but that doesn't mean a whole lot will be HRs, even with the move to 50% of his games at Fenway. Plus, his FB% is pretty close to Kimbrel and Hembree's.

 

Look at LD%

24.5% Kelly (20.6 FB%)

21.3% Barnes (24.6 FB%)

19.1% Kimbrel (41.2 FB%)

18.6% Hembree (43.4 FB%)

17.8% A Reed (43.8 FB%)

 

To me, a big stat for RP'ers is K/BB:

11.43 Kimbrel 3rd in MLB among RP'ers with 40+ IP

8.00 A Reed (6th in MLB)

4.73 Hembree (16th)

2.59 Barnes (64th out of 102)

(Kelly is at 1.63)

 

I'll take Reed over a healthy Kelly, Barnes or Hembree any day of the week.To me, what's going to be best about this trade is that now Kelly, Barnes and Hembree will now be our 6th and 7th inning RPe'rs.

 

Another important RP'er stat: WHIP

0.60 Kimbrel (1st)

1.12 Reed (38th)

1.18 Barnes (45th)

1.39 Hembree (83rd)

 

 

 

Edited August 1, 2017 by moonslav59

[Larry Cook]

Reed struggled in Arizona. I am really hoping he does not have the same issues in Fenway.

[fxkatt]

Who really is our no. 2 reliever right now? Is it Reed or Barnes? So far, according to the use pattern, it's hard to tell.

 

It's a good problem to have, but I feel more secure with Reed than with Barnes. Reed may quickly adjust to that to the green monster.

[moonslav59]

Who really is our no. 2 reliever right now? Is it Reed or Barnes? So far, according to the use pattern, it's hard to tell.

 

It's a good problem to have, but I feel more secure with Reed than with Barnes. Reed may quickly adjust to that to the green monster.

 

I think Reed is our #2 and Barnes is our #3.

 

It looked like Kelly had won the #2 slot before he went on the DL. I wonder, if he can pass Barnes again before the end of this season.

[mvp 78]

Smith pitched well last night. Fingers crossed!

[Kimmi]

Who really is our no. 2 reliever right now? Is it Reed or Barnes? So far, according to the use pattern, it's hard to tell.

 

It's a good problem to have, but I feel more secure with Reed than with Barnes. Reed may quickly adjust to that to the green monster.

 

I think Farrell is going to use them according to the game situation. I think Reed has a slight edge on being the #2 guy, but that does not necessarily mean he will get the 8th inning, as we've seen.

 

Barnes has been pretty good in his own right.

[Larry Cook]

Isn't that the beauty of a deep bullpen, Farrell gets to move mix and match based on matchups and game conditions?

[harmony]

Smith pitched well last night. Fingers crossed!

Probably of interest only to this Seattle fan, but Red Sox reliever Carson Smith and Mariner reliever Shae Simmons appear to be on parallel tracks: righthanded relievers, born less than a year apart, each with three more years of team control, back in action in the minors after Tommy John surgery.

 

http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=605476#/gamelogs/R/pitching/2017/MINORS

 

http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&player_id=623406#/gamelogs/R/pitching/2017/MINORS

 

https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2017/2/16/14621942/40-in-40-shae-simmons

 

Of course the 6-foot-6 Smith towers over the 5-foot-11 Simmons.

 

I hope each has a successful return.

[Slasher9]

Joe Kelly back and looking BOSTON STRONG

[Larry Cook]

Bullpen looked good tonight. Three scoreless innings.

[a700hitter]

I am cutting and pasting. Be damned WEEI's clicks.

 

Wednesday Red Sox farm report: Carson Smith has successful rehab appearance in Pawtucket

 

JOHN HANDAUGUST 09, 2017 - 11:41 AM

Here is a look at what happened in the Red Sox farm system on Tuesday.

TRIPLE-A PAWTUCKET RED SOX (59-59): W, 9-2 vs. Charlotte

- Carson Smith made another rehab appearance, as he works his way back from Tommy John surgery. In his last rehab appearance in Portland, Smith gave up two runs, no hits and three walks in just a 1/3 inning of work. In one inning on Tuesday in Pawtucket, the righty threw 13 pitches, allowing no runs, no hits and just one walk, while striking out one batter. Six of Smith’s 13 pitches were registered for strikes. In addition, Smith’s fastball was clocked at 91 mph.

 

 

"He looked good," Pawtucket manager Kevin Boles said. "He said he felt good after his outing and that was a positive step in a positive direction. Good to see him get through a clean inning on 13 pitches - very impressive."

[Spudboy]

91 MPH?

 

He needs to get his strength and confidence back.

 

I thought his virtue was being a hard thrower.

[mvp 78]

91 MPH?

 

He needs to get his strength and confidence back.

 

I thought his virtue was being a hard thrower.

 

Nope. He just throws a really heavy sinker.

[harmony]

91 MPH?

 

He needs to get his strength and confidence back.

 

I thought his virtue was being a hard thrower.

Carson Smith's fastball averaged 92.9 mph in his breakout 2015 season:

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=13172&position=P#pitchtype

 

... and for his career.

[Larry Cook]

I don't think smith gets the velocity up until next season.

[Larry Cook]

Addison reed is a joke, we should not be using a fly ball pitcher in the 8th.

 

He has cost us this game for us tonight.

[notin]

So after Reed wild pitched Sanchez to second, why didn't Farrell go to Kimbrel? This is a major pet peeve of mine. The game is on the line, the 3-4-5 hitters are up, and you save your best reliever and hope for the best. Saving Kimbrel for the ninth inning to hopefully face the 6-7-8 hitters in that case is flat out stupid. Let someone else face the bottom of the order and get the save...

[a700hitter]

So after Reed wild pitched Sanchez to second, why didn't Farrell go to Kimbrel? This is a major pet peeve of mine. The game is on the line, the 3-4-5 hitters are up, and you save your best reliever and hope for the best. Saving Kimbrel for the ninth inning to hopefully face the 6-7-8 hitters in that case is flat out stupid. Let someone else face the bottom of the order and get the save...

Agreed. Give your team the best chance to win, and bring in Kimbrel.

[iortiz]

So after Reed wild pitched Sanchez to second, why didn't Farrell go to Kimbrel? This is a major pet peeve of mine. The game is on the line, the 3-4-5 hitters are up, and you save your best reliever and hope for the best. Saving Kimbrel for the ninth inning to hopefully face the 6-7-8 hitters in that case is flat out stupid. Let someone else face the bottom of the order and get the save...

On espn were saying that Farrell should have gone with Abbad vs Gregorious - L vs L ... and then he should have brought Kelly or Kimbrel.

 

We had a lot of opportunities to score more runs and we dididn't. Reed gave up the lead, very easy, and Kelly didn't help. We blew it again with the base running. Our fundamentals are a joke.

 

NYY didn't win, we lost it and ugly all the way.