A Sox dilemma in the making?

[kenmeister]

I'm already bummed that Velazquez and Johnson won't get to prove themselves as starters. Definitely an embarrassment of riches.

[sk7326]

I'm already bummed that Velazquez and Johnson won't get to prove themselves as starters. Definitely an embarrassment of riches.

 

it is a very long season - we will see plenty of them

[moonslav59]

I'm already bummed that Velazquez and Johnson won't get to prove themselves as starters. Definitely an embarrassment of riches.

 

They'll probably get another chance. Besides, has anyone said Price is ready to start?

 

I'm happy Pom will be back soon.

 

I was happy ERod came back. He looked real good in his second start.

[Nick]

I'm already bummed that Velazquez and Johnson won't get to prove themselves as starters. Definitely an embarrassment of riches.

 

Yet people criticize DD for not being able to sign a 'cheap' starter. They knew Sox starting pitching was loaded.

[Kimmi]

They will make a difference over the next 147 games.

We are bound to hit a rough patch or two before the season is over. Hopefully, the infusion of these players coming off the DL will help minimize our future losses.

 

Bingo. They probably wouldn't have made a difference in our record to date, but they will be (hopefully) big contributors going forward.

[Kimmi]

I think Nunez will be lucky to last the season. The knee is clearly bothering him and by June, it should be swelled up and causing him discomfort.

 

Pedroia is only good for 80 to 90 games a season before he breaks down. Add in that he fractured the locker room last year and provides no veteran leadership and you could have a team chemistry problem once he returns.

 

I really like Lin’s swing and plan of attack at the plate. I think he becomes a huge utility player for us this year.

 

Hogwash.

[Kimmi]

I think that if anything we may have an excess of good players, maybe a few more than what constitutes normal depth. This will soon be true in the relief staff, and is already true with players like Swihart and perhaps Lin. Swihart should definitely be seeing more action (somewhere else if not here) and Lin looks like he at least belongs on the team. And, or course, Pedey's return will accentuate this.

 

I would say it's more a problem for a few players than it is a team problem.

 

It's a good problem to have, and as they say, these things have a way of working themselves out.

[Kimmi]

Yet people criticize DD for not being able to sign a 'cheap' starter. They knew Sox starting pitching was loaded.

 

There have been plenty of seasons where we thought we had good pitching depth.

 

Then suddenly, we're looking at the likes of Sean O'Sullivan.

 

You can never have enough pitching.

[Nick]

There have been plenty of seasons where we thought we had good pitching depth.

 

Then suddenly, we're looking at the likes of Sean O'Sullivan.

 

You can never have enough pitching.

 

Anyone out there willing to wait? How much will it cost?

[Emp9]

I'm already bummed that Velazquez and Johnson won't get to prove themselves as starters. Definitely an embarrassment of riches.

 

These are depth players as far as I’m concerned and yes we’re very fortunate to have them both perform as well as they have. What I usually hope for (hope, not expect) from our #7 & #8 SPers is to just simply keep us in games long enough for somegood offense to happen. Anything beyond that and I’m signing Pour Some Sugar On Me. Figuratively not literally.

[moonslav59]

There have been plenty of seasons where we thought we had good pitching depth.

 

Then suddenly, we're looking at the likes of Sean O'Sullivan.

 

You can never have enough pitching.

 

Yes, and I believe O'Sullivan was like 8th or 9th on the depth list that year.

 

I'm almost always for adding pitching. I differ from some by hardly ever wanting us to upgrade our 5th our 6th starter. I usually want us to upgrade from the top 2-3 slots only. Then, everyone else gets knocked down 1 notch.

 

This winter was different. Our budget was so tight that I felt there was no money for a top 3 slot pitcher. I wasn't against signing vets to minor league deals, but I wasn't upset we started the season with basically just 3 legitimate staters on the depth chart and one (Wright) inactive for a month.

 

I felt Velazquez and Johnson needed to get a look, and if both failed, and Pom and Wright were not back by then, we could then go out and find a journeyman pitcher at a pro-rated salary cost.

[bosoxmal]

Lin has been called up twice now and excelled both times. I'm not saying he'll continue at this clip, but I don't think Holt will give you more over an entire season. Or is Holt out of options or something?

 

What has been obvious in this player evaluation process is that Alex C Has a far better idea of who can play and who can't. Lin & Swihart have caught his eye, and Holt has cone nothing since returning to keep him even in the conversation. I will root for Pedy to return to at least a fraction of his former self, but not with much coniction.

[Natick to NC]

Bosox ...Lin and Swihart are dinamic players .Holt has to be the odd man out once Pedey returns ....does he have an option left ?

[moonslav59]

What has been obvious in this player evaluation process is that Alex C Has a far better idea of who can play and who can't. Lin & Swihart have caught his eye, and Holt has cone nothing since returning to keep him even in the conversation. I will root for Pedy to return to at least a fraction of his former self, but not with much coniction.

 

Bench time:

 

PAs

51 Nunez

30 Moreland

29 Holt

18 Leon

14 Lin

10 Swihart

 

Innings on defense

107 Nunez

68 Holt

64 Moreland

38 Leon

34 Lin

10 Swihart

 

 

[mvp 78]

Bosox ...Lin and Swihart are dinamic players .Holt has to be the odd man out once Pedey returns ....does he have an option left ?

 

Yup.

[illinoisredsox]

Bosox ...Lin and Swihart are dinamic players .Holt has to be the odd man out once Pedey returns ....does he have an option left ?

 

Dynamic? We don't know that about either one of them. In fact, I would say neither one of them is. Betts is dynamic. Devers could be. Neither Lin nor Swihart are in that league.

 

Lin came up last year and went 9-25 his first 10 days or so. He then went 6-31 for the rest of the season. His minor league stats don't show anything special.

 

Neither has Swihart shown that much either, Granted, he's been hurt for 2+ years, and he showed some promise in 2015, but he wasn't that great.

[jacksonianmarch]

They aren't dynamic. They are dinamic, big difference

[illinoisredsox]

They aren't dynamic. They are dinamic, big difference

 

Neither one of them looks Romanian. Now maybe Natick speaks that language, I have no idea.

[Jack Flap]

If anyone looks to be in danger of losing his place on the team, it's probably Wright...he really hasn't pitched since the summer of 2016, is now the #8 starter at best behind Velazquez and Johnson, has had off-field issues, and is out of options. I suppose we could option Velazquez and stick Wright in the pen to preserve depth, but a nice, long rehab assignment (plus suspension) would seem to be in order before we get to that point.

[Slasher9]

If anyone looks to be in danger of losing his place on the team, it's probably Wright...he really hasn't pitched since the summer of 2016, is now the #8 starter at best behind Velazquez and Johnson, has had off-field issues, and is out of options. I suppose we could option Velazquez and stick Wright in the pen to preserve depth, but a nice, long rehab assignment (plus suspension) would seem to be in order before we get to that point.

 

what if we need a pinchrunner though?!?

[jad]

what if we need a pinchrunner though?!?

 

Well, why not use Sale? or maybe Kimbrel on his off days?

[Jack Flap]

Well, why not use Sale? or maybe Kimbrel on his off days?

 

Somewhere John Farrell is wondering "Why didn't I think of that?"

[notin]

Somewhere John Farrell is wondering "Why didn't I think of that?"

 

Farrell tried to do it, but Sale cut up his own cleats...

[Youk Of The Nation]

Hogwash.

 

I agree with this upper-class gentleman from 1880's London, that is hogwash. Absolute pish-posh, good sir. Seriously though, I've never heard a Red Sox player say anything negative about Pedroia's leadership.

[cp176]

If anyone looks to be in danger of losing his place on the team, it's probably Wright...he really hasn't pitched since the summer of 2016, is now the #8 starter at best behind Velazquez and Johnson, has had off-field issues, and is out of options. I suppose we could option Velazquez and stick Wright in the pen to preserve depth, but a nice, long rehab assignment (plus suspension) would seem to be in order before we get to that point.

 

I agree. It might be that Cora is going to move Johnson to the bullpen full-time. Not sure I am all in on that one but doing it could eventually give us a great bullpen. When Wright gets his chance, I think that he is going to have to pitch well. As for Velazquez, what's not to like there? I think that he has earned the right to pitch for the big club at this time as well. The only place I might disagree with you here, is that I wouldn't put Wright in the bullpen. Maybe as a last resort but right now I like our depth and I think that our bullpen has the potential to just get better as the season rolls along.

[Bellhorn04]

I agree. It might be that Cora is going to move Johnson to the bullpen full-time. Not sure I am all in on that one but doing it could eventually give us a great bullpen. When Wright gets his chance, I think that he is going to have to pitch well. As for Velazquez, what's not to like there? I think that he has earned the right to pitch for the big club at this time as well. The only place I might disagree with you here, is that I wouldn't put Wright in the bullpen. Maybe as a last resort but right now I like our depth and I think that our bullpen has the potential to just get better as the season rolls along.

 

Cora may be grooming Johnson to be the classic swingman - pitching long relief and ready to start a game whenever necessary.

 

Johnson doesn't look like much but he really knows how to pitch.

[mvp 78]

Cora may be grooming Johnson to be the classic swingman - pitching long relief and ready to start a game whenever necessary.

 

Johnson doesn't look like much but he really knows how to pitch.

 

And that’s all your #6 needs to do.

[cp176]

Cora may be grooming Johnson to be the classic swingman - pitching long relief and ready to start a game whenever necessary.

 

Johnson doesn't look like much but he really knows how to pitch.

 

It is all about health for this guy. On most teams, he is in the starting rotation for sure. I hope that that they keep him stretched out just in case.

[moonslav59]

Cora may be grooming Johnson to be the classic swingman - pitching long relief and ready to start a game whenever necessary.

 

Johnson doesn't look like much but he really knows how to pitch.

 

The kid deserved a shot to show what he's got at the ML level over an extended time. I'm glad he's started out doing well. That means he actually will get an extended chance.

 

I hate keeping "what if" type players on the 40 man roster for 7-10 years without ever giving them a real chance.

 

Had we gone out and signed a journeyman starter to put in front of Johnson and Velazquez, we'd have just put off for another day wondering how good each of them are.

 

I get how a team with stiff competition for the division banner can't always afford to trial and error it until you find the one guy that fills the 6th starter/ long relief role. If 3-4 guys fail beforre you find (or obtain) the right guy, it may cost the team the division or playoffs, but Johnson has looked good enough to deserve a long look. Velazquez to a somewhat lesser extent, too.

[jung]

The pen is the real question mark on this team and its not insignificant. Anytime Cora will have to reach into in earlier than the 7th inning it will be an issue.

 

As for the everyday player...I would not be looking to move any of them unless somebody wants to make me an offer I can't refuse. We are now into the 2018 championship season. There are so many injuries during the course of one championship season that all these players we are worried about will get playing time.

 

Plus, do we really want to rid ourselves of the enigma that is JBJ? Who would want to get rid of a guy that goes from flat terrible to wildly on fire at the plate, back and forth like JBJ does while being a simply superb CFer. Do you really want to be doomed to a season of Beni in CF and JD in LF. I don't!