Sox starting pitching thread

[oldtimer]

They can't give Pomeranz another start, right? I realize you shouldn't overreact to one start, but this has been going on all year with Pomeranz. His stuff just isn't good enough. He has no fastball, relies solely on the curve, and the curve is going to fail him from time to time and get hit a long way. The Orioles don't exactly have a dominant lineup, and Pomeranz couldn't complete 5 innings against them.

 

You have to move him to the bullpen to see if he can develop into a one inning reliever. They need to find another starter on the trade market -- Pomeranz has been a failure for the entire season, the sample size is large enough now and the stuff isn't there.

 

An objective view of Pom is that he has a high 80's fastball and a knuckle curve. That is not much ammunition against ML hitters and particularly if the command is not excellent. I wouldn't expect his velocity to go up nor for him to suddenly develop another pitch so it is hard to see him as a viable starter. With E-Rod iffy and Wright not right, we seem to need another starter for the long stretch of games we now face. Have we got enough to offer to get a viable 4th or 5th starter? Stay tuned.

[Slasher9]

There is absolutely nothing to suggest that he would not be just as resurgent in Boston as he is in Milwaukee. Except that he just might have better lineup protection in Boston.

 

And nothing to suggest he would. He failed here. He failed miserably here. When he got to a place that wasn’t intense he blossomed. Just my opinion.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

And nothing to suggest he would. He failed here. He failed miserably here. When he got to a place that wasn’t intense he blossomed. Just my opinion.

 

I agree. Crawford was a perfect example in reverse. He excelled in small market Tampa and failed miserably here. It actually happens more often than one might think.

[harmony]

And nothing to suggest he would. He failed here. He failed miserably here. When he got to a place that wasn’t intense he blossomed. Just my opinion.

For five seasons Adrian Beltre couldn't handle the pressure of Seattle but upon his departure immediately blossomed in Boston.

[Slasher9]

For five seasons Adrian Beltre couldn't handle the pressure of Seattle but upon his departure immediately blossomed in Boston.

 

Lol. Mr. Beltre can handle the bright lights. No doubt about it.

[Jack Flap]

And nothing to suggest he would. He failed here. He failed miserably here. When he got to a place that wasn’t intense he blossomed. Just my opinion.

 

I think that's a little unfair to Shaw considering 2016 was his first full season in the majors. He certainly showed flashes in 2015-16 of the player he's become in Milwaukee, just never consistently. Occam's Razor would suggest he was a young player going through some growing pains (as so many do), not that he couldn't handle Boston.

 

I think Dave has been fortunate that Moreland has worked out so well and that Devers was ready(ish) sooner than expected, or he'd be catching a lot more flack for this deal than he is. Thornburg could be lights-out for the remainder of his time in Boston and probably wouldn't come close to the value that Shaw delivered in his first year with the Brewers alone.

[Maxbialystock]

The Sox have thrived this season without Pom, including early in the season when Johnson and Velazquez were both pressed into service as starters.

[kenmeister]

I was hoping they'd put Velazquez back in the rotation.

 

If Velazquez had started last night's game instead of finishing it, I believe we would have won. I hope Velazquez gets the next start over Pomeranz.

[OH FOY]

Pomeranz is losing a lot of money, he better start turning it around. Free Agency is coming up fast. Edited July 25, 2018 by OH FOY!

[Kimmi]

They can't give Pomeranz another start, right? I realize you shouldn't overreact to one start, but this has been going on all year with Pomeranz. His stuff just isn't good enough. He has no fastball, relies solely on the curve, and the curve is going to fail him from time to time and get hit a long way. The Orioles don't exactly have a dominant lineup, and Pomeranz couldn't complete 5 innings against them.

 

You have to move him to the bullpen to see if he can develop into a one inning reliever. They need to find another starter on the trade market -- Pomeranz has been a failure for the entire season, the sample size is large enough now and the stuff isn't there.

 

I know it's not the popular opinion, but I think they have to give Pom another start. If we were ripe with starting pitching, that might not be the case, but with the injuries to ERod and Wright, he gets another shot. Thankfully, the team is playing well enough to be able to afford that luxury.

[Kimmi]

An objective view of Pom is that he has a high 80's fastball and a knuckle curve. That is not much ammunition against ML hitters and particularly if the command is not excellent. I wouldn't expect his velocity to go up nor for him to suddenly develop another pitch so it is hard to see him as a viable starter. With E-Rod iffy and Wright not right, we seem to need another starter for the long stretch of games we now face. Have we got enough to offer to get a viable 4th or 5th starter? Stay tuned.

 

Here is how Pom's stuff played out last night:

 

Red Sox Stats

‏ @redsoxstats

8h8 hours ago

 

Pomeranz has maxed out at 89.9 with an average of 88.1 tonight. 92.3 is his max this year, with only eighteen pitches 91+. He's only got 3 whiffs on 25 curves and the location has not been great.

[OH FOY]

Start him against the Yanks. Sorry Twins are next they are another bad team see how he does. Edited July 25, 2018 by OH FOY!

[Kimmi]

The Sox have thrived this season without Pom, including early in the season when Johnson and Velazquez were both pressed into service as starters.

 

This is true.

[sk7326]

Nate Eovaldi to the Sox for Jalen Beeks

 

I understand the move. Beeks is a command guy, and might just be a 4A guy. I do think Beeks will do better going to Tampa's run prevention environment. Eovaldi is definitely a Dombrowski sort of pitcher. He gives the sox rotation some more certainty ... although he has a bit of that Joe Kelly disease, where his fastball does not get as much swing and miss as the radar gun says it should.

[Fan_since_Boggs]

If Velazquez had started last night's game instead of finishing it, I believe we would have won. I hope Velazquez gets the next start over Pomeranz.

 

I agree. Velazquez is a better pitcher than the 2018 Pomeranz.

[Fan_since_Boggs]

Nate Eovaldi to the Sox for Jalen Beeks

 

I understand the move. Beeks is a command guy, and might just be a 4A guy. I do think Beeks will do better going to Tampa's run prevention environment. Eovaldi is definitely a Dombrowski sort of pitcher. He gives the sox rotation some more certainty ... although he has a bit of that Joe Kelly disease, where his fastball does not get as much swing and miss as the radar gun says it should.

 

Oh baby, YES!

[sk7326]

Oh baby, YES!

 

The way I look at it - the team needs another starter to get through the season healthy. I am not sure how much impact he will have in the playoffs - but we have to get there without destroying the bullpen. So this helps - for a pretty modest price.

[Station 13]

Dombrowski doesn't sit around. Now find something more useful than Nunez.

[Station 13]

Eovaldi walks under 2/9 and WHIP sub 1.00

 

Good pick up

[Slasher9]

Nice. This still keeps us under the next threshold, yes?

[Bellhorn04]

Nice. This still keeps us under the next threshold, yes?

 

I think we were about $1.75 (one dollar seventy-five cents) under the 237 before this, so probably not LOL

[OH FOY]

Beeks in Tampa might do OK, Pitchers Park. Hope he does good.

[dgalehouse]

Eovaldi is a power arm. Very good move. Nothing not to like about this.

[kenmeister]

Eovaldi is a power arm. Very good move. Nothing not to like about this.

 

Except that it marks another starting pitcher in Beeks that we didn't take the time to develop.

[sk7326]

Except that it marks another starting pitcher in Beeks that we didn't take the time to develop.

 

Take the time? Players do not have infinite talent level. You make the best assessment you can. He did not miss bats in his big league trials - and he was outstanding in AAA. He might be a 4A sort of guy. Moreover - a guy like him (command guy, doesn't miss a lot of bats) will probably play up in Tampa.

[kenmeister]

Take the time? Players do not have infinite talent level. You make the best assessment you can. He did not miss bats in his big league trials - and he was outstanding in AAA. He might be a 4A sort of guy. Moreover - a guy like him (command guy, doesn't miss a lot of bats) will probably play up in Tampa.

 

There's a big league adjustment period nearly all players go through that you have to be patient with. Do you remember Pedroia's first month or two? Hopefully we'll still develop Johnson.

[FredLynn]

Except that it marks another starting pitcher in Beeks that we didn't take the time to develop.

 

I for one had seen enough of Beeks. No velocity to his fastball....which is fine if you have great command, which he lacks. The move for Eovaldi would seem to imply that the Sox think that ERod may not come back until much later on, if at all, and that Pomeranz doesn't have the confidence of the FO to get the job done, possibly due to injury.

[mvp 78]

I'd rather they held onto Beeks, but the injuries to ERod, Pom and Wright really forced their hand into making a move.

 

Maybe DD sold high on another prospect?

[Bellhorn04]

I'd rather they held onto Beeks, but the injuries to ERod, Pom and Wright really forced their hand into making a move.

 

Maybe DD sold high on another prospect?

 

I think he did about as well as you could ask under the circumstances.

[d-money]

Here is how Pom's stuff played out last night:

 

Red Sox Stats

‏ @redsoxstats

8h8 hours ago

 

Pomeranz has maxed out at 89.9 with an average of 88.1 tonight. 92.3 is his max this year, with only eighteen pitches 91+. He's only got 3 whiffs on 25 curves and the location has not been great.

 

His velocity sucks. Idk how he can gain some velocity on his fastball.