The Pen

[notin]

Yep, add them both.

 

DFA Josh Smith. He will go unclaimed. (The Sox still have one open spot on the 40 man roster.)

 

Promote Mejia and sign Rodney.

 

Send Velasquez and Lakins back to Pawtucket...

Edited May 29, 2019 by notin

[jung]

IMO the Sox will not make an immediate move to resolve the Pen issues. The Rotation is coming on and if it stays healthy with the 5 guys intended getting close to the number of starts anticipated, it is the strength of this team as management intended. i expect a move closer to the deadline if at all.

 

Spotty hitting is hardly better than no hitting at all and that is what we have, spotty hitting. Devers is on fire at present. JBJ has entered his golden two-three weeks per season. Whoopdie-dingdong. There is something going on with Mookie. He is spotty at the plate and spotty in the field at least for our GG/MVP RFer. JD is far and away the only hitter we have performing at a consistently high level. After JD, its a wasteland all the way to Vaz. In fact, their fielding has been spotty as a team as well.

 

Cora is going to have to manage this pen for awhile I fear. Last night was a disaster. I did not wake up from my rain delay nap and missed Workman in the 7th. Saw Barnes bail out Walden. NESN sucks balls as a broadcast crew but is as usual on their Sox PR game. So as usual I have no idea how long Lakin actually got to warm in the pen BECAUSE NESN DOES NOT SHOW US WHAT IS GOING ON OUT THERE. Too busy commenting about Home Plate ump calls as if we cannot see for ourselves if a call should have been a ball or a strike. Seems like Lakin got maybe about 8 pitches out there and he pitched like it. So the real failing last night was Cora's.

 

What was Cora doing running Brasier out there to close yet again? Why was Workman used in the 7th when he could have been an option to close? Why was Hembree not brought in to the 9th to close. The 9th was a clean inning which means that while neither Work or Hembree are closers, they would have been better options than the now entirely defunct Brasier. Instead he brings in Brasier who implodes so quickly that I guess the Sox brain trust was musing instead of getting somebody up. Then in the bottom of the 9th inning, apparently Cora had nobody up in anticipation that his offense might have come back to tie! WHAT THE f*** IS GOING ON OVER THERE.

 

Between Cora's grand strategy of putting the Rotation in a hammock for ST and the games he has tossed so far this regular season he is beginning to run up a heck of a tally of "Blown Games by Manager".

Edited May 29, 2019 by jung

[MADSTORK]

How bout that Brasier?

[notin]

How bout that Brasier?

 

Oh look. A Mad Stork sighting. It’s been months.

 

How about that “lucky to win 85 games” prediction of yours from last year? Hey you were only off by 34...

[Bellhorn04]

How bout that Brasier?

 

He sucked last night, but he did help win a ring last year, STORKSHIT.

[notin]

The Angels have a deep pen and a glut of infield injuries. They have very little depth even with the explosion of Tommy La Stella, since their only other infielder (David Fletcher) is used everywhere.

 

The Sox could give up an infielder (Nunez?). While Robles, Buttrey, Bedrosian, and Anderson are most definitely not available for Nunez, maybe late bloomer Felix Pena?

[iortiz]

Well, something is for sure, I think Cora has learned for once and for all that he can't use Braiser in late innings regardless the situation.

 

Said that it should be Walden Workman Hembree Barnes in regular basis.

[mvp 78]

How bout that Brasier?

 

His pitching is better than your personality.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Maybe we can add Keuchel and use Eovaldi as a closer.

 

I like the idea of Eovaldi closing. Weber is starting today and he's been pretty impressive so far. This is a stretch, but if Weber continues to pitch well, he could be the #5 starter, freeing up Eovaldi to close. That, to me, is the SOX best scenario at this point.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

The Pen? You mean Barnes?? Because I don’t trust anyone outside of Matt at this point. They pitched like a group of scared little leaguers tonight. Worst loss of the season so far.

 

The SOX BP has been mostly terrible, but Walden, Workman, and Barnes have been pretty consistently good so far.

[Bellhorn04]

The SOX BP has been mostly terrible, but Walden, Workman, and Barnes have been pretty consistently good so far.

 

Hembree's been fine too, for a 6th-7th inning guy, with a 3.00 ERA and 1.25 WHIP.

And before last night's disaster, Brasier's ERA was 2.78.

 

But it certainly looks like reinforcements are necessary.

[harmony]

DFA Josh Smith. He will go unclaimed. (The Sox still have one open spot on the 40 man roster.)

 

Promote Mejia and sign Rodney.

 

Send Velasquez and Lakins back to Pawtucket...

Jenrry Mejia has a 6.75 ERA over his past 10 appearances at Pawtucket:

 

http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=516769#/career/R/pitching/2019/ALL

 

Still I have yet to cut Mejia (or Ryan Brasier) from my fantasy roster.

[moonslav59]

Hembree's been fine too, for a 6th-7th inning guy, with a 3.00 ERA and 1.25 WHIP.

And before last night's disaster, Brasier's ERA was 2.78.

 

But it certainly looks like reinforcements are necessary.

 

Brasier was fantastic for us last year (second half call-up), and certainly he deserved a chance to show that wasn't a fluke. It looked like he might be coming around, before last night, as he had gone his last 4 outings (4 IP) without giving up a hit, walk or run.

 

I don't blame Cora for trying him in the 9th, last night. The Lakins choice was highly questionable. Even Walden, who had been our rock, stumbled at the worst time.

 

Pens are hard to predict. If I'd have told everyone that these guys would have these numbers near the end of May, you'd think our pen must be great:

 

OPS Against as a RP'er ONLY (PAs against)

.400 Workman (94)

.522 Walden (118)

.573 Barnes (87)

.669 Weber (35)

.689 Brasier (93)

.705 Hembree (102)

 

Most of these were low leverage PAs against:

.739 Velazquez (56)

.747 Brewer (103)

.851 Lakins (32) (Most from last night)

.963 DHern (12)

.972 Thornburg (86)

1.285 Johnson (30)

1.345 ERam (15)

 

I've been saying all along, we could use a nice pen upgrade. I felt maybe waiting until the deadline might be the best idea, so we could take on more "pro-rated" salary, instead of a whole season's salary, and we'd flush out the other 6-7 RP'er out of the 15 or so trying to stick on the 25 man roster.

 

I have not given up on Brasier, despite his drop in Ks and his performance last night. I still have hopes that Walden and Workman are for real, but hoping on Walden might be homerism.

 

Right now, I'd use Barnes and Workman as my ninth inning or high leverage guys. Walden and Hembree as my main set-up guys. Velazquez as my long man, and Brasier as the mop up man trying to show he can be given more meaningful innings over time.

 

We need to replace this whole Lakins/Brewer/Thornburg circus. Maybe Weber can move to the pen when Eovaldi returns, but I'd feel safer leaving him as AAA depth to the rotation and acquiring a solid RP'er via trade.

 

I'd be willing to trade Dalbec and Johnson, if anybody wants him or maybe a decent farm arm. Maybe we could shed some salary by finding a taker for some of Nunez or Pearce's salaries, so we can add more pen salary through salary dump trades as we near the trade deadline.

 

We still can win the division. I'm sure of it, but we are making it tougher by losing games like last night's.

[fxkatt]

Wouldn't Brock Holt (lower salary, more effective) be easier to trade for pitching than Nunez? Holt to the Angels for one of their relief depth guys.

[harmony]

Wouldn't Brock Holt (lower salary, more effective) be easier to trade for pitching than Nunez? Holt to the Angels for one of their relief depth guys.

I doubt the 25-29 Los Angeles Angels, who are not expected to contend this year, would trade for a nearly 31-year-old utility player with a .125/.222/.125/.347 line over 27 plate appearances in his final year of team control.

Edited May 29, 2019 by harmony

[Bellhorn04]

Wouldn't Brock Holt (lower salary, more effective) be easier to trade for pitching than Nunez? Holt to the Angels for one of their relief depth guys.

 

Neither are trade material.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

The SOX farm system is a desert right now. They were lucky to get Chavis and Weber from it. Players like Nunez, Holt, and Pearce won't get the SOX the quality BP arm they need. Eovaldi has the make-up to be a decent closer and let's see how Weber performs today.

[jacksonianmarch]

Nunez isn’t going to be the main piece for any type of acquisition. He sucks. The one way I could see him being dealt is to balance salary, but another piece would have to go with him.

 

I could see the Sox tacking Ockimey and another prospect together with Nunez to get a soon to be FA reliever and balancing out the cash.

[Bellhorn04]

I could see the Sox tacking Ockimey and another prospect together with Nunez to get a soon to be FA reliever and balancing out the cash.

 

Nunez adds nothing. But yes, a couple of prospects might get you a reliever who's an FA to be.

[notin]

Jenrry Mejia has a 6.75 ERA over his past 10 appearances at Pawtucket:

 

http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=516769#/career/R/pitching/2019/ALL

 

Still I have yet to cut Mejia (or Ryan Brasier) from my fantasy roster.

 

 

He also has a 5.09 ERA, but only a 3.28 FIP...

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Maybe we can add Keuchel and use Eovaldi as a closer.

 

It appears only you and me feel using Eovaldi as a closer is a good idea.

[notin]

Nunez isn’t going to be the main piece for any type of acquisition. He sucks. The one way I could see him being dealt is to balance salary, but another piece would have to go with him.

 

I could see the Sox tacking Ockimey and another prospect together with Nunez to get a soon to be FA reliever and balancing out the cash.

 

It’s not like anyone is targeting Brad Hand here. The only name suggested was a 29yo career minor leaguer...

[notin]

The SOX farm system is a desert right now. They were lucky to get Chavis and Weber from it. Players like Nunez, Holt, and Pearce won't get the SOX the quality BP arm they need. Eovaldi has the make-up to be a decent closer and let's see how Weber performs today.

 

Weber isn’t really a farm system product. He’s a career minor leaguer who pops up in the majors every now and then.

 

Keep those expectations in check...

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Weber isn’t really a farm system product. He’s a career minor leaguer who pops up in the majors every now and then.

 

 

 

 

Keep those expectations in check...

 

I said Weber came up from the minors, not that he was developed there. The SOX farm doesn't develop pitchers. Btw, my expectations are in check.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

I said Weber came up from the minors, not that he was developed there. The SOX farm doesn't develop pitchers. Btw, my expectations are in check.

 

 

I probably should have said the SOX minor league is a desert now.

[Slasher9]

dessert

[dgalehouse]

Sox are bringing up Josh Taylor from Pawtucket. He's not the greatest, but he is a lefty , something that has been missing from the pen . If Cora is going to insist on using Barnes in 7th and 8th inning " leverage " situations, he will need to mix and match after that . Maybe a lefty can help .

[Bellhorn04]

It appears only you and me feel using Eovaldi as a closer is a good idea.

 

I wouldn't be upset if they try it, assuming Weber pitches well again.

[dgalehouse]

As far as using Eovaldi as a closer : Have we backtracked on the idea that you don't want to spend big bucks on a closer ? Have we backtracked on the idea that a starter is more important / valuable than a closer? Have we backtracked on the idea that the bullpen is fine ? Just asking .

[notin]

As far as using Eovaldi as a closer : Have we backtracked on the idea that you don't want to spend big bucks on a closer ? Have we backtracked on the idea that a starter is more important / valuable than a closer? Have we backtracked on the idea that the bullpen is fine ? Just asking .

 

Dombrowski hasn’t.

 

He’s sticking to the idea you don’t need a big money closer in October if you build a deep enough rotation, which has been his MO for most of his career. Spend on the starters - skimp on the bullpen.

 

Personally I don’t think you need a big name closer who costs lots of money and only handles the ninth inning. But you do need relief pitchers who don’t suck...