When does DD push the panic button..??

[moonslav59]

I haven't given up hope, but we should start planning a fire sale along with looking to improve for a last gasp run.

 

This is sad.

[vegasbob]

The 2019 team has simply failed, including guys like Sale, to whom future significant contract commitments have been made. A reset/rebuild is much more likely than some misguided lurch towards a play-in date.

The key guy who could return real value is still Betts (not Beni) . The team will owe him at least $20 million for 2020 and then get zip from him after that season. Convert mookie niow to possibly 3 MLB caliber players, who do not currently exist within the Red Sox system.

[Hitch]

We do not need a reset/rebuild. Nor will it likely happen. If we decide to be sellers we will see what we can get for Porcello, Moreland and any other pieces we don't really want. We won't get much but we might get a couple of interesting prospects/lottery types.

 

That said, I would certainly kick the tyres on any potential Betts trades. I mentioned it a month or so ago, but I think we'd be stupid not to. I imagine there are a couple of teams very close the next two years that would love him for some top quality prospects close to a promotion. I'd look at trading JD too if he'd shown any indication he was likely to opt out season end. We'd get some more very good prospects back for him. Then go back and re-sign him in the summer. Only under the stipulation that discussion had taken back, mind you.

 

Either way, I'm sure the office is doing it's job and exploring all possibilities.

 

I'll make the point again, falling out of contention this year could actually be healthy in the medium to longer term if we made the right trades.

[OH FOY]

Guardians won we lost for last WC spot, were 3 games behind them in the loss column.

[oldtimer]

I haven't given up hope, but we should start planning a fire sale along with looking to improve for a last gasp run.

 

This is sad.

 

I postulated having a plan B available. Hold on to the best assets, and we know who they are. Try to trade the marginal guys. Some may be in contracts and are marginal, but we probably can't trade so we hang onto as baggage. DFA players that just don't help the club at all and can't be traded. Bring up the best prospects and let them show if they are ready. Don't trade away the best low cost prospects.

 

Are we at that point yet? It's looking more and more like it for these reasons.

 

1. Weak starting pitching

2. Awful relief pitching

3. Too many field players who don't or can't hit consistently

4. The general idea of resting key players so that we seldom put the total best on the field together. (I'm old school, where players weren't as coddled)

[S5Dewey]

The situation with the 2019 Red Sox is somewhere between sad and unbelievable. This team that won 108 games last year has become a .500 team with no major changes.

 

I have been taught/conditioned by the stat geeks to believe that a player's emotional state has no bearing on their performance. In short, they're human 'robots' who go onto the field every day and play to their abilities. That's why there's no such thing as 'clutch' or 'choke' - their emotional state doesn't enter into the game. It's all about their physical skills.

 

That's what's so frustrating about the 2019 Red Sox..that they've lost the skills to play baseball at a MLB winning pace. I could offer anecdotal evidence about happier players winning more games but it would only be dismissed as anecdotal evidence which is trumped by statistics. Stats rule.

 

With that in mind we may as well sit back and accept this team as it is because no trade, no shake-up is going to make these player/robots play better than they currently are. They're doing all they can do. We're not going to be able to trade Beni for a player/players/robot who will make enough of a change in LF to turn this team into a contender again, the same with Mookie or anyone else on this team. We have a bunch of player/robots who aren't producing and no GM is going to offer any better players for them.

 

Me? I think there's something going on in that clubhouse that we don't know about but the only thing I can offer to support that is 40 years of playing and coaching experience. In short, anecdotal evidence which is essentially worthless.

 

Stats rule!

[cp176]

The situation with the 2019 Red Sox is somewhere between sad and unbelievable. This team that won 108 games last year has become a .500 team with no major changes.

 

I have been taught/conditioned by the stat geeks to believe that a player's emotional state has no bearing on their performance. In short, they're human 'robots' who go onto the field every day and play to their abilities. That's why there's no such thing as 'clutch' or 'choke' - their emotional state doesn't enter into the game. It's all about their physical skills.

 

That's what's so frustrating about the 2019 Red Sox..that they've lost the skills to play baseball at a MLB winning pace. I could offer anecdotal evidence about happier players winning more games but it would only be dismissed as anecdotal evidence which is trumped by statistics. Stats rule.

 

With that in mind we may as well sit back and accept this team as it is because no trade, no shake-up is going to make these player/robots play better than they currently are. They're doing all they can do. We're not going to be able to trade Beni for a player/players/robot who will make enough of a change in LF to turn this team into a contender again, the same with Mookie or anyone else on this team. We have a bunch of player/robots who aren't producing and no GM is going to offer any better players for them.

 

Me? I think there's something going on in that clubhouse that we don't know about but the only thing I can offer to support that is 40 years of playing and coaching experience. In short, anecdotal evidence which is essentially worthless.

 

Stats rule!

 

Oh you rascally rabbit.

It is about a couple of things for me I think. Not resigning Kimbrel obviously hurt us. Hoping that a thousand guys who have never come close to doing what he has done would get it done, was a pipe dream. Adding to that is the overall underperformance of one of my very favorite players Chris Sale. When you truly have that guy who everybody expects to be the man every time he gets the ball, and for whatever reason, he struggles i think that the mental impact on your team can be huge. I also think that not having Eovaldi has had quite an impact on the process as well. These guys are not robots - we know that. The mental emotional side plays quite a role regardless of what anyone thinks - it is true. On a positive note though, we have had some guys playing very well. We just seem to be a little lackluster right now. It also is human nature I guess for the typical fan to run around searching for reasons why what looked like guaranteed success just doesn't happen. Sometimes stuff just happens.

[devildavid]

The situation with the 2019 Red Sox is somewhere between sad and unbelievable. This team that won 108 games last year has become a .500 team with no major changes.

 

I have been taught/conditioned by the stat geeks to believe that a player's emotional state has no bearing on their performance. In short, they're human 'robots' who go onto the field every day and play to their abilities. That's why there's no such thing as 'clutch' or 'choke' - their emotional state doesn't enter into the game. It's all about their physical skills.

 

That's what's so frustrating about the 2019 Red Sox..that they've lost the skills to play baseball at a MLB winning pace. I could offer anecdotal evidence about happier players winning more games but it would only be dismissed as anecdotal evidence which is trumped by statistics. Stats rule.

 

With that in mind we may as well sit back and accept this team as it is because no trade, no shake-up is going to make these player/robots play better than they currently are. They're doing all they can do. We're not going to be able to trade Beni for a player/players/robot who will make enough of a change in LF to turn this team into a contender again, the same with Mookie or anyone else on this team. We have a bunch of player/robots who aren't producing and no GM is going to offer any better players for them.

 

Me? I think there's something going on in that clubhouse that we don't know about but the only thing I can offer to support that is 40 years of playing and coaching experience. In short, anecdotal evidence which is essentially worthless.

 

Stats rule!

 

Wins bring happiness, not the other way around.

 

I agree that players are not just bundles of stats that follow statistical rules. The stats only give you an idea of their performance capabilities, strengths and weaknesses. Players are often not as great as their best season nor as bad as their worst season. Physical performance in a sport with such specialized skills is tough to analyze and predict. This team has no reason to be unhappy as they are defending champs. Mookie still smiles and seems to behaving fun playing baseball. If there is anecdotal evidence out their that this is an unhappy team I would be curious to know the source of their unhappiness. Supposedly they were unhappy under Farrell while winning the division two seasons in a row. Now they have Cora who they all seem to love but they are struggling this season. So there is something illogical about putting the blame on emotions just as much as you think there is in a cold, stats based approach.

[jung]

We do not need a reset/rebuild. Nor will it likely happen. If we decide to be sellers we will see what we can get for Porcello, Moreland and any other pieces we don't really want. We won't get much but we might get a couple of interesting prospects/lottery types.

 

That said, I would certainly kick the tyres on any potential Betts trades. I mentioned it a month or so ago, but I think we'd be stupid not to. I imagine there are a couple of teams very close the next two years that would love him for some top quality prospects close to a promotion. I'd look at trading JD too if he'd shown any indication he was likely to opt out season end. We'd get some more very good prospects back for him. Then go back and re-sign him in the summer. Only under the stipulation that discussion had taken back, mind you.

 

Either way, I'm sure the office is doing it's job and exploring all possibilities.

 

I'll make the point again, falling out of contention this year could actually be healthy in the medium to longer term if we made the right trades.

 

If they were doing THEIR JOB, they would not have extended Sale, would have been seriously considering their best options with Mookie as soon as he rejected their $20M per offer in 2017, would not have signed Pearce at all and probably would not have signed Eovaldi for the outrageous money they gave him though I was OK with him being kept. Who were they competing with for Nate's services at that money....THEMSELVES!

 

Not only was the Pearce money a total waste but the entire manner in which they have handled 1st base has been a laugh. If they ARE doing their job, they will decide whether it makes sense to simply allow Mookie to go to FA or trade him. HE IS NOT A $30M PLAYER. Let somebody else spend stupid money on him. They would look to package up Beni and get him the hell out of here.

 

Beyond that, they have really strapped themselves and the only people that don't think so believe Henry will treat his business like a bottomless pit of money for DD to draw on when Henry knows DD has NEVER restrained himself and has ALWAY been willing to spend every last farm prospect and every last dime the owner lets him spend.

 

I cannot consider these posts about going after Scherzer seriously because they have extended Sale! Has anybody seen the Scherzer contract? Where is that money supposed to come from...ain't coming from John Henry and anybody that thinks it will does not know what business Fenway Group is actually in. Hint....its not sports franchise management....its an entertainment enterprise.

 

Henry is telling DD, you got your money, you spent it. You had your farm system you spent that too....just like you always do. Henry only needs to win one of these things once a decade or so and he is fine. He is running a carnival down there on "The Way".

Edited July 4, 2019 by jung

[Bellhorn04]

The situation with the 2019 Red Sox is somewhere between sad and unbelievable. This team that won 108 games last year has become a .500 team with no major changes.

 

I have been taught/conditioned by the stat geeks to believe that a player's emotional state has no bearing on their performance. In short, they're human 'robots' who go onto the field every day and play to their abilities. That's why there's no such thing as 'clutch' or 'choke' - their emotional state doesn't enter into the game. It's all about their physical skills.

 

That's what's so frustrating about the 2019 Red Sox..that they've lost the skills to play baseball at a MLB winning pace. I could offer anecdotal evidence about happier players winning more games but it would only be dismissed as anecdotal evidence which is trumped by statistics. Stats rule.

 

With that in mind we may as well sit back and accept this team as it is because no trade, no shake-up is going to make these player/robots play better than they currently are. They're doing all they can do. We're not going to be able to trade Beni for a player/players/robot who will make enough of a change in LF to turn this team into a contender again, the same with Mookie or anyone else on this team. We have a bunch of player/robots who aren't producing and no GM is going to offer any better players for them.

 

Me? I think there's something going on in that clubhouse that we don't know about but the only thing I can offer to support that is 40 years of playing and coaching experience. In short, anecdotal evidence which is essentially worthless.

 

Stats rule!

 

I would like to play the role of moderator between the old school and new school here.

 

First of all I agree with your general point. I think there is something amiss with the team mentally.

 

I do think, however, it's unfair to say that stat geeks dismiss the emotional factors. Kimmi tries to make that point repeatedly. 'Clutch' is a topic that's been hammered to death here. But one thing that needs to be clarified about it. Stat geeks don't say that clutch plays don't exist. They just say that clutch isn't a 'skill' that can be consistently repeated.

 

But let's leave all that aside. I like your post a lot (except for the stat geek references).

[Bellhorn04]

The key guy who could return real value is still Betts (not Beni) . The team will owe him at least $20 million for 2020 and then get zip from him after that season. Convert mookie niow to possibly 3 MLB caliber players, who do not currently exist within the Red Sox system.

 

The thing is, though, for a trade to be plausible it has to make sense for both teams.

 

Usually when you trade a player of Mookie's caliber and pay grade you get back prospects. Because the team trading for him is obviously in a win now mode.

[notin]

and probably would not have signed Eovaldi for the outrageous money they gave him though I was OK with him being kept. Who were they competing with for Nate's services at that money....THEMSELVES!

 

Actually there were reportedly several teams in on Eovaldi.

 

Pearce? Probably against themselves. But Eovaldi was supposedly a hot commodity for a while this past offseason...

[jacksonianmarch]

Guardians won we lost for last WC spot, were 3 games behind them in the loss column.

 

Guardians have the easiest path to the WC. The Sox have certainly painted themselves in a corner

[jung]

Actually there were reportedly several teams in on Eovaldi.

 

Pearce? Probably against themselves. But Eovaldi was supposedly a hot commodity for a while this past offseason...

 

Really, while it is only the scuttlebutt, the scuttlebutt was that nobody was in or close to in on what the Sox gave him and how Sox-like is that! How DD like is that!

[S5Dewey]

Wins bring happiness, not the other way around.

 

I agree that players are not just bundles of stats that follow statistical rules. The stats only give you an idea of their performance capabilities, strengths and weaknesses. Players are often not as great as their best season nor as bad as their worst season. Physical performance in a sport with such specialized skills is tough to analyze and predict. This team has no reason to be unhappy as they are defending champs. Mookie still smiles and seems to behaving fun playing baseball. If there is anecdotal evidence out their that this is an unhappy team I would be curious to know the source of their unhappiness. Supposedly they were unhappy under Farrell while winning the division two seasons in a row. Now they have Cora who they all seem to love but they are struggling this season. So there is something illogical about putting the blame on emotions just as much as you think there is in a cold, stats based approach.

 

Wins and happiness are interrelated. I want to say that wins bring happiness and happiness brings wins but I can only offer anecdotal evidence and observation. Of course since happiness is immeasurable anything that indicates happiness has any bearing on wins is only anecdotal evidence and may not be true. It can easily dismissed by those who choose to do so (trying not to use the words 'stat geeks' here) by saying that there are no statistics to back that up.

 

IMHO using logic to try to explain emotions is... illogical.

[notin]

Really, while it is only the scuttlebutt, the scuttlebutt was that nobody was in or close to in on what the Sox gave him and how Sox-like is that! How DD like is that!

 

 

I’m not one to defend DD for no reason, and certainly not one to justify the outrageous Eovaldi contract, but what little I heard had other bidder(s) in that range.

 

Even MLBTR had a 4 year $60mill prediction for his contract. He was expected to do well...

[Slasher9]

I’m not one to defend DD for no reason, and certainly not one to justify the outrageous Eovaldi contract, but what little I heard had other bidder(s) in that range.

 

Even MLBTR had a 4 year $60mill prediction for his contract. He was expected to do well...

 

What did they predict for kuechel and kimbrell?

[jung]

I’m not one to defend DD for no reason, and certainly not one to justify the outrageous Eovaldi contract, but what little I heard had other bidder(s) in that range.

 

Even MLBTR had a 4 year $60mill prediction for his contract. He was expected to do well...

 

So $8M does not mean anything any longer? Put two knuckleheaded deals together like that and you have $16M. At some point, you have to be willing to say No Mas. DD has hardly ever been willing to say No Mas in a career utterly describe by overpays. Heck give me the $8M. Give me the $68M at this point.

 

Pearce and Nate were great adds to the 2018 season. Why DD fell in love with them is a mystery to me. They did their jobs....everybody is happy....THE END!

 

Maybe DD misread Henry. But I keep going back to a view NESN gave us into the owners suite last year. I am sure NESN simply did not think about what they were doing. But this was right during the period when there was all this noise about spending a bunch more money, way past Pearce and Nate money to bring in more players to seal the deal. Henry for his part was animated and gesticulating in the discussion. DD was dour and stone-like. I don't think they were discussing tacking maneuvers into the wind.

[Bellhorn04]

So $8M does not mean anything any longer? Put two knuckleheaded deals together like that and you have $16M. At some point, you have to be willing to say No Mas. DD has hardly ever been willing to say No Mas in a career utterly describe by overpays. Heck give me the $8M. Give me the $68M at this point.

 

Pearce and Nate were great adds to the 2018 season. Why DD fell in love with them is a mystery to me. They did their jobs....everybody is happy....THE END!

 

Maybe DD misread Henry. But I keep going back to a view NESN gave us into the owners suite last year. I am sure NESN simply did not think about what they were doing. But this was right during the period when there was all this noise about spending a bunch more money, way past Pearce and Nate money to bring in more players to seal the deal. Henry for his part was animated and gesticulating in the discussion. DD was dour and stone-like. I don't think they were discussing tacking maneuvers into the wind.

 

I've heard of reading a lot into things, but this takes the cake. Maybe DD was dour and stone-like at that moment because he was having 'issues at home' or something.

[southpaw777]

Wins and happiness are interrelated. I want to say that wins bring happiness and happiness brings wins but I can only offer anecdotal evidence and observation. Of course since happiness is immeasurable anything that indicates happiness has any bearing on wins is only anecdotal evidence and may not be true. It can easily dismissed by those who choose to do so (trying not to use the words 'stat geeks' here) by saying that there are no statistics to back that up.

 

IMHO using logic to try to explain emotions is... illogical.

 

Hey bud! Hope you've been doing well.

Yeah, its the human element. Your “best” varies from day to day. Obviously the physical issues they all go through are there, but How we/they think and feel have a LOT to do with everything, not just baseball.

Even guys who seem very balanced emotionally can struggle with this game.

I think the offense overall has played good enough to win many more games. The starters have been off, but have been a little better as of late. Now, the whole collection of failed starters and misfits in the bullpen was a terrible idea from the word go. Having no closer was doomed from the start IMO. We have 100+m committed to starting pitching(Eovaldi included), so they're not going to go get another 20-30m starter this year.

Its been a mess this year for sure, but its certainly not over. Theres enough talent here to win. Thats a fact. Guys like Betts and JD are underachieving so far, but guys like Devers, Vaz, and Chavis have taken a step forward with their development. Hopefully it all comes together. Im not ready to sell off big names just yet. I think theres enough time and talent to get it going. Come the end of July/start of august I may have a different opinion.

[S5Dewey]

I would like to play the role of moderator between the old school and new school here.

 

First of all I agree with your general point. I think there is something amiss with the team mentally.

 

I do think, however, it's unfair to say that stat geeks dismiss the emotional factors. Kimmi tries to make that point repeatedly. 'Clutch' is a topic that's been hammered to death here. But one thing that needs to be clarified about it. Stat geeks don't say that clutch plays don't exist. They just say that clutch isn't a 'skill' that can be consistently repeated.

 

But let's leave all that aside. I like your post a lot (except for the stat geek references).

 

This team just strikes me as having a general malaise about it that I'm not comfortable with and since I don't believe that good players just simply stop playing well (Alan Craig being the exception) I have to look for reasons.

 

The thing I've learned about the folks posting here (myself included) is that when one reads between the lines on the issue of stats vs. mental state they can immediately discern the poster's leaning.

Some of us say, "I believe in the mental side of the game BUT....", while others say, "I believe in stats BUT...", and their true opinion is immediately after the "BUT". That's fine, but at the same time it diminishes the points made by the opposing viewpoint. I don't expect anyone to abandon their beliefs just as I'm not going to abandon mine, but that is the way it is.

 

And BTW, very few things in baseball are "repeatable skills". Throwing a baseball is a repeatable skill. Throwing it accurately isn't. Swinging a bat is a repeatable skill. Hitting a baseball with that bat isn't. It's the nature of the game and why I don't buy into the "not a repeatable skill" argument.

[jung]

I've heard of reading a lot into things, but this takes the cake. Maybe DD was dour and stone-like at that moment because he was having 'issues at home' or something.

 

or maybe Henry was telling him what he appears to be telling him AGAIN now.

[notin]

And BTW, very few things in baseball are "repeatable skills". Throwing a baseball is a repeatable skill. Throwing it accurately isn't. Swinging a bat is a repeatable skill. Hitting a baseball with that bat isn't. It's the nature of the game and why I don't buy into the "not a repeatable skill" argument.

 

Well, the primary “not a repeatable skill” stat is RBIs. And the main reason is, outside of HRs, it’s 100% dependeant on other players being on base. If. Hitter comes up with 400 runners on base one year and 300 the next, his RBI totals will obviously drop regardless of performance.

 

The things you say are not repeatable skills are things I would argue are, depending on the level of precision. But the repeatability of those skills is what gets many to the majors. I can get (very) lucky and hit a Nathan Eovaldi fastball once. But once that happens, it ain’t repeating...

[notin]

So $8M does not mean anything any longer? Put two knuckleheaded deals together like that and you have $16M. At some point, you have to be willing to say No Mas. DD has hardly ever been willing to say No Mas in a career utterly describe by overpays. Heck give me the $8M. Give me the $68M at this point.

 

Pearce and Nate were great adds to the 2018 season. Why DD fell in love with them is a mystery to me. They did their jobs....everybody is happy....THE END!

 

Maybe DD misread Henry. But I keep going back to a view NESN gave us into the owners suite last year. I am sure NESN simply did not think about what they were doing. But this was right during the period when there was all this noise about spending a bunch more money, way past Pearce and Nate money to bring in more players to seal the deal. Henry for his part was animated and gesticulating in the discussion. DD was dour and stone-like. I don't think they were discussing tacking maneuvers into the wind.

 

 

You do realize MLBTR makes those predictions before players declare and GMs ignore them, right? They also predict teams free agents sign with, but HMs don’t treat that like its an assigned task...

[jung]

You do realize MLBTR makes those predictions before players declare and GMs ignore them, right? They also predict teams free agents sign with, but HMs don’t treat that like its an assigned task...

 

Hey ....you brought up the analysis not me. If your defense of bringing it up is that they are made before players declare and that GM's ignore them, why bring them up. Yea....I am cranky lately and its this sort of stuff that has me cranky.

[notin]

Hey ....you brought up the analysis not me. If your defense of bringing it up is that they are made before players declare and that GM's ignore them, why bring them up. Yea....I am cranky lately and its this sort of stuff that has me cranky.

 

Oh I think the cranky thing was not a secret

 

I brought it up just to show Eovaldi was in an expected range, not that MLBTR writers are known for their predictions.

 

Look, if I’m defending Dombrowski, it’s probably because he didn’t make a mistake...

[jacksonianmarch]

The night show on EEI last night talked out buying rentals for minimal prospect outlay then selling Betts in the offseason. He makes a good point. If DD goes to Betts with a realistic contract offer (8yrs $240 mil or so) and Betts turns it down, he should 100% be dealt. No point in having a swan song with him when he can walk for nothing. Think about it, when Theo was GM, Betts would walk for a 1st rounder and a 1st supp pick. When Ben was GM, Betts would walk for a 1st round supp pick. If Betts walks after 2020, the sox get a 4th round supp pick. Not even worth holding onto him in that case.

[Maxbialystock]

The simple fact is that winning is what creates a good mental attitude and the expectation of winning the next game. And losing, especially losing more than the year before, has the opposite effect.

 

That said, you only have to watch the games to see that the wins and losses are earned and rarely the result of some indefinable malaise.

 

Exhibit A in this argument is Chris Sale, who I think is the most professional pitcher in Red Sox uniform I have seen recently. Yet he is having a horrible season, and I refuse to believe it's because he pitched 6 fewer innings in ST this year than last year (2018). He has changed. His control isn't as good, his fastball has lost some steam, and his changeup ain't working although his slider is. It may also be that he is more comfortable with Leon behind the plate than Vazquez.

 

Exhibit B is Mookie Betts. He's getting $20M and is line for a huge free agent contract, and his numbers are way down from last year, especially with RISP. I would argue that opposing pitchers and especially coaches have figured some things out and know a lot more this year about how to get him out, especially with RISP. Last night was just one more example.

 

Exhibit C includes Bogie, Devers, Vazquez, JBJ, and maybe even Chavis, all of whom are hitting better or much better than last year. Plus Devers has even gotten better defensively. No way, no how are those five not looking forward to excelling in the next game and doing what it takes to win.

 

Exhibit D is the rotation writ large. As I have already detailed, ST did not kill them because ERod pitched the normal 15 innings this year and is pitching worse than last year and Price is pitching better than last year but pitched 6 fewer innings in ST than last year. Only Sale is a lot worse than last year and pitched 6 fewer innings in ST, but I would argue that he is worse because his fast ball has lost some zip, his control is not as good, and his changeup ain't working but was last year. My point is that our $88M/year rotation (Sale will get more than $15M next year) just maybe wasn't a good investment.

 

Exhibit E is the bullpen, who are paid peanuts--less than $10M for the whole bunch of them. The Yankees, on the other hand, have spent on a lot less for the rest of the rest of their roster and so have not one closer but in fact, have spent $40M on Ottavino, Britton, Germain, and Chapman, all of whom have higher WAR's than the Yankee starters except for Tanaka, whose WAR is 1.8 to Ottavino's 1.5. Their bullpen is the envy of MLB and gives that a big edge in almost every game they play. DD simply could not afford to do that for the Sox bullpen.

 

Exhibit F is that the Red Sox in the John Henry era have already demonstrated that they rarely follow a great season (win the WS) with a really good one. There is always a let down. And guess what? Last year was only the greatest season in Sox history with 108 wins in the regular season and taking 11 of 14 games in the postseason against the Yankees, Astros, and Dodgers.

Edited July 4, 2019 by Maxbialystock

[Kimmi]

I haven't given up hope, but we should start planning a fire sale along with looking to improve for a last gasp run.

 

This is sad.

 

Et tu, Moon?

 

Follow the light, my friend, follow the light.

[Bellhorn04]

or maybe Henry was telling him what he appears to be telling him AGAIN now.

 

I happen to think Dave Dombrowski is actually a pretty smart individual. He knows that John Henry has given him an enormous budget to work with but that the budget has limits.

 

I hardly think he was at any time unaware that there wasn't much budget left.

 

Maybe, just maybe, that had something to do with the fact he has barely spent a nickel since the Eovaldi & Pearce signings?