Nunez DFA’d

[Kimmi]

We are at a point in the season where something has to be done to get this club to play better ball. Last night there was a lot of good effort by many players yet we came up short. So perhaps the message had to be sent that if you don't perform, you may be gone. Nunez and Velazquez certainly fit that category and with Moreland coming up soon, room had to be made. Velazqez was one of the weakest links in the BP, so we need to try a different path.

 

I don't disagree with you, nor do I disagree with the decisions to DFA Nunez or send Velazquez down.

 

I just don't get why this team is not clicking. There is too much talent on the team for them to be playing mediocre baseball.

[Kimmi]

Why was it the right thing to do? The Sox used his roster spot to promote Sam Travis and his sub-.400 OPS.

 

Sam Travis is “Mr. March”. (I would also accept “Mr. Florida” or “Mr. Grapefruit”.) Crushes in spring training, but once the regular season starts, his inability to hit MLB pitching is on full display. And it’s not like he brings any defense or versatility to the Sox here either.

 

No idea why, during the most baseball-intensive stretch of the season when depth is vital, Dombrowski clears out an actual versatile (albeit limited) Major League player and promotes one of the least useful minor leaguers in the entire organization...

 

1. Travis has supposedly been killing the ball in AAA recently. Yes, I am aware of the SSS caveat.

2. DFAing Nunez eliminates the problem of what to do when Moreland returns, which reportedly might be Friday. OK, the Sox could have waited until Moreland actually returned, but no biggie either way. The Sox needed the roster spot, and Travis will be sent down soon enough.

3. We are now in the Marco Hernandez era, making Nunez replaceable.

4. Do you know how bad Nunez was playing?

 

I'm not trying to knock Nunez. But it was time to part ways.

[Slasher9]

I don't disagree with you, nor do I disagree with the decisions to DFA Nunez or send Velazquez down.

 

I just don't get why this team is not clicking. There is too much talent on the team for them to be playing mediocre baseball.

 

Because: WTF

He set the tone for this season with the lackadaisical approach to spring training and that s*** has rolled downhill

[dannycater]

Maybe, but all 3 moves were made after these last two gut-wrenching losses.

 

What did they say was Wright's new injury?

 

Had Nunez gone 3 for 4 last night, would he still be here?

 

The Velazquez choice makes sense, in light of the long stretch of games we face.

 

Should Wright make a joint apology to 1. his teammates, 2. his wife, 3. the game of baseball, 4. the organization, 5. Red Sox fans....he's running out of excuses

[dannycater]

HanRam, then Nunez, oh the humanity.

[Bellhorn04]

Because: WTF

He set the tone for this season with the lackadaisical approach to spring training and that s*** has rolled downhill

 

The 2019 offense is now averaging more runs than the 2018 offense.

 

The pitching has been brutal. That's the simple explanation.

[Kimmi]

Because: WTF

He set the tone for this season with the lackadaisical approach to spring training and that s*** has rolled downhill

 

I am on the fence about that. Cora did such a great job motivating the team last year and pushing all the right buttons, that it's hard for me to blame him this season. OTOH, the team has not looked right since the beginning of the season. They are making mental errors that we didn't see last year.

[Slasher9]

The 2019 offense is now averaging more runs than the 2018 offense.

 

The pitching has been brutal. That's the simple explanation.

 

Name me one team who’s offense isn’t better this year?

There will be 10k home runs this season

[Bellhorn04]

Name me one team who’s offense isn’t better this year?

There will be 10k home runs this season

 

That's a fair point, but the fact is that our offense is .01 runs per game from being the highest scoring offense in MLB.

 

The offense is fine. The pitching is brutal.

[iortiz]

DD seems to be getting very reactive, recently.

 

Wright sucks and gets placed on the "phantom?" IL.

 

Nunez sucks again and get's DFA'd.

 

Velazquez sucks and gets demoted.

 

Weber and Travis are not solutions, my friends. We need to make a deal for a RP'er YESTERDAY!

 

Moreland will replace Travis, but we need to replace Weber and Walden on the 25 man roster. Give Cora a couple new tools (2 solid RP'ers) and tell him that's it: sink or swim. Prepare for a sell-off, if things don't improve.

 

We can't wait no more. Moves have to be made. All above suck.

[moonslav59]

That's a fair point, but the fact is that our offense is .01 runs per game from being the highest scoring offense in MLB.

 

The offense is fine. The pitching is brutal.

 

Agreed, but the offense has struggled when needed

[S5Dewey]

This team is scoring enough runs to win. The problems with the offense wouldn't be problems if the pitching were up to par.

[iortiz]

This team is scoring enough runs to win. The problems with the offense wouldn't be problems if the pitching were up to par.

 

Yup. This offense is elite and is close to 2018.

 

Offense isn't clearly the problem.

[Bellhorn04]

Agreed, but the offense has struggled when needed

 

The offense has lost some games, sure, but overall they are doing their job.

[moonslav59]

The offense has lost some games, sure, but overall they are doing their job.

 

The offense is the least to blame, for sure.

[Slasher9]

The effect of the 2019 baseball makes winning % comps between 2018 and 2019 runs scored per game illogical.

There’s been 4K homeruns so far this season. That is insane.

[Kimmi]

The offense is the least to blame, for sure.

 

Earlier in the season, our offense was streaky and unable to come up with a timely hit. IMO, they were more to blame than the BP. At this point, I agree that they are now the least to blame.

[Kimmi]

Last year, when the Sox scored 3 runs or fewer, they were 13-37 (.260).

 

To date this season, when the Sox scored 3 runs or fewer, they are 3-25 (.107).

 

Not good in either case, as one would expect, but we are doing worse in that category this year than last year. Pitching, pitching, pitching.

[Bellhorn04]

Last year, when the Sox scored 3 runs or fewer, they were 13-37 (.260).

 

To date this season, when the Sox scored 3 runs or fewer, they are 3-25 (.107).

 

Not good in either case, as one would expect, but we are doing worse in that category this year than last year.

 

Far worse, in fact. If we extrapolate the current record to 50 games to equate to 2018, the record would be 5-45, or 8 games worse.

[Kimmi]

Far worse, in fact. If we extrapolate the current record to 50 games to equate to 2018, the record would be 5-45, or 8 games worse.

 

Which is about the difference in the standings.

 

I also looked at the records in games where our pitchers gave up 3 or fewer runs, to see how many losses might be attributed to lack of offense each year.

 

2018: 74-8 (.902)

 

2019: 27-3 (.900)

 

Those are almost identical.