A Realistic View at 2020: Part II

[notin]

The Puig situation is a novel one. The Braves signed him and it was contingent upon him testing negative for COVID?

 

That’s just “Passing a Physical, 2020 Edition”...

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

That’s just “Passing a Physical, 2020 Edition”...

 

Before this year, "flu-like symptoms" was the go-to excuse when a player was so hungover he had to be scratched from the lineup.

 

Now "flu-like symptoms" can literally mean the end -- of a player's season, a team's season... even worse for some fans.

[devildavid]

Yup. 108 wins two years ago. Mediocre last year so we’ll always be mediocre going forward. Good analysis.

 

The team from two years ago is gone. More players will be leaving. Past performance by an entirely different team does not predict the future. Look at the team today and tell me how they are going to transform into anything but mediocrity.

[mvp 78]

The team from two years ago is gone. More players will be leaving. Past performance by an entirely different team does not predict the future. Look at the team today and tell me how they are going to transform into anything but mediocrity.

 

Is this also how you felt in 2005, 2012 and 2015?

[devildavid]

Is this also how you felt in 2005, 2012 and 2015?

 

I really don't remember, but a lot has changed in baseball since then. The Sox have not kept up with what is going on with successful pitching staffs. They have a lot of work to do to catch up with the top teams in the league in this area. This has never been an easy thing for them, even during this past era of success.

[Nick]

 

I'm not making any political statement. In my state (Indiana), we are now subject to 6 months jail time for not wearing mask. Not sure how they can enforce it...but this picture does not help.

[mvp 78]

I really don't remember, but a lot has changed in baseball since then. The Sox have not kept up with what is going on with successful pitching staffs. They have a lot of work to do to catch up with the top teams in the league in this area. This has never been an easy thing for them, even during this past era of success.

 

They've won 4 World Series in 15 years. They had to let go of Mookie due to tax penalties, but just hired a GM from the Rays (a team that has been successful and hasn't blown up a budget). I think there's lot of hope for the future. If DD was still the GM, maybe you'd have a point about everything being over and going down hill. I think this team is 2 players away from being a perennial contender again.

[mvp 78]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]1158[/ATTACH]

 

I'm not making any political statement. In my state (Indiana), we are now subject to 6 months jail time for not wearing mask. Not sure how they can enforce it...but this picture does not help.

 

There are other places on the forum to have this discussion.

[Kimmi]

It is worse than a cliff. The golden years are over. It was sweet while it lasted. Time to get comfortable with consistent mediocrity.

 

I am hopeful that Bloom will have this team contending next year. It will take longer than that to get the farm back to where it was, but with the right acquisitions, we can contend. We still have a strong core of young players.

[Kimmi]

ERod is out again. By time he gets back to full strength, the race will be over for the Red Sox. Although if 16 teams will make the playoffs, teams with under .500 records will be in the hunt.

 

The Red Sox are in.

 

Book it.

[mvp 78]

The Red Sox are in.

 

Book it.

 

This year, it doesn't count until you win the first round.

[Kimmi]

It shouldn't have been a cliff, but man, it felt like one.

 

For me, if a team should have contended but for some strange reason did not, that can't be considered a cliff. That can't be put on the GM.

[mvp 78]

For me, if a team should have contended but for some strange reason did not, that can't be considered a cliff. That can't be put on the GM.

 

The cliff didn't start last year. They had all the pieces to repeat. It just didn't work out.

 

If the Sox have a miraculous record this year, it doesn't preclude a cliff from starting on 1/1/20.

[Kimmi]

They've won 4 World Series in 15 years. They had to let go of Mookie due to tax penalties, but just hired a GM from the Rays (a team that has been successful and hasn't blown up a budget). I think there's lot of hope for the future. If DD was still the GM, maybe you'd have a point about everything being over and going down hill. I think this team is 2 players away from being a perennial contender again.

 

I agree.

 

This year could be considered a cliff year, but if the Sox are able to reset the penalty (ie the season gets played to at least August 1), then we should be good going forward.

[Kimmi]

This year, it doesn't count until you win the first round.

 

Nonsense.

[mvp 78]

I agree.

 

This year could be considered a cliff year, but if the Sox are able to reset the penalty (ie the season gets played to at least August 1), then we should be good going forward.

 

If they reset this year and then compete going forward, it wasn't a cliff to begin with. It was more like a speed bump.

[mvp 78]

Nonsense.

 

If I said anything else it would contradict with my position on the WC play in game not counting as the playoffs. I strive for consistency!

[Kimmi]

The cliff didn't start last year. They had all the pieces to repeat. It just didn't work out.

 

If the Sox have a miraculous record this year, it doesn't preclude a cliff from starting on 1/1/20.

 

Once again, I agree.

 

A cliff can't necessarily be measured by what happens on the field, but rather how the team looks on paper going into the season. I realize that the on field results are what matters, but strange things happen that are out of the GM's control.

[Kimmi]

If I said anything else it would contradict with my position on the WC play in game not counting as the playoffs. I strive for consistency!

 

I figured as much. LOL

[mvp 78]

In my perfect world, Bloom finds a starter on the cheap that can stick in the rotation for a few years. Sale comes back at 100%. ERod pitches like 2019 for a few years. Bloom figures out how to draft and develop pitchers so that our system looks like the Rays. Having the Rays system with a large checkbook puts you in the upper echelon of teams year in and year out for a long time.

[Bellhorn04]

In my perfect world, Bloom finds a starter on the cheap that can stick in the rotation for a few years. Sale comes back at 100%. ERod pitches like 2019 for a few years. Bloom figures out how to draft and develop pitchers so that our system looks like the Rays. Having the Rays system with a large checkbook puts you in the upper echelon of teams year in and year out for a long time.

 

That works for me too.

[Kimmi]

That works for me too.

 

Me too.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I think this team is 2 players away from being a perennial contender again.

 

Strasburg and Scherzer? Pedro and Schill? Spahn and Sain and pray for a vaccine?

[mvp 78]

Strasburg and Scherzer? Pedro and Schill? Spahn and Sain and pray for a vaccine?

 

'04's rotation only had one guy below a 3.90 ERA.

 

The '12 rotation was historically bad and came back to win in '13 with largely the same group.

 

'18's rotation included exactly zero home grown players (probably the best rotation of the 4 WS winning teams).

[Bellhorn04]

So, the 2018 World Series champion Red Sox have had:

 

1) The general manager fired.

2) The manager fired and suspended.

3) The best player traded and gone forever.

4) The ace pitcher have Tommy John surgery.

[mvp 78]

So, the 2018 World Series champion Red Sox have had:

 

1) The general manager fired.

2) The manager fired and suspended.

3) The best player traded and gone forever.

4) The ace pitcher have Tommy John surgery.

 

5) WS hero retired.

[dgalehouse]

It all seems kind of weird . Not at all like opening day. It will take some effort to really get into this .

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

5) WS hero retired.

 

6) Video man banned from video room.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

'04's rotation only had one guy below a 3.90 ERA.

 

The '12 rotation was historically bad and came back to win in '13 with largely the same group.

 

'18's rotation included exactly zero home grown players (probably the best rotation of the 4 WS winning teams).

 

Good debate: '18 vs. '04. Both led by a pair of borderline Hall of Famers -- Sale and Price, Schilling and Martinez -- followed by solid vets in Porcello and Wakefield, young contributors in ERod and Arroyo, and postseason heroes in Eovaldi and Lowe. '04 gets the edge in durability; 157 games started by five guys (a record that may never be broken, especially now that Bloom's on board).

[a700hitter]

The Red Sox are in.

 

Book it.

The other night, Eck asked Wake if he could still pitch because the Red Sox have no starters. Wake said that he can still pitch, but can't cover 1st base.