Game Thread - 04/04 - Orioles (Zimmermann) @ Red Sox (80s pornstache)

[TylerD]

Don’t worry boys and girls. We have the runner up champs starting tomorrow. Ugh.

[a700hitter]

We'd still suck with all of em back, except Betts, and even he wouldn't be enough.

 

We sucked in 2019 with just about everyone but Kimbrel & Kelly, and they suck, now.

Newly blonde Kimbrel is returning to form.

[notin]

Ok. Then you don't get what you pay for!

 

I just find it hard to get involved with a team that (1) sucks, and (2) in order to suck, has gotten rid of all the players I've followed over the past few years.

 

If they kept Betts, they wouldn’t be able to afford any pitching. Including the ones they have now, which might seem like a blessing until you remember last year’s staff and that it can get worse.

 

So keeping Betts might mean a rotation headed by Mazza and Weber. Would it make you happy to watch Mookie lose?

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

If they kept Betts, they wouldn’t be able to afford any pitching. Including the ones they have now, which might seem like a blessing until you remember last year’s staff and that it can get worse.

 

So keeping Betts might mean a rotation headed by Mazza and Weber. Would it make you happy to watch Mookie lose?

 

I get your point, but Jad's point reflects more of the average fan -- who could care less if "our payroll is still in the top 5!" Fans can't be faulted for thinking: "So what, it's not our fault for your bad investments; the team still stinks, so spend more to make it better or don't expect me to spend anything supporting it... especially my time watching it."

[moonslav59]

Newly blonde Kimbrel is returning to form.

 

For 3 games?

 

Would you have wanted the Sox to re-sign him, in hindsight or even if he were a FA, this past winter?

 

The only guy we lost, worth his contract is Betts, and he's getting paid more than 15% of our current budget.

[mvp 78]

Sox were 6 - 18 over the first 24 games last year (.250 winning %). Probably the worst start in franchise history.

 

They went .500 against the O's, but I wonder if people are really undervaluing the talent the O's have. People were writing them off as competing with the Pirates for the #1 pick. The young talent seems good enough to get them closer to 75 wins at the very least.

 

The Sox also went 2 - 7 against the Rays. Maybe the Rays take a step back this year and the Sox can grab a few early wins from them? Maybe the Sox continue their slide and don't pull out of it?

 

What if Kiké doesn't get picked off of 1b at the start of the season? Does the offense get a little jolt? Was it really deflating for that to happen and then not have anything fall in afterwards?

[a700hitter]

For 3 games?

 

Would you have wanted the Sox to re-sign him, in hindsight or even if he were a FA, this past winter?

 

The only guy we lost, worth his contract is Betts, and he's getting paid more than 15% of our current budget.

His velocity is reportedly up. I didn’t say anything about resigning him, just that he looks like he may have straightened himself out, and he isn’t that old.

[a700hitter]

My 90 plus loss prediction is looking like a good and conservative prediction.

[notin]

I get your point, but Jad's point reflects more of the average fan -- who could care less if "our payroll is still in the top 5!" Fans can't be faulted for thinking: "So what, it's not our fault for your bad investments; the team still stinks, so spend more to make it better or don't expect me to spend anything supporting it... especially my time watching it."

 

But it also doesn't really matter if fans "care" where the budget is. It's a cold hard reality. At some point, the team just cannot spend anymore, much lie every business ever. Even Amazon has some sort of spending cap for their expenses. They may be nowhere near it right now, but that doesn't man it does not exist.

 

The Sox have spent a lot. They are still spending a lot. Casual fan or not, the notion that this team was too cheap to bring back Betts or anyone else is not based in anything realisitic...

[moonslav59]

His velocity is reportedly up. I didn’t say anything about resigning him, just that he looks like he may have straightened himself out, and he isn’t that old.

 

The conversation was about how we let all too many players go from our 2018 team.

 

Are you okay with us letting Kimbrel go?

 

Everybody else but Betts?

[notin]

His velocity is reportedly up. I didn’t say anything about resigning him, just that he looks like he may have straightened himself out, and he isn’t that old.

 

He's also only thrown 32 pitches so far this year, all of them against the Pirates.

 

I'll hold off on naming him to the All Star team just yet...

[mvp 78]

The conversation was about how we let all too many players go from our 2018 team.

 

Are you okay with us letting Kimbrel go?

 

Everybody else but Betts?

 

Eovaldi should not have been brought back. Time has shown that jettisoning Kimbrel was the smart play too. Joe Kelly was very replaceable. Hembree is a nobody. Porcello wasn't even signed this offseason. JBJ didn't sign until the very end of camp and is in a timeshare. Leon? Swihart? Kinsler? Holt? Nunez? Moreland? Benintendi is starting off where he was last year.

 

The only guy aside from Mookie that is in the discussion for re-signing is Pomeranz, but he's overpaid for his relief profile.

 

That team won because Mookie/JD/Devers/Xander were mashing all year. That was the core. Beni could have been part of that core, but he decided to try to be something he's not.

 

I productive Mookie would lift this team to playoff contention.

 

MAYBE, in two years Wong and Downs are productive major leaguers. At that point, MAYBE them and Verdugo exceed what Betts provides to the team. I don't think that's likely though.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

But it also doesn't really matter if fans "care" where the budget is. It's a cold hard reality. At some point, the team just cannot spend anymore, much lie every business ever. Even Amazon has some sort of spending cap for their expenses. They may be nowhere near it right now, but that doesn't man it does not exist.

 

The Sox have spent a lot. They are still spending a lot. Casual fan or not, the notion that this team was too cheap to bring back Betts or anyone else is not based in anything realisitic...

 

It's also not realistic for Kelloggs to brag about using expensive, organic grain in its cereal when kids still aren't going to eat it if it tastes like crap.

[Thunder]

Sox were 6 - 18 over the first 24 games last year (.250 winning %). Probably the worst start in franchise history.

 

They went .500 against the O's, but I wonder if people are really undervaluing the talent the O's have. People were writing them off as competing with the Pirates for the #1 pick. The young talent seems good enough to get them closer to 75 wins at the very least.

 

The Sox also went 2 - 7 against the Rays. Maybe the Rays take a step back this year and the Sox can grab a few early wins from them? Maybe the Sox continue their slide and don't pull out of it?

 

What if Kiké doesn't get picked off of 1b at the start of the season? Does the offense get a little jolt? Was it really deflating for that to happen and then not have anything fall in afterwards?

 

Same here. O's are better than most people think. I've noticed it since the last half of 2019. They can't suck forever

[jad]

I get your point, but Jad's point reflects more of the average fan -- who could care less if "our payroll is still in the top 5!" Fans can't be faulted for thinking: "So what, it's not our fault for your bad investments; the team still stinks, so spend more to make it better or don't expect me to spend anything supporting it... especially my time watching it."

 

Right. And even more important, the average long-term fan (like me) wants to follow players they know and have followed. That's a helluva lot more important than whether they win a championship w/ a bunch of no-name mercenaries (how is the Marlins fan base doing?)

 

This is the entertainment business, not an investment company. I don't give a crap what their balance sheet looks like. I just want to see players I'm familiar with. If they win, great. If not, so what? (and for those of you who claim I am thus not a 'true fan', fine. But I've been watching them since the 50s).

[TylerD]

My 90 plus loss prediction is looking like a good and conservative prediction.

Yup I’m thinking so.

[moonslav59]

Let's see what people say after we put together a long winning streak or stretch.

[a700hitter]

He's also only thrown 32 pitches so far this year, all of them against the Pirates.

 

I'll hold off on naming him to the All Star team just yet...

If has his velocity, he should be okay. He can’t fool anyone on his slider in the dirt unless he has the high octane.

[a700hitter]

The conversation was about how we let all too many players go from our 2018 team.

 

Are you okay with us letting Kimbrel go?

 

Everybody else but Betts?

You said that Kimbrel sucks now. I said that he looks to have regained his velocity. That was my conversation.