A Realistic View at 2021: Part III

[moonslav59]

So a good offseason, or just less underwhelming?

 

I don't need them to "win" the offseason, just to plug in their current holes.

 

We have way less holes and will actually have a bit of a roster crunch at the 40 man slot.

 

Sure, nobody is going to cry, if we DFA Potts or Rosario, but Bloom has greatly improved the roster depth. Even some of our Rule 5 candidates for protection were acquired by Bloom, but I doubt Ort or Reed end up being protected.

 

He also set up this next off season, nicely, due to many 1 year or 1 year + option year deals. We found out what we needed to know about Whitlock and pretty much Houck, too. We'd probably have liked to have been able to play Cordero more, but he did get one somewhat long look. Duran is still a question mark. Seabold never got tested.

 

The Dalbec question is still a hard one to answer, so I think we'll add a 1Bman, this off season- even if just on a 1 year deal. (The Casas issue could force a 1 year deal, too.)

 

The only real FAs needing to be replaced with top quality are ERod & Ottavino. We should have enough money to go large & long, if we want to at several positions/slots.

 

I see our biggest 2022 needs as this:

 

1. SP 1/2

2. Closer/Set-Up

3. 1B

4. Pitcher

5. Utility

 

That's a lot less holes than we had, last winter.

 

Whitlock filled one.

Houck filled one.

Renfroe filled one.

Kike more than proved he can fill 2B and or CF very well.

Sawamura, Rios, Valdez and a few others still have some lingering questions, but our pen should be rather deep after we replace Ottavino and add one more pitcher.

[moonslav59]

I think it’s the other way around. Bloom realized that he built a pumpkin and decided not to mortgage the future for a pumpkin. He’s been proven right

 

I don't disagree, but I do think he was prepared to trade some of the future for some 2021 help- just not the prospects other GMs wanted.

 

He held firm to the values he placed on our players/prospects.

[Fan_since_Boggs]

There is some speculation that the Red Sox front office believed the team couldn't win this year and thus didn't make sufficient effort to improve the roster at the trade deadline. I don't know if that is correct, however. Perhaps the opposite is true: the Red Sox front office overestimated this team and believed they didn't need to do very much at the trade deadline in order to win the division. If the second scenario is true, the Red Sox front office screwed up, and this is probably what happened, the scenario that makes the most sense. Based on O'Halloran's comments, the Red Sox front office seem to have a high opinion of this team.

 

But Red Sox general manager Brian O’Halloran said his team’s recent collapse begins at the top.

 

“First of all, hope that doesn’t happen. But in the end, it’s on us,” O’Halloran told The Greg Hill Show on WEEI. “It’s on the front office. It’s on the baseball operations. Whatever happens on the field, the results, good or bad — we’ve been given the opportunity to do this job and gotten nothing but support from ownership. We have no excuses.”

 

The front office has especially come under fire for its lack of action at the trade deadline. The team did add slugger Kyle Schwarber and middle relievers Hansel Robles and Austin Davis but did not land experienced first base help, such as Schwarber’s former Cubs teammate and former Red Sox prospect Anthony Rizzo.

 

“So that’s on the baseball operations leadership, myself included. That goes for both the short-term and the long-term. Again, it’s a balance, but if we don’t make the playoffs, we’ll be very disappointed. We think we have a good team. We put ourselves in a position where we have a chance to make the postseason, and that’s true right now. We were in a better spot at the deadline, but we still have a chance to do this and our expectations are that we’ll battle down the stretch and hopefully get there. But in the end, yeah, all the results are on us, on the baseball operations leadership.”

https://www.boston.com/sports/boston...miss-playoffs/

[dgalehouse]

Someday there will be a book about how Bloom was able to build such a loyal following despite never having actually won anything . Of course that could change if he does happen to win one. Stay tuned.

[Bellhorn04]

Someday there will be a book about how Bloom was able to build such a loyal following despite never having actually won anything . Of course that could change if he does happen to win one. Stay tuned.

 

You really know how to stay on point.

 

I root for Bloom because he's our guy right now and I want him to succeed. I rooted for Theo, Ben and DD too, right up until they were gone.

[Fan_since_Boggs]

General managers can improve and evolve. Just because Bloom and company made mistakes at the 2021 trade deadline doesn't mean they will continue to make mistakes in subsequent years. Perhaps they will engage in an internal review in the offseason and figure out what went wrong. This happens in pretty much every profession--people learn from experience.

 

Just think of all of the mistakes Theo Epstein made, one of the best GMs in history. Brian Cashman made many poor and suspect decisions at trade deadlines and yet in 2021 he saved the Yankees season with his brilliant trade deadline maneuvers.

[mvp 78]

Someday there will be a book about how Bloom was able to build such a loyal following despite never having actually won anything . Of course that could change if he does happen to win one. Stay tuned.

 

If he doesn't win anything and is fired 5 years from now, nobody is going to write a book about that.

[mvp 78]

You really know how to stay on point.

 

I root for Bloom because he's our guy right now and I want him to succeed. I rooted for Theo, Ben and DD too, right up until they were gone.

 

The DD experience was wild.

[jad]

I have heard stories where hitters lose sight of the ball for part of the path of the pitch.

 

Yes, I've heard that as well. As I recall, it's when the eyes/brain switch from 'distance' to 'close-up'. What I remember reading was that that was also what was responsible for the batter's belief that a fast-ball has a 'hop': what they were experiencing was the shift in the way their vision tracked the ball.

[mvp 78]

@JoeyMacHockey

Christian Arroyo working out at first base today at Polar Park.

 

Why tempt fate?

[oldtimer]

We have way less holes and will actually have a bit of a roster crunch at the 40 man slot.

 

Sure, nobody is going to cry, if we DFA Potts or Rosario, but Bloom has greatly improved the roster depth. Even some of our Rule 5 candidates for protection were acquired by Bloom, but I doubt Ort or Reed end up being protected.

 

He also set up this next off season, nicely, due to many 1 year or 1 year + option year deals. We found out what we needed to know about Whitlock and pretty much Houck, too. We'd probably have liked to have been able to play Cordero more, but he did get one somewhat long look. Duran is still a question mark. Seabold never got tested.

 

The Dalbec question is still a hard one to answer, so I think we'll add a 1Bman, this off season- even if just on a 1 year deal. (The Casas issue could force a 1 year deal, too.)

 

The only real FAs needing to be replaced with top quality are ERod & Ottavino. We should have enough money to go large & long, if we want to at several positions/slots.

 

I see our biggest 2022 needs as this:

 

1. SP 1/2

2. Closer/Set-Up

3. 1B

4. Pitcher

5. Utility

 

That's a lot less holes than we had, last winter.

 

Whitlock filled one.

Houck filled one.

Renfroe filled one.

Kike more than proved he can fill 2B and or CF very well.

Sawamura, Rios, Valdez and a few others still have some lingering questions, but our pen should be rather deep after we replace Ottavino and add one more pitcher.

 

This post really belongs under 2022. My thinking is if we can't put up a better fight with these guys, what makes you think we don't have holes. I can see 1st base and catcher as weak areas, having

and a better group of utility players who can actually be subbed in without compromising the team. Our starting pitching relies on Sale being good. So far the verdict is out on him. We may have 4 starters on the team now and 5 BP arms that can be trusted. Lets see how 2021 pans out to see where we are with pitching.

[oldtimer]

There is some speculation that the Red Sox front office believed the team couldn't win this year and thus didn't make sufficient effort to improve the roster at the trade deadline. I don't know if that is correct, however. Perhaps the opposite is true: the Red Sox front office overestimated this team and believed they didn't need to do very much at the trade deadline in order to win the division. If the second scenario is true, the Red Sox front office screwed up, and this is probably what happened, the scenario that makes the most sense. Based on O'Halloran's comments, the Red Sox front office seem to have a high opinion of this team.

 

I see that as a gratuitous comment by Brian O'Halloran. He said they had full owner support and the front office screwed up. Out of the other side of his mouth he indicated they think they made the right decisions while not adding more than they did. I don't buy his comment as an apology. They took Schwaber who was injured and two semi-cast off relief pitchers and followed it up with Shaw. Schwaber may work out for 2022 if we can resign him but who can say he fills a real need on the team for the rest of 2021? The rest are not much help for this team.

[moonslav59]

I see that as a gratuitous comment by Brian O'Halloran. He said they had full owner support and the front office screwed up. Out of the other side of his mouth he indicated they think they made the right decisions while not adding more than they did. I don't buy his comment as an apology. They took Schwaber who was injured and two semi-cast off relief pitchers and followed it up with Shaw. Schwaber may work out for 2022 if we can resign him but who can say he fills a real need on the team for the rest of 2021? The rest are not much help for this team.

 

It wasn't meant to be an apology as much as an explanation, IMO.

 

They take ownership for us not winning this year, but also say they had our future as a higher priority and no deals looked worth it to them, except the ones they made.

[oldtimer]

@JoeyMacHockey

Christian Arroyo working out at first base today at Polar Park.

 

Why tempt fate?

Cora's desperation move with Arroyo cost us 5 to 6 weeks of an important player for this team. If he still is willing to tempt fate, it seems to say Schwaber is not really being considered for 1st base as the Sox have discussed. In either case, Casas is probably being considered for call up in mid 2022.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

It's improbable the '21 collapse was due to players feeling abandoned by their chief baseball officer at the deadline. It's even more unlikely the Sox doubted their own abilities. But it is feasible they looked around at all the big names who joined other contenders and thought: "Rut-roh..."

[moonslav59]

This post really belongs under 2022. My thinking is if we can't put up a better fight with these guys, what makes you think we don't have holes. I can see 1st base and catcher as weak areas, having

and a better group of utility players who can actually be subbed in without compromising the team. Our starting pitching relies on Sale being good. So far the verdict is out on him. We may have 4 starters on the team now and 5 BP arms that can be trusted. Lets see how 2021 pans out to see where we are with pitching.

 

It does belong more to 2022, but it is also about the team we have now being deeper, especially from the 18-40 slots from last year.

 

(Next year, we work on some of the 1-18 slots.)

[dgalehouse]

I see that as a gratuitous comment by Brian O'Halloran. He said they had full owner support and the front office screwed up. Out of the other side of his mouth he indicated they think they made the right decisions while not adding more than they did. I don't buy his comment as an apology. They took Schwaber who was injured and two semi-cast off relief pitchers and followed it up with Shaw. Schwaber may work out for 2022 if we can resign him but who can say he fills a real need on the team for the rest of 2021? The rest are not much help for this team.

 

The fans spend plenty to cheer and support this team. We expect management to do better. Saying , " we take responsibility " is meaningless .

[moonslav59]

The fans spend plenty to cheer and support this team. We expect management to do better. Saying , " we take responsibility " is meaningless .

 

Would saying it's the players' or manager's fault have more meaning?

 

Would saying, if we had more fans come to the games, watch the games on TV and buy team merchandise, we could spend more and win, so it's mostly your fault be better?

 

Would saying, "Hey, we live in a small market, and I'm not throwing my money away, so you all can cheer on a WS winner, is the reason we sucked, this year," any better?

[dgalehouse]

In the Yankee game , a ball gets past Dalbec and results in a Yankee rally. Later , Rizzo makes a difficult play look easy to secure the final out . It is things like that that cause angst and resentment in fans. And you can't blame them .

[oldtimer]

Is his stance all that different from Verdugo and Bellinger?

 

No. Verdugo has now sold out for the HR swing and is popping the ball up much more often> Ted Williams advice was to keep the bat in the plane of the ball as long as possible while in the hitting zone. Guys who try to loft the ball are looping their swings and have to have perfect timing to hit the ball hard. The results speak for themselves. Sell out for a HR while risking weak contact or a strikeout. HR's tend to get paid for by management but the price to the team is higher than the benefit in my view. Once they get down in the count, all hitters should go into the protect mode. The good ones do. Empty at bats have been hurting the Sox.

[moonslav59]

No. Verdugo has now sold out for the HR swing and is popping the ball up much more often> Ted Williams advice was to keep the bat in the plane of the ball as long as possible while in the hitting zone. Guys who try to loft the ball are looping their swings and have to have perfect timing to hit the ball hard. The results speak for themselves. Sell out for a HR while risking weak contact or a strikeout. HR's tend to get paid for by management but the price to the team is higher than the benefit in my view. Once they get down in the count, all hitters should go into the protect mode. The good ones do. Empty at bats have been hurting the Sox.

 

I'm not doubting what you are saying, but maybe (hopefully) this is just a phase or slump he's going through.

 

Sometimes players get away from what has made them successful, and they figure it out and get back to doing well. I think "sold out" may be harsh, but it could be true, too.

[moonslav59]

In the Yankee game , a ball gets past Dalbec and results in a Yankee rally. Later , Rizzo makes a difficult play look easy to secure the final out . It is things like that that cause angst and resentment in fans. And you can't blame them .

 

I don't blame them, and I had those thoughts, too.

 

I don't expect fans to think, "but what did the Cubs want from the Sox and was it too much?" after that play, but I think that.

 

I don't want us trading too much for anyone, especially not in a year where I think we are just a player or two away from being a top 2-3 favorite.

 

I never felt that was about this team, this year, even when we had the best record or top 3 record. I don't expect casual or even non casual fans to think like that.

[Fan_since_Boggs]

In the Yankee game , a ball gets past Dalbec and results in a Yankee rally. Later , Rizzo makes a difficult play look easy to secure the final out . It is things like that that cause angst and resentment in fans. And you can't blame them .

 

And JD Martinez didn't get to a ball in the second inning that should have been an out, and that led to runs. The Red Sox fu_ked up at the trade deadline and the Red Sox are proving that everyday with a defensive reject like Martinez starting in the outfield, a total reject like Dalbec starting at 1b, and the total collapse of the Red Sox over the last 3 weeks. This is all pretty strong evidence that the Red Sox did something wrong. Oh god, and then there is the Travis Shaw signing, the player who makes the Red sox a "more complete team" in the immortal words of Alex Cora. LOL.

 

When we look at the bigger picture, I think Bloom has done a pretty good job in setting up the Red Sox for the future. One mistake-laden effort at a trade deadline doesn't doom Bloom for the rest of eternity. Theo made mistakes too. But Bloom can't continue to pull this kind of crap or he will need to be replaced. Red Sox fans do expect greater competency from the front office.

Edited August 20, 2021 by Fan_since_Boggs

[moonslav59]

And JD Martinez didn't get to a ball in the second inning that should have been an out, and that led to runs. The Red Sox fu_ked up at the trade deadline and the Red Sox are proving that everyday with a defensive reject like Martinez starting in the outfield, a total reject like Dalbec starting at 1b, and the total collapse of the Red Sox over the last 3 weeks. This is all pretty strong evidence that the Red Sox did something wrong. Oh god, and then there is the Travis Shaw signing, the player who makes the Red sox a "more complete team" in the immortal words of Alex Cora. LOL.

 

When we look at the bigger picture, I think Bloom has done a pretty good job in setting up the Red Sox for the future. One mistake-laden effort at a trade deadline doesn't doom Bloom for the rest of eternity. Theo made mistakes too. But Bloom can't continue to pull this kind of crap or he will need to be replaced. Red Sox fans do expect greater competency from the front office.

 

Sounds like you think we needed 3-4+ moves at the deadline.

 

Maybe trading for Schwarber was a mistake and we should have done less or been sellers.

[User Name]

Kinda remembering why I used posting for a while there.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

The fact that Arroyo is just working out should be concern another injury is on the way.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Speaking of SOX 1st basemen, Ortiz, who mainly played 1st base when the SOX had an interleague game on the road, never embarrassed himself at that position. In fact, he was pretty damn good at it.

[moonslav59]

The fact that Arroyo is just working out should be concern another injury is on the way.

 

They must be more worried about Schwarber hurting himself than Arroyo at 1B.

 

I still like Kike in CF and Arroyo at 1B, but moving Arroyo to 1B, Kike to 2B and Renfroe or Verdugo to CF, so Schwarber plays the shorter corner OF is really causing some defensive headaches.

[moonslav59]

Speaking of SOX 1st basemen, Ortiz, who mainly played 1st base when the SOX had an interleague game on the road, never embarrassed himself at that position. In fact, he was pretty damn good at it.

 

God, remember when we put Adrian Gonzalez in RF?

[Bellhorn04]

They must be more worried about Schwarber hurting himself than Arroyo at 1B.

 

I still like Kike in CF and Arroyo at 1B, but moving Arroyo to 1B, Kike to 2B and Renfroe or Verdugo to CF, so Schwarber plays the shorter corner OF is really causing some defensive headaches.

 

And sadly, it didn't pay off in any offense against the Yankees.

Edited August 20, 2021 by Bellhorn04