A Realistic View at 2021: Part III

[Bellhorn04]

Dalbec may stick around as a platoon at least...the glimmerings of hope are still there.

[Nick]

It does seem like we're beginning to get reinforcements for our tired and weary troop.

 

Moving both Richards and Perez to the pen signals good sign. Also relieving Vaz of so many at bats when he's struggling should help the team. Hell the back up catcher is hitting over .300 since the All-Star break, albeit small sample size.

 

And looks like Brasier is coming back. That should be huge lift to the pen.

 

Oh yes, Schwarber will be a Sox favorite. He's just that type of player.

 

Houck despite two pitches and can only go once around the line-up reputation by many here is now solidly entrenched in the starting rotation.

 

Then there's Chris Freakin' Sale.

Edited August 12, 2021 by Nick

[iortiz]

You still don't think Kike should play everyday?

 

You like Renfroe, Plawecki, Verdugo and made-of- glass Arroyo more than him?

No problem with Kike, let him play everyday as well, but IMHO the names you just mentioned are over him.

 

Also, maybe Dalbec should stay as well, at least for platoon opportunities, so I demote Cordero instead.

[moonslav59]

It does seem like we're beginning to get reinforcements for our tired and weary troop.

 

Moving both Richards and Perez to the pen signals good sign. Also relieving Vaz of so many at bats when he's struggling should help the team. Hell the back up catcher is hitting over .300 since the All-Star break, albeit small sample size.

 

And looks like Brasier is coming back. That should be huge lift to the pen.

 

Oh yes, Schwarber will be a Sox favorite. He's just that type of player.

 

Houck despite two pitches and can only go once around the line-up reputation by many here is now solidly entrenched in the starting rotation.

 

Then there's Chris Freakin' Sale.

 

This a lot of plus

Sale

Schwarber

Houck

Arroyo

DHern

Brasier

[vegasbob]

If Sale pitched his last rehab game last Saturday, why did hold him back until this Saturday ? Will he now pitch once a week for 5 innings or take the mound every 5th day and go 7+ ?

[iortiz]

It does seem like we're beginning to get reinforcements for our tired and weary troop.

 

Moving both Richards and Perez to the pen signals good sign. Also relieving Vaz of so many at bats when he's struggling should help the team. Hell the back up catcher is hitting over .300 since the All-Star break, albeit small sample size.

 

And looks like Brasier is coming back. That should be huge lift to the pen.

 

Oh yes, Schwarber will be a Sox favorite. He's just that type of player.

 

Houck despite two pitches and can only go once around the line-up reputation by many here is now solidly entrenched in the starting rotation.

 

Then there's Chris Freakin' Sale.

 

This!

 

This is exactly what I’ve been talking about.

 

Plus, Eovaldi, Rodriguez and Pivetta are looking good lately.

 

Arroyo will join. Seems like Muñoz will join as well. I expect Verdugo will be very motivated after his paternity.

 

Man, stars are starting to align again.

[moonslav59]

If Sale pitched his last rehab game last Saturday, why did hold him back until this Saturday ? Will he now pitch once a week for 5 innings or take the mound every 5th day and go 7+ ?

 

He'll likely be on a pitch count and go every 5 days, unless when we have a day off.

 

Speaking of day's off, despite the doubleheader vs the Yanks on Tuesday, we have Monday and Thursday off, so Sale gets an extra day off after Sunday's start.

 

Then, we have Monday the 23rd off, so another extra day's rest.

 

Maybe this is why they times his return to Sunday.

 

+ 2 days

+ 1 day

+ 1 day

Then the every 5th day starts at the end of August.

[Nick]

7+ INNINGS BY STARTERS

 

7.0 4/07 Eovaldi vs TB

7.0 4/25 E Rod vs SEA

7.0 4/27 Richards vs NYM

7.0 5/08 Richards vs BAL

7.2 6/03 PereZ vs HOU

7.2 6/28 Eovaldi vs NYY

7.0 7/01 Eovaldi vs KC

7.0 7/04 Pivetta vs OAK

7.2 7/24 Eovaldi vs NYY

7.0 8/11 Eovaldi vs TB

 

Eovaldi appears to be our ACE.

 

Chris Sale has 16. Cy Young had 749 but who's counting?

Edited August 12, 2021 by Nick

[Nick]

Nice job by Cora leaving Valdez in there to be humiliated....I don't care what the lead is, you can't do that to someone not named Workman.

[notin]

Nice job by Cora leaving Valdez in there to be humiliated....I don't care what the lead is, you can't do that to someone not named Workman.

 

At some point, Valdez is responsible for his own pitches. I just think it’s probably a good thing that the one time he gives up 7 ninth inning runs, the team has a 19 run lead.

 

Besides, wouldn’t it be more embarrassing if Cora pulled him with a 12 run lead and only two outs to go? That would be like Cora telling him “I don’t think you can protect this lead”…

[Bellhorn04]

At some point, Valdez is responsible for his own pitches. I just think it’s probably a good thing that the one time he gives up 7 ninth inning runs, the team has a 19 run lead.

 

Besides, wouldn’t it be more embarrassing if Cora pulled him with a 12 run lead and only two outs to go? That would be like Cora telling him “I don’t think you can protect this lead”…

 

Plus Cash left his starter in for 10 runs.

[mvp 78]

Apparently he did so on the Section 10 podcast the other day. I haven't listened to it yet, but will do so over the next day or so.

 

From the dumb dumb podcast I listened to:

 

Prices were high. Bloom didn’t want to put names out there because it affects the players. They tried making moves, but the price wasn’t worth the long term affect on the org. If you ignore other deals outside the org, you should like what the trades brought in.

 

Johan Mieses: he can hit.

Yairo: he’s producing and close. Cora has asked about getting him on the team. Great energy all the time.

Vaz: he wants the high workload, but Plaw is playing very well.

Schwarber: LHB was perfect for team’s needs.

 

That’s it?

[mvp 78]

Nice job by Cora leaving Valdez in there to be humiliated....I don't care what the lead is, you can't do that to someone not named Workman.

 

^^^ Helicopter parent.

[notin]

No problem with Kike, let him play everyday as well, but IMHO the names you just mentioned are over him. .

 

Plawecki is better than Kike? At what? We talking about something other than baseball?

 

Or are people overreacting to the 115 PA of Kevin Plawecki?

Edited August 12, 2021 by notin

[Hugh2]

^^^ Helicopter parent.

 

Actually, you do. Sox bullpen is overstretched, and that's A HUGE HUGE factor into this team's struggles lately. Why burn through some arms in a game that you have in bag? you don't.

[moonslav59]

Plawecki is better than Kike? At what? We talking about something than baseball?

 

Or are people overreacting to the 115 PA of Kevin Plawecki?

 

The absurdity never ends.

[notin]

Actually, you do. Sox bullpen is overstretched, and that's A HUGE HUGE factor into this team's struggles lately. Why burn through some arms in a game that you have in bag? you don't.

 

Sometimes it looks like people want to go after Cora (or whoever is managing) no matter what. The Sox won and scored 20 runs; no need to find fault in this one..

[moonslav59]

Updated AL Standings.

 

We still hold onto the 2nd WC berth.

 

69-45 TBR

68-46 HOU

67-48 CWS

 

66-48 OAK

66-50 BOS -1 WC1 (-4 ALE)

 

63-51 NYY -2 WC2 (1 in loss column)

62-51 TOR -2.5 WC2 (1 in L column)

60-55 SEA -5.5 WC2

[moonslav59]

It's always fun to update the team OPS after a game like last night...

 

.920 Devers (forevers- lock him up!)

.895 JD (fliting with .900, again)

.889 Bogey (Is the wrist better?)

.788 Renfroe (going for .800)

.787 Kike (going for .800)

.772 Verdugo (back from PL)

.676 Dalbec (Could he get to .700?)

.639 Vaz (lost season at the plate)

.573 Marwin (no business being 9th in PAs)

 

Under 180 PAs:

.896 Wong (14 PAs)

.892 Arroyo (please come back healthy)

.757 Plawecki (on fire!)

.580 Duran (needs to fill the hole in his swing)

.580 Arauz (probably not on the '22 40 man roster)

.554 Santana (countdown to DFA)

.549 Chavis (no longer here)

.513 Cordero (miserable start to his Boston tenure)

 

 

Last 28 days:

 

.994 Devers

 

.916 Plawecki

.907 Kike

 

.813 Renfroe

.781 JD

.777 Verdugo

 

.715 Bogey

.686 Dalbec

 

.580 Duran

.554 Vaz

.550 Cordero

 

.485 Arauz

.473 Marwin

Edited August 12, 2021 by moonslav59

[moonslav59]

.419 Houck

 

.524 Rios

 

.653 Taylor

.668 ERod

.697 Pivetta

.699 Eovaldi

.716 Whitlock

.726 Barnes

 

.809 Valdez

.835 DHern (IL)

.838 Davis

.853 Ottavino

 

.936 Richards

 

1.028 Sawamura

1.127 Perez

1.232 Robles

[mvp 78]

Dalbec may stick around as a platoon at least...the glimmerings of hope are still there.

 

As a platoon bat, I'm fine with him. Casas does hit RHP better than LHP. I think you could keep Dalbec and Casas on the same team until Casas becomes an every day guy.

[mvp 78]

Plawecki is better than Kike? At what? We talking about something other than baseball?

 

Or are people overreacting to the 115 PA of Kevin Plawecki?

 

801 OPS since the start of 2020.

 

758 OPS since the start of 2020.

 

Which number is better?

[moonslav59]

801 OPS since the start of 2020.

 

758 OPS since the start of 2020.

 

Which number is better?

 

I pointed this out earlier, and that sample size is bigger and more significant, but if you go back to 2019:

 

.744 Vaz

 

.722 Plawecki

 

Who sets the time frame that "matters most?"

 

Isn't 2019-2021 a bigger more significant sample size, in terms of size, or is recency the major consideration?

 

My beef with Vaz is more about how he handles the staff, and I've always wanted his back-up to play more than once every 5 days, but I'm not ready to call for Plawecki to be the starter more games than Vaz.

 

(It's getting closer to my thinking that, though.)

[moonslav59]

As a platoon bat, I'm fine with him. Casas does hit RHP better than LHP. I think you could keep Dalbec and Casas on the same team until Casas becomes an every day guy.

 

Casas does hit RHPs about 100+ points better, but he may not be ML ready until late 2022. Also, his numbers vs RHPs are not super.

 

I think we sign a cheap 1Bman, this winter, to a 1 year deal- maybe someone to platoon with Dalbec.

 

Maybe we trade Dalbec or keep him in AAA for a while, next year.

[notin]

801 OPS since the start of 2020 in 204 plate appearances.

 

758 OPS since the start of 2020 in 559 plate appearances.

 

Which number is better?

 

 

This slightly altered yet still true question does make it a little tougher to determine IMO..

[moonslav59]

This slightly altered yet still true question does make it a little tougher to determine IMO..

 

...and then all the data that shows Vaz is much better at pitch-framing and blocking balls in the dirt and throwing out base-stealers. However, it appears only I look at CERA and OPS against numbers pitcher by pitcher that slightly favors Plawecki.

[mvp 78]

I pointed this out earlier, and that sample size is bigger and more significant, but if you go back to 2019:

 

.744 Vaz

 

.722 Plawecki

 

Who sets the time frame that "matters most?"

 

Isn't 2019-2021 a bigger more significant sample size, in terms of size, or is recency the major consideration?

 

My beef with Vaz is more about how he handles the staff, and I've always wanted his back-up to play more than once every 5 days, but I'm not ready to call for Plawecki to be the starter more games than Vaz.

 

(It's getting closer to my thinking that, though.)

 

I was comparing Kiké to Plaw per the above conversation.

[moonslav59]

I was comparing Kiké to Plaw per the above conversation.

 

My bad.

 

Kike: .739 from 2019-2021.

 

Plawecki .722

[mvp 78]

This slightly altered yet still true question does make it a little tougher to determine IMO..

 

A little bit. Long term, I have more faith in Kiké's bat.

[Yaz Fan Since 67]

Nice job by Cora leaving Valdez in there to be humiliated....I don't care what the lead is, you can't do that to someone not named Workman.

 

 

I though the same thing about Flemming. He had NOTHING but they didn't even get anyone up in the pen until it was 5-0 and the bases loaded. As for Valdez I think Cora just wanted to get to 27 outs without using up another pitcher.

 

We sure do start at bats in the hole 0-1 a whole lot.

 

I've aways been a Vaz guy, though I can see the argument the other way. But I didn't understand why he didn't get more rest during the season, especially for such a grueling position.

 

I love Whitlock but he threw too many fastballs last night, he needed to mix it up more IMO.

 

But man was that game a much needed boost for the team and the fans. It was just what the Sox needed. Bats are finally waking up.

Edited August 12, 2021 by Yaz Fan Since '67