A Realistic View at 2021: Part III

[Bellhorn04]

I think they were trying to be too sneaky. Hard for me to count Sale/Houck as deadline acquisitions.

 

And post-deadline results continue to be horrific.

[Hugh2]

And post-deadline results continue to be horrific.

 

Postdeadline? they lost the series before the all-star break and have sucked ever since. They started this decline week before the deadline.

[Bellhorn04]

Plus, by playing JD in the OF, they opened up the perfect fit for Schwarber- DH!

 

But, they put Plawecki there, instead, then refused to PH SChwarber with the game on the line.

 

I'm the last guy to make game choice criticisms of our managers, but I'm in disbelief on this one.

 

Maybe they were babying Schwarb because of health concerns.

 

Which again makes his acquisition look questionable.

[Hugh2]

Maybe they were babying Schwarb because of health concerns.

 

Which again makes his acquisition look questionable.

 

It could be that, or it could just be them being cautious. They develop a plan with a player and stick to it the same way they waited and brought Sale up. Did they really need to pitch him one last game in the minors? or were they just following their plan. I think they're just following a plan with Schwarber. They don't want to throw too much at him at once.

[Bellhorn04]

Postdeadline? they lost the series before the all-star break and have sucked ever since. They started this decline week before the deadline.

 

Disagree. When the closing bell rang on July 30 they were 63-41, 1.5 up on the Rays and 8.5 up on the Yanks.

 

In their previous 2 series they had won 3 of 4 against the Yankees and split 4 with the Jays.

[Bellhorn04]

It could be that, or it could just be them being cautious. They develop a plan with a player and stick to it the same way they waited and brought Sale up. Did they really need to pitch him one last game in the minors? or were they just following their plan. I think they're just following a plan with Schwarber. They don't want to throw too much at him at once.

 

I understand that, but it calls into question whether it was a good move by Bloom.

[Hugh2]

Disagree. When the closing bell rang on July 30 they were 63-41, 1.5 up on the Rays and 8.5 up on the Yanks.

 

 

In their previous 2 series they had won 3 of 4 against the Yankees and split 4 with the Jays.

 

I'm not sure this is an agreement, disagreement thing. The W/L record is what it is.

 

A week before the ASB they lost 2 of 3 to LA, they lost 2 of 3 to Philly, they lost 2 of 3 to NYY, they split a two-game series with Toronto, then they did win 3 out of 4 against NY and split with Toronto again but then proceeded to lose 3 out of 4 to TB. They won one series, split two and lost 4. They were sucking before the deadline.

[Hugh2]

I understand that, but it calls into question whether it was a good move by Bloom.

 

Well the answer to the question could be yes. He just started to play and we have 6 weeks left in the season. 6 weeks of baseball left with a guy who was out OPSin't Rizzo and Cruz and everyone on this team not named Devers.

[Bellhorn04]

I'm not sure this is an agreement, disagreement thing. The W/L record is what it is.

 

A week before the ASB they lost 2 of 3 to LA, they lost 2 of 3 to Philly, they lost 2 of 3 to NYY, they split a two-game series with Toronto, then they did win 3 out of 4 against NY and split with Toronto again but then proceeded to lose 3 out of 4 to TB. They won one series, split two and lost 4. They were sucking before the deadline.

 

The series with the Rays didn't actually start until after the closing bell July 30 though.

 

It's true they were wobbling some before the deadline, but since then they have been flat out horrible.

[Hugh2]

The series with the Rays didn't actually start until after the closing bell July 30 though.

 

It's true they were wobbling some before the deadline, but since then they have been flat out horrible.

 

Ok so they won 1 series and lost 3? that's still a skid, the team was skidding before the all star break.

[moonslav59]

Did anyone note the bitter irony when Rizzo bounced that clutch "hit" off Dalbec's glove to put the game away, ensure a NY sweep, and possibly bury the '21 Sox?

 

I was watching with the mute button on, but thought: (if only Bloom had the prospect depth to deal at the deadline)... 1. Rizzo was supposed to be delivering those moments for Boston; and 2. Rizzo would've made that play.

 

Rizzo would not have been there to hit the ball to Rizzo.

 

No doubt, we'd have been better with Rizzo than without, but the Yanks gave up more than we should have to get him.

 

IMO.

[mvp 78]

I mean, effectively they're exactly that. I get that they're not and we can have that semantics battle if you want to? I will just concede and say you're right but here me out on this. A deadline acquisition is to acquire a player who you previously did not have. Chris Sale has not pitched one inning for the Sox up until recently. In terms of value-added, wins added, semantics aside, it's an acquisition.

 

They previously had him and he was planned to come back around this time. We thought he'd be taking over for an injured ERod/Eovaldi or for struggling Perez/Richards. They needed to add more than just say "let's go with what we already have in our organization's pipeline."

 

Rather than just call up Josiah Gray, the Dodgers brought in new talent. That's how you bolster the roster.

[mvp 78]

And post-deadline results continue to be horrific.

 

It has not been fun.

[mvp 78]

Maybe they were babying Schwarb because of health concerns.

 

Which again makes his acquisition look questionable.

 

Without a second year of control, it doesn't make sense to trade for someone on the IL.

[mvp 78]

Well the answer to the question could be yes. He just started to play and we have 6 weeks left in the season. 6 weeks of baseball left with a guy who was out OPSin't Rizzo and Cruz and everyone on this team not named Devers.

 

He needs to light the world on fire and light a fire under his teammates' asses.

[Bellhorn04]

Ok so they won 1 series and lost 3? that's still a skid, the team was skidding before the all star break.

 

But on deadline day, they were 7-3 in their last 10 games:

 

4-2 against the Jays

3-1 against the Yankees

 

And in first place by 1.5

 

They were not looking bad at all.

[Hugh2]

Without a second year of control, it doesn't make sense to trade for someone on the IL.

 

He's playing, he literally was delayed by two weeks. It's not like he was out for the rest of the season. It makes perfect sense when your boss tells you you can't go over the luxury tax.

[Hugh2]

He needs to light the world on fire and light a fire under his teammates' asses.

 

I mean you're not wrong but is it really up to him? What about Bogaerts? Devers? JDM? Verdugo? One guy can't do it all, I don't care if it's Rizzo or Trout, the Sox hitters need to pick it up.

[Bellhorn04]

He's playing, he literally was delayed by two weeks. It's not like he was out for the rest of the season. It makes perfect sense when your boss tells you you can't go over the luxury tax.

 

If he had started playing first base after the 2 weeks, sure. But they really had no clue where he was going to play, and so we have JD playing Keystone Cops in the outfield.

[Hugh2]

If he had started playing first base after the 2 weeks, sure. But they really had no clue where he was going to play, and so we have JD playing Keystone Cops in the outfield.

 

You don't know, nor do I or any of us exactly what was planned or hope for internally. He returns when Dalbec is OPSing over 1.000 the past week and Duran's bat disappeared. It's not like he has been back for long and he could still see significant playing time at 1B this year, especially if Dalbec turns back into a pumpkin. If Dalbec lights the world on fire for the rest of the season and Duran struggled to force the Sox to plug Schwarber in LF it just makes the trade look even better.

[MADSTORK]

Call up Bello

[Hugh2]

call up bello

 

why?

[mvp 78]

Call up Bello

 

That 4.60 ERA in AA is really something else, I guess?

 

5.60 in his past 9 starts.

[Hugh2]

Can he hit?

[Tedballgame]

The biggest problem for the Red Sox during this slump is how many pitches they swing at that are way out of the strike zone.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

The biggest problem for the Red Sox during this slump is how many pitches they swing at that are way out of the strike zone.

 

Or hit a grounder and jog to first. Note to PR Dept: that's the fans' cue to change the channel. You may want to mention that in the next team meeting about giving up.

[User Name]

I mean, the two biggest holes on the team were 1B/LF, you know he can play one.......and if they really want to they will just plug him at 1B. A lot can be said about that, but it happens, and it's more successful at 1B than anywhere else. Nothing is guaranteed in life but I think that was their mentality.

 

They also traded for a bat first. If you can ignore the 2 weeks on the DL, he was a very significant offense upgrade. Schwarber OPS >> Cruz/Rizzo at the deadline and the Sox literally got him for peanuts. Sale/Houck = a more significant upgrade than any of our competitors.

 

Honestly, I like what they did, staying under the cap and making sneakily significant upgrades.......it just hasn't worked out. The only thing I would have liked to have seen, and the criticism that I think may be well deserved is they could have put a little bit more effort into upgrading the pen. At this point, I'm not even sure they'd have ONE more win if they did so, but it will help them down the stretch.

 

This is a great, well thought out post.

[mvp 78]

Or hit a grounder and jog to first. Note to PR Dept: that's the fans' cue to change the channel. You may want to mention that in the next team meeting about giving up.

 

MLB has been like this for 25 years now at least.

[illinoisredsox]

Or hit a grounder and jog to first. Note to PR Dept: that's the fans' cue to change the channel. You may want to mention that in the next team meeting about giving up.

 

Really? That's what causes fans to change the channel?

 

Players have been doing that since I was a kid and I've following MLB since 1966. This isn't Little League. Major League players virtually never mess up routine chances in such a manner that it would make any difference in the outcome whether a player busts it down the line or jogs. How often would it make a difference, maybe one time in 500? Out by 30 feet or out by 2 feet is still out. These guys have played enough to know when they've got a shot and when they don't, and when they've got a shot, they do go all out.

 

This is down around page 18 of the issues with MLB.

[mvp 78]

I mean you're not wrong but is it really up to him? What about Bogaerts? Devers? JDM? Verdugo? One guy can't do it all, I don't care if it's Rizzo or Trout, the Sox hitters need to pick it up.

 

He doesn't need to do it all, but someone at some point has to provide a spark. If it's not the new acquisition, then what's the point of bringing him in?