Fire Bloom .

[Bellhorn04]

Fair answer. I'm starting to wonder if they'll shop Mayer... partially because they played Rafaela at short in his first MLB start, and because of the possibility of having to trade top prospects for legitimate rotation help.

 

Also: major changes are absolutely necessary on defense, and if they still thought they had a shot at the playoffs, why wouldn't they use Rafaela -- regarded in many reports as Gold Glove caliber right now -- in centerfield?

 

I think they probably will.

[Dipre]

Red Sox team DRS:

 

2004: -27, 24th in the Majors.

2007: 2, 14th in the Majors

2013: 22, 11th in the Majors

2018: 15, 12th in the Majors

 

This has never been a team foundationally built on defense. And they have the pieces coming up through the system to drastically improve this defense anyway. This team needs starting pitching.

[moonslav59]

Fair answer. I'm starting to wonder if they'll shop Mayer... partially because they played Rafaela at short in his first MLB start, and because of the possibility of having to trade top prospects for legitimate rotation help.

 

Also: major changes are absolutely necessary on defense, and if they still thought they had a shot at the playoffs, why wouldn't they use Rafaela -- regarded in many reports as Gold Glove caliber right now -- in centerfield?

 

Agreed. I’m not reading so much into Rafaela’s stat at SS, though.

 

We won’t get an ace for Rafaela. We’d have to add a lot more, and I doubt anyone is Sox managements is for trading 3-4 prospects. I think trading Mayer plus one other player or prospect for a solid pitcher makes more sense.

 

Not that the Sox brass uses any “sense,” when making choices like this.

 

There is a viable argument to keep all the kids and just spend big for pitchers and pray we do better than most do on this.

[Maxbialystock]

Fair answer. I'm starting to wonder if they'll shop Mayer... partially because they played Rafaela at short in his first MLB start, and because of the possibility of having to trade top prospects for legitimate rotation help.

 

Also: major changes are absolutely necessary on defense, and if they still thought they had a shot at the playoffs, why wouldn't they use Rafaela -- regarded in many reports as Gold Glove caliber right now -- in centerfield?

 

This is just nuts. I'm sorry, but it is. The first criterion for getting to The Show is whether the player can hit. See, for example, JBJ in 2014, the year he inherited CF when Ellsbury went to the Yankees (for over $200M). Great defensive outfielder--arm and routes to the ball--but struggled at the plate, which meant he kept bouncing back and forth that season between Boston and Pawtucket. Finally he started hitting in August and stuck in Boston--and for several seasons later, including 2018.

 

Bogey was never a great defensive SS and probably never got a single vote for a gold glove, but he sure could hit the dang ball, and that's what counts on most teams but especially the Sox who must hit (and score runs) to win. Fenway is a hitters park.

 

Right now we are semi-nuts about Casas and Duran, both of whom have negative DWAR's but also OPS's over .800. Plus Duran is a speed merchant on the basepaths. But my favorite example is the 3 or 4 games--back when the middle infielders couldn't hit spit--when he put Turner at 2b so that Casas could play 1b, Yoshida could DH, and he could still get 3 good bats in the OF.

 

The Sox defense right now, with or without Rafaela, is almost decent. I think it is instructive, however, that in the last six games the other teams--the Dodgers and the Astros--made all (or almost all) the errors and still won 5 out of 6 games. Why?

 

Because their hitting and pitcher were better. Defense is a distant 3d. Did you not know that the very worst fielding team in MLB right now plays error-free baseball 98% of the time? Absolutely true.

 

If Rafaela can hit, I'm completely in favor of keeping him in Boston, especially with Reyes on the IL.

[moonslav59]

The Sox defense right now, with or without Rafaela, is almost decent. -Max

 

We agree on a lot of things, and I value your contributions, but I can't disagree more on this.

 

This is the worst defensive Sox team I have ever seen, and it's not even close to last year's bad D team.

[Elktonnick]

The Sox defense right now, with or without Rafaela, is almost decent. -Max

 

We agree on a lot of things, and I value your contributions, but I can't disagree more on this.

 

This is the worst defensive Sox team I have ever seen, and it's not even close to last year's bad D team.

 

For once we agree. This team.is the worst I ve seen I have been following the Sox since 1953.

[notin]

Story was a disastrous signing, far worse than Sale. Waiting for him to show up, waiting for him to get over injuries...waiting for him to hit for power, to do anything. Waste of money...money that could have been and should have been used toward Betts

 

Story hasn’t been a good signing, but Sale has been far worse. Story could play injury-free for the next 4 years. Sale is 4 years into his deal and hasn’t even reached 200IP total yet…

[jad]

For once we agree. This team.is the worst I ve seen I have been following the Sox since 1953.

 

OMG! Including the Don Buddin years? Not to mention Dick Stuart (who was a bit later).

[notin]

I think they probably will.

 

I have my doubts they deal Mayer and keep Rafaela at SS. They are weak at middle infield and have a glut of outfielders. I don’t think there is much beyond that for starting Rafaela at SS. Even if they made Rafaela the staring SS next year, it’s not like Mayer has some “Use By” date in the next 12 months. He could start next year in AAA (and probably will anyway).

 

They’ll probably deal away an OF (Duran or Verdugo) this off-season, creating a place for Rafaela. After him, the best defensive CF on the roster might be Abreu…

[Dipre]

I'll bet dollars to doughnuts Mayer isn't going anywhere and will be team captain by late '25.

[notin]

For once we agree. This team.is the worst I ve seen I have been following the Sox since 1953.

 

I don’t like that they refused to invest in a Gold Glove winning Slugger and instead chose to invest in a defensively challenged one.

 

Move Devers to 1b, Casas to DH. Sign Chapman, who fills two roles as a GoldGlove winning defensive upgrade and a middle-of-the-order right-handed bat…

[notin]

I'll bet dollars to doughnuts Mayer isn't going anywhere and will be team captain by late '25.

 

Yes on the first part, no on the timeline of the second…

[Dipre]

Yes on the first part, no on the timeline of the second…

 

I said what I said and I stand by it.

[Elktonnick]

OMG! Including the Don Buddin years? Not to mention Dick Stuart (who was a bit later).

Yup

[moonslav59]

I have my doubts they deal Mayer and keep Rafaela at SS. They are weak at middle infield and have a glut of outfielders. I don’t think there is much beyond that for starting Rafaela at SS. Even if they made Rafaela the staring SS next year, it’s not like Mayer has some “Use By” date in the next 12 months. He could start next year in AAA (and probably will anyway).

 

They’ll probably deal away an OF (Duran or Verdugo) this off-season, creating a place for Rafaela. After him, the best defensive CF on the roster might be Abreu…

 

If they trade Mayer, Story stays at SS and rafaela plays CF.

 

Plus, according to some, we still have 18 SSs in the system besides Mayer.

[cp176]

OMG! Including the Don Buddin years? Not to mention Dick Stuart (who was a bit later).

 

yes - Stuart and Casas is a wash.

[mvp 78]

I said what I said and I stand by it.

 

It's more likely he's traded than captain.

[Dipre]

It's more likely he's traded than captain.

 

I said what I said and I stand by it.

[mvp 78]

I said what I said and I stand by it.

 

Better to stand by it than stand in it when it's a big old load of s***!!!

[mvp 78]

Instead of Chapman to 3b:

 

1B Devers

2B Yorke

SS Mayer

3B Story

DH Casas

[Dipre]

Better to stand by it than stand in it when it's a big old load of s***!!!

 

I will stand in it then. He'll be team captain, they'll call him The Mayor, and he'll remind all of us of the good times with Pedroia.

[Dipre]

Instead of Chapman to 3b:

 

1B Devers

2B Yorke

SS Mayer

3B Story

DH Casas

 

Matt Chapman last three seasons: .228/.324/.422, .746 OPS, 109 OPS+, 69 HR (nice!), 78 2B, 5 3B.

 

Doesn't quite scream "elite power bat" to me.

[mvp 78]

I will stand in it then. He'll be team captain, they'll call him The Mayor, and he'll remind all of us of the good times with Pedroia.

 

They already had a Mayor. https://www.fangraphs.com/players/sean-casey/314/stats?position=1B

[moonslav59]

Matt Chapman last three seasons: .228/.324/.422, .746 OPS, 109 OPS+, 69 HR (nice!), 78 2B, 5 3B.

 

Doesn't quite scream "elite power bat" to me.

 

Not great.

 

Last 4 seasons:

.752 OPS and 27 HRs per 162 games. (59 XBHs)

 

Last 2 seasons

.762 OPS and 24 Hrs per 162. (61 XBHs)

 

Slightly better but still not great.

[mvp 78]

Matt Chapman last three seasons: .228/.324/.422, .746 OPS, 109 OPS+, 69 HR (nice!), 78 2B, 5 3B.

 

Doesn't quite scream "elite power bat" to me.

 

I'd use the money towards pitching.

[notin]

I said what I said and I stand by it.

 

Can you at least explain how a wager of dollars to donuts works? Would I be supplying dollars? Or donuts? How many? Do I get both if I win? Or some equivalent conversion? Any kind of donuts? And do I really want more than one anyway?

[notin]

I'd use the money towards pitching.

 

I’d deal Duran for pitching. Free agent starting pitching is a poor investment…

[notin]

Matt Chapman last three seasons: .228/.324/.422, .746 OPS, 109 OPS+, 69 HR (nice!), 78 2B, 5 3B.

 

Doesn't quite scream "elite power bat" to me.

 

If Duvall and Turner leave (likely!), our primary RHH power bar is Story, followed by Urias…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

If they trade Mayer, Story stays at SS and rafaela plays CF.

 

Plus, according to some, we still have 18 SSs in the system besides Mayer.

 

This is the most likely scenario posted so far today.

 

I love Duran turning singles into doubles, but not those of opposing batters. Because of the latter, he's also not going to fetch a good young pitcher, unless he's part of a multi-player trade.

[mvp 78]

Can you at least explain how a wager of dollars to donuts works? Would I be supplying dollars? Or donuts? How many? Do I get both if I win? Or some equivalent conversion? Any kind of donuts? And do I really want more than one anyway?

 

It's an idiom due to dollars having a much higher value than donuts. HOWEVER, in today's donut economy, thanks to glazeflation in the mid 00's, donuts are now much more cost prohibitive. It would be much more meaningful to say "donuts to dollars."