May 30th Orioles & Red Sox

[a700hitter]

Losing 2 series to the Orioles is not promising for this team.

[Oscars]

30% of the season is over with this game, and the Sox will remain a sub .500 team. Inconsistent are the performances.

 

DFA Barnes already !!!

[Jasonbay44]

Matt Barnes needs to be gone. He’s useless

[harmony]

Should Matt Barnes be dropped in a 10-team mixed fantasy league?

 

Asking for a friend.

[Old Red]

Matt Barnes needs to be gone. He’s useless

 

Bloom’s contract extension is what’s stopping that.

[a700hitter]

Matt Barnes needs to be gone. He’s useless

Pay him the remainder of his contract and get him out of here. He’s toast. Only a fool can’t see that.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Bloom’s contract extension is what’s stopping that.

 

At the time Barnes' had made the all-star team. How the hell was Bloom supposed to know that Barnes would turn into a bum?

[Old Red]

Pay him the remainder of his contract and get him out of here. He’s toast. Only a fool can’t see that.

 

Bloom said it was a great day for the Red Sox when Barnes signed the extension.

[Old Red]

At the time Barnes' had made the all-star team. How the hell was Bloom supposed to know that Barnes would turn into a bum?

 

Win some, and lose some.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

At the time Barnes' had made the all-star team. How the hell was Bloom supposed to know that Barnes would turn into a bum?

 

 

Of course, I'm sure Old Red knew at the time that the extension was a mistake.

[harmony]

Bloom said it was a great day for the Red Sox when Barnes signed the extension.

A prominent poster called the Matt Barnes extension "highway robbery" by the Red Sox.

 

This poster called the extension "fair market value."

 

Perhaps we were both wrong.

 

Or not.

Edited May 31, 2022 by harmony

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

In the words of Dana Carvey "Well, wasn't that special?"

[Old Red]

Of course, I'm sure Old Red knew at the time that the extension was a mistake.

 

No at the time I thought it was a good deal, but the bad part today is that the Red Sox do not have anything close to a good closer, and that is on Bloom.

[a700hitter]

I questioned it at the time it was made.

[Oscars]

30% of the season is over with this game, and the Sox will remain a sub .500 team. Inconsistent are the performances.

 

Nick and EO and 3 days of OH! NO!

 

Wacha is 3-0 with a 2.83 ERA so I don’t currently feel overly worried when he heads to the hill

[notin]

Wacha is 3-0 with a 2.83 ERA so I don’t currently feel overly worried when he heads to the hill

 

And what’s wrong with Whitlock as a starter?

 

And really, as #5 starters go, what’s wrong with Hill? I mean, bedsides the age discrimination thing…

[Bellhorn04]

And what’s wrong with Whitlock as a starter?

 

And really, as #5 starters go, what’s wrong with Hill? I mean, bedsides the age discrimination thing…

 

The only thing wrong with Hill is that he's looked like crap 2 of his last 3 starts.

[Old Red]

And what’s wrong with Whitlock as a starter?

 

And really, as #5 starters go, what’s wrong with Hill? I mean, bedsides the age discrimination thing…

 

What’s wrong with Whitlock as a starter? Nothing except that the Red Sox lead the league in blown saves, and Whitlock could be the closer, which is the teams biggest need. I repeat the Red Sox lead the league in blown saves, and the Sox are only 3-4 in Whitlocks starts. To me he’s wasted in the rotation.

[mvp 78]

And what’s wrong with Whitlock as a starter?

 

And really, as #5 starters go, what’s wrong with Hill? I mean, bedsides the age discrimination thing…

 

I can't say I trust 42 year old starters all that much. I know someone was on year earlier saying that his arm only had 35 years of mileage or whatever, but he looks all 42 years right now. He's either headed to the pen or they are just going to play out the string with him. I think I'd rather throw Winckowski/Seabold out there every 5th day.

[mvp 78]

What’s wrong with Whitlock as a starter? Nothing except that the Red Sox lead the league in blown saves, and Whitlock could be the closer, which is the teams biggest need. I repeat the Red Sox lead the league in blown saves, and the Sox are only 3-4 in Whitlocks starts. To me he’s wasted in the rotation.

 

Houck should be the closer. Whitlock could be a really good starting pitcher which has much more value.

[Old Red]

Houck should be the closer. Whitlock could be a really good starting pitcher which has much more value.

 

No one knows that Whitlock will be a good starting pitcher, or not, but he is effective in the BP. I could care less about value at the moment, and only about what’s going on with the Red Sox having the most blown saves in the league, and a losing record to go along with it. Right now the value is being in the BP.

[mvp 78]

No one knows that Whitlock will be a good starting pitcher, or not, but he is effective in the BP. I could care less about value at the moment, and only about what’s going on with the Red Sox having the most blown saves in the league, and a losing record to go along with it. Right now the value is being in the BP.

 

And it's the day after Memorial Day and the Sox are 10.5 back. Season is basically over. I think hurting the starting rotation by pulling Whitlock is a bigger issue. I think just making Houck the closer fixes that issue.

[Old Red]

And it's the day after Memorial Day and the Sox are 10.5 back. Season is basically over. I think hurting the starting rotation by pulling Whitlock is a bigger issue. I think just making Houck the closer fixes that issue.

 

Whitlock is not helping the starting rotation, and putting him as the closer hopefully would fix that problem. Put Houck back in the rotation like he was before he was pulled, because of not being vaxed. Things were working better earlier in the season when Houck was starting, and Whitlock was in the pen. 10.5 games back of what? The only things people should worry about is getting back to 500, and nothing else.

[Bellhorn04]

Whitlock is not helping the starting rotation, and putting him as the closer hopefully would fix that problem.

 

None of that sentence makes any sense.

[Old Red]

None of that sentence makes any sense.

 

What part of Whitlock being the closer don’t you understand? Put Houck back in the rotation like he was to start the season what part of that don’t you understand. The Red Sox lead the league in blown saves, and are a sub 500 team. That is a fact, and the way things are being done now is not working. The losses that were the results of the blown saves are gone forever, so what doesn’t make sense is doing the status quo.

[mvp 78]

Whitlock is not helping the starting rotation, and putting him as the closer hopefully would fix that problem. Put Houck back in the rotation like he was before he was pulled, because of not being vaxed. Things were working better earlier in the season when Houck was starting, and Whitlock was in the pen. 10.5 games back of what? The only things people should worry about is getting back to 500, and nothing else.

 

SP:

Whitlock 26.2 K%, 4.34 ERA, 3.36 xFIP

Houck 18.8 K%, 4.32 ERA, 4.13 xFIP

 

RP:

Whitlock 31.4 K%, 0.93 ERA, 2.80 xFIP

Houck 24.7 K%, 3.79 ERA, 3.75 xFIP

 

Whitlock is a better pitcher than Houck. I want my best pitchers throwing the most innings. Starters throw the most innings. I want Whitlock to start.

[mvp 78]

What part of Whitlock being the closer don’t you understand? Put Houck back in the rotation like he was to start the season what part of that don’t you understand. The Red Sox lead the league in blown saves, and are a sub 500 team. That is a fact, and the way things are being done now is not working. The losses that were the results of the blown saves are gone forever, so what doesn’t make sense is doing the status quo.

 

Just make Houck the closer and they'll blow less saves.

[Bellhorn04]

What part of Whitlock being the closer don’t you understand? Put Houck back in the rotation like he was to start the season what part of that don’t you understand. The Red Sox lead the league in blown saves, and are a sub 500 team. That is a fact, and the way things are being done now is not working. The losses that were the results of the blown saves are gone forever, so what doesn’t make sense is doing the status quo.

 

You said Whitlock isn't helping the rotation. That made zero sense. Don't blame it on me.

[Old Red]

SP:

Whitlock 26.2 K%, 4.34 ERA, 3.36 xFIP

Houck 18.8 K%, 4.32 ERA, 4.13 xFIP

 

RP:

Whitlock 31.4 K%, 0.93 ERA, 2.80 xFIP

Houck 24.7 K%, 3.79 ERA, 3.75 xFIP

 

Whitlock is a better pitcher than Houck. I want my best pitchers throwing the most innings. Starters throw the most innings. I want Whitlock to start.

 

None of this is relevant, because neither has been put in the closers role to try. It’s not a question about the best pitcher being a starter, but what is the biggest need, and who is best at the biggest need, and if the closer is the biggest need, and Whitlock is the best pitcher than to me he should be the closer.

[Maxbialystock]

What’s wrong with Whitlock as a starter? Nothing except that the Red Sox lead the league in blown saves, and Whitlock could be the closer, which is the teams biggest need. I repeat the Red Sox lead the league in blown saves, and the Sox are only 3-4 in Whitlocks starts. To me he’s wasted in the rotation.

 

1. The Sox are 23-26 with 12 blown saves. The Rays are 28-20 with 10 blown saves, the Padres 30-18 with 9 blown saves, the Jays 27-20 with 10 blown saves, the Angels 27-22 with 9 blown saves, the Mets 33-17 with 9 blown saves, and the White Sox 23-23 with 9 blown saves. The Reds and Nationals each have just 4 blown saves, but are 16-31 and 18-32. Tentative conclusion: saves are nice, but they are not the be-all and and end-all of winning games.

 

2. In 1+ seasons and 56 appearances, Whitlock has 3 saves and 4 blown saves, which suggest that closing ain't his thing. However, he has been a long reliever and has 14 Holds.

 

3. Whitlock has starter potential and can eat more innings as a starter than as a reliever--unless, as he was last year, he is a long reliever.

 

4. While I will agree good/great closers are special and can make a difference, I must also point out that the current rules of MLB in fact allow opposing teams to score runs in any freaking inning. The job of a team's pitching staff is to prevent runs from being scored in as many innings as possible. So my thought is that effective long relievers, which the Sox have used to good effect since Cora got here, are not wasted because they can keep the Sox in games long before it's closing time. It does no good to save Whitlock for a save situation that doesn't come because the Sox are behind or way ahead by the 9th inning.