6/6/22 bos @ laa

[vegasbob]

Big time huge congrats to Wacha for sticking it to the Angels, while getting minimum support

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Fantastic performance by Wacha. Based on how starting pitching is managed, having 3 complete games in less than a month is about as rare as having 3 no-hitters.

[Maxbialystock]

Very exciting game and win!!!

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Trying not to be over-excited, but the SOX starting staff is looking dangerous. I admit being surprised and anyone here that says they aren't is lying.

[moonslav59]

I'm not going to say I told you so, but Wacha did have a nice record, last year the third time through the line-up, and I wondered why he was yanked early in so many early games.

 

Well, he missed some time afterwards, and should be well rested for a while.

 

The guy's got a 1.99 ERA.

 

Can the Bloom bashers give him some love on this one?

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

I'm not going to say I told you so, but Wacha did have a nice record, last year the third time through the line-up, and I wondered why he was yanked early in so many early games.

 

Well, he missed some time afterwards, and should be well rested for a while.

 

The guy's got a 1.99 ERA.

 

Can the Bloom bashers give him some love on this one?

 

I'm not a Bloom basher, but I'll still give him some love.

[moonslav59]

Trying not to be over-excited, but the SOX starting staff is looking dangerous. I admit being surprised and anyone here that says they aren't is lying.

 

1.99 Wacha .563 (before tonight!)

3.02 Whitlock .627

3.41 Nate .778

3.50 Pivetta .627

4.40 Hill .735

3.72 Houch .620

[illinoisredsox]

Cora appears to have handled the closer issue. Let the starter be his own closer.

 

Last complete game shutout by a Sox pitcher was almost exactly 3 years ago. June 5, 2019, by Chris Sale vs. the Royals.

[d-money]

Let’s keep it up!!!!! Hard to believe we won a game 1-0 without the BP blowing it lolz

[moonslav59]

I'm not a Bloom basher, but I'll still give him some love.

 

He spent $18M on 3 SP'ers (about the same as last winter with $10M Richards & $'6M Perez)

 

$7M Wacha

$6M Paxton ($4M buyout with Option for $13M options for 2023 & 2024)

$5M Hill

 

He spent about $9M on the pen (not counting the Barnes extension):

$3.5M x 2 Diekman (+$1M buyout)

$3.0M Strahm

$2.3M Robles

Min Scheiber off waivers

 

He spent $23.3M x 6 on Story

 

He added salary with the JBJ trade.

 

He accepted Vaz'z $7M option.

 

Overall, it looks good, so far. (Not just Wacha.)

[iortiz]

Wacha and Pivetta have stepped up big time this season. Eovaldi has been very solid. Whitlock is a true No. 1. Rich is a solid No. 4.

 

..and if Sale comes back big time, I will not discard this Sox.

 

We still need a closer though.

 

Gotta give Chaim a lot of credit —again.

[moonslav59]

Cora appears to have handled the closer issue. Let the starter be his own closer.

 

Last complete game shutout by a Sox pitcher was almost exactly 3 years ago. June 5, 2019, by Chris Sale vs. the Royals.

 

Yes!

 

3 complete games since May 18th (Pivetta, Nate & Wacha).

 

There has only been 2 games with just 2 pitchers used:

The 7-1 win on May 13th (Pivetta + Crawford)

The 3-1 loss on May 25th (Hill & Houck)

 

All 5 occured after May 13th- the day we began to turn the season around.

[moonslav59]

Wacha and Pivetta have stepped up big time this season. Eovaldi has been very solid. Whitlock is a true No. 1. Rich is a solid No. 4.

 

..and if Sale comes back big time, I will not discard this Sox.

 

We still need a closer though.

 

Gotta give Chaim a lot of credit —again.

 

Maybe, just maybe, he's not in over his head.

 

[moonslav59]

Thank you for the 2 hour and 32 minute left coast win.

 

Good night!

[Old Red]

I'm not going to say I told you so, but Wacha did have a nice record, last year the third time through the line-up, and I wondered why he was yanked early in so many early games.

 

Well, he missed some time afterwards, and should be well rested for a while.

 

The guy's got a 1.99 ERA.

 

Can the Bloom bashers give him some love on this one?

 

I have said before I was wrong in calling him Whacka.

[Jasonbay44]

Helluva performance tonight by Wacha. I had absolutely 0 expectations for him coming into the season, but he’s been amazing thus far.

[Thunder]

Weird how the one year we play well out West is a year where less than a month before going West, we were 10-19

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Helluva performance tonight by Wacha. I had absolutely 0 expectations for him coming into the season, but he’s been amazing thus far.

 

Same here, but only because the Rays gave up on him and the Sox torched his one relief stint in the playoffs.

 

But maybe Tampa suddenly is no longer the genius pitching organization they once were, after... 1) yanking Snell throwing a shutout to lose the '20 World Series; 2) starting three straight rookies vs. the top slugging team in the postseason to lose the '21 ALDS; 3) trading for a 40-year old DH to lose a top-of-the-rotation starter.

[moonslav59]

I have said before I was wrong in calling him Whacka.

 

...and maybe Bloom, too?

[Old Red]

...and maybe Bloom, too?

 

Long ways to go for that, but at the end of the season If Wacha stays a reliable starting pitcher I will do that. I’m not planning on going to any postseason parade just yet. Things are looking real good at the moment, but the Sox are presently playing some of the dredges of the league. They are not this good, but they wasn’t that bad to start the season either. A long ways to go, so we’ll see how things shake out. I believe the Sox have a 14 game stretch in early July where they just play NY, and Tampa, and then play The Jays for 3, so we’ll see where they are after that.

[moonslav59]

Long ways to go for that, but at the end of the season If Wacha stays a reliable starting pitcher I will do that. I’m not planning on going to any postseason parade just yet. Things are looking real good at the moment, but the Sox are presently playing some of the dredges of the league. They are not this good, but they wasn’t that bad to start the season either. A long ways to go, so we’ll see how things shake out. I believe the Sox have a 14 game stretch in early July where they just play NY, and Tampa, and then play The Jays for 3, so we’ll see where they are after that.

 

I'm not sure why Bloom is so down on your list that he needs a lot to reach some sort of redemption.

 

He was handed a hot mess and a tiny budget for 2 years. He was given more to spend, this year, but still a limited amount with a hell of a lot of slots to try and fill. Some context is needed.

 

I'm not saying he's been perfect or deserves a lot of praise, but he's turned things around, pretty quickly while also adding some brightness to our future.

[Old Red]

I have been a Red Sox fan since about 1960, and I just don’t want nothing to do with the Tampa way. Why is Bloom so high on some list here? He was praised just because he came from Tampa before he had done anything for Boston. Prospects! Did someone say prospects? There has been so much fire sale talk on here even before the season started that I think the prospect of getting prospects is more appealing than anything else. The Red Sox have produced many good talented players through the years without doing it the Tampa way. Mookie, Raffy, Bogey JBJ, and Bennny just to name a few on now, and recent teams. Future to me is now, and not what prospects may, or may not do. Brightness to the future would be to get Bogey, and Raffy signed. Not hoping what Casas, or Mayer is going to do. Any time there is an opinion on here against Bloom, or Cora is like how can you think like that. Very predictable, and amusing. Someone said we got Bloom, and we got Cora like that is supposed to give the Red Sox a big advantage, and I don’t always see it like that. Edited June 7, 2022 by Old Red

[Maxbialystock]

I have been a Red Sox fan since about 1960, and I just don’t want nothing to do with the Tampa way. Why is Bloom so high on some list here? He was praised just because he came from Tampa before he had done anything for Boston. Prospects! Did someone say prospects? There has been so much fire sale talk on here even before the season started that I think the prospect of getting prospects is more appealing than anything else. The Red Sox have produced many good talented players through the years without doing it the Tampa way. Mookie, Raffy, Bogey JBJ, and Bennny just to name a few on now, and recent teams. Future to me is now, and not what prospects may, or may not do. Brightness to the future would be to get Bogey, and Raffy signed. Not hoping what Casas, or Mayer is going to do. Any time there is an opinion on here against Bloom, or Cora is like how can you think like that. Very predictable, and amusing. Someone said we got Bloom, and we got Cora like that is supposed to give the Red Sox a big advantage, and I don’t always see it like that.

 

Well, at least you mentioned Bogey and Raffy. However, you put signing them on Bloom when the decision is actually John Henry's, just as it was when Mookie Betts signed with the Dodgers for $365M, which is probably in the vicinity of what Rafael Devers is expecting. My guess is that Bogey is looking for $300M.

 

If it takes $650M to keep Devers and Bogaerts, I would pass because they are never going to be worth that amount of money. Think Price and Sales for a glimpse of what could happen if John Henry approves giving Bogaerts and Devers whatever they want to stay in Boston.

 

I've been a Sox fan since 1949, and I do like the way the Rays have built their teams to be competitive just about every year despite low salaries. I think what they are doing is great for MLB even though it's for the worst ballpark and fan base in MLB except for the A's.

 

However, I don't think for a minute John Henry wants to follow the Rays way. I think he simply hired Bloom because he's smart and hopefully can find a way to merge the Rays way with the Sox way, which has been awfully good since John Henry took over.

[Old Red]

Well, at least you mentioned Bogey and Raffy. However, you put signing them on Bloom when the decision is actually John Henry's, just as it was when Mookie Betts signed with the Dodgers for $365M, which is probably in the vicinity of what Rafael Devers is expecting. My guess is that Bogey is looking for $300M.

 

If it takes $650M to keep Devers and Bogaerts, I would pass because they are never going to be worth that amount of money. Think Price and Sales for a glimpse of what could happen if John Henry approves giving Bogaerts and Devers whatever they want to stay in Boston.

 

I've been a Sox fan since 1949, and I do like the way the Rays have built their teams to be competitive just about every year despite low salaries. I think what they are doing is great for MLB even though it's for the worst ballpark and fan base in MLB except for the A's.

 

However, I don't think for a minute John Henry wants to follow the Rays way. I think he simply hired Bloom because he's smart and hopefully can find a way to merge the Rays way with the Sox way, which has been awfully good since John Henry took over.

 

I’m very well aware that John Henry has the say in Bogey, and Raffy are resigned.I wouldn’t pay nowhere near $650M to resign them, and I think under $500M would do it. Comparing Sale, and Price is nowhere near a good comparison to Bogey, and Raffy. You now what Bogey, and Raffy can do in Boston, and Sale was a TJ waiting to happen, and price was a bad fit for Boston, but he went to the highest bidder. So you just want to be competitive like the Rays, but don’t win anything like the Sox have done the past 20 years. The Sox didn’t win 4 WS doing it the Tampa way.

[moonslav59]

Well, at least you mentioned Bogey and Raffy. However, you put signing them on Bloom when the decision is actually John Henry's, just as it was when Mookie Betts signed with the Dodgers for $365M, which is probably in the vicinity of what Rafael Devers is expecting. My guess is that Bogey is looking for $300M.

 

The thing is Red is against paying them that, too, but when we lose them, it's all Bloom's fault, or "we should have gotten a better return," with adding anything specific about what, except, "we should have gotten pitching."

[moonslav59]

I’m very well aware that John Henry has the say in Bogey, and Raffy are resigned.I wouldn’t pay nowhere near $650M to resign them, and I think under $500M would do it. Comparing Sale, and Price is nowhere near a good comparison to Bogey, and Raffy. You now what Bogey, and Raffy can do in Boston, and Sale was a TJ waiting to happen, and price was a bad fit for Boston, but he went to the highest bidder. So you just want to be competitive like the Rays, but don’t win anything like the Sox have done the past 20 years. The Sox didn’t win 4 WS doing it the Tampa way.

 

Actually, taht's on Henry, and we actually did play "money ball," except with some money over several seasons in the past- mostly between ring years, but salary was cut before 2013, too. (Later, added during the season.)

[Old Red]

The thing is Red is against paying them that, too, but when we lose them, it's all Bloom's fault, or "we should have gotten a better return," with adding anything specific about what, except, "we should have gotten pitching."

 

I’ve always said I’m against 10year/$300M contracts for anybody, and that’s Raffy, and Mookie included. Bloom did do a bad job on the return for Betts especially the great Jeter Downs who has gone 2 years now without getting above 200 against AAA pitching, and that is Blooms fault. Look at all the sites that graded the deal, and how many gave Bloom a passing grade.

Edited June 7, 2022 by Old Red

[mvp 78]

I’ve always said I’m against 10year/$300M contracts for anybody, and that’s Raffy, and Mookie included. Bloom did do a bad job on the return for Betts especially the great Jeter Downs who has gone 2 years now without getting above 200 against AAA pitching, and that is Blooms fault. Look at all the sites that graded the deal, and how many gave Bloom a passing grade.

 

When you make trades that include prospects, there's always a considerable value of uncertainty.

 

If Alex Verdugo played like 2020 for his entire time here, the deal would have worked out in the Sox favor. We'll see what the numbers look like once his arb years end.

[Old Red]

When you make trades that include prospects, there's always a considerable value of uncertainty.

 

If Alex Verdugo played like 2020 for his entire time here, the deal would have worked out in the Sox favor. We'll see what the numbers look like once his arb years end.

 

Understood about prospects in a trade, but no matter how good Dugy does he will never be a Betts, and doing a fire sale , or not resigning Bogey, JD, and Raffy what are the chances that you will get equal value back either in players, or prospects, and end up being better than you were before. That has been my big question right along. Those all are big shoes to fill, and just like Story will never fill Bogey’s shoes just, because he might be a better defensive SS.

[mvp 78]

Understood about prospects in a trade, but no matter how good Dugy does he will never be a Betts, and doing a fire sale , or not resigning Bogey, JD, and Raffy what are the chances that you will get equal value back either in players, or prospects, and end up being better than you were before. That has been my big question right along. Those all are big shoes to fill, and just like Story will never fill Bogey’s shoes just, because he might be a better defensive SS.

 

Well, if the Dodgers had a cheaper version of Mookie Betts, why would they trade him for a more expensive and older version of Mookie Betts?

 

The equal value is, as others have stated, one year of Mookie Betts vs 5 years of Alex Verdugo, plus lottery tickets of Wong and Downs. Dodgers were nice enough to take 1/2 of Price's contract in the deal too.

 

Mookie Betts 2020: 2.9 fWAR

Verdugo since 2020: 3.8 fWAR