A Realistic View at 2023: Part I

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Now that is a SSS alert.

 

Half a century? I should have clarified, as my research was only for world champs.

 

As Moon posts, Nate was actually better in relief: Two starts, 2-0, 13 IP, 3 earned, 2.08. Four reliefs, 0-1... but 9 IP, 1 Muncy, 0.99.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I think that Yoshida getting most of his AB at the WBC is a good thing. He’ll face better pitching than he will in most of ST.

 

Good point -- maybe not better pitchers, but every one of them will be trying their hardest to get him out, as opposed to big leaguers working on a new pitch or delivery clock.

[mvp 78]

I think that Yoshida getting most of his AB at the WBC is a good thing. He’ll face better pitching than he will in most of ST.

 

I'm not so sure about that. I'm going to give him a few months to get acclimated before I leap to any conclusions.

[mvp 78]

Half a century? I should have clarified, as my research was only for world champs.

 

As Moon posts, Nate was actually better in relief: Two starts, 2-0, 13 IP, 3 earned, 2.08. Four reliefs, 0-1... but 9 IP, 1 Muncy, 0.99.

 

The 2018 playoff appearances for Nate Eovaldi showing that he's an ace is a SMALL SAMPLE SIZE.

[moonslav59]

I'm not so sure about that. I'm going to give him a few months to get acclimated before I leap to any conclusions.

 

I'm gonna leap: Yoshida is going to be a very good signing- maybe great!

[Old Red]

I'm not so sure about that. I'm going to give him a few months to get acclimated before I leap to any conclusions.

 

A couple of months? I’d give him a couple of years before I’d make any kind of judgement just like Suzuki.

[mvp 78]

A couple of months? I’d give him a couple of years before I’d make any kind of judgement just like Suzuki.

 

Seiya or Ichiro? Ichiro was great from day 1. Matsui took a year to adjust.

[Old Red]

Seiya or Ichiro? Ichiro was great from day 1. Matsui took a year to adjust.

 

I’m more concerned how Yoshida handles playing that LF wall than his bat to start the season.

[Old Red]

Seiya or Ichiro? Ichiro was great from day 1. Matsui took a year to adjust.

 

Seiya. Got off to a good start, but tailed off, and had some injuries.

[mvp 78]

I’m more concerned how Yoshida handles playing that LF wall than his bat to start the season.

 

IDK, we've seen some BAD LFers in our time. If he can hit, it won't matter.

[Old Red]

IDK, we've seen some BAD LFers in our time. If he can hit, it won't matter.

 

What about all the emphasis on D in the OF like when they brought JBJ back? Plus the concern of Dugo being able to play RF good enough.

[mvp 78]

What about all the emphasis on D in the OF like when they brought JBJ back? Plus the concern of Dugo being able to play RF good enough.

 

Dugo couldn't even play LF last year. He's probably not going to be any good in RF. I'm not worried about LF, but I AM concerned about RF which is a more important defensive position historically, but especially at Fenway.

[moonslav59]

I’m more concerned how Yoshida handles playing that LF wall than his bat to start the season.

 

"Pick the ball up, when it stops rolling." That's how a friend of mine characterized Mike Greenwell's defense.

[moonslav59]

What about all the emphasis on D in the OF like when they brought JBJ back? Plus the concern of Dugo being able to play RF good enough.

 

That's a big head-scratcher, to me. WE dumped Renfroe to improve our RF D, then avoided playing Dugo in RF, like the plague, until we dumped JBJ and added Pham. Now, Dugo is okay in RF, we signed Duvall to play CF, which is not his natural position, and he replaces our best defensive OF'er in Kike. Yoshida may not be much worse than Dugo in LF, but he rates to be worse.

 

We went from "meh" OF D inh 22 to pretty bad, this year.

 

Our 1B and SS D should improve, but 2B is taking a hit.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

The 2018 playoff appearances for Nate Eovaldi showing that he's an ace is a SMALL SAMPLE SIZE.

 

But there he was again -- in 2021 -- starting and beating the favored Yankees in the Wild Card.

 

There can be no such thing as small samples in the postseason, where one size fits all...

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

That's a big head-scratcher, to me. WE dumped Renfroe to improve our RF D, then avoided playing Dugo in RF, like the plague, until we dumped JBJ and added Pham. Now, Dugo is okay in RF, we signed Duvall to play CF, which is not his natural position, and he replaces our best defensive OF'er in Kike. Yoshida may not be much worse than Dugo in LF, but he rates to be worse.

 

We went from "meh" OF D inh 22 to pretty bad, this year.

 

 

Better hope after Ws this crew doesn't try to dance, film and repeat -- otherwise, things could turn into a mishmash moshpit.

[moonslav59]

But there he was again -- in 2021 -- starting and beating the favored Yankees in the Wild Card.

 

There can be no such thing as small samples in the postseason, where one size fits all...

 

Saying he was the ace of the playoff implieds SSS, so I see no issue saying that.

 

Nate was also our "ace," by default from 2020-2022, 2021-2022, but maybe not 2022, by itself. Hill and Wacha were very close.

[moonslav59]

Better hope after Ws this crew doesn't try to dance, film and repeat -- otherwise, things could turn into a mishmash moshpit.

 

Leave that to the IF.

[notin]

IDK, we've seen some BAD LFers in our time. If he can hit, it won't matter.

 

Mike Greenwell appreciates being remembered…

[notin]

That's a big head-scratcher, to me. WE dumped Renfroe to improve our RF D, then avoided playing Dugo in RF, like the plague, until we dumped JBJ and added Pham. Now, Dugo is okay in RF, we signed Duvall to play CF, which is not his natural position, and he replaces our best defensive OF'er in Kike. Yoshida may not be much worse than Dugo in LF, but he rates to be worse.

 

We went from "meh" OF D inh 22 to pretty bad, this year.

 

Our 1B and SS D should improve, but 2B is taking a hit.

 

Maybe the OF defense wasn’t the motivation to move Renfroe. Maybe they just decided to sell high as part of a rebuild?

 

If you’re trying to make a sustainable farm system, maybe you have to make the occasional questionable (to others) trade…

[mvp 78]

Mike Greenwell appreciates being remembered…

 

He was exciting out there for sure. The wall may have a few Greenwell shaped dents out there.

[Old Red]

Maybe the OF defense wasn’t the motivation to move Renfroe. Maybe they just decided to sell high as part of a rebuild?

 

If you’re trying to make a sustainable farm system, maybe you have to make the occasional questionable (to others) trade…

 

Trading for JBJ was not selling high, and it cost more to do it. This was a head scratcher before, during, and after it failed.

[moonslav59]

Maybe the OF defense wasn’t the motivation to move Renfroe. Maybe they just decided to sell high as part of a rebuild?

 

If you’re trying to make a sustainable farm system, maybe you have to make the occasional questionable (to others) trade…

 

I believe they mentioned upgrading OF as part of the justification for the trade, but it's hard to believe anything they say.

 

I do think Bloom & Co. were higher on Hamilton and Binelas than most anyone else, too, and at the time, I said that must be the only reason for the trade, because the finances, skill levels and optics of the trade sucked from day 1.

 

(This from one of JBJ's biggest fans and defenders up until he left after 2020.)

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I believe they mentioned upgrading OF as part of the justification for the trade, but it's hard to believe anything they say.

 

 

... but -- if we signed Mookie, we wouldn't have been able to add Ottavino and Richards!

[moonslav59]

... but -- if we signed Mookie, we wouldn't have been able to add Ottavino and Richards!

 

LOL.

 

Actually, if they kept Betts & Price, they'd have not signed a single new player for 2020 AND had to trade away $24M in salary from someone else.

[notin]

He was exciting out there for sure. The wall may have a few Greenwell shaped dents out there.

 

From where the Gator bit it!! I knew it!!

[moonslav59]

The thing about Greenwell's defense that bugged me the most was how he's slowly run back to the wall then jump into it. Many times, the crashing into the wall knocked the ball loose.

 

He often had plenty of time to run quickly back to the wall, then jump straight up and easily catch the ball with no collision.

 

He never learned.

[mvp 78]

He never learned.

 

Would you expect more from the Fort Myers Public Schools?

[notin]

Trading for JBJ was not selling high, and it cost more to do it. This was a head scratcher before, during, and after it failed.

 

JBJ also want the entirety of that trade.

 

We won’t ever know all the logic that went into that trade, but it’s not ridiculous think they wanted JBJ for some defense and liked Hamilton and Binelas as players they hoped to get for a player who was released one year earlier but played well enough to earn a significant raise.

 

If Bloom wanted to build something of a farm system, trading MLB players at the suspected peak is going to happen. And if they had any designs on someone like Suzuki, the positions certainly made sense…

[mvp 78]

JBJ also want the entirety of that trade.

 

We won’t ever know all the logic that went into that trade, but it’s not ridiculous think they wanted JBJ for some defense and liked Hamilton and Binelas as players they hoped to get for a player who was released one year earlier but played well enough to earn a significant raise.

 

If Bloom wanted to build something of a farm system, trading MLB players at the suspected peak is going to happen. And if they had any designs on someone like Suzuki, the positions certainly made sense…

 

Did they ever make an offer to Suzuki?