9/04 Rangers @ SOX 1:35PM ET

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Gotta love Wong's line today. 3 walks! He's getting the Barry Bonds treatment. They're terrified of him.

 

It's a SSS, but Wong may help making the Betts' trade less one-sided.

[Bellhorn04]

If Rangers catcher Jonah Heim married a woman named Anna, she'd be Anna Heim. Of course she'd probably stick with the maiden name.

[dgalehouse]

The Rangers would have been better off just sightseeing around Boston all weekend and forfeiting the games.

[Maxbialystock]

It's a SSS, but Wong may help making the Betts' trade less one-sided.

 

The Sox--read John Henry--couldn't afford Mookie's "third-richest contract in the history of North American Sports," so letting him go along with Price (whose salary would be split between the Dodgers and Sox) to the Dodgers was a good move made even better by getting Verdugo and Wong in return.

 

Conceivably, letting Mookie go just might allow the Sox to keep Bogey and Raffy, but that remains to be seen.

 

Bloom still has to fix a pitching staff with the 2d worst team ERA in the American League.

[Jasonbay44]

That strike 3 on Yandy Diaz in the Yankees/Rays game was egregious. I can’t wait for robo umps

[Jasonbay44]

The Sox--read John Henry--couldn't afford Mookie's "third-richest contract in the history of North American Sports," so letting him go along with Price (whose salary would be split between the Dodgers and Sox) to the Dodgers was a good move made even better by getting Verdugo and Wong in return.

 

Conceivably, letting Mookie go just might allow the Sox to keep Bogey and Raffy, but that remains to be seen.

 

Bloom still has to fix a pitching staff with the 2d worst team ERA in the American League.

 

Yes, letting go of a generational talent, perennial all star and MVP candidate was a good move.

 

Getting rid of Mookie and Beni for Franchy, Verdugo and prospects really gets me excited. Mookie instantly showed his impact and dodgers won a ring and are having a historic season after adding him.

[notin]

But we did eat up the BP again, including Schreiber. We will be going to the Rays short as we have been all season

 

Yes let’s find the negative in a 4 game sweep and 5 game winning streak!!

[Old Red]

Yes let’s find the negative in a 4 game sweep and 5 game winning streak!!

 

They swept a bad team, which is better than losing to a bad team, but let’s see how they do back to playing the Div again, which has been a bugaboo all year. Take 4 out of 6 on this trip, and you’ve got something to talk about. Late to the party, but better to be late than not showing up all year.

[dgalehouse]

I think that beating up on a team, even a team that is obviously tanking, can be reinvigorating and can lead to some momentum going forward. We will find out soon enough.

[Old Red]

I think that beating up on a team, even a team that is obviously tanking, can be reinvigorating and can lead to some momentum going forward. We will find out soon enough.

 

Pretty bad to be tanking after spending $500M on two players this past off season. Having lots of money to spend does not always lead to success.

[Maxbialystock]

Yes, letting go of a generational talent, perennial all star and MVP candidate was a good move.

 

Getting rid of Mookie and Beni for Franchy, Verdugo and prospects really gets me excited. Mookie instantly showed his impact and dodgers won a ring and are having a historic season after adding him.

 

What a crock.

 

You really think the Sox were unaware of Mookie's talent? After his 2014 partial season, his average WAR for five seasons was freaking 8--for a total WAR of 40. Only Mike Trout was better for the same five seasons at 45 cumulative WAR.

 

The Sox with Betts were good--including the Sox best season ever, 2018--but guess what? One freaking player can't do it all.

 

So in 2015 with Mookie playing full time, the Sox were dead last in the AL East. The next two years, 2016 and 2017, with the additions of Price and Kimbrel--and Sale in 2017--the Sox won the AL East and were promptly slaughtered both years in the ALDS. To get over the top, DD brought in DH JD Martinez, whose OPS in 2018 was over 1.000. I believe JDM made everyone else in the lineup better, including MVP Mookie Betts. He also brought in Eovaldi in 2018.

 

Nevertheless, the next year, 2019, with Mookie having another good year and everyone else back from the 2018 juggernaut, the Sox didn't even make the postseason because the pitching collapsed. And Mookie can't pitch.

 

As for Mike Trout, the Angels haven't done diddly with a sure HOF centerfielder. They got to the postseason once, 2014, and lost 3 straight to Kansas City in the ALDS.

 

By the end of the 2019 season it was obvious the Sox needed to rebuild, and that isn't what DD does. Indeed, three of his big hires--Price, Sale, and Eovaldi--haven't done much for the Sox since 2018 even though the Sox have paid them a lot of money.

 

Thus letting Mookie go to the Dodgers was essential to have any hope of keeping Bogey and Devers--to say nothing of rebuilding the pitching staff.

Edited September 4, 2022 by Maxbialystock

[dgalehouse]

Pretty bad to be tanking after spending $500M on two players this past off season. Having lots of money to spend does not always lead to success.

 

It looks to me that the Rangers have given up on the season and are playing for a better draft pick. Not so much the players, but management.

[moonslav59]

Gotta love Wong's line today. 3 walks! He's getting the Barry Bonds treatment. They're terrified of him.

 

It's not a fluke, either. He had a .349 OBP on the farm, this year.

 

I think he had 8 HRs in his last 16 games at AAA before the call-up.

 

I hope he's a keeper.

[dgalehouse]

What a crock.

 

You really think the Sox were unaware of Mookie's talent? After his 2014 partial season, his average WAR for five seasons was freaking 8--for a total WAR of 40. Only Mike Trout was better for the same five seasons at 45 cumulative WAR.

 

The Sox with Betts were good--including the Sox best season ever, 2018--but guess what? One freaking player can't do it all.

 

So in 2015 with Mookie playing full time, the Sox were dead last in the AL East. The next two years, 2016 and 2017, with the additions of Price and Kimbrel--and Sale in 2017--the Sox won the AL East and were promptly slaughtered both years in the ALDS. To get over the top, DD brought in DH JD Martinez, whose OPS in 2018 was over 1.000. I believe JDM made everyone else in the lineup better, including MVP Mookie Betts. He also brought in Eovaldi in 2018.

 

Nevertheless, the next year, 2019, with Mookie having another good year and everyone else back from the 2018 juggernaut, the Sox didn't even make the postseason because the pitching collapsed. And Mookie can't pitch.

 

As for Mike Trout, the Angels haven't done diddly with a sure HOF centerfielder. They got to the postseason once, 2014, and lost 3 straight to Kansas City in the ALDS.

 

By the end of the 2019 season it was obvious the Sox needed to rebuild, and that isn't what DD does. Indeed, three of his big hires--Price, Sale, and Eovaldi--haven't done much for the Sox since 2018 even though the Sox have paid them a lot of money.

 

Thus letting Mookie go to the Dodgers has made it possible to keep Bogey and Devers as well as to rebuild the pitching staff.

 

The playoffs are a near crapshoot. Martinez was brought in to replace the retired David Ortiz. And Mookie Betts is one of the best all-around players you are ever going to see.

[Maxbialystock]

I think that beating up on a team, even a team that is obviously tanking, can be reinvigorating and can lead to some momentum going forward. We will find out soon enough.

 

We have definitely seen a resurgence of Sox hitting--Devers, Bogey, Story, and even JDM. Plus Dugo, Arroyo, et al. Let's see what they can do vs. the Rays' excellent pitching (2d best team ERA in the AL). Plus, last time the Sox played the Rays, they took 2 of 3.

 

Also this. The Rangers hitting this year--5th most runs scored in the AL--is better than the Rays hitting.

Edited September 4, 2022 by Maxbialystock

[moonslav59]

Winck is just not MLB material.

 

You need to start bashing Sox players, more often. You single-handedly turned Pivetta's career around. Maybe you just did the same for Winkman.

 

Who starts next? Better start bashing him, ASAP!

[Old Red]

It looks to me that the Rangers have given up on the season and are playing for a better draft pick. Not so much the players, but management.

 

Isn’t there a draft lottery this year, so it’s not as easy for getting a better draft pick now.

[dgalehouse]

Isn’t there a draft lottery this year, so it’s not as easy for getting a better draft pick now.

 

I'm not sure how it works this year. I thought that the worse your record, the better your odds of getting a higher pick. I could be wrong about that.

[Old Red]

I'm not sure how it works this year. I thought that the worse your record, the better your odds of getting a higher pick. I could be wrong about that.

 

You have better odds, but that doesn’t always work out.

[moonslav59]

You have better odds, but that doesn’t always work out.

 

How low do you have to be to have a chance at the first pick- lotto style?

[Old Red]

How low do you have to be to have a chance at the first pick- lotto style?

 

The first 6 picks will be determined by the lottery with all non playoff teams involved with the worse record having better odds, and so on I believe. The team with the best record of all the non playoff teams could still get the #1 pick, but just not very good odds of doing so. The team with the worst record could do no worse than 7th.

Edited September 5, 2022 by Old Red

[moonslav59]

The first 6 picks will be determined by the lottery with all non playoff teams involved with the worse record having better odds, and so on I believe. The team with the best record of all the non playoff teams could still get the #1 pick, but just not very good odds of doing so. The team with the worst record could do no worse than 7th.

 

Thanks.

 

So, we'd really have to tank to get to 6th worst. We are 12 games ahead of KC.

[Old Red]

Thanks.

 

So, we'd really have to tank to get to 6th worst. We are 12 games ahead of KC.

 

All we have to do is not make the playoffs, and we have a slight chance to get one of the first 6 picks.

[moonslav59]

All we have to do is not make the playoffs, and we have a slight chance to get one of the first 6 picks.

 

Ok, got it. I misread your post.

 

My guess is we may have less than a 1% chance at the top pick and maybe 1-2% at a top 6.

[moonslav59]

One game under .500.

 

Keep this streak going!

 

What are our chances, if we win 6 more in a row (3 @ TBR and 3@BAL?)

 

Here's the remaining schedule:

3 @ TBR

3 @ BAL

day off

2 v NYY

day off

3 v KCR

day off

2 @ CIN

4 @ NYY

4 v BAL

3 @ TOR

3 v TBR

 

RED= 16 games vs teams we need to pass

 

[Old Red]

Ok, got it. I misread your post.

 

My guess is we may have less than a 1% chance at the top pick and maybe 1-2% at a top 6.

 

You got it now. Maybe I didn’t explain it good enough.

[a700hitter]

You need to start bashing Sox players, more often. You single-handedly turned Pivetta's career around. Maybe you just did the same for Winkman.

 

Who starts next? Better start bashing him, ASAP!

I am doing what I can to help this hopeless bunch.

[FredLynn]

Sox are playing better. Having Story back and hitting is huge. Xander is on fire. Dugo and Arroyo are hitting. Casas is going to be an improvement at first. They may not make the playoffs but they can be spoilers.

 

Next best thing: the Yankees get knocked off early

[Maxbialystock]

The playoffs are a near crapshoot. Martinez was brought in to replace the retired David Ortiz. And Mookie Betts is one of the best all-around players you are ever going to see.

 

Of course he is. That's what I said and even cited his cumulative WAR's over his last five years with the Sox--40, which is an average WAR per season of 8. I think just one other MLB player was better, 2015-19--Mike Trout with 45 cumulative and 9 WAR per year. Nobody on the Sox will come anywhere near Mookie's average of 8 for five seasons this year. So, no question he was a big loss.

 

That said, I think paying him what the Dodgers are paying him would make it very difficult to keep Bogey and Devers and/or to fix the pitching.

 

And let me add this minor point. In 5 + seasons with the Sox Mookie's accumulated WAR was 42.3 and he was paid a total of $33M, so the Sox paid him less that $1M per 1 WAR of performance

 

His contract with the Dodgers is 12 years for $365M or $36.5M per season--all guaranteed. In three seasons with the Dodgers his accumulated WAR is 17.8, for which he is being paid $110M, or $6M per 1 WAR of performance. Let me hasten to add that clearly the Dodgers can afford Mookie and all those other good players--a total team salary of $266M this year. I'm not sure the Red Sox can. Indeed, if you subtract Mookie's $36.5M, you get $230M, which next year John Henry might go for because the Sox will also stop paying Price's $16M and some others. moonslav thinks about $80M in salary will be freed up for new acquisitions.

 

Of course both the Sox and the Dodgers know what the least expensive way to acquire excellent ballplayers is to draft and develop them. Indeed, I think that was one of the reasons why the Sox were so terrific in 2018. They had a bunch of talented players who had not yet reached free agency (Mookie was still paid $20M under "team control") plus select acquisitions like Price, Sale, Kimbrel, Eovaldi, and JDM. Their total payroll was I think $236M.

Edited September 5, 2022 by Maxbialystock

[Maxbialystock]

Thanks.

 

So, we'd really have to tank to get to 6th worst. We are 12 games ahead of KC.

 

Good explanation by Old Red. My meaningless vote is to play hard and get over .500. No "tanking." I believe I have seen some games which the score--drive by weak hitting and pitching--suggest tanking by the Sox, but I do not think it was.