Xander Bogaerts has signed with San Diego Padres

[Behindenemylines]

This was the plan all along. Stop gap until Mayer is ready.

[notin]

79mph does not mean you never throw anyone out from the hole or other places. A hard grounder to Story's right still allows him time to throw a runner out at 79 mph.

 

Range still helps. That is my posint.

 

Okay, maybe compared to all 29 other SSs, one can say 79 mph is horrible, but range still helps.

 

Yes the range absolutely helps. Swanson also throws about 79mph but he also lead MLB in Outs Above Average…

[a700hitter]

Most of us seem to be aboard the Devers/Andrus/Eovaldi or Kluber wagon now...

Until other teams sign them.

[a700hitter]

Swanson to the Cubs. All of the top SS’s are gone, and we didn’t get one. Great! This team is really shaping up.

[Jasonbay44]

Swanson to the Cubs. All of the top SS’s are gone, and we didn’t get one. Great! This team is really shaping up.

 

This team is going to be awful this season

[moonslav59]

Certainly not much to be optimistic about. It looks like trades and a couple second tier signings is our only hope for 2023, otherwise, it's wait till next year, already.

[notin]

Certainly not much to be optimistic about. It looks like trades and a couple second tier signings is our only hope for 2023, otherwise, it's wait till next year, already.

 

As I have said before, the season rests on Sale and Paxton. Not exactly the safest place to be…

[notin]

Swanson to the Cubs. All of the top SS’s are gone, and we didn’t get one. Great! This team is really shaping up.

 

Really didn’t want Swanson. After not wanting Story last off-season, I would have really detested that signing. (Although Story was a mildly pleasant surprise.)

[moonslav59]

As I have said before, the season rests on Sale and Paxton. Not exactly the safest place to be…

 

I just feel we didn't have to get back to that position.

[dgalehouse]

Here's to 2018 World Champion Boston Red Sox. Gone ( mostly ) but never forgotten.

[Old Red]

Here's to 2018 World Champion Boston Red Sox. Gone ( mostly ) but never forgotten.

 

Well said, and I’ll drink to that.

[Bellhorn04]

Here's to 2018 World Champion Boston Red Sox. Gone ( mostly ) but never forgotten.

 

We've still got two of our main setup men from 2018, Denny - Brasier and Barnes.

[Jasonbay44]

We've still got two of our main setup men from 2018, Denny - Brasier and Barnes.

 

I don’t know how of all people, Brasier has remained on the team.

[dgalehouse]

We've still got two of our main setup men from 2018, Denny - Brasier and Barnes.

 

And Devers and Sale. Anybody else ?

[dgalehouse]

Well said, and I’ll drink to that.

 

Toast that team with an ice cold Gansett.

[Jasonbay44]

And Devers and Sale. Anybody else ?

 

Nope, just those 4

[dgalehouse]

Nope, just those 4

 

Yeah. That's quite a turnover in just four years.

[Old Red]

Yeah. That's quite a turnover in just four years.

 

Losing 2 future HOF with a possible 3rd out the door too.

[mvp 78]

Swanson to the Cubs. All of the top SS’s are gone, and we didn’t get one. Great! This team is really shaping up.

 

Turner, Bogaerts, Correa all made sense to sign, but Swanson did not. He's not worth it IMO.

[mvp 78]

Losing 2 future HOF with a possible 3rd out the door too.

 

It's an interesting legacy they are going for.

[moonslav59]

Yes the range absolutely helps. Swanson also throws about 79mph but he also lead MLB in Outs Above Average…

 

IMO, SS range has always been the most important aspect when compared to arm strength or accuracy.

 

A SS that gets to 50 to 100 more balls than others but makes 20 more throwing errors plus 40 less outs due to a weaker arm is still much better.

 

I'd love to see us get a top defensive SS. Maybe Yoshida, Turner and comebacks from Kike, Story and slumpers like Bobby Dee and Dugo can make up for the offense lost by the departing Bogey & JD. If they come up a little short, perhaps the better D can outweigh that.

 

Some highly esteemed poster repeated over and over how we failed to replace Renfroe's RBIs. I wonder, if we'll hear about the combined 135 RBIs of Bogey and JD needing to be replace and being replaced.

[mvp 78]

IMO, SS range has always been the most important aspect when compared to arm strength or accuracy.

 

A SS that gets to 50 to 100 more balls than others but makes 20 more throwing errors plus 40 less outs due to a weaker arm is still much better.

 

I'd love to see us get a top defensive SS. Maybe Yoshida, Turner and comebacks from Kike, Story and slumpers like Bobby Dee and Dugo can make up for the offense lost by the departing Bogey & JD. If they come up a little short, perhaps the better D can outweigh that.

 

Some highly esteemed poster repeated over and over how we failed to replace Renfroe's RBIs. I wonder, if we'll hear about the combined 135 RBIs of Bogey and JD needing to be replace and being replaced.

 

75 more balls - 20 errors - 40 less outs = 15 more outs than other fielder BUT the errors lead to runners advancing. I'm not sure your scenario works in favor of the guy you are promoting.

[moonslav59]

Nope, just those 4

 

It only matters, if you are losing.

 

I get the fact that the way we are losing our stars has changed from past glory days, but people weren't happy when many star players departed the team, before.

 

Was anyone upset that the 2028 team had just 3 players from the 2013 still on it? I believe only Pedey, JBJ and Bogey, who was a late season call-up in 2013, were carry-overs.

 

Yes, we didn't lose Papi to another team, but many people were pissed when Jake went to the Yanks. They were pissed about how we lost Lester and Lackey and Miller,.

 

I'm not trying to sugar coat what's going on, right now. I'm pissed, too, but winning will erase much of these bad feelings. The main problem, now, IMO, is that nobody sees us moving towards winning, but they didn't in 2013, either, after a pretty big roster purge the summer before.

[moonslav59]

75 more balls - 20 errors - 40 less outs = 15 more outs than other fielder BUT the errors lead to runners advancing. I'm not sure your scenario works in favor of the guy you are promoting.

 

Not all throwing errors lead to runners advancing, and most won't score, anyway, but 20 more errors was just pulled out of a hat. I could have said 15 and 30 less outs.

 

Plus, some SSs make over 100 more plays than others. In 2022, Mateo made 598 plays as compared to some who made just 480 (Kiner-Falefa) and Pena (493.)

 

I could have chosen better numbers to make my point.

[mvp 78]

I'm pissed, too, but winning will erase much of these bad feelings.

 

Ok, 2018 - 2013 = 5 years.

 

It's now 5 years on from 2018. Is the team ready to win again?

[mvp 78]

I could have chosen better numbers to make my point.

 

Fine.

[mvp 78]

I think my concerns for the Sox at SS this season, with Story at SS it's not about the strength of his arm, but that his arm just might not hold up health wise. If he can stay healthy and maintain that position until Mayer is ready, then I guess I'm fine with it. I think I preferred him at 2b though because his defense really played up there.

[moonslav59]

Ok, 2018 - 2013 = 5 years.

 

It's now 5 years on from 2018. Is the team ready to win again?

 

It sure doesn't look like it, but it didn't in 2013, either, and fans were restless that winter-spring.

 

I'm not predicting winning, anytime soon. My point was just that winning erases the anger and angst pretty quickly.

 

I do think the foundation and farm are stronger than they were after 2019, but we have a ways to go, and it seems like we have been heavy on quantity over quality. I thought this was the winter to reverse that quantity vs quality dynamic or balance, but it doesn't look like now was the time. I'm not so sure if it ever will be. It seems they may never go large and long, again, and I'm talking much larger than Story's deal and 3-4 years longer than Yoshida's deal.

 

They once drew a line on not signing pitchers over 30 and ended up breaking their own rule, not too long afterwards. Maybe something similar will happen, again.

[notin]

I think my concerns for the Sox at SS this season, with Story at SS it's not about the strength of his arm, but that his arm just might not hold up health wise. If he can stay healthy and maintain that position until Mayer is ready, then I guess I'm fine with it. I think I preferred him at 2b though because his defense really played up there.

 

I prefer him at 2b and Andrus at SS.

 

The Miguel Rojas buzz tells me Bloom is a big fan of DRS. Jacob Stallings lead MLB at catcher in that same defensive metric in 2021…

[notin]

Ok, 2018 - 2013 = 5 years.

 

It's now 5 years on from 2018. Is the team ready to win again?

 

But the Sox got back to the postseason in 2016. Really, that’s the goal, because any team can go on a run, like Philly did last year.

 

Now the Sox did get back to the postseason 3 years after 2018. But they failed to sustain that run like they were able to 6-7 years ago…