Devers signs 11 year $331 million extension

[mvp 78]

In numbers maybe a couple of games, but a circus, and an embarrassment in the process. I guess it didn’t bother you, and that’s fine too, but a good GM should have done better, or at least tried.

 

2022 Red Sox that were possibly worse defensively than Franchy Cordero (100 INN or more):

Arroyo RF - 108 INN, -5 DRS

Refsnyder RF - 163 INN, -4 DRS

Plawecki C - 420 INN, -9 DRS

Duran CF - 416 INN, -9 DRS

Hosmer 1B - 105 INN, -2 DRS

Wong C - 138 INN, -2 DRS

Cordero 1B - 362 INN, -4 DRS

[mvp 78]

The flaw in Bloom's plan was to start the firesale and then drop and roll until the flames were snuffed out and all his clothes were charred.

 

The real damage was what the Vazquez trade did to the psyche of the clubhouse.

 

And the catching upgrade with McGuire is arguable; after all, the guy he replaced caught a no-hitter by four pitchers in the freaking World Series.

 

What does that have to do with anything? During the regular season Vaz was buried on the bench in HOU. They could have re-signed Vaz in the offseason if they wanted to.

[mvp 78]

His play on that infield pop-up is burned indelibly into my mind as the future of the Bloom-Sox. Let's hope it turns out to be a delusion.

 

[moonslav59]

In numbers maybe a couple of games, but a circus, and an embarrassment in the process. I guess it didn’t bother you, and that’s fine too, but a good GM should have done better, or at least tried.

 

We don't know what players were available, but certainly Bloom & Co. should be open to criticism over this and other decisions- like trying Arroyo in RF, seemingly as a knee jerk reaction and not as something planned for.

 

Some reasonable factors come into play and provide some context:

 

1. Casas was very near ML ready when a move might have been tried, but then he got hurt on May 17th. His return date was not known, so maybe they were hoping he'd be back before it was too late.

2. Dalbec's slow start in 2021 and amazing hot streak, later in the season might have been one reason they did not pull the plug on him in May or June. In 2021, he his .812 from May 13 to the end of June. He then hit .941 from the end of June to Sep 25th.

3. Cordero was hitting .746 on May 24th after hitting .837 from May 7th to the 24th. He got up to .749 on June 5th and .750 on July 1st. His defense was horrific, but maybe they felt his bat could carry him, until Casas was ready.

 

On Arroyo and RF, I'm 100% with you on the WTF feeling. All along, I felt a solution was putting Dugo out there aand "hiding" someone else in LF- like Cordero or Arroyo or acquiring a Pham. earlier. I thought the Sox must have felt Dugo sucked too much in RF to even try it. Then, they get Pham and play Dugo in RF just about FT. TOTAL WTF, to me!

Verdugo:

Games in RF Opening Day to Aug 1: ZERO!

Games started in LF after Aug 1: TWO!

 

I doubt we make the playoffs had we acquired Pham 2 months earlier or just played Ref FT in RF, but that was a mistake.

[mvp 78]

We don't know what players were available, but certainly Bloom & Co. should be open to criticism over this and other decisions- like trying Arroyo in RF, seemingly as a knee jerk reaction and not as something planned for.

 

I think they traded for JBJ and hoped he would be a fulltime RFer. I think they saw his bat in ST and realized that it wasn't there anymore and had to figure out plan B.

[Bobe2]

How much did Cordero's defense hurt the team? It's the point you brought up.

 

Cordero is not a first baseman, but neither was anyone else we had there, so compared to the other choices he didn’t play any worse, my big problem with him and Dalbec is strike outs with runners on base with less than two outs, we lost a lot of games because of where they batted in the lineup if your hitting 270 with 35 hr you can strike out 200 times

[Old Red]

2022 Red Sox that were possibly worse defensively than Franchy Cordero (100 INN or more):

Arroyo RF - 108 INN, -5 DRS

Refsnyder RF - 163 INN, -4 DRS

Plawecki C - 420 INN, -9 DRS

Duran CF - 416 INN, -9 DRS

Hosmer 1B - 105 INN, -2 DRS

Wong C - 138 INN, -2 DRS

Cordero 1B - 362 INN, -4 DRS

 

Bloom screwed up by trading Renfroe for JBJ to begin with, and then even though Bloom said they needed another RHH of he did nothing until August when he got Ham whom he could have had before the season started. Shaw, Bobby D, and Franchy all failures at 1B, and nothing was done until August when Hosmer pretty much fell into Blooms lap, and was pretty much given to the Red Sox. I’ve said enough about Duran, Duran The Butterfly Man, which was a big failure also.

[Old Red]

I think they traded for JBJ and hoped he would be a fulltime RFer. I think they saw his bat in ST and realized that it wasn't there anymore and had to figure out plan B.

 

They had to wait until ST to tell them that?I guess that 160 didn’t tell them anything the year before.

[Bobe2]

I think they traded for JBJ and hoped he would be a fulltime RFer. I think they saw his bat in ST and realized that it wasn't there anymore and had to figure out plan B.

 

JBJ never could hit, he would hit like the best hitter in baseball for a couple weeks in the summer, then get ice cold but he could never sustain it

[Bobe2]

A PR, or a real baseball decision, or a combination of both?

 

The timing I believe was a marketing ploy, calm down the fans and sell tickets

[notin]

I wasn’t in the dugout that day, I couldn’t tell you, but that is a Bloom trait confirmed by past statements by the redsox

 

By who?

[notin]

Bloom screwed up by trading Renfroe for JBJ to begin with, and then even though Bloom said they needed another RHH of he did nothing until August when he got Ham whom he could have had before the season started. Shaw, Bobby D, and Franchy all failures at 1B, and nothing was done until August when Hosmer pretty much fell into Blooms lap, and was pretty much given to the Red Sox. I’ve said enough about Duran, Duran The Butterfly Man, which was a big failure also.

 

Only if you don’t count Story.

 

And Refsnyder…

[Old Red]

The timing I believe was a marketing ploy, calm down the fans and sell tickets

 

I agree, and especially after JH dared to show his face in public, and got booed.

[notin]

I think they traded for JBJ and hoped he would be a fulltime RFer. I think they saw his bat in ST and realized that it wasn't there anymore and had to figure out plan B.

 

Given that they were linked to Suzuki at the time, he may also have envisioned JBJ as a full time center fielder at one point, too…

[Old Red]

Only if you don’t count Story.

 

And Refsnyder…

 

I meant RHH OF, so no Story doesn’t count, and Ref Man was like a lot of the pitchers that came up only out of necessity.

[moonslav59]

I think they traded for JBJ and hoped he would be a fulltime RFer. I think they saw his bat in ST and realized that it wasn't there anymore and had to figure out plan B.

 

Yup, and for some reason, they never used Dugo in RF until Aug 2nd.

[Old Red]

Given that they were linked to Suzuki at the time, he may also have envisioned JBJ as a full time center fielder at one point, too…

 

Linked by who? Suzuki never even met with the Red Sox that I heard of.

[mvp 78]

Only if you don’t count Story.

 

And Refsnyder…

 

You can't count MiLB guys as RHH pickups. He wasn't even on the 40 man at the start of the year.

[moonslav59]

I meant RHH OF, so no Story doesn’t count, and Ref Man was like a lot of the pitchers that came up only out of necessity.

 

But you quoted Bloom as saying he needed another RH'd bat, like he didn't do that. He did- just not a RF'er, unless you count Refsnyder, who actually worked out well.

[mvp 78]

Given that they were linked to Suzuki at the time, he may also have envisioned JBJ as a full time center fielder at one point, too…

 

Maybe? Hard to say. Kiké would have moved to 2b?

[moonslav59]

You can't count MiLB guys as RHH pickups. He wasn't even on the 40 man at the start of the year.

 

His point was also that Bloom waited too long during the season to acquire a RF'er and 1Bman.

[mvp 78]

Yup, and for some reason, they never used Dugo in RF until Aug 2nd.

 

I wouldn't want him in RF unless I didn't have another option either.

 

Also, Arroyo was there as a platoon for JBJ.

[Old Red]

His point was also that Bloom waited too long during the season to acquire a RF'er and 1Bman.

 

Correct, and I did it in real time too just like the backend of the BP. Bloom has a hard time doing something in real time when something is actually needed.

[Bobe2]

I never thought they were resigning Bogey since their joke of an offer a year ago. A one-year extension -- and let's not pretend it was anything else, literally -- to a Scott Boras' client in his prime -- after just splurging on a lesser player from Colorado?

 

That could not possibly be a mistake -- by an Ivy League front office -- so we have to assume it was intentional, and they knew and expected all the probable ramifications.

 

I said then they were intentionally pissing off Xander enough to make a mid-season trade more palatable. But now I'm also thinking about how disruptive it was to all the veterans and future free agents on the club... so Bloom was actually getting them all prepared for a firesale. And then ownership stopped him...

 

I think they planned all along to just keep one and they didn’t care who, they wanted to pattern the team like the Rays of yesterday, with one super star for the fans surrounded by prospects and the old and injured

[Bobe2]

By who?

 

I listen to nesn, during some of his non moves it was talked about a lot

[Bobe2]

I agree, and especially after JH dared to show his face in public, and got booed.

 

JH is not only getting booed on this side of the Atlantic but the other side as well, it seems a lot of the same tactics are being used on the soccer team with player spending, I think that soccer league will be glad when he sells

[notin]

I listen to nesn, during some of his non moves it was talked about a lot

 

But NESN isn’t necessarily Red Sox personnel…

[notin]

You can't count MiLB guys as RHH pickups. He wasn't even on the 40 man at the start of the year.

 

But we can count Story…

[notin]

Maybe? Hard to say. Kiké would have moved to 2b?

 

It’s certainly possible. When Kike was first brought in, many assumed it was to play 2b. And maybe it was until Story signed…

[notin]

I meant RHH OF, so no Story doesn’t count, and Ref Man was like a lot of the pitchers that came up only out of necessity.

 

Did he ever specifically say he wanted a RHH outfielder to platoon with JBJ?

 

I recall it being much more open-ended than that, mentioning an outfielder, which certainly could have meant as a starter. But the point is, eventually Story filled the need. In March…