A Realistic View of 2023: Part II

[Maxbialystock]

I didn't.

 

We need to beat up on teams like the Reds.

 

8 runs doesn't meet your standard?

 

The problem was the bullpen--specifically, Rodriguez.

[Old Red]

8 runs doesn't meet your standard?

 

The problem was the bullpen--specifically, Rodriguez.

 

Garbage time runs.

[Donnie Sadler was short]

Kike can’t keep playing ss.

[dannycater]

I hope he turns it around this season and plays well. I hold no ill will. I just don't know how much longer he can keep up this level of performance. The 2023 Sox needed a Justin Turner, not a JD Martinez.

 

Yeah, don't want the production, just the aura of 87-year-old Justin Turner.

[dannycater]

Kike can’t keep playing ss.

 

According to Bloom, he's super important to the defense.

[Jasonbay44]

Garbage time runs.

 

Garbage time runs? They literally had the trying run on 3rd against the other teams closer… if that run scored, was it a garbage run also?

 

Joely Rodríguez is a garbage pitcher, were all the Reds runs “garbage time runs” also?

[Randy Red Sox]

those being honest knew that a long time ago. Edited May 31, 2023 by Randy Red Sox
spelling

[Old Red]

Garbage time runs? They literally had the trying run on 3rd against the other teams closer… if that run scored, was it a garbage run also?

 

Joely Rodríguez is a garbage pitcher, were all the Reds runs “garbage time runs” also?

 

I forgot to use the green, but Cora’s use of the BP dug them to big a hole to climb out of.

[Hugh2]

I normally don't have much criticism of Cora but he really needs to stop putting Kike at SS when they have Reyes in the lineup. Reyes is clearly a better defender and Kike does not look very good there at all.

[Bellhorn04]

I keep hearing about how other teams have so much more talent than us, but let's take a look at teams not named the Rays:

 

Texas is riding high and the numbers don't lie. They have 5 SP'ers with an ERA under 3.84, but deGrom is on the IL and the others are named Nate, Perez, jon Gray and Heaney. I'm not sure those numbers hold up. Their pen is sketchy

Their offense looks pretty solid and deep. None of their top 12 batters by PAs have an OPS below .700. I'm not sure that continues, either, but I do feel like they are beatable. I'm still thinking HOU will pass them for the division win.

 

Hou, speaking of... might be the only team with more key injuries than the Yanks. They only have one batter over .795 and have 9 of their top 12 batters under .722.

 

As mudh as the Yanks were pumped up over the winter, the injuries have killed them, and some aren't or may not be back in '23. They have 3 SP'ers over 5.30, and their pen is nowhere near what they have been in recent years. If our offense looked like NY's, this board would have dumped on them to no end. 6 of their top 12 batters have an OPS under .648 and 8 are under .730. YUCK!

 

But the Yanks are 4.5 games ahead of us in spite of all their injuries and bad numbers. Which shows that this kind of analysis means nothing.

[Dipre]

I normally don't have much criticism of Cora but he really needs to stop putting Kike at SS when they have Reyes in the lineup. Reyes is clearly a better defender and Kike does not look very good there at all.

 

I think this is a much more sensible criticism of Cora's managing .

[Bellhorn04]

I think the 2023 Sox are exactly what their record says right now. We're on pace to win 84 games. It almost seems like that's what Henry and Bloom were shooting for.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Kike can’t keep playing ss.

 

Some days he can, some days he can't -- it's why the Red Sox are likely to continue to their win-some-lose-some inconsistency (... or is that consistency?).

 

Cynics may view the Kike-at-shortstop experiment as a ploy by Boston to basically just field a team and sell pretension of contention to the fanbase, but what's also concerning is the lack of any authentic fulltime shortstop in the system's next level at Triple A.

 

The Bloom Era has always overemphasized versatility -- Marwin Gonzo was the Opening Day leftfielder in 2021 -- but shortstop is such a key position in stabilizing team defense. Instead, the starting shortstop in Worcester is David Hamilton, who the Sox won't call up, with multi-position guys like Fitzgerald, Koss, Meidroth and McDonough behind him or in Portland.

 

No one is saying Marcelo Mayer should be promoted to Fenway this year, but there may not be anyone else the system down to Luis Ravelo in Single A projected as an actual shortstop. Remember, the Reds' Matt McLain made the bigs before high schoolers drafted ahead of him like Mayer and Jordan Lawlar because he's 23 and played D1.

 

In the meantime, sit back and avert your eyes...

[notin]

Kike can’t keep playing ss.

 

Problem is he’s the 4th string SS, behind Story, Mondesi and Chang.

[notin]

I mean, they hit a team they should have hit. I just want Rodriguez off this team.

 

He has 4 IP on the year.

[Bellhorn04]

He has 4 IP on the year.

 

True, but he also has a career fWAR of 1.0 at age 31. He's simply not very good. A Diekman-esque signing.

[Old Red]

Problem is he’s the 4th string SS, behind Story, Mondesi and Chang.

 

No! problem is Story was hurt, so he started the year as the #1 SS this year. He got taken off SS for Chang, but then Chang got hurt so he is still there. Forget Mondesi.

[Bellhorn04]

No! problem is Story was hurt, so he started the year as the #1 SS this year. He got taken off SS for Chang, but then Chang got hurt so he is still there. Forget Mondesi.

 

Right. Kike was the #1 shortstop on Opening Day.

[Dipre]

He has 4 IP on the year.

 

He stinks. There's a reason he's never really stuck around an ML roster.

[Dipre]

Right. Kike was the #1 shortstop on Opening Day.

 

It was clear from the get-go that neither Story nor Mondesí would be ready to contribute early season. Kiké was plan A

[Hugh2]

True, but he also has a career fWAR of 1.0 at age 31. He's simply not very good. A Diekman-esque signing.

 

Aside from 2-3 guys at the top, how many guys in MLB bullpens have a nice sizable career WAR. We are talking about a guy who was signed to be about the 6th man out of the pen.

[Bellhorn04]

Aside from 2-3 guys at the top, how many guys in MLB bullpens have a nice sizable career WAR. We are talking about a guy who was signed to be about the 6th man out of the pen.

 

I guess it depends on whether you think it's important to have a good lefty in the pen.

[Hugh2]

It was clear from the get-go that neither Story nor Mondesí would be ready to contribute early season. Kiké was plan A

 

Story also wasn't out until late in the offseason, so technically Story was plan A. I don't think they thought Mondesi would be out this long, I think they figured he may have been out for a month. Also, they had no problem moving Kike off of SS when Chang was up here. I don't think Kike was ever really plan A, but they don't need to start him every game at SS with Reyes on the roster.

[Hugh2]

I guess it depends on whether you think it's important to have a good lefty in the pen.

 

Of course it's important to have a good lefty in the pen.

[Old Red]

Story also wasn't out until late in the offseason, so technically Story was plan A. I don't think they thought Mondesi would be out this long, I think they figured he may have been out for a month. Also, they had no problem moving Kike off of SS when Chang was up here. I don't think Kike was ever really plan A, but they don't need to start him every game at SS with Reyes on the roster.

There was still plenty of time after Story went down to get a real SS, and one who was actually healthy. The fact is Kike started the season as the #1 SS no matter what the plan was, or wasn’t.

[Hugh2]

There was still plenty of time after Story went down to get a real SS, and one who was actually healthy. The fact is Kike started the season as the #1 SS no matter what the plan was, or wasn’t.

 

I agree, I was a huge advocate of signing Andrus, who was the top SS left on the market at the time. Which to be fair, would have looked awful right now, not sure how much better he is than Kike right now if at all.

 

Without a doubt, the F.O. deserves a f***ton of strife for how they handled SS, but in addition, they've also been bitten by bad luck as well.

[Old Red]

I agree, I was a huge advocate of signing Andrus, who was the top SS left on the market at the time. Which to be fair, would have looked awful right now, not sure how much better he is than Kike right now if at all.

 

Without a doubt, the F.O. deserves a f***ton of strife for how they handled SS, but in addition, they've also been bitten by bad luck as well.

 

Many were for signing Andrus, and you never know how things would work out, but at the time it would have been worth a try.

[mvp 78]

Many were for signing Andrus, and you never know how things would work out, but at the time it would have been worth a try.

 

He only signed for 3M. That's Marwin Gonzalez money. Easy DFA if it doesn't work out.

[mvp 78]

True, but he also has a career fWAR of 1.0 at age 31. He's simply not very good. A Diekman-esque signing.

 

I think he needs to be given a little longer leash.

[Bellhorn04]

I think he needs to be given a little longer leash.

 

I'm sure he will be.