A Realistic View of 2023: Part II

[moonslav59]

Updated standing with TBR & BAL games pending:

 

68-52 HOU WC2

66-54 TOR WC3

 

63-55 SEA -2.0

62-56 BOS -3.0

60-59 NYY -5.5 (1 game from .500)

 

Sox are...

-1.0 SEA

-3.0 TOR (2 in loss column)

-5.0 HOU

-8.0 TBR (game pending)

-8.5 TEX

-11.0 BAL (game pending)

 

[Nick]

Updated standing with TBR & BAL games pending:

 

68-52 HOU WC2

66-54 TOR WC3

 

63-55 SEA -2.0

62-56 BOS -3.0

60-59 NYY -5.5 (1 game from .500)

 

Sox are...

-1.0 SEA

-3.0 TOR (2 in loss column)

-5.0 HOU

-8.0 TBR (game pending)

-8.5 TEX

-11.0 BAL (game pending)

 

 

At this point I focus on games lost. We r 2 games behind Toronto

Number of games played is varies from team to team.

 

If you are not losing then in theory you are not losing ground.

Edited August 15, 2023 by Nick

[Nick]

Is our near future outfield comprised of Duran, Rafaela and Abreu?

 

I hope so.

 

I bet that's what Bloom is thinking.

 

Now we just need a 2B.

[notin]

Is our near future outfield comprised of Duran, Rafaela and Abreu?

 

I hope so.

 

I bet that's what Bloom is thinking.

.

 

Kind of hoping he tries to get Juan Soto into that mix…

[moonslav59]

At this point I focus on games lost. We r 2 games behind Toronto

Number of games played is varies from team to team.

 

If you are not losing then in theory you are not losing ground.

 

Agree, but we do need to win those "extra" 2 games, just to stay 2 GB.

[moonslav59]

Kind of hoping he tries to get Juan Soto into that mix…

 

That would probably shut up the Tampa Bay North talk.

[Bellhorn04]

Kind of hoping he tries to get Juan Soto into that mix…

 

Sure, we'll file that right next to Nick's dream of signing Ohtani...

[moonslav59]

Sure, we'll file that right next to Nick's dream of signing Ohtani...

 

Both are pipe dreams, for sure.

 

I do, however, see a lot of budget space, this coming winter, and to me, not many major holes to fill other than SPs, and we all know how rare it is for us to spend big on FA SP'ers/, except for Price. (I think the Price signing was viewed as a mistake by Sox brass.)

I guess we could spend on middle IF, but other than SP, a big splash OF signing could be on the radar.

 

Getting Soto makes going light at 2B more acceptable, and the need for 2 SP'ers might be reduced to one,

 

My dream?

 

Trade for a controllable SP'er we think will be an ace or near an ace for 3+ years. If we did that, we could afford Soto, and I'd be fine with just those two moves, plus some low cost depth signings.

[notin]

Sure, we'll file that right next to Nick's dream of signing Ohtani...

 

You’ll stop laughing when the Sox trade for Soto this off-season and extend him.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Both are pipe dreams, for sure.

 

I do, however, see a lot of budget space, this coming winter, and to me, not many major holes to fill other than SPs, and we all know how rare it is for us to spend big on FA SP'ers/, except for Price. (I think the Price signing was viewed as a mistake by Sox brass.)

I guess we could spend on middle IF, but other than SP, a big splash OF signing could be on the radar.

 

Getting Soto makes going light at 2B more acceptable, and the need for 2 SP'ers might be reduced to one,

 

My dream?

 

Trade for a controllable SP'er we think will be an ace or near an ace for 3+ years. If we did that, we could afford Soto, and I'd be fine with just those two moves, plus some low cost depth signings.

 

Ambivalent about Soto. He was called the next Ted Williams in Washington (not for managing), but hasn't been quite the same in the city where the original Kid grew up. K-rate is up, BA down, still a negative dWAR.

 

However, Soto maintains obvious pop and as usual, leads the majors in bases on balls -- which may help explain why he still has a higher WAR than any Red Sox... but at the same age as Boston WAR leader Brayan Bello.

 

Anyone who has seen Soto play regularly in the NL West, please post observations and opinions. Is this a guy who would embrace leaving the best climes in the nation to play his prime nights in the miserable spring weather of New England?

 

Would Boston ownership actually offer more money than it was willing to pay an overall better ballplayer in Mookie to sign Soto longterm? (I keep hearing Chaim, BOH and Sammy K saying, "It has to make sense")

[mvp 78]

BTV accepts

 

Soto

 

for

 

Verdugo

Yorke

[mvp 78]

In recent days and weeks, Mondesí — who has missed the entire season as he continues his recovery from ACL surgery he had last spring — has ramped up to the point where he is facing live pitching, according to a baseball source. Mondesí is also running and taking ground balls; while the team hasn’t mapped out an exact plan for him to get into game action, one source with knowledge of Mondesí's progress said it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him in game action in a couple weeks.

[moonslav59]

BTV accepts

 

Soto

 

for

 

Verdugo

Yorke

 

Sounds reasonable, even if he does not extend.

[mvp 78]

Sounds reasonable, even if he does not extend.

 

It wins back the fans for a year.

[moonslav59]

It wins back the fans for a year.

 

If we are out of it at the deadline, he'd bring back a bigger haul as a rental.

[notin]

In recent days and weeks, Mondesí — who has missed the entire season as he continues his recovery from ACL surgery he had last spring — has ramped up to the point where he is facing live pitching, according to a baseball source. Mondesí is also running and taking ground balls; while the team hasn’t mapped out an exact plan for him to get into game action, one source with knowledge of Mondesí's progress said it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him in game action in a couple weeks.

 

Plenty of season left for him to injure himself…

[mvp 78]

Plenty of season left for him to injure himself…

 

"Game action in a couple of weeks," plus 20 days of rehab games?

 

I'd have him ready for WOO on 9/12 and then he just has his 20 rehab days to finish off the season (includes 12 AAA games and more if they get into the playoffs).

[mvp 78]

The MLB outlier blueprint Mets, Yankees should learn from

 

The Braves also are not slavish to load management. Right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr., second baseman Ozzie Albies, third baseman Austin Riley and first baseman Matt Olson started in those positions Sunday night against the Mets for the 117th time in 117 games — and hit, as they often do, one-through-four in the lineup. Manager Brian Snitker isn’t looking for days to get his best players off their feet. ]

 

“Playing every day is built into the culture here, handed down from Chipper Jones to Freddie Freeman to now these guys,” Weiss said. “It is the expectation. It is the group mindset.”

 

The jest of the article is analytics play but it's not the end all to everything. They value eye test from veteran coaching staff starting with the manager.

 

Why do our guys need a day off all the time?

 

Braves Place Ozzie Albies On 10-Day IL With Hamstring Strain

[Nick]

Braves Place Ozzie Albies On 10-Day IL With Hamstring Strain

 

Injuries have nothing to do with a scheduled day off.

 

Not sure what you are saying here.

 

117-117 implies injury free AND no scheduled time off.

 

We all know that Sox players get scheduled day off.

[vegasbob]

Plenty of season left for him to injure himself…

 

At this point what is the use of even thinking about Mondesi ? A bad idea ( signing known injured players) made worse by a too late to the party dude. With 44 to go and a solid roster finally in place, Mondesi can go for a swim in the Charles.

[Hugh2]

At this point what is the use of even thinking about Mondesi ? A bad idea ( signing known injured players) made worse by a too late to the party dude. With 44 to go and a solid roster finally in place, Mondesi can go for a swim in the Charles.

 

yeah you're right no point in even discussing him, but for only $3 million dollars there are a whole lotta more bad ideals out there. If he gave us 200 at bats this year this team might have won a few extra games and be in the playoffs right now.

[moonslav59]

yeah you're right no point in even discussing him, but for only $3 million dollars there are a whole lotta more bad ideals out there. If he gave us 200 at bats this year this team might have won a few extra games and be in the playoffs right now.

 

He is likely trying to set himself up to show he's healthy for the winter signing period.

 

He'll have to do it on the farm.

 

Good thing Josh Taylor is sucking with KCR, or that trade would be one more bash session to add to the many.

Edited August 15, 2023 by moonslav59

[Maxbialystock]

Injuries have nothing to do with a scheduled day off.

 

Not sure what you are saying here.

 

117-117 implies injury free AND no scheduled time off.

 

We all know that Sox players get scheduled day off.

 

Yes, the Sox players do get scheduled days off. And what I don't understand about those days off is why they are questioned so severely on this thread. As I've already said, what the Braves are doing seems to work for them, but what Cora does for the Sox has also worked.

 

In contrast to four different Braves players playing all of 117 games to date, here are the games played for the most successful Sox team in their 123 year history and pretty close to the most successful MLB team in history (the 2018 Red Sox)--

 

JDM 150 games

Beni 148

JBJ 144

Mookie 136

Bogey 127

Nunez 127

Moreland 124

Devers 121

Holt 109

Leon 89

Swihart 82

Vazquez 80

 

So I would like moonslav or any of the carping critics of Alex Cora to explain how the Sox could be so successful without playing their best players every freaking game--in fact, far from every single game.

[moonslav59]

Yes, the Sox players do get scheduled days off. And what I don't understand about those days off is why they are questioned so severely on this thread. As I've already said, what the Braves are doing seems to work for them, but what Cora does for the Sox has also worked.

 

In contrast to four different Braves players playing all of 117 games to date, here are the games played for the most successful Sox team in their 123 year history and pretty close to the most successful MLB team in history (the 2018 Red Sox)--

 

JDM 150 games

Beni 148

JBJ 144

Mookie 136

Bogey 127

Nunez 127

Moreland 124

Devers 121

Holt 109

Leon 89

Swihart 82

Vazquez 80

 

So I would like moonslav or any of the carping critics of Alex Cora to explain how the Sox could be so successful without playing their best players every freaking game--in fact, far from every single game.

 

I once called Cora the GOAT Manger of the Sox, so lumping me with the "carpers" seems a bit harsh.

 

You say resting players worked in 2018, but is that really why we won?

 

Hell, playing them too much in the playoffs was largely blamed for restgate '19.

 

The fact is, this team has faded in August too many times for me to think the resting worked. It's hard to prove one way or another.

 

BTW, I'm not arguing they play everyday, although some who DH a lot might be able to. Mty beef was more about pre-selecting days off regardless of hot streaks, wrong pitcher to choose that day off, and things like giving days off very near the AS break (4 days off already) or key games vs key opponents.

 

I'm okay with 1-3 days off, maybe more for fragile or older guys, or players playing demanding positions like catcher and maybe SS. I disagree with Cora on this point, but love him as our manager. I don't think expressing my very few disagreements should be viewed as "carping."

 

[moonslav59]

Yes, the Sox players do get scheduled days off. And what I don't understand about those days off is why they are questioned so severely on this thread. As I've already said, what the Braves are doing seems to work for them, but what Cora does for the Sox has also worked.

 

In contrast to four different Braves players playing all of 117 games to date, here are the games played for the most successful Sox team in their 123 year history and pretty close to the most successful MLB team in history (the 2018 Red Sox)--

 

JDM 150 games

Beni 148

JBJ 144

Mookie 136

Bogey 127

Nunez 127

Moreland 124

Devers 121

Holt 109

Leon 89

Swihart 82

Vazquez 80

 

So I would like moonslav or any of the carping critics of Alex Cora to explain how the Sox could be so successful without playing their best players every freaking game--in fact, far from every single game.

 

2018 overall OPS .792

1st half .801

2nd half .779

AUG .819

SEP .776

 

[notin]

At this point what is the use of even thinking about Mondesi ? A bad idea ( signing known injured players) made worse by a too late to the party dude. With 44 to go and a solid roster finally in place, Mondesi can go for a swim in the Charles.

 

He cannot swim with his injury!!

[mvp 78]

He cannot swim with his injury!!

 

If he re-injures himself that way, they don't have to worry about opening a 40 man spot.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

He cannot swim with his injury!!

 

Throw him a lifesaver. I prefer wintogreen, or pepomint. If he chokes on those, too, he sleeps with the fishes... or ends up in Davey Johnson's footlocker.

[Maxbialystock]

2018 overall OPS .792

1st half .801

2nd half .779

AUG .819

SEP .776

 

 

Who gives a flying hoot about those numbers? They're irrelevant. The Sox were 68-30 before the ASG and 40-24 after the ASG. They had a great first half of the 2018 season, a decent 2d half, and a terrific postseason in which they went 11-3 against the best teams in MLB.

[Maxbialystock]

I once called Cora the GOAT Manger of the Sox, so lumping me with the "carpers" seems a bit harsh.

 

You say resting players worked in 2018, but is that really why we won?

 

Hell, playing them too much in the playoffs was largely blamed for restgate '19.

 

The fact is, this team has faded in August too many times for me to think the resting worked. It's hard to prove one way or another.

 

BTW, I'm not arguing they play everyday, although some who DH a lot might be able to. Mty beef was more about pre-selecting days off regardless of hot streaks, wrong pitcher to choose that day off, and things like giving days off very near the AS break (4 days off already) or key games vs key opponents.

 

I'm okay with 1-3 days off, maybe more for fragile or older guys, or players playing demanding positions like catcher and maybe SS. I disagree with Cora on this point, but love him as our manager. I don't think expressing my very few disagreements should be viewed as "carping."

 

 

I know you're supportive of Alex Cora. I'm just being a pissant because I truly believe this discussion about days off is silly. I'm happy to give the Braves credit for what they do, but I'm convinced the numbers are completely on my side in defending Cora.

 

To be absolutely clear, the evidence of the 2018 season argues very strongly that more days off--mostly because of injuries, not planned days off--made the Sox better, not worse. Mookie was the AL MVP and missed 26 freaking games.