A Realistic View of 2024: Part II

[Bellhorn04]

OK. You said we did nothing.

 

What I'd say is that Bloom did *virtually* nothing to help the 2022 or 2023 teams at the deadline. The Vazquez trade was a future-oriented move that looks like it will pay off with Abreu. That was the only significant sell move.

[moonslav59]

What I'd say is that Bloom did *virtually* nothing to help the 2022 or 2023 teams at the deadline. The Vazquez trade was a future-oriented move that looks like it will pay off with Abreu. That was the only significant sell move.

 

Agreed. The Pham, McGuire and Hosmer deals were pretty insignificant.

 

I remember thinking it was a wishy-washy deadline, as Bloom tried to make it look like he was trying to improve the team and the future.

[dgalehouse]

The expanded playoffs give the opportunity for a wild card that makes teams hesitant about selling at the deadline. If the season ended today, the Padres, who are a game under .500, would be in. Kind of ridiculous, but that is how it is.

[Tedballgame]

This season is over. The team sucks. The roster sucks. Bring up the kids from Portland (Mayer, Lugo (already at AAA), Yorke (already at AAA), Teel and let them play.

[moonslav59]

Bello's last 9 starts:

IP/ ER

5.1/ 1

5.1/ 2

6.0/ 0

5.0/ 2

4.2/ 5

6.0/ 3

5.0/ 3

6.1/ 4 (2 ER after 5)

4.2/ 5 (0 after 4.2 IP)

 

[Tedballgame]

And Roman Anthony.

[moonslav59]

This season is over. The team sucks. The roster sucks. Bring up the kids from Portland (Mayer, Lugo (already at AAA), Yorke (already at AAA), Teel and let them play.

 

So, your plan is to bench Wong, so Teel plays, bench RBI leader Rafaela, so Anthony can play and call up Yorke, who is slipping in the rankings, to replace DHam at 2B?

 

(Mayer at SS makes some sense.)

[mvp 78]

This season is over. The team sucks. The roster sucks. Bring up the kids from Portland (Mayer, Lugo (already at AAA), Yorke (already at AAA), Teel and let them play.

 

Mayer is not ready. He’d get wrecked by MLB pitching. Yorke stinks.

[mvp 78]

So, your plan is to bench Wong, so Teel plays, bench RBI leader Rafaela, so Anthony can play and call up Yorke, who is slipping in the rankings, to replace DHam at 2B?

 

(Mayer at SS makes some sense.)

 

Anthony is further away than Mayer and Teel. Maybe 2nd half of 2025? Maybe?

[Larry Cook]

Mayer is not ready. He’d get wrecked by MLB pitching. Yorke stinks.

 

Mayer would have to sit against every lefty starter.

[Nick]

To those thinking we should extend O'Neil.

 

He is another 1 year rental. Broken down or ready to break at any moment.

[moonslav59]

Mayer would have to sit against every lefty starter.

 

Why? Because one bad third of a season?

 

vs L

.887 in '21

.896 in '22

.710 in '23

.571 in 45 ABs

[moonslav59]

RBI + Runs- HR

 

61 Duran

59 Rafaela

54 Devers

42 Abreu

39 O'Neill

37 Wong

 

[Randy Red Sox]

Yes, there's a reasonable explanation for losing last night. It's our record over the last 3 seasons that does kind of scream "mismanaged"...

 

and the explanation for tonight ??

[Randy Red Sox]

we went into this series vs the WORST TEAM IN MLB with a .500 record. i thought we would be 3 games above .500 after this series. Boy was I ever wrong.

[Elktonnick]

and the explanation for tonight ??

 

I guess it is an unrealistic expectation for a Henry owned team to win 2 out 3 against the worst tram in baseball.

[moonslav59]

I guess it is an unrealistic expectation for a Henry owned team to win 2 out 3 against the worst tram in baseball.

 

how about 2 of 4?

[Maxbialystock]

John Henry has said we Sox fans have unrealistic expectations.

 

Right now I'm pretty bitter about these Sox--just like everyone else on Talksox.

 

But it might be worth noting that in the so-called golden era of David Dombrowski when the Sox had the highest payroll in MLB, the Sox were were killed in the ALDS's in 2016 and 2017. Then they had that insanely great season in 2018, but then, with basically the same players, who were really pricey, they didn't even make the postseason in 2019.

 

In comes Chaim Bloom with restrictions on what he could do/spend. Forget 2020, a non-season. In 2021, the Sox had a better season than 3 of 4 teams DD had: they made it to the ALCS before losing to the Astros, 4 games to 2. Meanwhile, of course, the Sox budget was paying Price big bucks to play for the Dodgers and big bucks for Sale, who wasn't playing at all. Then came 2022 and 2023, which were bad, but not as bad as 2014 and 2015, which is why DD was hired.

 

And, lo, this season we have the Sox 5th CBO under John Henry and the 6th manager (two of whom were single year models). So, given all those hirings and firings, I'd say John Henry is at least as impatient and demanding as the Sox fanbase.

[Elktonnick]

John Henry has said we Sox fans have unrealistic expectations.

 

Right now I'm pretty bitter about these Sox--just like everyone else on Talksox.

 

But it might be worth noting that in the so-called golden era of David Dombrowski when the Sox had the highest payroll in MLB, the Sox were were killed in the ALDS's in 2016 and 2017. Then they had that insanely great season in 2018, but then, with basically the same players, who were really pricey, they didn't even make the postseason in 2019.

 

In comes Chaim Bloom with restrictions on what he could do/spend. Forget 2020, a non-season. In 2021, the Sox had a better season than 3 of 4 teams DD had: they made it to the ALCS before losing to the Astros, 4 games to 2. Meanwhile, of course, the Sox budget was paying Price big bucks to play for the Dodgers and big bucks for Sale, who wasn't playing at all. Then came 2022 and 2023, which were bad, but not as bad as 2014 and 2015, which is why DD was hired.

 

And, lo, this season we have the Sox 5th CBO under John Henry and the 6th manager (two of whom were single year models). So, given all those hirings and firings, I'd say John Henry is at least as impatient and demanding as the Sox fanbase.

But not committed to fielding a winning team. Henry's goals in firing CBOs was not the same as Red Sox fans desire to produce winners. Henry's goal was for the Red Sox cash cow being more effecient at fulfilling his real goal of financing expansion of FSGs portfolio.

[Bellhorn04]

It somehow seems fitting that right on top of Henry's comments about fans' unrealistic expectations, the Sox lose back to back games against the dreadful White Sox and dip under .500 again.

[Bellhorn04]

I'm afraid that with this interview Henry really clinched that while he's a brilliant man in some ways, he's a total dodo in others.

 

This interview was a very deliberate thing done by e-mail, so he had every chance to think carefully about what he was saying and how it would be interpreted. He had an opportunity to say some things about how he could understand frustration with the recent results. Instead all he does is scold the fans and the media for being impatient and unrealistic.

 

And yeah, it is pretty f***ing ironic for him to be scolding about impatience and unrealistic expectations after firing Dombrowski and Bloom, both of whom seemed to be doing essentially what they were paid to do.

 

Now it looks like poor Breslow is left holding the bag for another *very disappointing* season.

[Bellhorn04]

More irony is that Henry is obviously pissed about the "full throttle" thing becoming such a hot button, and then he goes and serves up "unrealistic expectations" as a new hot button.

[Bellhorn04]

Teoscar Hernandez might have been a better get for an RH bat than Tyler O'Neill. And the Sox reportedly had a clear shot at Teoscar, but ultimately cheaped out again.

[notin]

Teoscar Hernandez might have been a better get for an RH bat than Tyler O'Neill. And the Sox reportedly had a clear shot at Teoscar, but ultimately cheaped out again.

 

Tyler is hitting better, but Teoscar plays more often…

[Bellhorn04]

Tyler is hitting better, but Teoscar plays more often…

 

Tyler's chronic difficulty staying on the field had a lot to do with him coming cheap, so he was kind of a perfect fit for the 2024 Sox, but not really in a good way.

[Bellhorn04]

Teoscar and Imanaga are two players the Sox reportedly could have had on very reasonable terms and yet they elected not to meet the price.

 

This is where this franchise is now. And it's pretty f***ing pathetic.

[notin]

I guess it is an unrealistic expectation for a Henry owned team to win 2 out 3 against the worst tram in baseball.

 

Henry wanted to build Tampa North. Tampa got swept in their trip to Chicago…

[Bellhorn04]

If this season dissolves into a total shitsunami like it's threatening to, it's great that it'll all be captured for posterity by NetFlix!

[notin]

Tyler's chronic difficulty staying on the field had a lot to do with him coming cheap, so he was kind of a perfect fit for the 2024 Sox, but not really in a good way.

 

It’s also easy to climb on the Teoscar bandwagon the day after he hits a grand slam vs the Yankees. But how much of that is being part of the Dodgers?

 

It’s mid-June, and Teoscar already has 14 plate appearances with the bases loaded. For comparison, Devers and O’Neill have two combined…

[Bellhorn04]

It’s also easy to climb on the Teoscar bandwagon the day after he hits a grand slam vs the Yankees. But how much of that is being part of the Dodgers?

 

It’s mid-June, and Teoscar already has 14 plate appearances with the bases loaded. For comparison, Devers and O’Neill have two combined…

 

C'mon man, Teoscar has an OPS+ of 134. I wouldn't have brought him up just because of the granny.

 

It was admittedly an attention-getter.

 

But the guy is having a pretty respectable career.

 

And like you say, he's a wee bit more durable than the guy we got.