A Realistic View of 2024: Part II

[mvp 78]

Thanks for those Hugh.

 

That helps ease the growing fear of never seeing a competent Red Sox defence ever again.

 

Mayer is good enough to field SS in MLB right now. His hit tool needs refinement against offspeed stuff. No reason to rush him when he's so valuable to the future of the org.

 

Anthony could remain a CF for much of his career, but his athleticism would be a good fit for Fenway's RF.

 

Teel is projected to be an average Catcher. He's probably better than Wong right now. He'll most likely wind up slightly above McGuire.

[mvp 78]

I was all in for signing Jansen TWO years ago, but Bloom didn’t do it. When he signed him last year I said it was a good move, but maybe a year to late.

 

There's no reason you have to keep him as closer. Make him earn the spot back.

[Duran Is The Man]

He doesn't play SS.

 

don't know if he's out there, but maybe they could get Adalberto to play for free. since, ya' know, they paid him nearly $4 million last year to not do a f***ing thing.

[moonslav59]

We have reached the 1/9th of the season mark and are in our usual place in the ALE standings:

 

12-6 NYY

11-6 BAL

10-8 TBR

10-8 TOR

9-9 BOS

 

Dead middle in the AL (7 better and 7 worse or tied)

 

We have a +3 run differential, while TOR is at -15 and the Rays at -17. DET is 10-7 with a -1 run diff.

 

Surprisingly, the Royals (+39) Guardians a(+38) re best at run diff.

+25 BAL

+18 NYY

+13 TEX

[Duran Is The Man]

For good reason.

 

His accuser was just indicted for fraud. lol

[moonslav59]

His accuser was just indicted for fraud. lol

 

There is a lot of gray area in this case, maybe Shades of Gray.

 

How much was consensual, if not all of it?

 

How much was he "set up" (see texts by accuser.)

 

I'm sure most of us can't understand this type of behavior or think it is sick, and just think he should be avoided. I can understand that position.

 

That being said, I'd give him a shot.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

don't know if he's out there, but maybe they could get Adalberto to play for free. since, ya' know, they paid him nearly $4 million last year to not do a f***ing thing.

 

To think they could've paid me $1 mil to do nothing, and saved $3 mil. Bad business.

 

And while we're lamenting all the already injured, can we just be honest about the Giolito signing? Boston obviously targeted the cheapest "name" pitcher in free agency, who admitted no one else showed any interest in him. Guy has a 5 ERA the past two years -- does anyone here really think his "workhorse" innings were going to save the bullpen? If he's getting constantly shelled like in the second half of '23, you're not leaving him out there.

[Old Red]

The thing that gets me the most is that for three years in a row now the Red Sox. are a bad fundamental baseball team. Have trouble making routine plays on D, and bad base running. There is lots of blame to go around for that too. Some on here like watching the young guys play. How did you like Casas running the bases last night, and Abreu kicking the ball around AGAIN in the OF, or is it watching The Raf Man wield that big bat so far. Like I’ve said before I’ve watched better fundamentals played at the U Of Maine.

[notin]

don't know if he's out there, but maybe they could get Adalberto to play for free. since, ya' know, they paid him nearly $4 million last year to not do a f***ing thing.

 

He’s played 50 games since 2020. That’s fewer than several retired shortstops in that timeframe…

[notin]

To think they could've paid me $1 mil to do nothing, and saved $3 mil. Bad business.

 

And while we're lamenting all the already injured, can we just be honest about the Giolito signing? Boston obviously targeted the cheapest "name" pitcher in free agency, who admitted no one else showed any interest in him. Guy has a 5 ERA the past two years -- does anyone here really think his "workhorse" innings were going to save the bullpen? If he's getting constantly shelled like in the second half of '23, you're not leaving him out there.

 

 

At least Giolito was an attempt to improve. That’s much more troublesome is how much went ignored…

[moonslav59]

At least Giolito was an attempt to improve. That’s much more troublesome is how much went ignored…

 

The whole "Let's see what we got in our system" mantra is code for punting.

[Old Red]

I don’t know what was worse. Someone saying Full Throttle, or all the ones who believed it.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I don’t know what was worse. Someone saying Full Throttle, or all the ones who believed it.

 

You mean, including Breslow? When an owner makes a bold statement to his customer base and employees, he'd better be telling the truth.

 

But don't be so surprised by what you see on the field -- even the ex-players up in the booth are starting to accept and explain the nightly spectacles as a mere matter of talent... or lack thereof.

[notin]

I don’t know what was worse. Someone saying Full Throttle, or all the ones who believed it.

 

Oh they just assumed full throttle meant forward…

[oldtimer]

We have reached the 1/9th of the season mark and are in our usual place in the ALE standings:

 

12-6 NYY

11-6 BAL

10-8 TBR

10-8 TOR

9-9 BOS

 

Dead middle in the AL (7 better and 7 worse or tied)

 

We have a +3 run differential, while TOR is at -15 and the Rays at -17. DET is 10-7 with a -1 run diff.

 

Surprisingly, the Royals (+39) Guardians a(+38) re best at run diff.

+25 BAL

+18 NYY

+13 TEX

 

Time to admit we belong in the cellar and act accordingly. Bring up the prospects and let them gain experience. Probably would resxult in a better defense and could the hitting be worse? Maybe, but we aren't going anywhere and where we have spent money we are beset with the injury bug.

[mvp 78]

don't know if he's out there, but maybe they could get Adalberto to play for free. since, ya' know, they paid him nearly $4 million last year to not do a f***ing thing.

 

He is still out there. No idea about the health of his knee. When he was healthy, he was a pretty good defender. Maybe the Sox soured on the relationship?

[mvp 78]

I don’t know what was worse. Someone saying Full Throttle, or all the ones who believed it.

 

Sox have spent in the past. The question is: why let the well run dry know?

[mvp 78]

Sogard seems to have been this year's Ciriaco. He's back to hitting 609 in WOO. Good glove though.

[mvp 78]

Kelly always seemed like one of the first guys up from WOO for the pen. He probably still needed some additional time, working back from the lost season last year.

 

Joely is what he is: a 4.50+ ERA pitcher with a lower FIP. He's probably been a little unlucky this year, but he's not an amazing arm. He only had a preferred status due to his handedness.

[mvp 78]

Breslow probably doesn't like Kelly because he uses his 4 seamer 50% of the time. Can't have that!!!!!!!!

[Old Red]

Sox have spent in the past. The question is: why let the well run dry know?

 

I keep hearing the Red Sox have spent in the past, and I keep responding the same way. This IS NOT the same JH who used to spend in the past. What the Red Sox did in the past you have to let it go. Those were the Good old days.

[notin]

Sox have spent in the past. The question is: why let the well run dry know?

 

Maybe Henry want to go from being a luxury tax payer to a luxury tax payment recipient? He learned in business school that it’s more profitable to be paid than to pay…

[Maxbialystock]

Just a side comment. Two of the prevailing themes on this thread--"A Realistic View of 2024, Part II"--are that John Henry isn't spending enough on players and that the Red Sox seem incapable of finding/getting a decent SS.

 

Indeed, over on the Defense thread, it's almost entirely about the lack of a decent defensive SS.

 

So I'd just like to point out that in fact JH and his CBO, Chaim Bloom, did spring for fairly big bucks for Trevor Story, who I think everyone agrees is a pretty good defensive SS and even 2B. I think everyone also agrees that Story is a better defensive SS than Xander Bogaerts was.

 

Relatedly--since we all know that Trevor Story's primary inadequacy is his propensity to get hurt--it's worth mentioning that in the first 3 weeks of the 2024 season Story, O'Neill, Devers, Pivetta, and Whitlock have all been injured to varying degrees.

[notin]

He is still out there. No idea about the health of his knee. When he was healthy, he was a pretty good defender. Maybe the Sox soured on the relationship?

 

Again, 50 games since 2020. If your problem is injuries, Mondesi is not the solution. Just like he wasn’t last year…

[redsoxrules]

Can this management stop this experiment with Whitlock as a starter? It's obviously not working out. He would better off being a lock down reliever like he was before who can go 2 innings

[jad]

His accuser was just indicted for fraud. lol

 

One of them.

[moonslav59]

Breslow probably doesn't like Kelly because he uses his 4 seamer 50% of the time. Can't have that!!!!!!!!

 

At least the opps will not have had a chance to see 4 seamers before bringing him in.

 

Bring up Guerrero or Booser is fine, too- just put Mata on the 60.

[moonslav59]

Just a side comment. Two of the prevailing themes on this thread--"A Realistic View of 2024, Part II"--are that John Henry isn't spending enough on players and that the Red Sox seem incapable of finding/getting a decent SS.

 

Indeed, over on the Defense thread, it's almost entirely about the lack of a decent defensive SS.

 

So I'd just like to point out that in fact JH and his CBO, Chaim Bloom, did spring for fairly big bucks for Trevor Story, who I think everyone agrees is a pretty good defensive SS and even 2B. I think everyone also agrees that Story is a better defensive SS than Xander Bogaerts was.

 

Relatedly--since we all know that Trevor Story's primary inadequacy is his propensity to get hurt--it's worth mentioning that in the first 3 weeks of the 2024 season Story, O'Neill, Devers, Pivetta, and Whitlock have all been injured to varying degrees.

 

Good point, and nobody, and I mean nobody knew Kike was going to suc so badly on D, at SS, last year. He looked like a very capable back-up. Mondesi was supposed to be "ready" by May or early June, so they had 2 back-ups in place until Story was to return in July or August.

 

The issue was not that they did not try. The issue was the guys we got were hurt or sucked. (Chang also got hurt, last season.)

 

This year, there was not much of sa back-up plan, but losing Story and Grissom, then Romy did not help.

[notin]

Can this management stop this experiment with Whitlock as a starter? It's obviously not working out. He would better off being a lock down reliever like he was before who can go 2 innings

 

Apparently not. They are going to force hi to throw all those extra innings until his lifeless body has squeegeed of the field into a small bucket and disposed of accordingly...

[moonslav59]

Apparently not. They are going to force hi to throw all those extra innings until his lifeless body has squeegeed of the field into a small bucket and disposed of accordingly...

 

We saw so many pitchers signed to minor league deals that we could have signed to a min MLB deal, so Whitlock could stay in the pen (instead of Joely or Campbell.)