A Realistic View at 2024: Part III

[moonslav59]

C: Wong, ___, Teel

1B: Casas (Devers/Meidroth/Romy)

2B: DHam-Romy/Grissom, Campbell

SS: Story, Mayer (Romy/Sogard/Campbell)

3B: Devers (Meidroth/Romy/Campbell)

LF: Duran, Refsnyder (Campbell,  EValdez, Yoshida)

CF: Rafaela, Duran (Campbell, Anthony)

RF: Abreu, Anthony, Refsnyder

DH: Yoshida (Ref-Abreu)

I count 17 good player options for 13 slots.

[Bellhorn04]

Well, there you have it, folks.  The 2024 Red Sox win the season series from the White Sox 4-3, outscoring them 35-32.

Not especially impressive against the worst team in history.

This would be an appropriate time for someone in the Sox media to write something truly brutal and possibly draw a reaction from Henry or Kennedy.

 

[Bellhorn04]

I wonder how that Netflix doc is going?

I read somewhere in the Sox blogosphere that the Netflix folks hadn't been seen around the team for a while, like 6 weeks.  Maybe it was BS.  But who knows.

Never a dull moment with the Sox, even when they're mediocre to crappy on the field.

[Nick]

I wonder what warning labels will show up in the left corner for the Netflex series?

Defensive Horror

Low budget owners

Untimely offense

Explosions in bullpen

 

[Nick]

4 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

C: Wong, ___, Teel

1B: Casas (Devers/Meidroth/Romy)

2B: DHam-Romy/Grissom, Campbell

SS: Story, Mayer (Romy/Sogard/Campbell)

3B: Devers (Meidroth/Romy/Campbell)

LF: Duran, Refsnyder (Campbell,  EValdez, Yoshida)

CF: Rafaela, Duran (Campbell, Anthony)

RF: Abreu, Anthony, Refsnyder

DH: Yoshida (Ref-Abreu)

I count 17 good player options for 13 slots.

I may want to see our young players (and Devers) rotate in DH positions. Can we eat $10M of Yoshida and trade him for someone useful?

[dgalehouse]

Really needed a sweep of the ChiSox. Two out of three was not good enough. It will be a critical series with the Orioles. The Sox are reaching desperation mode at this point. They have to get hot now or it will be all over. The Orioles have a multitude of problems themselves. They have not been playing well at all. They are definitely beatable.  After this series, it will be four in the Bronx.  It is now or never territory. 

[Bellhorn04]

1 hour ago, Nick said:

I wonder what warning labels will show up in the left corner for the Netflex series?

Defensive Horror

Low budget owners

Untimely offense

Explosions in bullpen

 

Excellent.

[moonslav59]

This loss today seems to kinda like the final nail, although I am not giving up.

[Randy Red Sox]

On 9/6/2024 at 5:23 AM, Bellhorn04 said:

I'll say.  31-38 with a -46 run differential.  Hard to believe, really.

But we must remember that even if the team sucks to an embarrassing degree, fans always get the Fenway Experience.  And there are affordable tickets for students.

 

henry is seeking a way he can boost those prices without getting too much flack

[moonslav59]

Does he care about flack?

[Larry Cook]

We have to figure a way to move yoshida! That DH is so valuable, and yoshida is a dumpster fire defensively in the outfield. 
 

2025 catcher - Wong and gaspar (teel is not ready yet, but will be very close.) 

2025 1st base - cassas 

2025 2nd base - Campbell (the kid can flat out hit) 

2025 SS - story (sadly story makes Chris frail look durable. And Mayer is not ready yet, or much more durable. ) 

2025 3rd base - devers (painful to watch defensively, but DH is an option if meidroth can hit) 

2025 infield bench- meidroth and Hamilton. (willing to dump Hamilton if someone out performs him. Call to action for sogard, Romy or Valdez.) 

2025 outfield - Duran, rafeala, abreau and Anthony (again DH is open for at bats) 

 

[moonslav59]

8 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

We have to figure a way to move yoshida! That DH is so valuable, and yoshida is a dumpster fire defensively in the outfield. 
 

2025 catcher - Wong and gaspar (teel is not ready yet, but will be very close.) 

2025 1st base - cassas 

2025 2nd base - Campbell (the kid can flat out hit) 

2025 SS - story (sadly story makes Chris frail look durable. And Mayer is not ready yet, or much more durable. ) 

2025 3rd base - devers (painful to watch defensively, but DH is an option if meidroth can hit) 

2025 infield bench- meidroth and Hamilton. (willing to dump Hamilton if someone out performs him. Call to action for sogard, Romy or Valdez.) 

2025 outfield - Duran, rafeala, abreau and Anthony (again DH is open for at bats) 

 

If we find a way to move Yoshida, without paying a huge chunk of his deal, I think we talk Ref into one more year- promising him he will DH vs all LHPs and some righties. Platoon Ref and Abreu at DH.

1. Duran LF

2. Campbell 2B

3. Casas 1B

4. Devers 3B

5. Abreu-Ref DH

6. Story SS

7. Anthony RF (Abreu)

8. Wong C

9. Rafaela CF (Anthony)

Bench: Gasper or Heineman at C, DHam, Romy and Ref/Abreu/Rafaela (whoever is not starting)

[mvp 78]

20 hours ago, Old Red said:

Meh,meh,meh.

Fitts pitched better than meh, but what do I know? 

[mvp 78]

Just now, moonslav59 said:

If we find a way to move Yoshida, without paying a huge chunk of his deal, I think we talk Ref into one more year- promising him he will DH vs all LHPs and some righties. Platoon Ref and Abreu at DH.

1. Duran LF

2. Campbell 2B

3. Casas 1B

4. Devers 3B

5. Abreu-Ref DH

6. Story SS

7. Anthony RF (Abreu)

8. Wong C

9. Rafaela CF (Anthony)

Bench: Gasper or Heineman at C, DHam, Romy and Ref/Abreu/Rafaela (whoever is not starting)

I wouldn't want Gasper or Heineman as the backup. Neither is a very good option even just for two months. Unsure if Refsnyder is going to retire or not. If he does, they may have to re-sign O'Neilll or someone similar.

[moonslav59]

3 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I wouldn't want Gasper or Heineman as the backup. Neither is a very good option even just for two months. Unsure if Refsnyder is going to retire or not. If he does, they may have to re-sign O'Neilll or someone similar.

It shouldn't cost much to get a slight upgrade on Gasper/Heineman, but if the rest or the 13 everyday players look like this, I can live with either one.

[Old Red]

11 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Fitts pitched better than meh, but what do I know? 

As it turned out yes, but one game against the juggernaut White Sox is still meh to me. Just like the zRed Sox winning 2-3. Meh.

[notin]

16 hours ago, Nick said:

I may want to see our young players (and Devers) rotate in DH positions. Can we eat $10M of Yoshida and trade him for someone useful?

DH is a position, and one where all that matters is hitting.  I don’t like the idea of rotating players in and out of it or using as a place to “rest” starters.  Get a hitter and call it a day.  

Yoshida isn’t the idea DH, but that doesn’t mean the position should be used completely differently.  If they move Yoshida (unlikely), get another hitter…

[mvp 78]

Eddie Alvarez was traded to the Mets. 

[moonslav59]

This is why I hate signings like Hendriks (and Paxton a few years back.) His ETA was supposed to be around Aug 1-15, then Sept 1, now this...

RHP Liam Hendriks on hold after 'speed hump'
Hendriks, the former All-Star closer who's coming off Tommy John surgery, made six Minor League rehab appearances from Aug. 18-Sept. 5, but the Red Sox aren't sure when he will pitch again. Hendriks felt some tightness and didn't bounce back as well after that last Minors outing. 

[moonslav59]

While I'm at it...

Out until...

TBD: Mata (any day, now)

Mid Sept: Booser , Garica

Late Sept: Sims (possibly DHam)

2025: Gio, Mayer, Whitlock, Fulmer, Murphy, I Campbell

[Larry Cook]

Is I Campbell the biggest miss of bres-slow’s first off season 

[Duran Is The Man]

2 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

This is why I hate signings like Hendriks (and Paxton a few years back.) His ETA was supposed to be around Aug 1-15, then Sept 1, now this...

RHP Liam Hendriks on hold after 'speed hump'
Hendriks, the former All-Star closer who's coming off Tommy John surgery, made six Minor League rehab appearances from Aug. 18-Sept. 5, but the Red Sox aren't sure when he will pitch again. Hendriks felt some tightness and didn't bounce back as well after that last Minors outing. 

more proof that the Sox FO is full of clueless morons. they're paying him $12 million TO NOT PITCH this year. but they got rid of Sale because he had been hurt in years past. f***ing morons.

[moonslav59]

Just like that, we've won 3 of 4, and just about everyone we want to lose, lost.

79-66 KCR

76-68 MIN (13-19 since 8/5 and 1-5 in last 6)

73-71 BOS -3.0 GB (-5.5 from KCR)

73-71 DET & SEA

We play a 3 game series vs MIN, soon.

 

[moonslav59]

Devers back up to .900.

O'Neill may pass him (.894) and passed him in HRs, tonight with his 28th and 29th.

Ref jumped up to .836 with 2 dingers, a double and single.

We now have 5 players in the top 30 in OPS (300+ PAs)

.900 Devers

.894 O'Neill

.860 Duran

.836 Refsnyder

.831 Abreu

[Hugh2]

23 hours ago, Old Red said:

As it turned out yes, but one game against the juggernaut White Sox is still meh to me. Just like the zRed Sox winning 2-3. Meh.

Fitts has a 4.17 ERA vs. AAA hitters and comes up and pitches ok vs. an historically horrible team. 

I'd say "meh" is pretty fair. 

I think dick will fit right into an MLB team as a 5th starter swingman type.  He can throw innings and can build some type of value.  But he'll never be a stud, and the Sox have middling to back of the rotation starters, they need studs. 

I'd be a little bit more excited if Houck/Bello were pitching lights out like a 1-2, the Sox were in the playoffs and Fitts was adding innings filling out the rotation, but here we are. 

[Hugh2]

23 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

It shouldn't cost much to get a slight upgrade on Gasper/Heineman, but if the rest or the 13 everyday players look like this, I can live with either one.

I wonder if Jansen could be had on a 1-2 year deal.  Perhaps the Sox see him matching up better splitting catching duties with Teel than they do Wong. 

Wong is under team control for a while, so perhaps he's worth taking a longer look at to see if he can regain some of that CS magic, but the framing skills have never been there. 

 

[Bellhorn04]

11 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Fitts has a 4.17 ERA vs. AAA hitters and comes up and pitches ok vs. an historically horrible team. 

Hey, that historically horrible team scored 32 runs in 7 games off us this year!  

[Hugh2]

5 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Hey, that historically horrible team scored 32 runs in 7 games off us this year!  

Hey the White Sox have beat the Orioles, Twins, Astros, Guardians, Royals and the Yankees at various times this year.  

Bad teams will beat good teams, it's a 162-game schedule and these are still professional players.  Sweeping, even a lowly team is very hard.  If this was a month or two ago, I wouldn't be disappointed with taking 2 out of 3 but at this point in the season you pretty much have to just win. 

I know the Sox had a good stretch, but now I'm questioning what's the most games in a row they won this year? It never felt like they truly got really hot at any point. 

[Bellhorn04]

6 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Hey the White Sox have beat the Orioles, Twins, Astros, Guardians, Royals and the Yankees at various times this year.  

Bad teams will beat good teams, it's a 162-game schedule and these are still professional players.  Sweeping, even a lowly team is very hard.  If this was a month or two ago, I wouldn't be disappointed with taking 2 out of 3 but at this point in the season you pretty much have to just win. 

I know the Sox had a good stretch, but now I'm questioning what's the most games in a row they won this year? It never felt like they truly got really hot at any point. 

June 12-July 14 was by far their best stretch of the season.  They won 20 out of 29.  And that included a lot of good teams.

July 14 was of course the last day before the ASB. 
 

[mvp 78]

33 minutes ago, Hugh2 said:

Fitts has a 4.17 ERA vs. AAA hitters and comes up and pitches ok vs. an historically horrible team. 

I'd say "meh" is pretty fair. 

I think dick will fit right into an MLB team as a 5th starter swingman type.  He can throw innings and can build some type of value.  But he'll never be a stud, and the Sox have middling to back of the rotation starters, they need studs. 

I'd be a little bit more excited if Houck/Bello were pitching lights out like a 1-2, the Sox were in the playoffs and Fitts was adding innings filling out the rotation, but here we are. 

Fitts is a back of the rotation guy, but he has a skill that other back of the rotation Sox starters don't have: 

he can throw a lot of innings