A Realistic View of the 2025 Red Sox: Part II

[notin]

3 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

I think you did infer that they should fire BOH and Sam Kennedy. 

And who exactly HASN’T advocated for firing Kennedy at some point?  Besides John Henry?

At the rate he spews double talk, it’s actually possible Kennedy has accidentally advocated for firing himself once or twice…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

5 minutes ago, notin said:

I agree it’s harder to put a pitch that drills the mascot into orbit, but I do have my doubts that the lessons implemented by Fatse and Lawson say “above all, just swing. Swing hard.  Swing fast.  Swing at everything, including balls the catcher throws back to the pitcher.”

Some of this is on the hitters…

No need to tell a retired teacher. Why were some students scores always so low (we were constantly asked)? No matter our efforts, some of us couldn't always find solutions to inspire kids to consistently focus on almighty assessments, when they might come to class without proper rest and nutrition from a stressful environment lacking a quiet space where they could study and be safe -- usually a relative's apartment, because parents were either dead, in jail, or just gone.

[mvp 78]

29 minutes ago, notin said:

And who exactly HASN’T advocated for firing Kennedy at some point?  Besides John Henry?

At the rate he spews double talk, it’s actually possible Kennedy has accidentally advocated for firing himself once or twice…

I have it down on here that you want to fire Cora and replace him with John Farrell, is that correct? 🤔

[notin]

8 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I have it down on here that you want to fire Cora and replace him with John Farrell, is that correct? 🤔

John Farrell? The all time Sox leader in AL East pennants? That John Farrell?

[moonslav59]

Casas has a career .350 OBP, which blows away many of these other high K players.

I will say, I think we should better choose the who to be critical about high K rates.

[mvp 78]

2 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Casas has a career .350 OBP, which blows away many of these other high K players.

I will say, I think we should better choose the who to be critical about high K rates.

No. His 30% k rate isn't cutting it right now. If you were going to say he was going to k closer to an average right, fine, but he's not. 

[mvp 78]

 

[moonslav59]

41 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

No. His 30% k rate isn't cutting it right now. If you were going to say he was going to k closer to an average right, fine, but he's not. 

I was speaking to the points about his history of high K rates being an issue.

His OBP sucks, this year. I have no issues discussing he shortcomings, this year in a small sample size.

41 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

No. His 30% k rate isn't cutting it right now. If you were going to say he was going to k closer to an average right, fine, but he's not. 

 

[mvp 78]

21 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I was speaking to the points about his history of high K rates being an issue.

His OBP sucks, this year. I have no issues discussing he shortcomings, this year in a small sample size.

 

His k rate was over 30% last year as well. 

[Larry Cook]

It is only April and the weather has not been great. I think we need to wait a bit before  making any decisions 

[moonslav59]

3 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

His k rate was over 30% last year as well. 

Yes, but his OBP (.337) was better than this year, although below his career .350.

My point was, I don't mind high K rates, if the OBP is decent. It's not this year, so criticism about this year's numbers is okay with me. Criticism is okay about his past, too, but I'll argue it was fine, when his OBP was .337 or better with 25 bombs per 500-550.

[Larry Cook]

176 games and we are still a .500 team!!!

is this why Henry was hesitant to spend????

[moonslav59]

The ALE is pretty bunched up...

7-5 NYY

8-6 TOR

7-7 BOS

5-7 TBR

5-8 BAL

In the AL, all but the CWS are between 9-4 (TEX) and 4-9 (MIN.)

Most surprising starts in MLB:

2-9 ATL

8-4 LAA

[notin]

Catcher help is on the way as the Sox sign Yasmani Grandal to a minor league deal.

Grandal doesn’t hit like he used to, but he’s still a good defensive catcher according to most metrics.

I like that they’re being proactive here.  (Sabol couldn’t throw out the garbage.) But why not just promote Zavala?

[moonslav59]

11 hours ago, notin said:

Catcher help is on the way as the Sox sign Yasmani Grandal to a minor league deal.

Grandal doesn’t hit like he used to, but he’s still a good defensive catcher according to most metrics.

I like that they’re being proactive here.  (Sabol couldn’t throw out the garbage.) But why not just promote Zavala?

They must like Grandal a little more, but then that begs the question on why not sign him earlier?

I guess now they still have Zavala as emergency non 40 man depth, too.

[Old Red]

I know it’s only 14 games into the season, but up to now the Red Sox look as lifeless, and listless as they have the last three years. Can anyone say K’s by the batters? Can anyone say errors by the fielders?  How many times can Cora say we’ve got to play better, we’ve got to play better, we’ve got to play better? Heading to Chicago this weekend who are worse off than the Red Sox, so if the Red Sox take all three games it will be nothing more than MEH, but if they lose???

[moonslav59]

We are almost 1/11th of the way through the season, and here are our WAR leaders (fWAR+bWAR/2) :

1.0 Abreu

0.7 Campbell

0.5 Crochet

0.4 Devers & Chapman

0.3 Bregman, Romy, Narvaez & Rafaela

0.2 Story, Weissert, Bernardino & Newcomb

0.1 Duran, Kelly,  Dobbins, Buehler, Refsnyder & Wink

0.0 Slaten &  Houck______________________

-0.1 Wong & Criswell

-0.2 DHam

-0.3 Casas

 

 

[moonslav59]

Notables on the fWAR list for 2025:

1.3 C Carroll

1.2 Judge & Tucker

1.1 K Paris

1.0 Abreu

0.9 Bassitt, H Greene & Skenes

0.7 Campbell (T11th) Nate, Webb & J Luzardo

0.6 Betts (T 24th) B Singer, H Bro& L Gilbert

0.5 Arenado (T38th) Crochet, Cease, Heaney & C Holmes

0.4 Soto (T 57th) & C Martin

0.3 Teoscar (T80th) DeJong, Sale, Newcomb, Romy, Bregman & Devers

0.2 O'Neill, Vladdy, S Murphy, Narvaez, Rafaela, Skubal, Whitlock, Weissert, Kelly, Alcantara, Wacha & Lugo

0.1 Bogey

0.0 Duran

-0.1 Y Alvarez

-0.2 Luis Robert

-0.3 Casas, Semien, T Bibee

-0.4 W Adames

-0.5 Renfroe & N Cortes

-0.6 Wilson Contreras

 

[moonslav59]

Matt Moore Released.

[moonslav59]

How is this for a line-up adjustment?

L Duran

L Devers

R Bregman

L Abreu v R/ R Campbell v L

L Casas v R/ R Refnsyder v L

R Campbell v R/ Story v L

R Story v R/Romy v L

R Narvaez 

R Rafaela

[Old Red]

13 hours ago, Old Red said:

I know it’s only 14 games into the season, but up to now the Red Sox look as lifeless, and listless as they have the last three years. Can anyone say K’s by the batters? Can anyone say errors by the fielders?  How many times can Cora say we’ve got to play better, we’ve got to play better, we’ve got to play better? Heading to Chicago this weekend who are worse off than the Red Sox, so if the Red Sox take all three games it will be nothing more than MEH, but if they lose???

This needs repeating, because it was the same ole, same ole again tonight if not worse. More strikeouts, even more errors, and yes Cora saying after the game for the thousandth time we’ve got to do better. Now winning the next two games won’t even be worth a MEH IMO.

[Bellhorn04]

10 hours ago, Old Red said:

This needs repeating, because it was the same ole, same ole again tonight if not worse. More strikeouts, even more errors, and yes Cora saying after the game for the thousandth time we’ve got to do better. Now winning the next two games won’t even be worth a MEH IMO.

Yeah, I hate to say it but my faith in Cora is starting to slip.  At some point playing bad baseball has to reflect on the manager to some degree.

[Old Red]

8 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

I hate to say it but my faith in Cora is starting to slip.  At some point playing bad baseball has to reflect on the manager to some degree.

I agree. The Red Sox have changed some coaches, and infield instructors, but nothing seems to work. You can tell by watching, and listening to Cora after games like last night that Cora is pissed off, and frustrated as hell, and he will say once again that we’ve got to play better. Nothing works up to this point.

[Bellhorn04]

Last 5 games, excluding extra innings, the Sox have scored 7 runs.

[Bellhorn04]

The way things are unfolding it sure seems like Mayer and Anthony are going to get their chances in the near future.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

48 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Yeah, I hate to say it but my faith in Cora is starting to slip.  At some point playing bad baseball has to reflect on the manager to some degree.

The manager is always an easy target, but he's only playing the team the front office built. Sure, Cora has input of who gets added or subtracted, and obviously who plays where on the field... but are there any better options on this roster?

1B: Casas -- has always had a negative dWAR.

2B: Campbell -- not smooth anywhere yet. Luckily, he's a quick learner... though fans and reporters with World Series predictions should exercise caution, and patience. 

SS: Story -- stable fielder with an unstable throwing arm.

3B: Bregman -- not the problem: no third baseman has more putouts or assists, or started more DPs, and his range factor leads AL hot corner men.

C: Disaster. Narvaez looks the best, but apparently they're not confident in his bat, so they called up Sabol? from Worcester -- obviously the wrong choice; they should've activated Coach Rich Gedman, age 65.

OF: the greatest fly chasers in the history of last month -- all have made errors so far... some web gems, too, but these guys at times look disinterested, distracted or probably just frozen immobile (like ballplayers at any level shivering in the winter).

P: Red Sox pitchers the past half century have always been required to make errant throws to bases and stumble like their infielders so they don't show up the front office for its team-building.

DH: Fact -- no full-time designated hitter has made more Es on D than Raffy Devers. 

[Duran Is The Man]

3 hours ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Yeah, I hate to say it but my faith in Cora is starting to slip.  At some point playing bad baseball has to reflect on the manager to some degree.

Cora has always been called a player's manager. to me that means easy-going and little to no discipline. and that's exactly the way this team plays. it wouldn't hurt my feeling at all if they fired him.

[Bellhorn04]

17 minutes ago, Duran Is The Man said:

Cora has always been called a player's manager. to me that means easy-going and little to no discipline. and that's exactly the way this team plays. it wouldn't hurt my feeling at all if they fired him.

Francona was also considered a player's manager though.  I think it can be a fine line to walk.  But continued sloppy play definitely reflects badly.  To me the big thing right now is that they took steps to improve our defense, but it's still lousy.  Breslow can't be happy about this.   

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

 

C: Disaster. Narvaez looks the best, but apparently they're not confident in his bat, so they called up Sabol? from Worcester -- obviously the wrong choice; they should've activated Coach Rich Gedman, age 65.

They called up Sabol due to Wong's injury, but yes, they worry about the offense from Narvaez.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

21 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Francona was also considered a player's manager though.  I think it can be a fine line to walk.  But continued sloppy play definitely reflects badly.  To me the big thing right now is that they took steps to improve our defense, but it's still lousy.  Breslow can't be happy about this.   

Cora just has to do better with his cliches after crap losses.

Brez sent him a book of quotes from Yale, but this isn't molecular biophysics. 

Though it may be harder to get the molecules moving when it's 20 degrees with the windchill...