Dustin May trade regret?

[moonslav59]

26 minutes ago, notin said:

No Nate Lowe discussion?

 

I think to get him on the roster, the Sox would need to DFA Toro or.Ali Sánchez.  Lowe this year is a marginal (.732 OPS vs RHP) upgrade over Toro (.691 OPS vs RHP).  (I go Sánchez here.)

As Lowe is owed $2.5 mill or so for the remainder of the season, is he worth it?  He has another arb year left and will probably get a modest raise on his $10.3mill salary.  Of course, he could also just be non-tendered.  Especially since Casas isn’t dead yet.

.499 Lowe last 101 PAs/ .507 Toro in 102 PAs

.617 Lowe last 398 PAs/.689 Toro in 2025 season (269 PAs)

Am I missing something, other than a better career, beforehand?

[mvp 78]

6 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

.499 Lowe last 101 PAs/ .507 Toro in 102 PAs

.617 Lowe last 398 PAs/.689 Toro in 2025 season (269 PAs)

Am I missing something, other than a better career, beforehand?

If they can acquire him for minimum $, it's just to provide a higher ceiling than Toro. Hope for a rebound knowing there is less likely one from Toro. 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Lowe and Toro actually have a lot in common, besides being four-letter words.

Both have playoff experience for teams from Texas.

Two years ago Lowe hit three home runs in the postseason and won a ring.

That same year Toro hit two homers for the season and ate a ring ding.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

If they can acquire him for minimum $, it's just to provide a higher ceiling than Toro. Hope for a rebound knowing there is less likely one from Toro. 

I do agree he has a higher ceiling for the remainder of 2025. I'm just cautioning the expectations.

I've been on the Toro demotion train for weeks.

[mvp 78]

50 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I do agree he has a higher ceiling for the remainder of 2025. I'm just cautioning the expectations.

I've been on the Toro demotion train for weeks.

Yeah, there's a reason he's being DFA'd. He's been one of the worst players in the league since June 1. 

 

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Yeah, there's a reason he's being DFA'd. He's been one of the worst players in the league since June 1. 

 

.617 since a point in April, so it goes back farther.

[drewski6]

We want PW!!

[mvp 78]

9 minutes ago, drewski6 said:

We want PW!!

941 OPS right now for WOO. 1135 OPS in August. I don't believe his glove is ready at 1b yet from what people have said. 

[Kimmi]

7 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

I don't think the cost of acquiring a controllable starter at the deadline is reasonable. They needed to acquire a better short term guy. Ryan would be cheaper in the offseason, so pass for now. However, they didn't address the right side of the IF and it wouldn't have been very expensive to do so as we saw with other trades made around the league. It certainly wouldn't have set the farm back years. 

Fair enough.  I do not disagree with any of this.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

3 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Yeah, there's a reason he's being DFA'd. He's been one of the worst players in the league since June 1. 

 

Don't know much, but I do know that players are usually not DFA'd because they're performing well.

[moonslav59]

I'm not sure what 1Bman or 2Bman were available but not dealt at the deadline, but I'm curious who was.

I did not see any 1Bman deals I felt strongly about us trying to offer more. They were mostly rentals.

2Bmen? I think the hope was Mayer could return.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

39 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Don't know much, but I do know that players are usually not DFA'd because they're performing well.

Lowe had 16 homers, 68 RBIs on a crappy team.

Only Abreu and Story have more HRs on the Red Sox, and only Story has driven in more runs. 

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Lowe had 16 homers, 68 RBIs on a crappy team.

Only Abreu and Story have more HRs on the Red Sox, and only Story has driven in more runs. 

RBIs since June 1st:

29 Story in 150 PAs

26 Duran 143

22 Abreu 1116

20 Romy 95

19 Rafaela 137

17 Anthony 150

15 Bregman 101

14 Lowe in 138 PAs

14 Narvaez + Wong 139

(19 Refsnyder+ Yoshida in 132)

[Bellhorn04]

Lowe had a grand slam and 2 walks his last game. 😀

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Lowe had a grand slam and 2 walks his last game. 😀

Then, he woke up.

[Hugh2]

Toro served his purpose and did his job, but his tenure has last way too long.  
 

originally against acquiring a 1b I had changed my tune, due to Toros continued struggles but also Mayer going down.  Very surprised in hindsight the Sox didn’t get a 1B rental.

Password may be the answer.  I think his stats could take a big dive at the MLB level and he is going to struggle against against MLB pitching, but he’s got some pop and I think he’s going attack mistake pitches and get his shots in.  I suspect he might struggle against righties which is not what you wanna see with a guy with platoon concerns.

 

still, he may be a better option than Toro.

[Hugh2]

May looked stellar in his last outing, wonder if the Sox are able to unlock something here.  I wouldn’t hate extending him if they have.

[Bellhorn04]

8 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Then, he woke up.

Maybe the first player ever to be DFAd right after a grand slam.

[notin]

22 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

If they can acquire him for minimum $, it's just to provide a higher ceiling than Toro. Hope for a rebound knowing there is less likely one from Toro. 

Campbell might have a higher ceiling than either of them.

I get Lowe over Toro, but the upgrade is potentially negligible.  But if the DFA Sánchez, it at least can be undone…

[notin]

1 hour ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Maybe the first player ever to be DFAd right after a grand slam.

Reportedly the shortstop(Bobby Witt)  told him while he was rounding second.

 

And for the record, nothing screams “tanking for a draft pick” louder than DFAing players for hitting grand slams…

[moonslav59]

3 hours ago, notin said:

Campbell might have a higher ceiling than either of them.

I get Lowe over Toro, but the upgrade is potentially negligible.  But if the DFA Sánchez, it at least can be undone…

KC is more of an unknown, but yes, seemingly a much higher ceiling. The floors all look similar.

[Kimmi]

The verdict is still out on May, but 6 IP with only giving up 2 runs is a start I'll take any day from a back end rotation guy.  Too bad our offense looked so futile for most of the game.

[moonslav59]

3 hours ago, Kimmi said:

The verdict is still out on May, but 6 IP with only giving up 2 runs is a start I'll take any day from a back end rotation guy.  Too bad our offense looked so futile for most of the game.

A good friend of mine used to say a pitcher is only as good as his last game. Well, how about last 2?

ERA/FIP

1.50/2.78 D May

3.00/5.87  Buehler

4.09/5.12 Giolito

4.91/3.94 Crochet

5.25/5.03 Bello

Last 3:

2.87/2.93 D May

2.84/4.70 Giolito

3.50/4.01 Bello

3.86/6.49 Buehler

4.00/2.90 Crochet

Looks almost upside-down!

 

[Kimmi]

20 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

A good friend of mine used to say a pitcher is only as good as his last game. Well, how about last 2?

ERA/FIP

1.50/2.78 D May

3.00/5.87  Buehler

4.09/5.12 Giolito

4.91/3.94 Crochet

5.25/5.03 Bello

Last 3:

2.87/2.93 D May

2.84/4.70 Giolito

3.50/4.01 Bello

3.86/6.49 Buehler

4.00/2.90 Crochet

Looks almost upside-down!

 

Clearly, May is the best starter on our team!  

But seriously, if May can go 5+ innings a start and keep the offense in the game, then he's a good pick up.  Maybe he'll surprise us and be better than expected.

[moonslav59]

4 minutes ago, Kimmi said:

Clearly, May is the best starter on our team!  

But seriously, if May can go 5+ innings a start and keep the offense in the game, then he's a good pick up.  Maybe he'll surprise us and be better than expected.

We've swung and missed with nearly every in-season or deadline SP'er addition since Nate in 2018. I guess we were due. Mostly, we relied on hopes and dreams of returning 60 Day IL starters.

In 2020, we added Pivetta in a "sell" trade, so I'm not sure he counts.

2021: Brad Peacock for cash

2022 & 2023: just RP'ers and hopes of returning IL starters.

2024: Paxton for Bolivar 

May might end up being a bust, but knock on wood...