Red Sox (Bennett) vs Rockies (Feltner): 6/22/26, 8:40pm

[Nick]

Looks like we have playoff caliber starting five for 2027. We are doing it with 3 rookies. Just think, we had Tolle and Early in AAA this spring. 

It doesn't take much guts to play the youngsters. What's the worst that can happen? Start out similar to Durbin? Oh, okay.

[notin]

4 minutes ago, Nick said:

Another fine outing by Whitlock. Closer in 2027? We're in serious trouble. He had one good year. His first year.

His 2025 was arguably better.  Better FIP, better K/9, better WHIP.  And half the years between those two were tainted by repeatedly trying to force him into the rotation…

[Old Red]

1 minute ago, notin said:

Let’s say it dipped significantly enough the rest of this season.  Which course of action is more likely?

A.  “Attendance is falling. We need to invest more heavily in team payroll and gain back public interest by improving the team.”

B. “Attendance is falling.  We need to slash payroll, raise ticket prices, and purchase a Taiwanese badminton with the money we save.”

Let’s NOT say attendance dipped significantly the rest of the season. Tickets for the most part has already been sold. Moot point.🙈

[notin]

10 hours ago, FredLynn said:

Wrongaybe it’s a crapshoot between # 10 and # 15, but getting a top five pick has a higher likelihood of choosing a player with more talent than a #20. 
So LOSE BABY LOSE!

Does it?  Rank these picks.

2021 draft

1. Henry Davis

2. Jack Leiter

3. Jackson Jobe

4. Marcelo Mayer

22. Colson Montgomery

23. Gavin Williams

27. Jackson Merrill

 

[notin]

4 minutes ago, Old Red said:

Let’s NOT say attendance dipped significantly the rest of the season. Tickets for the most part has already been sold. Moot point.🙈

You clearly don’t get how hypothetical situations work.  

Also, if you add in that particular dose of reality, it makes Fred’s whole attendance gripe even stupider…

[Nick]

So Early earns a service year but Tolle doesn't. He was activated on 4/23 and won't be on the Sox roster for 172 days to earn a year. Same with Jake Bennet. 

Please don't trade young starters.

Why not follow the Rays model? Place young starting arm in the pen and convert them when we lose starters? (permanent loss)

4 yrs + option starting 2027, Ranger

5 yrs starting 2027, Crochet

5 yrs starting 2027, Early

6 yrs starting 2027, Tolle

6 yrs starting 2027, Bennett

And looks like our pipeline is full in the minors. 

 

[Old Red]

1 minute ago, notin said:

You clearly don’t get how hypothetical situations work.  

Also, if you add in that particular dose of reality, it makes Fred’s whole attendance gripe even stupider…

NNN. I clearly get how hypotheticals work, and it’s still a moot point. Fred has a good point, but not a good plan, as more visiting teams fans would just take up the slack.

[Nick]

1 minute ago, Old Red said:

NNN. I clearly get how hypotheticals work, and it’s still a moot point. Fred has a good point, but not a good plan, as more visiting teams fans would just take up the slack.

Yep, as far as Henry is concerned, he doesn't care which fan base buys tickets.

[moonslav59]

16 minutes ago, Nick said:

Another fine outing by Whitlock. Closer in 2027? We're in serious trouble. He had one good year. His first year.

Is a .633 OPS good, bad or awful?

That's what batters are hitting against Whitlock, this year.

It was .543, last year!

.615 in a limited season in '24, and he sucked in '23 (.823.)

.639 in 2022

His first year, he was at .631 in 2021 is about the same as this year. He had two better seasons than his first- by this measure.

That being said, I'd keep him as our #2.

[cp176]

21 minutes ago, Nick said:

Looks like we have playoff caliber starting five for 2027. We are doing it with 3 rookies. Just think, we had Tolle and Early in AAA this spring. 

It doesn't take much guts to play the youngsters. What's the worst that can happen? Start out similar to Durbin? Oh, okay.

Arias to second and Mayer to short.  

[notin]

8 minutes ago, Old Red said:

NNN. I clearly get how hypotheticals work, and it’s still a moot point. Fred has a good point, but not a good plan, as more visiting teams fans would just take up the slack.

You clearly don’t if you’re responding “but that would never happen”.  Ser, hypotheticals are “what if” scenarios that wouldn’t necessarily happen but are thrown out to illustrate a point.  If you say “that wouldn’t happen”, you clearly DO NOT understand hypothetical situations and logic.   If you want to refute one, you are supposed to attack the point being illustrated.  
 

There, now maybe you actually understand hypothetical situations.  Probably not…

[Jean-Sébastien Blouin]

who could be the real coach next year because this coach's test is not conclusive and Breslow could you be fired during the off-season, this season is catastrophic

[Old Red]

13 minutes ago, notin said:

You clearly don’t if you’re responding “but that would never happen”.  Ser, hypotheticals are “what if” scenarios that wouldn’t necessarily happen but are thrown out to illustrate a point.  If you say “that wouldn’t happen”, you clearly DO NOT understand hypothetical situations and logic.   If you want to refute one, you are supposed to attack the point being illustrated.  
 

There, now maybe you actually understand hypothetical situations.  Probably not…

NNNN.🤮

[notin]

1 minute ago, Jean-Sébastien Blouin said:

who could be the real coach next year because this coach's test is not conclusive and Breslow could you be fired during the off-season, this season is catastrophic

Breslow isn’t getting fired. It took too long just to get him hired.

Tracy is a clear interim manager brought in to help some of the younger players that he knew from the minors.  After the season, he goes back to Worcester and the real manager gets hired.  No idea who.  Maybe David Ross? Just a guess based on him having MLB managerial experience and ties to Breslow…

[notin]

22 minutes ago, cp176 said:

Arias to second and Mayer to short.  

I think Arias is the better defensive SS, but I like that you’re not writing Mayer off just yet...

[Jasonbay44]

All in all, there was a lot of problems on display last night.

Offense sucks - it has all season, but scoring two runs at Coors is almost never going to win you a game. The game should’ve been blown sooner if not for idiotic base running by Rockies.

Tracy should not be the long term manager. There is no logical reason guys like Mickey Gasper should be hitting lead off. I can understand pulling Bennett because I’m assuming that’s a call from higher up to watch his innings as he’s a rookie, but a lot of the other stuff he does is just stupid and not defendable. 

Whitlock and Chapman were really bad last night. I understand Duran is going to take brunt of media attention for the misplay, but even if he plays that ball perfectly, it’s a 2-2 game with 2nd and 3rd and no one out. 

this team is just hard to watch at this point. 

[JAG]

2 minutes ago, Jasonbay44 said:

All in all, there was a lot of problems on display last night.

Offense sucks - it has all season, but scoring two runs at Coors is almost never going to win you a game. The game should’ve been blown sooner if not for idiotic base running by Rockies.

Tracy should not be the long term manager. There is no logical reason guys like Mickey Gasper should be hitting lead off. I can understand pulling Bennett because I’m assuming that’s a call from higher up to watch his innings as he’s a rookie, but a lot of the other stuff he does is just stupid and not defendable. 

Whitlock and Chapman were really bad last night. I understand Duran is going to take brunt of media attention for the misplay, but even if he plays that ball perfectly, it’s a 2-2 game with 2nd and 3rd and no one out. 

this team is just hard to watch at this point. 

yep, after last night my hope is gone for this season, the Red Sox are more difficult to watch than the Rockies, the Rockies have no pitching but some of these kids are fun to watch with Hunter Goodman being a stud, we were suppose to have one of those but his hurt hand is keeping him out all year that came from swinging a bat

regarding next year and the kids, not sure what they are going to do but don't they have to give up some prospects to be able to get some offense to compete next year or is it all free agents? or do we need to have another season like this one

[notin]

12 minutes ago, JAG said:

yep, after last night my hope is gone for this season, the Red Sox are more difficult to watch than the Rockies, the Rockies have no pitching but some of these kids are fun to watch with Hunter Goodman being a stud, we were suppose to have one of those but his hurt hand is keeping him out all year that came from swinging a bat

regarding next year and the kids, not sure what they are going to do but don't they have to give up some prospects to be able to get some offense to compete next year or is it all free agents? or do we need to have another season like this one

They seem to be hesitant on the long term free agent front, although they did sign Suarez.  Not holding my breath for another.

.So either deal some minor league talent or short term free agents.  Maybe Chisholm, Torres or Lowe?  Chisholm clearly gets the longest deal there. 
 

Could also trade a young pitcher (Early?) for a bat and sign a replacement SP…

[southpaw777]

1 hour ago, illinoisredsox said:

It would have made no difference last night.  Guerrero came in for the 7th and set the Rockies down 1-2-3.  Bennett could not have improved on that.  Formula all year has been get the game to Whitlock and Chapman for the 8th and 9th.  That happened and both were terrible.  

MVP just told me that Bennett is on a strict pitch count this year after returning from TJS and rehabbing last year. They’re taking it real slow with him. Hasn’t thrown more than 86 pitches in a game this year.

[moonslav59]

45 minutes ago, notin said:

I think Arias is the better defensive SS, but I like that you’re not writing Mayer off just yet...

I agree on Arias, but it's hard to know without seeing him play.

I am certain an Arias-Mayer keystone combo would be better on D than one with Story.

(I'm okay with Story's D at 2B, but I don't see him as an overall plus going forward.)

[notin]

3 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I agree on Arias, but it's hard to know without seeing him play.

I am certain an Arias-Mayer keystone combo would be better on D than one with Story.

(I'm okay with Story's D at 2B, but I don't see him as an overall plus going forward.)

Story and Mayer are both back next year.  So no Arias until Story breaks a rib or strains an. Intercostal of lets his arches fall or…

[FredLynn]

1 hour ago, notin said:

Does it?  Rank these picks.

2021 draft

1. Henry Davis

2. Jack Leiter

3. Jackson Jobe

4. Marcelo Mayer

22. Colson Montgomery

23. Gavin Williams

27. Jackson Merrill

 

No thanks. I’ll simply say that there is an order in the draft for a reason with the teams with the worst records choosing ahead of those with better records. That way the worst teams have access to the more highly regarded players eligible. Otherwise why not just make it random? You know, pick a number. 
This is why it’s so important to lose as many games as possible for the rest of the year. You know, TANK. It’s a lost season anyway so it’s best to plan for the future.

[FredLynn]

4 hours ago, jad said:

You realize the difference between the first and last draft position is one player total.  One player is not going to fix this team, since what's wrong with the team is not what's on the field.  And dumping productive players (Chapman) is not going to solve it either.

You realize that between the #1 pick and the # 30 pick there are 28 players, generally in descending levels of regarded talent. 
Right?

[FredLynn]

12 hours ago, illinoisredsox said:

You really don't get how the MLB draft works, do you.

Apparently better than you do 

[Old Red]

2 hours ago, notin said:

Does it?  Rank these picks.

2021 draft

1. Henry Davis

2. Jack Leiter

3. Jackson Jobe

4. Marcelo Mayer

22. Colson Montgomery

23. Gavin Williams

27. Jackson Merrill

 

Looks like some suspects to me in that top 4. That’s why rankings also can be pretty suspect. Buy, or sell?

[illinoisredsox]

8 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

Apparently better than you do 

So you know there’s a lottery for the top 6 picks and it includes all 18 teams that don’t make the playoffs.  Yes, it’s weighted with the worst teams more likely to get the top picks but it’s not guaranteed.  The worst team is assured of the 7th pick.  They are not assured of anything higher than that.

[notin]

8 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

Apparently better than you do 

Not really. 
 

Unless there is a Bryce Harper or Paul Skenes available - a clear top talent - the MLB draft is largely a crapshoot.  Most years have plenty of good players in the later rounds.  Not to mention, it’s the slowest possible way to rebuild a franchise and gives the Sox more excuses to stay cheap..,

[notin]

20 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

No thanks. I’ll simply say that there is an order in the draft for a reason with the teams with the worst records choosing ahead of those with better records. That way the worst teams have access to the more highly regarded players eligible. Otherwise why not just make it random? You know, pick a number. 
This is why it’s so important to lose as many games as possible for the rest of the year. You know, TANK. It’s a lost season anyway so it’s best to plan for the future.

Like by adding a lottery?

First of all, ranking draft csndidates by talent is far from an exact science, which is why no two mock drafts are the same. Not to mention, picking which high school player has the brightest future 4 years from now is an even more difficult task.  Houston had the number one overall pick 3 years in a row and only selected one major leaguer who had an actual career….

[notin]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

I agree on Arias, but it's hard to know without seeing him play.

I am certain an Arias-Mayer keystone combo would be better on D than one with Story.

(I'm okay with Story's D at 2B, but I don't see him as an overall plus going forward.)

One of the biggest issues with the Sox this year was a largely inexperienced lineup still developing.  Anthony, Mayer, Narvaez and Durbin all had one year or less under their belts.  I’m hesitant to think the best solution here is to add in even less experience…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

7 minutes ago, notin said:

One of the biggest issues with the Sox this year was a largely inexperienced lineup still developing.  Anthony, Mayer, Narvaez and Durbin all had one year or less under their belts.  I’m hesitant to think the best solution here is to add in even less experience…

It was an issue all winter for the diehard baseball fans who know that kind of batting order craves a balance with a mix of well-respected and feared veteran bats that stress out foes, drive up pitch counts, and elicit "mistake pitches" for the young-uns to feast upon.