jacksonianmarch

Ellsbury is rapidly looking like the odd man out in NY, even if he is playing well. That being said, you kinda have to roll with JBJ. He can be absolutely terrible for 2 months and then go on a 45 game tear where he's the best player in baseball. His defense makes it easy to put his name in the lineup as well. Dealing him after a slow start is a good way to get 50 cents on the dollar. Your best bet was to deal him before the season, but now you need to wait to see if he gets hot

Exactly. Its crazy what happens when you play your kids? Sometimes they suck and other times they flourish. The insane thing is that we arrived early. Our farm system is stocked with practically everything one could need. We have the stash to make deals without harming our system or make major blockbusters as well.

It's meant to be a fantasy. That being said, if you had to deal Betts, then you're in rebuilding mode. I'd assume a bunch of high level prospects

Devers needs defensive work. After the suck that had been Sandoval, Rutledge, and Hernandez defensively, you're about to get Holt back. You need at least good D from third. Holt will provide this. Let the kid develop defensively first

Yankees bludgeon the key piece of the Chapman trade. Tanaka got out of a few jams and gave up an uncharacteristic amount of hits. He wasn't dominant, but he also wasn't giving up a lot of hard contact after about the 2nd inning (prior to Votto's HR). Our offense continues to roll. Aaron Hicks is a bad man. Holliday has been an asset. Sanchez got rolling. This team can beat you in a number of ways. 6 in a row!

Getting back to the team, we need to stop talking about a lack of SP. Aside from Sabathia, our starting pitching has been solid. The fact that our ERA is bolstered by Severino, Montgomery and Pineda and pulled up by Tanaka and Fat Sab is interesting. Regardless, Severino looks like an ace in the making. Montgomery looks like a young Pettitte. Pineda finally has put it together in his walk year. Tanaka is Tanaka. I think Fat Sabby is likely headed for the pine. Our pen is death, even a morning after our best guy blows it. I think our biggest question mark is turning into a strength. Our lineup is deep. Our defense is good. Our team speed is great. Our offense is both powerful and consistent. We have 4 true outfielders with a top prospect behind them. Our infield sans 1b has been excellent. Our C, even with Sanchez out, has been a position of strength. The fact that we are in first with almost no contribution from Didi, Sanchez or Bird is amazing. And the fact that we have reinforcements on the way either via trade or promotion makes this even more exciting. I love this team right now.

Actually sox are tied for last in the AL in HR, even after the recent streak

Farrell cannot help the fact that the bridge to Kimbrel is currently on the DL without a timetable for return. If Kimbrel got 6 outs with regularity, he'd be on the DL too. Barnes was the hot hand, but he has now cooled. Maybe Hembree runs with the 8th inning, who knows. Needless to say, I think this trade deadline is going to be interesting for the sox. You need a reliable 8th inning guy or else your playoff run will be a short one, if you make it at all. Today's playoff pitching is essentially 6IP from starters and 3IP from high powered relievers closing out the games. You don't have that before Kimbrel. You will need that come the deadline

It's not sexist. She brings literally nothing to the broadcast. She makes me long for the days of Joe Morgan

And I'd bring up Gallegos. That guys has lightning in his arm and has dominated for over a year now

Judge didn't play the final 9 innings and he's 24. He plays tonight

And this team doesn't give up! 18 innings and a victory! 48K in the game.

Chapman cannot locate

Jess Mendoza is insufferably bad as an announcer

Ace level performance from Severino outdueling Lester

Severino looking good in this one

Wow

Barnes brought the gas can

2 straight 6+ IP 2ER performances against a really good offense. We'll see if Sevy can make it three

Ervin Santana has been a beast this year. He's the only one who's been better than Sale on the young season. Should be fun to watch.

Banged his elbow against the wall and whacked his ulnar nerve. He's been having some numbness since. It's good enough to hit, but throwing is problematic

Hicks is having a career resurgence

We may not end up as AL East champs. We may not end up in the playoffs. But we sure as s*** are playing a fun brand of baseball. Gardy's heroics overshadowed another game where we had multiple scoring opportunities and couldn't even fly out to the outfield to get runs home. But Pineda was excellent, our pen held us in there and eventually we broke through

Your team isn't playing up to what it's capable of, but you're still 2 games over .500 in early May and only 4 games back in the L column of first place. If this is truly your bad stretch, then you're in a pretty good spot

Also, Sabathia has all of May to prove he has something left. We have a few other rooks deserving of shots in the high minors