mvp 78

DHern vs R: 677 OPS Davis vs R: 876 OPS HOU has the lowest k rate of any MLB team. They put the ball in play.

Plans change, pal.

Love to use arguments that take away a large portion of the reason you bring FAs in. "Was it worth it if they never won in 2018?" We brought him in to win a WS. They won a WS. It was worth it.

If you don't have to worry about the changeup, you can sit on that fastball.

@TomCaron Sox #ALCS roster. Barnes, Davis off. Sawamura, Darwinzon Henandez on. Everything else stays the same.

All he needs to do is get his changeup back and he's golden.

I would look at the Rays 2021 FA model: Wacha 1/3 McHugh 1/1.8 Hunter 1/2.2

I flip flop each day as to which one should move to the rotation.

Price was dealing with arm issues that year. After the ASB, he had a 2.25 ERA and 8 QS in 11 appearances. His last 3 starts in the playoffs: Game 5 HOU: 6IP, 9K, 0BB, 3H, 0R winning pitcher for ALCS clinching game Game 2 LAD: 6IP, 5K, 3BB, 2H, 2R Game 5 LAD: 7IP, 5K, 2BB, 3H, 1R winning pitcher for WS clinching game He earned his money.

I think it was a reasonable assumption to expect better seasons out of Lester and Lackey though. Victorino was better in 2013 than CC was in 2011. Napoli held his own. WMB was coming off an interesting year at 3b. The bigger question for that team was BP and SS.

Houck reminds me more of how they used Paplebon at the beginning. Paplebon started with a few 5 inning starts and then was transitioned to a multiple inning role in the pen. There was question in the offseason if he'd be put in the rotation, but Paplebon said he was fine being the closer going into opening day. Whitlock is a greater unknown because we don't know if they are simply managing his innings because of him coming of TJS. I could see a case for either being put in the rotation OR being left in the pen.

Not sure he would have passed a physical on the open market.

To me, his contract was made into a bigger deal than it actually was. He wasn't an albatross. If the Sox ate that much salary, they probably could have moved him elsewhere too.

I just made a case that Devers is better. No big deal. Bregman was a better player in 18 and 19, but he hasn't played that way in recent memory.

The 2011 team was supposedly the greatest Sox team of all time on 4/1/11. Due to injuries, they missed the playoffs on game 162. They played .500 ball in 2012 and traded 3 players midseason because they made the shittiest manager hire in my lifetime. In the offseason, they replenished what was traded away and became contenders. It wasn't all that surprising.

How I'd rank the Sox WS runs in terms of opponent difficulty: 2018 Sox (Yankees 100 wins, Astros 103 wins, Dodgers 92 wins) 2004 Sox (Angels 92 wins, Yankees 101 wins, Cardinals 105 wins) 2013 Sox (Tampa 92 wins, Detroit 93 wins, Cardinals 97 wins) 2007 Sox (Angels 94 wins, Guardians 96 wins, Rockies 90 wins)

Cards were the best NL team, but Rays were a 5th seed and Tigers were a 3rd seed. Can't get an easier seeding than that.

Right now, Devers is better than Bregman. Bregman hasn't had the same production since 2019. Castro also had a higher fWAR than Vaz or Plawecki.

I think some people were saying "fluke" even right after, not that jacko is unbiased or anything. Also, the 2014 team was only a last place team because they traded half of their starting pitching (like how 2020 had half of a rotation). The terrible 2015 team was a Cherington creation and the reason he was replaced.

Price's deal was fine. We got a championship out of it. His contract was so burdensome that we were able to move him and then be in the ALCS a year later. His contract is off the books after next season.

There's no bigger validation to a championship than going through the Yanks/Rays/Stros/Dodgers. IF the Sox did that, nobody could say this was a fluke like 2013.

Cora used their "bullpen days" as appearances in 2018 playoffs.

Leaders in IP - relief only: 2021 - Chad Green 83.2 2019 - Sam Gaviglio 95.2 2018 - Ryan Yarbrough 118.2 (used opener) 2017 - Yusmeiro Petit 87.1 2016 - Brad Hand 89.1 2015 - Dellin Betances 84 2014 - Carlos Torres 92 2013 - Anthony Swarzak 96 2012 - Josh Roenicke 88.2 2011 - Alfredo Aceves 93.0 2010 - Matt Belisle 92.0 2009 - DJ Carrasco 89.1 2008 - JP Howell 89.1 2007 - Heath Bell 93.2 2006 - Scott Proctor 102.1 2005 - Saloman Torres 94.2 2004 - Scott Shields 105.1 2003 - Steve Sparks 107 2002 - Vladimir Nunez 97.2 2001 - Scott Sullivan 103.1 2000 - Scott Sullivan 106.1 1999 - Scott Sullivan 113.2 1998 - Scott Sullivan 102 1997 - Greg Swindell 112 1996 - Mariano Rivera 107.2 1995 - John Doherty 107.1 1993 - Greg Harris 112.1 1992 - Doug Jones 111.2 1991 - Duane Ward 107.1 1990 - Duane Ward 127.2 1989 - Jim Acker 126 1988 - Jeff Robinson 124.1 1987 - Mark Eichhorn 127.2 1986 - Mark Eichhorn 157 1985 - Dan Quisenberry 129 1984 - Willie Hernandez 140.1 1983 - Bob Stanley 145.1 1982 - Bob Stanley 168.1 1980 - Tom Hume 137 The last rubber arm was Mark Eichhorn apparently. Also, this is a Scott Sullivan appreciation post.

Kiké is fine in CF. The Sox' "problems" are LF/RF/2B/C and some of them aren't really big concerns.

As innings decrease for starters, is there a chance a 4 man rotation comes back?