Spudboy

Yawn.

I say Betts is untouchable. I have also said recently that Owens is too. I'm not sure about that one now, though. I still think that while the shine has come off some of the prospects, the Sox have plenty of bargaining power to get a guy like Hamels. Shields looked dominant against Detroit last night. I wonder if the Sox would be willing to pay for him at his age.

What can the Yankees send to Miami in return?

Stanton will probably land with the Cubs or Dodgers.

So you think that an IF with power should be acquired? Because if not, the Sox have a decent 2nd baseman in the wings. Betts. Or Holt. I like the idea of finding either a big stick 3rd baseman or SS. Who will be available?

It looks like Pedroia is done for the season. At least I hope so! His left wrist is inflamed and sore. I KNEW IT! I said long ago that I believed Pedroia was suffering from a wrist injury sustained during the first game of the season. Now, finally, the Sox are making it known that he has been suffering all season from the wrist injury and that he most likely will be done for the season. I'd like to see Mookie at second for the rest of the season and I suggested this several weeks ago when I suggested that Pedroia should be shut down. It seems that Farrell won't put Betts at second at least until Holt is healthy and ready to play center. Or, as I speculate, when Castillo comes up to play center. What a crappy season!!!

In any case GO SOX!!!!!

Don't get me wrong. I look at stats too. I like to watch the games as well.

And a bargain at only $13. mil.!!!!!!

Thanks for posting this Spitball. I just don't have much patience for articles like this, though. All the advanced metrics and historical data are not needed to see what should be obvious to most of us. Bradley has a long way to go and most likely will not be a MLB offensive juggernaut. XB has his youth on his side but he too is far from being a big time contributor in the show.

Agreed.

Well as I said he apparently either refused to have surgery or 'opted" not to have surgery. The details are sort of vague as far as I can read.

Paladios or Forsythe know a bunch about this sort of thing. So does Jacko. I wonder some of the same things because I suspect Victorino will not be productive next year. Which is not to say that I don't like the guy! I love watching him play when he is more or less healthy/

Joe Kelly (1-1, 3.89) vs. Miguel Gonzalez (8-7, 3.38) Boston Red Sox Player AB R H RBI TB BB K AVG OBP SLG M. Betts, CF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .287 .354 .470 D. Pedroia, 2B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .280 .339 .378 D. Ortiz, DH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .263 .359 .515 Y. Cespedes, LF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .264 .303 .464 M. Napoli, 1B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .257 .374 .436 D. Nava, RF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .261 .337 .342 X. Bogaerts, SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .232 .297 .349 W. Middlebrooks, 3B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .183 .251 .263 D. Ross, C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .184 .256 .362 Baltimore Orioles Player AB R H RBI TB BB K AVG OBP SLG N. Markakis, RF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .278 .339 .387 A. De Aza, LF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .246 .310 .354 A. Jones, CF 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .286 .319 .463 N. Cruz, DH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .262 .331 .532 C. Davis, 3B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .194 .299 .409 S. Pearce, 1B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .283 .355 .521 C. Joseph, C 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .231 .288 .389 R. Flaherty, SS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .205 .268 .332 J. Schoop, 2B 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .219 .252 .373 The Sox face the best team in the division tonight. Holt is still out, presumably still with an illness. Ross behind the dish. This will be a tough one to win but we should get a good look at Kelly as he faces a very strong lineup. One that represents what he will face 20 or so times next season. I have hope! GO SOX!!!!1!!!

That makes me wonder! I'm assuming that they MUST have known something. But did they understand the severity of the injury and the impact that it would likely continue to have on his production? So far it seems to me that the Sox just swapped pitchers with the Cards.

I share your optimism, Pal, for the reasons you have stated. However, I don't think that the Sox have an abundance of 3/4/5 pitching prospects near MLB readiness. I see maybe 2 #5s and possibly a #4 on the roster now. The Sox will need a number 1 and number 2, to be sure. And possibly a 3 depending on how Kelly develops. I'm kind of high on Steven Wright this season. I see him as a decent candidate for long relief and spot starter next season.

Fred, I'm not going to defend the front office on this. Yes, they probably did hype those kids too much. But I think the over valuation of the Sox prospects has a lot to do with the availability of stats and videos on-line and the ever important social media! It's too easy to build these guys up into something that it will be too hard to achieve with all the stuff people can say on-line. Just look at Talksox, as an example. I remember not too long ago when Middlebrooks and Lavarnway were being impatiently touted as the next big Sox stars right here on Talksox. Now look at where they are! I say until a guy consistently proves that he can play well in the majors that it's too early to project him as a star. Of course that is not how things work now. Teams want to build interest in their prospects to help bolster the fan base and to make other teams believe that they have something of value that they should want in trade.

I think that the Ravens and the NFL blew it big time in this matter. They knew all along what Rice had done and only now after the release of the actual assault video have the Ravens dropped the guy. So I have no "props' for the Ravens. They are a chickenshit organization in my eyes. Yes, I know that Rice has not been convicted of anything. Still. I abhor violence. And anyone who lays a hand on any woman is a total coward and not a man. If anyone ever laid a hand on any woman that I cared about I would grab the closest blunt instrument and go all Standing Tall on the guy. Hey, what was the name of the short term Red Sox 2nd baseman that hit his Wife? Will Cordeiro? I'm also wondering how long it will be until another team signs the piece of crap? Greed rules. I bet the Raiders sign him no later than the off season and before camp in 2015. I'm totally against giving him another chance in the limelight ( NFL ). I said similar things when Michael Vick was reinstated. Another sociopath that should be selling crystal meth instead of playing major league football.

Excellent post! I have seen almost all of Holt's AB too and have seen him adapt within one AB, within a game , or from game to game. He's just a skilled hitter with a nice, compact stroke that can make contact most of the time. He knows how to take what is given and send it the other way. Those on base skills will never go out of fashion. Guys like Holt can fuel a lineup and help create runs. I'm not sure if he will be a .300 hitter all the time but I bet he will be at or about .270-.280 with an OBP over .320 much of the time. Combined with good game speed he is very valuable to an offense.

Maybe not many but there are always a few each season and those teams are almost always at the bottom of the standings and rarely make the playoffs. That's the problem with where the Sox are now. I said much earlier in this season that Boston is not a player development market. And for those here that are still confused by what I said then, I mean to say that Boston fans are not accustomed to seeing year after year of young players in the lineup who are not legitimate MLB ready talent. And Boston fans are pretty used to seeing teams that hold the promise of the playoffs or at least winning the majority of the time. Now the Sox are one of the have nots. Yes, I know that the Sox have some good talent on the 25 man. But they just do not have enough of the pieces to compete now. And the near term does not look any better. Next season is shaping up to be more of the same or even worse now that there is no starting rotation. Ben and the Rich boys need to make some big splashes this off season or many people will abandon this team.

I see and understand your point and to a large degree I agree with what you have said. It's very discouraging to see WMB still having trouble with braking pitches down and outside the zone or whatever his hole is. But while his value has been diminished over the past two seasons ( by injury and failure to progress ), I'll bet that more than a few teams would still be in on getting him in trade. The promise of power is intoxicating and it seems that someone will be infatuated by the idea that Middlebrooks would hit with power for them. The big problem now is who will be the Sox everyday 3rd baseman going forward? Cherrington has said that it won't be Holt and Cecchini is nowhere near ready. What a mess!

Recently I read on Boston.com or ESPN Boston that Craig has needed surgery on his foot and he was advised to have it done after the 2013 season. He decided to try the recovery approach instead of the repair approach. So apparently his lousy production is all on him. I read that his left foot can not sustain the pressure of driving through on a swing ( it is the leading foot ). I think that he is stupid not to have the surgery. I expect nothing of substance from him in 2015 unless he has the surgery. We now have a right handed batting Mike Carp. Great! Maybe he will ask for a trade too!

It would be best to drop this subject. It was the low point in talksox history.

Figures!

Holy Crap. Crespo has returned.