FredLynn

The problem with your reasoning is that DD isn't going to sign a quality closer. And the dregs we now have in the pen are incapable of doing the job. Its a bit of desperation but I think its worth a try. There is simply no reasonable alternative.

It was sarcasm Bellhorn...did you see the emoji at the end of my post?

Maybe we can add Thornburg ......oh wait......

Its not that it didn't happen. Its just that Bellhorn "has no recollection of that event".

I think we need to take a leap of faith here and believe DD when he says that they are not going to add much salary. To get a quality closer, one better than the stiffs we now have closing, it costs money. Henry is looking at this team and saying "wait a minute-these guys are good enough to make the playoffs!"-and he is right. The answer isn't spending more money, its getting our pitchers to pitch. Chris Sale is 3-8; Porcello has an ERA well over 5; ERod is nearly at 5. And we don't even have a #5 SP right now, not until Johnson gets back. Compare that to what these guys did last year. They HAVE the talent. They just need to do their jobs. A closer isn't going to help much if our SPs keep sucking. We have actually only lost four games in save situations in the ninth inning this year, I believe. No, our pen isn't very good either, but they get put in a tough situation way too often because our SPs get shellacked.

Seriously? You don't remember that Cora didn't use his SPs much in ST? The stated reason was that he was trying to keep them fresh for the regular season since the team's 2018 season ended so late. Didn't really work out too well, did it. You cannot make up for the kind of start this team had..the games they lost early on will remain losses. Now we are in July and we are behind what-four teams in the WC race? I think Cora made a mistake too. Here you go: https://bosoxinjection.com/2019/04/02/red-sox-spring-training-plan-starting-pitchers-backfired/ And this from this link: https://bosoxinjection.com/2019/03/06/red-sox-cora-pulling-trigger-starters/ "Alex Cora has played it smart and safe with his starting rotation, holding them off for as long as he could before playing them. This is a benefit to the Red Sox as it allowed them to control the workload going into the season. it also gave them a chance to tweak and work on any mechanical issues that may have popped up before seeing live action. For much of 2018, Alex Cora received praise for often having answers to questions that hadn’t even been asked yet. On the way to a 108 win season and World Series crown, Cora often made the right move at the right time, every time. Will holding off his starters until a few short weeks before Opening Day be another masterful move? Only time will tell and in baseball, time waits for no one."

Got a better idea? The Sox are desperate now. Do you want Barnes or Brasier closing? Wright? Who else? They are not going to spend on a quality RP, and I don't blame them. The talent is there to make the playoffs. Its up to the guys on the roster to start pitching the way they are capable of.

Devers' footwork is so much better over the past few months. We no longer need to hold our breath when a ground ball is hit to him.

I think they will win more games this year. Irving's style of basketball was a total mismatch to the Celtics style of play. Too often guys all stood around watching Kyrie dribble dribble dribble then shoot. That just doesn't work for most teams. The Rockets do it with Harden, but it got then nowhere either. I am tired of watching that and tired of watching guys like Drummond and the Greek Freak decimate the Celtics at the rim. They need a bona fide #5 or they are going to have a lot of problems.

The Celtics are going nowhere unless they get someone to provide interior defense. Kantor isn't that guy; neither is Williams. Maybe one of the dumpster signings will work out, but last year they consistently got beaten inside-and they had Horford and Baynes last year.

In this game: Betts mishandles a ball in RF for an error. Bradley misses an easy catch in CF. ERod fails to cover 1B on a grounder to the right side. Their heads are obviously not in the game, as they haven't been for a lot of game this year. And Cora does nothing. He accepts it.

I would sit Bradley down right now and make an example of him.

Even a 6-1 lead against the worst offensive team in the game isn't safe. Pretty pathetic.

Sox sleepwalking again. Three runs will not win this game. Going to need at least six.

Devers is on quite the tear.

Another example of lack of focus. ERod dogs it covering first base.

It would be a plus for sure. But not enough for this team to turn it around. Thats not going to be enough. The mediocrity will continue until the current pitching staff does the job that they are capable of doing.

None of them is going to get Sale more wins. Or get Porcello's ERA under 5 (its 5.07 right now). Or get ERod's ERA down to something reasonable (4.79 right now). Or get Barnes to perform in clutch situations. Etc Etc. The talent is there to make it happen. Its up to the current players to do their jobs. Without that no reasonable injection of talent is going to fix this team. If I am JH, that is exactly what I am thinking.

I would be shocked if JH allows DD to get one of those guys, no matter the cost. None of them are going to fix the current pitching problems. None of them are going to fix the fact that Chris Sale has three wins so far. The talent is there to make a run at a playoff spot. If they don't start playing up to their ability no reasonable external help is going to matter.

Porcello could have started on normal rest, I believe, after throwing just 33 pitches in his last start. In the last 11 days Porcello has thrown 33 pitches. So why is Velasquez out there? Cora has lost it.

If we are going to have any chance to win this game Velasquez has to be removed. Its just the way it is.

Your team takes the lead in the first inning and YOU WALK TWO GUYS?? Is this really the best we have?

I agree with you, but I don't think we will get much in return from any club receiving one year of Mookie Betts. He will go wherever the money is, and I don't blame him. Not really optimistic that he will remain on this team.

Wonder what trading Cora would bring back in return?

Exactly. If I am John Henry watching this team night after night I am thinking why spend another dime on it? Its a lost cause when the guys out there aren't focused. The talent is there to win games, but the focus is not. Frankly, if I am JH I am planning for 2021 or thereabouts already.