Maxbialystock

I love it! You have just confirmed that absolutely no one except me remembers the 2021 season. One more time: the Sox, also without Mookie (as well as Sale and Price), won 92 games and a ticket to the wild card game, in which they beat the Yankees 6-1 and then beat the 100 win Rays 3 games to 1 in the ALDS before losing to the Astros, 2 games to 4, in the ALCS. The 2021 Sox had no closer in the postseason. Interestingly, the Sox 2021 ace was Nate Eovaldi with 32 starts, 13 quality starts, 182.1 IP, and an ERA of 3.75. This year the Sox ace is vastly underpaid Tanner Houck with 30 starts, 19 quality starts, 178.2 IP, and an ERA of 3.12. In 2021 Nate Eovaldi was paid $17M and this year Houck is being paid $750K.

I hate articles that are so full of hype--and that's even though I personally like starters who gets lots of groundouts and pop flies and other struck balls that result in outs. It does help to have Story at SS. I'm not sure about his range, which is probably above average but not out of this world, but, boy, do I like his overall consistency and his smoothness on double play balls. The Sox are 13-9 in games in which Story has played.

Agree completely Skenes is far more useful than Ohtani, but I also think getting Skenes from the Pirates would require the Sox to give up a lot--certainly two of their top prospects or two of their best players.

You have consistently made a strong case for offseason trades, especially for starters. What you have left out is that right now the Sox front office and especially Craig Breslow have demonstrated zero ability to acquire a good starter. And, in case you have forgotten, John Henry has 30 years of MLB front office experience, primarily as an owner, and is also the best owner in Red Sox history. For most of his 23 seasons as the Sox owner he underwrote a payroll consistently among the top five in MLB. And that all turned sour in 2019 when the Sox, with the highest payroll in MLB, not only did not make it to the postseason, but needed a major influx of cash to keep Mookie, to acquire first-line starters to replace Price and Sale, and to continue paying Price and Sale's their top-line salaries.

You lost me completely with the tiers and especially the phrase, "really want to keep but would trade for the right return." I think what you are really saying is that the Sox should be willing to trade anyone on the 40 man roster for almost anyone on someone else's roster.

I have badmouthed Breslow relentlessly, but I would have no objection to having him remain as CBO. Bringing in Bailey was a key move. I think he also selected a bunch of pitchers in the last draft.

Your pink glasses are one of your best features, especially given that the John Henry era is the most successful in Sox history. I especially like your "big splash" comment, which I take to mean go after real talent aggressively, but don't sell the farm. This fits nicely with your points about all the other talent the Sox already have in Boston and on the farm. At the same time, however, a "big splash" for a starter is exactly what JH seems to have sworn he will never do again.

Can't disagree with that. "Coulda, woulda,shoulda" is rampant around both Leagues.

Lots of ups and downs this season, including by other teams. This season should have been much worse for the Sox. New CBO Breslow got things off on the wrong foot by dumping Sale, now a candidate for NL Cy Young award, and sending $17M with him to the Braves--and then signing Giolito for $19M/season, after which he went on the season-long IL before spring training ended. In April the Sox also lost Story at SS, Casas at 1b, and starter/reliever Whitlock. However, as moonslav has pointed out, Duran, Rafaela, Abreu, Devers, Wong, Yoshida, Hamilton, Refsnyder, Gonzalez, Houck, Crawford, Bello. and Jansen--all of whom were Red Sox players before the arrival of Breslow--had pretty decent seasons. Plus Story and Casas both returned (Casas in Aug and Story in Sep) and gave the Sox a boost. The season ends six days from today and the Sox are officially not yet eliminated. As for next season, the Sox have some pretty good prospects headed this way--or possibly to other teams in return for pitching help. In defense of Breslow, he took one of the least enviable CBO jobs in MLB because right now it's hard to read JH's intent. He does seem to have soured on big ticket starters, and he seems comfortable dumping salary overall, and that runs counter to what seems to be a definite need for, say, two quality starters and two or more quality relievers. Plus maybe good righty bat or two--over and above O'Neill and Refsnyder.

I think Casas and Story for a whole season will make a difference and said so on another thread.

I blame the hitting coach for the recent bad hitting, but I am the least credible of critics. Today the Sox scored a ton of runs to win both games. In game 1 it was all Casas. In game 2 Gonzalez had 4 rbi's, and Crawford went 7.2 IP while giving up 3 ER. If the Sox keep Sale, don't sign Giolito, and Casas and Story are healthy the whole season, I think the Sox make the postseason.

A couple of solid wins to keep the season alive. Good hitting and good pitching in both games.

Despite the K's and the .669 OPS, Rafaela has played in the 2d most games--145 to Duran's 151--on the Sox this season because he's exceptional in CF and, I believe, the 2d best defensive SS after Story. He also seems to be healthier than Story and/or Mayer. I'm not sure I agree with his $50M for 8 years contract, but I do think he will continue to be useful on defense. Too bad his propensity to swing (and miss) at almost any pitch is apparently unfixable.

I'm inclined to agree with you, but mostly because historically the Sox have never, ever opted for a full time centerfielder who flat can't hit. And guess who currently has the highest DWAR on the Sox? Duran @ +2.6, who only also happens to lead the Sox in total bases, 314, which is 44 more than 2d place Rafael Devers. All that said, Rafaela would be my first choice for SS if Story gets injured again.

Not buying "checked out" because that implies volition. I think the Sox hitters are more than willing to hit the ball. Their problem is lousy preparation. Two best examples are Abreu and Rafaela, neither of whom has made any correction to his approach at the plate. Same goes for Devers, who probably is playing hurt (shoulders)--no adjustments to his approach at the plate. In any case, the Sox rank 3d in MLB in most K's by a team.

To me the D--with Story at SS--is fine, and so is the rotation. I think the hitting stinks because opposing pitching staffs all have good "books" on our hitters weaknesses (some of which are obvious even to us fans). In the last 12 games, the bullpen has been decent in at least half the games.

I hate to admit it, but, were I Breslow, I just might be tempted to bring Jansen back--but not @ $16M/season. On those walks tonight he wasn't missing by much.

Actually, you and I are the only ones holding out hope, and I admit I'm not really hoping. I just can't help rooting for the good guys--and the good guys are whoever is/are on the Sox active roster. Plus right now the Sox are not mathematically eliminated. As for the 2 measly runs by the Sox, I think both were semi-miraculous. With almost all our lefty bats getting K'd to death by the Rays righty pitchers, the last thing I expected was a dinger by Story--righty bat vs righty pitcher. I absolutely do not think any of the Sox have "checked out," especially not at the plate. I do think their vulnerabilities are being exposed/exploited. Oh, and I liked the defense tonight, especially Story and Rafaela in the middle infield. The only infielder who misplayed was Houck being late to 1b on that grounder to Casas.

Heckuva ballgame from beginning to end, but I'll bet I'm the only one to say so. I thought the Rays starter Pepiot was terrific for all 6 innings, but see that moonslav disagrees completely, gives him zero credit, and says simply that the Sox hitters have quit for the season. Wrong! I also thought Houck looked very good and would never have pulled him after 4--but I also trust Cora, and Cora was clearly right to go to the pen. Abreu and Devers both seem the have trouble hjtting fastballs--and clearly the Rays pitching staff knows that. Story scored both runs, one on a dinger and one on a single, SB, SB, and finally scoring off a single by Duran. And he's a plus defender. Definitely a candidate for Sox player of the month.

I don't think there's one right answer. The 2018 Sox prospered in part--or so it seemed--with rest days for everyone. Now Cora says he wants his best players to play everyday, and that could work too. As for the post-ASG record, I think the pitching stumbled for the obvious reason it was always under-resourced, which began last winter when the new CBO dumped Sale--while paying him $17M to pitch for the Braves--and hired Giolito, who has been on the IL the entire season. The hitting has been up and down, mostly, I think because of a lack of experience combined with opposing teams having good "books" on the Sox hitters weaknesses. I do not, for example, think what we call "RISP disease" is accidental. I think opposing teams know exactly how to pitch to our guys when men are in scoring position. To me the perfect example of that is that you have to be just stupid not to know Devers loves swinging at breaking balls, inside or outside the strike zone, and struggles against fast balls. I think a team weakness is how Cora loads his lineup with lefty bats against righty starters and with righty bats against lefty starters. He has good reason to do that, but it can be a problem when the opposing manager brings in righty reliever to replace a lefty starter or vice versa. Duran"s OPS vs righties is .925 and against lefties .665, for example. Devers is 1.008 vs righties and .689 vs lefties. Abreu is .501 vs lefties and .866 vs righties. O'Neill is 1.188 vs lefties and .727 vs righties. Wong's OPS vs righties is .728 and lefties .876.

You have a problem with reading comprehension.

Crawford walked Judge, but at least he tried. He has 3 pitches close to the zone and 2 (#1 and #5) could have been called strikes. 92 pitches, 58 strikes. I think Crawford threw too many fastballs early in the game, which I blame on Bailey. He has a lousy fastball and should use it sparingly.

A hit! A palpable hit! 😃

That home plate ump has screwed Rodon repeatedly.

As soon as I insult Crawford in every way imaginable, he pitches a clean 4th inning.