Maxbialystock

Definitely have to keep Grissom because he cost a king's ransom. To get him the Sox not only gave away Sale, who is now the Braves' ace, but are also paying $17M of his salary.

We got Grissom for Sale, who is the Braves ace and $17M of whose salary the Sox are paying. Trading Grissom for Sale was monumentally stupid. The Sox apparently fell in love with Grissom when he hit his first ever dinger in Fenway Park two years ago.

To me it's this simple. Without Story in 2021, the Sox made it to the postseason and in fact the ALCS. With Story in 2022 and 2023, the Sox went nowhere. And this year, once again without Story, the Sox are looking pretty decent. Without Story in 2021, the Sox finished 5th in MLB in runs scored. With Story in 2022 and 2023, the Sox finished 9th and 11th in runs scored. This year without Story the Sox are again just 9th in scoring, but appear to be heading upward--and that's without Bogey, Kike, JDM, Renfroe but instead with a whole bunch of newbies in the lineup. Story's lifetime OPS is .834. That, along with his good defense, is what the Sox are paying for and definitely not getting. And by not getting I mean both the lower OPS and all the missed games. In 3 seasons so far, the Sox have gotten less from Story than what the Rockies got in his last season.

That's become my refrain, and it's supported by the fact that the 1st, 3d, and 6th highest payrolls--the Mets, Astros, and Rangers--all have losing records. The Sox payroll is 11th. And well below the Sox the 20th, 25th, and 26th highest payrolls--the Royals, Orioles, and Guardians--all have winning records. Letting Sale go to the Braves was a mistake, granted, especially with the Sox paying $17M of his salary. But in fact his replacement, Houck, is having a better season, and so far the Sox pitching this year is better than, wait for it, the 2018 Sox. That is, the ERA is lower this year than in 2018. We lost Mookie to the Dodgers, but right now Duran's WAR, 3.8, is just as good, and he is paid 1/40th of what Mookie is paid. Story's defense is missed, but not his bat. Grissom is not missed. Giolito is not missed

The 2021 Sox finished the season without a closer--and no closer when the beat the Yankees in the wild card and the 100 win Tampa Bay Rays, 3 games to 1 in the ALDS. Then they lost to Houston in the ALCS, but not because of no closer. I think what Jansen did--call from the bullpen and then go in and get 4 very nice outs--was fantastic. But if someone else makes a really good offer to get him, the Sox should at least consider it.

Chaim Bloom wasn't the right guy, but I'm not sure anyone could fit into the procrustean bed created by John Henry's reaction to the 2019 season. And we still don't know what he's thinking. What we do know right now is that Craig Breslow made his own stupid deals of bringing in Giolito, who will be paid $38M for one season, provided he can actually pitch next season, giving up Sale to the Braves while also paying $17M of his salary while he is now the ace on their staff, getting Grissom, who so far is gruesome, etc. Nevertheless, I think Breslow was smart to take the job because right now I think he and the Sox are in a very good position. Yes, way too much of the $182M payroll has been wasted on weak or non-performers: Story, Giolito, Sale (pitching for Atlanta), Yoshida, Whitlock, Turner, et al. But the relatively new and extremely low cost guys like Duran, Abreu, Wong, Hamilton, Rafaela, Casas (well, except for the injury), Houck, Crawford, Bernardino, and Slaten have made it possible for the Sox to look downright competitive--and even more so when Abreu and Casas get off the IL, hopefully in the next 2 weeks. Plus more talent--we hope they are MLB talent--is waiting in the wings. Right now there is the very real possibility the Sox will want to compete this season. Better still, the team as is ain't that bad, except for the defense. And, frankly, as bad as it has been, I don't care that much as long as those same guys are getting hits and scoring freaking runs. Taking 4 out of 6 games against the 2 best won-lost records in MLB ain't too shabby, nosiree. Assuming the Sox are still in the hunt a month from now, Breslow can make a deal to improve their chances, but he doesn't necessarily have to. He should only make a deal that is smart.

Have to agree. Right now he looks very useful if the Sox are still in the hunt a month from now or, better still, in September. That said, it also depends on what another team might offer.

The real fundamentals of MLB are hitting and pitching, and this year the Sox pitching has been way better than anyone expected. None of the Sox pitchers has stolen a base. The hitting is coming around thanks in large part to those younger guys, but at the same time the Sox defense, which some regard as a fundamental baseball skill, leads MLB in errors with 53, 5 more than the next most by Miami.

Baseball changed the dimensions of the bases to encourage basestealing. I kind of like basestealing, but am less sure than you it's been the key to the Sox offense. Far from it, in fact. The Sox right now are ranked 5th in base stealing and 5th in team OPS, but they are just 11th (actually 10th because 10th San Diego has 1 more run and 3 more games than the Sox) in runs scored.

When Duran got thrown out trying to score form 2b, that was a heckuva throw by the Yankees leftfielder.

Just saw the HBP that broke Mookie's hand/wrist. Very tough break for him and for MLB. And the Dodgers.

That's fine. Well done, both of you. As moonslav says, 4 of 6 from the Phillies and Yankees ain't too shabby. We need Old Red to jump in and tell us yet again that the Sox are just mediocre.

I would put it this simply. MLB is, for lack of a better word, balanced, and that's definitely the way the Commissioner and probably the owners want it. Almost everybody, rich or poor, has a shot. I think it's beyond question that the postseason format, now with six division winners and six wild cards, 12 out of 30 teams, has made that possible. Thus my harping on the fact that the WS last year was played between a team who finished with 90 wins and the other with 84 wins. That said, let's not forget that just 6 years ago the Red Sox won 108 games in the regular season and beat the Yankees (100 wins) in the ALDS, 3 games to 1, the Astros (103 wins) in the ALCS, 4 games to 1, and the Dodgers (92 wins), also 4 games to 1.

And as I keep saying, what evidence do you have that the "League just isn't that strong?" Salaries are up, and so is the population base from which players are recruited. You keep demeaning a .500 winning percentage as a sure sign of mediocrity when we have compelling evidence from last year that the difference between percentages of Atlanta (.640), Texas (.560), and Arizona (.520) last year were insignificant because Atlanta did not make it to the WS and both Texas and Arizona did. And why did that happen? Because the statistical difference between 64%, 56%, and 52% is 12%, which is actually quite small. What I also find interesting are these MLB team payrolls matched to their current won-lost records-- 1. NYMets, $308M, W-L 32-37 2. NYY, $305M, 50-23 3. Houston, $250M, 32-39 4. Philly, $246M, 47-23 5. Texas, $232M, 33-37 6. Atlanta, $232M, 38-30 7. Dodgers, $230M, 43-29 8. Cubs, $225M, 34-37 9. Toronto, $224M, 34-36 10. Giants, $201M, 34-37 11. Boston, $182M, 36-35 17. Seattle, $142M, 42-31 18. White Sox, $136M, 19-53 20. Kansas City, $118M, 41-31 25. Baltimore, $101M, 46-24 26. Cleveland, $100M, 44-24 28. Tampa Bay, $98M, 33-38 Three of the top five team payrolls have losing records. And three of the bottom 11 payrolls are 41-31, 46-24, and 44-24.

Are you freaking nuts? You beat the Yankees. Stay on the horse.

There's two of us then. They just took 2 of 3 from the winningest team in the National League, and a win tomorrow means they will have done it to the winningest team in the American League. Not too shabby. This might the most rollercoastery Sox team I can remember. Most errors in MLB. Way too often can't buy a hit with men on base. Split 4 freaking games with worst W-L record (White Sox) in MLB. Casas, who can hit, is missing almost almost half a season because he did the very dangerous and hazardous thing of swinging a bat. One of the cheapest rotations in MLB. And a flock of presumably talent guys on the IL: Giolito, Story, Whitlock, Casas, Yoshida (now off, but missed a bunch of games), Abreu. Oh, and Sale is having a great year, the Sox are paying his $17M salary, and he's pitching for the Braves. By rights this Sox team should be 20-51, which would put them a tad ahead of the White Sox, 18-53. But in fact they got a real shot at the postseason. Without Story, Giolito, Sale, Grissom, Whitlock, and maybe Casas.

Ahem, go for a series win tomorrow.

Another good inning for Criswell. He deserved both of those called 3d strikes.

What's that stuff families use for quick meals? Hamburger helper? Dalbec is cup of pitcher helper. When you're having a bad game and nothing is going right, Dalbec is your pick-me-up.

Yep. Great 3d inning by Criswell! Fantastic. Get the boats out for a parade. If this is a win--and we've got a lot of baseball yet to go--you must give partial credit to moonslav, who is the only person who said he had a good feeling about this game. Rodin has good stuff, but it sure doesn't look good tonight.

Huge double by Devers, drives in 2, batting against a lefty pitcher. 5-2, Sox. This game could be a slugfest because I have little confidence in Criswell. Of course, Rodon now has 60 pitches and another batter to face.

In JH's now 22d season as the Sox owner, the Sox have won 4 WS to the Yankees 1 WS. Or don't WS wins mean anything any more? My take is that the Yankees are happy to spend money, but not smart about it.

Ref ain't no Abreu, that's for sure. 2d inning, and Criswell is facing the Yankees order for the 2d time. And he's already thrown 60 pitches. Isn't that something?

Sox up, 1-0!!!!! 2 freaking doubles and a sac fly.

Baloney. If the Sox win, it counts on your record. If they lose, give it to me. Criswell was a real artist in the 1st inning. Just one baserunner, and three easy-peasy outs. He only needed 26 pitches. With a little finesse, he can throw 90 pitches without going through the Yankees lineup more than once.