Maxbialystock

Sox are 10-10 with a run differential of +5 (9 of the 15 AL teams have negative run differentials) because of 1/2 the time, the pitchers. The other half, 13 assorted hitters and positions players, stink. The Sox defense is ranked 30th in MLB and the offense/hitting is ranked 22d in OPS and 18th in runs scored. The payroll, $180M, is ranked 11th. $26M of that is spent on Sale, Turner, and others who have moved on to other teams. $62M is going to players on the IL (Story, Giolito, Pivetta, O'Neill, Whitlock, Hendricks, etc) . $65M goes to Devers, Yoshida, and Jansen--all of whom are clearly overpaid this season. That leaves $27M to pay for the pitchers and lineup players who are actually contributing to wins and losses. However, Pivetta, Whitlock, and especially O'Neill have all definitely contributed and are expected back. So add their $17M in collective salaries back onto the $27M for $44M total. Also add back $10M each for Devers, Yoshida, and Jansen--about what each is actually worth this year--for a final total of $74M Given that $74M salary valuation of the 2024 Sox, 10-10 is pretty darn good. Given the actual payroll of $180M, something's rotten in the state of Denmark.

I lived in Kansas 3 times, a total of 5 years, but only went to a few Royals games the last 3, 1986-89. Lovely ballpark, which can get hot in July and August. Bo Jackson was playing for the Royals.

Of course it's early, but 20 games is still 20 real games, well worth discussing and disagreeing about. Especially, the Sox pitching, which has been stunningly good while everything else--hitting, defense, baserunning, etc--has been pretty awful.

Sox payroll this year is $180M, 11th in MLB. Cleveland's is $101M, 26th in MLB.

I take it you moved to Pittsburgh.

Thanks, Yogi.

Much better game than I expected. 60th anniversary today--thanks to an exceptionally tolerant wife.

Especially Wright.

Sox are likely to lose still another game today because of their rotten defense. Funny thing is, hitting is much harder, but the Sox in fact scored 3 earned runs (the 4th was on a flagrant balk), enough to win. And pitching is pretty hard too, but, with Bernardino starting, the Sox pitching has given up 2 ER in 9 full innings. Reyes, Hamilton, Valdez, and Casas have to be the worst Sox infield in at least 50 years.

Jansen warming up. He might just as well mail it in because all he has is that 91-92 mph cutter, which Cleveland feasted on.

He really has.

Red alert, red alert!!! Two Cleveland players, an infielder and an outfielder, collided on a ball both could catch, and the ball was dropped. As we all know, this is never, ever supposed to happen. In fact, that's why Rafael Devers has been condemned right here on talksox--for backing into O'Neill, who reportedly said he had the ball that Devers in fact caught.

Not that it's a big deal, but a Cleveland runner was obviously safe on a play at 1b, but Cora challenged it anyway. He must of course rely on his technology guy somewhere behind the scenes, but he needs to rip that guy or replace him. I have said repeatedly I agree Rafaela should stay in CF. But right now I'm thinking he goes to SS when O'Neill returns. Yes, he is better in CF, but the Sox infield is vying for the worst infield in the history of MLB. Today Hamilton at SS had Valdez waiting at 2b for a quick flip and then the throw to 1b for the DP, but insisted on running to 2b, which allowed the runner to beat his throw.

Sox score 3 more--2 on Duran's triple and one on the most obvious balk I've seen in a long time. 5-4, Cleveland, whose 5 runs include 3 unearned ones. Abreu made an awfully good grab of a Cleveland shot down the line.

Sox pitching has given up 2 earned runs. The defense remains awful, but only the awfullest in MLB--and maybe awfuller than that.

The presumption last year was the Yoshida was new to MLB pitching--like any rookie. This year he's starting with a full season under his belt.

3 of 4 Cleveland runs unearned.

Sox should be down by a lot more than 2-1 here in the top of the 5th. 2 errors by each team.

You said to put "an electric dog fence around him." That's insulting and dehumanizing.

He had 21 starts and 106 IP last year, an increase of 46 IP from 2022. So I think 150 IP this year is an easy target and 175 IP this year feasible. He has 4 starts and 26.2 IP this year so far--and thrown 83, 99, 98, and 94 pitches. Those 4 pitch counts suggest he has become way more efficient than in any previous season.

My take as well.

Well, it usually is. Last year the team OPS was 9th in MLB, which was actually below par for the Sox. But right now Turner (OPS .800) is gone, Devers is hurting, Yoshida's OPS, .574, is down 200 points from last year's not so good .783. O'Neill, a definite improvement over Verdugo, is out with a concussion. Casas, Wong, McGuire, and Duran are all hitting and all in today's lineup.

Wong @ DH was kind of inevitable because he just caught 2 games and has the hot bat, OPS 1.048. Devers could be out for several reasons--bad shoulder, bad knee, bad fielding, bad bat. Somewhat like Devers, Yoshida is out for bad fielding and bad bat. O'Neill probably had/has a concussion and is out until the weekend or later. Here are OPS's for this lineup-- Duran .769 Casas .849 Abreu .535 Valdez .471 Wong 1.048 Hamilton .583 Reyes .451 McGuire .784 Rafaela .462 Worth noting is that the Sox team OPS right now--.686--is ranked 20th in MLB, and 5 of the above lineup players are are below .536. Of the 18 errors committed by the Sox so far, 15 were committed by this lineup--including 3 by Abreu, 3 by Rafaela, 2 by Casas, 2 by Hamilton, and 2 by Reyes.

Literally comparing a player to a dog is very insulting--which he does not deserve.

Relatedly--as I've already said too many times--this year's starting rotation of Bello, Pivetta, Crawford, Whitlock, and Houck are collectively being paid $14M, which is $2M less than Jansen. And it's the rotation, beyond any question, that is carrying this team, now 10-9. The hitting, fielding, and bullpen all stink. Last night Jansen was lucky to give up just the 1 run because he threw nothing but 91-92 mph cutters. Cleveland hit everything hard except the final ground out after Jansen gave up the tying run and blew the save.