Maxbialystock

That’s what I think.

Lengthy but helpful discussion on Paxton if only because several have chimed in. The choices are keep him to the end of this season when he becomes a free agent, or trade him o/a July 31 in return, one assumes, for prospects and the future. To be honest, I think you can argue both sides. For keeping him. The Sox have a real shot at the postseason because they are 6 games above .500 with Schreiber back for tonight's game and Story due back probably in early August. If he can still hit--and that does remain to be seen--Story can make a real difference because then the Sox will potentially have four good bats in the infield--Devers, Story, Turner (yes, Turner), and Casas--as well as three in the outfield (three of Yoshida, Duran, Duvall, Dugo, and Refsnyder) and at DH. If the Sox did not already have Paxton, he would be exactly the guy they should go after o/a July 31. Why? Because they are starting pitching poor, and Paxton is a real difference-maker, exactly what is needed. On the other hand, for somewhat similar reasons, there are bound to be other teams who are just as desperate for a good starter for the last two months of the season. So the question is, what are they willing to give up in the way of prospects? Bloom would be dumb not to at least listen to any offers being made. But in the end I agree with those who say to keep Paxton. I don't see a World Series this year, but I do see a wild card--and, after that, who knows? Moonslav has already argued Bloom should go after two decent starters so that the Sox rotation would include them plus Paxton, Bello, and Sale. Then the bullpen would be outrageously deep with four long relievers (Whitlock, Houck, Pivetta, and Crawford) and four good short men (Jansen, Martin, Winck, and Bernardi). I don't think Bloom will get those two starters, but the point is made. The one real risk I can see to keeping Paxton is that he gets injured and/or Story can't hit (or gets re-injured), etc. But where is there a MLB team that doesn't incur the same risks?

Meh. The 2019 team had basically the same players as the 2018 team, which was the best Sox team ever: Sale, Price, ERod, Porcello, Eovaldi, Mookie, Bogey, JDM, Devers, Beni, JBJ, Vazquez, Leon, Holt, Moreland, et al. But no Kimbrel. To me 2020 was a nonseason. And 2021 wasn't half bad: 92 wins, wild card win over the Yankees, ALDS over the 100 win Rays, and getting a 2-1 lead in games before losing 3 straight in the ALCS to Houston. 2022 sucked big time.

Starts tomorrow in Worcester. As understand it, he injured himself simply swinging the bat. If so, one wonders how he compensates for that in the future. Hit from the right side? Choke up on the bat? Swing very slowly and carefully?

Homer's OK. We should all quote the Iliad and Odyssey because they remind us each season is a battle and a journey. Cora could do a lot with Giolito and Stroman--excellent laydown of the three pieces of the pitching staff with them--but I agree you are dreaming I do like Whitlock and Houck joining a bullpen that already has Jansen, Martin, Schreiber, Winckowski, Bernardino, and Murphy. But I'm inclined to think the rotation will be Bello, Paxton, Crawford, Pivetta (preceded by a bullpen starter), and Sale.

He's OK grabbing throws to 1B, just not so hot at grounders.

I honestly prefer Turner because he is way more versatile than JDM and allows Cora to improve his lineup by moving Turner around from DH to 1B to 2B to 3B--as needed.

Depends on what really constitutes "selling." It it's Paxton, that's definitely a "sell." If it's Kike, it's just common sense. Duvall would be somewhere in between. He's struggled since he returned, but he is still a righty bat with power and some defensive skill. With the rise of Duran, the Sox have had four good bats--Yoshida, Duvall, Duran, and Dugo--and just 3 OF positions. Plus Refsnyder, another righty bat. If Yoshida DH's so that Cora can put Dugo, Duvall, and Duran in the OF, then Turner, another reliable righty bat, has to play 1b or 2b. If 1b, then Casas can't play.

Everything this season has seemed "huge" simply because the Sox have been right around .500 in a season when .500 (actually, a little above) keeps you in the hunt for a wild card.

Next 2 games are the Braves at Fenway, followed by 3 @ Candlestick Park (Giants) and 3 @ Seattle (Mariners). That gets us into August and through the trade deadline. Bello, Crawford, and Paxton will start 6 of those 8 games. I was going to ping you about focusing on the near term, but then realized the long term--August and September--is kind of murky. What trades will Bloom make, and how well will all those Sox players on the IL perform (if they even return)?

I like WAR and DWAR numbers because they at least attempt to look at the whole player. I'm told fWAR is more reliable, but don't have access to those numbers. I have also watched him in a lot of games and stand by what I said: good on catching throws to 1b (for which his height, 6'5", is an asset), not so good on grounders (height and weight are disadvantageous). About 2 or 3 games ago I called him stupid and quickly regretted it. He got picked off at 1b. Last night Duran got picked off at 1b, plus he was also out by a mile trying to score from 1b on an SB and 2 errant throws. Here's why Casas is likely a keeper: April OPS .585; May .766; June .851; July 1.227.

Oakland had excellent pitching in their 3-0 win and Bello stunk in their 6-5 win. Stuff happens. Taking 2 of 3 from the Mets is kind of neat, especially after blowing game 1. In both games the Sox had hitting and pitching. Sox came close to a sweep.

Hard to say. Definitely in a funk, but not on defense. Great win last night, by the way. Paxton outpitched Scherzer who only gets over $1M per start. I really liked Yoshida's grab for the final out of the game. That's a nasty wall.

Reasonable.

What would the Sox have gotten for someone who was about to be a free agent?

What makes Paxton the best trade chip? Seriously. If the Sox trade him to whoever, what would they gain they wouldn't gain by simply waiting for him to become a free agent? As for Sale, Houck, and Whitlock, I think the jury's very much out of them. Sale starting going sour way back in 2017 when he struggled in games in August and September. Finally came tommy john surgery, which took a while to recover from--and it wasn't a full recovery--and then came the bicycle injury. This year he looked great for, what, 8 games (a quarter of a season)? Then bam, out for at least two months because his shoulder hurt--Mr. Fragile. Whitlock has had one good season with the Sox, 2021, all in the bullpen. Last year and this year he's been injured and not that effective as a starter. Houck has been healthy as a horse and good enough in the bullpen to merit some starts. But he too has been up and down as a starter, especially the 2d and 3d times through the opposing batting orders. Plus this facial injury could affect him psychologically once he faces real hitters.

Even though Pivetta pitched last night, I too expect him to follow Bernardino today. As for the lineup, it's Dugo who didn't make the cut-- Duran CF Yoshida LF Turner DH Devers 3B Duvall RF Casas 1B Wong C Kike 2B Chang SS

Both of them are just a whole lot more durable than Paxton.

Great, great dinger by Casas. Somewhere in the game thread for the 2:10 game is comment by me that he is stupid. Completely uncalled for. It was for getting picked off, but lots of Sox have been picked off this season, including Duran. Casas still struggles against lefty pitchers, but he sure looked professional on that last at bat against one of the great pitchers--Max Scherzer, a righty-- in the game today. And boy was it needed.

Verdugo is fading fast. Just an awful at bat with men on first and third.

Defense ain't the problem. Hitting is--the lucky double by Chang notwithstanding. 2d through 6th in the lineup are hitless: turner, Yoshida, Devers, Duvall, and Verdugo. Plus Casas, who did get a hit, took himself out by getting picked off. Pitching is also the problem. The Sox have three starters--Paxton, Bello, and now Crawford--who seem to have magically turned in to home run machines.

Look at the expression on his face. Nobody's home.

While I agree the big bats ain't hitting so far tonight, what really pisses me off is that Crawford, like Bello and Paxton before him, seems to have caught dinger fever. So, if we assume the Sox bats start to come around, Crawford has more gopher balls in his miniscule bag of tricks. Tonight he stinks. So did Bello his last time out. So did Paxton July 15.

Agree completely

I'm also blacked out of Nats and Orioles and the Braves, but I'm getting this game. MLB's absolutely insane blackout rules may have decided Maryland is just to close to NYC.