Maxbialystock

The overhaul should happen a lot sooner than that. Chang and Story are both due back by August. Another part of the overall would be to play Duvall less. I honestly can't remember him make even one really good play in the outfield this season. And, since he returned, his hitting stinks.

By pulling Duran and letting Yoshida play LF, Cora definitely weakened the outfield defense. If Duran had been in CF on that last play, he would have caught what Duvall backed off of catching, leaving it to Dugo, who had to go too far to get it. If Duran had been in LF, he would have done a better job on that hit that resulted in a run scoring. Casas, the guy whose bat replaces Duran's, has of course been hitless. Duran has the highest OPS on the Sox against righties. Jacques really got hosed by that putrid defense.

Does Devers get bonus money for catching extra popups in traffic? That's the second one in like 3 games when he was where he didn't need to be.

Last season Alfaro was the backup catcher for San Diego, played in 82 games, and had a WAR of +0.7--on a Padres team that went 89-73 and made the playoffs and lost to the Phillies in the NLCS. Alfaro did not see action in the playoffs. Better Alfaro than Hamilton.

He had both Duvall and Duran, CF and LF, in the lineup last night. Tonight Yoshida is in LF, Turner is DH, and Casas is at 1b. Duvall and Dugo stay in CF and RF. So it sure looks as though the Casas bat is replacing the Duran bat. However, Duran right now has the best OPS, .889, on the team against righties. Casas's OPS vs. righties is .726. Plus Duran has the hot bat and Casas is 2 for 14 in his last 5 games. That said, my memory of Eovaldi is that he has pretty good heat. Maybe Casas is the better fastball hitter.

Right now I favor Turner over Casas because it allows Cora to DH Yoshida. Plus Turner hits righties better than Casas.

Good answer. I didn't see/read about the expectation of contending--with which I do not disagree. However, "dead last" means something a little different these days because it's just 5th place in the toughest division in MLB. Also, as I have said before, I don't count the 2020 season, so this is Bloom's 3d season. His first real season, 2021, the Sox made it to the ALCS. It took DD three seasons and a ton of spending to get to the ALCS in 2018. Last year, Bloom's 2d, the Sox bombed: not just last in the AL East, but a losing season. This season, on the other hand, is far from over. Plus injuries have been severe and never more so than right now with Sale, Houck, Whitlock, Schreiber, Story, and Chang out. On the other hand, we have also seen Dugo improve, especially in RF, as well as Duran and Casas step up--to say nothing of Paxton's 9 starts for the first time since 2019, Yoshida's .861 OPS (highest on the team), and Wong's emergence as one of the best defensive catchers in MLB. So, despite the injuries and playing in the toughest division in the history of MLB divisions, the Sox are 1 game over .500, definitely in contention for a wild card slot, and looking forward to the return of Story, Chang, Whitlock, Houck, and Schreiber by 1 August and very possibly Sale by early August. Just in time for the crucial final two months of this season. I think one of us sees the glass as half full and the other half empty.

I think any Yankees fan with half a brain is disgusted that, since John Henry arrived, the Sox have won four WS to the Yankees one. I agree they don't mind ownership "going over the competitive balance tax," but also believe they think ownership is stupid for not getting better results. Since John Henry arrived, it's clear the Sox have ownership/leadership have been smarter. I've even willing to admit that bringing in DD to get that amazing 2018 season was smart. But for the same reason I also think dumping him after the disaster of the 2019 season, combined with Mookie becoming a free agent, was the right move. Love Mookie, but it's a fact that one great player--see Mike Trout of the LA Angels who has contributed way more to the Angels than Mookie ever will for the Sox and Dodgers combined--does not make a team. I've been a steady Sox fan since 1949, so I also disagree that Sox fans have always insisted that ownership spend top dollar for players. In fact, for most of the 86 year drought, we weren't that unhappy with a winning season. Winning four WS in 20 years was unthinkable. You, sir, are spoiled rotten by the John Henry era and are now--and this boggles the mind--turning on it.

I like what the Sox are doing too even though specific moves can be painful. The point right now just might be that the new approach is working, but we don't see it because of the plethora of injuries.

Nate's best season ever if he keeps this up. His last start was vs the Astros on July 1: 7 IP, 0 ER, 4 BB, and 5 K. To date he's had 17 starts and 10 quality starts. Against Gray last night Cora sent out: Duran LF Yoshida DH Turner 1B Devers 3B Dugo RF Duvall CF Arroyo 2B Hamilton SS Wong C 5 lefty and 4 righty bats and no Casas. I think we are likely to see the same lineup tonight because they are the best defense Cora can muster plus some pretty good bats. Arroyo, Hamilton, and Wong combined for 4 hits last night and all are plus defenders.

True. But we also don't know to what degree those final says were in agreement with what Bloom recommended/wanted. I personally agree with not paying huge sums to keep Mookie and Bogey, especially with Dugo apparently emerging as a decent rightfielder and hitter. His WAR of 2.9 is highest on the Sox and not that far off Mookie's 3.8. Keeping Bogey with Story already signed and Mayer now at AA Portland made little sense to me. I also think JH is against big free agent starter signings because of Sale and Price. I agree with that, but am also chagrinned that Eovaldi and Wacha, who were not re-signed last year, are doing so well this year. But last year I was fine with not re-signing them. In any case, right now I'm back to agreeing with moonslav, who has not lost hope. The All-Star break could not come at a better time because apparently Chang is headed back and Story maybe after the ASG break. Sale is throwing, but not off the mound--apparently, the latest MRI was encouraging. He could be back in August. Houck should be back before then and apparently so should Whitlock. So it's entirely possible Cora will have Paxton, Sale, Bello, Houck, Whitlock, and Crawford for the last two months of the season (and Houck and Whitlock possibly sooner). Plus a pretty decent outfield, a pretty good primary catcher, and an improved infield (at the plate as well as in the field). The trick right now is to get through July, which for us fans should mean every game counts and every game is worth watching.

Cards are 35-51, so I doubt they will be buyers.

Terrific game and win, this time mostly with pitching. First two runs for the Sox came from seeing eye singles, which was fine with me. Bello pitching the 7th was a little chancy, but it paid off. On page 1 I commented the bottom of the order stinks--at least lately--but tonight Arroyo, Hamilton, and Wong combined for 4 hits, including Hamilton's double. Big win, exactly what was needed.

Boy, do you have it wrong. It's not Hamilton's fault and sure as shooting isn't Bloom's fault. The guy who keeps putting Hamilton the lineup is Cora, the same stupid idiot who put Kike in the SS spot. As I've read so many times on talksox, Cora just doesn't know what the heck he is doing. Am I the only one here who noticed he used a bunch of guys from the bullpen yesterday instead of a starter?

Someone needs to teach Arroyo the head first slide because it's obvious feet first just doesn't cut it.

By which I suppose you mean Yoshida in LF, Duran in CF, Dugo in RF, Casas at 1b, Hamilton at SS, and Devers at 3b. If memory serves, Arroyo, Hamilton and Wong at the bottom of the order have not been productive lately.

Plus the right guy starting the game thread. I'm nervous because of how the Rangers pitching handled our lineup yesterday. And, as good as Bello is (and certainly better than the Sox who pitched yesterday), the Rangers have the best hitting in MLB--just as you implied.

Agree with the projection of injuries. The rotation is a shambles and unlikely to recover--and the bullpen isn't strong enough to make up the difference. Nor is the hitting. Not sure what "sell" entails, so will hold off on commenting.

Starters Sale, Houck, Whitlock, and Kluber are all on the IL.

This ain't Worcester. Getting a wild card berth is still important to John Henry (I think), and it's doable. So I'm fine with Cora having the leeway to sub for Duran when he thinks it will give the Sox a better chance of winning. And, oh, by the way, since when is it bad for a player to get 4 freaking doubles in a game because his manager has him hitting against righties? Right now Duran's overall OPS is a robust .856 in part because he has 181 at bats vs. righties and just 32 against lefties. I have no doubt that, if Duran's success, now just 65 games old, continues, he will get more opportunities to hit against lefties.

I won't contest those numbers, but would say that .500 ball right now ain't too shabby given the ups and downs of the lineup and especially of the pitching. As I've argued ad nauseum, the Sox rotation has been decimated. Of the 5 original starters--Sale, Houck, Pivetta, Crawford, and Kluber--only Crawford is in the rotation, and he has just 8 starts. Sale, Houck, and Whitlock are all on the IL. Kluber is on the IL without a diagnosis or expected return date. Pivetta is in the bullpen. Fortunately, Paxton and Bello have come through: between them 22 starts and 12 quality starts. Crawford is the 3d starter, but with 8 starts and no quality starts. After those 3, no one, for now. Thus was today yet another bullpen start/game. Neither Paxton nor Bello started the season on the active roster, but are now the heart of the rotation. Between them 22 starts, 12 quality starts. Bello ERA 3.08, Paxton 2.70. Crawford is the 3d starter, with just 8 starts and 0 quality starts. Sale, Houck, and Whitlock are all on the IL and all were starters from the get go. Pivetta is consigned to the bullpen. Kluber isn't even that--he's on the IL with no actual diagnosis or date of return--and he too started the season in the rotation. Nevertheless, the Sox at .500 are just 5 games out of a wild card slot. Of course, overtaking the Astros, Yankees, Jays, and/or Angels will be daunting with a rotation in shreds and a very unproductive bottom third of the batting order.

So Cora needs to let the Fenway infield grass grow and grow and grow. Good fix--except by now MLB probably has umpires checking it.

Pretty good choice. I remember him well.

I'm certainly no expert, but that makes sense to me, especially the last sentence. I do think Cora is a good manager, but recognize that a manager can only do so much. You gotta have the players/talent.

Exactly how many "all-star type" lefties do you think there are? Or put it this way. Why is Refsnyder on the team--to watch Duran improve against lefty starters?