Maxbialystock

About the WAR of 4.9. Kike's DWAR last year was 2.1, highest on the team. We would all prefer a great hitting centerfielder, but, when you don't have one, a good fielding CF is a good second choice.

Forget the hot streak. His WAR for last season was 4.9 with 20 dingers and an OPS of .786. His career OPS is 735. He's an excellent centerfielder and not too shabby in the infield. I see him as an everyday player for the Sox if only because no one else comes close to him in centerfield and certainly not Duran. Kike is 31, which is a consideration.

And that's the freaking point. Brasier absolutely stunk tonight, no question. In 12 games this month he stunk three times, including tonight, but in the other 9 games he gave up 0 earned runs in 9 innings. He has a terrible WAR (-.9 or worse) and ERA (over 7), but the Sox bullpen right now is pretty desperate. Thus Barnes pitching his third straight game tonight. Whitlock last game was Wednesday, but that was 2 innings and 24 pitches. And before that Saturday for another 2 innings and 25 pitches. Schreiber had the night off, but he pitched Wed and Thurs. Schreiber has already pitched more innings this season than in his previous three seasons combined. I left out Sawamura whose WAR is a respectable +0.8 and his ERA in August is 2.08. Strahm's WAR is +0.2 and this month is ERA is around 3.70 in 4 appearances. Let's also not forget that the team ERA is 14th of 15 AL teams.

Pollyanna here. This is the third straight terrific game I've watched. Yes, absolutely, the Sox lost the first two because in the end the Jays could bring that run home from 2d in the 10th and the Sox flat could not. Last night the Jays did it with two freaking groundouts (except the 2d one was fielder's choice and the batter was safe at first when Bogey went home with a high throw. So my point is that I do not see what everyone else is seeing--a bunch of quitters. Brasier stunk tonight of course, but he was trying and just didn't have it. Meanwhile we are learning that Barnes was only mostly dead, and to the Sox credit they put him on the IL forever--or at least long enough to seem to regain the heart of what made him so good last year--a good knuckle curve and good enough fast ball. In 10 freaking appearances this month he has given up 2 runs with an ERA of 1.93. Tonight was his third game in 3 nights and third straight shutout inning in very close games. How could anyone not applaud not only his performance but--heaven forbid I say this--his freaking heart. He gets paid $8M whether he's good or stinks to high heaven. He wants to contribute. And, I think, so does everyone else on this team, as unpopular as that is on talksox. I have always wondered how MLB players can maintain desire/intensity/skill/whatever over 162 games, 6 games a week for 6 months, in games that sometimes seem interminable with the petty little game delays by pitchers, hitters, whatever. And in the Sox case they are doing it during a rough season immediately after a pretty good one. I'm a Sox fan forever, but more than that I'm a baseball fan grateful that his team is still in the John Henry era.

Meh. I agree Whitlock and Schreiber have been vastly better, but right now Barnes and Brasier are needed. Brasier gave up 5 in the the 15-10 debacle and 2 more vs. the Braves, but in 9 other stints in August has given up no earned runs. Barnes ERA for August is 2.16. That's why both pitched last night in a game the Sox could have won--and didn't lose until the Jays scored in the 10th.

You are ace of the spoiled brats. JDM and Bogaerts are absolutely not brain dead. Both were key to the 2018 108 wins and then a World Series--plus Bogey played 3b in the 2013 WS win. This is Bogey's best defensive season--as measured by his DWAR--ever. But both are in slumps, and JDM has simply had a terrible season. You want brain dead, look at Vazquez's baserunning this year and last. Also the defensive lapses in the outfield this season--and at 1b. The defense has almost certainly hurt the pitching--despite pretty good play by Bogey and Story (and sometimes Devers)--but the real problem this year is the injuries to the rotation and the bullpen. Because of those injuries, the Sox ERA of 4.47 is 14th of 15 teams in the AL.

Not Crawford's night. But the problem is that Barnes, Whitlock, Schreiber and Brasier all pitched last night.

Especially when the rotation took to drinking beer in the locker room during games--but usually not the guy who was actually starting that night. He kind of had to stay in the dugout. The September collapse and the beer cost Francona his job. He deserved it, but he also learned from it (and has said so) and has continued to be an excellent manager with the Guardians.

You guys are so freaking spoiled you don't even realize that by citing those 4 specific years you have very obviously skipped over World Series wins in 2013 and 2018--to say nothing getting the the ALCS in 2021.

Excellent rally to tie it at 2. No complaint on Moore going 1b to3b on the single—a perfect throw best him.

Apropos of nothing, I just checked these three OPS's for August: Devers is high with .603, the Bogey with .577, then JDM at .560

Superb game even though the Sox lost at a time when they really can't afford to. Bello was dazzling compared to his other starts and show a good fastball, slider, and especially changeup--in addition to good command. The lineup was missing some guys plus the RISP disease continues to limit the Sox scoring. No errors, no dumb baserunning. Even Brasier recovered after that leadoff double in the 10th and didn't allow another run--and the one that was scored was unearned. Barnes and Whitlock and Schreiber held the Jays scoreless for 4 innings.

You spout all this nonsense because you're on the internet.

Good insight. Plus, let's face it, it's fun grading a GM's dives--his player acquisitions/trades--before and after the fact. I've never played fantasy baseball, but my brother loved to. You do too--love to grade trades and acquisitions. And on top of that is the basic fan complaint of "what have you done for me lately." I thought 2021 was a pretty darn good season, but to the boo birds it's ancient history or never happened or, best of all, was just blind stupid luck.

Meh. I take the long view and recognize that the Yankees with their 27 World Series titles are a terrific and very worthy rival. I don't hate the Yankees and rarely have run into a Yankees fan in person I couldn't get along with, if only because I usually know a lot about the Yankees. JDavis76 just likes being obnoxious on a Red Sox thread. In his eyes, he's being heroic.

Right. Wacha was/is a huge mistake because he isn't injury-proof. That he has the highest WAR--"wins above replacement"--on the pitching staff means nothing. And I just love how you brand Bloom as the ignorant, useless, just plan dumb procurer of pitchers when this team this year is shelling out $ 63M for Price, Sale, and Eovaldi--none of whom are currently pitching for the Sox (nor will Price or Sale the rest of this season-- and whose total contribution to the 2022 Sox is combined WAR of +0.9. All of them were hired by DD, not Chaim Bloom.

2020 was a non-season because of COVID. 2021 was a successful season when the Sox beat the Yankees in the wild card, whipped the 100 win Rays 3 games to 1 in the ALDS, and got to the ALCS before going down to the Astros, 4 games to 2. You carping critics love to pretend 2021 never happened. The story of 2022 is a decimated pitching staff, especially the rotation: Sale, Wacha, Eovaldi, Hill, Whitlock, Houck, Bello, and Seabold--all starters this year--have all been on the IL this year, and Sale, Eovaldi, Houck, Bello, and Seabold are on it now. Sale and Eovaldi, both high-cost acquisitions/starters courtesy of DD, contributed a combined WAR of 1.0 this year. Eovaldi is back on the IL and Sale was barely off it and will finish the season on it. Paxton has never left the IL. And you better believe that it was John Henry not Bloom who made the decision not to retain Mookie for $365M for 12 years. I'm not saying every deal Bloom has made has worked, but the simple fact is that the pitching staff has killed the Sox this year largely because of injuries.

Agree on both. Of course.

Good point on Chaim Bloom even though he has a lot of responsibility for developing the Rays. He did want to GM/President or whatever, which is why he applied for the job several times. As for Cashman, good for him. But I have never heard of a Yankee fan or owner or GM or player ever, ever emphasize anything other than 27 WS wins. For the Yankees, that's the only standard. And since JH took over the Sox after the 2002 season, the Sox have won 4 WS and the Yankees 1.

This year is far and away the best Wacha has ever pitched. But, as you say, the most innings he's pitched in one season is 181. So we'll just have to see.

He was the architect of a very good and reliable system for finding and developing and, when it made sense, turning over good players at Tampa Bay and proved it for more than a decade, from 2008 to 2019. He is smart and effective. The problem is that he needs to adjust to a franchise that has a lot more money and expectations--since John Henry became owner--of getting to and winning the World Series, which the Rays have never done. Plus he took over at a point when the high-priced pitching (Price, Sale, Eovaldi) has been failing at the same time Mookie, Bogey, Raffy, and to a far lesser degree JDM were/are insisting on big contracts. And John Henry seems to have given clear guidance not to spend big on a few stars--a position I happen to agree with. The Yankees have more money and a much bigger fan base than the Sox and their GM has utterly failed to deliver the goods, but he's still on the job. So peddle your papers elsewhere, sonny.

You are the best at those comments.

I think he's too good for that, but completely agree that both managers and GM's are hired to be fired. So it could happen.

Like I said, no starter can succeed with just two pitches, a slider and a fastball--especially when he isn't good at hitting the corners. Hats off to Davis even though he allowed Winck's baserunners to score and gave up 2 himself. Nevertheless, he went 2.2 innings and threw 59 pitches and had 2 scoreless innings after he and Plawecki agreed it was OK to use the changeup more often. Relatedly, while I agree the changeup is a tough pitch to master, it can be awfully valuable, even when a lefty throws one to a lefty batter and a righty to a righty batter. It does need that small but sharp break at the end to work well. Winck doesn't have one, nor a good curve, so he was dead meat vs. the Jays. One more time. Yes, absolutely, Bogey, Raffy, and especially JDM are in slumps, but I do not see any quit in them. Indeed, all three can hit and are hoping to get contracts at the end of this season. I agree with whoever said that Pham misplayed that double to left field. He is not comfortable in LF at Fenway. He is actually better, I think, in RF even though the doesn't have the necessary range or arm to play that position well. When and if Story returns, I hope they try Arroyo at 1b again. He's hitting and he can't play the outfield.

I am no expert by a long shot. But I could swear that the big difference between Arroyo before and Arroyo now is that he is flat seeing the ball better. That not only keeps him from swinging at bad pitches (he did swing at the high fast ball), but enables him to make a better swing when the ball is hittable. Also this. I do not see this team quitting. The pitching stinks of course, but just because they stink and not because they aren't trying. To remind: Sale barely pitched this year, Eovaldi is back on the IL, Wacha was on it for over a month, as was Hill as was Whitlock (who was a starter). Bello and Seabold have started and are on the IL. Houck has started and is on the IL (after he returned to the bullpen and became the primary closer). And James Tommy John Paxton looks like he won't pitch this season. Sale, it should be noted, recovered from tommy john and pitched last season, but this season he missed 3 months from a rib injury in spring training, followed by a broken finger from a line drive, followed by a broken wrist from a bicycle fall. Go ahead and call the above excuses, but my not so expert opinion is that they are pretty good excuses.