Maxbialystock

Cora's job is to do the best with what he's got. Once Bregman was announced as third baseman, DH made a ton of sense for Raffy, and so it proved. He never missed a game as DH, led the team in rbi's, and was having a career year at the plate. If you are the manager, there is no way you want to move Raffy to 1b. Breslow's job is to get good players and manage the payroll. For him moving to Devers to 1b made all kinds of sense because spending $48.6M for the DH was nuts. So he bypassed Cora, got a negative response, brought in his bosses to magnify the issue, and proceeded to find a deal to dump Raffy and his huge salary. I don't think Cora or Breslow was "culpable." Both were doing their jobs. Plus to me this little caper has been subsumed by the Sox gigantic IL, the absence of Bregman from the lineup, playing 4 rookies, and having a pitching staff in utter disarray.

Actually, I think the real issue is that Cora is responsible for winning games and Breslow for managing a payroll. So Cora was absolutely, positively right to convince Raffy to embrace DH, which was perfect for a good hit no field guy. A bonus was that as DH Raffy never missed a game. Plus he and Bregman, batting 2d and 3d, were a great combo. Plus Casas was at 1b. As you pointed out, Breslow couldn't live with paying two guys, Raffy and Yoshida, $30M and $18.6, to be the DH. So Casas--who was having a rotten season at bat--going on the IL was the perfect opportunity to move Raffy to 1b so that Yoshida could DH. What I find tiresome about this discussion is that it ignores 2 far greater calamities. The first is the IL list which includes Bregman and a bunch of pitchers. The Sox overall payroll is $192M, but the active payroll is just $105M. The second is that the Sox pitching has gone south. Finally, I have to repeat that I believe Devers was on his way out the day that Bregman was announced as the Sox third baseman.

I would add three more factors in defense of Breslow. The first is that right now the Sox active payroll is $105M because the rest of their $192M payroll (12th in MLB) is on the IL or simply no longer playing (Pedroia, et al). Bregman and a bunch of pitchers are on the IL. The second is that firing DD and hiring Chaim Bloom were the direct result of JH's revised and somewhat negative attitude toward the Sox payroll--and that still impinges on this team. DD had the largest payroll in MLB to work with. Breslow's is 12th largest. The third is that this team is infested with rookies. All 4 of them have been or are regulars. One is an excellent catcher. One is back in Worcester. And the other two are regulars who are still adjusting to MLB pitching.

Good stuff. I think almost every MLB front office is smart. The Sox overlooked--or ignored--Devers sensitivity because they were focused on getting what turned out to be a franchise-altering player. For the Sox he's been terrific at bat, on defense, and in the locker room. Devers is good at bat, period, which means he is overpaid. For that matter, right now so is Bregman with his bad quad(s). I think another part of the Sox considerations had to be that Campbell, Mayer, and Anthony were all likely to make it to Boston this season. Plus they assumed Casas would have another good season at bat. Raffy doesn't pitch, and the Sox biggest problem right now is pitching.

The Sox without Devers hurts, I agree, but that's primarily because Bregman went on the IL 24 May and won't return until after the ASG. Casas is also on the IL and Duran is struggling. Oh, and the Sox have started four rookies this season. Narvaez has been terrific, but Campbell is back in Worcester and Mayer and Anthony are still adjusting to MLB. All that said, the bigger problem is pitching--and that's irrefutable. Devers doesn't pitch. Devers was on his way out the day Bregman was announced as the Sox third baseman. Credit Cora for getting Raffy to embrace DH, which worked great. But if you're Breslow you can't afford to pay Raffy $30M and Yoshida another $18.6M when all he can do is DH.

He probably did. The difference between this team and those is that this team picked up 4 excellent players--Bregman, Crochet, Chapman, and Narvaez--in the offseason and seemed headed in the right direction. Plus Campbell, Mayer, and Anthony all looked like they were ready to contribute. But a lot has happened in the first 3 months: Devers traded. $103M of the $192M payroll is on the IL, including Bregman our MVP. The bullpen has collapsed. The rotation still has Crochet, Bello, and Giolito, but Crochet is way more reliable and pitches way more innings. Campbell sent back to Worcester to work on hitting and defense. Mayer and Anthony both show great promise, but haven't yet delivered.

Nope. But I sure like yours, if only because they show how difficult this business is.

Too true. spotrac says the Sox payroll for active players is $105M. Another $73M is on the IL and about $14M is for players not on the roster--like Pedey.

Catching is way more demanding physically than any other position except pitcher, and teams carry 13 pitchers but just 2 catchers. I think the ideal is maybe catching 2/3 of the games although 3/4 is possible. Right now Narvaez is at 2/3. Last year Connor Wong caught 99/162, 61%. Here's something else. None of the top 15 defensive catchers in MLB has caught more than 2/3 of his team's games.

Attendance 35,719--3000 the Fenway average for this season. What a disaster for all those paying customers. The Sox have scored a measly, no good, lowdown rotten 16 runs in these 6 straight losses. Of course, they're missing Bregman, Raffy, Casas, and the good Duran of 2024. And Cora has started 4 rookies (Narvaez, Campbell, Mayer, and Anthony) this season. In the Sox 6 straight wins which ended just 10 days ago, the Sox scored 1 more run, a total of 17, than they scored in the 6 losses. And Devers played in all 6 of those wins. I n the current 6 losses, the Sox pitching has given up 38 runs. In the 6 straight wins, they have up 8 runs total. I hasten to add that Crochet, Chapman, Bello, and Giolito were all good to superb in both series. Can their be any doubt that bigger problem is with the pitching?

Evanescent.

What happened is that the Sox went without both Raffy and Bregman. Raffy's OPS has dropped 100 pts since Bregman went on the Il.. Also, if Devers is the key to winning, why are the Giants, with better pitching, 3-6 since Devers joined them? Tonight, the hitting is bad and the pitching not much better--except for Bello. Story is such a sucker for that outside the zone slider/curve/slurve/whatever.

Batters get away with so much crap. The third pitch was outside the zone, but the first pitch was well inside, and he shook his head to signify "bad call." Bases loaded and the first two pitches are way outside.

DC can get hot in July, and this year we have a heat dome. Stay at home.

Pretty neat repair job. First time I've watched that close up.

The bullpen just gave up the Jays first extra base hit--in the 7th inning. I think it's pretty obvious the Sox are losing because Cora can't manage.

Well said.

One more time. The problem is that the Sox are without both Bregman and Raffy. Plus Duran is having a so-so season and Casas is also on the IL. The Giants have had Raffy for 9 games and their record was/is identical to ours, 3-6. I would love to have Raffy back as the DH. But he would not be able to save this team without Bregman and better pitching.

Without Devers and Bregman. Plus the pitching stinks. When the pitching was great in those 6 straight wins, we didn't need Bregman or Raffy because the Sox gave up just 8 runs in those 6 games. I thought Devers was a terrific DH, but also pricey because the Sox are also paying DH Yoshida his $16.8M. Could someone please explain to why some dirtbags claim Cora refuses to let a starter throw more than 80 or 90 pitched even when they are pitching well?

Hmmmmm. I thought Rafaela has a double on that shot, but the replay shows him strolling to 1b assuming he was out. OK, problem solved. Wong just K'd and Sogard flied out. On to the 6th.

The stats now say that going 6 innings and giving up 3 runs is actually pretty good because the pitcher will have faced the batting order 3 times. All pitchers turn into pumpkins the 3d time through the order. I actually think a lot depends on what the pitcher is throwing and how well. So far Berrios looks good for 12 or 13 innings. That freaking slurve is killing us.

Actually, no. The Sox average attendance has stayed around 32,500 for 4 seasons in a row, including this one. In fact, this year and last year are almost identical, 32,800 per game.

I hate Fenway in all its decrepitude, high prices, lousy sight lines, etc. but it is very photogenic.

Looks like a pretty good crowd tonight, who so far are being cheated.

Heck, he doesn't even get many chances to close.