moonslav59

Suggesting a trade of Yoshida is not really "wanting" to trade him. If Casas could play just average defense at 1B, I'd love to keep Yoshida and move him to FT DH (back-up LF.) IMO, based on my "eye test," Casas and Yoshida are worse defenders than Yoshida. (Duran might be, too.)

We can win with this offense, if we had two more solid and durable SP'ers and just average D.

One main thing about every one of those years, except one was the total GS each of these pitchers gave, those years. We had very similar rotations in the years around those, but too many SP'er missed too many starts. When they did need a 6th starter, it was usually just a 6th and not a 7th, 8th, 9th.... GS'd 2004 33: pedro & Lowe 32 Schill 30 Wake 29 Arroyo 2007 32 Dice-K 31 Wake 30 Beckett 24 Schill 23 Taverez + 11 Lester 2013 33 Lester 32 Dempster 29 Lackey & Doubront 16 Buch + 10 Peavy 2018 (the mild exception) 33 Porcello 30 Price 27 Sale 23 ERod +11 Pompom 13 Johnson + 11 Nate Projected 2023 GS'd 28 Bello 24 Paxton 24 Crawford 20 Sale (assuming no new injury) 17 Houck 11 Pivetta 10 Whitlock 9 Kluber 15 Openers

To me, it's always been about the rotation. I do think fixing the D is also needed, or getting better pitching while forcing them to get 4 outs an inning might be pointless.

In 2022, we added our back-up catcher in McGuire. In 2023, we added our c0-2Bman of the next 2 years in Urias. Whoop-dee-freakin-doo!

I have to think they know "the con game" can only last, so long. I felt last winter could be "the year" we "go for it," but I can understand why they want to wait for Rafaela, Mayer and maybe a couple others to make the 26 before going all in. Had we held fire sales in 2020 and 2023, we might be "there," already. I'm not so sure they see 2024 as the time to splurge, either, so maybe the try to run the con one more season.

It might just take that little bit more of cash to improve our signings, but yes... every year. I'm not sure I see many Brasiers, this coming winter, so maybe 2024 will be the "We have arrived" season. 5 years of fan frustration should take its toll.

BINGO! I do think _____ players at the _____ could still work, as fans already bought the NESN subscriptions and season tickets. Do the crybaby fans really hold that much power over JH & Co?

I don't see us trading Casas, either. The chances are so close to zero, mentioning it is pointless. Trading Duran and or Dugo might happen, but Dugo is our best defensive OF'er, this year, not counting the soon to depart Duvall. Casas and Duran have trade value. Yoshida might have a little, if we pay 20-30% of his contract. To me, we can't improve the D enough by playing those 3 in the field, nearly everyday. With Turner leaving, we have room to park one of them, or alternate Casas and Yoshida, there, but we'll still suck at 2-3 positions, again.

Yes. (or add another year.) He had the money, this winter. He could have added $5-7M more and still stayed under the tax line. In hindsight, he could have not traded for Mondesi or gave a contract to Brasier and added even more.

Not fully. It's a good idea to sign some decent FAs to one year deals, in hopes you can add top prospects at the deadline by trading them. We did half that plan, at times, so your half-ass comment was spot on..

...and then not _____ players at the _____ puts the team in the same boat, the following year(s.) Sox brass should have just called it a rebuild and done that for 2-3 years, instead of prolonging the agony for 5 years or more.

I'm thinking, at least one from Casas, Duran or Yoshida might have to be traded to improve the D by enough to make a difference. Alternating Casas and Yoshida at DH would help some, but is that enough?

We need to improve the D. We are NOT trading Devers, so the next two targets are Casas and Yoshida (or maybe Duran.) It's just speculation, but running out that same formation, next year is begging for trouble, again. Any other suggestions?

It's only the beer.

I may be totally wrong, but you seem giddy over this.

I used to not think it mattered, as long as the guy produces when he does make contact, but all these K's are disheartening.

Not Nate, but I coulda sworn I saw he hit the IL. What a difference he'd have made over Kluber (or Nate.) It used to encourage me to know, at least Bloom was on to the right ideas, but coming up short, so often actually makes me feel worse, now.

I'm not expecting much, unless we pay a chunk of his deal, but I do think other GMs would offer something we need. His LF D is not what is killing us, but I don't want Duran in CF or RF, so maybe we trade Duran, instead? He does have more trade value. Yoshida in LF v RHP/Ref v L Yoshida at DH v some L Casas at 1B v some L Casas at DH v R (Send Casas to 1B D school over the winter.) Devers at 1B v R and some L Devers at DH v some L Get a 3Bman that can play D. Roll the dice at SS/2B with Story, Urias and Reyes I guess keep Dugo in RF and go with Rafaela in CF with an additional OF'er added that can play plus CF.

All the errors and the metrics show our defense is purid. Many of the stats and even metrics don't capture all the plays and nonplays that were not called errors. I'm not being hyperbolic when I say there have been dozens and dozens. It hurts like hell, because as much as I love the game of baseball, the only thing I was good at was D and baserunning. Softball- I could hit like hell, but baseball? I sucked. Some things I just don't get. Our 1B defense has been some sort of weird hallucination or something, because these guys come up from the farm and look 10 times worse than they did in AAA. Devers keeps teasing us with signs of improvement, only to go into long funks that seem to bite us in the ass at just the wrong moments. Our SS D, over the first 2 months was atrocious and at a position of such importance, it's mind-boggling how it went on for so long. 2B has been okay, and looks better, now. Story at SS is fine. Our OF D did better than I expected, but still has some major issues. Catcher looks more than fine, but the totality of sucktitude in overwhelming. Please don't go and get the next JBJ. Just add some all around players who know the game like even some Little Leaguers know better than our mish-mash. We need to move Devers to 1B and trade Yoshida or Casas. I can't see a DH/1B/LF rotation working. They all bat lefty, and none should be platooned, anyway. Duran in LF is serviceable, so maybe Yoshida can be dealt. Although Casas could headline a trade for a top pitcher, his upside at the plate is too high to pull that trigger... (maybe?) Dugo is okay in RF, but he's trouble, so I'm not sure what to do there. Keep Story, Urias and Reyes; Wong and McGuire and look for ways to fix this s***!

Paxton did not pitch well, but no pitcher can do very well, when they need to get 4-6 outs per inning, because his defense sucks. On the defense, I thought it was going to get better with the return of Story, Reyes and Urais doing fine at 2B and Duvall in CF over Duran, but somehow, we still suck so badly, it's beyond words other than SUCK! No timely hits since the first inning. Maybe Turner gets a chance in the 9th, but this familiar pattern is getting tiresome.

Time for that 3 run jack I spoke of earlier.

This is why even simple stats like BA are not even accurate. The run is charged vs Paxton, who somehow managed to get 6 outs that inning.

3 is not going to be enough.

Red might take your bet.