moonslav59

Unless we know Story is not coming back, this year, I wouldn't mess with Rafaela's position. Wouldn't it be easier to just find another Chang?

I put him back on ignore- where he belonged all along.

It seems some have. We certainly aren't the best team on paper, or even a top 5 or maybe 8-10 on paper, either, but it feels like some feel it is our god-given right to be champs every 5-6 years, with no or few last place finishes, of else the GM and owner suck. Blame whoever you want, but this team was crap in 2020, maybe lucky in 2021 and maybe a bit unlucky in 2022. It was obvious the plan was to be somewhat competitive after 2020, but not go "all in." To be honest, I don't blame that idea. Instead, they worked towards rebuilding the farm and 40 man roster depth to try and set the team up for a more consistent chance. I also thought it would take longer to build up the farm due to new rules that penalize winning and or high spending teams. Thanks, in large part, to many of DD-acquired prospects, the farm and roster depth was improved, rather quickly, IMO. Of course, many mistakes were made along the way, but when you spend $5-10M/1 on SP'ers, you are not expected to hit gold very often, or even hit on guys like Wacha and Hill, either. I had very high hopes, with the budget space we had, last winter, we could and would step it up and maybe "go all in" or close enough to be better than this. I'm not sure why we left a pretty big gap under the tax line, unless the plan was to make several deadline deals that add salary. I'm not sure anyone could foresee the cost of guys like Bogey and deGrom vs what they projected in value returned. That's no excuse, but it does explain, a little bit, why the major money we did spend, last winter did not get the star players we expected. The focus on everything but the rotation was a head-scratcher that might be one of the very few things this whole board agrees on- big mistake. I can see not spending big at SS with Story signed and Mayer on the horizon, but we knew Story was out for 80+ games, and Mondesi/Chang was not enough. Kike was not expected to be this bad on D, but he is, and that was also a mistake. Almost all the rest, however, looks or looked pretty good: Yoshida, Jansen, Martin, Duvall and the Devers extension. I'll be singing a different tune, if we go cheap, next winter, and I'm not moving the goalposts on Bloom. He will and should be judged for the winter spending he chose. I still think it will be his defining moment, and perhaps his last big moments on the Sox. It will define his legacy. If he sticks around another year and is allowed to spend or trade for an ace, maybe his legacy will be spread over 2 winters, but I'm not sure what JH is thinking, with the Devers extension about to kick in. I'm with you. I can take several down seasons, as long as there is a bright light ahead. I'm not sure it has dimmed all that much, because we are at .500 with about 2/3 of the season remaining. A lot of very promising things are going on, and I'm excited to see how they play out. It seems there might be less than a handful of fellow posters that have a good chunk of optimism left about this team and the team's future. Maybe that will change. Maybe, we will be proven wrong and mocked or laughed at for believin, all along. If it is to be, so be it.

Hell, at this point, I'll take 3 IP 0 ER or 4 IP 1 ER over 5 or 6 IP and 3-4 ERs. Our pen is deep, and many can go long. We can't have SP'ers going only 3-4 IP, every start, but a few here and there is better than being behind 6-2 in the 6th.

I don't think Duvall will come near those 8 game numbers, but he did hit 38 HRs and lead the league in RBI in 2021. He should give the offense a big boost, especially vs LHPs. He's also better on D than many might think he is, but LF should be his spot. (Can't bench Casas or Turner, though.) My guess is, we trade Arroyo and Tapia.

I think Valdez is a better option than Arroyo- plus he bats lefty.

I suggested that same thing, especially seeing how under we are, now.

Ummm, Valdez is 0 for 8 ve LHPs. I'm not saying Kike has earned a batting slot, even as a platoon, but he does hit lefties better than some of our lefties do. EValdez has sucked v LHPs in the minors. Duran is .618 v L, this year and .503 career.

I think building up the farm was a big Theo priority, and bringing in Ben was a similar moves to Bloom's. I guess what I'm saying is that this Bloom move was not so radical. I also think the 15th place thing needs some context. We just signed Devers to 50% more than the Price deal, but it kicks in, next year, so somehow, it does not count, and JH is Scrooge. I am puzzled why we didn't spend up closer to the line, this past winter, but we may add some serious salary at the deadline, so I'm holding off on bashing Bloom & JH for underspending on 2023. If we end up out of it by the deadline, that criticism will and should grow exponentially. I like pretty much everything done this past winter, except not getting an ace. That's pretty major, but can be cured at the deadline.

They came so close, there really is no excuse that placates me. I was for a larger fire sale than most, but not selling off enough to reset was a major blunder.

The way Duran is hitting, recently, it looks like Kike could/should play everyday vs LH'd SP'ers: 2B or CF. How much time he gets or doesn't get vs RHPs will depend on how well he does, going forward, or how poorly others like Duran and Valdez do vs them. Casas might also come into play, as seeing less time, but I think his leash is longer. (Yoshida to DH, Turner to 1B and Kike, Duvall, Duran and maybe Ref/Tapia playing more could happen, if Casas slumps.) It's nice to think our bench will be solid, but we need our starters playing like starters.

That has not been determined, yet. I'm not using injuries as an excuse, but I am going to use it as an encouraging aspect of our outlook. Perhaps the biggest winter question was based on too much reliance being placed on Sale and Paxton's return to form or near form. They may end up slumping or going on the IL, but I like what I see. Another big question was how well Houck and Whitlock would do coming off injuries and perhaps adjusting to their new roles and increased inning expectations. Both missed some time and have had issues either rehabbing or adjusting or just plain finding their groove, but I am very far from giving up on the two guys who have been our best pitchers from 2021-2022 combined. Bello is meeting my expectations and can continue to improve. I may be all alone still having faith in this rotation, but so be it. Our pen is light years better than 2020-2022, and that was before seeing what Wink & Craw have given us. We don't know this will continue, but the pen is not a negative, for once. The defense is a mess, and may be less of a mess, when we get Story back. I like our catcher and 1B D better than last year, and Devers seems to be better at 3B. Dugo has done better in RF than most of us expected. It might be okay later, this year. Our line-up is in doubt, but again, with the return of Story and Duvall, our RHB'ers will be light years better than now. Our bench will improve as players doing well as starters and platoons will now be on the bench or in AAA as extended depth. Things look bleak, now, and this site seems to reinforce negativity at times like this. It's clear many had low expectations to begin the season, so this recent stretch has reinforced those gut feelings. There are certainly reasons to be pessimistic about this team. I'm not going to say those posters are wrong, but I still think things are better than many feel they are. Right now, there is not much evidence to back me up, and apparently gut feelings from stat geeks don't carry much weight.

Even if Story ends up not being a plus, he'll almost certainly be an improvement over Kike at SS. Kike/Arroyo> Valdez at 2B Kike/Duran> Duvall in CF Duvall> Yoshida in LF Some of these may not happen or won't happen much, but if they happen more often than now, we might see slight improvements at a few positions with a major improvement at SS. No matter how we look at it, we will not be ebating many teams with our D over theirs, but not losing so many can help. We need our rotation to step it up and be consistent. We need our pen to continue being a plus and some of the shifting roles to be worked out. The return of Schreiber should be a big boost. We basically need great healthy, going forward and some of the vets to do what we expected/hoped they would/could do. The bench and depth looks like a plus and will improve even more when Duvall and Story return (Arroyo/Mondesi, maybe) We look pretty crappy, right now, but I am far from giving up on this year's team, but we need to start showing signs of being better than this.

It's not a new thing for the Sox to go several years without going over in a 3-5 year stretch. I'm with Hugh. I'll be worried, if they stay under, next year. I also think they are prepared to add salary, at the deadline, assuming we are still in the race by then.

There is hope the D will improve, when Story returns, but will it be enough or too late?

Current IP x 3 165 Sale 155 Houck 150 Pivetta (not a SP'er anymore) 125 Kluber (not a SP'er anymore) 120 Bello 100 Wink 90 Craw 60 Whit (should get more) 60 Bleier 60 Paxton (more?) 50 Schreiber 45 Jansen 45 Martin What RP'er is over-taxed.

Maybe, depending on how many days off between. Kluber and Pivetta can do "mop up" or maybe even some semi-meaningful innings here and there.

Can we play more against "everyone else?"

Having even 1 more short guy, that's 50-55 IP a year. That 1/3 IP per game. Plus, we now have 4 long men (Wink, Craw, Klub & Piv.)

No, I said last year he played against RHPs more than LHPs and di okay. With so many lefties on this team, it seems like a perfect platoon situation. I'm not trying to make a big deal out of this, but players with wide splits should get planned days off vs the wrong handed pitcher. Just my opinion. I'm fine with Cora.

Good stuff. To me, with the 13 man staff, I think taxing the pen is not such a big deal, anymore.

Yes, it's a fact they are not real.

Plan a day off vs a lefty. Plus, we've had 2 days off in a week, already.

Walter struggled, again, tonight. Hamilton 2-4 w 2B Duvall 0-3 POR lost with all eyes on Mayer. Kavadas and McDoniugh had 3 BBs, each. Yorke 3-5. GRE won Ferguson 2-4 w BB & 2B Bonaci 3-4 w BB & HR ERC led SAL to a 3-0 win 6 IP, 3H, 0 ER, 1BB, 6K Anthony 1-4 w 2 rbi on 3B

Needing to get 4 outs hurts many a pitcher.