moonslav59

Agreed. It takes time to draft and develop SP'ers. It is hard to find quality pitching at $10M for one or $16M for 2 or $17M for 3, which is what he has spent, depending on how you want to look at it. Once can argue that he could have spent the money spent on Ottavino, JBJ, Diekman, Marwin, Andriese and others to upgrade over Richards, Perez I and Perez II, but he got some of those other spending choices right (Kike, Renfroe, Wacha, Hill, Strahm and others.)

For whatever reasons, Bloom seems to have been forced, at times, or chosen to not spend much on the rotation. In 2020, he barely had anything to spend on any positions. His biggest signing was a SP'er though: Martin Perez: $6M- not a horrible signing, and as it turned out, he became a pretty good SP'er the minute he left the Sox. In 2021, Bloom's budget was limited, and he did spend a pretty good percent of the winter budget on the rotation, but trying to find 2-3 quality SP'ers on less than $20M is not something one should get high expectations over: Richards $10M- did okay in the pen, but was a failure MPerez II $5M- Had a 3.51 ERA after 11 starts but came unglued. Failure. Was very good for Texas in 2023. I actually think Bloom did a fine job with his 2023 pitcher signings. The Story signing took a big chunk of the budget up, as did the JBJ trade, but he spent a good chunk on SP'ers and some on the pen. Again, what can be expected from spending $18M on 3 starters? $7M Wacha- turned into a very good signing, despite time missed due to injury. $6M Paxton- was made more for 2023, but looks like a failure. $5M R Hill- another very good signing, for the money\ (Pen: Diekman and Strahm- a 50-50 choice.) Bloom's best SP moves were from Rule 5 (Whitlock) and trades (Pivetta). His 2023 choice: $10M Kluber (Pen adds: Jansen, Martin, JRod, Mills, Bleier) I may be in the small minority that sees more promise with the rotation and the future outlook of our rotation than at any time since the start of the 2019 season. Sale finally looks healthy. Kluber looked like a better choice than Richards & Paxton. Whitlock is under team control for several more years, thanks to Bloom. Paxton is a pure dice roll. Bello looks like the real deal, to me Pivetta seems to be one of MLB's best 5th starters, but that only works, if we have 4 better than him, which I think we do, now. Added to these 6 are some promising young pitchers and prospects. We may only need 1-2 to do well: Houck should be in the pen, but he can be a decent 4-5 IP SP'er. Crawford & Winckowski Mata, Walter & Murphy

It just seems rather arbitrary who and when they let guys out of their commitment for sports-related reasons.

The issue does not seem to be about speed. It's more about management preparing their players to run, run, run, and how to use the pitch clock to refine their timing.

I'd like to see him get more OF play. I hope the glasses help. Had Jim Ed wore glasses, maybe his career would have been extended.

It can only be luck.

As long as he keeps doing well, he'll stay. I recall you saying similar things about Wink's stuff not playing up to MLB standards. I'm not saying you are wrong. Surely 2022 might have been a fluke, but Schreiber deserves a slot, until he shows he doesn't, IMO.

Yes, that's why I said the MLB roster was largely over-looked in the speed area, except for Mondesi. I do think part of the reason we acquired Ferguson was his speed and ability to walk, a lot. It's hard to know how that .366 OBP in the minors with that .214 BA translates to AA, AAA or MLB, but I think we saw something. Maybe Rosier was the main guy. Hamilton was acquired before the rule changes were know. Abreu was not acquired for his speed, but he seems to be an okay baserunner.

I'd say, until Schreiber proves he does not belong, he's on my 13, no matter how many pitchers are healthy. Now, I suppose Crawford, Wink and Bello could all be looking great (and better than Schreiber) and change my mind, but as of now, Schreiber has a firm hold on a 13 man staff slot.

2022 Minor League SB Leader Rankings: T3 D Hamilton 70 (8 CS for the best CS% out of the top leaders) 9 M Ferguson 61 (5 CS for one of the best CS% among the leaders) Also, among BB leaders w 96 T87 W Abreu 31 (only 3 CS) T109 Rafaela 28 (7 CS) & Bonaci 28 (6 CS) (Mayer had 17 SB and 0 CS- second most in this category)

Like David Hamilton, Max Ferguson and to some extent Abreu? The MLB roster was overlooked, except for Mondesi.

Thanks for the update. There was no rule 5, back then, right?

According to soxprospects.com, here are the options remaining: Red= too good to send down. 0: Sale, Kluber, Pivetta, Paxton Jansen, Martin, JRod, Bleier, Brasier 1: Mata, Mills 2: Houck, Crawford, Winckowski, Bello, Ort 3: Whitlock, Schreiber, Kelly, Walter, Murphy 9 with 0 options, 3 are must keeps, so that leaves one with options to keep on the 13 man staff, at any given time. To me, Bello, Crawford and Wink should be on the 13 man staff, but having 1 in the minors seems okay. Ort has options, so he's an easy choice, but we'd have to trade or DFA Brasier to keep 2. Of course, one injury solves the problem, and it's almost a certainty one pitcher will be on the IL, at all times- maybe 2-3.

Yes, we would attempt to keep as many viable options on the table, although some of us do not view Brasier and Ort as "viable."

He was a great player. Too bad we did not have him during his age 28-32 seasons. The trade to the Brewers is a big reason I'm a Sox fan. I moved from Milwaukee to Maine in 1971, and my favorite player, Tommy Harper went to the Sox in that trade. That's the reason I switched to being a Sox fan. Later, we traded Cecil Cooper for Scott and Carbo. Cooper went on to hit .809 in 11 seasons with the Brew Crew. He had a 6 year stretch of .879. .319 BA .359 OBP .512 SLG

In baseball, I can't think of any, until you go back to players who missed time for the Korean War. Did any miss time for Vietnam? Probably. I just don't remember any.

I hope things go well for your Dad. Mine had a stroke while I was in Maine, last summer. My Dad turns 96, this July and still lives at home with my Mom, who turns 86, this year. My Dad's mind is still as sharp as can be. I'm blessed, for sure. He no longer cares much about sports, but he will watch some Sox games, when I'm home. He watches every ND football game. He's a Celtics and Patriots fans, but I try not to hold that against him.

I don't have Brasier or Ort in my best 13. Of course, we will never see 100% staff health, but to me, as of right now, I'd have Crawford & Wink ahead of Brasier and Ort. When Joely returns, there would be a squeeze.

But, you'd think with his skills and promise, he'd keep the dream alive, as best he could.

Maybe 2018, when we started out 21-7? 2021 wasn't bad (17-10), when we ended the month winning 4 of 5.

I hope they just make Houck the long man, like Whitlock was for much of the last 2 seasons. 1. Sale 2. Whitlock 3. Kluber 4. Bello- Paxton (piggyback) 5. Pivetta Pen: Closer: Jansen RP2: Martin RP3: Schreiber RP4: Houck (Longman) RP5: Crawford (Longman) RP6: Winckowski (short/long) RP7: Bleier RP8: (See Paxton) When JRod is healthy, Wink or Crawford would be sent down, assuming everyone else is healthy. This looks like a decent staff, to me. Depth: Mata/Walter/Murphy and Kelly/Brasier/Mills/Ort

Maybe Sale can work on getting back into his good graces. The others, I fear, are likely not capable of doing so.

Was his time in the Navy really so restrictive that he could not find time, or be granted short leaves to work on his game?

One reason we lost too many games like these recent games with the O's in 2021 and 2022, was our piss-poor pen, especially the 8th and 9th inning guys. So far, Jansen, Martin and Schreiber have done their jobs. I hope Winck can keep up the pace.

Wasn't one thread enough? https://www.talksox.com/forum/threads/20595-Your-2023-Red-Sox-starting-rotation-depth-as-it-stands