moonslav59

Here is my stab at what the Sox will do: Promote Sale Demote Austin Davis to AAA (2 options) Move Richards to the pen Activate Schwarber Demote Connor Wong to AAA Activate Arroyo Demote Arauz to AAA JD returns from IL Demote Cordero to AAA (2 options remaining) Duran returns from IL DFA Hansel Robles (out of options) Other possible moves: DHern (IL)> DFA Richards or Rios (no options) or demote Valdez (NO!) Brasier (Rehab)> DFA Richards/Rios or Perez or demote Valdez Andriese (Rehab)> DFA Andriese or Perez Santana (IL)> DFA Santana

Maybe this rest for JD will help. Schwarber should provide a big boost. Bogey needs a rest, which he should get once Arroyo returns. (Please do not rest Bogey for more Marwin PAs!) Arroyo's return will also allow Kike to play CF, where is is great on D. Vaz needs rest, so start Plawecki vs some LHPs. The split differential is massive. On defense, playing Schwarber at 1B won't be an upgrade, but our 1B D has not been good, anyways, so the drop of should be minimal. A Verdugo, Kike, Renfroe OF is a solid plus defense. Devers is back to looking fine on defense, and Arroyo has looked fine at 2B, this year. SS and 1B remain problem areas on D, but the rest of the D should be ok to plus. (I won't get into my views on catcher D.)

Just when it looked like Verdugo was coming back to life.

Agreed, and Pivetta become our #5 not our #3.

We are now past the two-thirds mark of the season, and although some of these sample sizes are small, here are our left-righty splits: vs RHPs .985 Devers .976 Schwarber (.873 career) .935 JDM .931 Verdugo .875 Bogey .737 Kike .729 Renfroe .715 Arroyo .710 Vaz .655 Plawecki .552 Dalbec .547 Duran .544 Santana .532 Cordero (109 PAS!) .494 Marwin (192 PAS!) vs LHPs .894 Arroyo .874 Bogey .864 Kike .850 Renfroe .820 Plawecki .790 Dalbec .765 JDM .759 Marwin .736 Schwarber (.665 career) .588 Santana .530 Vaz Career Notes: Arroyo is nearly identical vs R (.691) and L (.702). Vaz has normally been pretty even R (.682)/ L (.718) Verdugo should maybe be platooned R (.853)/ L(.666) Renfroe's D is too important to platoon him R (.719)/ L(.899) Marwin has been pretty even. R (.714)/ L (.726) Plawecki has been nearly even. R (.661)/ L (.664) Small sample sizes: Dalbec R (.639)/ L (.840) Cordero R (.705)/ L (.544) For now, anyway, Cordero should not start vs LHPs, Dalbec vs RHPs and serious consideration should be given to "resting" Verdugo vs most lefties (Schwarber in LF v LHPs?).

Good point, and maybe Schwarber can play LF vs lefties and give Verdugo a "rest" vs lefties. In a pinch, could Schwarber catch an inning or two?

Let's chunk the rest of the Sox schedule into these bunches: After today's Toronto game, we'll see this: 3 TBR, 3 BAL & 3 @NYY (5-4 would be great, esp if not 3-0 v BAL) 3 TEX, 3 MN & 3 @ CLE (We may need 7-2 or 6-3, here.) 4 @ TBR, 3 CLE & 3 TBR (This could be it. 5-5 may be enough.) 3 @ CWS & 3 @ SEA (Not easy to go 3-3.) Then, a possible bright spot to end the season, so even if we are looking bad by September 16th, don't count us out: 3 BAL, 2 NYM, 3 NYY (8 home games- 6-2?) 3 @ BAL & 3 @ WSH (6 road games vs bad teams- 4-2 or 5-1?) Of course, I don't expect all these possible outcomes to all come true, but there is reason for some hope, especially how we end September. Tampa Bay's last 6 games? 3 @ HOU 3 @NYY Yankees last 9 games? 3 @BOS 3 @TOR 3 v TBR Don't count the Sox out, if we are 2 down with 6-9 games to go.

True, but Schwarber will be replacing our 1Bman that posters have been roasting alive, not just for his putrid offense, but his unexpectedly horrific defense, too.

Like no player or team in MLB history has ever come out of a slump.

Earlier in the season, I pointed out a very rough 26 game stretch of our schedule (May 31- June 27), where we played some very tough teams and some decent teams on the road. How we did in that stretch might define this team, I added. After losing the first 3 at Houston, we won 5 in a row and ended up going 15-11. To me, that was more than decent and showed this team had grit and some magical qualities that might lead us places few of us dreamed were possible at the start of a year widely viewed as a rebuild or bridge year. The Yankee sweep at the end of that stretch was especially sweet. We followed that Yankee sweep with 5 more wins, and after that 8 game streak, we looked like the team to beat. Almost every poster was flying high and praising the team. Then, we lost a tough 10 inning game at OAK (3-2) and soon lost some other close games mixed in with some blow-outs. We did win 4 in a row in mid July vs TOR & NY, but that was just a brief bright spot in a lousy stretch. From July 3 to August 6, sandwiched around the trade deadline, we went 13-16. That really sucks, but it's really only 2 wins away from being above .500. The worst stretch started before the trade deadline, and from July 29 to the first game of yesterday's doubleheader, we went 1-8! It's really only those 9 games that have brought about this board malaise. 9 freaking games! Yes, this 9 game team is who we are. The other 104 game team is somebody else. That team went 64-40, but it appears we can never get that team back, according to some here. We can add Houck, Sale, Schwarber and Arroyo and ditch our worst 4 players, but we are doomed over these 9 games. I get the frustration and how that can turn to anger and lashing out. I'm as frustrated as anyone. I get the feeling of urgency and looking for quick fixes. Hell, I've even been critical about not bringing Sale up more quickly and losing a start from Houck, when we needed it badly. It's natural to reach for possible solutions. I guess what bothers me is the overwhelming negativity that verges on outright hatred towards players, the manager & GM, when this team has overachieved for 104 games and sucked for just 9. We may not ever return to being that 104 game team, but we are NOT this 9 game team. I think there is a better chance we can be better than that 104 game team, once everyone is back healthy than to be a losing team the rest of the way. Call me an optimist, but this team still has grit and talent. It doesn't just go away in 10 days.

It's the "Throw s*** Against the Wall and Hope Something Sticks" philosophy they want Bloom and Cora to adopt. It's fed by the belief that what a player has done over the last week, month or 3 months is the number one predictor of what they will continue to do for the next week, month or 3 months. Hell, we had posters saying we should demote or trade Devers & Renfroe in April. That being said, there is a case for bringing up Munoz, but why stop there? Bring up Ockimey to play 1B platoon. Bring up Ort, Winckowski, Espinal, and there is this Danny Santana guy who had an OPS over 1.000 in AAA- why not bring him up, too? Demote or DFA everyone! Ghost would love it. Another thing that cracks me up, is some of the guys saying this team sucks and is toast were the same guys who blasted Bloom for not getting Scherzer & Rizzo, since this team was so good, but just a Scherzer & Rizzo away from a ring. Really, I'm literally lmao.

Next year's team will not have Richards, Perez and some other clowns. I can see being so frustrated, one might give up on 2021, but already throwing in the towel for 2022 is too much for me.

On the farm, today... Sale 4.2 & 0 ER Feltman 2.0 0H 0 ER for the win Downs 0-4 with 4 K's (.188 BA) DeShields 0-5 Munoz 2-5 Ockimey 1-2 w 2 BBs AA V Santos 6 IP 4 H 1 ER 1BB 9K Potts 2-5 (HR & 4 RBI) Rosario 2-4 (3B) Castellano 2-5 (2B) Granberg 2-4 (BB) Rivera & Matheny both 2-4.

This Richards start, tomorrow should have been Sale. I know the guy is making $10M, but this is a playoff run. BTW, Sale pitched 89 pitches (59 strikes/31 balls). He did walk 3, but only allowed 2 hits in 4.2 IP.

Good to see 15 IP with just 2 runs allowed. That should have been enough for a sweep, but with the troubles this offense has been having, maybe we should be glad we got a split. Houck and Pivetta could hold the key to a sustained rebound, but Sale is now our best hope.

He had a 3.09 ERA after 11 starts. That was team-leading. (He's over 7.00 after.)

I'd axe Richards before Perez. At least Perez had a nice 11-13 start stretch earlier in the year. There is hope he might find that groove again. I've totally lost all hope for Garrett. That being said, if Perez goes first, I won't complain.

Hopefully, Pivetta will not let the loss affect his confidence. Let's hope Houck leads the way, tonight, and Sale gives us a jolt, next week. Sale ERod Eovaldi Houck Pivetta Sure looks better than... Eovaldi ERod Pivetta Perez Richards

It's barely August. 2011 had a fine rotation and good hitting.

Marwin up 6th. That says it all.

If calling up a .763 utility player from AAA, who passed through waivers once already, is the answer to our troubles, then this will, indeed, be a "magical" season. (Seriously, though, I don't see why we can try it.) I just wanna see Richards and Perez assigned to mop up duty, phantom IL's or DFA'd- the sooner the better. That, alone, will be a huge addition by subtraction.

Just what the doctor ordered.

Interesting spin.

Don't see that girl again! We need the reverse osmosis mojo working at full steam! Seriously though, I'm glad for you. I hope things continue to improve.

You saying I'm kinky? lol