moonslav59

I'm hopeful Pedey can give us something in 2019, but we should not count on it. We'll probably roll the dice and hope one from Holt, Nunez, Marco Hernandez, Lin or Quiroz step up, if Pedey never returns. If second base is a mess again next year, we might make a mid season deal for one. If second base is our biggest weakness, we aren't so bad off.

MLBTR reports... Left knee problems have limited Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia to 13 PAs this season and shelved him since May 31, though there is optimism he’ll return in 2018, according to manager Alex Cora (via Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald). “We don’t have anything set as far as timetables, but we’re feeling good with the progress,” Cora said of Pedroia, adding that the 35-year-old will “contribute here in the dugout” even if he’s unable to play again this season. The Pedroia-less Red Sox haven’t gotten much production from any of their second base options this year, evidenced in part by their minus-0.2 fWAR at the position, though the team has still managed easily the majors’ best record (90-40).

lmao!

1. Betts CF 2. Beni LF 3. Pearce DH 4. Martinez RF 5. Bogey SS 6. Moreland 1B 7. Kinsler 2B 8. Nunez 3B 9. Leon C

To me, the most useful part of stats and WAR is the area that has been discussed many times before. Most of us watch only the Sox game with maybe a few others here and there plus playoff games that we are not a part of. We may not even see some players for one inning on TV. Others we may see for 3 games on TV. Others six. Some we see live 1-2 games and on TV another 15-16 times, if they happen to play in the AL east. We see Sox players 100-162 games a year. It's nearly impossible, with any degree of certainty, to know or claim our guy is better than theirs. I know I'd be more than 17% off, if I had to just use my own observations to rank and value players with a single number by myself. We all look at a player we've never seen, who is hitting .320 45 120, and we know he's a damn good player. How do we know that? We rely on stats and data. When it comes to defense, it gets a little more hazy, because FLG% is a horrible measure for defensive greatness or ineptitude. While I realize UZR/150 is flawed, it is light years better than my own observations and fldg% by themselves. I do see other great plays by CF'ers in Sox games. I see some on Sports Center. I know other great defenders are out there. How good are they? How do they compare to JBJ? Nobody know for sure. Even if a single person watched every play by CF'ers one very team over a given year, there would still be bias. For arguments sake, lets say there was a metric that was 100% accurate for evaluating a CF'er's defense. Then, we ask each of us to numerically place a value on each MLB CF'er. How far off do you think we'd be? How would I ever know how to value the Padre CF'er, of the Diamondback CF'er, and on and on...? I'd be 80% off on some, for sure. I'd be much more than 17% on just about everyone, except maybe a few Sox players and AL east players, for sure. I try not use UZR/150 like the Bible, but I know I have come across like that at times. I do trust it more than my own observations, even if I think JBJ might be slighted by it. I'm happy to know he is a top 5-10 defensive CF'er and know his defense brings so much value to the team that his offense is not a concern to me. I'm glad UZR/150 and WAR back up my belief by always rating him a plus. While I don't need metrics to tell me JBJ is a big plus, I do use it to know about other players with a certain degree of confidence. I guess some of us have more "confidence" than others, and I understand why some feel slighted when WAR and UZR are continuously thrown in their faces, but I have to say that I probably sometimes feel the same way when someone who obviously does not watch every CF play by every player in MLB can claim that JBJ is the best defensive CF'er in MLB in a way that sounds like he is so sure of it. Maybe JBJ is the best defensive Sox CF'er in each of our own generation. That claim makes more sense, because it may be likely we've seen close to every play made by a Sox CF'er in decades, but I think it is more folly to claim, by observation only, that he is the best CF'er in MLB today than to use UZR/150 to claim he is the 5th best defensive CF'er. Neither method is perfect, but it seems clear to me, one is better than the other.

I did not research how many times a SP'er gave up 3-4 runs in 1-2 IP, let some men on base, was left in and went on to clamp down and give 2-5 more good innings.

I'm not sure anyone has ever said WAR proves a 1.2 player is better than a 1.1 player or a 6.5 player better than a 6.0 player. They might use it as supporting data, but as far as I know, only harmony is a slave to WAR (and even projected WAR).

Don't sit in sections 5-10. The whole game you are facing CF and have to crank your neck to see home plate. Enjoy!

May 3 Price 3.2 IP, 9 runs, 8 H+BB June 23 Wright 3.1 IP, 10 ER, 12 H+BB July 1 Price 3.1 IP, 8 ER, 9 H+BB July 13 Porcello 2 IP, 8 ER, 11 H+BB Aug. 10 Eovaldi 2.2 IP, 8 Runs, 12 H+BB Aug. 24 Velazquez 2.2 IP, 8 ER, 11 H+BB That's 6 amazingly horrible starts with 8 or more runs scored off the starter in less than 4 IP. I wonder what our SP'er ERA would be without these 6 games.

That is more likely. We could also go with 3 catchers, so we can PH for them once or twice a game.

I know they're mostly ground ball singles, but WTF?

There's no way adding Chavis, Lakins, Phillips or whoever, will ever make our playoff roster. The decision should not be made with the playoffs in mind. Add who can help most in September or who can save a rule 5 issue this winter.

Not the Boogie man... Bogey-da-MAN!

More curious than bothered. I just want to know why? If it is to give Betts a little "rest", fine. If Betts has a minor injury, I get it. (I also get why the Sox might not want to tell the opps he is hurt.) If it's about keeping JD happy with some OF play, I'd be kinda-sorta bothered.

Nobody we add now will be on a playoff roster.

...and helped on defesne by JD over Mookie.

Current fWAR Leaders 8.2 Ramirez (has 54 more PAs) 7.7 Betts (being 2nd does not mean you're not more valuable to your team) 7.6 Trout (missed a lot of time) 6.5 Lindor (playing SS helps) 6.1 Sale 5.9 Bauer 5.5 Chapman (81 less PAs than Ranirez) 5.4 JD, G Cole & Bregman NL 6.9 de Grom (deserves MVP but won't get it) 6.0 Scherzer 5.4 Nola 5.3 Corbin 5.0 Goldschmidt & Freeman (Closer race than AL) 4.9 Arenado & Carpenter 4.7 Cain

Maybe Chavis.

Is Betts hurt?

We might just add a player who will be rule 5 this winter and save the hassle, although we have so many free agents-to-be, I doubt we get squeezed in that area. Rule 5 this winter: Victor Acosta Christopher Acosta Yoan Aybar Roldani Baldwin Trey Ball Juan Barriento Edilson Batista Eduard Bazardo Danny Bethea Jordan Betts Marino Campana Rusney Castillo Michael Chavis Luis Colmenares Eduard Conde Harrison Cooney Jake Cosart Ricardo Cubillan Enmanuel De Jesus Chad De La Guerra Jhonathan Diaz Jerry Downs Nick Duron Junior Espinoza Willis Figueroa Devon Fisher Austin Glorius Daniel Gonzalez Juan Hernandez Darwinzon Hernandez Oscar Hernandez Tyler Hill Dedgar Jimenez Trevor Kelley Trenton Kemp Matt Kent Travis Lakins Marcos Lantigua Adam Lau Deiner Lopez Isaias Lucena Chris Madera Danny Mars Algenis Martinez Tate Matheny Kevin McAvoy Daniel McGrath Samuel Miranda Joseph Monge Mark Montgomery Jhon Nunez Josh Ockimey Angel Padron Yorvin Pantoja Yankory Pimentel Roniel Raudes Austin Rei Hildemaro Requena Denyi Reyes Eddy Reynoso Jeremy Rivera Jake Romanski Teddy Stankiewicz Kevin Steen Cole Sturgeon Josh Taylor Luke Tendler Josh Tobias Carlos Tovar Kyri Washington Jantzen Witte

He's gone 2 months this year, but you are right about his too long stretches of weak hitting. To me, he's a big plus even at .600. Anything more is gravy. He's at near 100 points of gravy this year. We'd all like every one of our players to be consistent, but to me, just give me what we need, even if it is mostly or always in bunches.

I'm Humm- free!

Henry's spending has limits. Paying higher and higher taxes on the overages is probably not something he will continue doing every year. It's easy for us to "spend" his money. Also, I doubt he wants to be remembered as the second coming of George Steinbrenner or the GM that bought rings.

I still firmly believe Devers will be a great MLB player, even if he moves to 1B. He is so damn young.