moonslav59

With the day off, let's take a look at some of the "what ifs" this past winter FA market shows us: (Contract) OPS (PAs in 2018) 1B Hosmer ($144M/8) .711 (472) My prediction as the worst FA signing in '18. Santana ($60M/3) .764 (478) Y Alonso ($16M/2) .768 (397) Moreland ($13M/2) .814 (327) Lo Mo ($6.5M/1) .676 (343) M Adams ($4M/1) .900 (257) L Duda ($3.5M/1) .708 (277) Infield Z Cozart ($38M/3) .658 (253) T Frazier ($17M/2) .660 (274) Moustakas ($6.5M/1) .767 (452) E Nunez ($8M/2) ,665 (379) Kendrick ($7M/2) .805 (160) Walker ($4M/1) .609 (255) OF JMart ($110M/5) 1.033 (459) L Cain ($80M/5) .806 (416) Bruce ($39M/3) .613 (236) CGonz ($8M/1) .846 (344) Dyson ($7.5M/2) .539 (237) Grandy ($5M/1) .751 (310) ERA- (IP) SP Darvish ($126M/6) 121(40) Arrieta ($75M/3) 81 (119) A Cobb ($57M/4) 136 (110) Chatwood ($38M/3) 121 (94) L Lynn ($12M/1) 118 (102) Cashner ($16M/2) 118 (114) G Cole (Trade) 65 RP WDavis ($52M/3) McGee ($27M/3) BShaw ($27M/3) Morrow ($21M/2) Hunter ($18M/2) Nicasio ($17M/2) A Reed ($16.5M/2) Neshek ($16M/2) JSmith ($15M/2) Holland ($14M/1) Just released

You mean 4 days off, right?

I'm not being quick. I said Pom "can" be better and suggested at least 2-3 starts to see if Pom is improving. Of course, as they look right now, Pom is behind Eovaldi & Johnson and would be behind a healthy ERod, too. My point was that Pom, at his best (like 2016 early and 2017), was good enough to be a strong #2 or great #3 or 4. I'm not giving up on Pom or trying to dwonplay how well Eovaldi, Johnson or ERod can be (and have been this year).

I'm hopeful the return of Devers and Kinsler comes sooner rather than later. Holt and Nunez are fine as utility men, but we'll be even better with them on the bench. The return of ERod and maybe Wright should help as well. I'm also liking what I see from Thornburg. He might be the surprise piece in our playoff run.

I feel Pom was our 3 or 4 starter after last season ended. It was his injury that dropped him to 4/5 or 5/6. Of course, Pom is the 5, 6 or even 7th starter when everyone comes back. It was his injury that dropped him down. Just as Cora and DD no longer view Pedey as our #1 2Bman.

Bookmark my ass and look it up in October!

2 collapses out of 4 games is worse than half-bad.

Sandy's 2 out hit was very big. JBJ's race home from 2B on the Andujar play was enormous.

Best Pen WAR since 2017 16.2 NYY (and falling) 11.8 BOS 10.9 HOU 9.7 LAD 9.6 MIL

Can we finally lay to rest the notion that this team can't beat the best teams/pitchers?

...and ERod, Devers, Vaz, Wright, Pedey, Kinsler, Swihart and Smith, not to mention Marco Hernandez & Austin Maddox! (lol)

He shouldn't make much more than the minimum in his arb, so I don't see any reason why we wouldn't bring him into ST'ing and give him a shot. Just glue his glove to his hand.

I remember that hit, too. It seemed like it was still going up when it hit the tower or transformer- whatever it was.

Would anyone really have wanted Williams to try and change his swing and go to LF more often? Teddy was the best hitter of all time. You don't mess with that or criticize him. (Not that anyone was.)

We're 23-5 in our last 28. We have the best winning percentage of any team in Sox history, and we've done this all with a lot of players out hurt or playing while injured: Ex-MVP Dustin Pedroia out pretty much all season Our #3/4 starter, Pomeranz, missing about half the season, so far. Our #5 starter, ERod out for over a month (or more). Our #6 starter, Wright, missing over 2 months and counting. Our expected #2/3 RP'er, Carson Smith, pretty much missing the whole year. Our expected #2/3 RP'er, Thornburg just now pitching after missing about 3 months. Our #1 starter, Sale, on the DL, now. Our starting 3Bman, Devers, on the DL. Our starting catcher, Vaz, on the DL. Our new starting 2Bman, Kinsler, on the DL. Our back-up catcher, Swihart, on the DL. Our utility guy, Marco Hernandez, out all year. Our RP'er depth hurt by Austin Maddox missing all year and others out here and there. MVP candidate, Betts, was on the DL for a stint. Moreland, Velazquez & Nunez (maybe Bogey now) have been playing hurt and out for a few days here and there. The only guys who have stayed healthy all year are: JD Beni JBJ Leon Holt Porcello Kimbrel Barnes Kelly Hembree Johnson Mr. Tingles missing a little time.

He needs time in AAA to work on his game.

Wonderful way to end the week. The Yanks are now fighting for a playoff berth while injured, battered and discombobulated. The A's just traded for Fiers and are 33-10 recently. While the Yanks still have the second best record in MLB, they are just 2.5 games up on the A's for home field advantage for the play-in game. The M's are 5 back but sputtering right now.

Best Sox Winning Percentages of All Time .699 2018 (season in progress- on pace for 113 wins) .691 1912 .675 1946 .669 1915 .623 1949 (2nd place) .619 1948 (2nd place) .612 1942 (2nd place) .610 1950 (3rd place) .607 1978 (2nd place) .605 2004 (2nd place- WS Champs) .602 1977 (2nd place) .599 2013 WS Champions 18. .593 2007 WS Champions

The A's just may catch them. There something like 33-10 in their last 43 games for the best record in MLB in that stretch. They are 2.5 games behind the Yanks, but it will also take Seattle turning things around to oust the Yanks from the playoffs. Maybe it's a pipe dream, but it would be so sweet to see the Yanks keep on collapsing. They just played a long game last night and get right back at it today after traveling. No games off until the 20th and then a double header on the 25th vs their nemesis- the O's. @CWS for 3 vs TEX for 4 vs NYM for 1 vs TBR for 3 vs TOR for 3 Day off @MIA for 2 @s BAL for 4 in 3 days vs CWS for 3 vs DET for 4 @OAK for 3 Day off @SEA for 3 @MIN for 3

He still got way more than his share of hits, regardless of the shift, so there was no need to adjust.

Yes, I meant to mention that. The shift has killed JBJ, and he has failed to adjust to that aspect of the game.

Yes, now it is, but at the time of the trade it was about what the market value was. I have mentioned how this fact has changed my initial view of the trade, which I originally hated. I still think it was an overpay, but the financial part was not bad.

Good points. I mentioned Blair and think he was probably the best in my lifetime. I forgot about Darren Lewis. He was right up there with Lynn and Miller just a small notch below JBJ, IMO.

Exactly, and anyone who was closely watching the Sox would have seen it for themselves. Here is the disconnect: BAbip: .371 JD .349 Pearce .349 Betts .341 Beni .311 Holt .308 Moreland .302 Bogey .301 Swihart .298 Nunez .292 Devers .283 HRam .277 Leon .270 JBJ .240 Vaz One would expect the next list to be in close to the same order: Hard Hit% 48 JD 46 Betts 39 Bogey 39 JBJ 36 Moreland 35 Pearce 35 Devers 31 HRam 31 Leon 31 Swihart 29 Beni 27 Vaz 27 Holt 25 Nunez or this one.... soft hit% 10% JD 10% JBJ 13 Betts 15 Pearce 15 Bogey 15 Beni 18 Vaz 20 Leon, Swihart & Devers 21 Holt 28 Nunez

It's not just about being capable of defense: it's the comfort level pitchers feel with certain catchers behind the plate.