moonslav59

All true, but we have to keep trying to fix the major issues while playing the best options we have, until it's fixed. I also still think Story might improve enough to be a slight plus at SS or 2B for the next 1.5 to 2.5 seasons. I think that more than I do for DHam, Grissom & Romy combined. That might not be saying much, and I've made the point that we can't be winners with just Bregman and 8 slightly plus everyday players: we need more major plus players, but until we get them, I'll settle for slightly plus over what we are currently seeing at several positions. I'm not for "settling" as a long term plan.

Murphy is a way better back-up catcher than Wong, even as he ages. His bat would be a big plus at DH and when he catched 20-25% of the time. The $15M x 3 is less than Story's $24M x3, so even if we pay ATL $9M x 3, we break even on money and get the bat and depth at C we need. I have no idea if ATL has any interest in Story, even without adding a penny to their 3 year budget. I do think they need a SS, though. (BTW, this trade was notin's idea.)

Yes, that is one reason why you have been around, so much. Still won't admit it wasn't me that called Devers bad names, though- just as expected.

Injury does worry me, but to me, Bregman is a proven star on O and D and helps his teammates be better. Every 4-5 year deal is a big risk.

That's why I said I just hope he comes back next year and maybe a few years afterwards. I'd be willing to go 4-5, just so we get him for the first 2-3 years.

I didn't call it insubordination. Thanks for actually answering my question and saying you are fine with a manager not doing what his boss wants him to do, just because you agree with the position the manager took.

I did say "maybe."

Max, I too hate blaming the GM for injuries, but he did sign a guy he knew was out until August (Sandoval) instead of signing a guy known for being healthy- like Gio- LOL! He signed Buehler, fully knowing his injury history rivaled that of Sale. If only he bounced back like Sale did- LOL! He signed an 80 year old closer (Chapman) and 75 year old set up man (Wilson,) and lo-and-behold, they are the ones staying healthy and doing well- LOL! He knew Casas was a china doll and then traded away Meidroth as a throw in on a trade, but hey, he got lucky with Toro-Romy, when he couldn't get his manager to get Devers to even try 1B. (Not funny, so no LOL.) Other teams have major injuries and players doing way worse than expected: Yankees with Cole and D Williams and the Astros with 5 SP'ers and J Alvarez. We suck at pitching, hitting, defense and baserunning. Even the guys that are supposed to be good at those things have not been as expected. Maybe that is not Brez's fault, but the fact is, we'd suck, even if Bregman, Hendriks, Gio and Houck were healthy all year long.

Don't expect Red to admit he confused me with someone else.... maybe you.

Not everyone's brain is hardwired for language acquisition as easily as the next guy, especially adults. Again, I'm not defending Devers, but the guy doesn't live here. He works here, then goes home. he will likely not retire here, either. He doesn't need to speak English to do his job, and maybe doesn't care about communicating Americans who does not speak Spanish.

Maybe Houck can be great from the pen. Burdi might help, some. Murphy is a wildcard & what if. We need Bregman and Dobbins back and in top form to have any shot. I doubt even that is enough.

Once Bregman returns, maybe we can get ATL to take Story, plus some cash and maybe a guy like Mullins for Murphy and his rather large contract. Murphy could DH when not catching.

I usually disagree with almost every point you make, but I agree with everything here. Nice job TYPM. Keep it up! 😊

This may very well be 100% true, and I can see no evidence to the contrary, but are you okay with a GM wanting his manager to get a player to play another position, and there is evidence that Brez wanted Devers at 1B, and the manager not even asking the player to try it? Some might call it insubordination by Cora. Some might call it cowardice. Some might call it that Cora is just sticking to his convictions and doesn't have to do what his boss wants. Do you fall into any of these categories or one I did not mention? Do you think it's okay that Cora did not try to make happen what his boss wanted to happen? Please try to answer this actual question and not deflect to another issue. To me, this question gets to the meat of Cora's culpability or not, in this whole nasty fiasco.

I came right out and said we don't know if even Brez asked or told Devers to play 1B. My point was only that Devers never even tried on a 1Bman's mitt, then immediately said, "I'll play anywhere they want me to play," once with the SFG. Cora failed to get Devers to play 1B, whether he spoke with him or not. Brez failed to get Devers to play 1B, whether he politely asked him to, begged him to or demanded him to do it, or even if he just laid out what they wanted and left it at that: no ask/no tell. Devers never even practiced at 1B. I'm leaping to no conclusions other than we failed to get him to play 1B, My opinion is that everyone shares in the blame, and I'm not sure who is most to blame, but my gut says the player, because I believe a player should always do what is best for the team and defer to the manager on what specifically that is. I've played a lot of organized sports in my life, and often disagreed with how the coach/manager used me, but I would never dream of saying no to anything asked of me. On the contrary, I'd jump at anything asked of me and do my best to show I can do it well, in hopes he would use me more often or in more meaningful roles.

100% We could easily be winning more games with a better O, better D and better baserunning.

Getting Bregman was perhaps the best thing this organization has done, other than maybe Crochet, since the Nate trade in 2018. He fell in their lap, at the last minute. Okay, maybe they mishandled how they approached Devers and dealt with how he perceived the "broken promises" from the departed GM. While I think plenty of blame can be directed at Brez, Cora & Co for this whole fiasco, the fact is, Devers needed to do the right thing, and he didn't or wouldn't. The vast difference in his statements in BOS vs those made in SF are very telling, to me. Nobody is blameless in this whole long-lasting event.

We are losing because of all areas not doing well, Max. The rotation. The pen, The offense. The defense. The baserunning. I'm not sure, if it matters that pitching is a couple percentage points higher than batting + defense + Baserunning, assuming it is. We suck in every category. The Astros have been missing 5 of their best 8 SP'er all or nearly all season long and they traded away Tucker, last winter. Yordan Alvarez is batting .646. Is this any worse than us trading Devers and seeing Bregman on the IL, along with Houck and Crawford? This is a team effort losing streak, including Cora and Brez, the coaches and maybe even that batboys.

Not a single shred of evidence to make any specific point about being "snakes." (Not that there weren't snakes, but at least give us some meat on those bones the title promised.) What are the "details?"

Sorry to hear that and sincerely hope you recover. Unlike you, however, I am correct in my point: you show up way, way, way more when things are bad than when they are good. Of course, you will never admit it, but it's true. What's untrue is that I do not and have not called Devers names, except "Devers Forevers," and things like "great hitter."

What names have I called him? Can you try to just get one thing right about me? Just once?

Nick, I have never been a believer in thinking a player is fully defined but what he done, recently. It can and often is an indicator or what we can expect, but I'm not ready to give up on Story, just yet. Also, we have nobody better to play SS, unless we play Mayer there, but then Story is a better option at 2B or 3B, anyway, than anything else we have. Now, I just spoke out against the recency factor, and will sound contradictory when I say that Story has looked way better on D over the last month or two, than he did in April, and he's has been getting some key hits. He's at .794 over his last 73 PAs, and I'd be thrilled, if he could keep this up. That is also way better than most Sox players over the last 3 weeks. Now is not the time to demote Story. The point on DHam is correct, but again, he's hitting better than Campbell and is our current best defensive 2Bman, so who do you play, instead? We need Romy at 1B w Toro. You want eaton starting at 2B?

I see you are predictably back, when things are going badly. Welcome back. I see you still keep getting my position wrong, as always. That is not so welcoming. The GM wants Devers to play 1B. That has nothing to do with what I've wanted for years. The manager doesn't do what his GM wants, so the GM has to try it himself. I guess that is no problem for you. It is to me. I'm fine if you disagree, but at least understand my true position, correctly. Again, welcome back during another down time in Sox history.

If this is true, and I can find no direct quote that says Brez asked or told Devers to play 1B, it makes Cora look even worse. It's a managers job to play the players at positions he wants them to play and inform them on where they will be playing. The fact that Brez had to do it, assuming he did, only highlights Cora's dropping the ball on his managerial duties.

Maybe he loves the park? Career: 1.046 at Fenway .846 HOU