moonslav59

I'm not sure I said under .500, but I did think they might miss the playoffs. I do think they will have a long bad stretch, at some point, but with the state of the rest of the AL, they look like a sure bet playoff team, now, as well as the division winner.

Not even close, IMO. For one, Masa is the biggest question mark on the team, and I suppose in hindsight, since most of the other lesser questions have been answered in the negative, so far, we can speculate that Masa might have been a positive answer, but the guy isn't even playing. I can't imagine a bigger speculative reach than hoping he would have done anything plus.

As Cora pointed out, too many chances were handed to the Angel's, last night, and not all of them were called "errors." It really looked like we improved the defense, over the winter and with Story still healthy in June, but it has not worked out, at all. With Bregman out, we lost the one sure improved position, although he made 3-4 more errors than I expected in less than 2 months of play. We can tinker with call-ups and position changes, but as of now, it doesn't seem like there are any in-house solutions that will make the difference needed to make a solid move towards making the playoffs. Game are not won on paper, and Brez is finding that out, firsthand. I liked most of his winter moves, so I kinda feel I'd be hypocritical, if I berated him up and down. I don't have any major issues with the way Cora runs the team, but it does seem like the minor ones are piling up, and his insistence on keeping established players at the positions they want to play or have played for a long time has moved into the major issue category, for me. I doubt firing or promoting him would make a difference. These guys need to play the game like they know how and like they have in the past. It's on them. Hardly anyone is rising to the occasion, and I'm not sure that's all on the "lack of leadership" or stewardship. To many of our players are regressing, and some in multiple areas of their game (like Story & Duran.)

The third guess is always the best and most rewarding.

It's like 3 pitchers being given the loss.

No doubt. I keep feeling like we are just about to make a move, then kaput.

There are have been several moments where we look like we have some fight, spark, or whatever we want to call it, but those moments have been all to fleeting, thus far. It's June: we simply have to put together a streak or stretch of consistent good play from all/most areas. If not, we will be saying good bye to some well known players.

It's kind of early to be selling off the 2025 Sox, but this team looks so hapless, they better start playing better, if they want to stick around.

Hey, the headline story is Trevor's .714 OPS over the last 2 games!

The Reds and CWS have 3 pitching prospects in the top 35. Not sure if either wants a Sox vet, but maybe they want Arias or Jh Garcia & Sandlin or Mullins.

Agreed, but some are more can't miss than others. That's why I said "too" can't miss- like on a spectrum of can't missness.

I'm fine with when Cora yanks the starters. I was just pointing out how many times it was at 4.2 IP. (It's rarely after 4.2 with the last guy making an out, I bet.)

Yup. 3 decent pitches that sometimes one rises to the level of an out pitch, but no clear "gotcha" pitch. The guy has had 77 MLB GS'd. He just turned 26, so he has a little room to improve as he enters prime, but how soon is now?

Yes, but when you let guys on base as much as Bello and the guys I listed, you reach the 3rd time through before you get to 4.2, and the 3rd time through is the top of the order.

MVP proposes a Catcher & pitching prospect. Catching prospects are too hit & miss for my liking. We need young and controllable good pitching. Someone more can't miss than Perales, Sandlin, Monegro, Wehunt and Mullins.

Duran has not done all that well ve lefties, either, but even a career .620 marks beats Abreu's .530 by nearly 100. It's just .596 to .569, this year. It's .658 to .530 over the last 3 years combined. Duran's speed has been a plus, and that helps him play FT, but Abreu's defense in a difficult RF at Fenway Park is also a pretty big asset. We can see how defense keeps the weak hitting Rafaela vs L's & R's a FT'er. I think we will have to make a choice and trade from our depth: OF: Abreu/Refsnyder, Duran, Rafaela, Anthony (Jh Garica also knocking on the door and KC, who can play CF.) Midde IF: Story, KC, Mayer (Arias farther away than we'd like) with decent utility depth (Rafaela, DHam, Grissom & Romero.) Guys like Arias and JH Garcia probably don't have real high trade value, and neither does Story, even if you kick in 50-65% of his remaining deal,) but we have much higher need areas, and all these guys can't play, at once.

Soxprospects.com has this... At his best, will flash three at least above-average pitches, and on the right day, all will look like potential plus pitches. Has done a great job improving his delivery and command to the point where you can comfortably project him as a starter. Has done a much better job repeating delivery and holding velocity deeper into starts in looks in 2022. Attacks hitters with a plan and has multiple pitches he is confident using against hitters. Against right-handed hitters, throws a lot of two-seamers and sliders, while against lefties he tends to go more with four-seam fastballs up and changeups down. Has pitches that break in all four directions and can be used in any quadrant. Has had allowed more hard contact to lefties than righties and that is something worth watching as he reaches the major league level

Pretty amazing though... 4.2 IP Bello x 3, Newcomb x 2, Gio x 1, Dobbins x 1, Houck x 1 4.1 IP Bello x 1, Buehler x 1

I do agree on 2 catchers, and I'm pretty much done with Wong, despite his apparent slight improvement on D. Jo Garcia is too far away. I think we need to find a new trade partner, if SDP don't have the pitcher we need. How about enticing DD to part with Andrew Painter? They have sub .700 ('240'25 combined) Max Kepler in LF. The lefty batter is 32. They have RHB as CF (.612 OPS from '24-'25.) and Brandon Marsh (.728 '24-'25) in the OF mix with RF'er Castellenos. How about Duran, Kelly & Mullins and for Painter and Jose Alvarado ($9M w $9M option for '26 and $500K buyout.)

I'm kinda thinking (hoping) we found our catcher in Narvaez. If I trade Duran (or Abreu,) it would be for a pitcher as the major get. Since Rafaela plays an awesome CF and Abreu is a GG type RF'er, it does make sense to trade Duran. Anthony's best slot is probably LF, too. That being said, Duran is our third best offensive player, and our offense has been struggling. We have to hope Anthony can replace Duran's numbers, without a long learning curve. (Assuming we do this and pack in the 2025 season, we'd need Anthony doing very well in 2026.) Maybe if Story goes on a hot streak, we can find a taker for him, without having to pay such a big chunk of his deal, as we would, now. I also think we may have to decide, earlier than maybe we wanted to, which two to keep from Mayer, KC and Arias. I realize one can play 3B, if Bregman bolts, but we also have Romero and slight hopes for improvements from Grissom/DHam/Romy.

Bloom never traded a top prospect and barely traded many mid levels, and while some think that was by his choice, I think the priorities given to him were to build up the farm via trades. Many of the trades he made for MLB players, also included a prospect or two: Verdugo plus Downs/Wong JBJ plus DHam/Binelas Franchy plus Wink plus others Pivetta plus Seabold Ottavino plus F German and cash for nothing Plus many straight out vets for prospects or recently graduated prospects: Vaz for Abreu and EValdez Springs & Mazza for Ro Hernandez & Sogard Moreland, Pillar and others for prospects I'm sure I'm missing a few. The highest ranked prospect he traded, I think, was Aldo Ramirez, who was maybe 9th on SP.com

You don't even know what projecting means. I know I post the standing when we are close or in the lead. I don't deny it, or make excuses. It seems obvious why. You deny, deflect or don't answer when we point out how you post 3 times more, when things are going badly.

I'd do this trade. Would you do Anthony, Romero and any two pitchers on the farm?

Projecting, again, I see.

Could Story be writing a new chapter? The plot thickens.