moonslav59

I've changed my mind on moving him to the pen. I'm not sure anyone else supported my earlier position. Ideally, I would still like to have 5 better SP'ers, but that would take 2-3 major rotation additions, and that is NOT happening.

Best "Sox" player in the minors.

I think the trade route is our best option for adding a higher quality pitcher or two.

I understands this. It is also one reason I do not view W-L records of pitchers as being all that useful in determining how good or bad they are.

I included Houck, because we should have had a much better record with both of these guys. We won way more with Bello & Criswell.

Story loves Rafaela to CF and Duran to LF, which improves 3 positions. He also keeps DHam and others at 2B not SS- another plus.

100%

I do think winning the ring is the ultimate goal, and I am not giving up on our chances of #5 under JH & Co., but we can't be thinking no major deals are needed to get there in 2025. No way, can anyone expect these guys to keep the status quo, let alone improve on the 2024 team: Pivetta> Giolito Jansen> Hendriks Martin> Whitlock Sims/Garcia/Paxton> Fulmer RHB O'Neill> RHB Story (Rafaela to CF) This is NOT an improvement. I'm not trading Anthony and DHam for a decent RPer and adding Anthony & Campbell/Mayer can be close to enough, either.

Perhaps the biggest ball-buster about 2024, besides the Sale trade and zero IP from Gio was this... 62 Games Started by our top 2 SP'ers (Houck and Crawford) and this record: 26-36

One of my biggest hopes of this season was that the other teams had bigger holes than we did. We've seen they do have gaping holes, but we had too many and too big ones of our own. We can pretty easily run off a few legitimate and singular "what ifs and we'd be in the playoffs."

KCR won on a 10th inning error by the SS. Det won 2-1. Close calls in both games, but that fat lady keeps singing, loudly.

Yes. I think they felt we already have added enough pitching prospects and needed to try and balance the everyday player glut with the lack of ML ready pitchers. I'd rather DFA Shugart than Priester, come November.

Crazy game, this is.

I totally get the whole OBP gripe, and I agree that a continued .275 OBP would not be acceptable, even with GG defense and 20 HRs with 25 SBs. OBP is more important than slugging, and his great D would not offset that. I keep coming back to this being his rookie year, and being asked to play multiple positions. He did offer some hope in AAA (.370 OBP) and was okay in AA (.328.) His career minor league OBP is an acceptable .331, but I fully realize OBP is often not carried over to the bigs. He's never going to walk much, if he keeps swinging at bad pitches. I still think within the context of his age, first MLB year and being forced to play 2 very difficult positions almost 50-50, his overall performance was okay or borderline okay. It's hard to read the last few weeks as a trend, a slump or a sign of things to come. For all we know, maybe his few decent streaks was a "real" sign. No matter what we both think, we have too many OF'ers on the 26, 40 and down the pipeline, that he will not be our starting CF'er, if he continues with a .275 OBP. We probably agree on that. A quick question: is there anything you are really happy about with this team?

Baseball America names Campbell Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year After an incredible season, Baseball America has named Kristian Campbell (pictured) their Red Sox Minor League Player of the Year. Campbell skyrocketed through the system this year, playing at a high level with three different teams. He started at Greenville, where he hit .306/.418/.558 in 40 games, then moved to Portland and hit .362/.463/.582 in 56 games, then finished off in Worcester hitting .286/.412/.486 in 19 games. For the season, he had a .997 OPS with 32 doubles, three triples, 20 home runs, and 24 stolen bases. -soxprospects.com

A look at the April 4th Prospects Rankings and where they are now... Graduated: 4. Rafaela, 7. Abreu, 20. Slaten, 30. DHam_______ About the same or moved up by attrition: 1. Anthony, 2. Mayer, 3. Teel, 6. Perales, 18. Jo Garcia, 21. Monegro Big Gains: 22>3 Campbell, 25>7 Arias, 27>14 Romero, 35>19 Penrod Big Falls: 8> 20 Wikelman, 13>30 Zanetello, 17>48 Hickey

So, even more of a miracle: BOS 4-1, KCR & MIN 1-5 and SEA 2-3.

While Houck has experiences some "arm fatigue," and both he and Crawford had a tough stretch for a few weeks this summer, I think it is important to point out a few numbers: MLB Leaders in... IP: 15th Crawford (179.1) and 16th Houck (178.2)/ 54th Bello (158.1) & 79th Pivetta (139) 90 Pitchers with 130+ IP fWAR: 13th Houck (3.9) 61st Crawford & Bello (1.9) 66th Pivetta 1.8 ERA: 16th Houck (3.12) 66. Crawford (4.17) 69. Pivetta (4.21) 78. Bello (4.49) SIERA: 10. Pivetta 3.31, 30. Houck 3.74, 552. Crawford 4.09, 6. Bello 4.14, TEAM: 16th ERA at 4.05, but 10th in ERA- at 95 and xFIP and xFIP- 8th in K/BB at 2.98 T11th with NYY at 15.0 fWAR. 10th in xFIP (4.01) ahead of BAL (4.02) & NYY (4.11)

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Highest winning % by Sox teams since 2018: .568 2021 (92 wins) .539 2019 (84 wins) .503 2024 (on pace for 81-82 wins) .481 2022 & 2023 .400 2020 (short season) Note: we were at .438 in 2014 and .481 in 2015.

It should be best overall record and the team with the best one half record (1st or 2nd.)

Houck has the 5th best GB% among SP'ers. (Bello is 6th.) I do think it should help, if Story can stay healthy and anyone but EValdez plays at 2B. Most innings at 2B 462 EValdez (-8 OAA, -6 DRS, 0.9 UZR/150)) 266 DHam (+3 OAA, +8 DRS, -8.1 UZR/150) 206 Grissom (-2 OAA, +1 DRS, -4.7) 130 Romy G (-3 OAA, -2 DRS, -20.7) Team: -9 OAA, somehow a +1 DRS and -2.9 UZR/150. Some mix of Story, mayer, Campbell and DHam/Grissom at 2B only should be a major improvement.

He knew he had to add pitching. There was going to be an everyday player roster crunch in December, or whenever the Rule 5 protectees need to be named. My guess is Yorke would still have been protected, but due to the middle infield bottle neck and Mayer & Campbell looking better than Yorke, he decided to save someone else from being cut or kept off the 40, so we could have a better pitcher in Priester over someone like Shugart or whoever gets DFA;d this fall.

I thought the same thing watching the game, last night. It looked like a totally different team out there.