moonslav59
-
Posts
103,389 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
128
Content Type
Profiles
Boston Red Sox Videos
2026 Boston Red Sox Top Prospects Ranking
Boston Red Sox Free Agent & Trade Rumors, Notes, & Tidbits
Guides & Resources
2025 Boston Red Sox Draft Pick Tracker
News
Forums
Blogs
Events
Store
Downloads
Gallery
Everything posted by moonslav59
-
We need a couple giant steps to make the playoffs. Baby steps are for babies.
-
Sometimes, some pitcher comes out of nowhere and pitches like an ace in the playoffs, but he wasn't one all year. Wacha in '13, until he met the Sox. Kyle Hendricks '16 Nate in '18 Framber Valdez '22
-
The farm.
-
That Royals team did not even have a solid #2. Some might say Edinson Volques was, that year (33 GS, 3.55 ERA/ 3.82 FIP, but after him... 28 GS Y Ventura 4.08/3.57 24 GS J Guthrie 5.95/5.61 24 GS D Duffy 4.08/4.43 18 GS C Young 3.06/4.52 They traded for Cueto who started 13 games: 4.76/4.06
-
Talk about a sham.
-
Was this after they knew Sale and ERod would miss the 2020 season?
-
The fact that his best farm pen additions came via trade (Winckowski,) Waivers (Schreiber & Bernardino) and Rule 5 (Whitlock) is pretty telling. Neither were really "developed" by our system, although one could argue maybe a little bit. Others added via trade: Isaiah Campbell (Brez guy) Grant Gambrell (Connor Seabold) Rule 5: Justin Slaten (Brez guy) Waivers/ MiLFA: Kelly Max Castillo (Brez guy) Zack Weiss
-
Yes, choosing the 6 game sample size was cherry-picking. The 2.94 FIP, which included that blow out game (the 6th from his last start) shows he was not dropping off. To me, Houck is an outstanding pitcher for the first 9 batters and pretty good, the next nine. He's done it for 2+ seasons. One can argue that profiles as a great long man in the pen, and that's true. He's my slight favorite over Crawford, if it comes down to either/or. I choose both over Whitlock.
-
Yes, your point was and still is spot on. I think everyone agrees he is in the rotation. We'd need to add 3 SP'er to knock him out, so he's 100% in, if healthy. Bello, Gio and Pivetta are locks. The last two slots depend largely on whether we add a SP'er between now and opening day. (Adding two is just a dream I had.) If we don't add any new SP'ers, those last 2 slots go to two of these three pitchers: Houck, Crawford or Whitlock. One begins the year in the pen, unless we decide to go with a 6 man rotation, which is highly unlikely. I have been thinking Whitlock is the obvious pen choice of the three, but he's been bulking up and might have the best stuff of the three, and has more than just 2 pitches that work. I still hope we add 2 SP'ers andf would be happier with 1 than none, but these penny-pinchers might just roll the dice, here. They might be thinking, "let's find out, now, in a non competitive season, if these guys can start, or not."
-
Sox RP'er games with 4+ IP: Pivetta: 6 (and 4 with 3.0- 3.2 IP) Crawford: 2 (1 with 3 IP) Murphy: 3 (6 between 3.0 and 3.2) That's 11 times a RP'er went 4+ and 22 times at 3 IP or more. (About once a week.) Houck started 100% in '23.
-
It's interesting to note that he never went 6.1 as a starter in 2023. I worry about Kutter's ability to start 28+ games or give us 160+ IP, without dropping off. He did finish 2023 with a 5.40 ERA over his last 6 starts. In his defense, his FIP was 2.94, and his last start of the season was 6 IP 1 H 0 ER 0 BB & 7 Ks. If you switch those 6.1 IP to the SP totals and subtract from the RP totals, his splits go from.... 4.51 as a SP to 4.20 1.66 as RP to 2.34 BTW, Pivetta also had that great and long RP game: 6 IP 2 Hits 2 BB 13 Ks 0 ER He had 3 others with 5 IP (2 ER, 0 ER and 2 ER)
-
I'm thinking maybe even Clevinger is going to be too expensive for these misers. Maybe the list is down to Lauer, Wood, Duvall or a RP'er (Stanek?)
-
It has been a long eerie silence. It would be nice to hear of a major signing, but I seriously doubt it happens, despite rumors of falling prices.
-
It's been a while since the last time I felt this confident in our 4 infield positions. Granted, we need health from Story, better D from Devers, no sophomore slump from Casas and Grissom to show he deserved all that hype, but it looks pretty solid, to me. 1B: Casas (no real back-up, except Dalbec, who should stay in AAA as much as possible.) 2B: Grissom still has to prove he belongs, but I'm very confident he will. (Reyes and EValdez offer nice depth.) SS: Story is an excellent defender: he just needs to stay healthy and hit over .740, or so. (Not sure Reyes is all that great as depth.) 3B: Devers forevers. (Reyes, EValdez, Meidroth as depth is okay.)
-
They may figure out a way to get these guys to do better as starters. They all have some "nasty stuff," so maybe it works out. I'm just really keen on having a pen with 2-3 solid long relievers that can go 4-5 innings, if needed, even 6+ in some cases- like Crawford and Pivetta did, last year.
-
It also supports the idea of him being a great long relief pitcher who can come into a game in the first or second inning, if needed, and save the pen from needing to use 4-5 pitchers. I've said I'm fine with Crawford over Houck as the #4 or 5 guy. Preferring Houck has more to do with his success facing the first 18 batters than anything bad about Kutter.
-
I'm clearly saying it is what I want and not what is going to happen. I'd like us to add 2 SP'ers and doubt we add even one.
-
They cloned him. This new technology is taking over sports!
-
To me, this is a damn good pen. Call me a homer, but I believe it is: Jansen Closer Martin Set-up (PT Closer) Winckowski Set-up Schreiber Set-up Whitlock Mid man Crawford Long man Houck Long man Bernardino/Slaten/Mata/Campbell/Criswell/Weissert/Kelly... 8th man (We'd need two more starters to make this happen.)
-
David Robertson to TEX for $11-12M/1.
-
I think we may have already ruined Whit by starting him. I'd prefer to just keep at least Whit and Wink in the pen that try to replace one who moves to the rotation. I don't think Wood or Lauer will cost much. To me, even using Craw and Houck in the rotation is misusing players. We all screamed at Bloom for not signing Andrus and then Cora for continuing to play Kike out of position. Now, we are suggesting moving players out of positions they belong and into the unknown?
-
It saddens me to think this is the best we can hope for, but I do think any of these plans are better than doing nothing and forcing some very good pen arms into the rotation. Certainly Giolito has had better years, recently than these three, but in some ways, they are similar. We are being asked to think 2023 is not who these guys really are. 2021-2022 2023 (or other sample sizes): Gio: '21-'22: 61 GS 340 IP 4.18 ERA/3.92 FIP/1.261 WHIP 2023: 33 GS 184 IP 4.88 ERA/5.27 FIP/ 1.313 WHIP Clevinger: '17-'19: 74 GS 448 IP 2.96 ERA/3.32 FIP/ 1.153 WHIP '20-'22: 30 GS 156 IP 3.98 ERA/4.75 FIP/1.186 WHIP 2023: 24 GS 131 IP 3.77 ERA/ 4.28 FIP/ 1.226 WHIP Lauer: '21-'22: 49 GS 277 IP 3.47 ERA/4.30 FIP/1.186 WHIP 2023: 9 GS 47 IP 6.56 ERA/ 7.41 FIP/ 1.671 WHIP A Wood: '17-'18: 52 GS 304 IP 3.20 ERA/ 3.43 FIP/ 1.132 WHIP 2021: 26 GS 139 IP 3.83 ERA/ 3.48 FIP/ 1.183 WHIP 2023: 12 GS 98 IP 4.33 ERA/ 4.47 FIP/ 1.433 WHIP (17 RP games)
-
I really hope we add two more SP'ers, but I realize that it is just hope. We may not even add one, but I have much more faith we do add one- even if it is a $5-10M/1 type starter, again. If we can get 140 IP from the addition, that would mean less time in the rotation needed from our "swingmen." 1. Bello (really a number 3) 2. Giolito (really a number 3) 3. ______ (addition) 4. Pivetta (IMO, he's a lock for a rotation slot, unless he gets hurt.) Then, I stack up the rest or the rotation like this, along with the depth chart: 5. Houck (yank him after 18 batters) 6. Crawford (fine with swapping him with Houck at #5) 7. The best from Max Castillo, Richard Fitts, Brandon Walter, Richard Fitts or Chris Murphy from AAA rather than Whitlock or Wink 8. Whitlock (or another one from #7) 9. Winckowski (I don't see any advantage of moving him from the role he grew into in 2023.) 10. Others from the #7 list (More: Wikelman or Perales, if the impress, greatly.)
-
Houck going 18 batters is not far from the league average and likely better than Wink & Whitlock can do. To me, Pivetta should be the first choice. Crawford and Houck are close, and I'd like both in the pen, but I'd pick Houck. 1st, 2nd & 3rd PA as SP ONLY OPS Against .575>.709>.957 Houck .656>.770>1.069 Crawford .760>.692>1.122 Whitlock .723>.905>.957 Winckowski (15 GS career) Pitch 1-25, 26-50, 51-75, 76-100 as SP & RP .519>.656>.844>.836 Houck .671>.742>.747>.845 Crawford .685>.600>.823>.969 Whitlock .730>.808>.920>.965 Winckowski
-
You gave up on Alex Wood?
