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Another “clutch vs myth of clutch” argument, even though it was probably never intended as one. Springer has been on fire since the All Star break. Not surprising he started red hot for one more at bat…

He makes that comment about everyone not currently wearing pinstripes…

I agree. I don’t know if it when Bloom (should have) realized his prospect packages were never going to be enough for any of the marquee names, but the pitching he acquired was, to be kind, not a difference maker. I suppose he might have avoided the Lester types because he figured Sale and Houck were both better options. But he ignored too much of the reliever market for seemingly too long and took home only the table scraps…

That’s a fair question. Especially since both Schoop and Aguilar are healthy. Now maybe the preference was for a left-handed hitter, as Dalbec still does have good splits vs LHP (.803 this year, .849 career). If so, both Aguilar and Schoop are right-handed. And Schwarber (.976) is significantly better vs RHP than either Schoop (.707) or Aguilar (.821) this year. As n neither Schoop nor Aguilar were dealt, it’s impossible to know what an acceptable offer would have been. BTV does suggest that Ramirez (3.3) would be more than enough to get Schoop (1.7) and would have been a good match for Aguilar (2.8). But this doesn’t mean either GM likes him and would make a deal. I did think Schoop was the best fit. Detroit has since extended him, but at the time he has 2 months left on his deal and his versatility would have been a good attribute amidst all the injuries and COVID cases. Aguilar would have been nice, too, but he isn’t a free agent until after 2022, so the impetus to deal him might not have been there just yet. I see why the Sox got changed over these two, but until he actually suits up, it looks like a potential mistake. Perhaps the bigger mistake was getting the injured Schwarber and stopping there. There was really no reason the Sox couldn’t have acquired Schwarber and Schoop, especially since Schoop’s numbers this year vs LHP (1.017) dwarf Dalbec’s…

I could see something like that..

Me. And you strongly implied Barnes had been cheating, not just regressing. But hey, I provided data. That data still stands. Not my fault. You provided suspicion. I suppose getting beaten but the hottest hitter in the American League proves he is regressing, right. I mean, he has two bad at bats this series…

If his agent is telling him anything, it’s about getting back out there. A lot of teams shy away from injury-prove players.

Big deal. That’s the same ratio of dentists who recommend sugarless gum for their patients who chew gum…

Because very few people think Plawecki and his career.662 OPS are going to keep up that pace for another 350 plate appearances?

Technically they say he “felt tightness” in his groin. I would estimate his return date to be some time between next Wednesday and shortly before the earth crashes into the sun…

The early reports seem to say this won’t add significant time to his return. Of course, groin injuries are notoriously difficult to predict…

Was he practicing at 1b when he injured it?

Personally I get holding off surgery. No matter how routine the procedure, it’s still a big deal. And having someone cut up your life blood left arm has to be a bit intimidating..,

Yeah but this is OK. It’s just a couple games and there is no need for a rehab stint. Although he might need some sleep…

Prediction: By next Saturday, the Sox will activate both Schwarber and Sale. Barring a massive turnaround, the Sox will DFA Richards to open a 40 man roster spot for Sale. (While I don’t advocate this behavior, if I’m Richards, I’m loading up on Spider Tack ASAP, as he has literally reached the point where he has nothing to lose.) To fit Schwarber on the active roster, Franchy Cordero or Connor Wong will be demoted to Worcester…

That’s a good thing. Ours a practice MLB should have ended years ago. Next step is to end the practice properly…

Don’t underestimate Verdugo’s defense as well…

Good news: Sale is back Saturday! Bad news: Verdugo is on paternity leave (Ok, it’s not bad news that he is going to be with his wine as she has their child. Just that the Sox would miss his recently returned bat for a few days while so many others are out and struggling. Yeah that’s the selfish viewpoint.)

So let’s put Schwarber there…

I’d put money on Richards getting a DFA to put Sale on the roster. He’s admitted he got by using substances. Perez had flopped recently, too, but for him this kind of funk just seems to happen all the time. The Sox likely hold on to him to see if it ends. But Cora has so far shown little faith with a lot of early hooks we probably would not have seen in April and May…

I think Schwarber’s catching days took a severe hit when he tore up his knee in an outfield collision back in 2016. Apparently he has caught 8 innings since then, but I don’t know the circumstances. He might be an emergency catcher, but only until/if the Sox call up Wong in September. Me? I wouldn’t risk him there. But we’ll see what Cora does…

Maybe. That he hasn’t exactly dazzled in AA is not expediting his timeline. That he is young for that level, however, is encouraging…

No one said Duran wasn’t going to come up this year. Just not in May or so when some were clamoring for him. Likewise I think while a free have passed for Casas to come up, it’s not likely any time soon. I’d bet against him coming up at all this year, but I suppose September is still possible. The thing about our top prospects, which I’ve repeatedly said were simply not good enough to get the big names compared to what other teams gave up, is they have value beyond whether or not they become Star players. I’ve never been very high on Duran. I’m still not. But that doesn’t make him expendable or mean he needs to go back to Worcester. That he (or any prospect) can work his way into the starting lineup is in itself valuable, because it prevents the Sox from having to spend money to fill a position and frees up more budget to retain star players, or sometimes just decent players. There is also value in that. Not necessarily enough to hold a player at the deadline, but minimum wage players are important especially on the larger budget teams…

At what point do we acknowledge that Dalbec is also not a seasoned first baseman? I don’t think anyone expects Schwarber to step into the position and look like Kevin Youkilis over there, but at the very least I expect he can top Dalbec’s lackluster offense and come close to replacing his mediocre defense for an overall net gain against RHP. (Dalbec will probably still start vs LHP and, if Schwarber is particularly horrific at 1b, come in as a defensive replacement late in close games.)

But if you’re going to have a player shift over to any position for the first time, first base is easily the best place…