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I imagine whenever someone feels like starting it...

Of course not all Blown Saves are created equal. Barnes created his own mess yesterday and deserves the BS. Colome,, on the other hand, came in to a second and third one out mess created by Jace Fry and then got screwed by his defense on a questionable decision by Rondon, retired the next hitter, and in the end just gave up the one hit. But he got a Blown Save just like Barnes...

Ottavino is a bullpen explosion waiting to happen. He isn’t going to maintain that 1.51 ERA while averaging 6 walks per 9 IP for long...

Trevor Rosenthal is currently unemployed. His ERA and walk numbers are both comically high, but also only over 6 IP. His velocity is among the best of his career, and his Zone % is at a career low, but not much below norm. He can be had for league minimum with Washington paying the bulk of his salary. Again, 6 IP. Ignore the totals DD...

I think Allen Iverson is the all time leader in all professional sports for games played while wearing a cast. The guy had a bad rep for not practicing, but you couldn’t keep Iverson out of a game without tranquilizing him...

I don’t think those extensions affect the luxury tax calculation until next season. Really - and I’ve said this too many times already - the issue was using most of the available budget to bring back Pearce instead of replacing departed bullpen pieces...

I do hope relievers are on DD’s deadline radar. But unless you overpay, selling teams have no motivation to deal until they’ve checked in with any and all potential buyer. Unless you can find a contract some team is willing to dump for anything. But relievers like that might not be the solution the Sox need. For example, Mark Melancon can probably be had merely for the price of asking if Mark Melancon can be had. But do the Sox want to bring him back, knowing his salary this year and next are prohibitive? If they get him, he’d better work out fast, because they won’t be able to afford anyone else worthwhile. Melancon does have a 3.58 ERA across 33IP this year, which appears to be sustainable in spite of his 1.56 WHIP. But his contract pays him $14mill per this year and next. Is he worth it? He flopped last time in Boston, but it was only one year. Bad seasons do happen. Personally, no on Melancon. Try Mejia first and see how he does. If he fails, he can be demoted (via DFA) or released with no collateral damage...

If it keeps Ryan Weber from starting more games, it’s a good thing...

Tampa has yet to lose a game where they have lead after seven, but they also employ a three-headed committee to close games with Alvarado, Castillo and Pagan. Simply put, they have multiple good pitchers they can rely on at the end of games, not to mention a few other good relievers like Yarborough and Stanek who are capable of giving them good IP (which sometimes happens in the first and second innings). The Sox lack having that many reliable options in the bullpen...

I can give credit for at least making predictions. Many lack the intestinal fortitude to do so. But until Clint Frazier becomes a perennial 30 HR hitter - or maybe, accomplishes the feat just one time - highlighting the correct predictions and proclaiming himself a prophet does leave him open to the outlandish pro-Yankee ones as well...

Francona was never handed a scrap heap bullpen either...

Technically Castillo isn’t in the way of bullpen upgrades, as his salary doesn’t count towards the luxury tax. And because of this, he’s never going to be added to the 40 man roster in Boston. Sandoval is another matter. Fortunately this is his last season bogging down the payroll. That was probably the Sox signing I opposed the most adamantly, preferring the low cost but equally performing options like the late Luis Valbuena, a name I littered that other site with that entire off-season...

Ok it was last week, but I missed it. Mixed emotions for me here. It’s nice to know DD is paying attention to the waiver wire. But why is he bringing in the hitter having the worst season in the majors while ignoring the relief market even for decent back end options like Anthony Bass? (Sure Bass wouldn’t have fixed the entire bullpen, but is certainly a step up over the Josh Smith/Hector Velasquez types.) On the bright side, the Sox now have a minor leaguer with Major League outfield experience and who makes less than $12mill. The downside is, this year, Owings’ offense is so bad that he couldn’t hit the ground if you threw him off a cliff...

I’m just glad Stanton wouldn’t waive his NTC for Boston and instead only looked at the 4 teams that played in the 2017 LCS’s. Thanks, Houston, for knocking us out and not allowing our GM to cripple our team with a $30mill player who can’t stay healthy enough to play DH in his 20’s....

10 of the 16 ER charged to Barnes this year are on 0 days rest. They do need another good arm capable of those high leverage situations. And Brasier is not the guy...

His failure to learn from his mistakes is not encouraging. At what point does he give Betts the Miguel Cabrera contract that runs through age 42 and hamstrings the payroll for more than half a decade?

He’s 26 and you’re comparing his age 25 OPS to his OPS at ages 21 and 22 to determine that. Plenty of players step up their offensive game at his current age...

Yes. He was completely foolish this off-season. And followed it up by continuing to do nothing for the first half of the regular season...

It’s not easy when you get all the tough outings. He may not be the best pitcher for the high leverage situations. Or maybe the Sox need TWO relievers they can count on in those type of outings...

Yeah apparently he’s no annual 30 home run hitter like Clint Frazier...

It’s not about guys not handling high pressure. All Barnes sees is high pressure. Has he ever come in with a 3 run lead facing the 7-8-9 hitters? That’s a save situation he just doesn’t get handed. The problem is, after Barnes and Workman, there isn’t much. Hembree is injured and inconsistent when healthy. Brasier, Smith and Walden are 30+ year old career minor leaguers, and Velasquez as well but slightly younger. Brewer has shown improvement, but has no real track record. Taylor is a fringe talent. What other major league arms does he have?

And the Mets added two “proven closers” this off-season in Diaz and Familia. Three of you count Justin Wilson. Barnes isn’t the issue. He’s had 4 ninth inning ave attempts and converted three. But in all 4, he’s started the inning facing the one of the top 3 hitters from the other team. Really, most of his appearances have been against the top of the order for the other team. He’s been given the rough innings. The issue is, after him, there isn’t anything. Brasier hasn’t been good at all, especially as a closer. He blew a 2-run lead against Cleveland facing the bottom of their order and gave up home runs to two of the worst hitters in the AL. He gave up a walkoff home run to Nicky Delmonico (not quite the same as Jose Abreu), and overall seems to have been handed way too much responsibility in the bullpen. Sure the Sox could get a dedicated closer who faced the top of the order 1/3 of the time and also the bottom 1/3 of the time (like Kimbrel did). But the biggest impact will be pushing Hembree/Brasier etc. down a notch on the depth chart. But Dombrowski has been hesitant. How many MLB relievers has he added to this team since trading for Addison Reed? I guess two, if you count Corey Brewer and Erasmo Ramirez. His ignorance of the pen has been devastating. Also, at some point, Marcus Walden is very likely to revert to being a pumpkin. I think the. Sox are well into this transformation already. Not sure why DD doesn’t think so...

Also for the record, his dad was arrested 13 months after Groome was drafted. Do your comments still apply?

Right. And all hitters are equal...

Only issue is how little usage he’s had the past few years. I know he’s a knuckler, but can he step in and give 80-100 IP the rest of the year? If so, I do prefer him over Johnson/Velasquez/etc...