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I think the kid is right. St. Louis has been vastly overrated for the most part due to a weak and advantageous schedule…

Follow up St Louis record overall and minus those teams 2022 93-69 / 62-43 2021 90-72 / 52-53 2020 30-28 / 13-15 20-9 91-71 / 55-50 Outside of 2022, she may not be wrong…

My daughter has theorized St. Louis has always been a mediocre team, but this year is a victim of the new balanced schedule. And that their successes in recent years were built on playing 57 games (over 1/3 of their schedule) against the Cubs, Reds, and Pirates…

The only team the Sox have played so far that’s over .500 whose wins against Boston make the difference is Pittsburgh, who is 25-24 but 3-0 vs Boston. And Pitt was white hot at the time, beating up on lots of teams…

Worcester is south of Boston?

We’re also 50 games into the season and have only played like 12 games against teams under .500…

Sadly the White Sox are white hot of late, and anything above tepid keeps you in the thick of the AL Central…

People like to rip the Donner Party, but did anyone leave it with an empty stomach?

Renfro is a strange man who adamantly clings to his obscure beliefs. For example, he ridiculed both Flat Earthers and Round Earthers and is a devout Burrito Earther…

It’s not exactly accurate to link Eovaldi in with pitchers who “eventually break down.” He’s had TJ twice and pitched more than 125 IP exactly one time since 2016. He only pitched 109 IP last year. And he’s only 33. Durability has been a concern for him for over a decade now. The Sox signed him for 4 seasons, and he only pitched two of them injury-free, and that’s counting an abbreviated 2020 as a full season. Even the spend-happy Rangers only went two years on him. As for Wacha, he was good last year when available, but he isn’t 2013-15 Wacha anymore and hasn’t been for a long time. He could easily be Kluber next year, and has the option (his choice) to extend that for 3 more years. We don’t like having Kluber for one season but Wacha has a good month and he’s preferable for four years? And I do think the back end is important. The Sox dragged $31mill worth of David Price around for several years and, because he made $31mill, had less money for other potential improvements or retentions. I can’t for certain day not signing Price meant keeping Mookie. But it is possible that flop of a contract put some caution into the minds of ownership when negotiating with him. And where was all that Sale praise from 2020-2022? He was pulling down some $87mill for 40 IP. While he’s bouncing back now, he did spend those years as nothing but an albatross that might have shaped this roster differently. Heck, imagine if Sale and Bogaerts simply switched contracts (you no, so X had a $29mill AAV and no opt out). Would that have a positive or negative effect on this roster today?

Yeah because Eovaldi carries absolutely no other risks at all…

It’s weird. Two months ago, players like Valdez, Winckowski, Wong were failed acquisitions with no MLB future. Then, as it turns out, they actually do have baseball skills. And throw in the out-of-nowhere emergence of Duran, and a surprisingly tough early schedule, and this team looks good. But have 3 bad games and focus on the hot streaks of departed players and suddenly the goal was clearly 85 wins and save money…

So you’re saying his 25 innings this month are reality and his 25 innings last month are the outlier?

Defense can’t stop homers, but Petco can…

Except Binelas, who looks completely overmatched in AA this year with 46 K in 106 PA. And a dazzling 7 walks…

That’s what happens when you field a team with five shortstops behind your pitcher…

I think he’s just running Kluber out there every fifth day and hoping the guy can recapture just an iota of his two Cy Young awards, but realizes his 88mph “fast” ball and lack of command is 100% independent of whoever is squatting behind the dish…

Wacha wasn’t signing for the difference over Kluber. And his $6.5mill AAV is certainly small potatoes, but for four years, he’s a risk. When was the last time he had a good 4 year run? Or three year run? I get passing, and not being happy with Kluber isn’t relevant to that. I also get why the Sox passed Eovaldi, or at least why it makes sense to have done so. But I take Eovaldi for two years over Wacha for 4 ten times out of ten. Because 1. Eovaldi is flat out better and 2. Two years!

Also, it turns out McGuire can hit. Alfaro might be a step down. If the Sox can find a trade partner, that’s fine. But if Alfaro opts out, that’s ok too…

I think pitchers have also learned how not to get destroyed by the pitch clock with runners on base..,

They all want to start or close. But teams need middle relievers too..

The team option is $32mill over two, but the player option is $18.5mill over 3, I believe…

Was Wacha going to sign that deal?

The catcher, being the only player facing that direction, also communicates to the fielders where to play on defense. He’s basically in charge out there, and there’s a good reason who so many managers are former catchers…

We’re 4 games into it…