S5Dewey

Agree. I've always been a big fan of Christian Vazquez but this isn't a horse I'm willing to change in the middle of the stream.

Wow. Really? Did you see my earlier post today about "where would we be without him"?

This brings up that 800 lb gorilla sitting on the coffee table. This team has more quality young players than they have positions for, some of them are going to have to go, and the decisions to who stays and who goes are going to be difficult because they all have huge upsides. In DD we trust, I guess.

Of course they matter, but he is what he is and what he is is why he's getting $13M next year ( hope) and not David Price money.

I'll tell ya this... if this kid has a .380 OBP as a leadoff hitter with what he's got behind him the Sox will lead the league in runs scored again in 2017, even without David Ortiz.

All true, which is why I wouldn't acquire a solid 3Bman under team control for more than two years. This team has won the ALE without paying for a Josh Donaldson (well, actually they are paying premium $ for a 3Bman, but that's another sad story) so were I DD/JH I'd be spending the bulk of my money on improving the pen. That is... UNLESS they could unload some of those albatross contracts languishing in Pawtucket, then it's Katie, Bar The Door!

Buch's sample size over the past several years would indicate that he's going to be a half-year pitcher with absolutely terrific stuff when he's on. There are no guarantees with any player but in today's market I'll take a chance on paying Clay $13M for a half year in 2017.

Sure it is. Not in terms of won/lost, but when you're the new "ace" signing that's your chance to make a statement. "You only get one chance to make a first impression" and IMO Price's first impression is somewhat responsible for the criticism that's been leveled his way this year. If he'd been the David Price we were expecting fans would be a lot more generous toward him this year. But not after Monday night!

That's fair. But I'll say it again, that .730 doesn't get it done for me. If Shaw wants the position he needs to work on the offensive side of his game this winter.

Kimbrel throws a lot of pitches out of the zone that are swung at. If I were an opposing ML manager I'd tell my players, "If you're going to face Craig Kimbrel, take two pitches and then see where you are. If he's throwing strikes you're probably not going to be able to hit him anyway, and if he's not throwing strikes your chances of getting a BB are somewhere north of 50/50."

When you think about where we'd be without him, I think the question of whether he's worth the $13M this year has now been answered.

I couldn't believe Vaz wasn't in there last night after Leon got PH for.

The fact that someone is told to play third base doesn't make them a ML third baseman. The team currently has one third baseman (who can't bend over to get to the ball) and three third baseman wannabees. I've long advocated for solid up the middle, and if you have to make concessions to get power you do it at the corners. I would be perfectly comfortable with Travis Shaw at third if he had an OPS of ~.850 but that .730 doesn't get it done for me. I can see the possibility of DD acquiring - probably through trade - a third baseman with Shaw's defensive ability who can hit for power more consistently. Then if neither Sandoval nor one of the wannabees acts like a real third baseman during ST there's a known commodity third baseman as Plan B. And if one of the three DOES show up in ST the Plan B guy either gets sent to Pawtucket (where we still don't have a third baseman, or he'd be playing in Boston now) or he gets traded. It would have to be one of those low-risk/high reward guys (think: Grady Sizemore) in order to do it but it would at least give us a backup plan.

You can't write him off as long as he's making that much money. The fortunate thing for him is that nobody has stepped up to take his position. Hell, who knows, it may be Sandoval's job to lose in ST. It's going to be interesting to see if DD has a Plan B in place for 3B come March 1, 2017.

So since we can't mathematically prove it do we assume that it doesn't exist?

Hey, if you think we are sick over the happenings of the past two days, think about how John Henry feels. He's paying those two clowns.

Starting with getting a real closer. One who knows where the plate is and can pitch to it.

LOL.. Ok, but YOU are going to be the one to break the news to David Price!

All closers lose games once in a while. I can live with that. Sometimes a closer gives up a few hits on days when he doesn't have it. What I can't live with is my closer giving up a hit and walking three batters to drive in a run. What "closer" does THAT?? And color me crazy if you like, but I think having the chance to clinch the ALE in Yankee Stadium IS a clutch situation. This is the time and place you want to win it... and he chocked.

If he's not our #3 starter in the playoffs now I want a thorough investigation!

He went through a stretch when he was getting the job done but was going to 3-ball counts on essentially every batter. I said at the time that this will come back to haunt him and tonight it did. The thing that scares me is the potential that it can happen again anytime.

His blown saves haven't concerned me as much as the tightrope he's been walking. When he's wild he stays wild and can't find the plate. I want my closer to be able to throw strikes. Period.

Texas is losing 5-4 after 5 innings

No. Price has an ERA of 3.22 over nine seasons of regular season games. That's a significant number. He also has an ERA of 5.12 in nine post season [highest leverage] games. Whether you like W/L records or not, they're important in the playoffs and to say that Price has had seven "off days" in nine starts is being very generous and understanding. If I'm ever accused of a crime I want you on my jury.

I disagree. The narrative about him in the post season is not silly, it's a real reason for concern. We're not talking about one series or one year or even two. We're talking about eight post season appearances and an ERA >5.00. You can say that it's a small sample size all you want but it's the only sample size we've got and it encompasses six different seasons. There's been a lot of talk about 'clutch' but only as it refers to hitting. I've always maintained that a pitcher has to be more 'clutch' than a hitter, only because a hitter only has to run into one a couple of times and his reputation is made. A pitcher OTOH has to throw pitch after pitch with a small margin of error. A pitcher who can do that under pressure is 'clutch'... and one who can't ... isn't. And it's very possible that a pitcher who can't ends up with an ERA >5.00 over six playoff years. So yeah, I'm concerned about Price and the post season, and what happened last night did little to allay my fears.