Nick

The last place team in NL is only 4 games out of last wild card spot.

So $1M per start for Kluber. No freakin way the Rays would have done it. This is exactly why Kluber was availabe. I just wished we stop pissing away money.

Verdugo is Arb 2 player with only one more year of team control. He is Not in my core group unless he is extended.

Corey Kluber to the Pen Sox finally does the right thing. One thing to consider is how committed Sox are to Whitlock as a starter. He's coming off an injury. We haven't seen him pitch but only 3 starts this year. There's no doubt baseball people are all in on him. Same goes for Bello and Houck. We bitch and moan about not developing starting pitching. We go on and on about it. But this is the most proven talent of young pitching we've had in a long time. Yes I said it, PROVEN. Bello, Houck and Whitlock looks to have the 'stuff', both physically and mentally, to get the job done. They simply needed an opportunity. Now they can just concentrate on improving their craft. My guess is at some point, Kutter will also get an opportunity to start. Maybe next year. I'm elated. OUR CORE GROUP IS BEGINNING TO EMERGE. Sale Bello Whitlock Houck Winckowski Schreiber Crawford Wong Casas Valdez Story Devers Yoshida Duran Best news? I can turn on EVERY Sox game and watch a starter I enjoy watching. It's been awhile. (last time may have been Sale, Porcello, Eovaldi, Price and Edwards......I'm guessing they were the starters in 2018 after Eovaldi came on board?)

I'm happy with our core group. I'm willing to give a longer leash for some (Casas). But at the end of the day, what they do on the field matters. Casas at the plate was atrocious last night. I see Valdez go up to the plate and he has one mission, swing and connect with the ball. Casas seems he's fighting with umpires on boarder line calls. He counts as a win when he thinks the ump makes the right call and as a loss when the ump makes a bad ball/strike calls. Does he know that he's playing a premium offensive position? Just go up and make contacts. At times, I feel like I'm watching Dalbec at the plate. It was very frustrating last night.

And it looks like we have a starting catcher for our pitching staff in Wong, 6 years of team control starting this year.

Not sure what's up with Walter. Last year in AA, he walked 3, yes count it, 3 batters in 50 innings. Unreal. (he did hit 5 batters) This year in AAA, he's walked 18 batters in 38 innings. What's up?

My Updated Core Group for Pitchers SP Sale (2+1) SP Bello (6) SP Whitlock (4+2) SP Houck (5) RP Crawford (6) RP Winckowski (6) RP Schreiber (4) It's unlikely that we can acquire a team controlled up and coming starter in July. This is a group we can win with. Maybe not this year but in 2024 and thereafter.

It was enjoyable watching Houck pitch last night. It's my hope Houck continues to start. He looks to have the makeup to be a starter. Bello, Houck and Whitlock maybe our future.

Turner with 2 K's and GIDP.

6 worst teams are Oakland, Reds, White Sox, Colorado, Kansas City and the Nationals. We have not played one single game againt any of them. Meanwhile Tampa is 14-2, Yankees 6-0, Orioles 9-3 and the Jays 6-3 against those 6 teams. We will definitely make up grounds against the rest of AL East as schedules balance out.

Stat shows Red Sox’ Connor Wong is one of top MLB defenders at any position https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2023/05/stat-shows-red-sox-connor-wong-is-one-of-top-mlb-defenders-at-any-position.html He's with the Sox for 6 years. Betts trade is looking better each day.

I agree. One thing to be selective, another to be just passive. You have to take 3 healthy swings. You can't hit with 2 strikes on you every at bat, as he seems to do often. He plays a hitting position. He needs to hit. Not walk.

I think you're too critical on Whitlock. He's only started 3 games. He performed poorly in games 1 and 3. In game 2, he won against the Angels, pitching 7 innings, giving up 3 hits and 1 run. He is nowhere close to being labeled "He Sucks". Not yet anyway.

I appreciate all your data. But you ignor one thing. We compete in AL East. Stats for major leage means nothing to me. It's how we look compared to other AL teams matter more to me.

I think the Sox has 2 option years on Whitlock hoping he'd be a starter. I believe that was the plan all along. They are not ready to give up on that idea.

We have an offense that can comeback especially at home but SP can't contine to put us in a hole to start the game. That was Pivetta's problem. At least with Houck you can always have Kutter, Winck or now Pivetta to piggyback.

Just to keep in mind. Kluber will earn $500K when he starts 20 games, another $750K at 25 games started and finally another $750K at 30 games started.

Hell both Paxton and Sale are at risk getting off the bus or even riding a stationary bike.

You know me better than that. Acquire an ace. #5 starter becomes a long reliever. Acquire another ace. Now the previous #4 starter becomes a long reliever. At this point, only thing we're missing are quality starters in my opinion. Unresolved issues. 1 What to do with Story when he comes back. It seems to me it's better to put him at short. At that point, Arroyo/Valdez or Chang/Valdez could work at 2B. 2 I'm willing to live with Casas at 1B unless he turns into another Dalbec. We have the option of platooning him with Turner, move Yoshida to DH and employ Tapia or Refsnyder in left when Casas sits. 3 What to do with Duran, assuming he continues to hit, when Duvall returns. It's a good problem to have. 4 Our pen will only improve with everyone becoming healthy.

We can add #1 starter and #5 becomes long reliever. Repeat. Repeat.

His arm is 3 years younger than rest of his body.

Very good, sir.

It's very possible that Whitlock and Houck may not work out as starters but we are nowhere near the end with the two as we are with Kluber. Whitlock has been hurt. I would like to see how he does 100% healthy. I am willing to give Houck couple of more shots to see if he can navigate 4/5 th inning. My whole point is EXAUST every possibility until July. Then make a decision to go out and get better help or gear up for 2024. I am no means punting this season. This has been a fun team to watch. A poster on another board stated he had a chance to attend yesterday's game but he decided it wasn't worth his drive when he saw Kluber was pitching. I think that sums up my feelings about Kluber. Maybe it will change after he throws a complete game on Sunday.

I am talking about RIGHT NOW. This week. We have 7 starters plus Kutter. I get it he deserved a spot until NOW. How many more starts do you want to give hin?