oldtimer

Is that we get, 2 months of control. With the Yankees getting Gray, it is likely that we are playing for a wild card. With Beni and Betts still mired in a slump and Price out for whatever reason, our chances are pretty slim. Looking at the trade in that light you can wonder if it was worth it. In terms of quality it was good, same with Nunez. Can we keep them in contracts in follow on years? Only if we stand up to the bar and that will be difficult.

Well, we have Fister going against Cleveland next so another loss is right around the corner. We have lost 6 of 8 and more to come. Little has be done to stop the bleeding. Turns out Devers should have come up earlier and we did need another power hitter and a BP 8th inning bridge. Hard to watch our wunderkids have trouble putting a bat on the ball. What did Eck say? (Yuk)

Oh no! After a nice game pitched by Pom, Barnes came in and got unlucky with an error by Bogey and then loaded the bases and gave up a single to tie the game. With runners on 2nd and 3rd, the Royals are likely to take the lead and leave us with a hill to climb. We just have some tough situations this year. A little BP help was needed, but we haven't got it.

Hard to anticipate that Betts, Bogaerts and Beni would all be finding it difficult to even get one single a game

That is part of baseball fundamentals on all plays. Be in the game and know what play to make for every possibility.

DDs making noises like he won't do anything more before the trade deadline. It may be smoke but here it is 7/30 and no more action than Nunez, who by the way has worked out better than Fraier

Last night, Bogaerts finally got a couple of hits, but then ran into two outs on the base paths. Was he encouraged to be aggressive or is this still another case of management misdirection. The Sox already have racked up more outs on the bases than any other club.

Vaz hit a double and triple last night and had a lot to do with the win. You point out the general malaise in our hitting without attempting to suggest a cause or multiple causes. if people think there are causes then they can look for a remedy. When everyone is suddenly hittig worse than their career norm, and they are younger players, you have to wonder about the hitting coach and the atmosphere in the clubhouse. In addition you have to consider if some of these players should be offered big money extensions.

I agree 100%. We just need to get Betts back to hitting the ball hard.

The Yankees have made another trade, this time with Minnesota.

I'm with those who believed at the time that we could do better than Shaw. The problem is that Sandoval obviously was not that guy so we wound up with the worst situation in the majors at 3rd and there must have been enormous pressure to use Pablo due to his salary considerations. The descision to hold back on Devers appears to have been a bad one at this juncture through. Picking up Nunez is working out. So the FO has made some good and some bad decisions but have left this team a short on power and those that have argued that have been correct. Why are many of the guys we expect to be hitters in slumps? The guys you expect to be hitters don't hit while the new guys swinging against the same pitchers are hitting. Tells you are pitchers aren't overpowering, its the hitters who are in a malaise. Club house atmosphere? Coaching? Exhaustion? Guys aren't as good as we thought?

Funny part right now is Nunez is a hot hitter in the small sample size we have and Devers is doing well for a rookie. I couldn't believe that Bogaerts got a walk and a single but both times was thrown out on running plays. That has cost us runs tonight. Can't understand what is going on with him. At least some of the Sox are showing some fight tonight.

Whether he is a good guy or not, it will be the performance of the team versus expectations which will determine if JF returns next season. I hope the team can right itself and make the playoffs but based on the disarray I am seeing, I truly doubt it.

We are busting out without Pedey and with Bogaerts and Moreland? Pedey was hot for a while before the Price incident. Now he is not able to play. Good luck to us.

Kimmi, I respect your opinion, but we have been the worst team in baseball since the all star break and have done little to improve in that time. I don't see us moving to October ball and don't see the worth of any moves now unless they are to fortify the team going forward. Keep our best foundation players and look for ways to improve for follow on years. Also look to resolve the problems that led to our collapse last year and are being repeated again this year.

To me, it is not so much about whether Farrell is a good guy or bad guy but about whether the team is playing up to expectations. Clearly it has not since the All Star break so he has to take some responsibility for that. There are also some players that also should be considered as disappointments. Is it their attitude. Need to find who those are and make changes.

We got beat 4 to 2 last night and did that getting 2 for 3 and a walk to Nunez and Devers got a double with Young a triple. The guys who got nothing were Bogaerts (big surprise), Pedey and Hanley. JF is stubborn in his approach with Bogaerts and unwilling to give the guy some needed time off. It seems the spat on the plane marks a milestone for the team more interested in being quarrelsome than in winning games. If I were JH, I would throw in the towel and not spend big to try to solve the many problems this team has this year. There is obvious doubt about reaching even a wild card berth and no hope about a WS win, so start to think about the team going forward. We have some nice pieces in Betts, Pedey, Beni, Bradley and Devers. Leon and Hanley are acceptable unless better come along. The pitcing is very good and should offer enough going forward. Weed out a few while strengthening with a few new arms. Clearly we need additional power so perhaps can find that at first base. We also need to rethink our utility players. Since these guys are fill-ins we can't expect world beaters, but they should be flexible and at least not be total losses at the plate. We have a lot of those guys right now and should weed down to those who offer the most promise going forward. Long term guys with a history of health or other problems should be let go. Leadership is missing on the team and JF and some coaches aren't getting it done. Got to be dispassionate about things and get rid of management and players who can't or won't pull their weight. That includes the guys who act like cancers, if we have any of those. Any long term contracts should be limited to 4 or 5 years. We should take the consequences if a player isn't okay with that. Only offer those to guys who are proven players. DD's vision for the team appears to have been strong pitching first. He made the Price acquisition, which was questionnable especially in length of contract for an ageing star. He also got very unlucky with a couple of relievers. I am not ready to dismiss his contribution to the team as I don't really know the constraints he has been under with the Luxury tax reset and the need to eat big contracts of players previously signed. Maybe we should call on Ortiz to advise on the roster selections. A positive attitude is needed on the club and from one who is respected for his long term performance and engaging personality.

I just checked the official roster and no change has been made to it as yet and of course Nunez plays tonight. I guess the Sox are just slow to do an update.

I agree with you on this. It has to be about winning now and not about any long term impact on individuals. I have been saying the same about Bogaerts who has been hitting weakly for an extended period. I would rest him tonight as well. Interesting that JF has decided to go with Devers against this tough left hander. We will see what he can do. There aren't a lot of options on the team that are hitting well now so Young will play and I believe Leon as well.

Yes, we probably painted ourselves into a corner with the big contracts we took on where the players involved failed to return any real value. With the Price situation (real or fiasco) the club now loses some of its strength. We were known for pitching and defense, now less so. The drop in performance of especially Bogaerts and Moreland means our run scoring is not competitive. With the Yankees and Rays both trading for help while the Red Sox barely have done anything, it looks as if the Sox will struggle to even make it as a wild card team. If that happens, you can bet the Sox management and coaching will be modified and some of our players who have been thought of as untouchable, will also be gone. It is easy to be frustrated by what has happened and is happening to this team and I admit to feeling that frustration. There is still some possibility that the arrival of Devers and Nunez will add interest and keep us in the hunt but it is a lot to ask from a rookie and a rental.

Here we are on the 28th with the trade deadline on the near horizon. I think DD has admitted that the team could use some help beyond Nunez and there is still a little room on the Luxury tax threshold. We still could use a good BP setup man and a power hitting first baseman. What is holding up the process/ 1. Not much money available below the Luxury Tax Limit 2. Limited minor league talent we are willing to part with 3. No players out there we find that enticing 4. FO inertia 5. Other

Past performances are fine when talking about a career but don't necessarily predict performance going forward (something one learns playing horses). When a guy is slumping badly it is tough to leave him in the lineup when there is another option who might help. The trick is to know when or if the player returns to useable form. In Bogey's case maybe a rest is in order or perhaps home cooking will help. Personally, I would give him a weeks rest and try again later.

Just watched Archer strike out Frazier with the bases loaded. Glad we didn't get a 215 hitter who hits an occasional home run. Rays up 5 to 3 going into the 7th.