oldtimer

We scored more against the Rays than the Yankees, however, the Yankees have pitching and we don't.

I didn't think this team would be competitive due to the lack of pitching. Some of it has been bad luck with 3 of our better pitchers being down with COVID, but it just demonstrated our lack of pitching depth and development. I did expect the hitting to be better although some players had shown signs of weakness before and the loss of Mookie is also being felt. We are totally out of it already so the time has come to see what some of our prospects can do. In the field, we have a core consisting of Bogaerts, Devers, Vasquez and Verdugo. You can probably add Beni to the list due to his relative youth and prior performance. Arauz is showing himself to be a possible long term second base prospect. We probably want to keep Moreland for another year. JDM may also be with us for another year but is not a long term (2022) answer. We have very few mashers in our lineup, whereas the Yankees are living up to the Bronx Bomber name with power up and down the lineup. Should we look for more of power hitters. For prospects who could possibly fill our needs we have Dalbec, Downs and Durran. Time to get them some PT and see who sticks if any. It would be nice to know our desperate needs by the end of the season so we can hit the FA market running. As far as pitching prospects, we have Mata, Groome, Ward, Houck and Song. Could they be worse than what we are currently throwing out there? I don't get the Sox management approach of sitting on guys that are either going to have to sink or swim in the near future. What ever happened to Felton. He came to the Sox as a player nearly ready for the big time but if anything regressed while in our program.

Trading our best player is too radical for me. I prefer to make it back in smaller steps with 2022 being the real target. Give Bloom (room) a chance and see what he can come up with. Look at the Rays and see what can be done on a budget. The Sox have more resources, particularly if we get a reset this season.

Beni's on the IL. That was predictable.

I see Beni is on the IL. Good idea but don't know who will come up as a replacement.

The deadline will be reached in 19 days. After the Yankees, it should be obvious to all but the most die hard that the Sox are out of the playoffs so your points are well taken. As for starters if Eovaldi can be counted on for an entire season in 2021, a big if, we have one starter. I do believe E-Rod will be whole and hope he is back. I would take Perez as a 4th or 5th starter. We may get a starter out of Mata or D-Hern. So we need at least one more quality starter through Trade or FA. The BP wiil be a huge project and that is probably where we have to use our trade chips. While our existing BP will be broken up and younger arms brought in. Whatever happened to pitcher development. The best staffs have starters that can go 5 or 6 innings and then they can bring in numerous live arms that often shut you down. Hard to believe we get there in one year. I believe we will need at least one outfielder to replace JBJ. He'll be too expensive for the value he brings. Keeping Moreland is a good idea. He can platoon with one of our 3 young candidates for first. Chavis, Dalbec or Casas in 2022. I would consider moving Downs up for second and back him up with a utility player. Take you choice, Peraza? Is Araz going to be our utility player for short and third? Dalbec coulc handle 3rd if he is with the team. Don't know what will happen at DH. Reserve judgment until the trade deadline is passed.

Maybe Roenicke has seen something in practice. No one else is hitting in lead off and Devers is still out. What is he goinng to do?

He's not the prototype 95 mph fastballer, but if he can go 5 or 6 in todays world and keep the game in bounds, why not try to keep him as a 4th or 5th option?

The 2020 season is a lost cause. What we do for starters in 2021 is more the question. If Eovaldi and Perez can make it back in 2021 and E-rood is back in good form we have 3. Sale is probably not going to be back for most of the season, if at all. Mata may make the jump and D-Hern may but will likely be a reliever. We need a quality FA in the best of scenarios and they are hard to come by. We have to hope that pitcher development is amped up in the minors and we get surprised with another young prospect making the grade. I personally don't like the idea of an opener, but is probably my having been a fan for over 70 years. I trust Bloom to be on the right path, even if we don't get there in 2021.

You don't need to be Nostradamus to see that coming. After we get worked over by the Rays and Yankees, maybe the management will conclude it time to bring in our best young talent and see what if anything that they can do at the ML level.

Compared to Benintendi's hitting Jarren's couldn't be much of a loss and the kid might bring enthusiasm, which is much needed.

I would let JBJ go after this year, either through trade or as a FA as we shouldn't be paying him 10 million. I would keep Pillar as a 3rd or 4th outfielder. I would keep Verdugo and the verdict is out on Bennintendi for me. He is not above average in defense and he isn't a power hitter. If his isn't a solid on base guy, maybe we can find better, either from the farm or through free agency. I would keep Moreland another year as having an experienced left handed hitting 1st baseman to platoon is a plus, even he can't play more than 80 games due to his age. Bogie is rick solid, Devers is a special talent with power and will get back on track and Vaz is a top notch catcher. The verdict is also not clear with Chavis. I would be looking for a right handed first baseman, a second baseman and an outfielder for the future (2021 and on). Do we have prospects that can fill any of those or will we need to make trades or enter into the FA market to find them? As far as DH, JDM is here for another year and I doubt we could move him even if we wanted to. The pitching will be hardest to straighten out. I trust Bloom to make significant progress year to year.

What about guys who had off seasons last year which have continued into this year. Guys who go 0 for 26 and don't make solid contact at all. Tough to use the virus excuse when they have been off before the virus was any part of the season.

Over the past years, we have seen major slumps before from JBJ and yet have stayed with him for his defense and occasional hitting streaks. We knew what we had but stayed with it. Why? Beni has been sliding downhill for over a year, and yet nobody has been able to get him to come out of it. The talent is there but now he is just pathetic. Now JDM is in a funk. He is there for one reason and is to hit the ball. If he can't do that, his $ millions contract is a waste of resources. Now a flags-ship player in Devers seems to have caught the bug. The Sox have a virus and it isn't corona. It appears that some just don't want to be there, whether depression or concern for illness. Whatever is going on, we would do just as well to play guys with a good attitude and get rid of those who can't or won't contribute. Pillar should play daily, so should Verdugo. Trouble is, who would really want JBJ, JDM or Beni. No way to trade them. We need a kick ass manager and Roenicke isn't that type of guy. Is there a Billy Martin type around?

It's not just Beni, (who is now out of the game). Devers, JD, JBJ all are in slumps. Our expected strength at the outset has become a weakness. Good luck fixing it.

I like a 10 day phantom injury while bringing up Jarred. Maybe his hitting problems can be overcome off the MLB stage.

We have one of the better catchers in baseball. Why not keep him in the core?

Hitting major league pitching is tough with the starters equipped with 3 to 5 good pitches and usually high velo, then the pull pen can throw a ton of arms at you with over 95 mph velo and a couple of good pitches. With the advent of the home run or bust mentality one would think averages would be down. Still these are guys who are not looking HR and can hit to all fields. On the Sox, several of the players appear to have little enthusiasm for the game, so guys like Verdugo, Bogie, Vaz and Pillar who continue to battle and have a good attitude stand out. Does Roenicke have to light a fire under some guys to get them to play or is he so laid back that he isn't a guy that can motivate players. Personally, I think the players should have the motivation without help as their careers depend on them playing with fire. Hit the ball or hit the road.

Playing the Rays and Yankees 8 games soon will be no picnic. Don't get your hopes up. Let's give loom credit for getting Verdugo. He is young and may turn out to be a starter for the Sox for years to come

Four hits in 7 innings. Where has the Red Sox offense gone? Bogaerts has been great. Moreland doing his job. Vaz done his job. Pretty awful elsewhere.

Cmon, he is chasing balls out of the strike zone and taking balls down the middle. This is not all about timing. It may be about confidence but so far it hasn't been correctable.

Benintendi will lead off again today, so you get your wish. If he lays another egg, expect Roenicke to move him down in the order as he mentioned that Verdugo may be the replacement leadoff htter.

The idea of trading players would be either to get something substantial back in prospects, get non-performing contracts off the books or let go of players no in the plan for 2021/2022. Looking at your list, I don't think JD would be of interest due to his cost as a DH only. Eovaldi might be for someone looking for a useful are. He probably is not in our 2022 plans and we might do better with what his contract comes to. JBJ is a great defensive player with an inconsistent bat who is pricey and a FA next season. Can't imagine him bring much in return. Pillar may be slightly more valuable and I like him on the Sox so wouldn't trade him now. Peraza I have no opinion. Possibly Jeter Downs is where we hope to go in future. Moreland is a pro and might help some team right now. He won't be in our plans going forward so maybe we should try and trade him. Chavis is low cost, young, has power but may not be in our LT plans with Casas in the wings. I doubt if we could get much in return. Perez might well interest some teams but he fills in one of our weakest spots. Could we see him staying for a couple of years? I think 8 of our next 11 games are against the Yankees and Rays. Is anyone on the site expecting our record will show improvement during this period? Clearly it is time to look to trade what we can.

I like to keep good players when we can as well, but you have to ask if between Betts, Price, Sale and Bogaerts you can pay $115 mil and still pay the others on the 40 man enough to have a solid team. Risk also plays a part with long term contracts seldom effective for the duration. I would like a competitive team backed by a group of solid prospects. We aren't there right now but in Bloom I trust.

Just think, we could have signed Kimbrel to a 4 or 5 year contract. The Cubbies won him for $16 mii a year and his velocity is down and he is getting clobbered. Sometimes we get lucky.