Fan_since_Boggs

What I find perplexing is seeing Cordero at 1b today. If he can play 1b, why wasn't he playing 1b yesterday? Instead, the Red Sox decided to play Chavis at 1b, a guy who can't hit and will soon be in the Korean League. Was playing Chavis yesterday so important that the Red Sox decided to take their chances with clumsy Cordero in RF? The Red Sox are aware of the claim that RF in Fenway Park is spacious and difficult to defend, right? I'm assuming the Red Sox are aware of that or have vaguely heard of that "rumor" once or twice.

Jeter Downs, who will turn 23 on Tuesday, has a .595 OPS in AAA, striking out 31% while walking 8%. Jonathan Arauz, who is a few days younger than Downs (Arauz will turn 23 in early August), has a .677 OPS in AAA, striking out 17% while walking 11%.

I'm not sure if yesterday's 8th inning was all that random (or unlucky) for the Red Sox. Instead, maybe it had something to do with playing a RF with no range.....

RECENT history. And it is not so much a first half v. second thing as much as a decline late in the season, which then carried over into October.

Back to my point on page 2, why was Cordero playing RF? M.Wilson should be promoted over waste-of-space Chavis.

Ottavino has a history of pitching poorly late in the season and into October. The Red Sox need to add to the bullpen. Kimbrel is the best one out there, but it doesn't need to be Kimbrel just as long as Bloom adds a quality reliever. Thus, I think the Red Sox will add a starting 1b and a reliever. They will probably kick the tires on SPs, but no one will be worth it. I'm looking forward to watching a new starting 1b and saying goodbye to the M.Chavis-B.Dalbec s*** show.

A Scherzer trade will be too complicated. Before he agrees to a trade, Scherzer wants an extension and his agent is Boris--he will want a lot of money. He isn't going to be worth the money in the long run (he will be 37 years old in a matter of days). I would avoid.

Renfroe is getting a day off today, Chavis plays first base, Kike at 2b, and Cordero plays RF while Verdugo starts in LF. Weird, you would think that Cordero would play LF and Verdugo would play RF, no? Another option would be, Kike in CF, Duran in LF, Verdugo in RF, Chavis at 2b, and Cordero at 1b. I'm getting the feeling that the Red Sox aren't impressed with Cordero's defense at 1b. They could have played Cordero's lefty bat at 1b yesterday against Cole, but instead went with Bobby D.

I'm not expecting Feltman to be protected on the 40-man roster. He just hasn't shown enough upside. K.Crawford is a really interesting guy. He could end up on the 40 man roster after the season, especially if the Red Sox believe his raw stuff will improve when moved to the bullpen. Then again, do the Red Sox believe he can make it as a starter?

Bobby D. seems like a nice guy and all but he is walking 4% of the time and striking out 37% of the time. It would be total lunacy (and sheer negligence) to go forward and not replace Dalbec with a better player at the trade deadline. Ultimately, Dalbec belongs on a rebuilding team that can afford to give him regular at bats without hurting the team's chances of winning in the short term. The Red Sox don't fit that profile this year.

What a great performance by Valdez. I like Valdez, it is easy to say that now (of course) but I would say that no matter what--I like watching pitchers who have a quality changeup and that is Valdez's best pitch. A great game by Devers as well, but it was Duran who led the charge against Cole. Duran's ground rule double was the first big hit off of Cole and it seemed to ignite the offense, it sent the message that Cole could indeed be hit.

Agreed; Duran does seem to play with the kind of confidence that you find in quality major league players. It is worth noting that his ground rule double in game 2 against Cole was really the first big hit off of Cole in that game. From that point forward, things went downhill for the Yankees and Cole. It was Duran who opened that wound, showed the rest of his teammates that Cole could be hit and hit hard. I thought it was a great moment. Cora seems to like Rios and seems to have confidence in him. I was shocked when Rios came back for a second inning of work (the Red Sox were up 3-1) but he gave Cora another solid inning. I agree that Rios is ahead of Workman and Andriese in terms of roster priority. Moreover, Rios has an option remaining and so he will remain with the Red Sox this year--he will be sent down before he is released. I suppose there is a chance that the Red Sox will not have room for Rios on the 40 man roster after the season, but that will also depend on what they do at the trade deadline. While Rios has a chance to remain on the team for next season, Workman and Andrisese will definitely be gone.

The Yankees have demoted Brooks Kriske back to the minors. Gee, I can't figure out why.

I love names that help you understand history like the San Francisco 49ers. When did the Gold Rush migration take off in America? Thanks to the 49ers we know the year was 1849. The Guardians is a boring name, I don't like it at all. I would want to examine history and learn more about the beginnings of Ohio as a state and Cleveland as a city and come up with a name that way. If the name "Guardians" has some kind of historical significance for the the city of Cleveland then I like it.

It was only one game, but last night's game definitely provided some support to the idea that the Red Sox need to trade for a relief arm more than a starting pitcher. 1. Houck is not fully stretched out, but he looked good, and you have to wonder if there is an SP on the trade market who is better than Houck? Or better than E-Rod? Or better than Pivetta? Berrios and S.Gray are going to be almost impossible to acquire and so who is left that profiles as much better than Houck, E-Rod, Pivetta? Are people sold on Kyle Gibson? 2. Ottavino has a history of late season decline, and he has a history of sucking in the playoffs. Accordingly, maybe a 7th or 8th inning relief pitcher is a high priority. Just because the Red Sox bullpen has been awesome doesn't mean it will continue to be awesome. For those who want a starter, the challenge is still there: name the starter and tell us how that starter is better than Houck, E-Rod, Pivetta? I've played around with the idea too, but I can't find anyone who would be a clear and definitive rotation upgrade over what the Red Sox already have for rotation spots three and four.

It is time to stop playing Verdugo against lefties, he has been totally impotent against them with a .479 OPS. Verdugo needs a dose of Viagra against lefties. Alternatively, the Red Sox should figure out a way to get M.Wilson on the roster and make him Verdugo's platoon buddy. Duran has reasonable numbers against LHP in AAA. I would play Duran against lefties over Verdugo.

My guess: Lineup against LH starter (tonight) Hernandez CF Bogaerts SS Devers 3b Martinez DH Renfroe RF Vazquez C Duran LF Dalbec 1b Chavis 2b My guess: Lineup against RH starter: Hernandez 2b Duran CF Bogaerts SS Devers 3b Martinez DH Verdugo LF Renfroe RF Cordero 1b Vazquez C BTW, it might make sense to promote M.Wilson as some point and platoon Wilson with Verdugo, with Wilson starting in LF against lefties. Verdugo has been so terrible against lefties that it may be time to do something like that. Of course, the Red Sox will need to find the roster space for Wilson, who hits lefties really well (based on AAA numbers).

Let's say the Red Sox decide against trading for a starting pitcher and pursue the best possible relief arm instead. How about Jimenez, Winckowski, and Feltman for Kimbrel? I was going through the Cubs roster and farm system, they are a little thin in the OF, which is why I included Jimenez. Interestingly, if the Red Sox acquire Kimbrel they could, in turn, trade Kimbrel in the offseason for a decent prospect.

I missed the rhyme. LOL. This is one of the guys that went from the Yankees to Cardinals in the Luke Voit trade: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gallegi01.shtml I thought the Yankees easily won the Luke Voit trade, but I totally missed just how good Gallegos has been. Gallegos, S.Gray, Kaprielian, Ottavino, and Whitlock (Rule 5)--5 quality arms that are no longer with the Yankees courtesy of Brian Cashman.

Or the "Curse of James Kaprielian." Then again, perhaps it should be called the "Curse of Sonny Gray"?

Summary of starting pitchers as potential targets on the trade market: D.Duffy: hurt. M.Boyd: hurt. J.Gray: not a clear upgrade over what the Red Sox already have. K.Gibson: the real thing? See above post. J.Berrios: not really on the market; a team will need to overwhelm the Twins with an offer. M.Pineda: probably a downgrade for the Red Sox. S.Gray: signed for two more seasons beyond this one (the second year is a team option) at an affordable price. He's been excellent for the Reds--thus, do they even want to move him? If the Reds decide to trade S.Gray, they will want a ton in return, perhaps as much as the Twins are asking for Berrios if not more (with one more year of control). S.Gray and J.Berrios are two clear upgrades, but they are also the two most difficult to acquire.

The Kyle Gibson dilemma:

For those who want a starting pitcher at the deadline, the challenge is this: name the starting pitcher and tell us how that pitcher is clearly better than the E-Rod, Pivetta, Houck group. For Gray, I don't think he stands out enough, meaning the Red Sox should simply keep their rotation as is and target a bullpen arm. It'll be easy to find a bullpen arm better than Workman or Rios. For the postseason rotation, I'm seeing this: 1.Eovaldi 2.Sale 3. E-Rod, Pivetta, Houck 4. E-Rod, Pivetta, Houck It is hard to find an SP on the trade market who profiles as something clearly better than E-Rod, Pivetta, Houck. Jose Berrios is better but it sounds like the Twins don't plan to trade him and so he really isn't on the market. Maybe Kyle Gibson is the guy but you would need to believe that his first half numbers are real and sustainable. Who else is there and why are we convinced that that starting pitcher is an upgrade? I noticed that too. I don't know what explains that split.

Yeah, I thought it was an overpay. On second thought, I'm not sure if I want Gray anymore. While his slider is an elite pitch, his 4-seamer isn't anything great, and has never been a big pitch for him. I'm not sure if Gray would be a huge upgrade over what the Red Sox already have..... Oh well, there is always Kyle Gibson. LOL. The Dodgers and Rays are reportedly interested in Gray, two organizations that probably think they can fix Gray, improve his 4-seamer somehow. I can understand the interest in Gray--an improved 4-seamer together with his plus slider would turn him into an excellent starter. Problem is, his 4-seamer has always been a below average pitch and so I'm not sure how to improve Gray. You would think Gray would develop a cutter or something like that, but he would need a spring training to work on and develop another pitch. Moreover, the Dodgers and Rays' interest in Gray might be due to the paucity of quality starting pitchers on the trade market. If we decide that there is no starting pitcher on the trade market that is significantly better than the E-Rod, Pivetta, Houck group, then maybe the Red Sox should try to acquire the best relief arm possible, along with a starting 1b.

Forget Matt Boyd: