Hugh2

Yeah but they will make it, it's all about how they play once they get in. I understand the backlash this comment may get, and I certainly agree with the anxiety created around this team with it's fanbase by not performing well. But absolutely no one will care how they played the last few weeks if they get past the first series. This should make everyone feel a little bit more optimistic. There is a much, much higher correlation between postseasn success and regular season play vs. .500 teams than there is vs. postseason success and record the last month of the season. Re-read that. It's a statistical fact that teams who beat good teams in the regular season go further than teams who didn't do so but won more games in September. Of the 12 teams slated to make the playoffs today, the Sox have the 4th best record vs. .500 teams and the 2nd best in the American league. I'd certainly feel much better about this team if they're winning more games this last week and a half. But they really do just need to get in healthy.

I see your point and I think I agree. While people certainly may have an affinity to be more pessimisstic or optimistic its very natural for people to react to bad performances "HE'S A BUM!!!!" but not exactly really think that about him. That's fair. I withdrawl my complaint.

Pointing out the under performers on any team does nothing to dispell the fact that people will inherently find something to complain about, actually it reinforces it. The ideal was that some people just can't be happy. It's an online sports forum, I get it, and to be fair this team deserves critique. They can certainly use more power.

Ok but this isn't a new trend unique to 2026. The Sox won 108 games in 2018 and people still complained about "bums"

Everyone who isn't a perennial all star is a bum to some people.

Things that are generally true aren't always true. Big guys are generally thought to have the body to withstand the rigors of a full season for the long haul, but on the other hand big guys get hurt too and little guys like Pedro Martinez have HOF careers. Rules have exceptions, doesn't make following them bad practice.

I don't regret that trade one bit, I was a little sad at the time because I love high ceiling arms, despite their whif rates (no pun intended), but it was a good trade. EDIT: this is why I like Valera a lot too, I'm well aware of the risks but I still think his ceiling is sky high.

I disagree, I'm not taking anything away from 9 innings pitched from a rookie pitcher.

That seems pretty standard, to develop all highly regarded prospects as starters, even the ones you think will end up in the bullpen. It makes sense, giving them the reps to work on their pitches. But at some point you have to transition bullpen guys to the bullpen, and I'm just not sure waiting for a guy to fail at the MLB level and being out of options is the way to go.

9 IP, that effectively tells us nothing. Yeah, it stinks not having options but I could care less what 9 innings say. He's 23 with all the talent in the world. Nothing in life is guranteed but he's still on the learning curve. He could just as easily be an all star next year.

I would trade him for the next Bennet any day, but I like Valera and his potential too. FWIW Perales is still a young 23. I'm going to be interested to see what he does next year.

The reliever risk is real and very high. One thing I wish saw more from the Red Sox is to move guys to the bullpen when it is likely to obvious that is where their best place on a MLB team is. Still, I think Phillips gets at least one more full year on the mound next year.

Let me critique myself, Devers was arguably one of the worse defenders at 3B, he's probably more like slightly below average at 1B. EDIT: It's still his first year, lets rehash this conversation 1/2 way into 2027 and see what his 1B defense looks like. Maybe he gets better at scooping balls.

What do you base "he seems adeqiate at 1B" on? a few DRS? So you like BA over Fangraphs? which along with statcast have him as a bad defender. I know statcast was actually using technological measuring tools like radar, which they've literally evolved past military grade dopler radar and use a lot of propriertary high tracking systems and high speed cameras that they've installed into every single ballpark to track data. Honestly, I think that s*** is probably always going to be more accurate than the "eye test" which to be honest.......I haven't seen many Raffy Devers games since he left Boston and I'd be willing to bet everyone in this room is in the same boat. It's a blend of advanced physics, math and advanced computer systems so I do apologize that I can't break in their private labs and read you code. It's not a simple equation, they're using I'm also sorry that Raffy just isn't that good at 1B.

It's very easy to point out the one metric he's top ten in and then neglect anything else and label all other stats as being ambigious. He's in the 16th percentile according to statcast forwhever that is or isn't worse. In my defense, my verbiage is certainly concruent with being inbetween very bad and good. I suppose a better way to rephrase my last post would be that he's about as good at 1B as he was at 3B.