Hugh2

Can we at least wait for Dalbec to turn back into a pumpkin first? The dude has been absolutely destroying the baseball lately and this team has been struggling for offense. Not a good look taking your best hitter right now out of the lineup for marginally better defense at 2nd.

Ok, that's fine, but Arroyo has only been on this team for less than a week so he wasn't even in this conversation until very recently. Up until then, it made sense to put KIKE at 2nd and Schwarber in LF. So literally, up until right now, there's zero arguments for Schwarber being at 1B over Dalbec. With Arroyo back there is, but it's not like he's that much better at 2nd. He's better, don't get me wrong but it's not this big leap over Kike and he's never played in more than 34 games a season until this year. Now we can say that he has a higher OPS than Bobby, but Bobby has better career numbers in a similar sample size. But, if you want to have more recency bias and use this year's state lines let's also recognize if we take out the first 2 months and look at the last 3 Bobby has been a much better hitter. This opinion comes with the realization that Dalbec could very well do what he's down all season long and go on a terrible slump, which is why I've continually said we could see Schwarber at 1B at some point. But right now, when the offense is struggling, why would you remove your best hitter for the past couple weeks for marginally better defense at 2nd?

90 million isn't big money players are literally pushing FOUR times that amount, and we might be able to sign him for less than that. You're complaining about one poster's opinion. Even with a strong farm you still need to pay people. You can't run an all 25 under lineup you have to fill in the gaps.

ADD, I love how Schwarber somehow doesn't have a position because he's played a few games at RF/C. He's started over 90% of his games in LF, he's a left fielder.

Ughhh What? LOL you'r seriously going to reference one stat line, AVERAGE? you could have at least rounded up to .240 instead of down to .230. Schwarber is also a .813 life time OPS hitter behind only JDM .881 and Devers .834, and that puts him ahead of Bogaerts, Verdugo, and well.....everyone else. Unless of course you want to say AVG > SLG/OBP. Which would just be bonkers.

No, but maybe? Arroyo is playing good this year, but he has a lower career OPS than Dalbec. I like Arroyo and hope he's blooming into a better player but he could be riding a high, and he's never been a full-time player so who knows. Bobby could turn back into a pumpkin as he has before but so could arroyo. If that happens, you stick Kike back at 2nd and Schwarber into LF.

I don't think his upside is as high as much as Bloom just likes his profile of a power bat. Dalbec is never going to be a high average, high obp guy. He's going to hit .225-.240, strike out a ton and maybe hit 30 HR's. That's fine if he can improve his D and walk more. But that's not a huge ceiling for a 1B profile.

If, or Perhaps when Dalbec turns back into a pumpkin. He's sporting a 1.143 OPS the last month, and given how so much of our offense has been struggling right now I think you HAVE to ride the hot hand right now. Let Bobby show you he's going to slump again.

No, because with Arroyo out Kike was at 2nd, who else was going to play 2nd? Schwarber was in LF because Duran was struggling bad and they were riding the hot hand at 1B with Dalbec. I'll reiterate a point I've made multiple times because I think we generally agree here. I think we could and perhaps should see Schwarber at 1B at some point.......it's just that up until this point it hasn't really made sense to put him there.

I didn't say it wasn't, it just hasn't been lately. When Schwarber was acquired Arroyo wasn't in Boston, Duran was struggling and Dalbec was fine, as a matter of fact Dalbec is sporting a .282/.351/.576 stat line in the 2nd half. Up until about 4 days ago when Arroyo came back to Boston it was Dalbec at 1B put Schwarber in LF because KIKE was not in the OF with Arroyo out. Yes, Dalbec could turn back into a pumpkin which is why I was very careful to specifically say we could still see Schwarber at 1B some point this season. But so could Arroyo. In 480 career PA Arroyo has a .691 OPS, and in 444 PA's Dalbec has a.783 The OF is fine now because Schwarber is there and Kike is back, but removing Dalbec from the lineup removes your best hitter for the past couple weeks and one of your best hitters in the 2nd half.

Well, it kind of is or was. I'd be willing to bet that if Dalbec continued to hit below .600 OPS in August like he did in July and Duran was mashing in LF that Schwarber would be at 1B right now and Duran would be in LF. But Arroyo plays 2nd and Duran got sent down to AAA.

if JDM took the one year it's probably a blessing. It might not look like that because he's in a bad slump, but he's still a very good hitter and being able to sign him for just one year is ideal. The Sox are staying under the luxury limit to go over next year, so the cash is going to be there and on a one-year deal JDM is NOT going to hamstring them from throwing money at a starting pitcher.

I do think Schwarber was acquired with plugging him at 1B in mind, but as an outfielder first and considering Dalbec has been better than Duran it made a lot more sense to just keep him in the OF. That could change, but it's not going to happen right now. I think that's why you see him in the OF, not because they're afraid to put him at 1B or his hamstring or anything like that.

But to answer your question, you’d get a farm system.

This is a good argument for trading Mookie Betts. I think you’re half wrong here. Paying guys isn’t a problem, paying guys brings in talent and wins championships. The problem is you can’t pay everyone $30 million dollars to man every position. Even the Dodgers don’t have a $400 million dollar payroll. You need young cheap players and that starts with a strong robust farm system. FA fills in the gaps, it’s about balance. Also, it’s about how the guys you pay perform. It’s about knowing who you pay and who you let go. Bogaerts is going to (deservedly) get a raise. He’s a keeper in my book. He’s not going to get whatever he wants, he’s going to get what he’s worth.

Not sure why anyone is talking about Schwarber playing first anymore. Dalbec has been fine lately, Kyle fills the biggest black hole in the outfield. Things could change, and at some point probably will at some point.

That we will lose because I suspect the Sox are going to pick up some FA's. Pick #41 looks a little bit better now.

I think adding a salary floor is a real possibility. But the union accepting a lower tax limit of 180 (even if the first line of penalties aren't that harsh) is about as absurd as the extension the Red Sox offered Jon Lester.

Also It showing on the field isn’t an indictment of them being “low spenders” how much if their payroll is tied up in guys like David Price? This is what happens when you spend like a drunken sailor, you pay for it in later years.

Yes but this isn’t a new development. The penalties for exceeding the luxury tax are progressive, the further and longer above the threshold you spend the harsher the penalties become. Teams like the Sox have shown time and time again they’re willing to go above the luxury tax threshold only to get below it and reset. The only team who has not done this has been LA, and even that’s changing as they’re getting below it. Even in “down years” the Sox still have top payroll, and we can fully expect them to reverse course and use a reset year to set themselves up to spend big again.

MLB revenues vary by team, but the luxury tax limit is the same for all.

So their lowest spending year has them still outspending 24 of 30 teams and you think that’s evidence they aren’t one if the biggest spenders? The Sox spend money, over the long term horizon almost more than any other team, no one can call them frugal. Point.

Red Sox payroll rank 2021 6th 2020 4th 2019 1st 2018 1st 2017 6th 2016 3rd 2015 5th 2014 4th 2013 4th 2012 3rd 2011 3rd Calling the Sox penny pinchers is just delusional

I still think Whitlock could start next year. They really like his arsenal and view him as a potential starter.

They took a big gamble in it paid off. In a year in which they only had 5 rounds the Sox had no second round pick. They identified a guy at #17 that no one had going in the first couple rounds. People had him going in the 4th-5th round. They knew they could draft him to save the money and throw it at whoever fell to them. You look stupid when those guys bust, but genius when it works out.