5GoldGlovesOF,75

Isn't it obvious why I typed that? You confirmed the point I've been making since last season about this Red Sox offense -- 3rd in the AL in runs scored and runs per game -- both this year and last year. Statistically, the Sox may be highly ranked, but consistently they are just rank -- as in "bad-smelling, having an offensive rancid odor" (pun via vocabulary.com).

Yes. Remember, this is a team that just averaged almost 7 runs per game in a four-game series vs. Baltimore -- and still lost half of them. Rafaela makes bad pitching mediocre, with spectacular catches on long drives, and laser throws to nail baserunners trying to advance on liners beyond his reach. According to my stats, he's a plus-25 ET (Eye Test).

My scenario would improve the Sox by making room for Anthony by trading Abreu for another decent MLB pitcher. Anthony might not match Abreu's production, but we all know Sox will be dead by summer if they don't fortify the mound staff. Unfortunately, a significant trade is unlikely to happen until late-July, when all-in clubs are ready to deal. Until then, the best Brez can hope for, even for Abreu, is probably just a pitching prospect. But I wouldn't trade two MLB top-10 position player prospects, including the #1-rated overall, for one starting pitcher -- not even Skenes. Not in 2025... arm injuries are too frequent nowadays, especially with younger guys. Teams may think they have six years of control of a pitcher, but front offices realistically hope that's five (and not four). I wonder if Andrew Bailey would even trade a guy like Josh Reddick for himself today? By age 27 Bailey had 5.9 WAR for Oakland before being dealt to Boston. He pitched until age 33 and finished his career with the same 5.9 WAR. Reddick was a part-timer in Boston where he earned 1.6 WAR by age 24. After the trade he played another decade, hit 32 home runs once, earned a Gold Glove, and even won a trash-can ring in Houston. He finished with 25 WAR.

Not looking to pick a fight with anyone. Even old hippies with cranky joints still favor peace. Answering the question: No. I'd move Abreu to another team for a legitimate pitcher. For a club like the Red Sox with a mostly mediocre defense and pitching staff, I need to keep my best defensive player in the middle of the action in centerfield (staring down at the other top D man, Narvaez). It's likely Anthony comes up and isn't as good as Abreu this season. But If this Boston team is serious about making the playoffs, it needs more good pitching -- in the rotation and bullpen. And the outfield surplus obviously presents the best trade chips...

Totally agree with this post. The Red Sox are going nowhere by burning out the bullpen already, and as have pro announcers pointed out, it's still freaking May. The sooner the entire Big Three is up taking its lumps, the sooner they'll adapt to become productive members of the next core.

But his vehicle has zero range -- even if it's a Range Rover -- cuz he lost his keys.

That's as simple as Devers and his .409 On Base % in front of Bregman. Meanwhile, Raffy bats right after Duran and his .313 On Base %. Nowadays, in the age of Everybody Ks, the order doesn't make much difference (at least in Boston). Back when pitchers dominated last century, the tradition was to bat you best hitter 3rd, after a fast leadoff and a #2 guy who could hit a grounder to the right side. Now we have Schwarber leading off, for a quick lead with his HRs, and also because he wears down the pitcher for subsequent batters. Ideally, that's another good reason to bat a guy like Soto 2nd (at least last year it was). But one tradition remains: if the first three hitters all reach base, it sure helps to have a big bopper at clean-up who could potentially clear the sacks. That's why I'd bat Anthony 2, Bregman 3, Raffy 4. Clean-up just hasn't worked out much lately for guys the Sox were hoping on, like Dalbec and Casas. Maybe Justin Gonzales can someday be that guy. He's only 18, so if he arrives by, say 2027, the Sox might even promote Anthony and Mayer by then...

The guy with a .449 On Base Percentage? The one who's walked as many times as he's struck out? He should bat in front of Devers and Bregman, to give the big men more chances to drive him in, since he gets on base at a higher rate than any current major leaguer except one guy atop the AL in OBP, and another atop the NL. Anthony in Boston could literally keep the line moving, but counterclockwise around the bases -- instead of trudging head-down from the batter's box to the dugout in the walk of K shame,

That's because analytics departments will deduce that batters should then drop the angle of their back shoulders 2 more percent to compensate. However, many batting coaches, upon being ordered to implement such adjustments, may misinterpret the way to measure such tweaks, and alter swings by as much as 20% instead of 2%. The result -- when contact is actually made -- will be a rash of pop-ups to the catcher. When called to the front office, one BP instructor will plead he's a ballplayer, not a math whiz. Another will admit he skipped geometry that day to go trout fishing. A third will confess he broke his plastic protractor in school trying to turn it into a helicopter on the point of his pencil... They'll all look at each other and nod.

Maybe because the Sox' rotation right now consists of Crochet and Buehler rotating eyeballs at all the other starters.

And in the end, the walks you take, aren't equal to the hits... you make.

If his arm was fresh enough to use in Woo tonight, why couldn't the Sox summon him to Boston tonight? They only had zero relievers available going into the game...

Cro fumes. BB on fumes. No fumar in Boston.

Simultaneously watching two ties and two relievers on two NESN channels... in Boston and Worcester. And Luis Guerrero has better stuff than Liam Hendriks.

Re-read my last sentence.

Stats shouldn't even include relievers in ERA. Often, earned runs charged to them are allowed to score by subsequent relievers. Of course, sometimes the next guy prevents those baserunners from crossing the plate -- that's the mark of a good reliever. At least the statisticians should include the following categories for bullpen men: Inherited Runners S&P and Bequeathed Runners S&P (Stranded/Plated). Some might say what about starters? I say if they can't finish 5 IP, they deserve whatever they get.

Almost all rookies go through growing pains, pitchers' books on their weaknesses, and adjustments. If the Sox believe in Campbell's talents, they'll let him work through it -- like all teams do with young players in bridge years. And the sooner they allow Anthony and Mayer to do the same at the big league level, the sooner one or two or three of these guys can become part of the core of the next good Boston contender, whether that's next year or the year after or the one after that...

Not in New England: 100% rain. May see sun this weekend... The much-maligned bullpen has saved the team the past two games, but now that they're taxed we'll have to expect some negative residuals. One of them may be Crochet straining something by insisting on finishing what he starts. Or Chapman will be wild, or there'll be an unhappy ending even next week. The Sox sure could use a good, long stint by another starter soon... or Criswell. Or an offensive barrage that includes more bats than the top of the order!

Next to nothing? What if No Vaughn was next to a fire hydrant -- would he be tall enough then? Or how about a cactus (not a saguaro, but one of those little purple ones in a porcelain cup on the windowsill).

I know you're convinced it was all about Yoshida, but unless you have evidence, I'm not. The front office may be looking for any way to get Anthony into the batting order without making a trade. Devers to 1B, Anthony to DH (then eventually some OF, and some other guys to DH) makes more sense. There has been absolutely zero hints that Masa and his bum shoulder will be ready for Boston soon. They won't even let him DH in the minors. Meanwhile, an update on prospects on MLB.com today says at this point, Anthony is just wasting his time in Triple A.

You know it's a bad scene when Laz Diaz is the mediator, diffusing angst across the infield.

The best defense for this roster of Red Sox is Crochet striking out the side. But how is fielding% affected by "Kingles"? (a Kingle is a swinging Strike 3 on a pitch so nasty it bounces beyond the reach of the catcher and all the way to backstop, allowing the batter to safely reach first base).

Umpires are human, so they all miss a call sometimes. But the best ones -- when they realize it -- turn their backs and let a player blow off steam and even utter cuss words. I've also experienced umps quietly admit to a player or coach they blew a call, after the situation has calmed down. Guys like Estabrook with a quick fuse have ego issues, and are on power trips. Don't ever underestimate why people in charge chose professions that carry a ball-strike clicker (or gun or ICE vest). Finally, no viewer should ever consider that fake rectangle on their boob tube to delineate the strike zone -- since it's the exact same dimensions no matter how tall or short the batter, whether he's crouching in his stance or straight up in the box.

Didn't have his lunch angle or his dinner angle: "Hey, baby -- buy you a cherry cola?"

I recently looked it up. But the Giants were definitely interested in Tek as a managerial candidate two years ago.