5GoldGlovesOF,75

There's also the outside chance Niko comes up in June/July and rakes MLB heat, lays off offspeed stuff, builds a snappy OPS... and becomes a more palatable trade target than Cooper or Smith. Bloom would be paralyzed to include a 25-year old lefty slugger in a deadline deal (even a redundant one, like his endless supply of shortstop farmhands). But Breslow seems like a guy who knows he has to give up something to get something... at least, if we believe his "painful decisions" vow many months ago. That is, if the Sox are confident they can lock up -- and want to lock up -- Casas, longterm.

Responding to Moon quotes from game thread: "This guy has had some mammoth hits for the Sox, some as clutch as they get. He has not been clutch in his 34 games, this year, and it seems this is what defines him, to some." Those of us who watched 2023 also saw the latter for most of that entire season. Forget our eyes; even team reporters and announcers noted Dever's final numbers -- 33 HRs, 100 RBI, .851 OPS -- didn't tell the whole story of what even he would admit was a frustrating campaign at the plate. We should be concerned about Raffy's at bats, and him overexerting himself maybe trying to justify his big contract. But the lack of All-Star production around him in the batting order has certainly amplified his failures, and made it harder to succeed when pitchers have no reason to throw him a good pitch to hit with the game on the line. Devers' struggles don't have to mean he's beginning to decline. The Sox may develop or even trade for some big league bats that will let Raffy do more damage than ever before. There's also plenty of time for him to figure things out and become the beast he once was. At least there's a much better chance Devers regains his star power than there is that John Henry reverts to his old ways of spending to bring in other fearsome hitters to frazzle pitchers. After all, Raffy is only 27... Henry is 74.

Posters who won't admit this scenario has always been at least in the back of their minds all winter may need to go under hypyesis.

"Sometimes, artificial is used in a more negative way to describe something as fake..." "Fake - not real..." The preceding was copied and pasted from dictionary.com... an online source, thus more dubious than a book made by humans and printed on the remains of a real tree.

How can anyone believe anything on social media? How do I even know you're you? If artificial means not real, then artificial intelligence is a dumbass.

Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos said Red Sox were "adamant" they got Grissom in exchange for Sale. Anthopoulos thought so highly of Grissom as a person that he called him directly (instead of, what -- letting the guy find out on social media?)... Anthopoulos predicts Grissom will be a MLB All-Star and has a "big league bat right now" -- he said last winter... Right now, a week away from Memorial Day, Grissom is a young guy pressing to make up for lost time, trying to show the world he belongs in the starting lineup of a major league ballclub. It's still early in his career and in his life -- unlike for old Red Sox fans looking for any positives rooting for their banged up, undermanned, starless team. Young talent seldom instantly matures into stardom, and no one expects Breslow to be suddenly given a blank checkbook in order to sign proven quality bats for the roster. But what we all should hope for, is that he's furiously searching for the Andrew Bailey version of a batting instructor -- a top-of-the-industry coach who can tap into big league potential, and help batters find their grooves and the confidence to do damage to pitches in the strike zone... before they ever have to swing at stuff they can't reach.

Tyler O'Neill is not the reason the Red Sox can't hit or score enough. A .250 hitter who slugs 30 home runs (which he's on pace for) isn't a problem. The problem is that the Sox have no one else in the batting order they can rely on to supply run production around Devers, and they really didn't have enough even before Story, Yoshida and Casas were injured (only the latter was expected to be a major contributor at the plate). O'Neill is an all-or-nothing guy, but we knew going in he had a career 30% K-rate. That's even higher than Story's, but Boston isn't paying Tyler $140 million.

Sox may not have any Top-40 hits, but out of the MLB's 390 position players, own an entire shelf of 33 1/3 records. Problem is a lot of Side Twos feature either cover fillers or instrumental jams.

I was going to crack a joke about injecting steroids into brain tissue, since his latest injury was a concussion... but I can't rule out a young guy somewhere in the world trying to make millions already trying it. The preceding was typed by a victim and so-far-survivor of concussions from baseball, football, hockey, a playscape, and a Volkswagen hatchback.

Makes sense -- Dalbec was a decent option at minimum wage, and a logical righty platoon partner to ease Casas into the majors. My whole Schwarber post today was how much he could've changed Red Sox history had they signed him. Maybe then they don't sign Story and instead extend Bogaerts (at nowhere close to 11/$280M)... maybe X isn't struggling like he is in SD, and definitely Devers is happier and more comfortable -- and probably more productive... '24: XB 4 HRs, 13 RBI; RD 5 HRs, 15 RBI. The maybes also include a '22 deadline deal for JD Martinez, to open up DH for Schwarber. Maybe in exchange they add a decent prospect to the farm. And finally, maybe all the Asst. VPs who actually watched Yoshida hit and play outfield for years, would also admit he was a future DH without Schwarber's power, and insist the Sox invest instead on a Senga or Imanaga.

The post was a continuation of the first base discussion. Schwarber was a lousy first baseman -- just like all the guys Moon listed -- except he led the world in HRs the past two years. In '22 that type of production might have made up for his D, until the Sox actually traded JD at the deadline (which Bloom might've finally done, if Casas was healthy enough to play first the last two months). At least we know Schwarber would've been a better call at first than standing the cigar-store Franchy over there. He strikes out a ton, but so do all the other first sackers who failed the audition -- and never scored 100 runs to pace a World Series team as their leadoff batter... or got MVP votes the past two seasons. Is Schwarber all done already? He's got 9 homers and a 32.3% K rate. For comparison, O'Neill currently leads Boston with 10 taters and a 32.9% K rate.

Imagine if they just signed Schwarber instead of Story, and then also instead of Yoshida? A lot of us wanted Kyle back, because he was such a good fit in Boston. Sure, we would've had to live with Schwarbs at first base for a year, but unlike all the other bumblers and big whiffers, at least he was good for 100 home runs in '22-23 -- and yes, I'm absolutely counting the postseason (amplified for importance). With the savings on the two biggest position player busts in the Bloom Era -- so far -- the Sox could've picked up a cheap glove-first shortstop and a back-up first sacker who can scoop, while waiting for Casas and now Mayer. And we'd have a worthy DH, even if it means sacrificing the "versatility" of using that slot for lesser bats that can't hit... ... Boston DHs have contributed negative WAR the past three seasons, '22-24 (Losses Below Replacements?).

Watching Bastardo closely in a game, he had a decent mix: 95 velo with a Bello-type change-up. If he can harness that stuff with consistency, may be a future MLB starter.

Do hitters game plan for situational at bats? Would it make sense for an organization to protect its $300 million dollar investment to hire lefty BP pitchers to serve Devers a daily hour of sliders and sweepers? Muscle memory is important, and reps practicing which pitches to lay off and which ones to hit oppo should maybe be a regular part of pregame prep. Same with high fastballs: give entire BP sessions with heaters at the top of the zone, so hitters learn which ones they can handle and which they should take. When I was in the business last century, I once stood on the Fenway lawn during BP. Dwight Evans was hitting vs. normal speed, and calling out his own situations and swinging accordingly - "2-0" (pulls the ball); "3-1" (launches one to center); "3-2, runner on third with less than two outs" (hits a fly ball to right)... then turns to Bill Buckner and says, "They threw you out at home."

If you can forget about stats, and rely on a pitcher's grip test and elbow/shoulder stress, is it at least possible that a good pitcher will save his best deliveries -- and all the subsequent strain that might put on his body and mind -- for when the best batters are up with the game on the line? That's not clutch, it's an actual plan that coaches, batteries and defenses go over pregame. The phrase is as old as sign-stealing: "Don't let HIM beat you." And it's not like pitchers throw meatballs to the other guys or even the best hitters earlier in the game. They just can't risk elbows and shoulders on every pitch...

Posters are allowed to voice opinions about moves the Red Sox make or don't make. We all want them to improve. We can agree or disagree on why they should've paid Betts market value or Cora resting a hot hitter or building up pitching depth by adding power arms. There's little doubt that reporters who rank farm systems have said the Red Sox have some good position prospects, and zero potential top-of-the-rotation pitchers right now.

The Romdawg is not the typical Pablo-size back-up infielder. As Merloni pointed out, he's 6 foot, 215 lbs, and had some pop in AAA: .333/1.079 before being called up.

No one's rewriting the draft. It's the Red Sox draft strategy that we've all questioned for at least a half decade. Boston's system has been bereft of legitimate starting pitching prospects, and the draft is one obvious way to build depth. Whether you like Yorke or not, the fact is that a dozen pitchers were picked between him and Jordan, and the Sox could've nabbed one of them instead, and still signed Blaze. No one knows if anyone will make the majors or be a star, but the odds may just favor big arms like Miller, Cavalli or Jones -- guys already pushing 100 mph -- over a Henry Owens, whose scouting report on Baseball Prospectus noted had a "sitting velocity of 89-91".

That about sums up the Sox, but what about the Bruins?

Portland-Somersat (Yanks AA) game is free on milb.com... Seadogs up 10-4 in the 5th... watching on laptop, with Sox on TV and NESN muted.

Dom Smith flicks his bat at pitches in his eyes like he's trying to swat a bug with a rolled up newspaper. Does it a lot... delirium Clemens?

I hope you didn't mean Randy. When he read this, he folded his arms and just stood there in the pasture.

Maybe, but if you're looking at that approach rationally -- like the past few offseasons when you noted the Sox needed more pitching, or the past few deadlines, when you complained Bloom didn't do enough -- then maybe Boston should have focused on drafting and signing more proven college hitters than on high school bats with potential.

I was talking about the Sox on talksox. Just don't touch that Paulino. We all know if they're not going to spend for "legitimate" starting pitchers (who don't sport a 5 ERA the past two years), Breslow needs to make a few decisions he promised that he deemed "uncomfortable."

Arguably the biggest blockbuster in this Red Sox century -- the #1 prospect in the majors, along with their top pitching prospect, for the best pitcher in baseball. And it was eight seasons ago. Since then, we've proposed more trades on just this forum than non-Boston fans probably have on free BTV... and just stared at our monitors with Chaim as deadline after deadline evaporated. And no, I didn't forget Dombro horrifying the Nation swapping another Sox top pitching prospect for a journeyman lefty; that one kinda worked out, anyway.