5GoldGlovesOF,75

It was just reported he felt tightness in his forearm from waving at so many guys warming up in the bullpen. MRI and consultation soon with renowned Dr. Pull Aparty.

It is curious that the Eastern League 2023 defensive second baseman of the year is being asked to play outfield... Can't blame Bloom on this one -- any St. Louis fans seeing regulars being played out of position all over the field this spring?

Yes, the Yanks improved their offense, getting Soto and Verdugo. But they lost five starting pitchers from the rotation: Cole, German, Severino, King, Brito... and replaced them with Marcus Stroman? Yankee fans know better than to count on full seasons of health from Rodon and Cortes, and nobody can reasonably expect Cole to return to Cy Young status after merely resting a bum elbow... I must be missing something with the annual World Series favorites that never play in the World Series.

Of course: Eovaldi-Gray-Heaney all won World Series games; Montgomery had a World Series loss -- who needs him.

I am. Definitely looking forward to a new season: watching young outfielders progress, seeing if corner infielders can become studs, hoping for Bailey to help Bello and at least one of the other starters become solid all year, intrigued by the potential of new relievers, even anticipating that some prospect makes a splash in the second half... and the debut of Mondesi -- I mean Grissom. I think the AL East is vulnerable; the Yankees are vastly overrated, and the highlight of their season may be calling up Spencer Jones when Judge and Stanton get hurt again. The O's and Rays won't be as good as last year, and I just picked the Jays because they're due. But if all goes right for the Sox, they could make some noise. Realistically, though, with a totally unproven starting rotation?

The Red Sox finished 12 games under .500 in the woeful 2020 summer -- that's 75-87 over an entire season... though Boston's .400 winning percentage equates more to 65 wins. A range between 65 and 75 victories seems reasonable. Predicting playoffs is unreasonable -- and even CBO Breslow admits that. Remember, no member of the projected starting rotation has ever had one entire good season as a starting pitcher. But the AL East will not be the mighty division many expect it to be. There will not be three playoff teams in the East, maybe only one. Baltimore won't win 100, especially with Kimbrel trying to close. Not every young talent is an instant star, and all are subject to growing pains. Toronto has the best rotation. New York's veteran starters are all injury-prone now, and will regret trading pitching prospects the past year. Tampa is depleted and due for a season of mediocre openers. Jays 95-67 O's 92-70 Rays 81-81 Spanks 79-83 Sox 74-88

Signing a top free agent is definitely a positive part of PR because it generates additional excitement and hope during a time of year when fans can't actually see their favorites in action. It also makes sense that some of that renewed enthusiasm would generate ticket sales (recalls past reports of increased season-ticket sales when a team has signed a big-time big-money guy to promise the promised land...)

Optimizing the new rules favoring speed on the bases, the best line-up and most exciting for fans will have both Duran and Ceddanne as regulars. A L-R platoon of Abreu-O'Neill in RF is also reasonable, and it's likely the former gets more reps than the latter, who already has multiple strains and sprains flaring up... though TO could also share some ABs in R-L DH platoon with Yoshi, if Masa gets into another 4-3 slump.

I didn't even mention the impact investing in established pitching can have on how much the fanbase invests in watching its favorite team. Some might call it ownership's obligation to fans -- but even the most cold-hearted owners can see how it may affect longterm profits... as interest and relevance dwindles. (this spoken from an American Legion coach who knows his roster has about a 30-second attention span for instruction -- and these are boys who love the sport).

There are so many reasons -- besides trying to win the World Series this year -- to upgrade any starting rotation with established MLB winners, ERAers, WHIPers and FIPers: 1. Inning eaters who take a regular turn give the rest of the staff a break; bullpens are less taxed, and better able to relieve the starts of other rotation members, free to be themselves and pitch with impunity, knowing fresh arms are ready in reserve behind them. 2. Not only can reason #1 prevent physical and mental injuries on the roster this year, such health can carry over into subsequent seasons... and thus expedite the "timing" for contention. 3. Reason #1 can also take the pressure off an ace's defense and offense, and lead to Reason #2... 4. ... because virtually every retired player who is now manager, coach or media voice continually extols the value of having veteran leadership in the clubhouse, dugout and bullpen -- someone who can not only teach younger teammates, but also show how it's done on the field (something Cora, Breslow and Bailey can no longer do). 5. Prices for quality starting pitchers are always going to increase -- and you've got to start somewhere.

Kudos to posters for calling it like it is about the Red Sox not spending to actually upgrade and improve the club this year (the only one any of us are guaranteed to be fans of... at least right now) Bellhorn calls out the Red Sox for the con of waiting until being '"ready" to take a run at a championship"... Notin calls out the excuse of timing and rebuilding (currently on Year freakin 5): "all it is right now a euphemism for being cheap" Both may have cited Boston's budget in the past half decade when it was still a Top 5 spender in the industry... of course, in Beantown there's always a wasteful chunk paying off dead contracts of injured or jettisoned players not to wear the Sox uniform. Meanwhile, top talent keeps signing with competitors every offseason (and a lot of that top talent tops the performances of Story and Yoshida the past few seasons). It may be rare for clubs -- after recruiting top talent -- to actually win the World Series that year. But we also know it's even harder to win it all with only bottom talent.

Ha- right, he said you'd better win those... he didn't mention the Sox, but did say Miami fans should be worried that the Marlins are only 1-8 at home.

We all know Spring Training won-loss records don't mean much to many. But here's an interesting take from MLB Sirius' Eduardo Perez (paraphrased): "Home records are what I look at, because clubs mostly send minor leaguers on bus trips to road games. Veteran big leaguers usually stay around home camps, to get their reps preparing for the season in home games." Makes sense. But does this: Most ST home wins -- Red Sox 9, tied with LA Dodgers (each have 2 Ls).

Agreed -- let Brez word it so that not even extreme court jesters can overrule it; basically, the opposite of Giolito's contract. The Oppolito Clause: if he reaches incentives, he gets to stay in the rotation... it he reaches outcentives, he's frigging o-u-t out.

I don't mean to be a downer, but nobody in the Red Sox projected rotation has ever even had one entire good season of starting. At least Cleveland has Bieber, former Cy Young and still only 28 -- and if you're anticipating a bounceback year, his ERA was only 3.80 in '23 (not pushing 5, like Giolito the past two years). Arguably, Detroit also has a brighter outlook with Skubal, predicted by some Sox media as a possible Cy contender... maybe Tigers media is predicting big things from Bello? But looking at the AL East, what's more likely: Boston has a few guys emerge as actual solid starters or New York vets like Rodon, Cortes and Cole are never on the IL (after/if Cole returns in a month... or two...or three)?

Full last name: El(bow)(Re)Attrache

For now, with Ref's cracked toe, they'll prob stay with Duran-Ceddanne-Abreu/O'Neill, with Yoshi DH -- and keep assessing who they like, who they keep, and who's a creep (oh, wait, Dugie's gone!). It's just easier to Ceddanne than his four-syllable, Devers-sounding last name.

This post made me laugh.

If we bewaring, then the misfortune and doom will come tomorrow, the 15th (hope Crawford isn't throwing)... luckily, the prospect team won't play until Saturday -- so the future will stay healthy... ... until future internal brace ops.

Ok, I won't complain about the opportunity to keep a guy in his 30s at a bargain rate in 2026, five years after his last good season. But tell me how to praise a contract that all but ensures your most expensive offseason acquisition starting pitcher -- presuming he was healthy -- leaves in '25 if he's good in '24, but stays if he's bad... given by a team in real need of any good starting pitchers. Unless, of course, a club that hasn't paid market rate for any available top starting mound talent in half a decade will suddenly change its business plan...

Someone argue why the italics don't further confirm this is a dumb contract for a team that really needs to solidify (not liquify) the starting rotation now and for the future. Innings pitched may make sense as an incentive for someone hired to be a workhorse, but only 140 for a guy with an average IP of 192 (per every 162 games over an 8-year career)? The Red Sox were obviously protecting their investment against injury -- but why? Was there a risk that they knew about? Or for a healthy Giolito, would less than 140 instead mean he was too much of a risk for giving up home runs that Cora and Co. had to get him off the mound?

He's talking to Sammy, who's telling a Whammy, and probably will be for life.

Cooperstown Criswell? Justincase Slaten... Mitt Romy Gonzalez!

The crucible of our machinations presupposes the acquiescence of a pendulous fanbase, as reflected by remunerations at the turnstiles.

-- transcripts from the latest front office conference