5GoldGlovesOF,75

I would say batboy, but since Mookie was 15 then, he could probably pinch-run for Manny or Papi with the game on the line.

A young batter who makes above-average contact, always hits the ball hard and doesn't chase out of the zone? Is that even legal in Boston? There has to at least be some kind of rule against it with runners in scoring position... definitely if it's a ghost runner.

We might have to be happy enough if the new regime just stops the practice of acquiring square pegs to fill too many holes on the diamond. It wasn't ever clever -- not with three last place finishes in four years... more like cleaver, as in a Sopranos "clean-up" scene in the back room of Satriale's Pork Store Meat Market.

You just stated the real problem with this franchise: instead of extending and locking up young stars at market value -- and thus saving money, before future of cost-of-living increases -- the Red Sox repeatedly try to squeeze every last ounce of blood, sweat and UCL tears out of their players. They could've signed Lester, Betts, and Bogaerts, among others, for longterm and reasonable rates -- if they didn't instead lowball and alienate them all. It's been going on for at least a decade now, so we know that's three different GMs... following orders from the owners'... direct phone calls from Pottersville. Before someone posts huge nine-figure offers that Mookie turned down, remember that every number the Sox approached him with since he was arb-eligible was outdated by at least a year or two by market increases. Every time.

The Red Sox should find a trade partner for Verdugo who will give up a top prospect and a right-handed bat with more HR pop. Unlikely? Dec. 23, 2022: Toronto dealt for Arizona RF Dalton Varsho, who leads all outfielders with a 2.6 dWAR. He's also hitting .219 with a .663 OPS and 3.4 WAR overall. For Varsho, the Jays traded catcher Gabe Moreno, who has 4.0 WAR in 101 games and Lourdes Gurriel, who has 2.7 WAR with 24 homers. The GM who made that deal for the D-backs, who right now are headed to the postseason, is former (and future?) Red Sox exec Mike Hazen...

"Hi, I'd like you to come in for an interview to run my team. This is Lowball Johnny..."

Even if Bloom gets another GM job and wins 10 rings, this will still be in his obit: "In his first year as CBO in Boston, Bloom traded the Red Sox most popular player, future Hall of Famer Mookie Betts." Dombrowski's obit will note he was GM of the greatest team in Red Sox history.

Why start now? Oh, that's right -- new boss!

Yeah, the old regime was conventionally conservative with prospects, who usually just aren't good enough to promote (before they can order a drink at a bar). But Teel's top collegiate experiences vaulted him to Double A quickly. And who knows what a radical new CBO might want to do to immediately change the culture -- especially concerning the shoddy D, which is the most embarrassing (and potentially fatal) flaw on bad teams with fans clutching remotes. Teel probably doesn't break camp and go north with the Sox, but if he continues to rake and keeps his pop time better than anyone in the majors, a call-up before mid-season shouldn't be a shocker.

Currently under the holes where the dogs buried their bones.

What could go wrong; does anyone really think a Sale situation could repeat itself? I mean, all we have to find are a couple guys like Carlos Rodon -- healthy and dominant the last two years of his 20s entering free agency... or a mid-20s ace like Julio Urias, who led his league in wins, ERA, closed out a World Series, and is yet to enter his prime...

This is a fair assessment. No matter what a fan wants to complain about re. Eovaldi -- IL stints or his (very equitable market-rate) AAV of $17M in his Boston years -- he was still the #1 overall on some bad teams and one contender. Porcello, after winning his Cy Young, did, in fact lead the greatest team in Red Sox history in wins and innings pitched. Wacha, in his one season in Boston, led the staff in WAR for $7M... Lackey was a bust, until he helped win in one October. His case was similar to Price's, in that it didn't end well, because everyone knew Lackey would never agree to pitch a final season in Boston for the minimum wage injury stipulation on the contract that he signed. Since this is a Cora thread, if AC has any input this winter, bet he has no problem trading some shortstop prospects in package deals for under-30 arms.

In another thread I pointed out how in Bloom's four-year Reign of Error the Red Sox led the MLB in Es. Cora's all-timers in 2018 had the 3rd-fewest. How does a team suddenly go from really good to terrible defense -- unless there are different players on the rosters assembled by a new CBO..

Probably... but instead he committed two other crimes (to ownership): not trade for deadline help with an eye on October, and not trade expiring (ugh) old guys with an eye on future Octobers. Meanwhile, August sucked, as usual, for not doing the first one, and subsequently, so does September...

Amidst the fall-out of Bloom's firing, stories continue to leak about the moves he didn't make, specifically at the past two trade deadlines. Alex Speier is a reputable source, and he reports today that Bloom refused offers to trade Sale, and Jansen, and Paxton, among others... but the one that should hurt the most here: Turner to the Marlins for 25-year old starting pitcher Edward Cabrera -- the exact kind of deal the Red Sox need to expedite their rebuild. The next CBO should make at least three trades this winter for under-30 starting pitchers, and no one in the system should be untouchable (beyond our own young pitchers) except Teel, and a few legitimate power threats like Casas and Anthony. Personally, trading prospects (most never become MLB stars) just looks more logical to a budget-conscious franchise than blowing big bucks in an attempt to generate new fan buzz on the next wave of free agent pitchers who all bring risks: Snell, Nola (inconsistency), Gray (age), Giolito, Flaherty, Lorenzen (mediocrity). The prize is obviously Yamamoto, but who thinks Henry is prepared to outbid any team from New York or California -- or Texas -- at this point?

Fans don't really dislike Bloom the Man. He isn't a bad guy, and his company lies are wrapped up in so much logorrhea that they aren't punchable offenses (like those spewing from Sam Kennedy). The hatred -- or at least dread -- even in the unconscious state, was for Bloom the System, and what he always represented: 1. cutting payroll, which meant "cutting" star players that fans love to root for and want playing for their favorite team; and 2. not investing enough in legitimate MLB replacements to the detriment of the big league W-L record during a multi-year franchise rebuild he could never admit to. The entire Bloom Era was a John Henry Production. But don't feel bad for Chaim, who knew what he was getting into, and was well-paid; he'll be ok. The fans just need to recover. But first, Boston needs to recover the fans...

Did Cora suddenly become a lousy manager of defense, an unsound coach of fielding? Does that even happen to veteran instructors? Or is it the actual players on the roster that lead the league in Es... 2018 Red Sox: tied for 3rd-best, least team Es in AL 2019 Red Sox: 6th in team Es Chaim takes over full seasons 2020: 2nd MOST Es 2021: MOST Es AL 2022: one less E than AL avg (but 2nd worst def. efficiency) 2023: MOST Es, WORST def. efficiency

The oft-repeated company line the past four years about moves the Red Sox didn't make is that they didn't "make sense." Would a Cora/Romero combo at the top the organization make sense? Both have connections or have been active in Latin-America communities beyond just the Caribbean, and would seem to have an edge over others in the recruitment of international prospects -- possibly the deepest pool of baseball talent not controlled by the amateur draft.

Sham Kennedy did cryptically mention there were two openings -- maybe because they renamed O'Halloran's title. Scam Kennedy also refused to answer a reporter's query on whether Cora was a candidate... the only thing he did for sure was rule out Theo. But since the speaker lies for a living, maybe we can't rule out an Epstein return.

Ceddanne getting doubled off second on a line-drive is an organizational sign.

You Caps Locked MAJOR so forum members would know you're referring to the Red Sox' major league team WL record.

Ceddanne taking a full-count sweeper off the rightfield wall for a double is a good sign.

... because he may be a candidate to fill the new opening? He has been quoted lately that it's time for a change, can't manage for as long as Tito, but loves Boston...

Bloom came over from a franchise renown for legendary pitching staff construction. Boston has seen none of that in his four years here. In fact, the Red Sox have had one of the oldest collections of arms in average age (top three, always pushing 30). The Rays' pitching staffs during that time have always been younger than league average... one might even say that is by design, as Tampa always seems to add one fresh arm after another we've never heard of, throwing 100 with a change-up. Maybe the expert pitching recruiter was someone else in their office.

Except in Neil Diamond's museum, where the announced attendance is 30K+ per night...