5GoldGlovesOF,75

If only. Both helped break an 86-year old curse! Rose was the 1997 International League Pitcher of the Year, making rotation teammate Carl Pavano expendable -- and also desirable enough as a return in the trade for Pedro Martinez. Rose fronted a Pawtucket staff that included postseason hero Derek Lowe, the legendary Rich Garces, and Pat Mahomes (who dadded a QB). Suppan actually played a role on the field as a member of the '04 Cardinals, when he was picked off third by first baseman Big Papi in a play that evoked the most memorable unrehearsed quote of the World Series by Jon Miller: "That's the worst baserunning of all time!"

Big game today in Detroit. The Red Sox are already back in last place in the AL East, with the same 2-4 record as the Tigers. Both clubs have allowed 38 runs so far (second-worst to Oakland's 41), but the striped cats have an AL-worst -20 run differential... the Sox are just -3. This three-game set in Motown better help the Bosox right the ship. After that, they play four vs. the Rays, who haven't lost a MLB game since October in the year 2022. Sale can make a statement as the stopper. His ERA of 21 is better than the opposing pitcher, Turnbull's 27. Boston will win, 27-21.

The prospect the Dodgers traded for Rojas wasn't even in their top 30 at the end of last summer.

I know -- what was I drinking? Well, it definitely wasn't the Uncool-Aid Bloom's been trying to sell at the coroner.

Paxton should join the team in a couple weeks, when he will give us more than Pivetta. The plan is for Paxton to chart pitches when Pivetta starts... capped at four innings in the beginning, then the coaching staff will stretch out his fingers slowly, eventually allowing him to chart three times through the order -- even after the bullpen relieves Nick. Cora knows where he's at, and will take care of him. Bushy already has a supply of reading glasses available.

How about just signing any real shortstop : Andrus or Iglesias or dealing for one that wouldn't Dombro the farm, like Rojas (look! LA's back in first)... you know, one that was Opening Day-ready to actually improve the team and help lead a crucial good start during a soft early schedule? Wouldn't that make both the fans and the stakeholders happy?

Oye como bah

Does that refer to the pitching staff's allowed On Base Percentage or Slugging Percentage?

It was the worst pitching staff I've ever seen in Boston. But tattered also describes the meatballs served up by the entire '23 starting rotation the first time through. I have high hopes for Bello and Whitlock. As for Paxton... at least Ryan Weber attended Winter Weekend in '20. When Paxton missed the team bus, the Sox wouldn't even allow him to hitch a ride, lest he pull a muscle in his thumb.

Sure. And the guys who wore the laundry last year won 78. But the reason I changed my post from "players" to "teammates" is that that '20 core was a proven winner. I'm not saying they were anywhere as good, but going into that summer they had a pedigree of playing together -- unlike this year's cobbled together conglomeration (even with guys with rings won elsewhere)... suitable for more cobbling next winter... or more likely, this July.

Come on, we've been through this, and no one has to look up stats to justify comparisons -- pro-rated or whatever. Bottom line: on "Opening Day" 2020, the Red Sox starting line-up featured 7 of 10 teammates who won the World Series and the most games in Boston history.

I hate the Bloom Era, because he's done what he was hired to do -- which includes BSing the fanbase, while saying goodbye to expensive stars and pretending to build an annual contender. He's obviously patching holes with average big leaguers while trying to sell the illusion of fielding an above-average team. Bloom has always insisted his goal is to build a sustained contender that aims for rings every year -- nothing wrong with that, and shouldn't every GM/CBO have such aspirations? The thing is, cultivating the farm, then wishing/hoping/praying for expedited germination doesn't necessarily yield a better harvest. It would be great to keep promoting and locking up young studs on the cheap like Atlanta. But the Braves won in '21 because they also signed Morton for big money, as well as Smyly, to lead their young rotation. And then -- when they lost their best player, Acuna, to injury, and the NL's HR and RBI king Ozuna, to personal issues -- they didn't give up, but instead traded for the following: Duvall, who led the league in ribbies, Soler and Rosario, who each won postseason MVPs, and Pederson, who hit homers and wore pearls. They also landed highly-sought reliever Richard Rodriquez, who turned out to be a non-factor. You gotta do both every year. And do better than adding the overrated Story, who couldn't even play the position he was obviously acquired for, to specifically replace the homegrown star and fan favorite for half the price...

Right. You still have to outscore opponents to win, but a shutdown starter can at least bring a team back to respectability. This Boston rotation -- leading the majors in HRs allowed -- has been kinda disrespectful to Sox fans so far...

Having an ace at the top of the rotation means so much more than trying to win the World Series this year. You don't wait until you have a decent core of position players to fill the spot that comprises about 70% of a ballclub's fortunes (as legend would have it). It's arguable that the first position to fill in a rebuild is #1 starter. Everything starts with your starters. They're not called finishing touches. A great ace is called a stopper because he prevents losing streaks. He keeps the team in the game every five days and provides innings, which in turn saves the bullpen to help win others' starts. No one wins with just a deep staff of #4 and #5 guys. The ace sets the tone, and establishes a winning culture. Get yours today!

Don't you know by now? All the one-year guys are placekeepers for the next season's one-year guys! Just like all Bloom's predecessors in Boston, it's been exactly like this... NEVER!

And they hired a survivalist to teach him how to start fires with a cell phone mirror, and how to steal signs of predators, using trail cams. The hope is he'll also be able to play drums on studio recordings, if Ringo's not there...

I already named that tune in one word (rhymes with long hills or walls built to protect against floods).

Something that is already pushing up like early tulips on the first warm day: the Defense. Kike already has two Es in four games, and if we're holding our breath every time a high fly is hit to center, imagine how the professional pitchers feel. Inserting a fully-healed Mondesi at shortstop and moving Kike back to CF can't come soon enough (and therein exposes another Bloom flaw: acquiring injured players because the price is right, then waiting helplessly while they mend, to the detriment of the team). I love Duvall's hot streak at the plate, but in order to ride it out and keep his bat in the line-up, he may have to occasionally DH or replace a lefty bat in a corner outfield spot vs. tough southpaws.

Posting here on the Realistic thread: fans can wish and hope it was 2017 again for Sale, Kluber and Paxton, but realistically, may be have to settle -- and be happy for -- a cumulative .500 won-loss record from the trio... at least that will make the summer competitive. Meanwhile, a rebuilding team "stretching out" its young arms will take its lumps. Don't know if Red Sox Nation will have the patience for it, but that's the reality for the development of most MLB starters. The 1988 Atlanta Braves lost 106 games. Tom Glavine, 22, led the NL in losses with 17. John Smoltz, 21, went 2-7 with a 5.48 ERA in his rookie season. Two years later Steve Avery, 20, debuted and went 3-11 with a 5.64. That team only lost 97... Greg Maddux was still with the Cubs, where his first full season produced 6-14, 5.61. Yikes.

Yo-OPPO!

Maybe there's more familiarity with Wong catching them in the minors?

I know this is the pitching thread, but that statement sums up the musical chairs roster every year that endears zero fans and builds no continuity for future following. This list doesn't include all fan favorites, but guys who at least did more than contribute... and then were gone: Schwarber, Iglesias, Renfroe, Wacha, Strahm... And now somebody will defend poor Bloom for not being able to afford to pay guys he actually acquired.

As Bellhorn alluded to, it's not really a question of whether Bloom knows how to acquire good starters, it's that he ultimately chooses not to. We've been hearing every winter that the Sox have interest in this arm or that, but all Bloom has done is replace one serviceable big leaguer with another on short contracts. Eovaldi and Wacha weren't Hall of Famers, but they did fine in Boston. They just wanted more money than the ghosts of Kluber and Paxton. This past winter finally revealed offers made to legit starters who signed elsewhere -- such leaks were either an attempt to show the fanbase he was actually trying to improve the rotation... or that he was incapable of closing the deal for those he covets. For those who think Bloom will someday trade prospects, instead of paying for arms, he's been in charge of four offseasons... and someday never comes.

Clemente hit .255 in 1955, but the Pirates didn't send him back to the Dodgers. Pitt carried him to the end of the '50s, before he finally made his first All-Star team in 1960. In his first three years, Roberto totaled only 3.3 WAR. He finished his career with 94.8 WAR.

When teams get off to a bad start, it's always "still early" -- for months! For teams that have good starts, it's never too early. To them, they're just good.