5GoldGlovesOF,75

I agree with your disagree. The Red Sox love Refsynder as the perfect bench guy, who accepts and thrives in his role.

I'll bet not even fans of OPS really want Raffy to walk more, just K less. The only thing good about Devers getting a free pass is that he didn't swing and miss at too many pitches off the plate. But every time he walks means that the next eight hitters in the batting order have less chance to crank one out of the park -- and opposing clubs are just fine with that. To me, Raffy will really break out of his slump when his batting average rises about 30 points. And of course that will increase both his O plus S, but especially the slugging... because when line drives find the gap, the extra-base hits add up. And those are even better than walks (even with the bases loaded).

Who will play shortstop for Boston's MLB team first: a rehabbing fast guy with an artificial brace in his elbow who is very good at second base? a rehabbing ghost who was once even faster, but blew out his knee? the healthy fast-track prospect and the only one who's played all season and played really well? Place your bets! And remember, predictions most likely won't pertain at all to pre-trade deadline or even 2023 at all...

The problem with Devers' OPS -- and maybe the stat's importance when looking at a batter like Raffy -- is the O, which stands for On Base, which is affected by bases on balls. It's very hard for a hitter to walk, especially in late innings with runners on base, when he swings at every pitch -- even when the opposition refuses to throw strikes. Through the first two months, basically one-third of a season, Devers has 10 walks. That's a lot less than the two worst hitters (by batting average) in the starting line-up: Kike 17, Casas 25. It's even less than part-timer Rob Refsnyder, who has 15 in over a hundred less plate appearances. Raffy's On Base Percentage of .283 is ghastly, but it's not even as bad as known hackers like Javy Baez or Teoscar Hernandez, or so-far-overmatched youngsters Bobby Witt or Anthony He's-Not-Jeter-No-Matter-How-Much-MLB.com-Wants-Him-To-Be Volpe. But we all want Devers to hit -- not walk -- as long as he doesn't hurt himself swinging as hard as he can at dirtballs or fastballs over his head... because there's no one else in the Red Sox organization that can follow him in the order and do similar damage to a baseball right now.

... 4th from the bottom tonight, with no Raffy (resting up for the playoffs). They could pinch-hit him late, but you don't wake sleeping Giants. Or Dbacks. Red Sox maybe...

Your assessment of recent Boston aces is right on. What Henry has said and what he has done reflects ambivalence through his tenure, so we can only guess what's next. The Sox have drawn the line with investing long and large on starting pitchers, as much as it bothers fans that want to win everything every year... and have to instead suffer through Klubers. And yes, injuries are part of the game. But as far as big money batters go, it is very rare when a guy tears his swinging elbow or batting wrist, and has to miss an entire year or more healing from reconstructive surgery.

Some will say it's a pitcher people will pay to see live, the guy who draws the biggest crowds on the road, marketing phenoms having Cy Young seasons that can overlap multicultural interest with pop culture appeal: Vida Blue, Mark Fidrych, Fernando Valenzuela... Pedro. But if you ask pro ballplayers, they'll tell you an ace always gives you a chance to win, and finishes what he starts, year after year after year: Roy Halladay... every five days, the man who demands the ball and gives the entire bullpen the night off.

It's high, but not even a face card; icons are just Lucky Charms, without all the colors. And if Hamilton ever gets called up to the parent club, hopefully he doesn't hitch a ride on a big drone heading due east -- as the crow flies -- or he'll ditch in the Atlantic before he finds Beantown. But don't let him go directly north from there, or he might end up back in Portland, which is about a hundred miles above Boston. Here's the deal if you're driving from Connecticut: the state directly above you is Massachusetts. That would be North. If you take Interstate 84 and cross the border, you're really close to Worcester, which is about 45 minutes from Hartford... then you can take the Mass Pike (90) either west towards Springfield or east towards Boston. The latter is still another 45 minutes away. Technically, both Worcester and Boston are north of Hartford on a rising diagonal... but Boston is twice as far. A lot of WooSox just can't seem to get there, and should never ask for directions from a failed community college player like me.

Relax. I'm not saying it was you, but there were and still are some fans overly optimistic ever since Bloom started hoarding over-30 vets-with-pedigree last winter. You read and post here every day. Don't pretend 2013 didn't come up many, many times as an example -- as rare as it was/is/and forever will be -- of the infinitesimal possibilities of change. ... and if 2013 ever does repeat itself, what would be the end result?

You were active on the forum all offseason, and don't recall several hopeful posts trying to compare or argue about how Bloom's veteran signings could mean a worst-to-first-like turnaround, similar to 2013? It wasn't just here, but other places (maybe NESN?), but I specifically remember warning that the '13 club already a star core of Ortiz-Pedroia-Ellsbury-Lester-Buchholz etc. All we knew for sure about the '23s is they had Devers and Sale's doctors.

And yet, surprisingly mediocre. Most posters here expected Bloom's new smorgasbord to either conjure the '13 Dempsters and win it all... or slap-fight with the '22 dumpsters to repeat 78 Ws.

Gee, thanks for your expert analysis, correcting me for being "way off base." I'm sure the Red Sox will be World Series contenders the rest of the decade with sluggers like Jarren Duran and Kike Hernandez batting after Raffy Devers. Those guys are such longball threats, pitchers will have no choice but to groove fastballs center cut to Devers in every at bat. Bombs away.

If the record actually improves, and the Sox finish over .500, could next winter finally be the offseason where Bloom doesn't just strip it all down again and sign another dozen Kluber/Kikes to one-years?

I saw him live a week ago and posted he looked like the best hitter in the Portland line-up -- way better than Yorke or Rafaela. The way he ripped the gaps, and ran, would make him a good guy to bat in front of Raffy. But a big bopper that foes fear to go deep could help Devers unlock the .333 righty-Miggy hitter we know is inside him... not feeling he has to crank every pitch to the moon. He could still hit 30 HRs and win the batting crown, and contribute more consistently to the Sox attack. And hopefully, not have to one-hand a pitch off his ankle anymore like last night (still a line drive in the book).

Agreed, but a projected half-a-billion dollar contract would seem exorbitant in Bloom's Boston... can you even see him spending that much on two separate free agents -- a pitcher and a hitter?

Hamilton's just wondering how many homers or stolen bases he needs before or if he ever gets the call to go NorthEast.

Way to talk Sox, guys. ... but better clarify, or get crucified on technicalities: Worcester is technically SW from Boston. Driving from Southern New England, going from Hartford to Boston, Worcester is about halfway UP, near where 84 meets the Mass Pike... just take 290 to WOO.

You're getting good at this... (except for Oakland, then the when is 2023)

To maximize the investment in Devers, the Red Sox could really use a tag-team partner in the heart of the order, a Manny Ramirez to the new Big Puppy. But it doesn't have to be an all-timer -- just a Manny Machado-type hitter... not leg-spiker (the Sox can always use a Manny Sanguillen or Manny Mota). Is it unfair to automatically assume either Duvall or Story will return from wrist/elbow injuries and provide more protection behind Devers than Duran (batting 5th)? The reality is there's not much longball in the pipeline. After Raffy's 13 HRs, the batter with the most home runs in the entire organization is David Hamilton (11) -- a guy playing in the same state, just south of Boston, who the Sox value so much that they instead signed and promoted a Triple A infielder from the worst team in baseball. Marcelo Mayer, ranked the #3 overall prospect this week by ESPN, has seven four-baggers (tied for 3rd in the organization). The Red Sox' next-best prospect, Roman Anthony, #49 overall, has one homer...

Any place is the standings is a good place to start with an ace starter. He can put a contender over the top, make a mediocre team a contender, and pull a bottom-dweller out of the cellar. Stopper is the most important position on the field... and they mark his spot smack-dab in the middle of the diamond, centered and elevated above all others.

Also don't forget Eovaldi was publicly critical of Bloom's half-ass trade deadline... maybe Nate was miffed he didn't get moved to a contender.

The very nature of pitching a baseball is unnatural, throwing overhand with an appendage that grows underhand. Most MLB pitchers don't age well, and many tendons and ligaments at younger ages are already unwell... ... in this age of testing, when PEDs can no longer extend or create Hall of Fame careers -- feel free to fill in any and all names from those bygone days, when everyone was suspect (except Yankees, who only juiced because they were such good teammates).

We have yet to know if Bloom can... We know the Sox can afford one... But we don't even know if we can identify one... Is Ohtani a good investment -- a guy whose pitching career could end suddenly in a number of ways that a non-batter/baserunner can't? Is Urias a good investment -- about to enter his prime? Is someone on the trading block worth four of our top prospects?

Still can't believe the Boston Red Sox DFAed a guy who throws a hundred miles per hour like Kaleb Ort... what, do they have an intern studying all the insultants on talksox?

Considering his intermittent turns through the rotation, it's a valid concern. But we have to assume Bloom didn't extend him (his first "core" guy locked up at reasonable multi) to be a reliever...