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5GoldGlovesOF,75

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Everything posted by 5GoldGlovesOF,75

  1. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    I've been one of the most vocal about pursuing high end starting pitching -- guys in their primes -- even for a last place team. Windows and taxes mean nothing if a club can't climb out of the cellar. Rebuilds have to begin on the mound, and stability starts at the top of the rotation. Bloom allowed three starters to walk -- obviously, they weren't great, because the '22 season sucked. But the three old vets they're counting on to replace them have done nothing to gain the trust of even optimistic Red Sox fans. They can demean Eovaldi's health history, but can't deny he was an All-Star just two years ago with Cy Young votes. The last time Kluber earned any such status was 2018. The only hope for the future is that youngsters emerge and push out the brittle placeholders. Some might get their chance earlier than expected, when the rehabbers inevitably break down. Just like last year.
  2. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Dombrowski acquired a lot of name pitchers -- players who were known commodities and not discarded comebacks (except Fister, who was ok, since he beat Boston in the '13 LCS). Takes at the time: Liked the Kimbrel trade, because a closer was needed, and an elite closer was available in his prime; Disliked the Price signing, because he wasn't Scherzer, and Price was already a sore loser when Papi took him deep; Hated the Pomeranz trade -- for a number one pitching prospect? The Red Sox never have a true number one pitching prospect, even when one is rated one (Owen); Loved the Sale trade, especially for keeping Benintendi over Moncada, who already owned a fleet of luxury cars at age 21 Liked Eovaldi for Beeks -- a starter who threw a hundred for a prospect (loved it after he kept beating the Yankees when it counted) Liked Cashner, because that rotation needed reinforcements... then he morphed into a Mendoza/Gagne conglomeration from the Epstein era...
  3. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    I was responding to notin regarding Cashner in 2019. When Boston got him, he was 9-3, 3.83 as a starter for a team that would lose 108 games.
  4. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Honestly, I expect one to not even make it out of Florida, and spend the summer at some rookie camp rehabbing; another will make four sporadic starts, break down by Memorial Day and be shut down by June. The third will rotate on and off the IL as the Sox try to keep him eligible to flip at the deadline. Over-under: 20.
  5. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    I thought it was great when Dombro targeted and acquired the best starter available well before the deadline. And then Cashner went from stud Oriole to Oreo cookie. WTF. His ERA in Fenway in 2019 was over 8 runs per 9 innings. Cashner, who was 9-3 with a 3.83 in Baltimore, won one start for the Red Sox and never pitched in the majors again. As a fan I was happy Dombrowski was so decisive. And then I was horrified that his acquisition was so bad...
  6. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Counting on Sale and Paxton? I'm not even counting much on Kluber, who obviously has seen better days. This prediction is based entirely on arms under 30: the only way this rotation gets the Red Sox into contention is if Whitlock is as dominant as a starter as he was as a reliever in '21, and Bello becomes the first homegrown All-Star since Lester. And that includes another injury-free season of innings by Pivetta, who'll be 30 in February. Whitlock-Bella-Pivetta: that's the Big Three to give fans hope... though maybe their career years are a few seasons away. Mix in a fill-in month by Houck, a spot start stint by Crawford, and a September infusion of Mata taking regular turns... Of course, rotation success has to be contingent upon strength up the middle, with a D whiz shortstop meshing with Story at second and Kike in center... and maybe led by an offensive star like Brian Reynolds, recruited in July for some prospects who've made surprise progress in '23.
  7. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Or Rafaela. Or Romero. Or Paulino. Or Ravelo.
  8. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    His office apparently thinks Yoshida, Story and Whitlock will be part of that core going forward. But can't you just see Bloom salivating on how many other core members he could sign -- combined -- for less than what Devers will get next year? When the Red Sox become ensconced in last place in '23, don't be surprised if more prospects are promoted to the upper levels and even Boston (especially after making room on the 40, around the trade deadline). Bloom and his men will want to see who looks like candidates to lock up longterm at reasonable rates... plus, Fenway will need a jolt of hope for the future -- if Bloom and his brethren want to have a future there.
  9. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Bet you weren't ready for that
  10. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Wow, you must have been sitting right next to me. I'd guess you were in concessions when he was at short, but you don't seem to be into concessions, so you never left your seat. Maybe he took grounders there during pregame warm-ups? Don't you remember me telling you how strong his arm looked?
  11. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    I sat on the first base line in Worcester last summer and gave a full report of prospects -- I think it was in the minor league thread. I also attended Portland games, home and away. Rafaela looked like the best SS and CF...
  12. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    From the stands, I've seen Valdez play second and short. He made all the plays and looked like a pro ballplayer on defense. In other words, nothing like Franchy or Duran... Regarding Wendle: he was one of the first Marlins I mentioned him in a multi-player months ago -- but not to play short. I recall Wendle as a really good third baseman for the Rays, at least whenever they faced Boston. And that's a Red Sox position potentially in need of a big leaguer soon.
  13. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    The clever wordsmith is covered either way: "the center" could mean nucleus of the future core, or centerpiece of an upcoming blockbuster (that better bring more core infusions).
  14. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Last week I pulled a neck muscle leaning over to clip a toenail. But I'm twice as old as Sale, and didn't wreck any appliances afterwards. If the Sox had stayed under the tax last season, the draft picks for losing Bogey and Nate would've been #70 and 71 in the '23 draft. Instead, we're getting picks #133 and 134.
  15. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    They should, but it would be an absolute shock. Giving anyone a mega longterm contract for top-of-the-market rates goes against every plan we've seen that the Red Sox won't admit to. If Bloom caves now, it will be like admitting the past three years were a mistake in many ways. This may sound unsound, but the worst thing to do with Devers is nothing, even if he hits 63 homers (like Chaim hopes) in Boston in '23. Hopefully, the front office won't be spineless in the face of public scrutiny. Considering how opaque the org has been, that shouldn't be an issue. The Red Sox can finish last again with Raffy or without, but we can all agree it will suck more if the clubhouse, media and fandom have to go through a repeat of the Bogaerts fiasco. Extend Devers or trade Devers before Opening Day. No in-between.
  16. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    ... why root for Hall of Famers for the next dozen years, when we can have revolving casts of past-primetimers instead?
  17. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Ok, then I'll take Bello over Paxton in the rotation since he's pitched twice as many games and has twice as many Ws the past three years (in the bigs). Then again, Bello is a good bet at this point to double up on Paxton again in just '23 alone. Unless Sale runs him over on his stationary bike or hits him with a big screen TV.
  18. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    Statistically. It just depends on which stats fit the narrative. One can argue against any cold, hard stats, but here are some facts from 2022 (not 2017): WAR -- Wacha 3.3, Kluber 0.7 W-L -- Wacha 11-2 for a last place team, Kluber 10-10 on a playoff team ERA -- Wacha 3.32, Kluber 4.34 (that's like... a run per game) WHIP -- Wacha 1.115, Kluber: 1.213 H9 -- Wacha 7.8, Kluber 9.8 Even if those numbers don't show a clear edge, age might make Wacha, 30, more attractive than Kluber, 36. The Red Sox could use them both, anyway, when their other old and/or injured starters inevitably break down again.
  19. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    ... in those time frames, more frustrated in '21, because Bloom didn't add the necessary bullpen pieces that would've given the Sox the best chance to go all the way. There were a lot of good relievers on the block changing teams at the deadline, but Bloom's MO was to wait until they were all dealt to other contenders and pretenders, and then acquire Robles and Davis at the last minute. ... by the deadline in '22 it was too late to really give a crapshoot, because we all knew the time to make moves for reinforcements was at the very beginning of July, to replace injuries or upgrade holes before the looming killer schedule.
  20. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    The lunatics won't be on the grass, but in the seats. Or they'll be on edibles.
  21. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    My beer mug is also half-full, but only because I had to chug half after looking at a rotation of past-their-primetimers and converted surgery comebackers. I'd argue that they're still a last-place AL East team even if they add Wacha, who was just plain better than Kluber last year... but of course, Klubes, 36, at $10M is a lot better value than Wacha, 30, for $30M -- which he's surely anticipating, at least, for a three-year deal in this market. Wacha deserves it, anyway, after leading the AL in shutouts (1).
  22. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    He's too short. You'll see. Wait until he turns 25.
  23. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    It is a sad season indeed when the best trade your bossman makes in the summer is to dump a guy who sucked that he himself recruited and wasted money on in the spring (cough, Diekman).
  24. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    The Sox needed another legit starter going into the season for depth when any or all of the three veteran health risks Bloom added got hurt again. You and I both demanded it. But our posts must have been at night, when Bloom's petals closed up because of the cold frosty air.
  25. 5GoldGlovesOF,75
    I'm assuming you mean the deal would add a young, controllable MLB starting pitcher. Otherwise, I don't see how losing your three best starters, plus an All-Star Silver Slugger shortstop -- and downgrading with lesser players -- could be considered winning anything.
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