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5GoldGlovesOF,75

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Everything posted by 5GoldGlovesOF,75

  1. It was a carbon-dated copy of the '21 ALCS. The Phillies never challenged any pitchers in the final three games. But the Astros' bullpen made sure of it, since Houston's offense only averaged 3 runs per game in those Ws. The point of this offseason for Boston is to acquire legitimate pitching that fans don't have to hope won't break down by June or worse, have to hope that maybe they'll be ready to contribute by July. And since the big money will go to the star starters, a better route for a Sox' return to contending -- for a wild card -- may be to invest, instead, in the bullpen.
  2. Nope. You and I and everybody that watched knows the bullpens of the '21 Sox and '22 Phillies weren't good enough to win a ring. Stats can show that Barnes was great in the first half or Robles had a few good weeks, but Boston relievers in the postseason were so untrustworthy that Cora chose to use Pivetta and ultimately Eovaldi out of the pen in the most crucial moments. Yes, he also used his starters in relief to win in '18, but part of that was because Kimbrel almost killed half of a Red Sox Nation television audience (Kelly was great, though).
  3. Tampa rejects Alvarados before it's too late... ... and here's to you, David Robertson. Though a Brad in Hand is always better than a Hansel or Diekman. But not even Kyle Schwarber can beat the Astros... in any round.
  4. It's all about pitching. And if the Sox aren't going to add at least a dependable innings-eater for the rotation (to give relievers a breather), then they need to significantly upgrade the bullpen in quality and quantity. Several good free agent relievers have already signed, and for numbers Bloom's past offseasons wouldn't approach. But it's time to get real -- if Boston really plans on being way better. Fans can remind us the Sox were only two wins away from the '21 World Series, but the fact is that bullpen just wasn't championship quality. The Braves and Astros won the past two years with lights-out relievers. And that is indisputable. So get some while they're still available.
  5. I understand the reasons, but it doesn't make the non-moves less frustrating... especially after they clearly chose to stay over the tax threshold.
  6. Story's pretty fast. Maybe the boardroom Blooms had some insider info that baserunning would soon rule the new rules. Trevor Story -- blurry face of Chaim Zoom's 2023 Running Red Sox.
  7. I think for many Red Sox fans -- and I wont say "most," just the many I know -- the most frustrating part of the Bloom Era has been the non-moves. From a selfish fan standpoint, we've been reading or hearing the Sox have been interested or even "in" on too many good players who have joined other contenders in every offseason and at trade deadlines. Speculating on reinforcements used to be fun, because Boston always got its share of them -- and that always provided at least a spark of hope for fandom. From a concerned fan's view, leaving the roster incomplete like it was going into last season or not sufficiently upgrading areas of weakness when the team really needed it has been unacceptable.
  8. No argument here. We have no reason to suspect that Bloom hasn't always done exactly what Henry hired him to do. The only part I'm still confused about is who decided a year ago it was a good idea to sign Story and offer Xander Bogaerts, the face of the franchise, less. It's just hard to believe Henry and Warner were having tea one afternoon and decided, "Let's give Story a $23.33 AAV and then lowball homegrown fan favorite Bogey -- that two-time ringleader -- with a $22.5 AAV!" It's almost just as hard to imagine Bloom and his boys sitting around a conference table, analyzing the merits of the same move: "Let's see: both the same age, but X has a higher career war, even though Trevor played half his games in Colorado... 4 Silver Sluggers for Bogey, 2 for Story... K percentage: 18% for Xander, 27.5% for Story -- that does it -- yes, let's insult Bogaerts!"
  9. Of course they would, and this is why I just don't see Bloom making any big-time trades this winter... or any winter until he actually does. I'm totally prepared for more of the same Bloom moves -- one step up, one step down, up, down, updown... treading basepaths until all Mookies, Xanders and Raffys have priced themselves out of Boston -- and all that remains is a roster full of minimum wage prospects and a few owner splashes like Story.
  10. Would you keep Mikey as the shortstop of the future if you could swap Mayer for Alcantara? The only way I trade my #1 prospect is for a #1 ace starter -- like the Sale deal. As for Romero, the only Sox prospects with higher fielding ratings are Mayer and Luis Ravelo. The latter is 19, Romero 18 -- but Mikey projects as a better hitter... so far.
  11. For what it will cost for just one year of Verlander, we can probably distribute that over three years of Eovaldi. When comparing the two, maybe the biggest question isn't who will accrue the most WAR in the next three years, but who will make the most starts...
  12. WEEI.com headline: "Ken Rosenthal reports the Red Sox are ready to spend this offseason" Red Sox fan:"... doing what?" talksox prediction: "... poking around, kicking tires, showing lots of reported interest, making offers that can be refused, and swearing they're all in" (you can't say, "... raising prices"... already been done that)
  13. And if he hits a grounder to the pitcher in the playoffs, they'll boo him.
  14. I have been in on all these guys -- for years, actually -- except Clevinger. And I didn't realize he's only 11 months younger than Nate! Especially after that haul Cleveland got for him, including Naylor, Quantrill and Hedges. From the Pads I prefer Manaea, but looking at Similar Pitchers on bb-ref, Sean's top comps are Marco Gonzalez, Greg Hibbard and Wei-Yin Chen.... Mike's are Severino, McCullers and Bassitt...
  15. Eovaldi's agent must have some reassurance that a club is willing to give him a Ty Anderson-type 3-year contract, plus a draft pick. Is Anderson a good Nate comp? Both will be 33 in '23... Here are bb-ref career 162-game averages: Anderson 10-10, 4.16, 33 starts, 189 IP N. Eovaldi 10-10, 4.16, 33 starts, 186 IP Looks like Ty can go longer...
  16. You mean something like what the Rays' Evan Reifert did in the Arizona Fall League? He faced 40 batters and struck out 25. Is there such a thing as a small sample when it comes to throwing strikes? Reifert isn't even ranked among Tampa's top 30 prospects.
  17. Attention, all Billy beancounters and Rays wayward sons: the holiday Heaney Special can be found in the clear bin at the end of the pitching aisle... please don snorkels and swim goggles... do not stop at the green bin on the top shelf!
  18. My prediction is that any Rule 5 guy that Bloom adds will be a reliever. Building bullpen depth with high velo arms is the easiest and cheapest way back to respectability. Mid-market spenders like Boston needn't splurge on relief specialists like the Mets, Padres and Astros recently did. There are plenty of unharnessed minor leaguers and bounce-back MLB candidates to collect.
  19. Bloom does a lot of poking around. He's particularly pokey in offseasons and trade deadlines. He may just be the pokiest chief baseball officer in baseball. Bloom is Pokey, and Dombrowski is Gumby... Dave sticks to all his club needs, his targets to acquire, and to the soles of his employers.
  20. Interest. No, wait: reported interest.
  21. Oh yeah? The Boston system had pitching death. In 2022, the Red Sox were bled by Paxton, Pitcher Who Didn't Pitch All Year, and Sale, Pitcher Who Disappeared, plus Diekman, Hit By Pitcher Of the Year, not to mention Robles, Pitcher In Arrears, and Houck, Canadian Bake Man.
  22. On a future internet article on the 2026 World Series, there was some debate about giving Raffy's hamstrings a break by DHing him. Red Sox GM Alex Cora and Manager Pedro Martinez finally compromised to just DH Devers in the road games in Montreal.
  23. Whoa, I can't wait til 2026! Four more years, four more years... Old man Devers will be turning 30 during the '26 World Series! That's like another 300 extra base hits from now.
  24. As a hopeful Red Sox fan, I hope you're right and they sign either Xander or Carlos. As a pragmatic cynical of the past three offseasons, I look at every possible free agent and trade target now and hear Chaim Bloom ringing in my ears: "It has to make sense..." If you really consider the latter, shouldn't a last place team be prudent and hang onto most of its resources while making incremental steps forward?
  25. Hugh, Kike is playing shortstop. He basically already admitted it, but said he hopes he's back in center, because that would mean X is still here. Bloom isn't getting out of Bogey's contract, only to reinvest it, and more, on one replacement player... especially with his #1 prospect due to take over at minimum wage in another year or so.
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