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5GoldGlovesOF,75

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Everything posted by 5GoldGlovesOF,75

  1. The flaw in Bloom's argument against making his big Betts three years ago is that Mookie is still a great freaking ballplayer today, and better all-around than Devers. Will Mookie be in five years? Maybe not, but according to Chaim's argument again -- that longterm guys are "much better up front than on the back end" -- Raffy might not be so good, by then, either.
  2. Failing is still a problem, even if directly the result of ownership refusing high budget moves. Chaim Bloom may have been hired as the anti-Dombrowski, but every time someone points to the Sox' top five payroll, it makes a lot of Bloom's bad decisions look worse. 2020 facts: he took the job, he traded the team's best homegrown player in half a century, he said the Sox were going to be worse, and he acquired the majority of the pitchers who gave up 5 1/2 runs per game. Very few of his additions in '20 had any positive effect, except Verdugo's two months and Pivetta's two starts. But I'm on board in Two-Three with Yoshida, advocated for Duvall, and hope Turner pulls some highballs in Fenway (can't shake a Jack Clark-Andrew Dawson vibe for the latter two, but maybe one can have an Esasky season).
  3. I told myself I wasn't going to participate in the list of Bloom's Worst Moves, but if 2020 was an entire season, that whole first year might have its own Bottom 20.
  4. Bleis makes the MLB Top 100 Prospects at #93. He's one of only four 18 year-olds on the list. The only outfielder his age ahead of him is Chourio of Milwaukee (signed as a shortstop).
  5. Instead, the Rays could've just spent all that on Verlander 43M, Vazquez 10M and Segura 8.5M -- one pitcher, catcher and fielder. Just think of the savings on daily team laundry, washing 3 uniforms instead of 26.
  6. Even me with my defective skills can read between these foul lines.
  7. Whitlock was the top set-up man in '21 and has the potential to be even better, hopefully as a starter. But he'll be 27 in June and it's hard to deny that health has been an issue in his career. That he's the best core acquisition in three years can be considered an indictment on the Bloom Era. Many of Chaim's best recruits were only sub-contractors, and not full-time company men. Renfroe for a season and Iglesias and Schwarber for a stretch run were big factors in a successful season. Wacha was as good as could be expected on a bad team. Feel free to add other favorites who earned their one-year contracts and left. Who has Bloom brought in who's still here that matters? Verdugo. Kike and Pivetta -- a streaky multi-purpose swingman and a #5 innings-eater. Maybe Arroyo will someday play a whole season. Story is an official bust until he's no longer the position player version of Sale. I'm optimistic about the young guys... but make way for Yoshida!
  8. No one -- the public, anyway -- knew Whitlock had another injury requiring surgery until they shut him down at the end of the season. The Red Sox limited his usage because of a previous injury. I can't believe a poster said babied instead of handled with care. For some fans, this pick from the Rule 5 Draft tops the list of the Greatest Moves in the History of Chaim Bloom. Whitlock was the best set-up man on a club that made the playoffs. But there have been cracks in the rare pearl discovered amidst so many empty clams. Maybe someday, Whitlock can be a top-of-the-rotation starter. Or even an All-Star. If either happens, it will be a first for a Bloom acquisition.
  9. I didn't think that during the Springs' trade, but I immediately assumed Ronaldo was overrated -- as in, would the Rays send a legit prospect to Boston if he was any good?
  10. I know it would seem that way, even though the Red Sox have already said he is a full go. But there's more pressure than ever on Bloom this year, and Whitlock is his first longterm extension player (he doesn't want a mini-Dombro/Sale situation on his hands, amidst all the other crapola). There also has to come a time in the front office where someone says, Are we were really going to baby this big, strong young pitcher for the third straight year? If they do, it diminishes Bloom's great New York steal just a bit, IMO...
  11. I'll raise you Whitlock over either of them or Paxton. You know, these ole warhorses, we gotta take care of them. I'd say Bello, but you know these young prospects, don't wanna burn them out. Whitlock is locked up, has the arsenal to go three times through, and the reliever gloves are off.
  12. 2013! No wonder: his diet back then was twizzlers and jolly ranchers.
  13. I don't have any more faith in Kluber than I do in Sale. Even though Kluber pitched a full season in '22 for the first time since '18, he'll be 37 in April. If Sale doesn't have as much mileage on his arm after last year, then Kluber does. Old guys break down.
  14. I saw Valdez but never said he was great. But I knew he had a bad rep on D, so I made sure to watch him carefully -- warming up at several infield positions -- and he fielded all his plays, finished with strong throws, and looked like a professional ballplayer. He also swung from the heels at every pitch and pulled one over the road in Worcester and hit the building across the street. I can't say any of those things about Jarren Duran, who made the big leagues in two years so far. But I was always excited about seeing him in Boston after reading of his potential in the minors.
  15. Over half a century later still living in the past. What else is there to go by?
  16. All of it has always been part of the game: spitters, sign-stealing, stimulants (nicotine, caffeine, amphetamines, groupies, and all other PEDs)... Even the honorable concept of a Hall of Famer has always been fraught with hypocrisy, with its undefined character clause... The only player ever qualified for certain under such guidelines is Yogi Berra -- even though his cartoon looks more like a grizzly, and wears a green tie.
  17. Keith Richards was a better investment than Garrett Richards.
  18. Not sure about Perales yet -- 160 pounder, has to mature and fill out; could be a bullpen stud. Mata at 70 pounds heavier may be built more as an innings-eater (yada ya, Mookie's too short and Judge is too big). One of Mayer or Rafaela will be an instant favorite in '24, but plummet from the sophomore jinx in '25... then get really good in '26. Bleis will be 22 by then and will either be our JRod or a Rusney, maybe even traded while there's still potential.
  19. I'm looking forward to Mayer at short and Rafaela in center: coffee in '23, full breakfast in '24, brunch in '25, primed and timed for feasting in '26 -- when Bleis will be the starting rightfielder on the AL All-Star team. By then, maybe Bello-Whitlock-Mata will give Boston its first trio of starting pitchers to each log 150+ IP since Eovaldi-Pivetta-ERod in '21. Maybe the new Red Sox GM will even sign (or trade for) a legitimately durable pitcher in his prime for more than one year. Mix in Casas, Devers, and possibly Yorke and/or Lugo in some combo of 2B/LF/DH... can we hang in there for three more years?
  20. Thanks. There doesn't seem any reasonable way out of paying him what's left on his contract... unless Bloom wants to "sell" a few minor leaguers attached to a package in a trade for someone else's expendable (though "better-valued") roster filler.
  21. Even a young, strong athlete loses a step after blowing out an ACL. But it will be interesting to see who makes a better comeback -- without as many chronic setbacks -- Mondesi or Story.
  22. If the Red Sox had protected Ward from the Rule 5 Draft and exposed Barnes instead, would any team drafting Matt have had to pay his full salary?
  23. Red Sox just gave him an assignment. Bloom: "Give me 1,000 words on Black Sabbath."
  24. Cora just said on NESN last night (taped over the weekend): "Barnes in the 7th, Martin in the 8th, Jensen in the 9th."
  25. Another high-ceiling guy. Sox fans crave middle-of-the-roommates. Happy days will finally come when there's a steady cast sitting at the table around Raffy every night... instead of him eating all alone, looking up, looking down, looking all around.
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