5GoldGlovesOF,75

Munoz is a better hitter and outfielder than Cordero -- and has actually proven both in the Big Leagues. Cordero has never been good in the majors; drop him from the 40, add Munoz. Is anyone actually afraid another team will take Cordero and put him on their roster?

This bullpen isn't good enough to go anywhere meaningful this 162-game season.

I'm going to add Soup Campbell in '77. who was burned out forever more (and who I'm pretty sure was the first free agent signing in the first free agent offseason of all time). Also, '03 -- the closer during the postseason was the now-forgotten Scott Williamson... mainly, because Grady Little forgot to use him to nail down the AL pennant in Game Seven in NY.

Don't forget one 0.00 guy in the bullpen who was actually a reliever; he's also founder and client of the Fight Club.

Don't forget Game 7 in NY, with maybe the most forgotten big hit of Ortiz' career: Top of 1st, Damon had just been gunned down at the plate after a Manny single, crowd delirious, Papi steps up... "It is high, it is far, it is... a silent stadium..."

...hot dogs and beer and milk and cookies vs. protein shakes and women's fertility drugs

I'm always glad to expose the myth that Eovaldi only had one good game in October of 2018. 2018 Postseason ...... Games, IP, ERA, WHIP: Sale..... 5... 15.1...4.11...1.24 Porcello 5... 15.1...3.52...1.11 Price..... 6... 26.... 3.46...1.15 Eovaldi. 6... 22.1.. 1.61...0.81

A lot of posters forget about Yairo Munoz? That guy was a wake-up call in the nightmare of 2020; quick bat, hustle on the bases, diving in the outfield. Seems the Sox have forgotten him, too -- we never hear or read his name much when there's talk of future call-ups... although Munoz potentially seems like a guy who can impact games in a lot of places, like a younger (more reckless?) Kike or Marwin. Maybe, unbeknownst to fandom, he has some Orlando Cabrera bones in his ashtray...

These first six weeks have been an unexpected treat, but now it's gets tough. Based on their history, we should be prepared for some pitchers in the rotation to eventually regress, break down or both. If the Sox are serious about contending, they're going to need another good starter this summer. It's unreasonable to count on Sale as the savior, because any contribution he gives will be a bonus. Since help probably won't be coming from the minors -- Mata is done for the year, and Seabold and Houck are already ailing -- Bloom may have to pull the trigger on a deal. If they're going for it... I'm not advocating for these particular arms, just looking at current standings and considering which impending free agents may be available... but imagine the boost to both players and fans if say, in a month or so, the Sox added guys like Max Scherzer and Brad Hand? Would it be worth it to go deep into October to trade say, Jeter Downs?

Those with enough bat control and foot speed can even bunt for doubles.

The big problem in 1968 that made baseball "boring" to detractors was the 340 shutouts (including Gibson's 17-K Game One of the World Series; which was rather exciting to purists). Zero offense just wasn't doing it for fans of a relatively new form of entertainment gaining in momentum: the NFL on color TV! Edit: there were also only 20 teams, instead of 30 -- math men feel free to calculate and compare those percentages of shutouts from ancient times to nowadays.

For me, the worst thing is watching hard one-hoppers up the middle constantly get turned into outs. Those were hits every time at every level for over 100 years. I was a middle shooter for decades, and when second basemen shaded the bag, I learned how to hit to the right side. Of course, I never had to face nightly 100 mph fastballs, with offspeed breaking stuff in the low-90s... I can't see any way how MLB batters just don't always guess.

He's skinny; they could've had Papi and Tek hold him down. Luckily, the Sox paid Pablo not to participate.

Another poster with 75 in his name approves of this rip roast post! We all know defenses in both Boston and New York aren't quite championship caliber this year (not to mention rotation depth)... ...but now that the Sox are #1 in MLB's power rankings, we just need the Ghost to start a Deadline Trade for Scherzer thread.

The dead ball -- which is supposed to provide more action -- is actually being blamed for the MLB's worst offense since 1968. The theory is, once launch anglers realize they're just flying out too much (instead of watching pop-ups sail over fences), batters will have to adjust swings for more line drives... and hopefully, choke up with two strikes, put more balls in play and more pressure on defenses. In the meantime, baseball is just waiting for ballplayers to adjust to the baseballs. The hope is that eventually, fans will see more guys sprinting from base to base, instead of just trotting around them -- or trudging back to the dugout after whiffing. Of course, longtime fans are still waiting for more pros to bunt and go oppo to beat the obnoxious shifts...

Darwinzon, Taylor, Ottavino... why does it sometimes seem like a prerequisite for being a late-inning reliever is to walk (or drill) the leadoff batter? This bullpen for the team with the best record in the majors can't be an anomaly -- can it? Not when all the other teams have worse records... It just always seems like a threat with the Sox. Maybe it's just one of the reasons MLB pitchers become relievers, not being consistent enough to be reliable starters? Or maybe it's just looks more urgent in the 7th or 8th, than when a starter does it in, say, the 2nd, 3rd or 4th...

Based on that offensive metric, Renfroe has been twice as good as Dalbec. Hunter also plays a decent right field; he made a nice catch today. But how many bounced throws has Dalbec scooped at first base, saving errors/runs/outs/pitch counts/infinite agita? I don't know if there's a stat to prove it, but anyone who's watched most of the games would have to agree that Dalbec has been unsung -- and one of the most important players -- in helping the first-place Red Sox... with the leather.

The strawman roots for the Yankees and argued the point the whole winter before Mookie was traded, and why he wouldn't be worth a megacontract. Hypocritical pro writers did, too, and then ripped Boston once LA won the title.

This reminds of one of the best, and most intriguing, and maybe one of the last trades the Rays made when Bloom still had a say in Tampa: getting Nick Anderson at the '19 deadline. It was curious because the Rays were contending and swapped Ryne Stanek -- a good reliever and their prime opener, plus outfield prospect Jesse Sanchez, to Miami for Anderson and starter Trevor Richards. Anderson was an instant upgrade, probably the best reliever in baseball for the rest of that season.

I've always tried not to get too hung up on an actual dollar amount, and just consider the current market price... yup, ballplayers are like lobsters or crab legs at a seafood joint. Mookie and Trout are the best and so deserve salaries at the top of their industry, period. Also, when considering the attendance factor, we also have to consider the value of championships -- Mookie may not have boosted ticket sales in LA yet (immeasurable in pandemic times), but he certainly boosted the Dodgers' brand, and his longterm contract means an entire generation of fans have something and someone to look forward to cheering for... (I'll add this to save his skeptics a post)... or booing, when his scrawny, dwarflike physique inevitably breaks down.

Agreed, and I think #3 was the key to the deal for Bloom's priority at the time: acquire depth and get younger. Beni may make an All-Star team or two before he's done, but basically a 5-for-1 (don't forget Winchowski in this three-way) could net more optimal value than the Betts trade.

Fans all over Red Sox Nation are thrilled about the payroll, and while some won't accept anything less than the highest payroll, most just want Boston to contend for the highest payroll. No one really cares how much of it is taken up by money owed to rehabbing players or early-retirement players or guys the Sox pay other teams to use -- as long the total payroll is near the top. Nobody especially cares about how much Bloom, himself, has actually spent on acquisitions -- which max on 2-year contracts for Kike Hernandez and Garret Richards. Fans are too busy celebrating with the front office about resetting the tax. They're positive Bloom will sign their favorite players to longterm extensions to keep them in Boston, and that he'll invest in other stars... because even though Bloom has never done either in his career, people who are skeptical are obviously silly.

Max, I brought up the notion that Bloom may trade Barnes, even while the Sox are trying to contend -- not that I want him to, but because constant wheeling and dealing to improve the roster, especially for the future, is what Bloom does. We've seen him replace or recruit players to save a few mil, which is a lot for mere mortals, but nothing for a big market club that pays $30 mil to entice guys to stay, and $15 mil to make some go away. I love Verdugo, and have hopes that either Downs or Wong makes it, but I hate the idea that Boston felt like it had to trade Mookie. A lot of posters are convinced that the Sox will soon resume their big spending ways, because that's always been a trademark of Henry teams, but I won't completely trust Bloom until he finally signs or extends someone, anyone, for a star salary. ps. I hope it's Devers, because from an entertainment viewpoint, his are the nightly must-see at bats. But I'm concerned that if his D doesn't mature, he may be the next stud on the block who "could bring back the biggest haul" (and I'm disgusted I just wrote that).

I was once a New England boy who went to visit San Diego for the first time and discovered it had the best weather in the world. Part of my bias at the time may have been influenced by living on the beach and being 21.

As long as he doesn't trade him to a California team, where a someone who has had a longtime job in New England may like the weather better...