5GoldGlovesOF,75

Ty, take note; T didn't say "winning" or "losing"... it's leading or trailing, SIS (small inning size)...

Remember the game when Pedro sent the first two Yankee hitters -- Soriano and Jeter -- to the hospital? Best control in the majors.

Godley with the new staff approach: drill someone early to send a message (no, it's not SOS).

Gosh Darnley

No arms coming back is why I call it the Price trade. I'm convinced the only way LA agreed to take Price off our hands, besides the subsidies, was a secret edict that no Dodgers pitching prospects would be included. Evidence? First, Bloom had to settle for an arm from Minnesota, and after the Sox didn't like the medicals, LA still wouldn't substitute one of their own... from their entire system? Freidman really did his old pal a favor (all the while planning to lock up Betts forever asap). At least Bloom insisted on Verdugo (who I was also adamant about, especially when others mentioned Pederson or Pollock). As for Downs, I'm with you on dealing him while his value is high for a decent mound prospect; the Reds thought so much of him that they traded him in a package for Puig and Kemp. The guy he was traded with to LA -- righthander Josiah Gray -- looks like he could be the real prize...

I expect rebounds from all the regulars who won a ring just two years ago. However, I don't expect all the rebounds to happen in '21 nor for the Red Sox. The ancient phrase "change of scenery" may be relevant, especially for guys that went from the penthouse to the outhouse. Going somewhere new, joining a new group still hungry, has a way of reigniting the competitive fires, with the added incentive to prove you can still do it (especially, for those on the verge on bigger paydays). For those same reasons, Boston may be well-served to bring in new blood: at manager, coaches and roster.

Dear John, I have one request to fix MLB and the Red Sox: get rid of the check-swing flinch call. Summon the umpires and make it a mandate, not a goal; from now on, batters have to actually turn their wrists over or it's check-swing (like it was for 100 years). Batteries should be banned from asking home plate umps to appeal to base umps 90 feet away from the action. Want more action, more balls in play and less strikeouts? Do away with the check-swing flinch appeal and force pitchers to throw more in the zone. Fans might like that more, too.

I'm not so sure Dombro made the choice to sign the others at the risk of losing Betts. Subtle and not-so-subtle words from the likes of Henry, Merloni and Holley hint that Betts made that decision for the Sox. Detroit under DD came in 1st four years in a row and had the MLB's best starting rotation -- five starters under 30 -- when Boston beat them for the '13 pennant; that was the year before they traded for Price. The rap against Dombro's Tigers is they never had a closer they could rely on in big moments (David Ortiz, David Ortiz!). That may be why his first big trade in Beantown was the overpay for the best available closer in his prime. As for Cabrera, remember he was also Dombrowski's greatest deal, nabbing the best young hitter in baseball when Miggie was 24. Extending him into old age was obviously a mistake of Pujols proportions -- how can these clubs not see the inevitable breakdowns of large-bodied, 6-4, 250-lb professional athletes!

The difference between Detroit and Boston is that these owners -- if they aren't secretly planning on selling -- will spend and not accept a loser. Old rich men don't suddenly change; yes, they brought in Bloom, but it's a smart move, hiring someone who's already adjusted to modern MLB salary and draft rules that didn't exist when Epstein was given the keys to the coffers. My biggest dread post-Betts -- besides that I'm convinced he'll sustain greatness for a lot longer than experts (with John Tomase body shapes) predict -- is that Henry and Werner will run out of patience and order Bloom to blow the savings on lesser players in marketing ploys... because old rich men can't change. Like I argued all winter, I would be thrilled if a rival traded its best player; because they wouldn't be as good, and the longterm effects will be even worse when they squander funds trying to overcompensate.

They're just showcasing Peraza, trying to alert studio scouts that he's worth someone's -- anyone's -- #60th man, right now stashed on some obscure, alternative diamond. The focus until the end of the month will be to try to get more than a bucket of BP balls in trade for anyone... at least, a dozen, unopened game balls. The Sox are trying to contrive Peraza as a viable -- not a Swiss Army knife -- but a... spork.

Not to mention the message that sends to teammates and prospective free agents. Mookie was a rookie the same year they pulled the same crap on Lester... and then Betts got to watch the Sox overpay for mercenaries like Hanley, Panda and Price. Lester was probably even more confused, up by the time Boston had bid against itself for Varitek, kept Lowell, then overpaid for guys like Dice K and Lackey.

Bloom shouldn't count on either, though, and plan on adding at least half a dozen legitimate MLB starters (four if he keeps Eovaldi and Perez). Then any contribution out of Sale and ERod will be a bonus. Looking back at my post about the '95 Braves brings a new perspective: Atlanta had arguably the best rotation in baseball history with three Hall of Famers in their primes... and it only won one title, despite 14 straight first place finishes. For at least half that time the Braves also had a Hall of Fame switch hitter in Chipper Jones. That's about the best evidence ever that proves the postseason is such a crapshoot. Although having guys around like Maddux, Glavine and Smoltz would certainly help Bloom's goal of sustained contention...

That was a really stupid graphic for ESPN, even on a ball-washing ARod night. "Look, Ford is just like Ruth... because they both have 38 inch waists." The only difference is 700 home runs and seven World Series rings, three of while pitching. For Boston.

I wouldn't have tried to lowball him when he became arbitration eligible in the first place -- nor would I have ever even let any negotiations get to arbitration -- and I certainly wouldn't have presented a video of Kris Bryant to disrespect him. I'd also have the foresight to recognize and invest in a special player who is always in shape and always productive despite his so-called dubious stature, like other 170 to 180-pounders who earned between 66.7 to 79.9 WAR throughout ages 30-39. Guys like Aaron and Mays. Good teams need star players to build around who have the potential to play great for many years to give them multiple chances to get to the next level.

I agree there won't be much if any pitching available at the deadline. The Sox strategy may just be to trade as many arms on the MLB roster as possible for any prospects. I'd be shocked if Bloom can get any player with more potential than Arauz for, you name it: Workman, Barnes, Valdez, Perez, Eovaldi (contract), etc. Hoarding a handful of Arauz types is still more attractive than bullpen castoffs at this point. Quantity may eventually yield quality, whether a prospect develops into a regular or is someday used in a package for impact...

JBJ was probably gone after this season, good or bad. He's quoted as saying he's excited for free agency -- something like what every player plays for (I'm paraphrasing). No doubt the concept was discussed with his good buddy and ex-roommate Marcus; they're both from the south, and smart enough to seek warmer climes to extend careers as they age. Bradley is also another Red Sox player who never professed his unending love for Boston nor instructed his agent to structure a deal to ensure he stays here, like Bogaerts.

Anyone can hustle when a club is winning and teammates demand similar unified effort. But it's hard even for the stars to bring energy to a nightly lost cause. That's why there'll always be a spot in the lineup for a guy like Verdugo... who threatens to be great someday surrounded by the talent of a contender.

The Angels suck, too, this year -- 7-14; are they more entertaining than Boston? Some people like to argue vociferously that Mike Trout doesn't make a difference on a team without pitching, but wouldn't it be more fun to watch him every night than just about any other player? Would Mookie -- he of the high-risk, low-gravity frame (destined to break down any year now) -- make a difference if the Sox kept him? For those who believe in WAR -- and since Betts once again leads the MLB in WAR -- Boston would have about two more wins by now. At least those two games would have been more entertaining...

Sox docs checked his medicals and want a do-over on the Number 1 pick...

Two things we may never know the truth to: 1). if Betts wanted out of Boston, as suggested by Michael Holley; 2). who really signed Sale, since it was Henry who said at the time he didn't want to repeat the Lester mistake. I don't think anyone is in favor of keeping a system well-stocked with prospects and not be willing to deal some of them for pieces to win a World Series. Pitching is always a premium, but the majority of key arms in all of Boston's titles this century were acquired via trades or free agency; the entire starting rotations and ace closers in '18 and '04 were imports, as were most in '07 and '13... major homegrown hurlers included Papelbon in '07, Buccholz in '13, and Lester in both years -- and that's about it (guys like Barnes, Workman, Delcarmen and Dubront contributed). Spending is what won for the Red Sox, but less on free agent arms and more on scouting, drafting and signing draft picks and then flipping a lot of those prospects for pitchers others teams could no longer afford. MLB draft and salary rules have changed in the past decade, and now Bloom is here. Where the Sox seemed to hit on every acquisition a few years ago, so have the Yankees in the past year. No one should be surprised if roles reverse yet again in another two years.

Especially, from behind a mask. When he's gone in a month or so, the lasting memory of RR will literally be ephemeral, almost wraithlike. Cue the Dead Sox metaphors -- but don't call them the Walking Dead, since foes have done more damage swinging at our pitching staff; it's definitely more a combo of historically bad WHIP... the Whipping Dead? The Whipping Boys.

Good post. For those who blame the cliff on Dombrowski, would anyone trade 2018 so the next half decade would be good but not great? Think of 1988 through 1995, three division title teams that never once won 90 games... solid clubs but clearly not championship caliber. How long will it take Bloom to restock the farm and develop the right amount of above-average players who will help the Sox "sustain contention"? More importantly, how long will a current ownership accustomed to quick turnaround and banners be willing to wait before it inevitably starts throwing Betts' money at lesser free agents? Dombro came in, saw an immediate need for an ace, and signed Price. He then was able to use prospects to trade for the best closer available in Kimbrel, another All-Star starter in Pomeranz, and finally, the best pitcher in the AL at the time in Sale. In the title push, he added Eovaldi. Sure, there's always a cost for talent -- and the Sox may be better off right now if they still had Logan Allen, Michael Kopech and Jalen Beeks... but World Series contenders?

What I meant by constant turnover is an old pre-free agency philosophy that winning GMs with deep systems employed, grooming heir-apparents in the minors that weren't called up until they were ready to step in and thrive. Of course, teams had the luxury of the reserve clause, so they could keep stars as long as they were productive, and then replace them when age and salary got too high. To clarify, the "turnover" wasn't a complete teardown, just transitioning one or two new -- and younger -- players every year or so. It's all anti-Dombrowski, who just chose to sign or acquire as many established veterans as he could...

Not what I'm saying -- when I said it's improbable a team would give up anything decent right now, I was actually agreeing with you that a club like the Reds would refuse to swap their No. 3 starter for Bogaerts (even though both were stars last year). Unless it's two also-rans blowing it up and tossing shrapnel at each other, it's just highly unlikely any new viable prospects will be here by the end of the month.

Thread title is a misnomer, please change to Starting NO tation. This sprint season is good case study in what happens to a handful of big leaguers when they are forced to play with many minor leaguers against legitimate MLB teams. Even the Sox' former stars -- those talented regulars with World Series rings -- have struggled to compete and focus during such a lost cause. I'd bet many of them, like many fans, can't wait for 2020 to just end. The only guys who show spark are newcomers trying to prove themselves and earn jobs and respect: Verdugo, Arauz, Perez, Pillar. It backs the theory of always striving for some constant roster turnover, even on a proven winner.