5GoldGlovesOF,75

Mayer and Anthony? Didn't Donny Osmond sing a song about them? They're just "too young, and innocent... ... come back when you're older!" (or was that Eddie Haskell?)

It was a direct quote by Cora in an interview I watched. He probably meant Mayer would be the first call-up for an injured 2B, SS or 3B only.

I also thought Marcelo Mayer was going to be the first minor leaguer called up as soon as an infielder went to the IL with an injury -- because that's what we were told by Red Sox management when he was cut and the team broke camp. In the past week, TWO infielders went on the IL -- Casas and Romy. The Sox called up Toro and Sogard. I'm so sick of being lied to by people in charge.

That's what I thought, until last month when Breslow traded Quinn Priester for two minor leaguers and a draft pick.

Anthony and Mayer provide versatility in the outfield and infield, and also provide versatility in the batter's box: single, double, triple, home run, run scored, run batted in, fricking base on balls, nervous pitchers straining to contain them and making mistakes to the rest of the batting order, four times through the line-up... every night.... all night long...

I posted some stats this morning on how badly some Red Sox big league batters fared through this first quarter of the season. With several of your starting regulars mired near the Mendoza Line vs. lefty pitchers, could it be more of a disaster to promote Anthony -- who's not only as highly-touted as Holliday last year, but actually takes offseason BP together with him in dad Matt's family batting cage. For example, Rafaela, a righty swinger, is batting .179 vs. southpaws in the majors. Anthony is at .363 vs. portsiders in Triple A. Of course we know the very best lefties in the world are already MLB pitchers. But we also know, as Red Sox fans, there's a lot of other hurlers doing the two-step between the bigs and minors all season as clubs seek to constantly use organizational mound depth for a steady supply of fresh arms... Casas, in 100 plate appearances, hit .148 vs. righties. Could Anthony replace that production and actually improve the line-up? At least until someone writes an unwritten book about him... and then we can call up Mayer?

Young players have young bodies, which in the sports degree of baseball physiology that I just made up makes them more apt to be adaptable. Plus, they'll play anywhere to make the majors or stay in the majors. Moving veterans ballplayers -- who have earned the respect of becoming veterans -- has more potential drama, and aftereffects in the clubhouse. As for Story's very it's still early hot streak, does anyone remember most of the pitches he barreled were hanging breaking balls? Maybe he's not just in a slump...

To discerning fans, this looks like the answer to a few problems: no more Raffy angst, plus Mayer is a better middle infielder than Campbell. But perhaps the Sox envision a very near-future DP combo of Mayer at SS, Campbell at 2nd, and don't want to disrupt that scenario. Boston also may want Raffy at 1B to create an opening at DH, so Anthony, the best-hitting prospect in the minors, can join the batting order ASAP.

It's not a question of if, but when. Devers will play first base and the Red Sox will promote actual hitters to the majors. Raffy may look clunky at 1B, but who doesn't among Toro, Romy and even Casas? Schwarber did, too, in 2021 -- but getting his bat in the line-up, and keeping JD Martinez at DH almost won a pennant. The key is to boost the offense, which is just inadequate. Boston, 4-10 in one-run losses, leads the league in one-run losses, tied with the other Sox (the worst team in the history of last year). Luckily, in the especially-inept AL East, no club is over .500 in one-run games. This division is available... BTW: the two best are KC and Cleveland, both at 8-2. And don't worry about splits for Mayer or Anthony. Marcelo is batting .256 vs. lefties. Roman is hitting .363. Compare that to Duran .220, Abreu .188, or Rafaela .179 (a RHH) vs. southpaws. Or Story .218 vs. righties (83% of his ABs). They'll be alright.

Maybe the plan for DH (when Raffy finally plays 1B) isn't Yoshida, but to bring up Anthony. The Roman Candle can ease into the majors by initially just focusing on hitting. Then when he gets some reps in the outfield, the Sox can use the DH to rotate days off for each outfielder, plus Devers. The Red Sox could also use this system for the infield, if they bring up Mayer instead. There's no doubt Marcelo could play 2B, SS and 3B when each of Campbell, Story and Bregman takes a turn at DH.

Modern Manager to Ghost of Ballplayer Past: "Hey, Raffy -- we want to shake up the batting order. Will you agree to bat second?" "NO! All my life I've batted fourth. I am Clean-up Man." "But #2 gets more at bats than #4... our analytics department ran the data -- 2 comes before 4!" "Well in that case... Skip, pencil me in!"

People complain about upper management all the time. Devers himself implored the front office to obtain reinforcements for the pitching staff just last summer -- in other words, "to do their job." The worst thing Raffy did -- by refusing to play 1B -- is basically tell his teammates he doesn't want to do what's best for them, to help them win. Now, they're pros, so some of might just do this for a job. But to be an athlete is to be competitive. Try telling Bregman you don't want to help him win. This whole scandal Part 2 will take care of itself in The Clubhouse very soon...

Looking at this current 40-man, most of the post-Mookie "dumb" moves by the front office are the result of players not performing. There are and have been, however, plenty of non-moves that make Red Sox management's intellect fair game. Raffy can vent like he did yesterday, but the worst thing he said was in reference to the "all of a sudden" request for him to play 1B. A starting player at a defensive position was injured and lost for the season... all of a sudden there is a need for someone else to play first base. Does anyone think for a second that if given the call, Mayer or Anthony or 18-year-old Justin Gonzales or even a minor league pitcher would refuse to put on a first baseman's mitt to make the majors today?

Raffy has always had good reflexes. You don't slug 90 extra-base hits in one season without having elite hand-eye coordination. He won't be Twinkle Toes around the first base bag, but Devers can catch throws and probably even be decent snagging high ones and bouncers. Compared to other recent Red Sox disasters at 1B like Franchy and Schwarber, at least Raffy is an infielder. He'll be ok when he plays first base, which should be a reality by Memorial Day.

Brez just needs to make an overpay offer to convince them: Yophory and a draft pick and a minor league arm to be named later...

I just wanna say I'll do whatever I can to make this forum a better place. Baseball is unique from other "team" sports. Players can't pass the ball or puck to teammates, or block or set picks for them. Baseball is the sum deeds of isolated individuals. In the same way, sports message boards comprise many different posters with various takes on team news. I give opinions, but I'm also willing to research statistics to back up them up. I'm also always ready to crack dumb jokes -- even on myself -- because everyone involved in pro sports takes it way too seriously. People who dish it out must be willing to take it. CBOs, star employees, amateur evaluators on keyboards and phones -- we'll all in it together. But no one should be fired or primaried or have their families threatened just because their words disagree.

I think, therefore I drink.

With all due respect, that's my least favorite part of any ump call (90 feet away on an angle). Admittedly, the check-the-check is my least favorite part of modern baseball period -- an aspect that has creeped into the game over the decades that is requested obnoxiously on judgments that vary night-to-night, batter-to-batter. Maybe MLB should limit these "appeals" just like every other one nowadays. I also admit I favor the batter on either side on 99% of these checks, because they're not taking "swings." There are so many different pitches now that hitters always have to start everything sooner in the box until they decide to literally go around or not. Plus, when I was a young dinosaur egg hatchling, batters had to "break their wrists" (turn the top hand down) for it to be considered a swing.

Jared Carrabis: I have to admit, it’s very hard to get fully emotionally invested in this Red Sox team when I know they’re intentionally not putting the best team on the field that they possibly could be. The front office is kinda getting what they deserve here. I'm assuming this might refer to not promoting some top prospects more than playing Devers at 1B (since no fans or "internet personality" actually know if he even wants to play first). But Carrabis is closer to the team than I am, so I defer when he says, "I know they're intentionally not putting the best team on the field..."

Yoshida is a .285 career MLB hitter. If he joins and hits like usual, the Red Sox are instantly better than with Casas and his .182 season sample size. Devers could play some first base, but he doesn't have to every game. He can still DH a little, to give his body a break from scoops and holding runners on (and his mind a break, to focus on remembering he's the cutoff on hits or fly balls to CF and RF with runners in scoring position). Romy can still play 1B vs. a lefty.

Will Flemming did his best on the radio. I listened to Giolito's last inning in the car and Flemming was quite entertaining. Instead of whining like a retired Hall of Fame voice, Flemming described the zeal of Rangers' hitters running to the bat rack and home plate to hack at Gio's 90 mph slowball and high change-ups.

Nine days. Beginning today, the Red Sox play nine games vs. the toughest pitching in the league, including three against the best team in the AL. If Boston limps through a say, 3-6 road trip, the Sox line-up in their May homecoming will look unlike anything fans have speculated (except, of course, talksox whackjobs). And we'll all be excited...

... but at least we still care enough to gripe daily. What happens to the Nation if we become casual fans? Those from a few decades ago who just smoked pot and watched MTV never came back. Now, they're water colors.

What's scary is how smart the front office always thinks it is when it comes to reinforcements for the pen. And that's not just for overhyping the stuff of a guy like Zach Kelly. What kills the Red Sox every summer is the obvious company policy of not acquiring one of the top relievers available at every trade deadline. Such refusal fools no one, especially the Sox coaches and players. We don't know what's said behind clubhouse doors, but we listen and read quotes from the manager saying, "The roster is the roster," and the star slugger saying, "They know what we need." Instead, Breslow or Bloom wait until the last seconds tick on the deadline clock and pick up whatever scraps are left, just to make it look like they did something positive. But when the calvary trots in on Shetland ponies, it basically disillusions the team and leads to losing records every August.

These next nine games the Red Sox will face Texas, Kansas City and Detroit: three of the AL's top four pitching staffs in ERA. This front office may be waiting to see how the inconsistent offense performs against consistently good arms. If Sox' batters get consistently exposed, Brez and Co. could make significant changes and call-ups on May 15, the off-day before the next 10-day homestand. But if the front office stands pat, fans should understand that management doesn't feel the current roster is good enough to spend any more resources on bolstering in another bridge year. They'll put the bolster in the holster until next winter...