Malcolm White

And it's not like the Sox are the only team that struggles to plate RISP; Don't think they'll win tonight, but I'll take my chances with Early and 3-4 LH hitters taking aim at the Little League fence in right....

Such as: "if he's hitting fine and you don't want him to play the field, why does his throwing shoulder matter?" It's all sweetness and light now, but this season has been a big ol' rollercoaster.... He makes a difference on a team that whiffs so much, but he won't play the first two games vs. NY.

Fascinating, truly. We all know that the ol' "forearm strain" has been a precursor to seeing Dr. Andrews for a long time. The pitching injuries are epidemic--Sox lost a rotation's worth of guys (Crawford, Houck, Dobbins, Fitts, May) at various points. Any doc will tell a rehab patient they must strengthen the areas around the affected joint for best results. Send it over to one of the many VPs in charge of something related to performance. Good idea!

The much-maligned Triston Casas has a higher walk rate and lower strikeout rate than the sainted Roman Anthony. Nothing against Roman, but Casas had a 20% walk rate as a rookie, and was about 10% even with this (annual) horrid start this year. Career walk rate 13.6%. Assuming Bregman stays, an Anthony-Bregman-Casas top three would be a great tone-setter for the 2026 Sox, leaving K kings Story (career BB rate 7%, but barely 5% this year) and Duran (7.3%) further down the lineup, with runners on base. Both were in the top 10 in Ks this year. This lineup needs more contact, more walks and less whiffs to be elite, especially since they don't have a HR masher. Abreu also had an excellent walk rate (14.6%) in his minor league career; still good at 9.3% in 2025 but I wonder if Driveline is affecting his approach. Same with Mayer, who had a 12% walk rate in the minors; half of that in Boston.

Doesn't seem like a money first guy. Certainly likes it here. 5-6 years is the most he could expect, at maybe $20M+ a season. If the Sox could keep him to four, 4/$85M might get it done. Any FA in that spot, or an acquired/extended top starter, will make that or more. Gio can slot in behind the two younger guys; he's a strong personality and part of a really good vet core with Bregman, Ref, Story and Chapman. They can certainly afford it.

I would've loved the Mason Miller deal because that would fortify the back end this year and allow them to let Chap walk in the offseason......but the Sox's farm system doesn't have a top-10 guy anymore and Preller's just....going for it. Boston's window is just now opening; San Diego's is wide open with regression from its older players likely. Slaten returning, and Sandlin or Tolle added, could give them enough in the 'pen. But he could've done more certainly. It'll be interesting to see whether the Yankees' many deals will get them over the hump. Seattle and now Texas look like strong WC contenders. That would leave the final spot up to Boston or NY.

Romy's resurgence, esp. with his lousy chase and whiff rates, and not pulling the ball in the most pull-friendly LF in baseball, is probably the most surprising thing on the team this year. And there's no shortage of surprises.

The AL is pretty weak, but a rotation with both Fitts and Buehler just won't cut it. Neither has an "out" pitch; both rely too much on hitter's mistakes to get outs. The Sox' bullpen depth is too thin to accommodate their short starts. They need a starter and two decent relievers, or they risk wearing down like the past couple seasons. OTOH, when your pitchers turn Michael (.181) Conforto into Babe Ruth, and walk 9 guys, including walk-averse Miggy Rojas THREE times in front of Mookie, Shohei, Teo and FreddieF and you survive.....maybe the gods are starting to turn in their favor.

What an insightful article; it seems miraculous that he got through 2024 with such good results. They had so much starting depth at the beginning of the year, and we're left with Dick Fitts against the Phillies. A half-way decent Houck would've made a huge difference this year. It's unclear whether he's fixable, he'll get a raise in arbitration that he doesn't deserve, and this season has cost him millions and millions of dollars. The article doesn't suggest trading him, but he'd become expensive next year if they don't think they can fix him. Can understand why they might unload him.

This presumes they'll be buyers. It's obvious that this version of the Sox is overpowered by strong teams. Yes, the AL playoffs will be easier than this stretch, but depending on platoon players and rookies is not a winning strategy. If they're able to get even one game from each of these three series, they're in a mosh pit to qualify for the away game of a one-game series, with the toughest schedule in baseball in front of them and at least a dozen teams driving prices up. That's why I wouldn't advocate spending too much prospect capital at the deadline, maybe a Morton and a reliever to shore up the staff. They have rookies in key spots in the order, won't let their best defenders play against lefties, DFA'd guys in key bullpen roles -- it's a mishmash. See how the kids finish the season; they're fortunate that most of their better minor leaguers are having strong seasons. There are deals to be made, good deals, but better ones in the offseason. I don't like saying this, but they were a mess when their schedule was the easiest and they didn't make hay. And now the price of even incremental additions is ridiculous.

Advance all the metrics you want; this team gives away bases and outs to a faretheewelI. If official scorers had cojones, they'd be WAY worse. If Campbell's a natural SS, I'm a natural ballet dancer. Mayer is smooth as silk; he's the SS. Story moves to 2B where his arm will play up; they'll be a very good DP combo. No team keeps 1Bmen for their glove; I'm a Casas defender; live with the glove. Duran's nowhere near Rafaela's league in center; he had last year to adjust and was just OK; his arm stinks. Fenway's RF is tricky and Abreu has proven he can play it. Anthony looks shaky wherever he's played, but even Mike Greenwell could play LF in Fenway (though not any other park). Someone needs to tell Rafaela that showboating his arms results in extra bases for the other guys. JBJ had that problem, too, once he got his rep. Duran should go, and though his value has plummeted this year, he still has years of team control and a small base salary. They have not prioritized defense for the last few offseasons, they suck at teaching it, and it's cost them big-time.

Duran or Abreu gone at the deadline for RH power, Romy and Ref would help a lot of teams, though the return wouldn't be great. Gio (thought if stayed like this I'd want him back next year) would yield a good prospect; Chapman less so. They're a AAAA team with the vets; might as well be one with younger promising players.

Jack Flaherty. Clay Holmes. Matt Boyd. Nick Pivetta. Yusei Kikuchi. Jose Quintana. Tomo Sugano. All making less than Buehler OR Giolito this year; any of them would fit nicely into a #2 slot. I get not backing up the truck for Burnes, Fried or Snell, but I had higher hopes for the Pitching Lab than Walk'Em Buehler for $21M. And Toro-Narvaez-Romy are the 3-4-5 hitters. Hard to trust Breslow to get a good pitcher, or anything else of value, at the deadline.

you know it's desperation time when the annual Noah Song Update drops. Theirs is a sinking ship and Noah Song isn't the answer. Unless he could field a position or run the bases like a grown-up.

It's a long way from projecting what they'll do, but they will struggle mightily to score until Bregman is back and maybe after, too. The rotation and bullpen have been much better but are stretched thin. And the defense still sucks. Very little margin for error, and they make a lot of them. They've put themselves in (another) awkward position with Bregman, but if they find out he's not coming back (would you?), sell him. Between he and Chapman they should get some decent minor leaguers. Maybe Gio and Buehler might yield a lottery pick or two.

Make him a reliever; his stuff will play up. But he won't like that (affects his arb award), so they'll have another shitstorm on their hands.

It's Sunday now, and if this was the series to show us who the Red Sox really are, we're in for an exciting summer. Wish I could buy it, but the lineup is relying on Narvaez, Toro and rookies who don't look ready with the bat (perhaps Mayer excepted). They struggle to score. Their margin for error is razor-thin, as were all three games this weekend. No Slaten or Hendicks, a taxed bullpen and an unsteady lineup puts all the pressure on the starters, who until the last two turns weren't even close to shouldering it. But there was something about Bello going into the 7th today, about their handling of Judge (!), and Whit's dominance that was something to build on as they head West.

When your leadoff hitter has a sub-.300 OBP for a month and still gets the bronze, your offense is in trouble. And it is.

They will find a way to play him out of position while giving his ABs to journeymen.

Beyond frustrating. They have a DH who doesn't whiff like his mates, but he can't play cuz he can't throw? Even though there's no chance he'll play in the field? A DH who's chillin' while Abraham Toro plays 1B. One AAA kid with ore RBIs than games, a great glove, while Story struggles at the plate and in the field. Another AAA kid with a leadoff man's walk rate and a good glove, while the current leadoff man isn't walking much and makes misplays. And a CF who still can't hit. Too many LH relievers (!), not enough effective RH relivers. Two lefty mashers without positions. They look like the Land of Misfit Toys, and yet they could be so much better. "We've got to be better" isn't a strategy. I'm starting to wonder about Cora.....

Love Abreu, but if Anthony can play RF (or CF I guess, since Rafaela sure could play right), he's the guy to go. Trading Casas for pennies on the dollar is Sweeney-level stupid.

To get a Woo, Ragans, Rocker and the like without giving up Mayer or Anthony is a pipedream....

Clarke, Drohan, Tolle....promising lefties in the system. Gotta believe the future will be pitching-heavy with this organization. More good arms being developed.

I'd love that in 250 ABs, then turn the job over to Mayer. Could've used Masa a few spots, eh?