Minor League News?

[Sea Dog 23]

Ill throw in Franchy as a MinorLeaguer, or as some call them AAAA players.  Since he became a starter, he is 4 walks and 2 Ks.  I looked at the box the other night, he was 0 for 0 with 3 walks (Dalbec played 1st in the 9th.)

[MongoLikeSox]

In other news, Brayan Bello got his ticket punched to Worcester. Here's to hoping we don't start screwing with him.      

[Sea Dog 23]

Good news on Bello.  He just turned 23.  With Bloom clearing the decks and not extending Eovaldi, will Bello get a shot in Boston late '23?  AJ Politi also promoted to Wooster.

[MongoLikeSox]

My baseball watching has changed. Laptop on the coffee table full-screening the highest level 'sox minor league game and the big TV showing the Red Sox. Takes some getting used to with balls and strikes and how many outs each game as at any given moment. Still fun, though.

Bello looked off with control last night, but still pitched 6 giving up 2 runs on 6 hits and a walk while striking out 10. At least I THINK he was off. Laid a few meatballs out there to be smashed in the 2-3 innings worth that I saw. Big leaguers would have eaten him up just like they did with Eovaldi the night before when he grooved some pitches.

Fitzgerald, Duran are that team right now, especially with Casas out (day to day ankle). Fitzgerald and Duran would light an energy fire under the big league club. No clue if either can play RF worth a hoot thought Fitzgerald played there last night. I think they were working out Fitzgerald at 1B recently. No SB, but it seemed like he ran well. Kind of reminds me of a cross between Brock Holt and the Spaniard swordsman in the Princess Bride movie. They are fun to watch. Duran hit a pop up double. always fun.

[SeaBeachFred]

My baseball watching has changed. Laptop on the coffee table full-screening the highest level 'sox minor league game and the big TV showing the Red Sox. Takes some getting used to with balls and strikes and how many outs each game as at any given moment. Still fun, though.

Bello looked off with control last night, but still pitched 6 giving up 2 runs on 6 hits and a walk while striking out 10. At least I THINK he was off. Laid a few meatballs out there to be smashed in the 2-3 innings worth that I saw. Big leaguers would have eaten him up just like they did with Eovaldi the night before when he grooved some pitches.

Fitzgerald, Duran are that team right now, especially with Casas out (day to day ankle). Fitzgerald and Duran would light an energy fire under the big league club. No clue if either can play RF worth a hoot thought Fitzgerald played there last night. I think they were working out Fitzgerald at 1B recently. No SB, but it seemed like he ran well. Kind of reminds me of a cross between Brock Holt and the Spaniard swordsman in the Princess Bride movie. They are fun to watch. Duran hit a pop up double. always fun.

Our problem in RF is not defense; it is some kind of hitting prowess with Bradley and his 189 average and NO homers doesn't solve.  We lost Renfroe through an utterly moronic trade to get back John Henry's pet Bradley and we get nothing from that bum offensively, neither hits or power.  Duran should be given a shot at CF and GOD DAMN IT KEEP HIM THERE and put Hernandez in RF or left and Verdugo switched to right.  Fitzgerald would be an improvement over French Fry who has shown no power whatsoever.  We need a spark and Bradley and Frenchy do not give it to us.  Bloom has really screwed this team up with his dumpster diving, stupid trades and just plain ineptness.   If this miserable season continues he should be fired immediately after the campaign.

[MongoLikeSox]

Fred, I think we'll be talking about that trade for years. I just hope there's some positive other than tied for 2nd in defensive runs saved. 

Speaking of Minor League and such, Fitzgerald has played multiple games at 5 positions while hitting .312 and 9HRs. Arauz is hitting .162. Aurauz has only K'd 5 times in 40 plate appearances, though. One of them was last night with what might be the worst umpire I've seen not named Angel Hernandez. The guy was so awful that a SWB player named Guzman was still fuming about his previous at bat after reaching base with a Single in the 9th, he started yelling at the Home Plate Umpire and got himself ejected. It was funny as hell. Not sure I've ever seen that. 

[longgame]

Where do you watch the Minor league games, on that service you mentioned before? 

I was texting my brother in law earlier.  My mother in law's maiden name was Bello but they are from Puerto Rico, not the DR, but we were joking we'll have to hit up our "cousin" for tickets.  BTW, my wife's maiden name was Martin and she always told people she was a cousin of Ricky Martin! 

[MongoLikeSox]

I've got the MLB package already, so through that, I was able to get the MiLB package for an extra $25 or something. it's mostly just feeds for the lower levels. Worcester games look like full productions. I just mute the volume when watching both games.

Casas replacement is a big dude that has had an interesting journey. He looked like he was on the brink of greatness putting up a couple 30HR/105RBI/.305 2018-2019 and then a monster 2020 season with a Korean team during the Pandemic, a couple of injuries and now trying to latch on at the age of 28(?) with Tristan Casas in his way.  He hit an opposite field walk off HR while down a run last night. Fun to watch.

[MongoLikeSox]

A couple more observations from some minor league watching.

Finally getting some Greenville Drive watching time in. There was this one kid with a SWEET, tight RH swing. Come to fins out, it was Nick Yorke. I can see why they got him early in the draft. The AB was an out, too. Easy power to r-center wall.

Meanwhile in Worcester, Pop-ups and Fitzgerald are as nerve-wracking as it gets for watching defense. 

I'm not a fan of that pitch clock thing.

[longgame]

Interesting, you'd think they'd make the MiLB games as available as possible.  They can't be raking in too much with that package. 

I've always wanted to go down to Greenville for a game.  It's just a bit far for a down and back for a MiLB game, but there's some good hiking not far from there!

I like the idea of the pitch clock but it seems the pitch-com system is shortening the time for some guys.

[MongoLikeSox]

It was too much. That Pitchcom thing seems to take care of much of the problem. Nicer flow now. i didn't like seeing a ball-4 called because the clock zeroed out. It put a runner into scoring position, too. Thassa hard pass for me.

[longgame]

I don't like that either.  Good point.  It's interesting because sometimes I'll record a game if I can't get to it in time and my TV has a 30 second fast forward.  Most times if you get it just as the batter swings the pitcher has already thrown or is about to throw the next pitch.  Some guys are still farting around on every pitch. 

Has anyone seen stats on game times this year because they feel like they're coming down. 

[Sea Dog 23]

Back to the Greenville Drive, a nice promo today by a writer for Alex Binelas. Hit his 10th homer over the weekend and is second for homers in the Sox organization.  His walk rate is about 20% so far. Sox seem to be lacking power bats in the minors, other than Casas, Fitzgerald and Northcut.

[MongoLikeSox]

Binelas was the big stick in that JBJ/Renfroe deal. The other part of that was a speed demon IF with 17 sb in 34 games so far. Hi batting average has been in a decline for a bit IIRC.

On the flip side of the game, look at the pitching prospects. We've chatted a bit about Bello, Seabold and Wincowski. Jay Groome might have finally turned a corner along with a couple mid-rounders down in Portland that have climbed the ranks this past year named Chris Murphy and Brandon Walter. Thad Ward and Bryan Mata are on the rebound trail.

It could get even more interesting if Noah Song gets his permission to play from the military. I think the earliest eligible is coming up soon, though I'm not sure he's chomping at the bit to do so. imagine Trader Joe's legacy growing upwards if that turned into the draft coup that it could be?

I don't recall a group of arms coming up for Boston ever, though I was out of touch in the mid-late 80's when Tudor, Ojeda, Hurst and Oil Can Boyd were carrying the Rocket's luggage back in the day.

[Sea Dog 23]

I'll put this in minor league talk as Win how ski is probably headed back to AAA this week.

Some observations I've seen on his  start on Saturday.  He pitched three innings, I think credited with 4 runs.  He was throwing 92-93 and a couple pitches reached 96.  His downfall, he has only two pitches and didn't have good control of those.  So that puts him in the bullpen at MLB level until he can develop a third pitch that is a minimum for MLB starters. I don't think he figures in the '22 Sox long term, unless they want to restock the bullpen like they've done with Kutter.