Bridge Year(s)

[Sea Dog 23]

The only thing I've seen as maybe a pulse in the Boston group, is that they prefer to stretch out Winchowski and Whitlock, to avoid buying a front-line pitcher.  That is not going to get the Sox too much out of 4th or 5th place in their division. 

One scribe thought we could afford Lorenzen, who I think was with Philly last year.  About a 3.85 era in 2023.  Unless Boras gets bored and lets Monty fall into Breslow's lap, a bridge year is already upon us.

[MongoLikeSox]

It's somewhat ironic that Beltre gets elected into the HOF this week. Another 1-year vet who would have been great to keep. Perfect for Fenway and the lineup. I don't even recall why he signed elsewhere. Did we even try to keep him? I've long forgotten the details.

Here's an article on ownership in the Athletic. I don't think I've ever read her before, but she seems to understand our plight.
https://theathletic.com/5222001/2024/01/24/red-sox-craig-breslow-tom-werner-messaging/

[SeaBeachFred]

It's somewhat ironic that Beltre gets elected into the HOF this week. Another 1-year vet who would have been great to keep. Perfect for Fenway and the lineup. I don't even recall why he signed elsewhere. Did we even try to keep him? I've long forgotten the details.

Here's an article on ownership in the Athletic. I don't think I've ever read her before, but she seems to understand our plight.
https://theathletic.com/5222001/2024/01/24/red-sox-craig-breslow-tom-werner-messaging/

I haven't forgotten Mongo.  We did NOT even try to keep Beltre.  He was on a pillow contract for one year and one year only.  After he hit around 316, 28 homers and 102 RBI's, they still made no attempt to sign him long term.  Their eyes were on Adrian Gonzales for first base and Carl Crawford for left field and they paid through the nose for them both.  The only problem(s)?  One Gonzales was a poor fit for Boston despite his solid 2011 season.  He found it very hard to fit into the hub-bub and pressure fans in Boston displayed constantly, having been used to laid back San Diego and their then very losing ways.  Crawford was duplication because we already had his type in Boston in Jacoby Ellsbury, and the team was warned that Crawford didn't deal wi th the same hard nosed fans as Gonzales did.  Carl never came around and his fielding was less than stellar as well, muffing many balls hit to him including the one that drove the Sox out of the playoffs.  Both were traded for a re-do in late 2012 to a Dodger team than had new owners and wanted to start winning after many years of rot under the previous owner, a Bostonian.

Somehow it worked.....the Red Sox picked up a bunch of players from other teams, some free agents, some trades, but what was amazing is they blended in well with Papi, Pedroia, Ellsbury and Lester........Victorino, Koji, Gomes,  Napoli, Drew and a big comeback from John Lackey and POOF, we wound up winning the World Series in 2013.  Seems like eons ago.

[MongoLikeSox]

Fred, not going after Beltre at all seems to ring a bell now that you wrote it all out. I do remember that Carl Crawford signing and my immediate feeling that it was about a moronic of a signing as there ever was. I was thrilled to get Gonzalez, though. Too bad it didn't work out so well.

That 2011-2012 team was as massive of a dysfunction as we've had. It cost us Terry Francona AND Theo Epstein. I still remember the big mid-season trade when we got rid of the 5 players that seemed to be at the center of attention. They were grinning ear to ear and looked as happy as one could be after being traded. I was even happier than they were. There were a few more that should have been jettisoned from what I recall.

This time around, though, I don't hold the disgruntlement and dysfunction against the players. This is all on ownership and the management staff they put and kept in place. It's clear that someone is running the show that does not know baseball. This is where I circle back to that Carl Crawford signing. Was that signing on Epstein, or is this an organizational decision that he was forced into? When I think about it, that fits the MO of present-day Red Sox thinking. We might have won two WS, but it's not been working for the most part.

[Sea Dog 23]

I had hopes that they had found a baseball genius in Breslow.  Alas, he is just a genius who once threw a baseball.  After all, turned down by ten other GMs probably cast a dim light on how limited Breslow is as the OPS guy.  He only had a peripheral experience to the inner workings of the Chicago front office.

[SeaBeachFred]

I had hopes that they had found a baseball genius in Breslow.  Alas, he is just a genius who once threw a baseball.  After all, turned down by ten other GMs probably cast a dim light on how limited Breslow is as the OPS guy.  He only had a peripheral experience to the inner workings of the Chicago front office.

Seems like all we do is hire dregs and losers.  I am not impressed with Breslow at all.  Maybe he will surprise us but so far he looks like a recycled Bloom/

[MongoLikeSox]

I've had a recurring thought about the pitching situation as it's tied to Bloom, Breslow and FSG. The thought is simply this. Why are we just now focusing on pitching by the creation of this pitching department, or whatever it's called? You'd think this would have been done as soon as they hired Bloom in 2019.

We hired Bloom to fix the farm, which included pitching. The Farm system did indeed grow under Bloom's tenure, but it was limited in pitching and our positional prospects' all around tool set has been inconsistent at best.

Fast forward to Autumn 2023. It seemed like job #1 for Breslow at the very beginning was to either create or greatly revamp a pitching department. He was hired for this. He had and spelled out a detailed plan. We saw and heard nothing of the sort from Bloom despite the Sox and Media's lust for Tampa style pitching success. We did hear of improving pitching depth over and over again. Beyond that, it seemed to me that pitching was mentioned only in a general sense,IIRC.   

Back to my thought on Bloom's and FSG's efforts to that end. Why wait until now? 1: Did Bloom want to establish the like, but was vetoed because of FSG's Pandemic Era financial restrictions? 2: Was the plan always simply just to do a better job with preexisting pitching development infrastructure? It doesn't add up when I try to make sense of it all.

[longgame]

It's starting to look like the Sox are done for the Winter.  They don't appear to have any interest in Montgomery but the fact that the Rangers don't either may be is indicative of some risks.  Still, the guy is out there and pundits around the country from the CHB to The Athletic and others are scratching their heads on how the Sox ownership seems to be tanking the team.  Bello, Giolito and pray for rain-o.

[Sea Dog 23]

It's starting to look like the Sox are done for the Winter.  They don't appear to have any interest in Montgomery but the fact that the Rangers don't either may be is indicative of some risks.  Still, the guy is out there and pundits around the country from the CHB to The Athletic and others are scratching their heads on how the Sox ownership seems to be tanking the team.  Bello, Giolito and pray for rain-o.

Another indicator that the Sox have no interest in a top of the rotation choice to complete the roster, is evident that they are looking at two relievers  in the last few days, Jakob Junis and Ryne Stanek to complete the pitching.  The other flag, they admitted to the press that they were stretching out Winchowski and Whitlock, implying those two would become part of the rotation later on (end of April?).

[Sea Dog 23]

According to Bob Nightengale Boros' asking price for one of his pitchers -- Blake Snell --- is $270/9.  The Yankees offered a paltry $150/6.

This week the Sox have passed on Justin Turner, who looks headed to Toronto.  Sox are having difficulty with getting to terms on OF Adam Duvall and now looking at Garrett Cooper to play 1B, OF as a righty bat. Cooper had a miserable year in Miami, with a .251 BA.

Folks, it is what it is.

[MongoLikeSox]

At some point, the difference between Bobby Dalbec and some random aging schmuck hoping for  10-14HR, 33% K-Rate is going to be small enough that we just keep him for back up corner IF'er and occasional RF. Lots of games in Worcester last year and has a cannon. Tough to tell if he's any good out there or not, though.

I know this is not a popular notion around here, but I believe Turner is not a good fit for us. His true value is his bat. He's fielding has fallen off, and playing defense for any length of time dings him up, which costs AB's. Any day he DH's is a day we have to either sit Yoshida or play him in LF.

[MongoLikeSox]

Apparently John Henry and his pack of flunkies running the show think they can get away with turning our team into another shit show this coming season......and you know what???  They can get away with it if the pink hats and boot lickers pack the park in a show of loyalty to an organization that is selling them down the river.  The only answer we have to this flagrant destruction of our team is to stay away, don't go to Fenway, don't tune in to NESN or follow their games on TV, refuse to buy any Red Sox gear whether jerseys, tee shirts, hats, etc.  JUST BOYCOTT!!!!.  I know it will hurt to do that but what choice to we have?  We have finished last three of the last four seasons, looks like it will be four of five in 2024, and that would make it seven times in 13 seasons going back to 2012.  Our team doesn't give a rip about winning, only making money for future investments in other sports while their main business is on hold thinking they can keep expanding elsewhere and we'll just go along with what they're doing.  We need to make it hurt bad for them to wake up and understand that we have a right to see our team compete for a playoff sport EVERY @#$%&?! YEAR.  Sorry for the rant but I think some of you out there agree with me.

Fred, I am beginning to look into alternatives this spring.  Trying to follow the Red Sox ship every day, leaking water as it is, is downright depressing.  I'm thinking of NCAA baseball, SEC and ACC, and I saw a hockey game this week for the first time in a long time.  There is also a White Sox AAA club that plays up in Charlotte.  These are desperate times, and I hate to see some of the Sox regulars like Casas and Devers have to struggle through another brutal season.

We should grab Mongo and check out the Knights, or head up his way to see the Bulls.

I can't believe it. I just checked. Worcester does not travel to Durham this season. Worcester does host them this year, but no road trip. Grrrrr

[longgame]

At some point, the difference between Bobby Dalbec and some random aging schmuck hoping for  10-14HR, 33% K-Rate is going to be small enough that we just keep him for back up corner IF'er and occasional RF. Lots of games in Worcester last year and has a cannon. Tough to tell if he's any good out there or not, though.

I know this is not a popular notion around here, but I believe Turner is not a good fit for us. His true value is his bat. He's fielding has fallen off, and playing defense for any length of time dings him up, which costs AB's. Any day he DH's is a day we have to either sit Yoshida or play him in LF.

Turner is signing with the Blue Jays so we'll feel the brunt of that one all year.  But I agree, he doesn't fix a lot of the Sox' problems, especially since they need defensive flexibility and don't necessarily need a full time DH.

Intersting thought on Dalbec since it would be consistent with how the team is operating.  Cheap.

Worcester at Charlotte - May 28 through June 2.  Tickets are going fast!

[SeaBeachFred]

Ted---Since you are the "Administrator". does that mean you might be taking over this board when our chief leaves us after 2024?  I would hate to see this board go by the wayside since I'm not sure there are any others worthy of joining.  If there are I would like to know, but, still, it would be hard getting members who are as baseball savvy as this group is.

[longgame]

Rosenthal - the Red Sox aren't even trying.

https://x.com/BOSSportsGordo/status/1752405204136251468?s=20

https://x.com/BOSSportsGordo/status/1752405204136251468?s=20