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Started by longgame, July 25, 2022, 01:47:11 PM

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longgame

I've been chewing this over the last few days.  The Sox as we've said are poorly constructed for a number of reasons but a lot comes down to straight quality.  I submit the following grading

A - HOF potential - Devers and only Devers.
B - Hall of the Very Good - Bogaerts, Martinez
C - Core Guys - Vazquez, Verdugo, Story, Hernandez
D - Bench Warmers - Arroyo, Plawecki, Bradley
F - Negative Value - Dalbec, Corero

A lot of guys with incompletes, Duran is floating between a D and an F after not chasing that ball.  Downs is not looking good.  Sanchez is a veteran but hasn't played much. I gave Bradley a D only because he's a veteran and his defense, but he's probably a D- at this point. 

But the real point is a Boston team should have more than one guy with HOF potential and a host of B players, the rest C's.  Their simply isn't enough talent on this team to field a good enough team. 


Sea Dog 23

Also no real leaders in that group.  No Big Papi types for sure.  I see 4 of your top 7 are at the end of their contracts this year, considering their options.  Lots of new faces coming.

longgame

Quote from: Sea Dog 23 on July 25, 2022, 02:47:25 PM
Also no real leaders in that group.  No Big Papi types for sure.  I see 4 of your top 7 are at the end of their contracts this year, considering their options.  Lots of new faces coming.

Exactly.  This seems to be part of the grand plan - overpay for C players and fill with Ds and Fs.

markj


Sea Dog 23

#4
Tim Boyle, Fansided on parting with three guys at end of contracts, no extensions.  JD Martinez, Eovaldi, Kike’.  But extend Bogey.  The article indicates Boston is looking for serviceable, healthy players, but lots of wins is only a secondary goal.

“Eovaldi's contract does come to an end after the 2022 campaign. After four years and a $17 million payday in each, the time has come for the Red Sox to go in a different direction. Eovaldi wasn't quite as durable as they needed him to be this season. Now on the other side of 30, he would only be a nice fit to return if the Red Sox seemed a little more ready to win. They don't quite look that way.”

“ …Missing more than half the year will do that to any player. However, even when on the field, Hernandez wasn't all that productive. He'll need a strong finish to lift his batting average over .250. The Red Sox might not even get a .300 OBP from a guy they had hoped could be someone to have at the top of the batting order.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/3-red-sox-free-agents-who-won-t-be-back-next-season-and-why/ar-AA11sDJr

Sea Dog 23

Well the Sox will bring back Kike’ for 2023.  The deal is 1 year at $10mil.  I like Kike going forward as a utility bench guy.  But for $10 mil that looks like starter money.  Likely Pham is gone and a healthy Kike’ becomes the leadoff.

longgame

I've never liked Kike that much, although he had that great short run in the postseason last year.  I figure the Sox are hoping that Casas and Wong take care of `1B and C.  Bogaearts is a solid answer at SS, they know what they're getting, his numbers are consistent and I do believe he is a clubhouse leader.  The alternative is likely spending just as much for an unknown.  That leaves the OF and I'd keep Verdugo - he's an okay defender, shows signs of pulling together his offense and brings a lot of positive energy.  If they look at it this way that gives Bloom two tasks - CF and RF (Verdugo to me is a left fielder).  One of those guys has to be a lineup changer and the other one has to hit and bring defense.  So Judge and someone else  ;D  Pitching of course is in pretty rough shape and that's where I'm worried that they won't get it done. 

elktonnick

Quote from: longgame on September 06, 2022, 08:01:33 AM
I've never liked Kike that much, although he had that great short run in the postseason last year.  I figure the Sox are hoping that Casas and Wong take care of `1B and C.  Bogaearts is a solid answer at SS, they know what they're getting, his numbers are consistent and I do believe he is a clubhouse leader.  The alternative is likely spending just as much for an unknown.  That leaves the OF and I'd keep Verdugo - he's an okay defender, shows signs of pulling together his offense and brings a lot of positive energy.  If they look at it this way that gives Bloom two tasks - CF and RF (Verdugo to me is a left fielder).  One of those guys has to be a lineup changer and the other one has to hit and bring defense.  So Judge and someone else  ;D  Pitching of course is in pretty rough shape and that's where I'm worried that they won't get it done.

I can't  believe they are bringing back Kike at 10 million, seems like an over pay to me.

I just don't  think Bloom has  the temperament to fill all the sox's needs this off season.  He will fill the team with a lot of utility players like Kike but won't go after a big name player.

longgame

I look at it as you've got a utility guy in Arroyo who is much better than Kike for likely far less money.  Kike is overrated in every part of his game.   I see a lot of people throwing around that he's a gold glove caliber OF - not even close!  Of all of the guys to go out and sew up early he was the wrong one. 

elktonnick

Agree  I smell Cora behind this move.

SeaBeachFred

Quote from: Sea Dog 23 on September 06, 2022, 05:12:03 AM
Well the Sox will bring back Kike’ for 2023.  The deal is 1 year at $10mil.  I like Kike going forward as a utility bench guy.  But for $10 mil that looks like starter money.  Likely Pham is gone and a healthy Kike’ becomes the leadoff.

That's the way I read it Sea Dog.  Pham has done very well for us and has had some very big hits to help us win games over the past few weeks, like the one that downed the Yankees two weeks or so ago.  If  they see Kike as a regular and keep Pham we have a clog somewhere and I do not want someone like Christian becoming an odd man out---like that FRC did with him in 2021 so that he could get his pet Marwin the Miserable into the lineup despite his sub par 190 average.

SeaBeachFred

Quote from: longgame on September 06, 2022, 08:01:33 AM
I've never liked Kike that much, although he had that great short run in the postseason last year.  I figure the Sox are hoping that Casas and Wong take care of `1B and C.  Bogaearts is a solid answer at SS, they know what they're getting, his numbers are consistent and I do believe he is a clubhouse leader.  The alternative is likely spending just as much for an unknown.  That leaves the OF and I'd keep Verdugo - he's an okay defender, shows signs of pulling together his offense and brings a lot of positive energy.  If they look at it this way that gives Bloom two tasks - CF and RF (Verdugo to me is a left fielder).  One of those guys has to be a lineup changer and the other one has to hit and bring defense.  So Judge and someone else  ;D  Pitching of course is in pretty rough shape and that's where I'm worried that they won't get it done.

Right Ted, but if Henry gets off the dime and decides to spend some of his millions for a change we could sign one or two FA starting pitchers and a solid reliever.  Of course knowing Henry and Bloomer Boy it wouldn't surprise me one twit if they either decide to give French Fry another shot (his fourth with us)or even bring back the bumbling Bradley.  Sad to say but nothing these front office clowns do surprises me any more, and they shouldn't surprise anyone else.  But we can all hope, can't we?

SeaBeachFred

Quote from: elktonnick on September 06, 2022, 08:18:07 AM
Quote from: longgame on September 06, 2022, 08:01:33 AM
I've never liked Kike that much, although he had that great short run in the postseason last year.  I figure the Sox are hoping that Casas and Wong take care of `1B and C.  Bogaearts is a solid answer at SS, they know what they're getting, his numbers are consistent and I do believe he is a clubhouse leader.  The alternative is likely spending just as much for an unknown.  That leaves the OF and I'd keep Verdugo - he's an okay defender, shows signs of pulling together his offense and brings a lot of positive energy.  If they look at it this way that gives Bloom two tasks - CF and RF (Verdugo to me is a left fielder).  One of those guys has to be a lineup changer and the other one has to hit and bring defense.  So Judge and someone else  ;D  Pitching of course is in pretty rough shape and that's where I'm worried that they won't get it done.

I can't  believe they are bringing back Kike at 10 million, seems like an over pay to me.

I just don't  think Bloom has  the temperament to fill all the sox's needs this off season.  He will fill the team with a lot of utility players like Kike but won't go after a big name player.

That's his resume Elk but perhaps that's the way that cheap bastard of an owner wants it and that is why he fired Dombrowski in late 2019, traded away Mookie Betts to save a wad of money and hired this bum Bloom to help him pinch pennies by bringing a pack of bums like French Fry and now Familia to see of he can make chicken salad from chicken shit.

SeaBeachFred

Quote from: elktonnick on September 06, 2022, 01:18:42 PM
Agree  I smell Cora behind this move.

Two things.....I want Arroyo to stay healthy and work on doing that, and, two I don't want Cora to start jerking him around as he did in 2021  to enable that crud Marwin Gonzales to keep creeping back into the starting lineup despite his belowe 200 average.

Sea Dog 23

#14
Quote from: SeaBeachFred on September 06, 2022, 03:31:41 PM
Quote from: elktonnick on September 06, 2022, 01:18:42 PM
Agree  I smell Cora behind this move.

Two things.....I want Arroyo to stay healthy and work on doing that, and, two I don't want Cora to start jerking him around as he did in 2021  to enable that crud Marwin Gonzales to keep creeping back into the starting lineup despite his belowe 200 average.

Looking more like Arroyo is the future at 2B with Story moving to SS.  A hint this week that Giants (to compete with LAD) would be a wild $30m+ bidder for Boras/Bogey.   Judge hinted that he likes Sox fans, Dombrowski would sign him, but probably Happ (trade with Cubs) or Nimmo (Mets) is more likely for Bloom’s value plan.. Hopefully Chaim’s  FA  outfielder is not trending Conforto or Kiermeier. Those are just guesses, but Bloom is a known quantity in year four.