4:16pm: In addition to Duran, reliever John Schreiber is being called up to the majors. Hernández and left-hander Rich Hill are going on the COVID list in corresponding moves. Neither Hernández nor Hill has tested positive, Speier tweets, but both are dealing with viral symptoms. Schreiber rejoins the 40-man roster after a brief stint as a COVID substitute earlier in the year.
9:35 AM: While Duran’s promotion may well still mean a substantial reduction in Jackie Bradley Jr.’s playing time — and perhaps the end of his time in Boston — it appears that the precipitating factor for Duran’s return to the majors is not Bradley’s poor offensive output but Kiké Hernández potentially contracting a COVID infection. Per an updated version of the same story, Speier reports that Hernández’s initial tests have come back negative but he continues to exhibit symptoms indicating a potential infection.
Hernández is expected to remain away from the team until his symptoms abate and the Red Sox medical staff is confident he is not positive for COVID. Players are allowed to be placed onto the COVID-19 IL without a positive test provided they are exhibiting symptoms or have been exposed to the virus. As the COVID-19 IL has no minimum duration, Hernández could return as soon he feels better and is confirmed not to be positive for the virus.
9:23 AM: After failing to keep pace with the Yankees, Rays, and Blue Jays in the first month-plus of the 2022 season, the Red Sox may be preparing to shake things up. Citing unnamed sources, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports that outfielder Jarren Duran will join the big-league club at Fenway Park for tonight’s series-opening game against the White Sox. The corresponding move is not yet known.
It will be the second taste of the majors for Duran, who logged a meager .215/.241/.336 triple-slash in 112 big-league plate appearances in 2021. He’s off to a blistering .370/.460/.574 start in 63 plate appearances at Triple-A Worcester, however, and Sox brass will hope he can provide a boost to an offense that currently ranks 27th (ahead of only Oakland, Kansas City, and Cincinatti) with a team wRC+ of 82.
Even were they to continue rolling out the same lineup, the Boston faithful could probably expect some offensive improvement simply from reversion of the mean. Four Sox regulars — Trevor Story, Alex Verdugo, Kiké Hernández, and Christian Vázquez — have established track records of meaningful production and are not yet old enough for age to explain significant regression. It’s an ill-timed confluence of slumps to be sure, but there’s no reason to expect Alex Cora, Chaim Bloom, and Brian O’Halloran to do anything but watch and wait four those four to break out of their early-season swoons.
Much less likely to continue to see their names on Cora’s lineup cards are first baseman Bobby Dalbec (who faces from pressure from 22-year-old top prospect Triston Casas) and outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr., whose place Duran may well take as soon as tonight. After eight productive years in Boston (including an ALCS MVP performance and a World Series title in 2018), Bradley’s production cratered after signing a two-year, $24MM deal with the Brewers ahead of the 2021 season. He was traded (along with prospects David Hamilton and Alex Binelas) back to Boston for outfielder Hunter Renfroe just ahead of this offseason’s lockout, but his numbers have hardly rebounded. In 508 plate appearances between Milwaukee and Boston, the 32-year-old Bradley has slashed a measly .166/.239/.261, including just a .181/.253/.264 output this year; he’d slashed a much more palatable .239/.321/.412 across the eight seasons prior. These are, of course, hardly the numbers a team with championship aspirations expects from a regular, even one providing consistently high-quality defense in the wacky Fenway Park outfield.
As the corresponding move is not yet known, it’s unclear whether Duran’s call-up spells the end of Bradley’s time in Boston. Should the Sox choose to part ways with the beloved outfielder, they’ll remain on the hook for the roughly $8MM remaining of his $9.5MM 2022 salary, as well as for the entirety of the $8MM buyout of his 2023 mutual option. The team could also choose to send either seldom-used reserve Franchy Cordero (who has an available option) or one of the fourteen pitchers currently on its active roster to the minors. Regardless of what the move spells for Bradley’s future, though, Sox fans can probably expect at least a slight uptick in outfield production — just without a familiar face in the lineup.
Time for Cora to stop showing favoritism towards Hernandez, he sucks, Hopefully, Duran sticks with the big club this time
Kiki was out best player last year, going by bWAR. And his OPS is .667 since he started off the season going 0-17. You’re likely overrating the importance of 4-game stretches.
Wait a .667 OPS is a defense for the guy?!?
chief – Agreed, it’s not a defense. But battling Covid is a defense.
I’m not worried at all about Hernandez, in fact I’d like to re-sign him for the right price.
Wait a .667 OPS is a defense for the guy?!?
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Do you know what the average OPS is this year? It’s .671. The difference between .667 and .671 is effectively -0-.
I’ve been saying Duran wasn’t ready. Hopefully that bat carries in the majors this time around. I’m still worried about runners taking the extra base on that arm though. Too bad I can’t watch tonight. Apple +? No thanks. If you subscribe to MLB you should be able to get the game regardless (other than local blackouts which also should be lifted in today’s world).
I’m not a fan of Duran, but his numbers look a bit better this time around. He had a 66/30 K/W in AAA, at age 24. He showed some power, but that doesn’t last in the pros if you don’t consistent contact. He has a 13/9 this year. Even with less power, that might play. Hopefully he listened to Cora and learned how to lay down a bunt.
Dewey: Apple+ games are excruciating to watch with sound. Baseball is the same, yes, but the sole source broadcast team is riveting (no, no, not at all). In fact, Chris Young was explaining on a game a week or two ago how he doesn’t even watch baseball. Then he was shocked to see the 4-man outfielder shift, which anyone who pays any attention to baseball knows is a thing because of the analytics nerds.
It’s just…..brutal. The other two are women – Melanie & Hannah. Melanie, the play-by-play from the O’s, who’s not too bad, and Hannah, who was either absent, or completely awkward.
It’s just…bad. Hopefully they stop after this season.
Yeah that Apple TV thing is going to ruin our Friday nights. Can’t watch the Sox if they are picked. Fortunately it’s only Fridays.. for now. Hopefully the ratings are so low Apple decides not to attempt to secure a 2nd night and pay big dollars next year.
Second time’s the charm?
Does his first name rhyme with Duran? Ya know, like the oldies band?
He’ll need to be Hungry Like a Wolf if wants to stick this time.
Calling them oldies hurts a little man! The great equalizer.
Which little man does it hurt? Lol
Commas save lives.
Clip – That’s a well-timed comment considering the band was just named to the next Rock HOF induction class!
Let’s hope with Duran’s current stint in the big leagues we don’t end up saying “No mas”.
That’s newly minted rock and roll hall of fame band Duran Duran to you, sir
What do you mean oldies?
Yes Mas
JBJ has had two hit nights back to back, but we desperately need a lead off hitter… chemistry seems so far out of wack
Bradley reeks. best thing they could have done last offseason was wave goodbye. Could see taking his salary back to use his glove only as a 4th guy, but nobody wants him as a regular anymore and Dalbec.. All the sox fans who fell in love with 2 1/2 months of his not striking out quite as much last year.. bloom should have found a gullible GM to unload him on when he had the chance, was posting that all winter. He’ll never be consistent, maybe last long with that wild/loopy swing of his. Middlebrooks the 2nd. Chavis had the same upside and he was ran out of town. Guess being 6’4 made Dalbec into something he’ll never be, nor was that oh so many people i saw writing him as the entire time he’s been in the system.
john – Dombrowski was a moron for not trading JBJ after the 2018 season, when his value was at an all-time high due to a well-timed ALCS hot streak. He’s a good platoon player to have, but definitely shouldn’t be starting more than half the games.
He had a 92 OPS+ in 2018. How does that make his value different than any other season?
Lol. Everyone loved JBJ’s glove. You don’t need HOF bats at every position. Pitching, defense and timely hitting usually wins in October.
In the 2018 ALCS, JBJ went 3 for 15. In the full postseason that year he went 8 for 40.
FPG – Bashing DD never goes unnoticed!!
JBJ was kept due to his price.
2017 – $3.6MM to avoid arbitratoin
2018 – $6.1MM to avoid arbitration
2019 – $8.55MM to avoid arbitration
Post winning the World Championship his price was borderline and yes DD could have tried to trade him or cut him but with the team that existed at that time they had plenty of offense so his defense seemed like a smart move. Nobody knew all the mistakes Cora was going to make to destroy the 2019 season so given the data at the time of his 2019 deal it was NOT a bad move.
Bloom
2020 – $11MM to avoid arbitration (non tender in December was the way to go!) That’s on Bloom. A non-tender in Dec 2019 lowers payroll from $228MM to $217MM. Luxury tax on that is $8.5MM. Price Covid opt out reduces the payroll to $185MM in 2020 with DD still there, Mookie and Price still there. UNDER THE CAP – Just like what happened with Bloom.
That buys DD time to smooth things over between Ownership and Mookie and opens the door for making a big deal like Friedman did with Mookie. The franchise may not have done well in 2020 but it would have been somewhat better so Mayer wouldn’t be in the future but Yorke would still be there. So Mookie or Mayer? I’ll take Mookie 10 out of 10 times!!! The albatross contract with Price still could have been moved by DD without a buyout and the team would be so much better off right now.
I believe JBJ could have been released and re-signed by DD for $5MM or less. With Mookie in the outfield with him he was far more valuable than playing next to Verdugo. The team went from the top outfield defensively to a bad one by losing Betts and Benny then add JBJ who was only there for defense and the once great offensive and defensive outfield became a joke with Verdugo, Kiki and TBD in 2022.
Quit picking on DD!! This team is a disaster without him.
Joe – I’d like to think you’re lounging in a hammock sipping a margarita enjoying retirement, I really would.
Please look above where I said “due to a well-timed ALCS hot streak”.
In 5 games he had 4 walks, a double, 2 homeruns, 9 RBI and played stellar defense while winning the ALCS MVP.
He never looked better while on the big stage.
KD – Good one! You know I’ve given my fair share of praise to Dombrowski, but he’s not perfect. Nobody on this planet is perfect. The Sale extension is by far his worst move while in Boston.
But seriously, what was he thinking holding onto JBJ after 2018? That at Age 28 he suddenly turned into a good hitter? Dude was coming off an ALCS MVP and just got his only GG, that was the time to make a trade.
The time to trade a player, depending on whether or not you are a contender, is when you have a replacement. There is already a dearth of CFs in MLB. If we traded JBJ, what do you do to replace him? You could move Betts to CF, and downgrade your defense, and still be in the market for a RF.
Joe – Pollock would have been a longterm solution in CF, or Adam Jones would have been a 1-year solution. There are others as well via trade.
JBJ had a 2.5 WAR in 2018, and Jones had a -0.2. I wouldn’t make that switch trying to defend a WSC.
Pollock is a good player, but his days as a CF were about over by the time the LAD signed him. He had -9 DRS and a -20.2 UZR/150 in 2019.
FPG – It’s about the money as I already explained. If I had a choice of JBJ or Kiki with the 2018 team I would keep JBJ not Kiki because one is a .241 hitter and average fielder and the other hits 10 points less and is a great fielder and their $7MM price tag was nearly identical.
DD could have gone to arbitration with JBJ to save some money but he might have lost thanks to JBJ’s post season. The time to release JBJ was a year later when his pay went up 50%.
Trading JBJ is easy to say in hind sight. I dont’ think anyone expected the team to be destroyed after the 2018 season. I think status quo was the choice to see if they could repeat and that makes sense without hind sight advantages.
DD wasn’t perfect but he had a plan and executed it very well setting the stage for multiple rings. My biggest issue with DD was not out bidding Houston for Verlander mid season 2017. It would have meant Sale, Verlander, Porcello, Pomerantz and E-Rod as their starters for the post season since Price was hurt. And it would have meant no Verlander in Houston!!.
He probably didn’t do it because it would have put him near the CAP and he thought they needed a hitter to replace Papi. I was mad a DD until JD showed up then I forgave him and was impressed with how JD filled the Papi role.
Now solve the pen problem… good luck
Option Crawford, phantom injury for Barnes. Bring up Seabold, Kelly or Walter.
If Xander goes and Bloom stays, I’m all done! Of course nobody cares what the fans think, and that’s where the problem starts.
If Xander goes and Bloom stays, I’m all done!
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I’d like to see Bogaerts extended, but I don’t know how much he is asking for. Good luck with whomever you root for in the future.
Yahoo posted an article yesterday (I think Passan) that according to a friend of Bogaerts: he’s gone. Meanwhile Story is having to be defended from boos at Fenway by JD Martinez who is probably also on his way out. Fun.
My belief is that most of the writers lie about these stories. I’m not sure how much Bogaerts is sharing with his friends, and I’m not sure Passan knows many of Bogaerts’ friends. This feels like the Suzuki story when one of his “friends” told a US reporter where Suzuki was going, when the chances of that story being true were about -0-.
elm – You’re right, it’s a disaster right now. The offers made to both Xander and Devers were insulting, apparently Bloom doesn’t recall how it turned out when the Sox made an equally insulting offer to Lester.
Just think about it … they let ERod walk without offering anything more than a QO, they made insulting offers to Xander and Devers, and they haven’t talked at all to Eovaldi or JD. Not a good environment in the clubhouse when so many key players are preparing for an exit. And yet Bloom way overpaid for a free agent who has declined several years in a row. These are dark days for the team indeed, almost as bad as the Bobby Valentine era.
The ERod move looks pretty smart.
coolhand- So far, but the fact they didn’t even try to keep him sent a ripple effect through the clubhouse.
At least they got a compensatory pick for E-Rod, which will offset the pick they lost for signing Trevor Story.
The Red Sox are quietly undergoing a mini-rebuild. Their team of the future is sitting in A+ and AA right now. They don’t want to commit to a long term deal with Xander because with Story already there for 4-5 years, it would block Mayer and/or Yorke’s promotion to the team over the next 2-3 seasons. They will let Xander walk in the offseason and temporarily replace him with either Jeter Downs or David Hamilton. It won’t be a popular decision but it may be the right call for the long term success of the club. The Devers decision is a little more difficult as they really don’t have a ‘can’t miss’ 3B prospect right now unless Binelas can prove he can play 3B effectively. Even so, Devers is trending towards becoming a DH, but I’m not sure Boston wants to pay $35M/yr for a DH. JDM is also most likely gone at the end of this year unless he’ll be willing to sign a team friendly deal (2 years/ $30M or so).
Boston also has some intriguing pitching prospects who should be up in the next year or two (Bello, Seabold, Mata, Walter, Groome & Murphy), so I can see them letting Nate walk at the end of the year too, unless he’s willing to sign a 2 year deal with them at a reasonable cost. Paxton is on hand to replace Nate, so long as he rebounds from TJS.
I believe Boston’s goal is to build a team like Toronto has done. The team will be built around 3-4 young offensive stars (Mayer, Casas, Yorke, Rafaela, Jiminez, etc) along with young pitchers (Whitlock,Bello, Mata, Walter) and then supplement the team with established veterans (Story, Verdugo, Devers?, Paxton, Houck, etc.) instead of the Tampa model of going cheap. It’s going to be a rough couple of years ahead but the long term future of this team looks very promising. We just need to hang in there until the kids are ready.
Dotty – I agree the future should be bright with all the young talent, but punting on three consecutive seasons is a bit much.
Henry gave Bloom a 4-year window, he’s got one year remaining to put a WS-caliber team on the field. After this season nearly all of the players he inherited will be gone, no more relying on past regimes.
Fever Pitch Guy
they let ERod walk without offering anything more than a QO, they made insulting offers to Xander and Devers, and they haven’t talked at all to Eovaldi or JD.
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1-I’d have liked to have kept ERod at the right price. In retrospect, Bloom was right. Wanting ERod back is akin to KD being forlorn that Price left. And I like Price as well, but Bloom, so far, has been 100% right. I remember when a lot of posters were apoplectic that we even offered ERod a QO.
2-We don’t know what they offered Xander & Devers, only what the writers speculate.
3-We don’t really need JD at his current price.
sent a ripple effect through the clubhouse.
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And did someone in the clubhouse tell you that?
Fever. Opening offers are not meant to satisfy us or the player. Negotiations take time and being a business is a two way street. Time will tell if Bogie wants to stay or has been following the Mookie playbook of saying all the right things. Give Story time. Remember 2006? At this point then fans wanted to run Pedie out of town as a rookie. Finally, Devers has looked better at third but it’s a small sample size this year. Unless he’s willing to change positions at the team’s request, you can’t offer him big time third baseman money no matter.
Joe, I love Bloom but 100% right? Barnes? That said, the clock is also ticking on Paxton who simply cannot stay healthy to depend on him. He was signed as insurance but the team needs in my view to re-sign Nate. With his two TJ surgeries behind him, his arm has a lot of mileage left and he’s really just becoming a star.
I don’t see Jeter Downs ever being a MLB starter
That was Just in regard to ERod and Price. It’s still early on ERod, but if anyone is judging, so far it has to be a +1 for Bloom.
Consider this Fever Pitch Guy….the only “ripple effect through the clubhouse” is felt either by players who are looking for big contract extensions or are in their walk year looking at potentially at free agency….this camaraderie thing of course does mean something on any sports team, but when it comes down to being paid or liking your teammates….being paid wins hands down!
The Xander/Devers affect obviously affects those 2 classes of players much more so than the clubhouse environment!
Cap: Jeter Downs had an OPS of .880 in the AZFL last year and has an OPS of .838 in AAA so far this year. He barely had any time in AA, so he may be figuring things out.
Joe –
1) Ditto, at the right price. But we will never know if it could have happened because he was never made an offer. And if you think it’s already time to pass judgement on free agent signings, I guess that means you also think Bloom was wrong for signing Story?
2) Until it’s disputed, the reported amounts offered to X/Raffy are what was offered. Has anyone from the front office accused the reports of being wrong? From a PR standpoint, if the reports are wrong the Sox wouldn’t stand by silently.
3) I’m fine with letting JD walk if he’s looking for another $20M/per, but that’s a big bat that needs to be replaced and .880 OPS guys don’t grow on trees.
Fever Pitch Guy2 hours ago
And if you think it’s already time to pass judgement on free agent signings, I guess that means you also think Bloom was wrong for signing Story?
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I’m not making any judgements. But you seem to be implying that it was a mistake to try to not keep him. All I’m saying is that, based on what we know now, Bloom was correct. Like I said, I wanted to keep him, just like Price. But right now, it was better than we didn’t.
That said, if one wanted tp rush to judgement, would you rather have the Story contract or the ERod contract?
Cap & Crunch18 hours ago
I don’t see Jeter Downs ever being a MLB starter
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Tough call. He had an awful 2021 with 131 Ks in 357 ABs. But his AZFL stats were better with a 18/14 K/W. The 18 Ks is still too high, but it came with 4 HRs, so that was okay. He started off slowly this year, but his last 14 games, he’s had a 14/11 K/W with 4 HRs. Those numbers definitely play, but I always worry that the K-guys will revert under pressure.
Joe – It was a mistake to not attempt to keep him.
If they had made the effort but his asking price was too high, I’d have understood.
At least with Xander and Devers they’ve finally made an effort to keep them, as disingenuous as the offers were..
Xander is gone by the trading deadline.
bob – If the Sox have a losing record by mid July, we WILL see a fire sale.
Eovaldi
Xander
JD
Vaz
Plawecki
Dalbec
Hernandez
JBJ
Wacha
Hill
And virtually every other relief pitcher except Whitlock and Houck
Any of the above players might be traded by the deadline.
we WILL see a fire sale.
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No one is paying for JD, Vaz, Plawecki, Dalbec, JBJ, or Hill.
I’d have no problem with a fire sale, but only if it brought something of value in return.
Sometimes a down year for big market clubs are a blessing
Not much of surplus value for the RS to trade currently but Id bet they’d like to unload Barnes and Sale if given the opportunity for ledger [purposes}
Kiki Eovaldi and JD should perk ears, tho I think they have intentions on extending E0valdi
Judgements on Bloom should start transferring to pen in about 11 months and then maybe signed off in 23 months
He has navigated post Covid effectively enough but its all building up to the unforeseen so it’s tough making concrete takes on him to date.
Id be happy in purgatory right now, it could have been a lot worse
Joe – I agree with you on the fire sale, except there are certain players I want to see extended instead of traded. Eovaldi and Hernandez I’d like to extend.
I think you’re way off base on your list of players that supposedly no other team will want. JD is still an elite hitter, LHP are always in demand, and as even you acknowledged there’s a lot more demand than supply for established ML catchers. As for JBJ, let’s say a contender’s OF’er is gonna be on the IL for a month or so … all they would want is a short-term fill in who they could use as a defensive replacement later on, and JBJ fits that role.
I remember last year you said the same thing about Iglesias, that nobody would want him. Lo and behold the Sox had a need in September and he was a great fill in. I think you undervalue players way too much.
I agree on wanting Eovaldi & Kiki back. But keep in mind that the 2021 Kiki was a bit of an anomaly, and that Eovaldi is still going to be 33 when his next contract starts,
IRT JD, he’s a real hitter, who is also expensive. I wouldn’t mind “buying” a prospect by chipping in most of his salary, but teams are already hoarding prospects.
On Hill, I’m just going by what he was traded for last year, which wasn’t much. I never expected him to last much past June, so I just don’t think he’ll have much value by the end of July.
Vazquez has become a low-end catcher. If he were put on waivers today, would anyone claim him?
IRT Iggy, I loved the guy and wanted us to re-sign him, had we signed Suzuki. He’s a perfect backup 2B/SS. If I said anything different, I’d be interested in hearing it.
Joe – I don’t blame you for being down on Iglesias after his time with the Angels. He was awful offensively and defensively with them.
My point is that established players are valued by other teams even when they haven’t performed well. For you to say no team would want a bunch of Red Sox players I listed, that’s just wrong. I’m especially surprised you said that about Vazquez, yeah he hasn’t been very good … but he hasn’t been very bad either. He’s a serviceable catcher who could be a starter on some other team next year.
Fever Pitch Guy
Joe – I don’t blame you for being down on Iglesias after his time with the Angels.
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Are you responding before you read my post? Here is what I said:
“IRT Iggy, I loved the guy and wanted us to re-sign him, had we signed Suzuki. He’s a perfect backup 2B/SS. “
I don’t think the team can move Bogaerts because of the opt-out. Any team who might want him will assume he is staying only for two months before opting-out. This will minimize their offer for him. The potential returns for two months of Bogaerts will be so underwhelming that the club will keep him to hang a QO on him when he departs. They’ll get a draft pick (assuming the PA does not accept an international draft by the July deadline).
I’m guessing the MLBPA ends up accepting the international draft and the QO process goes away. The MLBPA favors existing union members over draftees and the QO penalty has hurt the market for some big MLBPA union members in the past. They want to protect them and make sure they can maximize their earnings on the FA market with no restrictions or penalties.
Thankfully, this decision needs to be made before the trade deadline so Boston will know if they could get a QO draft pick for Xander prior to then. The problem with the Xander QO pick is that Boston is currently over the CBT threshold so I believe this QO pick would be pushed down to after the 4th round of the draft. If that is the case, it might make more sense to trade him than to hold onto him for a draft pick in the 140-160 range. I’d hate to see Xander go but it might be the right long term decision for the team.
As I heard about the international draft while CBA negotiations were still going on, a large number of Caribbean players in the majors were dead set against it because they saw it as limiting the potential future incomes of up-and-coming Latin players. I think that contingent will still be strong enough to hold sway in the PA—this year. Ultimately, there will be a draft, but not as a last-minute add-on to contentious negotiating sessions. It’s going to take a couple of years, more back-and-forth, and a single-issue platform for its launch.
See ya! Xander ain’t staying. Get over it. We’ve always let prime talent walk. That isn’t going to change just because you have a crush on Boegarts.
I never understood why you would trade for a very good centerfielder and then play him in right. If you didn’t want to move Hernandez from center then why acquire Bradley? Recalling Duran was inevitable. I think they option Cordero.
Because Bradley is also a terrific RF, and that’s required at Fenway.
So true, but they traded a good right fielder in Renfro, with a better stick to get Bradley. So to me it still makes no sense.
The JBJ trade was all about the 2 prospects they received back from Milwaukee, both of whom are excelling in the minor leagues right now. One of those prospects, David Hamilton, is most likely the replacement for Xander (short term) if Xander leaves after this year. Hamilton can play SS & 2B, so Story will play one position and Hamilton the other until Mayer and/or Yorke are ready.
The other prospect, Alex Binelas, is tearing up A+ ball now. I believe he won minor league player of the month (or at least the week) recently for High-A. He’s only 21 years old, so he probably needs another 2 seasons of minor league play before he’s ready to contribute. But if his power carries over to MLB, he could be a future star for them at 3B or in the OF.
Even after a surprising playoff performance by Boston last year, the front office knows this team is not good enough to win it all, so they have their eyes on their next competitive window which should start in the 2024 season. They are trying to dump their expensive contracts now so they can go all in starting with 2024 season where at least half their roster will be full of pre-arbitration youngsters.
Renfroe still only has a 0.2 bWAR, as does JBJ. It’s too early to tell, but I wouldn’t hesitate to make the same trade again.
Thanks Dorothy for the update on that trade!
The initial plan was for Hernandez to man 2nd base. Story spelled that notion.
DFA Bradley, Dalbec AAA and Triston Casas to Fenway
Sox and Padres match up in a trade…
Future Red Sox HOF! Can’t wait for him and Refsnyder to be inducted in 2040!
In other news our friend Benintendi is hitting a nice 0.354. Cordero will not work out and Chaim better hope Winckowski does work out for the Sox
Benny had a good 4-game start to the season. His OPS since has been .737.
10d is almost fully babip driven he will regress. Duggie, on the other hand, is almost the exact opposite of Benny completely hitting into poor luck which should also revert soon.
Think Winckowski has a chance to help in a couple years, but it’ll be in the pen. He’s one of those guys who gets multiple extra mph on his heater in short stints.
FWIW.. Bello tossed a 7ip no-no last evening to those not seen. other game starter, Brandon Walter was maybe better, other than only giving up 3h himself. An outstanding pair Sox have at AA in bello/Walter.
I think you can add Groome to that list he has looked pretty good as well. Walter has been a revelation he walked his first guy of the season yesterday against 39 k’s.
Been a long time since Boston has had an affiliate where every one of the starters has a chance to make it and that is true with Portland this year. Quite a bit more fun watching those guys than say.. worchester’s starters step onto the mound, other than Seabold knowing Winckowski should be coming in as a reliever, hernandez has -0- clue where the k zone is and the rest? Retreads.
The offense has carried the day at AAA Worcester. The offense in AA Portland is absolutely putrid but the pitching has been great at AA. Walter should be called up soon to AAA he’s 25 and he’s to much for AA it’s time to test him at AAA. I think Bello may not be far behind Walter to AAA it will be interesting to see how aggressive they will be with Groome.
While Duran’s promotion may well still mean a substantial reduction in Jackie Bradley Jr.’s playing time — and perhaps the end of his time in Boston
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I don’t see the connection. Duran is never going to play RF long-term. And arguing Duran in CF and Kiki in RF doesn’t make much sense either.
Boston is going to suck for most of the rest of this decade
They need to lose a pitcher later in the month anyway, and they actually have off days this month. I expect Kutter Crawford to go down. DFAing Bradley is very premature, as – at worst – he provides defensive replacement utility, and you’re exposed if Duran fails to transition a second time. That said, promoting Duran and shaking things up a little bit is absolutely the right call right now.
Bradley’s OPS since the first 5 games of the year is .634. With his defense, it is not the end of the world.
Duran is not going to play right field except in an emergency and maybe when they go to Yankee stadium. He does not have the arm for it. Duran will play center until Kike comes back and then probably left field with Duggie moving back to right field that’s my guess.
It’s good to see Duran get his chance again he had nothing to prove in AAA and my feeling was he needs to play everyday in the big leagues to see if he can make the adjustment. I would also like to see Franchy get another chance he has nothing to prove in AAA either. Franchy has only gotten 467 at bats in the big leagues over 6 seasons it’s time to see if he can stick in what’s looking more and more like a lost season. It’s still early but the bullpen problem looks like a problem they can’t fix with the personnel they have short of moving Whitlock into the closers role which I think they should but doubt they will.
Duran’s a 4th OFer, if he’s even a MLBer. Sox fans have to hope Cassas isn’t Bobby Dalbeck, 2.0; the jury’s still out. The roster is “meh”, the trades have been “meh”; the whole franchise is a gigantic boor.
This from arguably the most profitable franchise in professional sports; maybe not #1, but they’re in the discussion. Pathetic.
Other than playing the same position, Casas and Dalbec have no similarities. If you want to compare players, it is more like Dalbec-Middlebrooks-Chavis.
Look, we all know it’s early. The lineup is still there, and maybe Sale comes back as Sale. Stranger things have happened. Still, the team’s major problem is that they’re a gigantic yawn. If it continues, and John Henry et al want to maintain the Nation, they’ll have to fire the Bloomer or Cora or do something of that ilk. Right now I’d peg the “brand” as hemorrhaging in a critical way. I actually heard a fan on WEEI this morning talking, with baited breath, about the forthcoming draft. So right now the Red Sox are the Orioles or Pirates.
bob – Much has been said about Bloom building a team that’s in his image, which means boring players.
I can see their point, Red Sox teams of the past were popular not just because they were good but also because they had personality.
Manny, Papi, Pedro, Damon, Millar, Gomes, Mookie, Napoli, Koji, Papelbon … we followed those teams because we wanted to see what those guys would do and say.
Now? Not so much.
There is no way Bloom or Cora get fired. They’re in a tough division without a dominant pitching staff or bullpen. Dombro left the cupboards bare and now Chaim is diggin us out of the hole he left us in. This year might not be so pretty, but we have a chance at a future with a guy like Chaim, and with Cora at the helm, we’ll turn it around.
The Bloom Build has all the marks of the Rays operation; might produce some good numbers (more by luck than design), but there’s just a lot more to franchise building. And the glorifying of the Alex Verdugo-s of the world, is what those teams do. And waiting for the Bobby Dalbeck-s of the world is what those teams do. Tampa, Pitt, Baltimore have their reasons (financial) for doing things that way; the Red Sox have no excuse. Now, the players drive to Fenway not convinced that the man upstairs wants to win tonight’s game.
Soon, the fans will do the same. And a very pristine franchise will sink to nothingness.
It won’t take long at all. I’m old; I remember what it was like pre-1967, when you could walk up and get a box seat for a buck; any box seat you want. It was an ugly time. And I see it coming again.
1967 was 55 years ago. In the past 20 years, we’ve seen nothing but success. I would expect that to continue.
Guess your looking past those 5 seasons where the Sox finished pretty close to 20 games out of first and non-playoff years….that being said, they have won 4 WS so cudos, but the worst to first penchant probably does confuse the fan base a bit over what managements intentions really are….
Good year last year…off to a bad start this year…. so now you’re (comments) actually talking about a sell off to prime the pump for 2 seasons from now……..
rocky – You know, I know, everyone but Joe knows the Boston Red Sox have not qualified for the postseason 7 of the past 12 seasons.
During those 7 seasons they’ve had:
4th-highest MLB payroll once
3rd-highest MLB payroll four times
2nd-highest MLB payroll once
Highest MLB payroll once.
So not only have they stunk 7 of the past 12 years, they were among the highest payrolls in MLB each of those 7 years.
But let Joe continue to brag, whatever makes him feel better. LOL
I have 4 WSC’s in the past 17 years. It doesn’t get any better than that. That’s what makes me feel better.
If living in the distant past and pretending you were part of those championship teams makes you feel better, more power to you. To each their own, whatever works for ya.
I suppose somewhere in the world there’s a 98-year-old Cleveland fan saying “I got 2 WSC’s, doesn’t get any better than that”.
Fever Pitch Guy2 hours ago
If living in the distant past and pretending you were part of those championship teams
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Maybe it is a memory issue, but I don’t consider 2018 all that long ago.
And if fans don’t consider themselves part of the “team”, then what is the point of rooting for them?
And comparing 4 WSCs in 17 years to one WSC in 98 years, is arguably the worst analogy I’ve ever heard.
Joe – It must be a memory issue, because you clearly forgot that you brought up 4 WSC’s even though two of them were at least 15 years ago. Not to mention all 4 WSC’s were won by prior regimes.
Fans root for teams, they aren’t “part” of the teams. I’m a fan of GNR, that doesn’t mean I’ve been inducted into the RHOF.
You didn’t get the analogy, that’s okay. Like I said it’s fine to cherish championships of the distant past, I still wear my 2004 championship hat every week. But ignoring the present by living in the past is just not healthy.
And being a real fan is wanting to win now. Thank goodness you’re the only one who is saying “It’s okay if the Red Sox finish last every year, I’m content with my 4 WSC’s going back decades”.
But ignoring the present by living in the past is just not healthy.
And being a real fan is wanting to win now. Thank goodness you’re the only one who is saying “It’s okay if the Red Sox finish last every year, I’m content with my 4 WSC’s going back decades”.
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I’m not the one ignoring the present. In our most recently completed season, we were 2 games away from going to the WS.
IRT the second, I do acknowledge that there are two schools of thought. One that focuses on championships, and one that focuses on consistent year-over-year winning percentages. I prefer championships, but I am not dismissing those in favor of consistency.
Given that I think the Yankees and RS exhibit the two starkest dichotomies, I give you the following two choices since Henry took over.:
Team A 11 playoffs, 7 ACLS, 4 WSC, but finished last 4x
Team B 15 playoffs, 8 ALCS, 1 WSC, but finished > .500 all 19 years.
No judgement calls here, but who would prefer team A or team B.
Refreshing take, Bob. Agreed.
There’s a late-80s vibe to this Sox team.
Man… looking forward to Tim Naehring…
Here we go. Corner turned? Or coroner turned.
The sox overachieved last season. the long term build of this club will continue to be the MO going forward. A rough patch to be sure, but it’s still early. That said, it has been painful to watch this team unable to score and the pen unable to keep the opposition in check.
The complete failure of the offense isn’t just because of some players underachieving, it’s also because there’s no bench players capable of coming through in the clutch because there’s no bench.
Which is more important: The 14th and 15th pitchers on the staff, or a couple guys on the bench who you can count on to get a big hit or big walk or big stolen base.
But Cora loves, loves, loves having a boatload of pitchers so he can feel powerful making all those pitching changes.
That’s an awful argument. Big pitching staffs are the way in todays game. The best teams in baseball utilize boatloads of data and big pitching staffs to give them the best chance to succeed. You really think a guy that spends every waking minute of every day obsessed with baseball is made to feel powerful by making pitching changes??
fuch – Don’t get too used to 15-man staffs, because MLB will soon be instituting 13-pitcher limits. Why? Because nobody wants to watch boring games with little or no scoring.
And clearly with all the games the Sox have lost this year because of their anemic offense, “the way” is to have a real bench with real hitters on it.
Fever Pitch Guy
The complete failure of the offense isn’t just because of some players underachieving, it’s also because there’s no bench players
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No doubt about it-the bench sucks. The non-regulars have combined for a .170 and one HR in 125 ABs.
But the regulars are where the problem is. In terms of OPS:
Vazquez -135
Dalbec -348
Bogaerts +41
Devers -128
Verdugo -185
Kiki -219
JDM +43
So we have two regulars that are modestly positive, based on BABIP. And 5 guys that are off by an average of maybe 203 points each.
The argument for Bradley is his defense, not his hitting, which has always been streaky. He already has at least 3 defensive runs saved this season.
Three weeks are remaining before the Red Sox reach the 40-game mark.. At that point both the FO & manager should have a grasp on the talent they are paying to play. If the team is still in its doldrums by then some major turnover in the roster has to occur. Chaim and Alex ,”Put your thinking caps on now”!
The sad thing is, outside of Pivetta the starting pitching has been outstanding. The problem is the offense can’t score runs and the bullpen is horrendous. They needed to go after a Closer and didn’t. Even though people try to downgrade the importance of a solid Closer that 9th inning presence does wonders for the rest of the ‘pen.
Hopefully Duran can provide some kind of a spark because this team’ hitting is painful to watch right now
Duran will likely be negative impact. I watched him in AA; I saw a guy with mysterious routes to fly balls, and brain dead base running. In other words, Carl Crawford. Guys like that WILL put up numbers, but mostly will cost you a victory for everyone they contribute to. And, since Murphy was an optimist, the costs will come at the worst times. Duran MIGHT eke out enough production to be a zero impact guy; but that’s his ceiling.
I am beyond confident that Story, Verdugo and Kiké will turn their offensive production around in the upcoming weeks. Verdugo has been unlucky this season. He is squaring up the ball a lot and hitting the ball hard; he is just having terrible luck with his BABIP so far. Story and Kiké are too good of players not to turn things around as the weather warms up.
The biggest concerns at the plate lie with JBJ, Vasquez and Dalbec. JBJ is who he is so If he can get up to and maintain a .225-.230 batting average then that should be considered a ‘success’ (for as long as he’s part of this team anyways). Adding Duran should help improve the OF offensive contributions to date and his speed on the bases will be a welcomed addition to the team. Worst case, they’ll have a bench bat with extra base hit potential and one of the best pinch runners in baseball. Dalbec is a historically slow starter at the plate but I’m not sure how much longer they can afford to wait for his bat to wake up. If he can’t get it going over the next 14-21 days then there is a good chance he gets sent down to AAA and Casas makes his debut. Lastly, Vasquez might be the most concerning of them all. He seems to have lost his power and his eye at the plate. He is striking out way too much, not taking enough walks and pitchers don’t seem to enjoy pitching to him either. Plawecki is not the full time answer and I’m not sure Connor Wong or Hernandez are either. Right now, Cora has little choice but to start Vasquez for 100 games + this year unless they can trade for a young catcher or one of their backstop prospects catches fire and forces his way onto the team. An upgrade at catcher should be the highest priority for this team on the offensive side of the ball. Established bullpen pitching (8th inning and closer) is clearly their number one need if they want to compete this year.
Boston is walking a tightrope right now. They want to stay competitive but they are really building their next great team though the minor leagues, so while Boston certainly needs to upgrade their current roster to stay competitive, they are not going to trade any of their Top 10-15 prospects to try and improve this year’s team. They’d much rather promote rookies to see if they can help versus trading one of them for veteran help. If that doesn’t work and they keep losing, I’d expect a fire sale at the trade deadline this year. JDM, Xander, Eovaldi, Wacha and Rich Hill could all be traded in July if Boston is completely out of reach of the playoffs. This is all part of Bloom’s master plan. He needs to get the big contracts off of the books and prepare for their next competitive window, starting with the 2024 season. If they can somehow pull off a playoff appearance in 2022 or 2023 then that would be icing on the cake. This team is not built to win it all right now; it’s built to keep them somewhat competitive until their young prospects are ready. I’m very excited about their long term future but the next two seasons will be a struggle for them for sure.
I had the same discussion about Dalbec yesterday.
Thru May 6, 21, Dalbec had one HR, with a .174 average, and a 33/5 K/W.
This year, he has 1 HR with a .147 average, and a 25/5 K/W. The only difference between 2021 and 2022 is that he had a .269 BABIP in 2021, and only a .200 BABIP this year.
Our patience was rewarded last year with a .866 OPS after 5/6, but he doesn’t have enough history to give us any insight.
Problem is you can only wait so long for luck.
The problem, just like in real life, is deciding when something is luck, and when it isn’t. Dalbec is extreme in this regard. His K% is too high to draw any conclusions, much like Gallo was earlier in his career.
Trade Devers for a starter and move Dalbec to 3rd.. Pack X-Man’s bags, he is a goner. Move Story to SS. The Sox have a GG 2nd baseman in AAA. X Man has been a distraction with his disloyalty. He signed the contract. Maybe all ownership needed was to watch him CHOKE during the last two games of the ALCS in Houston. He is over rated. Let him go to the Twins instead of blocking our future stars.
How has Xander been disloyal? He signed an under market contract and hasn’t complained. He has an under value option next year he will decline: the Sox tried to extend him under market again and he said no. He wants market value. Seems fair. If anything; the Sox are being disloyal to him.
The reported offer to Xander is an insult to Xander and an embarrassment to the Red Sox. If they weren’t willing to pay market value don’t make that cheap low-ball offer. If anything it hurts their chances of retaining him.
We always lowball guys like we are paupers reminiscent of Jon Lester
Trade Devers? He’s one of the best bats in the game. Why trade him?
Dalbac blows chunks and cannot hit. You need better production from 1st base than a guy who has no home-runs and is hitting for under .200. He was bad in the playoffs last year and the team needed to sign Schwarber and keep Renfroe. Dalbac needs more time in the minors at Triple AAA. Rizzo would have helped but Bloom went cheap on a major league minimum or near guy in Dalbac. Never should they have traded Renfroe for JBJ and that awful contract. Renfroe was making a lot less and hit over 30 home runs. What did Bradley hit .159 last year? I am wondering if that was some sort of woke pickup.
The team needed tweaking signing Schwarber, picking up a Good reliever like Joe Kelley signing Boggaerts to an extension. Story looks like a Coors Field hitter where the air is thinner and the ball flies out. Now we have a mess.
Anyone know what was the key to Durrans sudden power output in the minors last year? Never hit for much power all through his college career and the minors then he hit 16 in 60 games last year.
If you think he is going to lift this team out of its funk you are dreaming.
Worcester jet stream blowing from home plate to right field and he change his approach using a greater launch angle. “Swinging for the fences”.
He figured out at the age of 25 how to hit AAA pitchers. Maybe in another 3-4 years he’ll figure out how to hit major league pitchers.
Guys – This move is Bloom being Bloom. He’s a master manipulator. He has a team in free fall right now and to distract the public he wants to bring up guys not ready to come up. Sure it will likely destroy any chance Duran will have at making the majors but that’s a small cost to Bloom who is treading water to keep his job. Call Duran collateral damage are the words coming out of Bloom’s mouth right now.
Duran buys some time for the team to play better in the next month. Mark my words, as things get worse we will see more and more distractions. Bloom has no clue how to be a GM but he is business savvy in that he gets how to alter public perception to his benefit.
Everyone looked at last year as a success except a few of us who knew what last year really meant to Red Sox Nation. ANY hope created last year simply bought Bloom more time to pretend he’s been successful. The old “We were two games away from the World Series propaganda couldn’t be more misleading but effective in buying him some time. This year’s team is basically the 2020, 2021 and now 2022 same team. Sure we added Story and loss Renfroe. We swapped out some bad pitchers for some new bad pitchers but basically once Mookie and Price were gone the talent level dropped enormously whether you like Price or not.
How does a team win 40% of their games in 2020, 57% of their games in 2021 and 40% of their games in 2022 without significantly changing the skill level? LUCK It’s just that simple. Yes, the big 3 hitters have done well all three years so that’s a constant. It’s the slugs that have varied in performance because they are SLUGS!!! Kiki is a .241 hitter for the umpteenth time. Arroyo is a bench guy. JBJ shouldn’t even be here. Devers can’t field despite all his errors being converted to infield hits to 3B in the box score. A misplayed ball is a misplayed ball. If the score keepers refuses to hand out errors to Devers that doesn’t improve his lack of skills it simply obscures it and that’s how Bloom stays ahead of the posse.
This team has 3 studs on offense and a bunch of complimentary players who vary dramatically. Verdugo started out on fire and now he’s a dud. Dalbec started out a dud and hopefully they will play him until he gets on fire because it’s just a matter of time and this team is going nowhere this year so why not let him develop as a hitter. He’s barely played in a season full of games. His hot streaks are extremely impressive and his cold streaks are Kiki and JBJ bad.
If the front office and Cora won’t play Devers at DH then they aren’t trying to win. It’s that simple. Trade him PLEASE. I like to see defense at all positions, especially the three top positions for total chances!!!
So, Bloom’s head is under water at this point and by bringing up prospects he’s misdirecting his failures and selling the promotions as good things when they are not. They are simply distractions.
His walk up song should be “Hungry Like the Wolf”
Jackie Bradley couldn’t hit 200 in little league at this point one of the worst hitters in MLB over the past couple of years
Do any Red Sox fans miss Hunter Renfro? I do.
Have you seen his numbers?
Soxfan1 – Renfroe isn’t doing badly compared to the Red Sox players.
Yes, .222 is not a great average but like last year it would make him the 4th best hitter on the team!!!
His 5 HRs would rank 1st on the Red Sox
His 12 Runs scored would tie him for 3rd on the Red Sox.
His 10 RBIs would tie him for 4th on the Red Sox
That means he would be better than 5 of the 9 starting hitters!!
He is missed – ABSOLUTELY!!
Which is more comical? The Renfroe-for-Bradley trade or the Chavis=for-Davis deal?
While things can change, we’re way ahead on the Renfroe/JBJ trade. Both have the same bWAR, and we got two good prospects.
And Davis and Chavis also have the same bWAR.
Is it just me or has Xander Boegarts improved on defense this year? So far, his range seems greater, he’s more fluid, & his throws a bit more accurate/stronger when making those awkward plays. Perhaps he’s finally healthy?
I know his bat has always been tops, but his defense was typically mediocre. Maybe it’s just me…
KD179 hours ago
It’s May 6 and Boston is in last place a half game behind Baltimore.
JoeBrady had them at 105 wins this year!!! hahahahahahaha
67 is now looking a bit aggressive!!! Winning % 370 OR 30 points lower than 2020!!
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KD is lying again. I challenge to find a prediction close to that, or to admit he is a liar.
So far the season has been an absolute disaster but watching Duran run like a runaway freight train on that triple made my day.
The Red Sox offense will hit Im sure if that the team has hit into unbelievable bad luck and that is going to change. The starters have been very good I’m not convinced that they aren’t going to regress some but overall they are a pretty solid bunch. The bullpen has some quality mid inning arms and could be a decent bullpen with one big exception and that is a closer.
The Red Sox don’t have a closer and that is there biggest fatal flaw. If the Red Sox had a good closer they probably would of been 5 or 6 games better then there current record. The real problem is I don’t see that particular problem getting better. Robles and Diekman have good arms but let’s face it they aren’t closers and this team isn’t going anywhere without a closer. Normally I think that starters are way more valuable then relievers even closers but in this case I think if you want to compete this year you have to put your best pitcher Whitlock into your most needed spot and that’s the closer.
As a fan it is crushing to see winnable games get away due to lack of a 9th inning shut down guy but it has to be completely demoralizing for the team. They already know how bad the start has been and then even when they get into position to win they still lose and I don’t see that problem getting any better without installing Whitlock as the closer. Sale will be back soon and that should strengthen the starting rotation but something has to be done about the closer.
On another note I would really like to see Duran get an extended look it’s time to see what they have in Duran. I would also like to see Franchy get more at bats he has nothing left to prove in AAA it’s also time to see an extended look at him. It’s important to remember that Franchy has only had less then 500 at bats across 5 plus seasons. He needs consistent big league at bats and if this season turns into a lost one then both Duran and Franchy need to play everyday and see where they stand as future pieces.
On the other hand, this could be the first Red Sox team in memory to finish last in home runs. Their bats are pathetic. Great job, Bloom!
miltpappas49 mins ago
On the other hand, this could be the first Red Sox team in memory to finish last in home runs. Great job, Bloom!
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Thru the end of April, in regard to HRs:
JD -8
Kiki -2
Devers -4
Bogaerts -4
All others -1
So what was Bloom supposed to do to replace those lost HRs? Trade JD, Kiki, Devers & Bogaerts?
What was Bloom supposed to do? How about re-sign Schwarber who already has 7 dingers on the season.
He plays LF, and poorly at that. Then you’d have to switch Verdugo to RF, which is another defensive downgrade.
I agree. The rotation is find. We have plenty of decent 5-6-7th guys. We have no closer, and no real designated setup guy either. I think the solution is to regress to the ’70s and make Whitlock a 1-2 inning closer, with Robles the backup closer/occasional setup.
IRT Cordero, I think this is a last-chance look by the RS. He hasn’t gotten consistent ABs, but he also hasn’t really lit it up in AAA either. I think they will give him some ABs until he either stops hitting, or until Casas forces his way onto the team.
Cordero hit to a 149 wrc+ last year and a 143 this year he has nothing left to prove there . The real question is if he can be viable big leaguer and he needs consistent at bats to prove that.
I tend to discount the power (and SBs) if a player has weak K/W stats in the minors. If you have a hole in your swing, it takes about 5 minutes for major league pitchers to figure it out.
I’m sorry but optioning Duran back to AAA makes no sense. He needs to face big league pitching everyday and see how he adjusts. I like JBJ but they should move Duggie to right and let Duran play everyday. This season already feels lost to me without a closer they can’t compete with the other good AL teams and there are quite a few of them. I guess they are going to see if they can get back in it but Duran is the kind of exciting player that can help spark that offense. I would keep Duran up very little to lose at this point.
Bruin1012 – I agree. This season is over. It is very likely that the team will look very different in 2023 if they don’t fire Bloom like they should. Why not let both Duran and Dalbec have an extended chance to prove themselves. They let Devers do that in 2018. Of course that team was a lot better because it could absorb Devers hitting .240 with 100 miscues defensively (official errors, balls that should have been errors and mental mistakes that created more runners)
Last year, the fluke luck took away that chance to let the kids play but this year is worse than 2020 so lets get the first pick in the draft and not have to HOPE that the second best player drops to fourth.
While the front office tries to fix things, it’s the perfect time to move Devers to DH OR move Devers to another team and get a talented OF or 3B since Story and Bogey won’t both be here in 2023 unless Bloom is fired. The pitching staff doesn’t need the bad defense behind them when things start to come back to normal. The front office needs to repair the defense at 3B and the outfield. They need to add a RF who can hit (like Renfroe). They continue to need a closer. They need a new metrics group providing information about hitters since late in games they are having issues with both location and choice of location. Pitchers missing their spots and getting clobbered is bad but sometimes the pitchers are throwing to the targets and getting clobbered and that’s on the metrics team. Bad intelligence!!
The team is on a pace to win 57 games right now. What can it hurt to play Duran and Dalbec? If they improve, that’s a bonus for next year when it will matter more unless Bloom further destroys the team.
Amazing another point we agree on!!
I say trade Devers to the CWS for Vaughn and Bummer. That way Whitlock stays in the rotation and you have a flame throwing closer that is young. Bummer might take a year adjusting to closing but he’s electric.
hey look at me my name is chaim bloom and I have no idea what im doing and im in wayyyyyy over my head ahhhhhhh look at me im so bad at my job
KD17
I say trade Devers to the CWS for Vaughn and Bummer.
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Interesting, but unlikely to happen. The WS have Moncada at 3rd, so they’d have to squeeze Devers into DH. And Abreu might be moving there.
Past that, I don’t see the WS trading 4.5 years of Vaughn for 1.5 years of Devers.