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Sox Therapy — Where Thinking Red Sox Fans Obsess about the Sox Sunday, January 24, 2021The Roster - As It StandsSo with the Sox actually make some moves this week I figure now is as good a time as any to revisit the roster. We last looked in detail back in September and didn’t even bother trying to figure out the pitching staff then. Infield: Bobby Dalbec, Kike Hernandez, Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts, Christian Arroyo, Michael Chavis OK, I like the Hernandez addition a lot to be honest. He’s a useful and versatile player and from what I know about him was a real fan favorite in LA. The rest of the infield is what it is. I won’t be shocked to see Mitch Moreland or someone similar added into the fold at some point. That would create a battle between Chavis, Arroyo and Yairo Munoz for the last spot on the 26 (yes 26) player roster. I think the infield depth is good. Casas looks to be well regarded by the various national publications though 2022 is a best case scenario for a regular role. Arauz looked like a useful guy and Downs will benefit from the at bats. Hudson Potts is a guy I look forward to seeing a bit of in Portland. Outfield: Andrew Benintendi, Alex Verdugo, Hunter Renfroe, JD Martinez, Yairo Munoz Plenty has been written in recent weeks about this group. I think there is a chance that Jackie Bradley is part of this group though I hold out hope for Marcel Ozuna. I assume as currently constructed Verdugo slots into center though I expect the Sox to experiment some in Fort Myers. The outfield depth is a bit slim. Duran has been impressing in winter ball (Chris Hatfield at SoxProspects in particular has been giddy). There is some versatility out there with Benintendi able to play some center and Verdugo right and Hernandez can bounce around some also. Marcus Wilson is still hanging around on the 40 man roster in an emergency. I won’t be surprised if the Sox sign another outfielder with a bit more veteran goodness. Catcher: Christian Vazquez, Kevin Plawecki Vazquez is a good player which is a bit obvious but bears noting. Plawecki probably shouldn’t be counted on to hit like he did last season but he’s a garden variety defense-first backup. The Sox won World Series titles with Kevin Cash and Sandy Leon as backup catchers. He’s fine. There’s no one really ready as a depth option. Connor Wong, part of the Price deal, is an intriguing prospect but with limited high minors time needs work in Portland. Starting Pitching: Eduardo Rodriguez, Nathan Eovaldi, Martin Perez, Garrett Richards, Tanner Houck So after all the hubbub this actually isn’t that bad. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t love it but it is improved. Health is obviously the big issue with Richards and Eovaldi both having long term issues on that front and Rodriguez almost literally being unique in baseball history having missed the entire season with COVID and resulting complications. We have seen Jon Lester bounce back from cancer treatments to become a star so a debilitating illness can be overcome. If you are bothered by the Yankees acquiring Corey Kluber and Jameson Taillon note that Richards has thrown more innings the last two seasons combined than either of those two pitchers. I’m excited about Houck who looks like a guy who can be a steadying influence. Mata is a potential ace though has work to do. Sale probably is a second half pitcher in the best circumstances. In all likelihood he would struggle upon his return but getting innings this year would ramp him up for 2022. Bullpen: Matt Barnes, Darwinzon Hernandez, Josh Taylor, Matt Andriese, Nick Pivetta, Ryan Brasier, Austin Brice, Garrett Whitlock Bullpens are what bullpens are. Relievers are such fickle creatures that it can be tough to project. I think there is some serious upside with Barnes, Hernandez and Taylor. If I had to pick a breakout candidate people are excited about Austin Brice’s spin rates which I personally think are overblown but smarter people than I are excited about his promise. The minors have assorted arms of course with the most interesting being former first round pick Groome. This is his year to establish himself and prove he belonged there. Conclusion: The Boston Red Sox are better than they were a year ago. They started the 2020 season a complete disaster and got off to a 6-18 start. From that point on they were 18-18 and I think that they are closer to that .500 team than the .250 team they started the year as. The other thing I want to note is a personal thing that comes from a conversation with a friend of mine yesterday. Signing Hernandez and Richards are good moves. They don’t shake the earth, they don’t turn the Sox into division winners, but they help. Maybe it’s just me but I get frustrated talking to friends whose response to these and other moves is “big deal, they still aren’t any good.” That’s true. We can only deal with the reality that exists. The Sox need to get better and I firmly believe that the approach they are taking is the right one. Don’t go for the big splash to “win” the off-season. Make the right moves, improve, build the organization and target 2022 and 2023. I think the Sox’ moves this winter have done that. I suspect I’m preaching to the converted here but I had to vent a bit and I apologize. With all that said I think the 2021 Red Sox, unlike the 2020 Red Sox, will at least be interesting. A full season of Verdugo, Devers, Bogaerts, Martinez, some pitching improvements, some young players on the rise both at the big league level (Dalbec, Pivetta) and some minor leaguers getting closer (Duran, Casas, Mata). This team feels like it could be like the 2015 team though the next step forward probably won’t be as quick but I think they are progressing in the right direction. Jose Needs an Absurd Ukulele Concert
Posted: January 24, 2021 at 04:04 PM | 36 comment(s)
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1. Jose Needs an Absurd Ukulele Concert Posted: January 25, 2021 at 01:44 PM (#6001643)Depth Options: Nick Pivetta (Worcester)
Carry on.
A year ago they still had Mookie :(
Having said that, *nobody* is on the 60-day DL right now, and I assume both Sale and Pedroia could be added in the short term. I'd still expect some of the aforementioned depth to be traded for off-roster players (meaning, the players to be received are not on a 40-man roster today).
####!
I agree with your overall vibe - this team is a fair amount better than the 2020 squad, and the 2020 squad was a lot better at the end of the year than they looked at the beginning (as much as you say such things in a 60-game season). Bloom's job was to cut payroll, build minor-league depth and strength, improve the bottom of the major-league roster as much as possible for little to no cost of overall talent or long-term money, and see that the team's young core of talent is healthy, happy, and progressing.
He's basically done all of these things, and I think Red Sox fans are willing to take their lumps in 2021 if it allows the process to move forward in a similar vein. I could see this team winning, I dunno, 78 games, which is a great season if many of the following occur:
- Verdugo, Bogaerts, Devers, and Eduardo Rodriguez have healthy, productive seasons. They are part of the core.
- Downs, Duran, and Wong have productive minor-league seasons - with the hope they can be part of the 2022 team.
- Sale and Eovaldi end the season feeling good about their health. Sale coming back to form by the end of the year would be one of the biggest determinants to feeling like the 2022 team could actually compete for a deep playoff run.
- Between Dalbac, Casas, and Potts, at least one of them is a breakthrough prospect, and enters 2022 as a corner bat (probably 1B, right?) the team can expect to take the full-time job in 2022. Casas seems like the one most likely to break through, though I am not confident that a middle-of-the-order bat exists in that group...
- If Tanner Houck ends up being a legitimate major-league starter (back of the rotation, that, plus a healthy return of Sale, would make 2022 feel a lot better.
- Vazquez having a solid season and staying reasonably healthy...and then getting traded at the deadline for value.
- The ability to determine if Benintendi is worth keeping. I'm glad we didn't trade him - his value is low right now. I fear that he is basically a slightly-above-average hitter, as compared to the guy he looked like he would be for a while a couple years ago (stats like good Mike Greenwell or something). But at the end of 2021, we've got to fish or cut bait with him.
It's an interesting season, because there are a lot of questions to answer during the year, and the stakes just aren't that high. My dream season is that we enter 2022 with Casas at 1B, Downs ready for 2B, Bogaerts and Devers, and an outfield where Verdugo and Duran have two of the slots, and we drop down real money on an impact OF bat. The pitching enters 2022 with Sale looking strong and healthy, ERod the same, at least one of the young pitchers (Houck?) emerging as a reliable part of the rotation, and enough depth that we are only really hunting for one legit starting pitcher. Having some of the young guys ready to fill starting slots frees up money to go get a big OF bat, and a legit starting pitcher, with some minor-league depth strong enough to use some of it to trade for that kind of talent if it is available. That, and we win almost half the games in 2021? Sign me up for that. I'm pleased with what Bloom has done thus far.
I was interviewed yesterday by Michael Silverman of the Globe. Not sure any of my quotes will get in (don't think I was especially interesting) but he is working on a piece about people who usually go to spring training but aren't going this year. I explained that frankly I didn't expect fans to be allowed and even if they were I don't think I'd feel comfortable, even with a vaccine, just yet.
Payamps was picked up from Arizona in November on a waiver claim. AFAICT he has never been outrighted, so if he clears waivers I assume he'll be sent outright to Worcester. He appeared in 4 games for Arizona in the last 2 years, all in relief. Can't miss him if you didn't know we had him, eh?
Not that that's necessarily what's happening here. But I remember all those times when people were holding out hope that some player was finally going to put it all together and fulfill the early promise he showed, and lots of times it just doesn't happen. I mean, to some degree we just went through that with JBJ.
So does that make the outfield Renfroe, Cordero, Verdugo?
I do wonder where JBJ will land, though.
If that's the outfield then I want to know who #4, 5, & 6 are.
Renfroe is the iron horse out there with 432 games over his 5 year career.
Verdugo is at 211 over 4 years.
Cordero has only managed 95 over his 4 years.
100 games out of that trio would be pretty amazing.
Hernandez can play the OF, but he's probably going to miss 20 games himself. Considering he's their best option at 2B, what does that leave him for outfield time? 20 games?
Either Duran gets called up at some point or the Sox are signing another OF.
That describes Renfroe as well. So whichever one is better in RF and Verdugo in CF?
I’m ok with what Bloom is doing but ownership’s mandate to trade Mookie — I’m still numb about it.
Bringing back a cheater as manager — same.
And the changes that the commissioner is pushing just sicken me.
My investment in any of this has really trailed off over the past few years.
Having said all that, Toby, you're missed when you're not around. I hope you follow the team enough that you keep coming around here.
Setting all that aside for a moment, picking up both Kike Hernandez and Marwin Gonzalez gives them a lot of positional flexibility, in theory. In practice, one of them will likely be playing 2B regularly, leaving the other to be the Brock Holt of the team.
Given the infield depth at this point I have to say I'm more open to a trade of Chavis than I would have thought a couple of months ago. Maybe that's the other shoe to drop.
The thing is I still love baseball as a sport, even though MLB and the Red Sox don't have the same place for me. If I had a chance to join an adult-league team this spring I'd jump at it, and hopefully I'll be back to coaching Little League in April. I probably spend almost as much time here as I did two years ago, even though the only actual baseball I watch is Mets games when DeGrom pitches, courtesy my wife's interest. And because of her I realize I'm spoiled - the Mets are such a crapshow that I feel weird complaining about what Sox ownership has done, after winning multiple World Series.
The end result of this is that you all may be annoyed that there are people like me who don't care anymore, but still want to hang out. Not exactly the life of the party.
That's me. I didn't watch anything all season until the postseason. And if and when any other kind of baseball returns, I'll take that in (independent league ball, college, high school, etc.). The thing that sucks is my loss of interest in MLB coincides with my youngest son, a pretty serious ballplayer since he was six, lost his senior year of high school ball to the pandemic and now I no longer have his games to watch.
And my pattern is similar to Toby's. I've been losing interest in MLB due to a combination of Manfred's awful stewardship, the unwillingness to do anything about the snail's pace and the continued descent into TTO ball. Then the Mookie deal stripped my passion for the Sox.
I'll still be around here all the time, because I love talking baseball. But I just can't see myself ever following MLB or the Sox again like I did for 52 years.
Me? I'm going to enjoy Xander Bogaerts being excellent day in and day out, even if I don't watch him every day. I'm going to enjoy watching Devers and Verdugo continue to develop. I'm going to enjoy Cordero taking aim for The Red Seat. I'm going to enjoy the days that Rodriguez and Eovaldi and Sale are all healthy, even if it's just for a week in mid-August. But I'm going to spend a lot of time with mrsidiom, and with the scout troop I lead, and with family and friends as we get past the pandemic. None of that will be about baseball, and that's OK.
If we ever do Primer Softball again you damn well better be there. Same goes for the rest of y'all. A few years ago we had people traveling to NYC from Chicago, Atlanta, Toronto, and London to play. It is a great time.
He was claimed by Toronto.
Yeah I live in New Haven now (though moving to Boston shortly) and I've gotten pretty close to going (working out the weekend plans with the wife and kids, even) but have never made it.
I think if I just had better things to do than watch the Red Sox, that would be one thing. That's where I am with the NFL/Patriots - I just don't have time to sit in front of the TV all Sunday. Except now my oldest is really getting into the NFL, and so I am back to watching more games because we do it together.
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