The State of the Sox

[60'sfan]

I, for one, am not optimistic about the prospects for the Sox this year. It may seem strange with them just having swept two from the Phillies that I would be feeling negative. However, winning two straight from the team with the worse record in baseball in extra innings at home is less than impressive. Who is to blame for this lackluster team? I think it is Dombrowski. I am not thrilled with John Farrell as manager but Dombrowski has not left him with some big holes. The biggest problem going forward is lack of offense. They are dead last in all of baseball in home runs and the GM should have seen this coming. David Ortiz, their power hitter and club house leader, retired with no replacement.
The pitching. They have one of the best starters in Chris Sale and arguably the best reliever in baseball in Craig Kimbrel. After that things are not so good. Rick Porcello apparently forgot how how to pitch. He was great last year but this year he is getting pounded. He may lead all of baseball in hits allowed. David Price is still not looking like he did a few years ago and is very inconsistent. His salary and lack of ability to perform in the post season just makes things worse. Eduardo Rodriguez has pitched will but seems to have a chronic knee injury that just won't go away.Drew Pomeranz has a great curve but usually is at his pitch limit by the fifth inning. The bullpen has done well considering the personnel (other than Kimbrel) but maybe heading for an implosion due to over work. Their two big acquisitions - Tyler Thornburg and Carson Smith are still on DL and no one knows when they will be available.
The position players. The Sox are blessed with young talent at several positions. Betts, Bradley and Benintendi should be a great outfield for the foreseeable future. They can all hit, field and throw but none of them is a true power hitter. Thornburg has been a pleasant surprise at first base and no one is better than Pedroia at second. Bogaerts also is a very good hitter and a solid fielder but with surprisingly little power for his size. The catchers - Leone and Vazquez - are good defensively and adequate at best offensively. The gaping hole is third base. The Panda continues to be a disappointment both offensively and defensively and it's time to move him if they can. A third baseman who could hit with power and field reasonable well would be ideal. I think it is also time to consider moving Hanley. He is not providing the power that a DH should supply and his refusal to play first base is disturbing. He has been a club house problem in the past and is likely to become one again. Last year he had David Ortiz to reign him in but this year there is no one including his manager. John Donaldson would be ideal but it would take a lot to convince the Blue Jays to trade him.

 

[Waquoit]

The Sox have the 3rd best record in the league and and to me it feels like they really haven't hit their stride yet. Lot of baseball to played.

 

[G0UCONN]

Their lineup isnt as scary and a huge hole without Ortiz but Sox are a playoff team with chance to be real good.

Get into the playoffs and ride Sale.....could go a long way.

 

[60'sfan]

Their lineup isnt as scary and a huge hole without Ortiz but Sox are a playoff team with chance to be real good.

Get into the playoffs and ride Sale.....could go a long way.

Can't argue with what you are saying but what kills me is these streaks where they forget how to hit. For example, the last three games 1-2, 15 hits, 3 runs. Hanley on the bench again with some strange injury that seems to recur when he reluctantly decides to play the field. In some ways he reminds me of the other Ramirez (Manny) with the strange injuries. It would be a lot more tolerable if he could hit like Manny. I agree that Sale would start game one but after that???? Porcello looks awful and we know about Price in the post season. Could Kimbrel be a six inning closer? It might take that.

 

[mauconnfan]

Can't argue with what you are saying but what kills me is these streaks where they forget how to hit. For example, the last three games 1-2, 15 hits, 3 runs. Hanley on the bench again with some strange injury that seems to recur when he reluctantly decides to play the field. In some ways he reminds me of the other Ramirez (Manny) with the strange injuries. It would be a lot more tolerable if he could hit like Manny. I agree that Sale would start game one but after that???? Porcello looks awful and we know about Price in the post season. Could Kimbrel be a six inning closer? It might take that.

Be happy you could have a DL like the Yanks now....Yikes things change fast.

 

[FartMan69]

Can't argue with what you are saying but what kills me is these streaks where they forget how to hit. For example, the last three games 1-2, 15 hits, 3 runs. Hanley on the bench again with some strange injury that seems to recur when he reluctantly decides to play the field. In some ways he reminds me of the other Ramirez (Manny) with the strange injuries. It would be a lot more tolerable if he could hit like Manny. I agree that Sale would start game one but after that???? Porcello looks awful and we know about Price in the post season. Could Kimbrel be a six inning closer? It might take that.

Farrell isn't smart enough with a bullpen to use Kimbrel in a high leverage situation outside of the 9th. He'd rather stretch out an overworked starter or put in his go to Hembree. Awful.

 

[G0UCONN]

Can't argue with what you are saying but what kills me is these streaks where they forget how to hit. For example, the last three games 1-2, 15 hits, 3 runs. Hanley on the bench again with some strange injury that seems to recur when he reluctantly decides to play the field. In some ways he reminds me of the other Ramirez (Manny) with the strange injuries. It would be a lot more tolerable if he could hit like Manny. I agree that Sale would start game one but after that???? Porcello looks awful and we know about Price in the post season. Could Kimbrel be a six inning closer? It might take that.

Yes their offense is very inconsistent and far from the scary relentless lineup we grew used to for long time. They are missing a big bopper in the middle of the order and we can be stopped for sure, which will be even tougher with the pitching you face in October.....

 

[60'sfan]

Be happy you could have a DL like the Yanks now....Yikes things change fast.

Well, the Sox have 10 players on the DL, three of whom are lost for the year and two others on the 60 day. The Yankees, on the other hand, have just 5 on the DL. One of them is Jacoby which should be no surprise to you.

 

[60'sfan]

Yes their offense is very inconsistent and far from the scary relentless lineup we grew used to for long time. They are missing a big bopper in the middle of the order and we can be stopped for sure, which will be even tougher with the pitching you face in October.....

Yes and the player they should have signed, Edwin Encarnacion, is starting to heat up. Would love to have his 16 home runs in the middle of our lineup. We could be looking in the rear view mirror at the other teams in the AL East. Dombrowski better so something. We don't need another sore-armed reliever.

 

[mauconnfan]

Yes their offense is very inconsistent and far from the scary relentless lineup we grew used to for long time. They are missing a big bopper in the middle of the order and we can be stopped for sure, which will be even tougher with the pitching you face in October.....

Love the avatar GO - class!!!!!

 

[CL82]

Love the avatar GO - class!!!!!

The DB2U avatars completely confuse me. I appreciate the gesture though.

 

[60'sfan]

Unbelievable decisions by John Farrell on Thursday. Chris Sale's normal turn in the rotation is scheduled so he decides to put Doug Fister in there instead. Fister used to be a good pitcher but those days are long gone and he should not be on a major league roster. He is now 0-4 and has given up 21 runs in 21+ innings but John sent him out there anyway hoping for a different result. Isn't that a definition of insanity. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. He then came up with another great decision. He made Dustin Pedroia the DH taking perhaps the best fielding second baseman in the game off the field. Later in game, his replacement misplayed a pop-up costing the Sox at least 2 runs. Perhaps the only one worse that John Farrell is Dave Dumbrowski. Where have you gone Theo and Tino?