The Red Sox suffered their 13th loss in 19 games on Thursday, dropping an embarrassing 17-8 decision to the Rays. Before that, Red Sox president Sam Kennedy joined The Greg Hill Show on WEEI and expressed optimism that the team could still compete for a playoff spot, saying (via Ryan Hannable of WEEI.com) that “you can run off three or four wins and all of a sudden you’re two or three games back in the American League East and anything can happen.”
Kennedy isn’t wrong, but realistically, this is not going to be a playoff year for the Red Sox, who sit dead last in the AL and are dealing with health issues and various roster flaws. So, with the Aug. 31 trade deadline looming, the Chaim Bloom-led Red Sox could look to sell instead of buy over the next couple weeks.
In regards to the deadline, Kennedy said of Boston’s front office that “there are conversations going on given the condensed season.” As far as possible trade chips go, Kennedy unsurprisingly noted that you’d “never label anyone untouchable,” but he expressed a reluctance toward dealing those “who have grown up in the system.”
Superstar outfielder Mookie Betts grew up in Boston’s system, yet the club traded him to the Dodgers during the offseason. However, he was only a year from free agency then (he has since signed a mega-extension with the Dodgers). Boston doesn’t have those types of concerns with its two best players, shortstop Xander Bogaerts and third baseman Rafael Devers, whom the organization has developed into superb contributors. The Red Sox already inked Bogaerts to a six-year, $120MM contract before 2019, while Devers will enter arbitration for the first time during the offseason. Meanwhile, catcher Christian Vazquez – another homegrown product – has another two affordable seasons on his deal after this one.
Speculatively, designated hitter J.D. Martinez could make for a trade target for some teams, especially considering National League clubs are using the DH this season. Martinez is expensive, though, as he’s on a prorated $23.75MM salary this season and owed a combined $38.75MM from 2021-2022. And the fact that Martinez has an opt-out clause after this season could further complicate matters.
A Martinez trade doesn’t seem very likely, but the Red Sox have more obvious trade candidates in a couple pending free agents, reliever Brandon Workman and outfielder Kevin Pillar. One of Pillar’s fellow outfielders, Jackie Bradley Jr., could also wind up on the block, though he hasn’t done anything to boost his value during a miserable start to 2020.
Just punt the season. None of us Sox fans were really expecting much anyway.
I agree. Forget this season and just play your entire pitching staff to see who you will bring back including those at the alternate site.
Problem with the players mentioned as trade candidates is they won’t bring much back. One who could if he stays healthy is Eovaldi. Not saying they should move him but they definitely should listen to offers.
No one is taking Eovaldi unless the Red Sox eat some of his contract or attach him to someone with actual value. Nice job trying to sneak it in there tho.
Yup, perfect season to take a step back or struggle in, no one will even remember it next year or take the results seriously in terms of having any long-term impact or worth.
Maybe they should just start cheating again. There are no consequences and it obviously worked well for them given that it allowed them to successfully steal a World Series.
Not a good reply, show me the proof! And xactly how did Beltran help the Evil Empire when they brought him in?
Pash, look at the poster. I think he’s mikeyank55 incognito.
lol
If Sox cheated, they learned from watching Yankees.
Yes, spoken like a true Boston fan…..tired of looking up in the standings are you? Jealousy is a curse isn’t it?
Not a Boston or New York fan, but the common theme here is Beltran and Cora. When Beltran got to Houston he said they were behind the times. It’s pretty easy to assume he was doing the same stuff in New York he did in Houston (just like Cora did the same thing in Boston).
7 has crawled out from under his Rock. Actually, while no one expected the Sox to be so horrible, why would a Sox fan be jealous of the Yankees who haven’t one since 09?
Couldn’t care less about this season or the NYY. When Sale went down, our season was over. This season might not finish. So enjoy the standings now, while you can.
Doesn’t negate the fact that the Yankees have cheated more often than Astros and Sox combined
Not sure where your going with that Nasty. Many teams used video and if you’re going back in years with PED use, the Sox certainly weren’t clean.
Hiya troll
slow might be a tad of an understatement
Just get the best you can in these trades.
Can you say…#1 draft pick !
I’m afraid that the Pirates might actually be worse than Boston this year. Sox should be happy with a Top 5 pick as there is a lot of talent in this upcoming draft class.
Let’s root for the Pirates then. If it’s going to be this bad of a season then it would be great to get the #1 pick.
Aww crap… It just now clicked in my head that, if the Pirates ARE the worst team in baseball this season, they will get Kumar Rocker. The PIRATES will get one of the most sought after pitching prospects in the past 5 years. Let’s look at a list…
Archer
Cole
Glasnow
Morton
I feel bad for Pirates’ fans.
I mean, in fairness, the chief architect of “teh pitching suk” in Pittsburgh (Ray Searage) is gone now, so at least they have that going for them
Searage was/is overrated. The real architect of the renaissance of pitching in Pittsburgh is PNC Park. Archer was the exception, although he was never really that good in real life situations, only in metrics. Everyone always wants to tear down hitters (Morneau, Cuddyer, others) whenever they make comebacks in Colorado, but when pitchers do it in Pittsburgh, San Francisco, or LA there must be some magical genius behind it.
I do think they’ve turned a new leaf getting rid of hurdle, and brining in Ben Cherrington. Dude loaded the Sox system, and the blue jays system before coming there with his greatest challenge yet with having no money to work with. Not too soon, but I think the futures slowly going to get brighter with him at the top.
Then the Redsox should try harder to be #1 of the worse.
Hey guys hate to burst your bubble, but the draft order is going to be the same based on last yrs final standings. It was frozen that way to keep a team from tanking in this shortened season to gain the #1 pick. SO Detroit has the #1 again this yr, followed by Orioles, Marlins, Royals and Bluejays rounding the top 5. Pirates will pick 7th and the Red Sox pick 17th.
Except that it isn’t. The agreement let’s Manfred modify the rules if it’s less than an 82 game season, but the likelihood of him reverting back to 2020 is laughable(even if the season stopped today)
So if Manfred gets to decide, then the Yankees just get picks 1-10 in every round even if they win this years “asterisk series”?
Jhawk1000- I just researched your statement- I found no evidence of your claim. While Manfred has the power to change the draft order he has yet to actually commit to doing so. He is said to be entertaining the idea of freezing the order but has not actually done so. The MLBPA will have something to say about that proposal.
I was watching one of the analyst shows after the first week and heard the three of them talking about it. However I did find this written today for Prospect Insider that says: “Note: This is assuming enough of the 60-game schedule is played to satisfy whatever the league’s requirement is for using reverse order of win-loss percentage to determine draft order. If the season is cut short the league may use other means, such as last year’s order being repeated, combining last year’s win-loss with 2020, a lottery, etc.” So it does indeed look like I was off on my previous post.
Still….the fact that Manfred can do that is concerning for a lot of Pirates and Mariners fans and if by some miracle either of them lands Kumar its yet to be seen if either team could even get a pitching prospect to reach his ceiling
That is really BS!!!!!!
Laker150- hands off Kumar, he’s going to be a Mariner. Tonight we are playing HOU followed by the Dodgers, we have the worst team ERA in the AL, possibly the entire MLB after our 5R BP meltdown in our last game. Although, knowing the Mariners we will mess up the chance of the #1 pick- we’re good at messing things up.
Kennedy must be so excited about the money he saved by using Mookie Betts as a salary dump tool.
I mean trading Mookie, getting under the luxury tax line and getting back Verdugo, Downs and Wong was 100% the right long term move — and it’s even more obvious now that they’ve gotten off to such a horrible start this year — having him around right now sure as h wouldn’t fix their pitching problems and it would’ve drastically reduced the return (especially because of the covid shortened season) — making that trade was a smart move and in hindsight a no-brainer!
Your first sentence is the problem. Mookie is the 2nd best player in baseball. He is not a tool to get under the tax.
But there’s another perspective to this statement. I agree, do what you can to lock up the best player, especially young. But let’s ask a couple of questions regarding that logic. Tell me again how Mike Trout has done in the playoffs? I understand there’s a lot of money invested into Albert P, but how has that team done in building a team around Trout? I get it, it’s hard pill for me to swallow Betts playing somewhere else. When you boil it down, if you sign Mookie, what does this team look like in two years? Remember, this was before they extended Xander or Sale. If Mookie signed with the sox before this, the only pitcher left on staff would be a 36 year old David Price, Andrew B last season, Xander gone, Sale gone, No Eovaldi….ect
The way I see it is the Red Sox would be the new Angles trying to find average player replacements to build around 1 player(Mookie), while hoping in a depleted farm system, someone will show up.
With Rodriguez and Sale coming back next season and one or two decent inning eaters, I like the sox chances in the next couple of years than what the team would look like keeping Mookie.
Maybe when the Red Sox traded one of the top 3 players in mlb maybe, just maybe they could have gotten some PITCHING in return!?! It’s not like the Dodgers had any quality pitching prospects to trade though, right?
@Javia, maybe bloom was intimidated by his former mentor? Or maybe just outmanuvered?
Either way that is a common complaint among fans.
Worse still is he took a lesser return to ship out Price. For one, that left a hole in the staff. For two, by the time you remove the dead money he gave LA (16per) you have to ask if a FA with Price’s upside could be signed at the 16m/per that was saved? I’m still not sure you can get a FA 3.7 FIP guy at 16m.
If you can’t get a high quality return trading one of the top players in all MLB what can you get for what Boston has to trade now?
Aside from the obvious couple untouchables that it doesn’t make sense to trade, nothing else is THAT desirable really… and that means dont expect a great return – even if bloom wasn’t the one selling.
I personally think Bloom was bullied by the Boston Press concerning the Mookie trade.
If Bloom was ‘bullied’ by the press then he is not fit to be GM. If you believe he’s going to be a great GM then he wasn’t bullied. Great GMs do not allow the media to dictate his next set of moves.
Don’t you think he tried? Not a bad return getting replacements for RF and potentially 2B and C (should CV not remain behind the plate). Mookie did not want to stay in Boston. Simple as that.
@Javia evidently Bloom went for talent over fit in that trade. He could have traded Betts for pitching but the overall package would have been lighter than the one he got.
You have to be excited in hindsite that you gave up mookie for this partial garbage season, got 3 good prospects. AND Price opted out so you don’t even have to pay his dead money for 2020. Win, Win,aaaaand Win….also the perfect season to TANK as the draft in 2021 will be deep with players who didn’t go into the draft in 2020 because of the Covid. Anyone who thinks the Sox were going to be competitive this year and are fretting(Bradford) is a moron who doesn’t follow baseball. And yes, the Yankees will ein(the equivalent of) 100 games again, and again walk away empty handed. I’d rather win rings than have 100 win seasons. One is shiney, one isn’t…
Hey Red Sox, can y’all send the Rangers Vazquez or Mitchy two bags? Thanks.
Seriously, even though Kennedy just said the same Bull Durham esque “Baseball pr talk”, it really is true now. The other day the Rangers were 3-8, worst record in the A.L, now we are 8-9, 2nd best in the A.L West, and guaranteed a playoff spot (if the season ended today… which I hate saying). Despite that, the Sox are gonna be bad this season, and tbh I really don’t think they should sell just because they are bad. Stand pat, maybe send off Moreland since value is high on him right now, but not any core guys. Once E-rod and Sale get back next season, they could find a few free agents, and be right back in the hunt.
I lied, Workman would be a good trade piece too. They could just sign him back at the end of the season if they wanted (though that’s what they said about Mookie lol).
No on Vaz, but mitch is doable. Can we interest you in a JDM on the side with that?
No one is giving up a solid prospect for any player other than Chavis or Eovaldi (if he remains healthy) in my view barring a team with a sudden injury. We’re now talking just six weeks left in them”season”.
Boston is going to have to eat some money to eovaldi imo. With that injury history and that contract I doubt teams would really want him unless they’re completely desperate. He’s also just honestly not that good… he had a great 2018 post season but you’re still talking about a guy with a career era around 4 and several orioles arm surgeries…
If he stays healthy a couple more weeks, a contender needing a starter might take a flyer since it’s only two more years. In a Sox uniform he’s been a great starter when healthy. I’m not expecting him moved but he’d have to be replaced for next year so an offer would have to be top notch.
Teams won’t give the Sox a “top notch” offer for a guy they are “taking a flyer” on. Eovaldi has negative value at this point.
Negative value? A true computerized baseball expert. Sabermetrics wins games. Baseball knowledge and savvy wins championships.
Red Sox would have to pay part of Eovaldi’s contract to trade him for an org filler. Then even more of his contract if the want to get back something with actual upside in the trade.
You have to be able to move Eovaldi without eating any of his contract before you can even think about getting a “solid prospect” for him.
Now would be a perfect time for JBJ to go on one of his ‘hot streaks’ where he hits like .320 with 5 HRs over the course of 2 weeks — they they could trade him for a solid prospect — or really at this point ANYTHING and it would be a win!
Since when has JBJ gone on a major hot streak? Never one that lasts too long anyway.
I believe in 2016 JBJ went on a 29 game hitting streak with 44 hits in 106 abs, 9 doubles, 8 home runs, .488 OBP, .783 SLG, and a 1.271 OPS.
You are right, but that was once in his career.
There isn’t a team out there that thinks Bradley can hit anywhere near his defense and that isn’t going to bring back any “solid” return of a prospect….maybe a player near free agency, or coming off an injury year, or possibly a salary dump, but where’s the value in a guy that has issues hitting his weight with his best OPS year back in 2016/17.
At this point, the #1 priority of the Red Sox is to make sure the season lasts at least through Sept 1st so their CBT resets. If COVID shuts the season down prior to 9/1 then the Red Sox don’t reset and we get to watch another one of these years in 2021.
Secondly, it’s near time to promote their best prospects to the majors for evaluation purposes. There will be zero pressure on them to succeed and it will give them valuable experience with no real impact to service time. If the Yankees sweep the Sox this weekend, I’m expecting the Sox to make wholesale changes and bring the kids up. It’s the only card they have left to play.
If all goes according to plan, they’ll have some real money to spend this off season and hopefully one or two of the rookies impresses enough to be counted on next season at the MLB level. They should also walk away with a Top 5 draft pick and possibly bring back the vindicated Alex Cora to lead the team in 2021 & beyond. They have to find some positives out of this dreadful season.
Umm…
Nothing about Cora is “vindicated”
He is still guilty of two things:
1) Houston. That would be enough, but as icing…
2) Not being aware, or claiming not to be aware, of what those select players of his were doing leaving the dugout to obtain that in-game sign footage.
Obviously #1 is bad enough he shouldn’t be managing for at least a decade or two. There’s no great maturity difference he hit upon that let’s him claim what he did in Houston was youthful mistake.
#2 just shows he was more friend than boss
Read what Joe Kelly recently said about Cora and Houston. Very interesting stuff…
Dorothy, I don’t think the rules will remain set. If the season is stopped, I believe MLB will reset everyone as a negotiations give back with the union who will need all clubs bidding on free agents. Even then most players will not get what they were expecting.
It’s unfortunate that Workman will be a FA at the end of the season (he accrued a full year of service time in 2015 while on the DL or else he probably wouldn’t be) but anyway… seeing as he is… he actually could potentially be a REALLY solid trade chip at the deadline. Assuming he continues pitching lights out like he has been, and the Sox are full-blown sellers… they could actually get back a pretty solid prospect for him. If he really is as good as he’s been the last year + … I might actually prefer they re-sign him BUT there’s no reason they couldn’t trade him now and then try to sign him in the off-season too.
Workman’s “lights out” pitching this year includes 5 hits and 3 walks allowed in 5 innings – a WHIP of 1.6. He’s a career mediocrity who is on pace to throw 10 more innings this year, before becoming a free agent. Nobody is going to give up anything of value for 10 innings of Brandon Workman.
TJ you haven’t watched baseball the last two years. There’s a Desperate need for pitching and that’s with a capital D. Red Sox will definitely get something decent back for Brandon Workman.
But it is true he’s probably the only guy they will get something good back. I’m hoping the Sox can unload Matt Barnes as well. I’m so tired of his walks.
Workman’s BB rate for 2019-2020 is 5.7, Barnes has a BB rate of 5.6 for those two seasons. Not tired of Workman’s walks?
It just seems like Barnes has been around longer. I think Workman came on the scene last year or the year before. Stats don’t lie though good post. Thank you.
I just ate a hot dog with lettuce and mayo… diiscuss.
Have you no soul?!
Have you no soul?!
Discuss or disgust? Why she would we be talking about when you were the one who chose to eat that combo.
Have you no soul?!
Sox are embarrassing themselves. Atrocious pitching – unacceptable. I’d keep XB and listen on all else. Devers, in particular, appears totally disinterested – this team is missing Cora. Total circus.
Actually, the start to 2020 is very similar to the start of 2019, one where cora was present except cora had a better pitching staff and mookie both still around
“Actually,” this 2020 team is considerably worse than the 2019 squad. I’m talking well beyond wins & losses. Further, did you really bring to my attention that Mookie is gone? Really? I hadn’t heard. I thought Dwight Evans was still playing right field – “actually.”
There was no value judgement made on the team, only reference to results. I guess any chance to push back at someone is all you’re looking for so have a nice day. Jeez.
30 parks, You make my point in your attempts to argue.
You claim this team is “missing cora”
I pointed out that this team, with inferior roster, is cranking out the same start as 2019 when cora was around and had better roster to work with.
There’s many reasons for a poor showing this season. “Missing cora” as you said in your first post is NOT one of them.
I agree with whyhazee, you just want to argue. But Cora is no loss.
I played a bit of this game in another thread. Stated differently, what I’d like to see as a fan to make up for having dumped mookie/price is the following:
Do not trade: e-rod, devers, bogey, vazquez, verdugo.
Only trade for very good value: workman, chavis
Trade for average prospect or competitive balance pick: Pillar, Moreland
Trade for lottery picks: jbj, castillo (after a MLB audition)… maybe cover full salaries to help drive a slightly better return.
Trade for a tepid bucket of spit: peraza+bucket
Listen on anyone else who isn’t a young pre-arb pitcher.
I also still say ring up Atlanta and see what mlb-ready young talent they’d give up for Eovaldi/Perez or both.
Its tempting to consider passing along one of casas/dalbec to boost your return in a deal to a high level that brings pitching back, it’s best to keep both since you never know who will really turn out (think back to swihart/vazquez)
Doesn’t look like much talent that the Sox are willing to give up there. I wouldn’t expect much talent in return.
Nor would I.
Red Sox need to take what they can get for Workman and Pillar because they’re gone after this season. Maybe Moreland as well.
My position is ship them all out. Every expiring contract should be up for grabs.
If you can get a single lottery ticket prospect for someone, that’s better than nothing, especially in the #26 farm system.
If you pay the full rest of this year’s deal to get a comp balance pick or a teams #25 prospect instead, do that too.
No top rated talent will be coming back, but, something is better than nothing and you can still talk to the guys about wanting to sign them back in the offseason before you make the trade. That’s not tampering.
No team is giving up mlb-ready young talent for overpaid injury-prone Eovaldi. Nice job trying to sneak it in there tho.
I didn’t say you don’t pay down his deal, significantly, or take back something to save them cash (folty) along with what you get.
Eovaldi has shown he can play on the big stage, under the brightest light. He can give leadership to these young braves. In a short window, if healthy at the start, odds of making it through unscathed increase exponentially. Finally it’s a short term deal which ATL loves.
If you still think Eovaldi is THAT far underwater you’re forgetting what FA SP have signed for lately.
Raffy, Xman, Vasquez, and perhaps Eovaldi will stay all others we are waving good bye. They just need to bring up the young players to see what you got. The high draft pick for next year will be exciting, n sure Bloom is already all over it. Forget this year n just enjoy baseball. I hope t hg e Evil Empire sh u w a little mercy n we escape a blood bath.
I would be surprised to see any major trades this year as the season is meaningless. It would be foolish to trade for a pending free agent and then have the season shut down when this thing blows back up in the fall. They should work on keeping Workman so he doesn’t become Walkman. Otherwise, keep throwing pitchers out there and see who sticks.
JD Martinez? He expressed opting out.
Why would JDM opt out during a pandemic? Another story if there’s a successful vaccine. No one though will risk that much money in the environment we’re in. Also, no guarantees the NL will have a DH in 2021. Sadly, it’s likely going to be permanent but MLB might use it as a carrot in the next CBA, after the 2021 season.
If an NL team does trade for JDM, that’ll practically force the NL DH to continue in 2021 for fear of angering an entire team’s fan base.
Irrelevant in my book since it’s only been approved for this year like that stupid man on second rule for extra innings,.
Are we able to trade JD Martinez at the deadline?
Not very likely. Between his opt out and the value left the next 2 years it’s a tough sell.
If he did move there’d need to be significant money attached and the return would likely be very low.
Ron Roenicke should be gone next year. He just keeps changing lineups every day, no consistency. Hate to say it but I miss Cora a lot.
Yeah Like the cheating Patriots
The Mets need to call Boston and make a deal for Bradley Jr.
So far Billy Hamilton has outperformed Bradley.
Obviously the Bloom situation paralells the Bobby Valetine one; plainly and simply, it was a mistake. Yes, there’s no doubt that the pitching and contract situations portended a rough year in Boston. But at this point, it’s an unmitigated disaster; probably going to get worse this weekend. Bloom still thinks he’s in Tampa…he isn’t. The team needed a lot more imagination than he’s shown himself to be capaable of. His one noteable move, Betts,wasn’t bad…..it wasn’t real good either. And you need more than that in Boston.
Nobody can really judge Bloom over this year, he is cleaning up Dombrowksi mess.
Nobody doubts that Bloom landed in poop. But he hasn’t done much to get out of it. That might work in other markets; it won’t in Boston.
And you can’t say it’s an infrstructure-type poop (like Baltimore or Pitt). Besides the Scouting department, this has been a strong organization over the years.
Henry wants, as he says constantly, his underlings to be BOLD! Bloom’s been tepid at best. And not only will Henry lose real money this year, the franchise value will diminish. That’s pretty huge.
Given the organization and the vast resources available, a 12 year old can EVENTUALLY fix the Sox. But eventually doesn’t feed the bulldog.
Bloom started out by obtaining knowledge, then he had to discuss that knowledge, then apply the knowledge to new situations, then he had to examine and differentiate the knowledge, then defend his decisions and then eventually he will create a new team.
Bob,
The goal for 2020 was to reset. They expected to be competitive but pitching injuries and no depth killed any shot. Bloom deserves to have the reigns when he can spend, something he could never have done in Tampa.
The problem is that the moves bloom made are fringe type, and don’t harness the power of boston.
ONE Example: Foltynewicz was available for $2m on waivers. He has issues but hands down is better floor and ceiling than any of the TBD patchwork SP’s being trotted out and promptly shelled. And comes with control.
Bloom watched and did nothing. Boston was below the cbt before price opted out and freed up his addtl 6m that isn’t getting paid to LA.
That was a missed bold move.Boston had the money this year and future under CBT. Bloom is making tepid non-aggressive ones for never-was prospects instead. And I agree with the above that it IS a problem.
I did say the Red Sox were sunk for 2020 without Mookie Betts and that’s exactly what happened. But if there’s a silver lining, they will get a high draft pick in what looks to be a pretty loaded 2021 draft class and whoever wins the World Series this year will have an asterisk second in size only to the 2017 Astros.
If I’m Chaim Bloom, I’m taking what i can get for Moreland, Pillar, Workman, Bradley, Hembree, Barnes and Perez at the deadline. I’m also seeing if anyone is interested in JDM (who isn’t going to opt out).
This is mostly right — I would offload Eovaldi’s next two years as well (we’ll regret missing the opportunity when he gets hurt again) and include def Chavis if he sweetens a deal to get a decent prospect back. Keep Devers, Vaz and X. Wait for EdRod and Sale to get back. Trade what you can to get additional salary relief. Audition dregs, waiver pick-ups, career minor leaguers to get 1-2 useful pats or maybe a diamond in the rough. Reset the tax, whatever Manifred comes up with for draft sequence is out of our hands, but curious to see if the Sox get into the top 5 picks. Dalbec, Downs, Mata are in the player pool, give them a cup of coffee in Sept. Reload next year. Compete in 2022. I like Bloom’s approach. We will have a bit of flexibility around that time when we aren’t paying aging JD Martinez and injured Eovaldi. I miss Betts, but it’s on DD. We may find his $35m/year off the books is a blessing later.
The championship in 18 is also on DD. We knew 2020 was going to be a rough salary year.
The Red Sox traded away one of their best Home Grown Players Since Carl Yastrzemski and that decision will haunt them for years! No it was not something that needed to be done. Henry has the money and there are no excuses for it. If Jeter Downs bombs we are in trouble! Verdugo had baggage but they needed pitching badly and did not get it.
Right now I think we qualify for the state of pathetic!
I;ve said this a lot, but this season is trash. A 60 game baseball season is the equivalent of a 6 game NFL season. Yes, someone will win this year and good for them, but in reality no one really GAF.
The Red Sox did an awful job this year but if you’re going to pick a year to be awful, this is the one.
Much worse would have been keeping betts, winning a few more games and not getting three good young players.
I know everyone wants to keep Vasquez, but catcher is a black hole offensively for San Diego currently and they’ve got a lot of young controllable pitching so seems like the two teams would line up well for a trade.
Agreed Nichols.
Don’t forget the seesaw of the Cherington years…
Sox had pitching, and weak offense. Then they traded away their pitching to get offense. Neither team won because they couldn’t replace what they gave up.
Trading vazquez right now is a mistake. Boston isn’t kicking off a full scale 5yr rebuild. It SHOULD be a retool with money coming off the books this offseason. They don’t have anyone ready to replace him and it’ll cost more to replace him from the FA pool this year.
SD won’t give you a budding ace back for vazquez either. If they wouldn’t include an ace for Mookie Betts they won’t for 2yrs of vaz. You’d be lucky to get a #4. Look at last offseason’s offers.
Trading Mookie for Verdugo and company was a great deal for the Sox. Yes, Betts is the 2nd best player in baseball but the Sox have holes in their pitching staff and do not have the financial flexibility to do anything about that if this trade didn’t happen. Sox would be battling the Orioles and Rays if Sale never got hurt or E-Rod never contracted Covid. That’s two top line starters out injured or sick and then David Price was traded in the Betts trade. Bloom has to ask himself before the deadline where is this team with a healthy Sale and E-Rod? I can tell you this you aren’t beating the Yankees by outscoring them, pitching is how you combat that Yankee lineup. Maybe grab a high priced pitcher off a small market team. This team can use a #4 and #5 For next year.
The Red Sox traded away one of their best Home Grown Players Since Carl Yastrzemski and that decision will haunt them for years! No it was not something that needed to be done. Henry has the money and there are no excuses for it. If Jeter Downs bombs we are in trouble! Verdugo had baggage but they needed pitching badly and did not get it.
You’ll change your mind when Betts regresses in three years.
I doubt it. He is too good a player
Keep talking nonsense AL34
Keep being a tool of John Henry. This team is absolutely awful. What have they lost about 8 in a row. Great team put together by Bloom.
This team unequivocally SUCKS!!! No other words could better cover it! No pitching whatsoever! The Yankees are competitive every year. We go “Bridge” years and figure since we won in 2018, it’s okay to tank. The Red Sox cannot develop pitching from their Farm Teams at all. I know management got fed up with a Dombroski last year. As a matter of fact I called in to WEEI last year and predicted he was going to be fired after the trade deadline. The show said they disagreed with me but I was right because they had clipped his wings at the trade deadline! Please give me something in between Dombroski and Bloom. They are marching out throwaways and garbage pitchers from other teams every night! It’s an utter disgrace and Henry should be ashamed of this!