The Red Sox have shut infielder Adalberto Mondesí down from all baseball activities because of ongoing soreness in his left knee, skipper Alex Cora told reporters (including Chris Cotillo of MassLive). While Boston isn’t officially declaring him down for the season, there isn’t much time for his rehab to get going in earnest.
Mondesí has unfortunately struggled to rebound from an ACL tear suffered last April. There was never any doubt that’d end his 2022 campaign but the Sox felt comfortable enough with his health to roll the dice on an offseason trade. They acquired him (and minor league infielder Angel Pierre) in a swap that sent reliever Josh Taylor to the Royals. Boston expressed hope Mondesí would be ready around Opening Day — or at least early enough in the season to help cover for Trevor Story after his elbow surgery — but it hasn’t come to pass.
The trade hasn’t worked out for either team, as Taylor’s recurring back troubles resulted in him undergoing surgery in late June. Mondesí hasn’t had to go back under the knife but his rehab has been littered with stops and starts. Cotillo writes that he’d progressed to running, hitting against live pitching, and fielding grounders before the knee pain became too much to push through.
While the ACL injury is the most significant Mondesí has faced, he has battled various health concerns throughout his career. He’d played in only around half of Kansas City’s games between 2019-21 while missing time due to groin, shoulder, hamstring and oblique problems.
When healthy, Mondesí has intrigued with elite speed, strong middle infield defensive ratings and switch-hitting power upside. An extraordinarily aggressive approach has undercut his offensive production, as he’s reached base at just a .280 clip in 358 MLB games.
There’s a growing chance he doesn’t wind up making an appearance for Boston. Story is back at shortstop, while Pablo Reyes has surprisingly become a key contributor. The 29-year-old infielder is hitting .321/.360/.443 in 115 plate appearances since being acquired in a minor league trade with the A’s in May, earning him the starting second base job of late.
Mondesí is making a $3.045MM arbitration salary. He’ll be a free agent at year’s end and could be limited to minor league offers if he doesn’t make it to the diamond this season.
I just feel bad for the dude. Superstar potential was always there and sometimes briefly touched, but his body just failed him.
Even if he gets back on the field, I could still see a minor league contract in his future.
Ah the ever so intriguing lose/lose trade
It was a gamble on both sides.
I’m not willing to call it a lose yet for Boston. Or, to a lesser extent KC.
On the BOS side, Pierre is still a lottery ticket in waiting.
On the KC side, Taylor has control remaining. You expect he will be non-tendered, but, they haven’t released him already despite season ending surgery so you have to assume they are at least entertaining bringing him back – and he doesnt make much above league minimum at just a hair over $1m in last arb and predictably this one too.
So… it’s more likely BOS comes out better, but, there’s nothing to say this trade can’t turn around for either
GASox – Thank you for pointing out what some people simply don’t realize.
Taylor has control remaining, Mondesi does not.
Taylor’s salary is less than a third of Mondesi’s.
And most importantly, Taylor was good in April and nobody expected him to be pitching hurt in May and miss the remainder of the season. Everyone knew Mondesi would miss AT LEAST the first half of the season.
For all those reasons, it was a bad trade by Bloom.
or the Red Sox correctly assessed that Taylor would continue having the bad health he had while he was with Boston. Taylor did not pitch for the Red Sox in 2022 due to injury. I think it was an even trade of two injury risks.
Surprise…. pointing out a bad trade by Bloom…. I am shocked!
It was a risk. It didn’t work out currently for either team…. move on haters, nothing to see here.
Of course. In our position, we needed a SS far more than another LH RP with questionable health. Two months of Mondesi is more valuable than a full season of Taylor. It just didn’t work out.
“Bad Trade”?
Why? They got 0 War and gave up -0.5 War. They traded nothing and got nothing.
You guys are desperate to spin things that just arent there.
Did it hurt us that much? Sure, Bloom made some bad deals but it hasn’t been as bad as locking up Carl Crawford long term or David Price… look at ChrisSale at the moment. Tied to so much money, it hurts us
Golly, another Bloom trade for a player with a current and extensive injury history and the Bloombot says “it didn’t work out”. Ya think? That level of cognitive dissonance can’t be reasoned with.
Project much?
So trading injury plagued Josh Taylor shouldnt have netted another injury plagued player. Should he have gotten the Red Sox Judge or Ohtani?
Trading nothing gets you nothing in return. Dont know whats not to understand there. There’s something broken in your thinking if you feel the ‘haul’ for Taylor shouldve been more.
Does this free up $13m for next year with both mondesi and kluber ($10m) gone?
Nah, the money will have to go to the Red Sox’ increased insurance premiums due to all the injured players Bloom keeps signing. Gosh, Henry isn’t really saving much by bringing Bloom on with his failed Ray’s model. Between lower attendance, ratings, wins and loser trades and FA signings he’d save more cash by just firing Bloom.
Resetting the Luxury Tax should allow them to spend more this off season. Well, that’s the plan. We will see what actually happens, If we stay the norttheast Rays or actually spend money.
Their current payroll is $223.8M. Maybe some day they will spend. If they would only spend more like the Yankees, they could be in last place.
Between lower attendance,
========================
I presume you meant to say “higher attendance”?
Spending isn’t an issue and never has been for the Boston Red Sox because ownership always provides the requested money. It is up to the GM to ask for what he needs to win. Four years of asking for a lot and producing no Division Titles or rings suggests the current GM has no clue how to manage a budget and be successful.
The choice of who to spend the money on is the real issue. The numbers below will show how Dombrowski spent wisely and created a winning culture and Bloom has spent poorly and created a losing culture.
Bloom, has seen all the costs inherited from Cherington roll off the books (a luxury Dombrowski never got to enjoy!) and his Price mistake has also rolled off the books leaving him completely responsible for his current money issues with payroll.
Bloom’s current retained payroll which is all on him is $22.4 million and his buried minor league salaries that happen when MLB players are being paid to play in the minors is $11.5 million. With player benefits and other costs his total payroll is $215.6 million which leaves the team $17.4 million under the cap and $33.9 million wasted on released players and players currently being paid MLB salaries in the minors.
A quick look at spending explains that ownership has provided the money for both Dombrowski and Bloom but Bloom has used it poorly based his results and Dombrowski showed why he will be a HOF GM eventually.
:
Bloom Years
2023 – $215.6 million 63-57 4th place in division no wildcard
2022 – $236.1 million 78-84 (OVER CAP) last place in division no wildcard
2021 – $207.6 million 92-70 ($2.4 Million under cap) Tied for 1st wild card
2020 – $184.9 million 24-36 last place in division 4th worst record
Total spent – $844.2 Million
Record – 257-247
(10 games over .500 for nearly 4 seasons)
Dombrowski Years
2019 – $228.4 million 84-78 (96 wins needed to make the playoffs)
2018 – $189.2 million 108-54 (Division Title = World Champions)
2017 – $159.4 million 93-69 (Division Title = Lost to cheating Houston)
2016 – $198.3 million 93-69 (Division Title – Lost to CLE needed pitching
Total spent – $775.3 Million
Record 390- 270
(120 games over .500 for 4 seasons)
One key thing to realize is that RETAINED payroll should be subtracted from the payroll to see what each individual GM ACTUALLY spent in each specific year. The exception to this accounting rule is when the current GM actually creates the RETAINED payroll through contract buy-outs or pay downs.
The payroll numbers listed above account for the huge retained earnings that were inherited by both Dombrowski and Bloom.
Dombrowski Years
2016 – Retained Payroll $2.2 million (Crawford, AGON, Layne, M Martinez, P Light) reducing GM spending to $198.3 below the CAP
2017 – Retained Payroll $30.6 million (Mostly Pablo) reducing GM spending to $159.4 million
2018 – Retained Payroll $41.2 million (Mostly Hanley and Pablo) reducing spending by Dombrowski to $189.2 million (well below the CAP)
2019 – Retained Payroll $25.3 million (Mostly Pablo) reducing Dombrowski spending to $203.1 million (barely below the CAP)
Bloom Years
2020 – Retained Payroll $25 million ($5 Million on Pablo is the only money not caused by Bloom) thus reducing spending by Bloom to $187.6 million
2021 – Retained Payroll $41.4 million (Only Pedroia’s $12.1 million was not a Bloom paydown of a contract) so Bloom spending was $195.5 million which was under the cap
2022 – There were no retained payroll attributable to the previous GMs. All buy downs were by Bloom so the full spending of $236.1 which put us over the cap was on Bloom
2023 – There is no retained payroll from prior GMs. Bloom has spent $215.6 million and $22.4 million was wasted by paying down contracts. That means retained payroll was $22.4 and none of it was inherited.
I show these numbers to remind readers that sustained winning was what Bloom preached and hasn’t delivered. Somehow this was a mantra that ironically was used when they had already enjoyed sustained winning under Dombrowski.
The entire changeover was sold as a good move yet here we are 4 years later seeing how terrible the move was. 10 games over .500 versus 120 games over .500. More money spent to achieve the bad results.
In the meanwhile, Dombrowski has moved to Philly and they are providing their fans with the type of success Boston fans enjoyed when Dombrowski was here.
The mistake of losing Dombrowski and hiring Bloom can’t be more evident!!
Dombrowski had “sustained winning” for a couple of years, because he was burning through resources at an unstainable rate. Something had to break. The guy traded away 31 prospects, that caused the void of talent for a long time. He never once made a trade for a younger player with staying power. He didnt even lock up any of the up and coming talent (Betts, Bogaerts). Instead runs the team over the Threshold. That kills a team’s future prospects.
Bloom, is here to build a team from within. Every trade, like them or not, reaps YOUNGER not older players. While the drafts have been great. The Farm System is flush with talent. The team also has $77M in spending money on FAs next year.
Two different GMs, two different styles. 1 Massive push for Championship, with quicker chance of winning it, but big fall-off after. Or, 2 Build a long-term team that has much better staying power as a contender, but takes longer to build to.
To dumb it down to Bad vs. Evil. That one does everything wrong and the other one is a God is wrong. Its not what an intellegent person would do, sorry to tell you.
Yeah, dombrowski wouldn’t have sustainably won in this time frame. The system had next to nothing in when he walked out the door.
Bloom’s done an OK job building it up but DD would’ve been fighting the same exact battle. Very hard to compete and keep payroll in check when you don’t have young guys that can contribute to the major league team.
You seem very knowledgeable about Blooms trades . Can you give me a few examples ? What’s your theory on this trade deadline? Was it wise to keep some of the older pieces ( say Paxton , JT , Martin , Jansen , etc . ) we have and get nothing in return?
Wrong. DD extended Bogaerts.
How can you claim Blooms done a “ok” job with the farm when after 2 out of 3 season last place finishes the Sox are only in the middle of the list. You’re trying to put lipstick on a pig!
RSmith – A couple of years is 2 not 3. That is several years. 2016-2018 were division titles that were unprecedented if you understand that word. That means they were special because it had NEVER happened before.
Dismissing his unprecedented feats shows your bias and lack of baseball knowledge.
Best shot I could take at responding to your incoherent comments.
The trades don’t reap younger players.
The drafts haven’t produced anything so they can’t be declared great.
The reason they have money in 2024 is because Bloom through away all the all-stars other than Devers so of course there is lots more money. That’s not a smart move, that’s a bad move unless a new GM comes in and is able to effectively use it.
Nobody rebuilds a championship team or anything else that has reached the pinnacle of success. Bloom tore down a championship team because he has no idea how to build one and has proven that for four years.
As soon as I stop laughing at your last line tell me…;. what would an intelligent person do? hahahaha
Bstrowmang – A new Bloom supporter spewing the same old garbage.
DD’s plan was so detailed that it had specific years that it was going to last and then a retool year. 2023 should have seen some contracts extended and some replaced based on performance but the key to the 2023 season was that Boston still had Mookie and Sale and DD had to decide if Bogey, Benny, Vazquez and Nate were going to be offered new contracts or replaced. The team would have been far under the cap unless the Sale injury forced him into picking up a Verlander or Scherzer to stay competitive.
There are NO young guys produced by Bloom so far so DD would have had Casas, Houck, Duran, Mata and all the other under rated minor league players coming into their own now. He would have kept this team in the hunt for winning the division and possibly the world series. Now, it’s all doom and gloom until Bloom is gone. Then a fresh start that repairs all of Bloom’s damage will begin.
“Sox are only in the middle of the list”
They were in the Bottom 5 in almost every ranking when DD left. I dont understand how that isnt an improvement. But, Im sure you Haters will find a way to spin it.
July 2, 2019, MILB, Worst Grade of any AL Team:
milb.com/news/midseason-farm-system-grades-america…
August 1, 2019, MLB.com, 30th Ranked Team with only 1 Top 100 Prospect:
mlb.com/news/2019-top-30-prospects-lists-midseason…
July 29, 2019, OverTheMonster, Talks about Fangraph having Red Sox farm ranked:
30th:overthemonster.com/2019/7/29/8934676/boston-red-so…
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The farm system was in shambles when DD left. Trading away 31 prospects while at the same time not trying to acquire new young talent will do that. Being ranked in the “Middle of the Pack” while having 4 Top 100 prospects is definitely showing improvement. The facts dont lie.
Rsmith – Always pointing to unreliable sources!!! Clearly the Dombrowski farm system guys have proven those clowns wrong.
Some of the most unreliable sources for any baseball information include:
1 – Over the Monster
2 – The Athletci
3 – Fangraphs
4 – Statcast
You might as well quote the POST!!! hahaha
The DD Farm System was stronger and has been weakened since Bloom arrived based on failed acquisitions like Jeter Down.
Facts are really important not hearsay by rating systems that ESTIMATE future value rather than documenting in hindsight which is 20/20 the value of the players in the farm system.
“Some of the most unreliable sources for any baseball information include:
1 – Over the Monster
2 – The Athletci
3 – Fangraphs
4 – Statcast”
Whered you get those names from? You making stuff up again.
I referenced:
1) MILB.com (Minor League Baseball) — What would they know about Minor Leaguers? Lol.
2) MLB.com the biggest baseball website on the planet.
3) I referenced OTM because they show Fangraph’s ranking. OTM doesnt even do player rankings.
So MLB, MILB and Fangraph had them in DEAD LAST less than a month, before DD was fired. But that isnt enough proof. I showed 3 websites putting them in DEAD LAST. Now, show me some ‘respectable’ sites that put DD’s players in First!!! You can’t because they dont exist.
The farm system was in ruin when he left, and only argument you have is denying my proof. You got bupkis to defend his prospects and you know it.
What’s your theory on this trade deadline?
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I’d have been okay either way. I knew at the time we were an underdog. But this is a somewhat good & competitive team. Not selling and watching competitive baseball for 4-6 more weeks, and hopefully more, is a reasonable trade-off.
This was always going to be the longest of shots to pan out. The guy is never healthy, and this injury was far worse than his typical pulls and strains. His rehab was already going poorly prior. Taylor went down so it was a wash, but they must have really wanted Taylor gone to think he wouldn’t have made the team with that bullpen we had.
Mondesi is known for his top-notch speed, range, and zero discipline at the plate. I don’t see how they ever thought he wouldn’t lose his main draw, which was his speed, lose his ability to cut and retain his old range. Even if his rehab went well, are you even going to dare running him? Likely not if he showed anything worth playing. I don’t see how he was going to improve on his terrible plate discipline after missing about a thousand+ at bats the last few years. I would have been shocked if he played at the MLB level and surprised if he even collected 100 at-bats in the minor leagues.
It may yet be a wash Red Sox still got a minor league prospect.
I think the trade is a wash. Taylor had a 8.15 ERA with KC and a 6.75 ERA in AAA this year.
Agree. The concerning thing to me is the amount of these deals Bloom makes that we can say are either washes (with no real expectations to solve anything), or losses (when he deals from core). He needs to get on the other side of that ledger this off season, and in a big way. He is already a dead man walking on performance, and fan base faith.
I think the Red Sox are mainly building from the farm system, so they will not be trading much from the farm system to fill holes and they will not be signing many free agents to long, expensive deals who will block prospects. That limits the ability to assemble a good team in the near term. So, the team will be average to mediocre until the farm system starts producing. I think John Henry is well aware of this plan and it will avoid wasting his money. So, I am guessing he likes this aproach. I prefer building mainly from the farm system as opposed to signing older, expensive free agents. We can look at the current Orioles and Yankees to see how these two approaches can work out. Building mainly through the farm system takes time and requires patience, but I think it is the better way to go.
If sale is healthy next season (pause for laughter) it is the last guaranteed year absent the vesting portion at a reduced cost.
He may become a trade chip with high salary pay down.
It usually requires losing and losing big for a fairly extended time period to be honest.
The days of the Yankees trading away all their prospects for stars then simply buying up all the prospects again to refill the system is over(unless the league looks the other way).
I think Bloom is capable of losing enough, long enough to make this work, but I would prefer to see talented players more often, playing positions they grew up playing. Solid rotations with big arms in the pen. That kind of stuff.
I wonder how much the steroid use has been a contributor to all of his body breakdown.
it is exactly like when someone abuse of steroids but is not eating good enough for muscle and joint recovery so you keep getting injured and can’t recover fast enough.
I had heard the name but did not realize it was an actual real life player.
Is anyone surprised that he is injured again?
Yes. The Red Sox. Otherwise they wouldn’t have traded for him.
The only part of Red Sox nation that is surprised is Bloom.
True. The second his announcement was made I read Mondesi was having a tough rehab/recovery and pegged him at exactly zero MLB at-bats, and perhaps 50 to 100 minor league at-bats if lucky before they shut him down again.
That was without any insider knowledge other that what I read. I am surprised Bloom felt anything other than what I did. Especially on a guy that is going free agent and wasn’t locked up for the rehab year and an additional year, which is the industry standard for bad injury recovery players (see Paxton and a couple thousand other guys).
On the plus side Taylor has been awful for the Royals, so at least theres that
Yes. We can take solace in the fact that although we got absolutely nothing back for a major league lefty reliever, it all worked out because he had a horrible year for the other team. If he had done well, it would have been what they expected from the trade and would have made it worse. I just do not see how Bloom thought Mondesi was going to get an at-bat this year. He is made out of Balsa wood and was already having a really tough go at rehab before we got him.
William – I really enjoy your posts, you bring logic which is often sorely missing from the posts of other people.
It amazes me how some people don’t understand the value of a player at the time he is traded away is what really counts, along with the value of the player acquired at the time of the trade.
Fever – Bloom for four years has been that guy who stands in front of the wishing well tossing in coins in hopes of his dreams coming true. They haven’t and probably never will because it’s usually the doers of the world not the dreamers that are successful. Stop tossing coins and sign a real all-star rather than letting them go. Maybe then your dreams can come true Bloom!!
That is all I use. Some Sox GM’s in the past have made me shake my head from time to time in the last 30 years, but so far Bloom has made me do it more than any other. From Rule 5’s, to inexplicable releases and signings, to mind numbing trades, to complete inaction when aggressiveness was required.
I can just point to this trade deadline for a perfect example. Bloom said he would add players if the race became close. He admitted he was aware of his glaring roster holes, and the team needs. He also said, at the least, he would add an arm regardless. The team was playing at their best, were in striking distance with some help there might be a sound chance, and he did NOTHING. He dragged his feet until the names fell by the wayside and it became an entirely sellers market.
Why do I bring this up. Because he was selling the fans the last two years on a competitive team. This trade dead line proved once and for all what I knew, but didn’t want to believe. The reason I would shake my head at nearly all his moves was because I believed he was trying to win and make the playoffs, win the division, play in the classic. He isn’t. He knows this team is a collection of broken toys. He knows they aren’t deep, can’t field because nearly all of them play out of position, have very little power and do not match up with any team in the division with their pitching.
The only thing now that made me shake my head after this deadline was why he didn’t get something for the players he knows he is about to lose. He knows this team has no chance. Why not play prospects and get a handful of more prospects? Baffling. He didn’t want to upset the fans that loath him? He was afraid the stadium would have 600 to a 1000 less seats filled because we traded Duvall, or any other player for that matter? Who was the difference maker we kept that could land us the prize of fourth place?
William – Outstanding commentary. I completely agree. Well said.
I understand value (bloom approach), but I also know that trying to win, or succeed in nearly anything in life requires adapting and patient aggressiveness (waiting for the right moments and striking without hesitation).
I see a guy that see’s needs all over the team and attempts to solve problems strictly on value. Look at his short stop approach. He NEEDED a short stop, also a second baseman frankly. He went out and signed over 8 journeyman and back up players, instead of one one quality player to SOLVE the issue. The result has been weak defensive and offensive play at both positions. Story played zero innings at short last year because he signed an injured arm. What he did sign though was the best second baseman since Pedroia. We SOLVED second base. Post surgery he is now a plus defensive second baseman who can hit, and hit for power. Bloom just made him what he was prior to injury, a rangy shortstop with a minus arm. He NEVER had a great arm, NEVER. He needed to strike this off season and get his shortstop and failed. He needed to strike and get a quality starter and he failed. The deadline came and despite everything he said, he failed to solve either problem again. The quality starter speaks for itself. It gives you an arm capable of going deep (saving the pen) and possibly owning a playoff spot in rotation. It pushes one of Houck or Whitlock to the pen, strengthening it, and pushes the worst reliever off the team. You get three things out of one player. That is SOLVING a problem.
From Rule 5
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Isn’t he batting a bout 1.000 in the Rule 5? Picked up Whitlock and lost Ward?
I hope the Dodgers make a play for Mondesi. They seem to do well in the organization.
Finally the Mondesi update I’ve been waiting with bated breath to hear since at least May Day.
I seriously doubt Mondesi is ever able to play again.
Jacoby Ellsbury says hi
Fortunately, Angel Pierre is hitting .233 in the low minors. This trade isn’t crap yet. No, wait. It really is.
He’s 19 in rookie ball. Jury is still out
This was not a bad trade for either team.
For the Red Sox, it’s the equivalent of putting $20 on that 8 leg parlay just for the hell of it. If it hits, you’re telling that story for decades. If it doesn’t, it was $20.
For the Royals, they were growing frustrated with Mondesi even when he was healthy and looking at Maikel Garcia and Bobby Witt Jr and Nicky Lopez and Nick Loftin and Michael Massey and correctly thinking that middle infield is a position of strength, might as well get whatever value is left out of him.
The 8 Leg Parlay for the Red Sox 2023 Season:
-Mondesi plays every day, returns to above average with elite defense/speed and occasional power
-Houck is a rotation mainstay
-Whitlock is healthy
-Sale turns the clock back to 2017
-Duvall leads the league in RBI for the 3rd time in his career
-Verdugo is an All-Star
-Yoshida’s contract is a bargain
-Cora’s pet, Christian Arroyo, doesn’t bat more than 150 times
Well, we hit on one. Do we at least get our $20 back?
Bizzy-
At Chaim’s Magical Casino where everyone loses, even the house, there is a $5 fee to check the status of all tickets.
It’s fascinating to me how certain individuals say the exact same thing on every single thread.
Dementia perhaps?
Just tuned in the Red Sox game vs WAS. Sale coasts into the 5th inning and walks the 8 and 9 hitters despite 5 pitches called balls that were inside the box superimposed on the screen. The lead=off hitter hits a line-drive out to right field the runner on second goes to third and Sale is pulled at 65 pitches despite the Boston announcer suggesting prior to the inning the plan was for 75 pitches.
Sale, who is pretty good at striking out batters is pulled for Winckowski who immediately give up a double and both runs score and Sale gets charged for 2 runs thanks to the lack of a an effective stress inning reliever. Whitlock was that guy at one time and is needed back in that role very soon to help the starting staff leave games and not have their runners score..
This was a typical Cora mistake that has likely cost them the game. Sale gave up 2 hits and got squeezed by the ump on the 8 and 9 hitters. He’s still the far superior pitcher who was supposed to throw at least 10 more pitches but gets prematurely pulled yet again rather being given the chance to strikeout a batter or two to get out of the inning.
Winckowski has one of his worst games of the season and gives up Sale’s two base runners and three additional runs on four hits (twice as many as Sale gave up) and completes the inning!!! Apparently pitch count is more important to Cora than performance or winning!!.
Perfect example of why Cora is not qualified to manage a little league team. He doesn’t understand pitching. He has no clue who can best get out of a jam, his ace or a journeyman middle reliever. The team really, really needs Whitlock back to reduce Sale’s and the other starters’ ERAs by coming in and stranding base runners!!!
Sale’s earned runs should have been zero thanks to an error by Devers earlier in the game in conjunction with a Wong error but instead he gets credited for 2 ER thanks to a premature pulling by Cora. We need a knowledgeable MLB manager not a bench jockey who is clueless at handling the pitching staff.
They should keep a stat on managers comparable to blown saves for relievers. Blown wins. Cora would lead the league this year and he would have the most over his career as a manager in the MLB much like Devers leads all 3Bs at errors since he arrived in Boston.
This was supposed to be an easy team that we should beat 2 of 3 times but instead it will be 1 of 3. 63-58 heading into NY and HOU then coming home for HOU and LAD. They can’t lose these type of games and expect to make the playoffs.
Whitlock came into Wednesday nights game vs the Nats with diminished velocity (92mph) and gave up 2 Homer’s getting lit up. Have they ruined another pitcher moving them between starter and relief once again? IDK the jury is still out but ATM it doesn’t look good for Whitlock.
The velocity, although not surprising, should have sounded alarms for the Red Sox. I would have kept him down till he regained it entirely. This guy has been taken down a huge peg since made a starter, and is dealing with yet another injury. A borderline last place team with only aspirations for 4th doesn’t need him at 80%. Bloom proved at the deadline he doesn’t think adding players was going to do anything anyway, so why rush anyone back?
I know everyone has a hard on for his stuff but it isn’t exactly whiffle ball stuff. He needs that velocity. If he isn’t mid 90’s he is a guy that can be squared up. I have seen him enough to know that his movement and bad swings are predicated on that velocity. Watch his outing when he is trying to deal in the low 90’s when he isn’t feeling it and you will see batters not missing, and him forced to nibble as batters don’t bite out of the zone.
Agreed. Imo he shouldn’t have been moved out of the pen to begin with. It’s rhe Sox inability to develop pitching which is their Achilles heel. Always has been.
I have written several posts about how historically epic the Red Sox failure has been to develop and keep pitching. Long story short. It’s the joke in Airplane about handing out reading material about famous Jewish athletes and the stewardess hands a pamphlet to the guy. The Red Sox could hand out a business card in large print with 100 years of pitching development double spaced on it.