MLB 2022 Season Thread

[Deathstroke]

Dennis Eckersley has announced he's retiring as a broadcaster after the end of this current Boston Red Sox season. Article Link

[MRP]

Red Sox left handed starter Chris Sale, currently on the IL for a broken finger on his pitching hand suffered in his second start after a long injury rehab for a stress fracture in his back suffered in spring training, was riding his bike to stay in shape this weekend and had an accident breaking his right wrist requiring surgery today, and is done for the season. They say he will be ready for spring training next season, but it's been a long time since he has contributed significant innings to the Red Sox.


-M

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Red Sox left handed starter Chris Sale, currently on the IL for a broken finger on his pitching hand suffered in his second start after a long injury rehab for a stress fracture in his back suffered in spring training, was riding his bike to stay in shape this weekend and had an accident breaking his right wrist requiring surgery today, and is done for the season. They say he will be ready for spring training next season, but it's been a long time since he has contributed significant innings to the Red Sox.

-M

I just heard about that a half hour ago. It seems like the Bosox can’t catch a break, unless it’s bad ones. Now, do they write off the rest of this season as an aberration and bring back the current cast in 2023, or do they blow it up in the off-season and start over from scratch?

[achilles]

I just heard about that a half hour ago. It seems like the Bosox can’t catch a break, unless it’s bad ones. Now, do they write off the rest of this season as an aberration and bring back the current cast in 2023, or do they blow it up in the off-season and start over from scratch?

I find that all very Angels'. So good on the Red Sox for making it look hard again. The Angels approve of this sort of thing.

[MRP]

I just heard about that a half hour ago. It seems like the Bosox can’t catch a break, unless it’s bad ones. Now, do they write off the rest of this season as an aberration and bring back the current cast in 2023, or do they blow it up in the off-season and start over from scratch?

I'm not sure. I think they are interested in resigning Eovaldi, who has said he wants to stay with the Sox, but I think that will come down to how much. I don't see them resigning JD Martinez unless it's a huge paycut, but I don't think JD or his agent will go for that (I think he's a Boras client but I am not sure). With them having signed Story to a long term deal, I am not sure they will be willing to meet what Boegarts could get from another team, but I think they want Boegarts back and Boegarts wants to stay, so it's a question of how much more than he's already making can he get from the Sox and is that enough to make him choose to stay rather than sign elsewhere for more. They also need to prioritize extending Devers before the start of next season or that will be a cancerous distraction all of next season.

But other than that core, I think they blow up the roster. They really need to sort out their pitching staff. They have some pieces that could be the beginning of a decent back end of a rotation. Pivetta is a good #3 or 4 starter, either Kutter Crawford or Winchowski look like they could be decent 4th or 5th starters. But the front end is uncertain. Who know what Sale still has or what Paxton will be when he comes back. Does Eovaldi stay or go? Whatever the answer to those questions, they could really benefit if they find some way to add a frontline starter to the mix to take the pressure off the rest and let them slot in the back end as best fits. Eovaldi is great as a #2 or 3 starter, he's not a #1 starter, and neither is Pivetta though he has had to be in that role this season.

The bullpen is a mess. It needs to be completely revamped. Whitlock, Houck and Schreiber are all solid, the rest are not worth keeping unless they need a mop up guy in their bullpen. They need to find a couple of high leverage arms and clean house with the rest.

They need to address starting catcher. They don't have an answer already in the organization. They could look at bringing Vazquez back, but that would be a short term solution.

They could bring the old cast back and hope for better things, but that cast has a top heavy line up, lacks depth, and has exploitable weaknesses. Meanwhile every other team in the AL East is getting better, so I think they really need to blow things up.

Their lineup/fielding core for next year already in house should be Devers (3B), Story (SS/2B), Hosmer (1B/DH), Verdugo (corner OF) and Pham (corner OF/4th OF) and Arroyo as their super utility. I would try to prioritize resigning Boegarts and finding a solid CF and C. I think Tristan Casas will probably be up and splitting 1B/DH with Hosmer with Hosmer mentoring him as the heir apparent. I think we have seen enough of Jarran Duran to know he's not the answer at CF, and Dalbec is not a starter but does have good power, but maybe they can use those two as trade chips. And honestly, for the right return I would move Verdugo and Pham as well. I don't think Kiki resigns with the Sox either, but it's possible.

The rotation will have Sale, Paxton, (assuming they are both healthy next season) Pivetta, and likely either Crawford or Winchowski to start. Maybe Eovaldi comes back, maybe not. They still need a frontline starter and 1-2 depth arms to deal with injuries. Maybe they look at bringing Wacha back, but I think he will command more on the market than he is actually worth. I'd even look at moving Sale if another team is willing to take the risk and the contract. Or even possibly look at moving Sale to the closer role he had when he first came up to maximize what he can contribute without the wear and tear of innings a starter piles up.

The bullpen is a mess and needs a lot of love and attention. They need to add either a traditional closer (or look at Sale in that role), or a dependable high leverage set up man and move Whitlock into the close role (not a multiple inning end of game guy but someone available on consecutive days). Houck and Schreiber as other late inning bridges, and then get a whole new set of faces. Get rid of Barnes, Brasier, Davis, Hernandez, Sawamura and the rest. Some have potential and could benefit form a new environment, but they need not to be a part of Boston's bullpen any longer. The bullpen needs a new culture as well as a facelift, so the dead weight needs to be cleared out.

So I think it should be more of a blow it up scenario, but they do have pieces with which to have a foundation for what emerges from the blow up. A lot depends whether ownership is ready to emerge from the cocoon of the luxury tax reset they imposed upon themselves.

But I am sure what they actually do will not look like anything I proposed.

-M

[MRP]

I find that all very Angels'. So good on the Red Sox for making it look hard again. The Angels approve of this sort of thing.

Here's a very Angel-like bit of info about the Chris Sale contract extension:

Since Chris Sale's 5-year, $145 million extension took effect in 2020 he has:
* Made 11 starts
* Posted a playoff ERA of 8.00
* Missed nearly 2 years to Tommy John
* Contracted COVID
* Broken a rib throwing a pitch
* Broken a pinky on a liner
* Broken a rib falling off a bike

The only-un-Angel-like bit in that is that he has a playoff ERA at all.

-M

[achilles]

Here's a very Angel-like bit of info about the Chris Sale contract extension:

Since Chris Sale's 5-year, $145 million extension took effect in 2020 he has:
* Made 11 starts
* Posted a playoff ERA of 8.00
* Missed nearly 2 years to Tommy John
* Contracted COVID
* Broken a rib throwing a pitch
* Broken a pinky on a liner
* Broken a rib falling off a bike

The only-un-Angel-like bit in that is that he has a playoff ERA at all.

-M

Gotta laugh at that. All true.

[MRP]

Chris Sale riding his bike to lunch...



-M

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Chris Sale riding his bike to lunch...



-M

Heh! That was funny!

[achilles]

About once a year, the Pirates remind me why they are key to baseball, or at least to providing meme-worthy moments. Like the case of their minor league call up who sliding into third, who lost his phone on the slide. When he tried to hand it to that third base coach, I thought I was going to die laughing at the guy's expression and posture, like "who the hell are you, I don't know you." It was the expression of someone handing you a dead rat, you're just going to naturally recoil. I wonder if the kid was about to answer that call back to the minors?

[InfamousBG]

Here's a very Angel-like bit of info about the Chris Sale contract extension:

Since Chris Sale's 5-year, $145 million extension took effect in 2020 he has:
* Made 11 starts
* Posted a playoff ERA of 8.00
* Missed nearly 2 years to Tommy John
* Contracted COVID
* Broken a rib throwing a pitch
* Broken a pinky on a liner
* Broken a rib falling off a bike

The only-un-Angel-like bit in that is that he has a playoff ERA at all.

-M

one of the worst signings in Red Sox history.

[InfamousBG]

I'm not sure. I think they are interested in resigning Eovaldi, who has said he wants to stay with the Sox, but I think that will come down to how much. I don't see them resigning JD Martinez unless it's a huge paycut, but I don't think JD or his agent will go for that (I think he's a Boras client but I am not sure). With them having signed Story to a long term deal, I am not sure they will be willing to meet what Boegarts could get from another team, but I think they want Boegarts back and Boegarts wants to stay, so it's a question of how much more than he's already making can he get from the Sox and is that enough to make him choose to stay rather than sign elsewhere for more. They also need to prioritize extending Devers before the start of next season or that will be a cancerous distraction all of next season.

But other than that core, I think they blow up the roster. They really need to sort out their pitching staff. They have some pieces that could be the beginning of a decent back end of a rotation. Pivetta is a good #3 or 4 starter, either Kutter Crawford or Winchowski look like they could be decent 4th or 5th starters. But the front end is uncertain. Who know what Sale still has or what Paxton will be when he comes back. Does Eovaldi stay or go? Whatever the answer to those questions, they could really benefit if they find some way to add a frontline starter to the mix to take the pressure off the rest and let them slot in the back end as best fits. Eovaldi is great as a #2 or 3 starter, he's not a #1 starter, and neither is Pivetta though he has had to be in that role this season.

The bullpen is a mess. It needs to be completely revamped. Whitlock, Houck and Schreiber are all solid, the rest are not worth keeping unless they need a mop up guy in their bullpen. They need to find a couple of high leverage arms and clean house with the rest.

They need to address starting catcher. They don't have an answer already in the organization. They could look at bringing Vazquez back, but that would be a short term solution.

They could bring the old cast back and hope for better things, but that cast has a top heavy line up, lacks depth, and has exploitable weaknesses. Meanwhile every other team in the AL East is getting better, so I think they really need to blow things up.

Their lineup/fielding core for next year already in house should be Devers (3B), Story (SS/2B), Hosmer (1B/DH), Verdugo (corner OF) and Pham (corner OF/4th OF) and Arroyo as their super utility. I would try to prioritize resigning Boegarts and finding a solid CF and C. I think Tristan Casas will probably be up and splitting 1B/DH with Hosmer with Hosmer mentoring him as the heir apparent. I think we have seen enough of Jarran Duran to know he's not the answer at CF, and Dalbec is not a starter but does have good power, but maybe they can use those two as trade chips. And honestly, for the right return I would move Verdugo and Pham as well. I don't think Kiki resigns with the Sox either, but it's possible.

The rotation will have Sale, Paxton, (assuming they are both healthy next season) Pivetta, and likely either Crawford or Winchowski to start. Maybe Eovaldi comes back, maybe not. They still need a frontline starter and 1-2 depth arms to deal with injuries. Maybe they look at bringing Wacha back, but I think he will command more on the market than he is actually worth. I'd even look at moving Sale if another team is willing to take the risk and the contract. Or even possibly look at moving Sale to the closer role he had when he first came up to maximize what he can contribute without the wear and tear of innings a starter piles up.

The bullpen is a mess and needs a lot of love and attention. They need to add either a traditional closer (or look at Sale in that role), or a dependable high leverage set up man and move Whitlock into the close role (not a multiple inning end of game guy but someone available on consecutive days). Houck and Schreiber as other late inning bridges, and then get a whole new set of faces. Get rid of Barnes, Brasier, Davis, Hernandez, Sawamura and the rest. Some have potential and could benefit form a new environment, but they need not to be a part of Boston's bullpen any longer. The bullpen needs a new culture as well as a facelift, so the dead weight needs to be cleared out.

So I think it should be more of a blow it up scenario, but they do have pieces with which to have a foundation for what emerges from the blow up. A lot depends whether ownership is ready to emerge from the cocoon of the luxury tax reset they imposed upon themselves.

But I am sure what they actually do will not look like anything I proposed.

-M

I agree with most of this except Sale. Screw him. He is a lost cause.

[achilles]

one of the worst signings in Red Sox history.

Or...an average trade for the Angels. Wonder why they passed on him? He's perfect fit!

[MRP]

one of the worst signings in Red Sox history.

Maybe in hindsight, but at the time Sale was a top 5 starter in the league who had only missed 1-2 games to injury in his career up to that point, and after trading for him, the Sox front office would have been crucified by the same fans tearing them down for the signing if they had let him go in free agency, and that deal was market value for him at the time. He was a healthy, reliable and dominant starter at the time of the extension, everything just broke down beginning the next season, something no one foresaw (despite what any armchair Sox GMs will tell you). It certainly didn't work out for the Sox, but no one was criticizing them for the deal at the time (unlike say the Carl Crawford signing).


-M

[achilles]

So Ohtani Shohei is in another exclusive club, this time with Babe Ruth...again, as the only two in MLB history with ten wins as a pitcher and over ten HRs, (he leads the team with 25). Which begs the question how good does he have to be as a pitcher to have ten wins with the Angels in a season?