2015 MLB Season Thread

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Both John Farrell and Matt Williams got contract extensions today. I think both are facing a lot of expectations, especially Williams, so both might feela little heat if theings don't pan out for their teams after getting these extensions.

-M

Especially Williams, given how stacked the Nats now are. If they stumble out of the gate, even in a weakened NL East, the rumblings by the fanbase will start early.

[CSTowle]

Yeah, Farrell may be in trouble if we stay in the basement (given our starting rotation, not outside the realm of possibility) but I think we just need marginal improvement for him to stay on. Nats are being penciled in as the NL representative in the World Series preseason, so I think Williams has more pressure.

[Detox]

Yeah, Farrell may be in trouble if we stay in the basement (given our starting rotation, not outside the realm of possibility) but I think we just need marginal improvement for him to stay on. Nats are being penciled in as the NL representative in the World Series preseason, so I think Williams has more pressure.

The rotation isn't bad, and depending on which Buchholz we see it has the potential to be pretty solid imo. Couple that with the fact that the lineup(on paper at least) is arguably the best in baseball, I don't see us finishing any lower than 2nd in the East.

[CSTowle]

I tend to be pessimistic about my teams (see my posts on the Patriots leading up to our Super Bowl win, I had them at 8-8 last year and knocked out of the playoffs against the Ravens), but I look at the Sox team and all I see is a series of bombs waiting to go off.

39 year old (and that's taking his word for it) David Ortiz. Overpriced non-SS Hanley who can't seem to stay healthy. Shane Victorino and his health problems. Pedroia coming off a bad year, does he bounce back or continue to decline? Fat Panda. Napoli, is he healthy? Good depth with Brock Holt and Mookie, but I wouldn't call them the best in baseball by any stretch of the imagination.

Then the rotation. Buccholz as our ace? Does he have an ERA around 3, or twice that? Does he pitch 200 innings? Porcello and Miley are back of the rotation, 4-4.5 ERA guys in our park which is fine but nothing to be excited about. Then you have Joe Kelly who I'd love to believe could equal a Porcello/Miley, but I'd be shocked if he pitches 150 innings. Then you have Justin Masterson, who had a near 6 ERA last year and claims he didn't fully heal from an oblique injury, but who knows? And how good will he be if he is healthy? And nothing but Owens behind them, and that's assuming he's ready for the big leagues in the second half.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

My Phillies' rotation is hardly something to fear:

Cole Hamels
Cliff Lee
Aaron Harang
Jerome Williams
David Buchanan

Hamels spent yesterday backtracking at speeds that would make the Flash envious rehgarding his comments about wanting to win and how that's not going to happen here. Lee was on the IR for the last four months of last season, no telling what we'll get out of him. Harang was the only free agent the team signed in the offseason, hardly anything to get excited about. Williams, a lifetime AL hurler caught the Senior Circuit by surprise and pitched fairly well, but with film on him, he's bound to decline. And Buchanan, a youngster has all the stuff needed to be a fifth starter. Oh, yeah, waiting in the wings is former Dodger Cliff Billingsley who, if memory serves, hasn't pitched in the bigs since 2013 due to arm problems/surgery. Be still, my beating heart. Beyond Hamels and Lee, the rest of the rotation is a crapshoot, and that's being kind.

[Detox]

I tend to be pessimistic about my teams (see my posts on the Patriots leading up to our Super Bowl win, I had them at 8-8 last year and knocked out of the playoffs against the Ravens), but I look at the Sox team and all I see is a series of bombs waiting to go off.

39 year old (and that's taking his word for it) David Ortiz. Overpriced non-SS Hanley who can't seem to stay healthy. Shane Victorino and his health problems. Pedroia coming off a bad year, does he bounce back or continue to decline? Fat Panda. Napoli, is he healthy? Good depth with Brock Holt and Mookie, but I wouldn't call them the best in baseball by any stretch of the imagination.

Then the rotation. Buccholz as our ace? Does he have an ERA around 3, or twice that? Does he pitch 200 innings? Porcello and Miley are back of the rotation, 4-4.5 ERA guys in our park which is fine but nothing to be excited about. Then you have Joe Kelly who I'd love to believe could equal a Porcello/Miley, but I'd be shocked if he pitches 150 innings. Then you have Justin Masterson, who had a near 6 ERA last year and claims he didn't fully heal from an oblique injury, but who knows? And how good will he be if he is healthy? And nothing but Owens behind them, and that's assuming he's ready for the big leagues in the second half.

Wow. That is pessimistic. I guess we will agree to disagree on most of this. I have pretty high hopes for a team with this amount of depth and the experience of the rotation. I do agree that the rotation is not ideal, but the lineup is as stout as there is in the league. Nothing to do now but wait and see i guess.

[Ghost Rider TheHellfireDemon]

Spring training is upon us! Hoping the Red Sox can go worst to first to worst to FIRST!

Red Sox unlike the patriots have not been a inconsistent team.2012 a epic collapse, 2013 won the World Series, and 2014 they were one egregious team.

[Darkspellmaster]

But it's funny he says this long before the season starts. I imagine besides not many people will remember since this is from the offseason.

Now with madden as the skipper I'm optimistic the cubs finally get out of the dumpster that has been the losing times, produce a winning season and make the playoffs.

So long as the Rickets would please stop mucking around with Wriggly that would be nice. I'm holding my breath on making the playoffs, I would really like to, but we still have that curse round our necks. By the way it's not been 100 years since the curse was laid that was in 1945 so we have sadly 30 more years to go for it to wear off....if you believe in the idea of a curse.

I'm optimistic too, but my main worry is that we're going to get off to "good start" then fall on our faces as per the norm. I still think that they should be sent to Florida during winter and play against college teams to get them up to snuff which is what the manager a long time ago did.

[MRP]

Looks like the Red Sox won the Moncada sweepstakes with a $30 million deal. Wonder where Cherington envisions him playing? My guess is 3B next year after Napoli's contract is done and Panda mopes to 1B, but it could mean they would consider trading Boegarts for a frontline starter-I hope not. I still think Boegarts will become a special player and would like to see him blossom with the Sox, not somewhere else.

-M

[Detox]

Looks like the Red Sox won the Moncada sweepstakes with a $30 million deal. Wonder where Cherington envisions him playing? My guess is 3B next year after Napoli's contract is done and Panda mopes to 1B, but it could mean they would consider trading Boegarts for a frontline starter-I hope not. I still think Boegarts will become a special player and would like to see him blossom with the Sox, not somewhere else.

-M

I'm pretty excited about this kid. They're saying he'd be a top ten prospect in the states.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

A few nuggets from around the diamond:

Let the circus begin! A-Roid reports to spring training with the Yanks

New MLB Commisioner Rob Manfred mulled over a shorter season

Giants skipper Bruce Bochy back with team after heart procedure

[Detox]

A few nuggets from around the diamond:

Let the circus begin! A-Roid reports to spring training with the Yanks

New MLB Commisioner Rob Manfred mulled over a shorter season

Giants skipper Bruce Bochy back with team after heart procedure

I'm glad Mr. Bochy's ok, scary stuff. As for Aroid, I honestly couldn't care less about anything that dude does at this point.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

A few nuggets from around the diamond:

Guess who's rooting for A-Roid---Hank Aaron! No, really!

MLB gives teams the full 411 on new pace of play policy

Meet Manny Ramirez, consultant (yeah, I chuckled at that too)

[Detox]

Big Papi not happy with changes to speed up the pace of the game.


http://www.boston.com/sports/basebal...e_changes.html

[MRP]

Man, it looks like Josh Hamilton may have suffered a relapse while fighting his addictions this offseason. He is going to miss some time, but I hope he manages to get himself on the right track again, that's what is important. It's a shame, his struggle has been inspirational for so many and it seemed he had the will to succeed, but it just shows how hard it is to beat addictions, even after so many years of being clean.

-M