AL EAST 2017 Thread

[molsaniceman]

Has anybody mentioned that Chris Carter sucks?

i think the yanks FO agrees

Yankees purchased the contract of 1B Ji-Man Choi from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Chris Carter was designated for assignment in a corresponding move. Choi, 26, had hit .289/.371/.505 with eight home runs and 43 RBI through 56 games this season at the Triple-A level and should see some starts at first base against right-handers.

 

[bksballer89]

Sox are going to run away with this division. Yankees slump and all these injuries to our bats (Castro, Holiday, and etc) is just terrible timing

 

[Vyle203]

Sox are going to run away with this division. Yankees slump and all these injuries to our bats (Castro, Holiday, and etc) is just terrible timing

Bout to be up 4

 

[navamind]

The offense has finally showed up. Some incredible performances from Pedroia/Benintendi/Betts over the last week or so and Jackie's still killing it at the plate. This offense is nowhere near as good as last year's near-900 run pace, but it should still be among the best in the AL. If Eduardo can get back to his pre-injury form, I'm feeling pretty good about the Red Sox chances at taking the division.

 

[navamind]

Sox are going to run away with this division. Yankees slump and all these injuries to our bats (Castro, Holiday, and etc) is just terrible timing

Yanks weren't going to score 5.7+ runs per game forever, though it's still probably the best non-Astros offense in the AL. I'd expect Judge to regress sooner or later. A .423 BABIP (or anything north of .400, really) is unsustainable, though Judge does hit the ball hard enough that he could regularly hit .350+ on balls in play IMO). ZiPS projects him to hit .260/.349/.540 (132 wRC+) with 18 home runs over the remainder of the season, which still makes him an All-Star.

 

[soxfan1468927]

The offense has finally showed up. Some incredible performances from Pedroia/Benintendi/Betts over the last week or so and Jackie's still killing it at the plate. This offense is nowhere near as good as last year's near-900 run pace, but it should still be among the best in the AL. If Eduardo can get back to his pre-injury form, I'm feeling pretty good about the Red Sox chances at taking the division.

No and you had to expect the offense to take a step back. The loss of Ortiz alone was going to be felt. However, the run differential is higher this year (+72) than at the same point last year (+58)

 

[navamind]

No and you had to expect the offense to take a step back. The loss of Ortiz alone was going to be felt. However, the run differential is higher this year (+72) than at the same point last year (+58)

Absolutely. There was no way they were going to replace Ortiz's production. Not to mention the huge dip in production from the 3rd base position. Shaw wasn't good, but he was still worth 1.5-2 WAR. Red Sox 3B in 2017 have a 60 OPS+ and rank 28th in WAR (-0.4). Shaw won't keep hitting like this, but he'd still represent a big upgrade over the crap the Sox have gotten from 3rd. That being said, I'm somewhat optimistic about Lin. He wasn't much of a hitter prior to this season, but he's changed his swing and footwork and batted .302/.379/.491 with a career high 5 home runs in AA. I don't think he's the future at 3B especially with Devers looming in AA, but he could make for a good utility player.

 

[navamind]

Henry Owens' last 4 minor league starts (including last night's demotion to AA):

16.1 IP, 10 hits, 10 ER, 10 K's, 26 walks

Last night's line:

0.2 IP, 0 H, 3 R, 6 BB, 0 K, 42 pitches, 15 strikes

At least he was missing bats, I guess.

 

[soxfan1468927]

Absolutely. There was no way they were going to replace Ortiz's production. Not to mention the huge dip in production from the 3rd base position. Shaw wasn't good, but he was still worth 1.5-2 WAR. Red Sox 3B in 2017 have a 60 OPS+ and rank 28th in WAR (-0.4). Shaw won't keep hitting like this, but he'd still represent a big upgrade over the crap the Sox have gotten from 3rd. That being said, I'm somewhat optimistic about Lin. He wasn't much of a hitter prior to this season, but he's changed his swing and footwork and batted .302/.379/.491 with a career high 5 home runs in AA. I don't think he's the future at 3B especially with Devers looming in AA, but he could make for a good utility player.

Plus the Tzunami has potential to be one of the best nicknames on the team.

The Shaw problem represents a larger problem that Dombrowski has never seemed to be able to solve, and that's the trading of assets for relief help. They are such dime-a-dozen guys who you can get cheap in free agency. I just never liked the approach. The 2007 and 2013 bullpens were 2 of the best bullpens we've had, and they didn't have to give up prospects to build it. I wasn't against trading Shaw with the idea that you were selling high on a guy who seemed to have reached his peak around May, at the age of 26. But giving up him PLUS Dubon to get a guy who has had 2 really good years as a reliever (3 years apart), was stupid.

One question that hasn't really been talked about is the catcher position. I'm curious if they are going to be okay going with Vazquez and Leon for the foreseeable future. Both under team control for 3 more years after this one. Seems odd for a 50/50 split at any position to be the plan for the future, but considering this team has no long term solution (outside of the looooooooong term solution of Daniel Flores), I think they might be willing to stick with these two.

 

[navamind]

Agreed. I think Dubon's going to be a pretty solid player, even if he never really had a true position in Boston. It's too much for a volatile relief pitcher.

Yeah, catcher looks kinda bleak for the foreseeable future. Even Swihart's no longer looking like a valid option, he's been pretty lousy in AAA since getting hurt last year.

 

[Manster7588]

Henry Owens' last 4 minor league starts (including last night's demotion to AA):

16.1 IP, 10 hits, 10 ER, 10 K's, 26 walks

Last night's line:

0.2 IP, 0 H, 3 R, 6 BB, 0 K, 42 pitches, 15 strikes

At least he was missing bats, I guess.

Can't hit what you can't reach.

 

[soxfan1468927]

Agreed. I think Dubon's going to be a pretty solid player, even if he never really had a true position in Boston. It's too much for a volatile relief pitcher.

Yeah, catcher looks kinda bleak for the foreseeable future. Even Swihart's no longer looking like a valid option, he's been pretty lousy in AAA since getting hurt last year.

It's why the Daniel Flores signing could be huge.

 

[navamind]

It's why the Daniel Flores signing could be huge.

Yep. Pretty happy with the Red Sox' international signings, but it's hard to get too excited about guys that haven't even played in the GCL yet. At least Roldani Baldwin is hitting pretty well in Greenville (.295/.326/.531, 20 doubles, 9 HR in A ball). Those are very good power numbers for the Sally league.

 

[bksballer89]

Bad Pineda is back. 5-0 already lol. Season is done

 

[soxfan1468927]

Bad Pineda is back. 5-0 already lol. Season is done

At least you guys got Hayward.

 

[bksballer89]

In the last 2 months, Pineda ERA went from 3.12 to 4.39

 

[soxfan1468927]

In the last 2 months, Pineda ERA went from 3.12 to 4.39

Yet in that span, he throws a gem against the Red Sox.

 

[bksballer89]

Yet in that span, he throws a gem against the Red Sox.

Was the only time he completed a full 7 innings in the last 2 months.

 

[soxfan1468927]

Was the only time he completed a full 7 innings in the last 2 months.

This season, Chris Sale has completed 7 innings in 13 starts. The rest of the Red Sox starters have done it 7 times combined.

 

[bksballer89]

Ji-Man Choi>Chris Carter.