Snopek

I agree to an extent. Problem is, the playoffs will be loaded with really good pitching (including ours!), so the "tip your cap" thing has to end at some point.

If it weren't for me it would have only been 122.9%.

So the dreaded question...who are we bringing in to pitch the 7th/8th?

This is basically it. Thinking you can make someone change and trying to make them change, on an internet message board no less, is pretty arrogant and selfish.

Whole lot of implying how to be a fan in this thread. So Jack is pessimistic (or "realistic," in his words). Who cares? How does that affect you? We all approach fandom differently. We're all rooting for the same outcome.

In the three most recent road series vs contenders (@NYY, @HOU, @MIL), the Sox have been outscored 54-15. Obviously this doesn’t definitively prove anything one way or another (injuries, etc), but it’d be foolish to completely dismiss it because they have a cushy division lead on four not good teams.

I get what you're saying here, it's a low bar. I agree that even decent (but not great) performances by Eloy/Yaz/Robert are an improvement over the current situation, but I guess what I'm wondering is...how much of an actual improvement is that? Are 'non world beater' versions of Eloy/Yaz/Robert enough to make the Sox AL favorites? Not asking you or anyone in particular - no one knows - but it's just something I'm thinking about. This is a great point.

Nah, I was never in favor of them adding a big bat like Gallo. As you said, it’s just hoping our guys come back healthy and productive. But it seems that a large number of folks are already concluding that Eloy, Luis and Yaz will come back and perform at their best.

Getting those three regulars back of course makes them a better team, but there seems to be this assumption/expectation that they will all come back and perform at a high level while avoiding any setbacks. It’s certainly possible, but I don’t know how realistic it is.

Talk about burying the lede.

Eh, I see it both ways. A couple months ago on here, I read that Detroit's pitching prospects were "busty" and that Stiever could be the centerpiece in a big trade.

The team is in a great spot, especially considering the injuries, but they haven't won a damn thing. The storybook season and comparisons to 05 are all warm and fuzzy, but the 06 team was also cruising in the first half.

To be fair, I didn't understand what you were saying in the bolded part below either.

Donaldson can hit as many homers as he wants as long as his team keeps getting buried in the standings.

I was just amused at the complete opposite responses back to back.

It was an either an accident or the world’s worst recap of the first half.

Lol

Intentional or not, I kinda love the extra diss of "they are in last place" when they are, in fact, not. It's like, you are so buried in the standings and irrelevant to me that I'm not even paying attention to you. Now they sure as hell better keep it that way.

Jake Burger 4 any position at this point.

Same

I'd rather swap out Keuchel for Kopech. Even with Cease's inconsistency, I feel better about him than Dallas overall.

Good call, forgot about them. Which I suppose supports your point.

Some of the responses here have me wondering who would be the furthest from a rival i.e. who do the Sox seem to have the least history/connection with? Rangers, Orioles in the AL? MLB as a whole, it almost feels like the Sox and Giants have never met.

The Twindians. But really, it's whichever ALC team is good when the Sox are trying to be good. Does that mean they have no true rival?

I think your front office point is great, but I struggle with getting on board with the rest of it. Of course they’re a meh team on paper, but that doesn’t mean anything. They SHOULD be a .500 team at best, but baseball is weird. Plus I don’t think it’s out of the question for Bieber to return to being dominant. Just like most of us were confident Gio would get out of his rough stretch instead of saying this is who he is now.