Autumn Dreamin

There's a webcast: https://www.mlb.com/video/cws-sea-spring-training-webcast-91983

Could be, but you can find similarly complimentary language about Pillar and Moose too. Pillar also had a whole podcast interview episode. Which is why it was always silly for folks to get so worked up assuming that a guy was getting a roster spot and 400 ABs because the manager/GM/beat said some cliché thing about their intangibles in ST...but I digress.

Moose doesn't surprise me at all, Pillar does a bit though.

Fletcher's first HR of the spring has the Sox up 5-0 vs. the A's. AV and DeJong with the other RBIs in an inning that featured a Moncada bunt single and 3 SBs.

Poor Aaron Bummer just can't escape his tragic BABIP luck...

Finally!

Old friend Jake Burger hit his first HR of the spring today, raising his ST line to .139/.162/.250. Hopefully it gets him going, he had a sub-.300 OPS before today. Tim is hitting .194/.194/.323 in 31 AB. Declan Cronin has been pitching very well in Marlins camp with a 2.16 ERA and <1 WHIP in 8+ innings.

Crochet has spoken repeatedly about how the five day routine of a starter feels better for him physically than prepping to go a couple times a week from the pen. It seems like he is (currently, small sample size) having an easier time holding his velocity in the third inning of a single outing than he did in his second appearance in a week out of the pen last season. If you think he would have been capable of throwing a normal relief workload this season, It's not inconceivable that he could throw more innings (and stay healthier) by virtue of making half the appearances with a starter's rest in between.

Sounds like Brebbia will be ready for opening day.

Why? Most of the value of spring training is for SP to get their reps in.

I personally love how ST performance has gone from entirely meaningless to career defining over the course of one half inning and about 10 posts in this thread.

Yep, starts next Tuesday (3/26).

He went 5IP 2ER in a start yesterday. Somewhat predictably, he misses fewer bats as a starter (7 K/9). All 4 of his ST runs have been solo shots (4 HR in 16.2 IP). Fellow former Sox Aaron Bummer has 2 scoreless outings in 6 tries, with a 7.11 ERA/1.58 WHIP. Looks like he's still prone to getting bitten by infield singles and RBI groundouts.

Small sample sizes only matter when they confirm your priors, naturally.

Cannon gave up a solo shot to lead off his 4th inning of work, so the game ends as a 3-3 tie. He finished with 4IP, 4H, 1ER, 0BB, 4K. Nastrini also went 4IP (0ER), and pitched out of a jam after a leadoff walk and single in his last inning.

Sheets with a late entry to the 3HR club to give the Sox the lead in the 9th.

Both A's radio and the gameday feed say Nakawake is pitching...which I'm almost certain is not happening. They just corrected it to Jonathan Cannon which makes infinitely more sense.

So there's maybe one spot up for grabs after the guys we can be certain (Brebbia, Hill, Kopech, Wilson) and reasonably confident (Banks, Garcia, Leasure) are making the cut? Maybe not even that depending on where Crochet slots in, unless they run with 4 SP for the first week.

Korey Lee with his 3rd HR of the spring, tied with DeJong for the team lead.

There's A's radio for this one. It's actually interesting hearing their broadcast say "the Sox really struggled with [thing]" last year and then have to admit that the A's were, in fact, worse.

Here's that Burke catch: Touki threw a 10 pitch 1-2-3 inning. It was late in the game so not really against the best talent, but the efficiency is progress I guess.