GreenSox

Isn't Hagen Smith intended as a starter? Today was his chance.

Should have won the game with only 4 hits. But instead, our closers become openers, and Hagen Smith becomes a high leverage reliever.

So we'll have Castillo, Burke, Kay and Martin for next year. Add one FA (Trevor Rogers? Should be reasonable price; very good, except for a ghastly 2024). And you're right, out of Schultz, Sandlin, Vasil, hopefully Taylor and other candidates, they can find one starter; although 2 or 3 would be better to have some depth. And they'll lose Castillo and Kay for 2028, so they will need some guys to step in.

He's got a .346 WHIP - I don't think I've ever seen one that low.

I agree, but someone has to move or get traded, etc. I guess trade is better than a devaluation. They can improve on margins positionally, but they really need a couple of starters (and some good pitching prospects). I presume they will sign a starter this offseason (and not the usual 5th starter type). 25 per with a lot deferred was a bargain for Cease last year.

With all due respect, it's most of the last 20 years that. have been insane. This time, let's try staying consistently competitive.

You can do that if you have the resources to sign top FAs (of course then you could extend Vargas) and/or you have a top tier farm. Otherwise, the Sox are just asking for 2 years good, 5 years bad cycle (or worse).

Sox also have some other less touted MI prospects in the low minors that are looking interesting. If they can't resign Vargas, then trade him after the 2027 season. And/or they could trade at least one of Colson, Meidroth, Antonacci. Meidroth looks to me like a player who still will keep improving, so I'd keep him. But they need to keep the team fresh and the pipeline flowing. Seattle should have moved a couple of their veteran pitchers last offseason; things got stale, didn't fill holes and voila. Sox could use some oomph from the OF. Can Bonemer play LF? Colson? And they need more young pitching. I wouldn't always trade the prospect; trade from the major league roster to keep things fresh. Still, as of now, every Sox regular has at least a .700 OPS, except catcher. That's stout.

Cubs, Astros, Cardinals, game against Braves. Mets are hottest team in baseball. Contending Rangers. Division games. Then its Pirates and Rockies for the softer touches. And only 3 days off. The only teams with winning records that Guardians are 3 v. each color Sox. national league series v. Rockies and Giants. 6 days off (1 DH).

Really need to win today. Sox ace is up and a tough week upcoming. I don't know where this "easy schedule" stuff from a while back came from; Sox also have had some "when you play them" misfortune, such as the upcoming series with the Mets.

Well, eventually, I hope. And then turn into the next Logan Webb….

Will likes his soft-tossers. So far so good. Maybe Thorpe will bring some magic

They just don't let things linger. That Tuesday loss, for example, was ridiculous...they just moved on. Sox have had a few games like that since the break.

That's how the Sox are developing them these days; or how a lot of them are turning out. But, yea, it would be nice to see more batting average.

Soft-tosser whose home field is in an extreme pitchers park. We didn't get a prospect like Carlson for Cease or Crochet.

Maybe because they already played a season; then the emotions with the drafts. They're young and can handle it, but it's a lot.

Wikipedia says it's now Catster. It's about cats. I don't have a cat. But I do subscribe to the Athletic, so I hope he's going there.

Apologize

Dare I ask...what is Cat Fancy?

I thought Fedde was in the pen. Anyway, yea, keep it up Thorpe.

I don't know the business, but I figured SM was more of a part-time gig. He's got to make a living and he's really good covering the Sox.

What a boss performance by Castillo. Hadn't had anything like that in a while. I hope H Smith's summit isn't as a 1 inning pitcher; but if it is, more of tonight.

Yuk

It's common for the rankings to be behind the reality. They are really a lagging indicator. Jake Eder was still ranked in the top 100 when the Sox traded for him. And from a trading standpoint, I think it's a lot easier to trade a pass-along prospect like B. Smith than it is to trade one that you drafted and developed. The sense of loss is less. Somehow the Nats, who originally traded B Smith, ended up with a promising young pitcher; we ended up with a year and 2 months of an expensive pitcher who appears to be on his last legs.

Hays was unavoidable (if they couldn't trade him) but dumping Pereira and Gonzalez while keeping Joe Rock (and others) seems nutty.