CaliSoxFanViaSWside

I hear ya. At least you aren't taking it out on anyone here so kudos for that.

You should probably simmer down. You attacked Caulfield 1st and brought his wife into it and then threatened him with physical harm. Some of that stuff is ban worthy not to mention the ageism.

That was at home and one series. The Sox overall record against better than .500 teams is going to be close to .500 after this series. To be the best you have to beat the best consistently. Thye need help and they need to get home field advantage.

I've said to anyone listening that the run differential this year plus and some of the pitching excellence including last years reliever kiddie corp was due to poor competition and that the lack of power and hitting against RHP would hurt us against better teams. I'll throw in lack of versatility for those who clamor for Schwarber when Escobar not only can play 2nd in place of Mendick but could also replace Moncada should he get injured. We become much better if Eloy and Robert return to form. But in the meantime the sooner we get Escobar's power against both RH and LH pitching and some relief help the better. If those things happen there's still a good shot at the pennant and home field advantage in the playoffs.

Thanks for this I got Cincy and Padres on Fox.

3 would be good . I would suspect 2 pitchers and 1 Eduardo Escobar.

Tweets or tweaks or teets. It's all good.

Now that team has some power and LH power.

No risk no reward. Can't play it safe. He's needed on the field whether we like it or not. Unfortunately Vaughn isn't hitting RHP so his presence in LF provides neither enough offense or defense to justify him out there 70% percent of the time. Sure play it safe a lot if we can maintain a record that ensures the division and home field advantage throughout the playoffs but eventually he'll have to play LF. If the goal is the World Series and the Sox don't have the home field advantage that means losing the DH for the 1st 2 games of the World Series and 4 of the possible 7 games. The Sox can't just throw Eloy out in LF then. He will have to get some games under his belt to prepare.

Burger biggest story of the 1st half? Unless you are talking about the biggest story among Sox prospects in the minor leagues I might give it to you. I'd say it's right up there with Where's Waldo (Cespedes) and the sucking of Kannapolis although they have shown some life lately.

No depends on how good the pitching is . If Robert stays healthy he is plenty good enough.

Not sure what finishes the year at DH means? Does that mean he will never play LF at all the rest of the season? What about the playoffs ? I understand it's a difficult question dependent on who the Sox pick up but let's say it's Escobar and not Starling Marte ? Then what ?

They are already freaking when I dare tell it like it is. I' m really sorry if they don't like hearing it but I'll believe they have a shot at a longer than 4 year window when I see it. Last year started it this is the 2nd year and probably the best chance we got in those 4 yrs.

Of course that's where I stand as well. Hahn has to decide if he believes his own rhetoric about sustained success and if the juice is worth the squeeze.

Not only that but without Eloy and Robert coming back the chances would be slim regardless who we get. Those 2 guys are potential a huge boost to the offense. I know no one wants to see Eloy in LF but when crunch time comes that's where is is going to be . Keep him out of LF as long as you can if you can stay at the top of the division and be close to the best record in baseball but home field advantage would be another huge factor for this team.

But the 2nd wave of a decade long competitive window !

Even so then it's 2nd and 3rd 1 out. Maybe with a miracle you get out of it but doubtful.

Exactly. Escobar is versatile so if Moncada gets injured he can replace him along with being valuable from both sides of the plate and being the guy most likely to hit a HR in the whole Sox lineup as of today's lineup.

It was hard to watch the Astro's pound the Sox pitching yesterday without thinking about the cheating. I'm sure I was imagining it but they looked awfully comfortable taking a lot of off speed pitches and teeing off on fastballs.

You notice I hardly said a thing about Vaughn because it would be the same thing you said so using that against me isn't exactly saying anything against my argument. As I said Eloy will be playing LF whether we like it or not. Everyone may wish otherwise but if you want the best possible lineup throughout the playoff and in the World Series where we lose the DH in NL parks Eloy will have to be playing LF . You can limit his usage in LF to avoid another injury while we have the DH .Eloy hits RHP well and you didn't even mention him. Since the trade deadline is July 30th and Eloy is hopefully back by the middle of August it sounds like you are advocating Schwarber for about a 2 week period. I think this is where our difference in preference lie. Escobar against RHP in 2021 : 10 HR , .236. BA, .288 OBP, .447 slg., .736 OPS Schwarber vs. RHP in 2021: 12 HR , .234 BA . 296 Slg. 506 slg . .802. OPS So yes if you want to look at just one thing like hitting against RHP Schwarber is better . But if you want to look at how often Escobar would play vs how often Schwarber would play plus the base running defense and ability of Escobar to play 3rd and also improves the Sox against LHP . I don't understand how anyone could pick Schwarber over Escobar. Escobar vs LHP: 5 HR , .273 BA, .314 OBP, .530 SLg. , .845 OPS. Escobar is more likely to help against both LHP and RHP Schwarber /LHP: 1 HR , .218 BA., .371OBP .309 Slg., . 681 OPS. Frankly I'm tired of adding DH types who won't even help you in the World Series unless it's PH. Escobar can contribute in multiple ways hitting RH or LH , Fielding , injury replacement at 3rd, baserunning and defense. If Moncada goes down Schwarber cannot replace him. Escobar can. That alone should make him more valuable than Schwarber .

Schwarber only plays LF. Schwarber is Eloy like in LF . This year alone he has a -4 OAA which is about as bad as you are going to find in the amount of games played so far this year. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. was the only one I could find worse. Escobar is a switch hitter who hits LHP better than RH it's true. But lets not forget he has hit more HR's than Schwarber this year. He can also provide defensive and base running value that Schwarber can't. Schwarber slightly better offensively because of higher OBP. Player value according to fWAR puts Schwarber at .8 and Escobar at 1.4. I'll take the better baseball player . Escobar would play almost every inning of every game due to switch hitting ,defensive and base running ability through the playoffs. If you make the World Series Sox lose the DH in NL park who would you rather have then Schwarber or Escobar ? Can you say the same for Schwarber with his terrible defense when you already have Eloy in the OF ( That's going to happen whether we like it or not) Robert, Engel , Goodwin and Leury ? Let's please just have one terrible OF and one mediocre OF with Vaughn defensively. The rest of them I'd prefer them above average defensively. Preventing runs means just as much as getting them. Edit: I forgot one other thing in Escobar's favor. If we lose Moncada at 3rd base he is a quality replacement there too.

Couldn't hurt. I think I suggested that a while ago and used that highlight catch of his playing RF in the Futures game when he was younger and lighter.

He's going to have to play LF. That's all there is to it. He will not be a full time DH no matter how much everyone wants it to happen. Wish for it all you want, hope and pray but I guess you missed the very 1st sentence in my post. Let's get real. I watch the games and observe everything. You think I want him playing LF ? Nope I don't. There was not one part of my post that suggested I want it to happen. So I don't know why you would ask me what games I was watching. Pay attention. But if you want the best hitting lineup possible he is going to be playing LF. Get used to it.

Right I 100% agree we need more LH hitting which is why I advocate for Escobar. And as you say "shoot for the stars" was also a post of mine basically when I said I don't believe there will be sustained success or believe that the pitching prospects currently in the system will ever be good enough to give the Sox a better chance in the future to win a World Series as they have now with great starting pitching and a potentially great lineup once Eloy and Robert return. That post offended a lot of people who didn't want to shoot for the stars this year because it would hurt future years. My post and focus is also on the playoffs. I thought I conveyed that pretty clearly in my post. I brought up the 5 weeks because I think what the Sox ultimately do is dependent on how certain players perform. But like you I already know they will need more LH hitting ( I say with power ) . I don't know how many AL teams have won a World Series recently while being the 2nd worse HR hitting team in the AL at or near the All Star Break. I like that Engel and Goodwin have hit 4 HR's between them in the short time they have been in the line up and the defense they provide . Ketel is a really good player and versatile which I also love but the power is lacking. Now it might not make a difference if Eloy comes back and starts raking but I think it's essential to add power in case he doesn't . If the Sox "shoot for the stars" then they will have to give up a lot of prospect capital which is likely to be some pitching prospects. Shooting for the stars would mean Ketel or Escobar or both and relief pitching. You know they have to get more relief pitching and you know the chances of the Sox hurting the promised future window is not going to happen. It should be pretty lively around here when the Sox eventually get around to doing whatever they do.

I think you are a good poster so keep that in mind when I disagree. I don't think its as simple as where they need the upgrade more which is in itself debatable. What the Sox need is more power and if there's a choice, more power from the left side. Lack of power will bite them in the ass eventually against better teams with better lineups and better pitching. Against better pitching they won't be able to string walks and hits together like they have been against weaker teams. Now, we can assume Eloy and Robert will come back and provide that power or the Sox can hedge their bets in case either or both have setbacks and acquire more power as insurance. Right now it looks like the easiest and cheapest place to get the power is Escobar at 2nd base. Easiest and cheapest is where the Sox are likeliest to operate to preserve prospect capital especially since TLR is a big believer in a strong bullpen so it's likely the Sox also seek at least one good arm. I guess we could debate all day the merits of Eloy or Vaughn in the OF and the value of Engel and Goodwin going forward and how Mendick is fine at 2nd base . But my guess is they go after Escobar unless the juice isn't worth the squeeze.