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That's a definitive yes. Doesn't hurt to sit him longer than necessary to limit IP and make sure he is 100% healthy. As long as the Sox keep a stranglehold on winning the division keeping all pitchers healthy is a priority.

We've already played a bunch of games against bad teams. But I agree Vaughn and Mercedes should be afforded an opportunity against bad teams to face MLB teams. I know many people here hate the Sunday lineup but every day is a Sunday lineup when you have 3 regulars out . Like Steve Stone said it is counterintuitive to what most think about winning and losing. When you are hot or facing bad teams it's probably the time to rest key players and give slumping players some starts.

I think there is a point playing him against LHP and some RHP that the Sox might feel he matches up well against. He hits LHP as of now for 1.000 OPS which is the best on the team so whenever you can get that type of production he should be used especially asa starter and the top pinch hitter against LHP.

For the future I agree but as for the present your faith in Vaughn is misguided. There are too few left handed pitchers to face to play him very often.

Not that dumb .It's just obvious in today's baseball environment when small ball can no longer win games. It implies that the best HR hitting teams are the likeliest to win and the Sox are the 2nd most likely team not to hit a HR in the AL. Just as teams with a bad giveaway/takeaway ratio in football are likely to be bad teams. The Sox have won because of pitching but acquiring more power will help in the next 60 games should the pitching drop off . A outstanding QB can help a good team rise above the turnovers just like a team with good pitching can overcome a lack of power. 60 games is over 1/3 of the season which is a lot of games to keep expecting the pitching to carry us.

Look I understand that you have no use for Mercedes but still having confidence in Vaughn makes no sense given your arguments against Mercedes. Have you checked Vaughn's stats against RHP lately ? They are Billy Hamilton bad against RHP and Hamilton provides value on the base paths and in the OF that Vaughn does not . As of now Vaughn is a huge liability against RHP just as Mercedes is.

Sure but 2 months is about 60 games. The Sox have played 67 so far with a huge contribution from Mercedes in the 1st month and expected contribution from Vaughn below expectations against RHP. You might also factor in that Eloy and Robert may not contribute to the level of performance if they had played the whole season uninjured. Also there's likely no way that the Sox starting pitching continues to be this healthy or this good There are weaknesses to be addressed . No one is freaking out, simply discussing those weaknesses. The stupid HR stat is just another tool used in that discussion along with other stats that show our weaknesses.

Bmags it isn't a rumor it's a desire.

This was your quote discussing it with Lillian " I understand wanting a left handed hitter like "most of the people in the sport". I am simply not obsessed with it. Teams win without it. The Sox were winning with a very right handed Madrigal, and it was fine, and it wasn't imperative to add one . I pointed out that despite what you said you weren't addressing the team weaknesses or the cause of the winning record: Weaknesses: Power, LH power and record against RHP against poor competition . Reason for winning record : starting pitching and beating up on LHP. Fun discussion .

Thome was 35 and the Phillies gave the Sox $22M and the Sox gave up Rowand and Gio Gonzales . Plus it happened in November not the trade deadline. Trae Turner is 27 in the prime of his career. Freddy Garcia I can agree was a big middle of the season trade.

So you were arguing with me just to say you don't care if the guy is RH or LH or a Switch hitter . Great ,then feel free to find me an equal or better option who, given our ownership, at 2nd base who has power and helps improve the Sox record against RHP . According to what SS2K5 posted the record against RHP is 25-21 and against teams over .500 regardless of the handedness of pitchers is 13-15 thus further illustrating my points. I said 25-25 but I was trying to remember what another poster said it was . 25-21 isn't impressive considering the competition . More power from any player will do but considering that more RHP both starters and relievers on playoff caliber teams are infinitely better pitchers than those teams we have played so far should tell anyone that a LH or SH player is preferable.

I saw it the other day in a post. It was right around .500 and that's against a lot of poor teams. It was something like 25-25. But it's probably easy to find out their record against LH starting pitchers so just go backwards against that.

ANd my point is a little more specific than that. The team is weak against RHP , they are also weak at power hitting and specifically LHPower. They have a very strong record when hitting a HR . They have a very poor record when they don't hit a HR. They have a very mediocre record against RHP. 75% of pitchers are RH. They have very little LHP They have hole at 2nd base where the player is out for the year. They also have Eloy and Robert coming back this year and a plethora of substitute OF's Let me add a few more. In all likelihood they have an owner who will look for the cheapest option to fill those weaknesses. If one rental who is inexpensive can help with all of those problems that's who the Sox will target. So in all likelihood given everything above it seems likely to be a LH 2nd baseman who hits with power who is a rental without a high salary who won't cost the Sox too much in prospect capital. If you have any other suggestions for who can fill this need better than Escobar feel free to impress me.

You are very consistent in your "go big" philosophy but unfortunately it never applies to the team you root for.

Respectfully disagree. I'd love Trae Turner but realistically the chances of acquiring him are very small . Plus I never said the pitching would fail I said it could drop off due to a few guys but if you also add a couple or even 1 very good BP arm that can be offset. It's really not in your best interest to argue such extremes like "pitching fails" or "let's not act like they are going to jump to the top of power numbers" and "pitching wins in the playoff not offense" because once again those were not my points. A good combination of pitching and hitting always wins more than just pitching. The point is becoming incrementally better to offset current weaknesses or overcome future weaknesses.

They were and are winning because they have great starting pitching and kill LHP. Their record against RHP is mediocre and that's against a lot of poor competition. Like most teams their record when hitting HR is way better than when they don't hit a HR. The Sox are 14/15 among AL teams in HR's per game. Only dreadful KC is worse. It would definitely improve the Sox chances going forward to rectify the lack of HR power and the lack of balance in the lineup when facing stronger competition and better teams which will happen in the playoffs. This cannot be denied since 75% of pitchers are RH. This is something the Sox should be obsessed with if the goal is to win the World Series this year. They have to be obsessed with winning the World Series in order to win one especially if the starting pitching hits a lull due to guys like Kopech, Rodon, Crochet or Cease going above and beyond IP they haven't done the last 2 years or in their whole career. The Sox become a very different team if Rodon cannot pitch through the playoffs at the effectiveness he's been at so far and he's already above the amount of IP of the last 2 seasons combined as is Kopech and it's not even the season midpoint.

Not sure the Sox have any major prospects left. 2 of their top 10 haven't even played yet in Cespedes and Norge Vera.

You may be right however do you think its the final verdict ? Along with guys being figured out being as old as the game is also guys who get figured out who then make adjustments to those adjustments by the pitcher. We don't know yet if Yermin is capable of that. The game has always been a learning process and a game of cat and mouse between pitcher and hitter.

I think they already said he'd miss today also.

Some times you're in such a hurry to disparage the Sox . Did you know TB is 2nd in MLB in runs scored per game on the road barely behind the Astro's ? Astro's 5.78 and TB 5.77.

I know some will never believe in him even after hitting righties well ins a SSS and chalk it up to BABIP luck but any time you can combine great defense with a power hitting offense you have to give him an extended shot. I nice percentage of his hits going back to last year are extra bases and he hits the ball hard. He is the type of player Tampa bay would covet.

Sacks packed .

Feels like a hangover headache.

That must be one bad sinus infection. Now feel free to tell me how bad they can be everyone !

He might be one of a few who doesn't care about the sticky stuff to enhance his pitching.