chitownsportsfan

Who cares, he's slumping. Everybody on that field is playing less than 100%. If he's hurt, go on the DL. I fail to see how how in any way shape or form saying "he's hurt" makes anything better about the situation. If anything it makes it worse because he can't stay healthy and he's a DH. Looks like we can scratch off the NL as a potential trade destination.

I fail to see how injury is better than just slumping. He's constantly injured. More evidence he's older than his listed age.

Thanks for the clarification but the he's still dead last among qualified 1B. https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=1b&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=8&season=2018&month=0&season1=2018&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&sort=20,d

I think given what we've seen over the past few years that a) it's a slump but b) the slumps are getting longer and the overall arc of his production is down. I think he'll finish somewhere around 280/340/480. That's not that great for a guy that is gonna be negative 15-20 runs at 1B with the glove.

Gotta blow off some steam in this gamethread personally. Shitty day stuck at the office and watching bad baseball on the regular.

Adam Engel is 2 PA away from 600 in MLB. He has a wRC+ of 49.

The contract didn't work out because they didn't sign Jose to come here during a rebuilt and his trade value is zero right now. If you think it "worked out" then I don't know what to say.

He's at .3 fWAR. In a year they were looking to probably trade him. Well, at least they didn't sign him to an extension. His updated ZIPS is ugly. ZIPS doesn't think much of his bat anymore.

2006 was the start of the woes. Team looked like it was going to cruise to another playoff appearance and then completely fell apart down the stretch and lost any momentum gained from the 2005 title. 2005 was now 13 years ago. I was in college. I'm now middle aged. This is not good. It adds up.

Nice to see Avi producing.

You can put down the Jose contract as another one that didn't work out for the Sox. Sigh.

I think it's likely he's older than his listed age. I've believed this for awhile. He's been declining as a hitter since his rookie year and is following a pretty standard aging curve of a guy that came into MLB at 29-30 and is now 33-34 and not 31.

wow a hit.

I think this game is over, boys.

True, but IMO it should be on the table.

If thinks keep up like this I think it's 50/50 on if Rickie finishes the season. There's bad baseball, and then there is this.

Just checked the box score, god this team sucks. This season has been a million times more trying than last. It does get really annoying watching hapless baseball night after night, which is why I am box score checking tonight.

He's a housecat now. Now that he's got the Lifetime JR Achievement Award sitting on his desk in the VP wing Sox HQ he can just kick his feet back up and do a puff interview once and awhile in between scouting missions and personal notes to JR. I wonder what his day to day looks like. Probably a pretty nice gig he's got.

big palka

Perhaps you need further clarification. Keith Law wrote a fairly scathing (even for him) ESPN insider piece from the season before the trade went down (it was late summer '16) and he mentioned that Moncada was having problems consistently making contact (not that he wasn't hitting it hard when he was) in AA and that if the Red Sox were relying on him down the stretch to fill in holes they were likely to be disappointed. And...he was right. Moncada was (and still is) a very raw, toolsy prospect. A lot of loud contact and highlight plays and a lot of strikeouts and blunders -- as we've found. Of course he then got traded, proceeded to do fairly well in AAA (while striking out way too much) then fairly well in MLB (while striking out way too much) and then coming out this season and tearing it up before having a minor injury and cratering again. In retrospect, hindsight, whatever -- Keith was right. Moncada was very raw and for whatever reason (Law, as a former scout, thought it was the toe tap timing mechanism) was going to struggle to make consistent contact. Law is just one opinion but I remember at the time hoping he wasn't right and it turns out he's been quite right. Patience is in order of course as we've seen from Yoan, he's got plenty of talent. Just needs to refine it. Hopefully the Sox can bring it out eventually. TA is proving a nice case study.

He need to keep protecting and owning the inside corner on fastballs like he did last night on the triple. Make him a guy you have to try and get the ball down and away on, at least as a LHB. The last month or so he's been letting pitchers come inside on him and then the rest of the AB is dictated by the pitcher, Yoan is down in the count, and usually it doesn't end well. If he makes them start respecting his power inside again they will start him off with more useless pitches away where he can get ahead in the count. Hopefully some of this is injury related and timing as he's been jamming himself frequently. I believe Keith Law does not like Yoan's toe tap mechanism and said it would give him trouble at times. Obviously he was correct in hindsight. Might be something he battles his entire career, when he's hot he'll carry the club and when he's not he'll really struggle. Streaky hitter.

Yoan Moncada flat out sucks right now. I would not be opposed to sending him down to AAA. If he continues this way until the ASB he's going to be into negative WAR.

Just giving you some shit man, didn't know about your diagnosis. I'll be a little more sympathetic in the future. I certainly get the rollercoaster ups and downs of fandom.

I mean you'd change your mind about a piece of steak each bite depending on if you got the marble or the gristle.