Alex Cora Named Next Red Sox Manager

After the season ends for the Houston Astros, the Boston Red Sox will get their new manager in Alex Cora. Cora was the front runner all along for Dave Dombrowski and the Red Sox. Ken Rosenthal for Fox Sports reported the three-year deal that Cora will accept once the Astros are done. This is a great move for the Red Sox. Dave Dombrowski can get his guy who he thinks is right for the job. Cora also brings that young vibe to the clubhouse which will help this young team.

Cora played infield positions for the Red Sox for four seasons, starting in 2005. In the 2005 ALDS, which Boston lost to the Chicago White Sox in a three-game sweep, Cora played in one game as a defensive replacement, without a plate appearance.

In Game Strategy Not Important As A Manager?

According to Dombrowski, “I do not feel that in-game strategy is the biggest thing as a manager, I think it’s important. But there’s other things that are probably more important. As I’ve often told managers, to me the most important thing for a manager is that their club plays up to their capabilities day in and day out, which means that they’re communicating with their players and they’re getting everything that they can and that means their club’s playing hard.”

Dave Dombrowski Wanted a Change From John Farrell

Clearly, he had a change of heart after back-to back first place finishes only to get knocked out of the first round again. In-game strategy ranks as important for a manager, one reason of many Dombrowski fired Farrell. Dombrowski’s press conference following the firing of Farrell was a complete bore fest. He wouldn’t comment on anything related to why they fired him. Cora looks like a good fit and knows the game well. Rumors circulated that the Washington Nationals were going to interview him but Rosenthal shut that down. The Red Sox alone had an offer to Cora. We will see what happens in the coming weeks during the busy Red Sox off season.

“Keep Pounding”: Explaining the Carolina Panthers Early Success

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“Keep Pounding,” a phrase all Carolina Panthers fans say when cheering on their hometown team. This phrase has been shouted quite often in the early going of 2017. Carolina currently holds a 4-2 record (1st in NFC South), and do not appear to be slowing down. Here are some reasons for the Panthers early success. A few may surprise you.

On the Road Again, Winning away from Carolina

Playing on the road has benefited the Panthers heavily thus far this season. They are currently 3-0 playing away from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina. The San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, and Detroit Lions have fallen victim to Carolina’s road success.

As of right now, the Panthers average just under 28 points per game on the road. This number looks much better than the 15 points they average at home. Most teams in the NFL find their success on their home field, but the Panthers have flipped the script this year. Although this has been key in the early going, Carolina will look to improve their home record (1-2) in the second half of the season.

Where is SuperCam?

Quarterback Cam Newton has been under-performing early on in the 2017 season. Luckily, this has not affected the team too much. Carolina very well could be undefeated right now if Newton improved his efficiency. In their two losses, he has one passing touchdown, two rushing, and six interceptions along with an ugly 57% completion percentage.

If Newton’s play picks up in the second half of the season, more dabs and Superman poses could be on the horizon. The defense has been able to pick up his slack thus far holding opponents to 20 points per game. As the quarterback, he will need to lead this team if they want to be competitive come playoffs in January.

Young Guns Making Noise

The emergence of wide receiver Devin Funchess and Running Back Christian McCaffrey has been fun to witness. Funchess, in his third season, leads the Panthers receivers with three touchdowns so far. He is a 6’4”, 225 pound receiver with elite speed and jumping ability. Some of his catches this year have left fans with their jaws on the floor. Carolina very much needed Funchess to breakout this season and that is exactly what he has done.

When the Panthers drafted Run CMC out of Stanford with the eighth overall pick in the draft, fans immediately set high expectations. Although Jonathan Stewart has been solid in the backfield in the past, Carolina was ready for a new weapon.

Christian McCaffrey has great catching and running abilities which make him a dual threat back like Dion Lewis or James White. So far, CMC has posted 397 all-purpose yards and two receptions touchdowns. For a rookie, his effective production is a positive sign of things to come in the Panthers future.

Closing Thoughts

Through the first six games of 2017, Carolina has enjoyed early success. Their record puts them up with the likes of New England, the Kansas City Chiefs, among others. If Cam Newton can return to his Superman ways, watch out for this team in the second half of 2017.

Funchess and McCaffrey have proven to be solid youngsters for the Panthers and their production has been key. What the team has been able to do on the road has been a pleasant surprise. Carolina must tighten up their play in Charlotte if they want to continue their early success.

Revolution Seeking Road Redemption

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After a roller-coaster season that will end Sunday without playoff berth, the New England Revolution hope to close out the 2017 campaign by doing something they haven’t done all year– win on the road. The Revs, winners of a club record 12 home matches this season, found each visiting venue to be a house of horrors. With a victory on Sunday, however, the team could finally lift a weight off their shoulders heading into the 2018 season.

As it stands, the Revolution have a league worst 0-13-3 record away from Gillette Stadium. It’s an embarrassing feat for a soccer club full of pride. Never in the team’s 22-season existence have they gone without a victory on the road. They know that Sunday’s match, regardless of having zero playoff implications, is vital in sustaining momentum heading into next season.

Players Speak

Forward Teal Bunbury, fourth on the team with 7 goals this year, stressed the importance of Sunday’s clash with the Montreal Impact after yesterday’s practice. “It’s got to be huge for all of us. We pride ourselves on winning games and being professionals and we need to go on an away trip and be able to get three points. It’s something we should’ve already done.”

Chris Tierney, longest tenured member of the Revolution, also spoke following the uptempo practice. “There’s plenty to play for. You want to finish as high as you can and any time you put the jersey on, you want to put in a good performance individually and collectively for the club.”

While a full season without a road victory would be disastrous in itself, it’s the way in which the team lost away from Gillette that’s truly shocking. More often than not, the Revs found themselves outplayed, out-manned, and out-coached away from the Razor. Frustration finally boiled over during a string of three consecutive road loses in September.

September Trainwreck

On September 13, the Revs found themselves out-manned, and subsequently, man-handled by the Atlanta United FC. In a night everything went astray, the Revs were forced to play with nine players by the end of the first half. By the 38th minute, Xavier Kouassi and Antonio Delamea had both been ejected from the contest for committing hard fouls. Atlanta would tack on five goals following the ouster of the Revs competitors to blow out New England 7-0.

Following the trainwreck in Atlanta, things didn’t improve for the Revs three days later in Kansas City. That’s not to say things started poorly. In fact, the Revs took it to KC early with Teal Bunbury scoring just 4 minutes into the affair. However, the good times would not keep on rolling. In the 11th minute of the match, the Revolution’s Krisztian Nemeth was shown the red card for violent conduct. With 10 players on the pitch and Kouassi and Delamea serving their suspensions, the Revs would surrender three consecutive goals. They’d go on to lose 3-1.

After two cringe-worthy performances on the road, the New England Revolution relieved head coach Jay Heaps of his duties. With the playoffs still a mathematical possibility, the organization hoped the switch would light a fire in the squad. The effects of the change proved unsustainable as the Revs would be obliterated in Orlando 11 days later. During the one-sided contest, New England yet again found themselves undermanned as Kouassi earned another red card and ejection. The Revolution would go on to lose by a final of 6-1.

In a span of 3 road games, opponents had outscored the Revolution by a 16-2 margin. With those back-to-back-to-back crushing blows, hope of a playoff berth went by the wayside.

The Revolution’s Road Ahead

The Revolution will undergo many changes this offseason. Without question, the biggest decision looming over the organization than the selection of a new head coach. The Revs will interview numerous possible candidates, including the club’s current interim coach, Tom Soehn.

Following Heaps’s firing, General Manager Michael Burns affirmed the club will conduct an extensive search for a new head coach. With a fan base growing impatient, Burns knows the organization’s next pick has to be right on the money.

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“We’re not going to make any rash decisions, but we want to begin the process now in searching for that candidate. There’s no timetable that we’ve set on hiring a candidate. We want to make sure that we do our due diligence and make a smart hire, Burns said back in September.

“It would be important for the next head coach to be able to get in here as soon as possible to be involved in player personnel decisions, roster construction and all the things that go into drafts and protected lists for expansion.”

Finding prospective candidates for the position does not seem to be an issue as Burns had previously mentioned to members of the media that “there’s a lot more interest and intrigue internationally than there was even six years ago, from a coaching standpoint and from a player standpoint.”

Ending on a High Note

While the New England Revolution’s 2017 campaign failed to live up to expectations, there’s belief across the organization and fan base that they’re on to bigger and better things. Led by stars Diego Fagundez, Lee Nguyen, and Kei Kamara, the future of the Revs certainly has potential. However, fans will want to witness the scrappy squad they’d once been accustomed to seeing each and every match.

A season-ending victory this Sunday would be a great start.

Fantasy Football week 7 Love/Hate

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Well, here it is, my first fantasy football post. In this segment I would like to provide some of my insight for week 7 of fantasy football. You are probably thinking, “Who is this guy, and why should I listen to him?” You are probably right. I am certainly no psychic, and I do not have a crystal football, but I may know a thing or two about fantasy football. Fantasy football is the primary reason why all my friends hate me. In the five years our fantasy football league has existed, I have won the championship four times. The one time I did not win the championship, I was the runner-up.

Before you accuse me of bragging, I ask you to understand that I am no hot-shot for my fantasy football talent. It’s not my coolest attribute, I don’t glue my eyes to my iPhone screen for hours every week trying to figure out which kicker to start. Maybe it would be cool if my talent was on the field rather than behind the computer screen at the click of a mouse, but sadly it does not.

*Note: The following players are not my top options or start/sit recommendations, but rather the players whom I feel could exceed or fall short of their expectations. I want to avoid the obvious ones. For example, if Le’Veon Bell had a mouth watering match up with the lousy Browns, he would not make the “Love” section due to the transparency of the match up.*

Players I Love in Week 7

Melvin Gordon, Los Angeles Chargers RB:

I expect Melvin Gordon to have a big week. He is coming off a great performance against the Raiders in Oakland. Prior to last game, Gordon asked for more touches and he certainly got what he wanted. Gordon racked up 25 carries and 9 receptions, for a total of 150 yards in the Chargers 17-16 win. The third year back accounted for both Chargers touchdowns, earning one through the air and one on the ground. He also was targeted a career high 12 times in the passing game. Despite the tough match-up vs the Broncos elite defense, he could be due for another big game. Denver showed that their defense is vulnerable, as they surrendered 117 rushing yards to Orleans Darkwa last week. Who? Exactly. It helps Gordon that the Chargers have been playing well, while the Broncos looked really shaky last week against a win-less Giants team. I think the Chargers will use their momentum, and home-field advantage, to get the win over their division rival, and Gordon will be at the center of it all.

Jordan Howard, Chicago Bears RB:

Jordan Howard is coming off a monster week in which he logged 36 carries. THIRTY-SIX. He took those 36 carries for 167 yards, which is over 4.6 yards per carry. The Bears are not showing much faith in their young QB, Mitchell Trubisky. Trubisky only threw the ball 16 times in the entire game against Baltimore. I do not expect them to throw much against Carolina’s 7th ranked pass defense either. This assures that the volume of work will be there once again this week for Jordan Howard.

Robert Woods, Los Angeles Rams WR:

Robert Woods is beginning to settle in with his new team. He is quickly becoming one of Jared Goff’s favorite targets, as he leads the team with 37 targets. Woods has had at least 5 catches in three of the last four games, and has earned 261 receiving yards during that stretch. He has a juicy match up this week against the Cardinals defense that ranks 25th against the pass. With Sammy Watkins likely drawing all the attention from star corner back Patrick Peterson, Woods should be able to go to work against the less talented members of the Arizona secondary.

Other Honorable Mentions:

Dion Lewis, Jamison Crowder, Derrick Henry, Leonard Fournette

Players I Hate in Week 7

Demarco Murray, Tennessee Titans RB:

Prior to last weeks game, the Titans announced that they plan to get Derrick Henry more involved. I am not saying either guy is the better option at this point, but Henry certainly seems to be gaining ground on Demarco. Henry had 19 carries for 131 yards last week, while Murray only had 12 for 40 yards. Murray certainly is not someone who should be sat in any sized-league, in any format, but he does seem to be losing his RB1 status. I see Murray as a more of a RB2 now. I do not expect Murray to get 15-20 carries this week.

Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks WR:

Doug Baldwin is having a down year thus far. This may be a result of the entire Seahawks offense struggling as they rank 16th in the NFL in points per game. 16th is the middle of the pack, but when you have faced SF, IND and TEN, more production is expected. Seattle is going to New York to face the Giants. The Giants own a record of just 1-5, but have had a very tough schedule, and have lost a lot of close games. They are coming off a win against a good Broncos team in Denver without their top three wide receivers (Odell Beckham Jr, Brandon Marshall and Sterling shepard). The Giants will have a lot of confidence coming into the game, and Baldwin will be matched up with Janoris Jenkins. Baldwin has only found the end zone one time this year. Doug has had one productive game this year in which he had 10 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown. Aside from this performance, he is averaging about 4 receptions per game for about 45 yards. Baldwin is a low-end WR2 this week.

T.Y. Hilton, Indianapolis Colts WR:

Hilton is a tremendously talented wide receiver. However, he has been too inconsistent this year, partially due to playing with backup QB’s Jacoby Brissett and Scott Tolzien. Hilton has had two monster games this year in which he logged 7 catches for over 150 yards, those two performances came against both the 0-6 teams (Niners and Browns). In games against teams with a win, he has just 11 catches for 155 yards in 4 games, not very good. The Colts are hosting Jacksonville this week. Hilton is coming off a one-catch for 19 yards performance, and is about to face a secondary that ranks third in the NFL in pass defense–allowing just 166 passing yards per game. I see the Jags corners’ Jalen Ramsey and AJ Bouye containing Hilton and frustrating the Colts offense.

Celtics Lose, Now 0-2 on the Season

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Celtics Lose, Now 0-2 on the Season

The Celtics Lost, and are now 0-2 on the season. The final score of 108-100, in favor of the Bucks, was a game where the Celtics simply could not make a run.

The NBA is an unforgiving league. Celtics came into the opening night with high expectations for this season. Now they are looking for answers, and last nigh they did not have a way to stop the Greek Freak. He finished the game with 37 points, 13 rebounds and three assists.

The Celtics looked like a young, inexperienced new team. The fourth quarter opened with the Celtics up by four points, but they quickly found themselves falling behind. Giannis kept drawing fouls–leading to Jaylen Brown fouling out of the game with 18 points, five rebounds and three assists. With just under three minutes left in the game, Marcus Smart hit a three to pull the Celtics back within 5 points. Kyrie snuck under the basket for a quick two. Next possession, Giannis drew a double team, then kicked it out and found his teammate Matthew Dellavedova, who drilled a three. Kyrie came down and took a quick three, but missed, and that was it.

KYRIE INEFFICIENT PERFORMANCE

Photo by Matt Stone

On a frustrating night, Kyrie attempted to assume a little too much of the offensive burden, missing tons of shots. The 4x All Star was 7-25, with 17 points, four rebounds and three assists.

ROZIER THE BACKUP

Rozier was Celtics best player of tonight. The second-year pro came off the bench and was both effective and efficient, with 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

ROTATION

Brad was forced to go a little deeper into the bench tonight. Nader was the first sub. We saw Semi drawing defensive assignments on Giannis and Daniel Theis.

Celtics are now 0-2 in the season. They need to gather quickly, they travel to Philly Friday to take on Embiid and the entire Philadelphia process.

Find me on Twitter at @kardohoops!

Patriots-Falcons Q & A with The Falcoholic

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I sat down with Dave Choate, Editor-in-chief of The Falcoholic , for a Q & A session discussing this weeks game between the Patriots and Falcons. Below are the questions I asked Dave regarding key matchups in the game. Dave will be posting the other side of the Q & A session on the Falcoholic website this weekend.

What is a weakness on the Falcons side the Patriots can exploit?

A huge weakness they can exploit right now is Duke Riley at linebacker. If you can get into space, the Falcons linebackers have struggled to make open field tackles; Riley in particular.

Running plays or short passes? Both?

Both, the whole defense has been missing tackles but he is worst culprit. Teams have had tons of success if they can get to the second level of the defense.

The Patriots have a variety of running backs. Gillislee is more of a between the tackles banger while James White is almost strictly a receiving back. Dion Lewis has looked great the past couple weeks and can both run or catch the ball while being the shiftiest of their backs. Is there a particular running back you see having more success against the Falcons defense this week?

Probably going to have the best luck with James White. The Falcons have had some trouble with running back between the tackles, but they did just sign Ahtyba Rubin who will help their run defense in the middle, but as I mentioned, the Falcons have had trouble containing speedy players who can get into space. A short passing game that functions like a running game is very effective against Atlanta.

Would it then be fair to say the Patriots should possibly focus on using the smaller Lewis and White combo?

That is probably a smart play. Only thing to remember about this Falcons defense is they are least effective when they are worn down late in games, so it would be smart to try and balance things out to at least tire the defense.

HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 05: James White #28 of the New England Patriots dives for the end zone against the Atlanta Falcons during the third quarter during Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. The New England Patriots defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34-28. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

So we’ve talked a lot about the running game and the Falcons defensive front and linebacking corps. Is there a matchup in the secondary you think plays in one teams favor?

I think your defensive backs against Julio Jones plays very much in Falcons favor. Just because the Falcons haven’t done a great job of targeting Julio, people can forget just how productive he can be. I do not think there is a defensive back on that roster who is capable of stopping him.

How about in the Falcons secondary? Do they have a player they’ll assign to anyone in particular or just play sides of the field?

They’ll probably primarily play sides of the field. The team trusts Robert Alford almost as much as Desmond Trufant when it comes to slowing down quality receivers; so I don’t expect them to do a lot of switching. I think that the most favorable matchup for the Patriots is whoever has to cover Rob Gronkowski. Devondre Campbell is a very good linebacker who will probably get his chance to do that, but it’s not really ideal.

What do you see being the Falcons plan of attack? Their offense is still trying to get in sync with their new offensive coordinator this season.

I think the Falcons are finally going to try to establish the run early. I think you’ll see quite a bit of Devonta Freeman, and I think if they’re smart they’ll try to get Tevin Coleman more involved as both a runner and receiver. The Falcons need to stop being timid and treat the Patriots defense like its going to allow them to do whatever they want so long as they don’t get too predictable or conservative.

HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 05: Devonta Freeman #24 of the Atlanta Falcons scores a touchdown on a 5 yard run against the New England Patriots in the second quarter during Super Bowl 51 at NRG Stadium on February 5, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

How do you think the motivation factor will come into play? The Patriots seem to always have motivation, but it seems quite difficult for the Patriots to match the Falcons motivation for this weeks games considering the outcome of last years Super Bowl.

The Falcons won’t lack for motivation in anyway. Devondre Campbell talked about how he’s been waiting to play the Patriots since February. Makes you wonder if they have looked ahead a little bit.

What is your score prediction for the game?

Terrific question my friend. I think this will be the first game of the season where the Falcons just cannot contain the opposing offense, but it will also be the first time since the Packers game where they will be facing a team that isn’t a top 10 defense in the NFL per Pro Football Focus. So, I would say that this will be a high scoring game, and I am going to predict that it will be 34-31 Falcons, and that it will never be 28-3.

Remember this?

Celtics Still in the Game

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It looked the Boston Celtics’ plans for the NBA Finals came crashing down when Gordon Hayward fractured his tibia and ankle in the regular season-opener game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. But this is not necessarily so! For those who enjoy the kind of online betting NZ and the rest of the world offers, the Celtics remain viable.

The Celtics are Very Deep

The amazing trade that the Celtics made with the Brooklyn Nets comes into play. Everyone scratched their heads. What id Danny Ainge do? He hung on to the players drafted thanks to the high picks instead of cashing them in for a superstar. This was before the trade for Kyrie Irving, which didn’t cost him a superstar. Now Celtic fans rejoice at his foresight.

The third overall 2016 pick, Jaylen Brown, stepped up confidently on Tuesday evening, going on to pour 25 points on 23 shots. Jayson Tatum, whom the Celtics took after trading down in the 2017 draft, had a total of 14 points in his debut for the NBA. And Marcus Morris, the experienced forward absent on Tuesday, will take a big offensive role when he returns.

The Celtics’ Near Win Against the Cavaliers

At the half-time, the Celtics were down 54 – 38, with the team still reeling after the injury Hayward had suffered. Then 33 points in the third quarter got them right back into play before they fell by just three. This, in the context of one of their star players being grievously hurt, is more than understandable. The team proved their resilience in this game, despite not having a home ground advantage either.

Stevens is a Super Coach

Brad Stevens’ response to the media regarding what he had told his team at half-time pretty much sums it up. He said that he had no magical words for what had happened. He understood that all of them were hurting for Hayward.

He added that he at no point tried to remove the human element from what had occurred, and he simply related to them as human beings. With this kind of compassion added to his basketball know-how, this team has the perfect coach to see them through this very unfortunate accident.

Celtics in the Aftermath of Gordon Hayward’s Injury

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ANTICIPATION FOR OPENING GAME DAY ENDS TRAGICALLY

The anticipation for the Celtics/Cavaliers Opening Day game rose to an all-time high. Yet no one could have predicted one of the players would suffer a horrific, and potentially season ending injury. No one was prepared to witness a devastating loss, not only against the Cavaliers, but most importantly losing Gordon Hayward.

GORDON HAYWARD SUFFERS A HORRIFIC INJURY IN OPENING DAY GAME

Gordon Hayward was just 6 minutes into the 1st quarter, when he suffered a dislocation and fracture of his left tibia. He has since undergone a successful surgery, and has begun the rehabilitation process. There has not been an estimated time for Hayward to return, and he quite possibly may be out for half, or even the full season.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT IN THE AFTERMATH OF HAYWARDS INJURY

We have to expect the same things from the Celtics that we did at the beginning of the regular NBA Season. Nothing should change except for who will replace Hayward. Coach Brad Stevens stated that Marcus Smart will move into the starting lineup, alongside Kyrie, Brown, Tatum and Horford. The Celtics have to remain focused on their goals as a team, in order for them to keep being successful this season.

KYRIE IRVING NEEDS TO STEP UP AS TEAM LEADER

This is the moment Kyrie Irving needs to step up his role as the Celtics Team leader. It may be a difficult task after losing Hayward, but if there was a time for a leader–this is that time. Irving needs to get himself, and the Celtics, to focus on team goals now more than ever. He will have to bring the Celtics versatility and chemistry they had, prior to Hayward’s absence, and regain team effort. The players may have changed, but the game remains the same. Gordon Hayward wouldn’t want it any other way.

Drew and Improved

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Drew Pomeranz’s 2016 season

On July 14th, 2016 the Red Sox acquired left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz in a trade with the San Diego Padres. To that point, Pomeranz was putting together a fine season. Drew went 8-7 with a 2.47 ERA in 17 starts with San Diego. He also only allowed eight home runs in those 17 starts. Personally, I thought it was a decent trade. It was exciting to see another talented pitcher join the rotation. I thought the move provided Boston with serious rotation depth as Pomeranz was joining a group that already featured quality pitchers such as eventual Cy Young winner Rick Porcello, David Price, Steven Wright and Eduardo Rodriguez.

The numbers were clearly good, but Red Sox fans were displeased with the move. Red Sox Nation was uneasy about getting rid of the highly talented pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza. This put a lot of pressure on Pomeranz and unfortunately it did not work out well. Pomeranz went just 3-5 with an ERA of 4.59 in 14 starts. His HR/9 rose from 0.7 to 1.8, not pretty. Red Sox fans became displeased with the front office for getting rid of Espinoza for a back end starter.

Slow start to 2017 for Drew

Sox fans entered the 2017 season indifferent about the rotation. There was plenty of confidence in newly acquired Chris Sale and Cy Young winner Rick Porcello. However, many were concerned about the rest of the rotation. Would E-Rod and Price stay healthy? Will Steven Wright’s knuckleball “knuckle” this year? Will Pomeranz pitch as poorly as he did in 2016? Tremendous pressure was on Pomeranz’s shoulders, he had yet to prove he could pitch in the stacked AL East. It was a rough start to the season for Pomeranz as he posted an ERA of 4.97 through his first eight starts. His poor performance made him one of the least popular players among the fans. This increased the animosity of the fans towards the management.

Big Smooth turns it around

After Drew’s rough start to the season, he found his groove. Pomeranz got on a roll and ended the season with a 17-6 record and an ERA of 3.32. His monthly ERAs from June to September went like this: 3.00, 2.72, 2.28 and 3.69, very effective. He won eight starts in the second half alone while posting an ERA of 3.01. Pomeranz’s performance quickly began to alter the opinions Red Sox fans had of him. He solidified himself as the second best pitcher in the rotation only behind Cy Young candidate Sale.

The key to his dominance?

Pomeranz is well known for his filthy curveball, which he throws 37% of the time. He constantly has hitters off balance as they are unsure if they will see his curve or fastball. His curveball is slow and has a deep break. Hitters often times can’t wait on it, which produces an off balance, front-footed swing. When batters do manage to lay off, it is typically because they see it as a ball upon his release, but the sharp break often brings it back over the plate for a called strike. This nasty curve also makes his fastball more effective. Despite his fastball only being thrown around 91 MPH, he gets many swings and misses at it. Relative to his curveball, which is typically 79 MPH, his fastball looks very fast to batters. The 12 MPH difference between his two main pitches is a nightmare for batters. Hitters can not seem to time him properly as sitting on the fastball makes them vulnerable to the curveball and vice-versa.

What does the future hold for Pomeranz?

No one can be certain, but I personally think we will see a similarly good Pomeranz in 2018. He showed incredible consistency after his first eight starts. I do not see a logical reason why he would not be effective again in 2018. Sure, he may not be quite as good, but I anticipate his numbers will be in the same ballpark (no pun intended). As long as he brings the same curveball along with him, he should have no problem keeping hitters off balance and succeeding. Another solid season from Pomeranz will be a key factor in the rotations effectiveness.

*Follow me on twitter @MLBfromNH (Kevin Civiello)*

State of the Sox Pitching Staff

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Pitching wins championships. It’s that simple. Of course you need hitting, but it pales in comparison to the importance of a strong pitching staff. As we explained (here) and (here) and (here), we at Boston Sports Extra consider pitching kind of important. We’re smart. You should listen to us.

Consider the 2017 Red Sox; punchless at the plate, abysmal on the bases, and among the worst fielding teams in the league. Yet they still won 93 games and the division. That’s only possible because of great pitching. To take the next step and hopefully another World Series, Boston not only needs to add power to the lineup, they need to at least maintain their staff production.

The Rotation

Looking at the next year’s rotation starts with analyzing Boston’s existing contracts. In addition to the realization that Porcello basically makes double Sale’s salary, what stands out is that the Sox are in pretty good shape for starting pitching.

Name	Age	Contract Status	2017	2018	2019	2020
David Price	31	7 yrs/$217M	$30M	$30M	$31M (O/O)	$32M
Rick Porcello	28	4 yrs/$82.5M	$20.12M	$21.1M	$21.1M	FA
Chris Sale	28	5 yrs/$32.5M	$12M	$12.5M (O)	$13.5M (O)	FA
Drew Pomeranz	28	1 yr/$4.45M	$4.45M	Arb	FA
Doug Fister	33	1 yr/$1.75M	$1.75M	FA
Steven Wright	32	1 yr/$594k	$593.5k	Arb	Arb	Arb
Eduardo Rodriguez	24	1 yr/$585k	$584.5k	Pre-Arb	Arb	Arb

It goes without saying that ownership will pick up Sale’s $12.5M team option for 2018. Barring injury, they’ll pick up the $13.5M option for 2019 next year as well. Price, though overpaid for what he’s delivered to date, is locked through 2018 at $30M. He can opt out at the end of next season.

With Sale, Price, and Porcello in the fold, Boston has two starters eligible for arbitration. Teams must submit their offers to arbitration-eligible players by 12 December. If they don’t reach an agreement by 17 January, it goes to the arbitrator.

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Drew Pomeranz is going to get paid, either signed long-term before the deadline or short-term through the arbitrator. Ownership cannot let him walk. At just 28-years old, Pomeranz (17-6, 3.32 ERA last year) was as important to Boston’s success last year as the flashier Sale (17-8, 2.90 ERA). MLBTradeRumors.com released their normally accurate arbitration estimates last week (available here) and report that Drew is likely to cost $9.1M. Totally worth it.

Steven Wright and E-Rod are different stories. Both are coming off injuries and neither are guaranteed to be ready by spring training. Boston needs rotation depth, and will have to decide if the cost-benefit analysis makes sense in both their cases. At arbitration, Wright is likely to fetch $1.2M and E-Rod $2.7M (MLBTradeRumors.com). That is not chump change if they’re not healthy enough to contribute.

With Wright and E-Rod’s questionable status, don’t be surprise if we see Fister back on the mound in a Sox uniform. He certainly pitched well enough to be a number five starter in a pinch, at least at times. He also pitched poorly enough that he won’t cost a brick.

Free Agents

This year’s prize free-agent starters are Darvish (31 years old, 10-12 last year, 3.86 ERA), Arrieta (31, 14-10, 3.53), and Lance Lynn (30, 11-8, 3.43). Don’t even think about it. Boston will already have $72.6M locked up in the rotation if they resign Pomeranz for the market estimate.

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Sox ownership has said time and again that they will not try to compete with the Yankees in terms of payroll. They require staff depth, not top-of-the-rotation starters, have too many line-up needs to dedicate another $15-25M to another starting pitcher. They are probably going to sit this dance out.

Few Crops on the Farm

Boston’s talent pipeline is pretty thin for starting pitchers. Last year’s first-round pick and potential future staff ace Jason Groome (LHP), is years away. And, while he has great stuff and projects high, he was injured in his first start (lat) and shut down until mid-June. The team shut him down for the year in late August with a forearm injury.

Jaleen Beeks (LHP, PawSox) is probably the most big-league-ready prospect. Beeks has four good pitches but also command issues (3.4 BBs per 9-IPs). He projects more as a relief pitcher than starter.

Mike Shawaryn (RHP, Salem) shows promise as an innings eater, but not top-of-the-rotation starter. Last year’s fifth round pick, he has a devastating slider and racks up K’s by the bushel despite an inconsistent fastball that tops out in the mid-90s.