Author: @johnmprincipe

Who’s Your Daddy? David Price to the Paternity List

Who’s Your Daddy? David Price to the Paternity List

Posted by | Aug 2, 2019 | ,

Heading to Yankee Stadium starting Friday, what better time to remember the “Who’s Your Daddy?” chants. The year, 2004. Pedro Martinez was finally facing adversity, after dominating to this point in his career. The Yankees lit him up, and he proceeded to tell the world, the Yankees, were his daddy. The chants rained down on him for the rest of the year, and at times throughout the remainder of his career. We all know Pedro got the last laugh in 2004, so that’s why this can be funny now. David Price Update With the Sox back in the Bronx...

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The Red Sox Should’ve Made a Move

The Red Sox Should’ve Made a Move

Posted by | Jul 31, 2019 | ,

The trade deadline has passed. The Red Sox haven’t made a move. I am upset. Why? Why didn’t this front office feel the need to upgrade? There has been multiple glaring holes that have been painfully evident over the past few weeks. Dombrowski had the chance to upgrade today and he didn’t. So again I ask, why? The Atlanta Braves, not an hour ago, blew yet another game. What does their front office go out and do? They get Shane Greene, one of the best relievers in all of baseball. The Boston Red Sox, not 24 hours ago, watched...

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Three Potential Low Cost Closer Options

Three Potential Low Cost Closer Options

Posted by | Jul 29, 2019 | ,

It’s no secret the Red Sox have had trouble finding a closer. Finishing out games has never been more of an issue for Boston. The post-Craig Kimbrel era hasn’t left fans feeling confident late in ball games whatsoever. So what can be done about that? Well, you have to choose the lesser of two evils. One is going over another luxury tax, which comes with tax penalties and draft pick loss implications. Getting a closer that comes with a bigger price tag may cost loss in prospects, but hurt the team long run with money and prospects. The other?...

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What’ll it Take to Keep J.D. in Boston for life?

What’ll it Take to Keep J.D. in Boston for life?

Posted by | Jul 19, 2019 | ,

J.D. Martinez has said he wants to be a Red Sox player for life. Can Dave Dombrowski make that happen? Should he make that happen? It’s not often you get a player of J.D.’s caliber who loves a city as much as he loves Boston. It’s even less common for that player to openly say he wants to spend the rest of his career there. Especially seeing as he’s only played here for a year and a half. Obviously the Red Sox have to be very cautious with how they spend their money. They’ve locked up Xander Bogaerts and...

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Keys to a Successful Second Half for Boston

Keys to a Successful Second Half for Boston

Posted by | Jul 12, 2019 | ,

Well here we are, the unofficial start of the second half. Boston sits at 49-41, nine games out of first. Obviously that could be better, but it also could’ve been a lot worse. Between the slow start, injuries, and inconsistencies, the Sox haven’t had a whole lot bounce their way this season. The second half begins NOW. See you at Fenway Park. pic.twitter.com/orSEbHZDqw— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 12, 2019 Today however, is a new day. A new half of baseball is in front of us, and Boston pretty much controls their own destiny when it comes to how far...

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Things to Keep an Eye on Heading into the Break

Things to Keep an Eye on Heading into the Break

Posted by | Jul 6, 2019 | ,

The all-star break is upon us. Only two matinees left at Comerica Park and Boston will have finished up the first half. As we’ve all witnessed, the first half has been an absolute roller coaster for the defending champs. Between injuries, slumps, call-ups/send-downs and the overall inability of the bullpen, the Sox aren’t nearly where they want to be heading into the break. This doesn’t mean all hope is lost however. The Sox remain firmly in the wild card hunt, even without playing their best ball. If Boston has yet to hit their stride and still has something in...

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The Closer that the Red Sox Need to Acquire

The Closer that the Red Sox Need to Acquire

Posted by | Jun 29, 2019 | ,

Clearly, the 9th inning is a problem. Not the bullpen as a whole, but the 9th inning. Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, Marcus Walden, Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree, Tyler Thornburg and even Josh Taylor, have all been run out in the final inning of a game this year. The first four of those names have done well in their regular roles, however they’ve all struggled in the 9th. A Closer is a must at this point. If the Red Sox want to contend for a World Series, it’s a must. It’s a shame there wasn’t an all-star caliber Closer on...

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How Can Xander Bogaerts be the Best Shortstop in the AL and not an All-Star?

How Can Xander Bogaerts be the Best Shortstop in the AL and not an All-Star?

Posted by | Jun 23, 2019 | ,

Once again, Xander Bogaerts has been criminally underrated. For the second straight year he’s tearing it up. He’s currently in the midst of a career year and shows no signs of slowing down. So how the hell is he not the starter in the all-star game for the American League at shortstop? How is he not even in the top three?! Obviously, fan voting will never be perfect. However, when a player has been as good as Xander has, there’s no reason to leave him off of your ballot. Numbers Never Lie He’s first in doubles, walks, OBP and...

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Why The Sox Injury Woes Are Holding Them Back More Than We Realize

Why The Sox Injury Woes Are Holding Them Back More Than We Realize

Posted by | Jun 11, 2019 | ,

So much has been made of the Yankees injury bug thus far. With players like Judge, Stanton and Severino amongst others spending time on the IL, even the most biased Red Sox fan has to concede that what the Yankees have done without their stars is impressive. However, there are 29 other teams and they have injury problems as well. The Red Sox are very much so in that category. Both the lineup and the pitching staff has seen players come and go from the IL all season. A lot of of Red Sox nation may be overreacting to...

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Why David Price is the Ace of this Staff

Why David Price is the Ace of this Staff

Posted by | Jun 3, 2019 | ,

Through 10 starts in 2019, David Price is quietly having one of his best seasons. Since coming to Boston, he had been relegated to a number 2 or 3 starter role, with his ERA through his first four seasons at 3.74. However, we are now into year four of David Price. And we might finally be reaping the full rewards of what he has to offer. He’s only had a sub-3.00 ERA once since 2012 (in 2015), and right now he’s comfortably under the mark at 2.83. Right now, his SO/9 has risen to 9.8, which would be tied...

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The Red Sox Prospect Who’s Hitting .400

The Red Sox Prospect Who’s Hitting .400

Posted by | May 27, 2019 | ,

If you’re a baseball fan, you know what hitting .400 means. It is an almost impossible feat, one that is unlikely to ever be repeated in the Majors ever again. It’s always interesting to watch guys like Cody Bellinger who get off to these hot starts. They keep the average above .400 into May and everyone starts to get excited. When realistically, sustaining that is unfathomable. So with Jarren Duran hitting .403 through his first 45 games in high-A Salem, people are starting to notice. Duran is a 7th rounder from the draft that happened less than 12 months...

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The Unsung Hero of the 2019 Red Sox So Far

The Unsung Hero of the 2019 Red Sox So Far

Posted by | May 19, 2019 | ,

Coming into this season the Red Sox bullpen was the number one question surrounding this team. While there has been a couple issues, for the most part those concerns have subsided. Matt Barnes has officially taken a step towards being elite. Ryan Brasier has settled nicely into his role. Marcus Walden has been a terrific surprise that nobody say coming, and that doesn’t appear to be stopping anytime soon. Which brings us to Brandon Workman. Workman is the longest tenured pitcher on the roster. It really does feel like he’s been around forever. From his attempts to crack the...

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Michael Chavis: Rookie of the Year?

Michael Chavis: Rookie of the Year?

Posted by | May 7, 2019 | ,

It is officially May. The 2019 season is in full swing, and the Red Sox are finally starting to get back on track. This is the point in the season where statistics start to be reflective. Most players have played in enough games at this point that their stats are fairly depicting of the player they are. Michael Chavis, is showing us who he is. As award races around the league begin to heat up, we take a look at one that seems as wide open as any: The American League Rookie of the Year. Everyone and their uncle...

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The Allure of Michael Chavis

The Allure of Michael Chavis

Posted by | Apr 22, 2019 | ,

When Michael Chavis stepped up to the plate Saturday in his major league debut against Jose Alvarado, an excitement came over Red Sox nation. Rafael Devers was the last big Red Sox prospect to make his debut, and that came almost two years ago. Even before then, it had been a few years since the debuts of Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts. Then even further back in Clay Buchholz and Will Middlebrooks. The point being, we don’t usually get to see too many prospects come through the system and actually make the big leagues in Boston. When you play...

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One Thing That Can Get the Red Sox Back on Track

One Thing That Can Get the Red Sox Back on Track

Posted by | Apr 18, 2019 | ,

Oh boy. I’m not even sure where to start. The first few weeks of the 2019 Red Sox season have been about as miserable as anyone could’ve imagined, maybe even worse. The offense and pitching can never seem to line up to perform in sync on the same nights. The Rays seem to be pulling further and further away in the division. But, I digress. Things have to get better, don’t they? There is just no plausible way that things are this bad. Clearly the rotation has been a glaring issue, but lately the starts have been better (Rodriguez...

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Some Happy Takeaways from a Rough Home Opener

Some Happy Takeaways from a Rough Home Opener

Posted by | Apr 10, 2019 | ,

Ah, the home opener. When our beloved Sox won the World Series back in October, nobody envisioned our ring ceremony taking place with a 3-8 team. Unfortunately, that was the case. And even more unfortunate, the defending champs fell to 3-9 the same day they got to celebrate their achievements from 2018. Call it a World Series hangover, blame it on the road trip to start the season, point fingers at the rotation — everybody has an opinion. Nonetheless, this team is still just as good as last season and I’m truly not worried one bit. So with that...

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Three Positive Takeaways from the Opening Series

Three Positive Takeaways from the Opening Series

Posted by | Apr 1, 2019 | ,

Alright, so things didn’t really go to plan. The Red Sox got behind the eight ball early in all four games. Every starter gave up five or more runs in Seattle, and the Sox offense couldn’t recover. However, this isn’t the end of the world. Not even close. Things didn’t start well for Boston, but heading to Oakland and then Arizona, I see this team getting themselves back on track. Despite the nightmare-ish series in the Pacific Northwest, there was some good things I saw from the team. The Bullpen The strong suit was supposed to be the rotation,...

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BREAKING: Chris Sale is staying with the Boston Red Sox

BREAKING: Chris Sale is staying with the Boston Red Sox

Posted by | Mar 22, 2019 | ,

One of the Red Sox stars who was facing free agency has now re-upped with the club. Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Rick Porcello are still yet to commit their futures to the team, but for now, Chris Sale is staying with Boston. All offseason the discussion has been central to Mookie Betts and his extension. But when Chris Sale said “My phone is on”, in reference to extension talks, Dombrowski knew what he needed to get done. In the couple months since Sale’s comments, the two sides were working hard on a new contract. Dombrowski gave up a...

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3 Catchers, 2 Spots; Who Gets Them?

3 Catchers, 2 Spots; Who Gets Them?

Posted by | Mar 11, 2019 | ,

In the World Series run of 2018, the Red Sox got away with using three catchers on their active roster. With only 25 spots, carrying a third catcher is a rarity in today’s game. Despite the team’s success, this roster style is unlikely to carry over into 2019. Alex Cora already said it’s likely that Boston trades one of the three before the season starts. This is a team that could really use that extra roster spot for an extra arm in the bullpen, so one of the catchers has to go. But who? All three catchers have both...

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What the Machado Deal Means for Boston

What the Machado Deal Means for Boston

Posted by | Feb 24, 2019 | ,

Finally. It took until February the 19th, but Manny Machado has found his new home. Machado is now on his way to San Diego for the next decade. This has to be close to the best case scenario for Boston. The former Dodger was rumored to be between the Yankees, White Sox and Phillies. So with the Red Sox’ rival, a fellow AL competitor and a potential NL World Series representative all missing out on a generational player, the Sox have to be happy with how things culminated. If Machado had chosen a different path in free agency it...

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Projecting the Opening Day Roster

Projecting the Opening Day Roster

Posted by | Feb 11, 2019 | ,

Based off of the quiet offseason Boston has had, many fans may think the transactions may be far from done. It is still possible that Dombrowski goes and resigns Craig Kimbrel, and it’s also possible he cooks up a trade to bring in a reliever. That aside, the roster is all but set. A couple guys are going to be fighting for jobs in March and that will be very interesting to watch. Without further ado, this is the best projection I have for what the 25 man roster might look like on April 9th vs. Toronto. Catchers (2)...

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Finding Hope in the Current Red Sox Prospects

Finding Hope in the Current Red Sox Prospects

Posted by | Jan 28, 2019 | ,

MLB released their annual prospect list this past week, containing the best 100 players throughout the minor league systems. The San Diego Padres have a fair share of young players from Boston (see: Kimbrel and Pomeranz trades). They also lead the way with an unprecedented ten players in the top 100 and seven in the top 50. On the other end of the spectrum, is Boston. They have just one, single prospect in the top 100. This isn’t something new for the Red Sox. They haven’t had a deep farm system since pre-2015, and only had one player on...

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The Closer Option Nobody is Talking About

The Closer Option Nobody is Talking About

Posted by | Jan 18, 2019 | ,

Along with Ottavino; Andrew Miller, Joakim Soria, Cody Allen, Jeurys Familia and Kelvin Herrera are all signed. Kimbrel is likely out of the Sox’ current plans, and the in-house closer candidates are limited. However, there is still a name on the free agent market that does entice me. The move is definitely one I could see the Red Sox making now.

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Potential Breakout Sox in 2019

Potential Breakout Sox in 2019

Posted by | Jan 11, 2019 | ,

Ryan Brasier, Joe Kelly, Nathan Eovaldi. Of all these guys fit the bill of players who broke out in one way or another in 2018 for Boston. Through this article, we’ll try and identify a few guys who could take the next step in their contributions for the Red Sox next year. Barring a major acquisition to bolster the backend of the bullpen, the Sox are likely done making moves. So, with the roster all but set, let’s take a look at some potential breakout players for the Red Sox in 2019. Sam Travis A former second rounder, Travis...

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Taking a Look at the Remaining Options for a Closer

Taking a Look at the Remaining Options for a Closer

Posted by | Jan 5, 2019 | ,

Where do the Red Sox turn now for a closer? David Robertson, Joakim Soria, Joe Kelly and Andrew Miller were all candidates who signed elsewhere. Now, however, crunch time begins for the Red Sox, with relievers flying off the board left, right and center. It’s not yet time for panic or concern, but the budding problem regarding the closer is the only pressing ‘issue’ remaining. Nathan Eovaldi and Steve Pearce are back, so is Eduardo Nunez, with Joe Kelly and Ian Kinsler having gone their separate ways. So, let’s finish the offseason off smoothly by finding ourselves a closer,...

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