Author Archives: @johnmprincipe

Pitching Staff

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

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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 this weekend, it seems like perfect timing that David Price, became a “daddy”.

Price was placed on the paternity list Friday, putting his Sunday night start in question. He and his wife Tiffany welcome a new baby to the world Friday. Manager Alex Cora seems to be confident, however, that Price will be able to make his scheduled start.

https://twitter.com/lindseyadler/status/1157396721418346496?s=20

Price has debatably been the best starter this season. I would say he has definitely been the most consistent for sure. To lose Price in what will likely be a big game would hurt Boston.

He has a 3.86 ERA, which doesn’t look sexy, but is slightly inflated from his last couple of rough outings. His 3.40 FIP puts him in the upper echelon of American League starters, and we definitely don’t want to see David miss a big start.

Price's

At the end of the day, family first. I hope he and his family are doing well and everything went smoothly. From a baseball standpoint, it hurts if he’s out Sunday against New York. However, I don’t think anyone will be mad, as nobody can blame him for being with his wife and his newborn.

Hopefully Dad strength is a real thing, and David comes back from this stronger than ever!

The Red Sox Should’ve Made a Move

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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 the bullpen implode once again. Here we are at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, the deadline has come and gone, and zero upgrades were made. Zero!

I understand the financials of it all. I do understand that it isn’t easy to make a move that involves highly touted prospects. But come on, there wasn’t something we could do?

Who Could We Have Had?

There is so many good relievers on the market. Ranging from Felipe Vazquez to Will Smith. You could’ve had them, or Ken Giles, or Shane Greene. Or even Francisco Liriano or Reyes Moronta. But nope, not a single acquisition to shore up the one aspect that’s killing this team.

This isn’t the end-all be-all. The Red Sox are still a solid baseball team and can absolutely still compete for a Wild Card spot. However, this team had almost all the pieces to go back-to-back. They were slightly impeded by the back-end of the bullpen, and that could’ve been fixed, and it wasn’t.

I know the Boston front office is confident in some of their guys, and some of the kids down in the minors as well. Me? I’m semi-confident in a few, and that’s about it. It doesn’t take a top prospect or taking on a ridiculous contract to make a trade to upgrade your team.

Dombrowski had the chance to do what the Nationals did, and add multiple above average bullpen arms to take the pressure of the guys already there.

https://twitter.com/Starting9/status/1156635761590046720?s=20

Dombrowski didn’t, and now Red Sox fans will just have to sit back and hope for the best with the roster we’ve been given.

Three Potential Low Cost Closer Options

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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? Giving up more prospects for a controllable closer with a cheap contract.

The latter of the two is my preference. Getting a closer would allow Nathan Eovaldi to move back into the rotation, which would shore up multiple holes with one move. This team is simply just a piece or two away from being the squad they were in 2018. That’s been proven this weekend against New York.

So who are some potential targets, who are cheap and controllable, that the Red Sox can afford?

Edwin Diaz

It has widely been reported that the Red Sox are interested in the Met’s closer. Even as recent as Sunday afternoon, Buster Olney confirmed Boston’s interest.

Diaz has struggled in 2019 as a whole. However, he hasn’t given up a run in the last couple of weeks, and he’s shown signs of returning to his form of 2019. The Mets did a lot to get Diaz on their squad this offseason. So with that said, it won’t be easy to get him. Especially if they feel they’re buyers after the Marcus Stroman deal.

So it may take one of the Red Sox three most intriguing prospects. Bobby Dalbec, Triston Casas and Bryan Mata. All still young, with very high Major League upside. The Mets should like what they see in all three.

Even if it takes a couple of those guys to get it done, or one of them with Jarren Duran, I would pull the trigger.

Diaz is only making roughly 600k this season, keeping Boston well under the luxury tax. He’s also controlled through 2022, giving the Red Sox plenty of time to win with him under contract.

If the Mets are willing to part with a couple prospects for their closer, Boston should be willing to pay up.

Felipe Vazquez

The Pirates stopper is definitely the most consistent name of the three. He has three straight season of a sub-3 ERA and 20+ saves, along with a career 2.66 FIP and 155 ERA+. Whether you like the new age stats or the old, Felipe is an interesting addition for Boston.

He’s pitched in big games and big moments and never seems to look shaky: A mentality fit for Boston. His walks are way down this year, as his control seems to have balanced out with his velocity.

Vazquez is another low cost option for Boston, as far as salary and future control goes. He’s due less than $2 Million for the remainder of 2019, and has another couple years at a low price before two more team-friendly options in 2022 and 2023.

Similar to Diaz, lots of control will require lots of prospects.

Seeing as Vazquez’s cheap contract takes him right through his prime, and the Pirates are relatively competitive, it may take even more of a haul then the one for Diaz.

Two of the big four prospects at the very least would likely have to go Pittsburgh’s way, along with another top ten prospect. A major league piece like Brock Holt or Marco Hernandez could also be used as bait for Vazquez.

Diaz would be my first swing if I’m Dombrowski, but Vazquez would be a terrific option at the backend.

Ken Giles

It’s always hard to orchestrate a deal within the division. However, the Jays seem eager to deal. Eric Sogard and Marcus Stroman both found new homes Sunday, with others surely to follow.

Giles is having the best season of the three. He has a 1.54 in 35 innings with a FIP to match. His 14.9 K/9 is the highest of his career by far, and he seems to just be hitting his stride.

The Red Sox have always been a thorn in the side of Giles, with 2019 being no different.

He’s given up five of his six earned runs to Boston this year. Can you imagine his numbers if he didn’t have to face our lineup?

Another controlled closer, Giles would be under Boston’s control until 2021. He wouldn’t require quite the return that Vazquez would, but slightly more than Diaz. If Bryan Mata and Josh Ockimey had to become Blue Jays, along with another prospect, in order for Giles to be our closer, I would make it happen.

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

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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 Chris Sale, but Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. & Andrew Benintendi are all still players Boston would like to re-sign. So again, to be able to keep two of those three, they have to be extremely cautious with how much money they give to J.D.

J.D.’s contributions

From the moment he arrived in Boston, he was successful. We all knew he would. He’s too good a hitter, and too likeable a guy, to not succeed in this market. 235 games in, and he’s done just that.

Hitting .315 with 62 bombs, we truly can’t ask for a whole lot more from J.D. He’s as dedicated to his craft as anyone. Every single day you’ll find that guy in the cage, and every single night watching film. He is not only committed to sustaining his level of play at an older age, but determined to still improve in areas that are lacking, even this late in his career.

This is why you have to want J.D. He has the right kind of mentality, call it the Pedroia mentality, to persevere through whatever is necessary in order to win.

Both on and off the field, he’s a role model for younger players. He’s been a great mentor to guys like Rafael Devers and Andrew Benintendi. Guys who feel so close to him because of all the information they can absorb from him. Information he loves to share.

Both on and off the field J.D. has an impeccable reputation and unmatched desire to succeed. These are huge qualities I consider when giving someone this caliber of money.

What kind of money would be involved?

J.D. turns 32 in August. He’s almost guaranteed to opt out following this season. He’s hit a bit of a skid, but unless it’s extremely prolonged, he’ll still put up another season of .300 ball and 30 home runs. In that case, he’s definitely going to opt out. Even with the delay for some high profile free agents last year, the money is still out there.

So how much will it cost us?

Well, if J.D. wants to stay as bad as he claims he does, he has to understand the money situation for Boston. He also has to know that something relatively team-friendly has to be done for the greater good of the team.

He’s scheduled to make 23.7 million next year, and 19.3 the following two. He has opt outs after every year over the final three seasons of his contract.

This is definitely something that would intrigue him to stick with. It gives him the flexibility to go year by year to see if he wants to opt out and make more, but also the safety to know he has the control to opt in and make another $60+ million from Boston no matter what.

If he opts out but chooses to return, I see a similar deal being accepted in regards to options. However, the dollar value is going to be a little higher. Rightfully so as well, as J.D. has earned the right to be one of the higher paid players in the league.

What kind of money could be involved?

My guess for a potential J.D. extension if he opts out is four more years, with opt outs after the 2nd, 3rd and 4th years at $30 million for year one and two, and $26 million for the 3rd and 4th. This way J.D. has incentive to opt out of his current deal but stay with Boston, as he knows his next potential deal has similar player-friendly opt outs. It also pays him what he deserves, but doesn’t hurt the Red Sox drastically.

They only end up adding about another $10 million on the books per year, which doesn’t set Boston back almost at all. The Sandoval money is off the books next year, with Pedroia and Castillo to follow.

The Red Sox aren’t afraid to spend, nor should they be. We should be very thankful to be part of a fan-base who’s team tries to spend the money required to win. This is just one of the many money moves coming in the upcoming couple years that I believe will truly form a championship core for the next half decade or so.

Keys to a Successful Second Half for Boston

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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.

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 they go. A few things need to happen in order for the Red Sox to return to their dominant form of 2018, but it is absolutely still possible, and this is how.

Consistent Starting Pitching

People may not realize how weak the staff really was in the first half. A lot of what went wrong in the first three and a half months was instigated by short starts from the rotation. Now I’m not saying this is all on the starters by any means. But, they do need to be held responsible for putting more pressure on the bullpen then it could’ve handled.

For the record, David Price should be excluded for this. He had as good a first half as he’s had in his career, and it was on par with most of this year’s American League All-Star pitchers.

As far as the rest of the starters go, it’s shape up or ship out. Rick Porcello faces free agency at the end of the year, and if the Red Sox fall even further back in the coming weeks, he could be gone. Porcello has struggled mightily against lesser opponents since his fantastic start against Minnesota.

Eduardo Rodriguez has slowed the walks a little, but is still having trouble consistently getting results. This is year five for E-Rod, and if he doesn’t start proving something soon, he also could find his way out by July 31st if the Sox fall out of it.

Nathan Eovaldi gets a break as he’s been hurt, and it doesn’t appear we’re going to see him back in the rotation this season anyways. The starters replacing Nate have a combined ERA over six. Not ideal. The Zack Wheeler rumors may lower that fifth starter’s ERA slightly, but that move won’t be the one to catapult the Red Sox back to the top.

Then we get to Chris Sale. Sale struggled out of the gate, but eventually recaptured his form in early June. Since then, the struggles have returned and his ERA has ballooned over four. He hasn’t won a game at Fenway Park in almost a year now. Which for Chris Sale, is absolute madness.

I still expect Sale to turn it around. He’s fresh into a new contract and has something to prove after his sub-par first half. Porcello and E-Rod are a different story for me. I’m running out of hope for the both of them, but the best case scenario now is that they can pitch like number four starters. If we can get a 4.00 ERA from both Rick and Eduardo for the remainder of the year, we might be able to salvage the Boston rotation around Price and Sale.

The Relievers we Have Getting Back to Their Roots

Matt Barnes, Brandon Workman, Ryan Brasier andHeath Hembree are all good relievers. They have all pitched well in the middle innings, and are all deserving of high leverage spots in an MLB bullpen. What the four of them also have in common, is that they’re not Closers. They’ve all had a shot at one point or another, and they all have failed to impress.

This is no slight to them. The 9th inning is a different animal. Getting these guys back to a spot in which they’re comfortable is instrumental to getting the Red Sox back on track.

Last season, with Kimbrel behind them, these guys all pitched well in the 6th, 7th and 8th innings. They knew there was a shutdown guy at the end of the bullpen to close things out.

Making sure the big four that Boston has can get back to roles they’re more used to is crucial for their success. This starts by finding a Closer.

For the next few weeks, maybe even beginning tonight, Nathan Eovaldi appears to be getting his chance. He’s got 102 mph heat and some movement in his arsenal, so his stuff should play well in a shorter scenario.

The injury history worries me with Nate. He’s going to really try and air it out if he’s in a shorter role. If that’s the case, he needs to be careful with his elbow.

So Nasty Nate is going to get his shot, and I’m excited for it, but I don’t think it’s the long term solution. We’re at the point in the season where there isn’t a whole lot of time to play with. So if this experiment fails, Dombrowski has to be ready to pull the trigger on something ASAP.

The two best options for me, are Will Smith of the Giants and Felipe Vazquez of the Pirates. Both are low price, low risk, high reward options. The only issue is, that may be why they have a high price tag has far as trade value goes.

Both San Fran and Pittsburgh would likely want multiple impact prospects in exchange for their star closer. If Boston does that, it would almost fully deplete the farm once and for all. I’m okay with that happening,if this team really thinks they can go back to back. However, if they go all in to lose in the ALDS, then giving up prospects for a Closer is going sting.

A Couple of Bats That Need to Warm Up

The reigning MVP, and the man who hit behind him in the lineup during that MVP season, have both not been themselves. Mookie Betts is still having a good year, but not great. His walk numbers are still there, and his OPS is still respectable. Yet his average is down, and he’s on pace for a much lower WAR than he finished with last year.

Then we get to Andrew Benintendi, who is flat out struggling this year. Benny was someone I had as a dark horse MVP candidate this year, after he began to break out in 2018. He’s been anything but, with strikeout percentage going up and walk percentage going down. After being worth 4.4 WAR last season, he’s on pace to not even finish with 1/3 of that.

He’s been moved down in the lineup, which is probably best for him while he gets it together mentally. Rafael Devers deserves to be hitting in the two-hole and it’s been working for Boston. Maybe with Andrew hitting 5th or 6th the pressure on his shoulders will alleviate a bit. Hopefully he can find his swing from last year.

As far as Mookie goes, I do expect him to be fine. In every year in which he’s been in the big leagues he’s had a couple of prolonged slumps. Even in his MVP year there were a couple two week spans where he looked a little lost at the plate. He’s already had two slumps this season. So I think we’re ready to see Mookie fully break out in the second half.

He’s way too good a hitter to not be hitting over .300. I really think he’s going to be the catalyst that gets Boston back to where they were in 2018.

Things to Keep an Eye on Heading into the Break

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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 the tank ready to be deployed, get ready.

This team can come out swinging in the second half and carry this team all the way back to a Division race with the Yankees. At the very least, this lineup should be able to carry this team to the wild card game. For now, we look at the last couple games against the measly Tigers. Two more opportunities to be able to perfect their game heading into the all-star break.

So what should we be keeping an eye on in the final two games of the first half? Well…

Porcello’s Bounceback

After going seven shutout against the AL Central leading Twins on June 17th, Rick has been rocked in back to back starts. This includes maybe the worst start of his career in London. He went just a third of an inning while giving up six earned on five hits and a walk.

So we need Porcello to bounce back, big time. Obviously 2016 seems like an outlier, and he’ll never return to that kind of dominant form. But an ERA of over 5 is also not something we expected out of Rick Porcello.

Red Sox Starters

He’s around a four ERA player at worst. As a 4th or 5th starter for Boston there’s nothing wrong with that. However, they need Porcello to perform consistently. The fact that he can handle the league best Twins, then a week later struggle with the lowly Blue Jays is frustrating. It can’t happen.

Rick has one final shot at redemption before going into the break. It also happens to take place in the stadium in which he spent the first six years of his career.

The Tigers lineup is as feeble as a professional lineup gets. If Porcello can’t handle his own today against Detroit, it has to be time to at least consider moving on.

The (Re)Emergence of Michael Chavis

When Michael was called up early in the season, he came on with a bang. A game tying double driven deep to center in his debut, followed up by mammoth home runs in his first couple weeks in the big leagues. There was hype surrounded Chavis no matter where we looked.

Fast forward about a month, and Chavis was struggling unlike any other rookie hitter for Boston that I can remember. The strikeouts were piling up and he looked lost at the plate.

However, since his prolonged slump he seems to have found his stroke again. He asked his manager to keep the faith, and that is exactly what Alex Cora did.

Watching Chavis go through a cold spell was not easy for anyone. He looked lost at the plate, especially on anything offspeed. People were really starting to doubt in his ability, but not Alex Cora.

Cora stuck with his young star, and Chavis is making it pay dividends. He seems to have regained his swing and his confidence. This could really be a turning point for the young Chavis.

How’s Our Most Consistent Starter Going to Finish Up?

David Price has been so good, and yet almost nobody has noticed. His 3.33 ERA through 15 starts has him on pace for his lowest numbers since coming to Boston. It seems finally shaking that monkey off his back in the postseason last year really translated to more confidence in the regular season.

If you take out his one bad start against Texas on June 13th (which the Red Sox still won anyways) than Price would have an ERA under 2.00. He has by far been the only consistent starter for Boston this year. We’ve talked about Porcello, everyone knows Chris Sale has had an up and down first half, and E-Rod is hit or miss every start.

With the Eovaldi injury really setting Boston’s rotation back, they’ve needed the boost that Price has provided.

He has one final start on Sunday against the Tigers and their anemic lineup. If Price gets rocked, it certainly isn’t the end of the world, but it would be a really unsettling feeling for him and the fanbase. To have that bad taste in their mouth until his next start, which will be almost two weeks later, is not ideal.

However, if he dominates like I expect, then it will certainly lead to him being able to carry over the momentum into a huge second half for the Sox.

How Does Cora Navigate the 7th, 8th and 9th?

We’ve seen all year how inconsistent this bullpen is, and how we really never know how a game is going to turn out. A lead of any proportion can be blown, but then there’s games where they’ll randomly shut the other team down.

Obviously the blemishes in this bullpen have been a huge downfall of this team. But mainly, it comes down to closing out games. All of our guys have been solid in the middle innings. It’s just the race to the finish line that hurts this team.

Having Heath Hembree back for the first time in roughly a month is the reason the bullpen management becomes interesting in this final series against Detroit. In Toronto on Thursday, Brandon Workman was struggling while Heath Hembree was warming, yet Workman was left in.

Hembree is obviously being eased back into things, but the way he’s used today and tomorrow will be interesting. The build-up to the ninth has been solid the last few games. Both Ryan Brasier and Matt Barnes have been getting back on track.

So if we get to the 9th inning in either of the final two games, and the score is close, I do expect Hembree to get a chance.

It’ll be interesting to see how Cora tests the guys in the bullpen in their final opportunities before the break. Seeing how Hembree might react to pitching in the 9th, and seeing how efficient other guys can be in the 7th and 8th, is worth paying attention to.

The Closer that the Red Sox Need to Acquire

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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 the market until a couple weeks ago. Since that move wasn’t made for Kimbrel, the Red Sox are forced to look elsewhere. The in-house options haven’t worked, and there’s been too many close games lost in the 9th inning. This team needs a guy that can lock it down. Whether people liked him or not, that’s what Kimbrel was.

The Market

There isn’t a whole lot of lockdown Closers left in baseball, and even less available on the market. Felipe Vazquez & Brad Hand are both intriguing options, and I would definitely like either at the right price. Will Smith seems to be the cheapest option, and he would improve the back end of this bullpen.

Yet there’s still one name that I like more than others. That is Nationals closer Sean Doolittle. We’re now approaching July, and Washington is seven games back of the first place Braves. The optimist National fan will point to the fact that they’ve won four straight and eight of ten coming into Saturday. They’re also only a game and a half back of the crowded NL wild card picture.

However, I still believe the price can be met for Doolittle. On the Red Sox side, his contract is in absolute steal, coming into a payroll that needs some relief. He’s making just $6 Million this season, with only about $3 Million left. He also has a bargain of a team option in 2020 for $6.5 Million that will absolutely be picked up, regardless of which team he plays for come this winter.

On the Nationals side of things, the price to get Doolittle should be stiff. With him under control cheap for the next year and a half, and the team still relatively competitive, ownership may not want to sell. Yet with Anthony Rendon and Stephen Strasburg also coming up in trade talks, there’s no reason to believe Doolittle isn’t also available.

Potential Trade Chips

The Sox would have to give up a couple of solid prospects and maybe a younger player in order to acquire the Nats stopper. Jarren Duran, Bryan Mata, Bobby Dalbec, Darwinzon Hernandez and Triston Casas are the top-chip prospects that Boston has to offer. I would think one of them, along with a prospect ranked in our top 20-30, would support a Sam Travis or Tzu-Wei Lin in a potential package.

The Nationals would a get a hitter that could instantly be on their roster with potential upside. They’d also get one of our better prospects, all of whom were listed have the tools to become a pro. Finally, they’d have their pick at any prospect deeper in our system that they may feel good about.

This would seem to be some sort of framework that could appeal to both sides, and definitely the Red Sox. The Nationals might require a little more, but if it ends up being a full blown rebuild and sell for Washington, a package like this could get the deal done for Doolittle.

Doolittle’s History

Boston would be getting a fantastic pitcher, who’s put together a track record for many years and shows no signs of slowing down. I already talked about how team friendly his contract is, and on top of that he’s posted a 2.33 in 108 games since joining the Nats. He’s also 99 of 118 in save tries in his career for an 84% clip. Only Kimbrel, Kenley Jansen and Roberto Osuna rival his career WHIP of 0.92.

Not many guys can say they’re shutdown closers in 2019. A lot of “heart attack Closers” are out there, and they are not fun to watch to say the least.

This Red Sox bullpen trying to close out games has also not been fun. Hopefully a move is coming and I’d like to think something is already in the works. If it’s not Doolittle that’s fine, but the time has come to finally pull the trigger on bringing in a ninth inning stopper to solidify this bullpen.

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

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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 RBIs amongst all shortstops in baseball. He also ranks within the top five in OPS, runs, hits, home runs, batting average and slugging percentage. Oh yeah, and of any player in baseball, only Mike Trout, Cody Bellinger, Max Scherzer, Christian Yelich and Ketel Marte have accumulated more fWAR.

Every possible category, Bogaerts is in the lead or right behind the leader. With Xander’s improved defense and more disciplined plate approach, he is ranked fWAR wise as the best shortstop in the league.

So how is he not getting all-star love? Somehow Carlos Correa was deemed more worthy than Xander. Red Sox rival Gleyber Torres is probably deserving to be in the final three, but not ahead of Xander. The only player who plausibly should/could have more votes is Jorge Polanco. Like Bogaerts, he is in the middle of a career year, and does slightly have the edge on Xander in a couple categories.

Regardless, a .923 OPS is top 20 in all of baseball, and the fact that it’s not enough to get Bogaerts on the final ballot is absurd.

It’s Just an All-Star Game…

At the end of the day Xander Bogaerts is a two-time World Series champion who’s fresh off a huge payday. So really, he won’t lose much sleep over this snub. It’s the All-Star game, it really doesn’t hold much value or merit anymore. Nonetheless, it clearly irked Bogaerts (reasonably so) and reignited a debate regarding fan voting.

Above you can see Xander talk about the frustration of the selection process and how it’s affected him. At the end of the day, he’ll realize that it really isn’t a huge deal to be voted in. As a matter of fact, there’s still a good chance he makes the team as a reserve/replacement.

But still, it sucks for Xander, who is one of the best players on this team, and right now, the best shortstop in baseball. He was robbed of an all-star spot, and these are just the facts.

Bogaerts is notoriously better in the first half of the season. The rest during the all-star break that he’ll get since he was snubbed will light a fire in his stomach. This whole situation can motivate him to put together an impressive, full season like the one he has so far.

Bogaerts
Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Price's

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

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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 the team being just a game over .500 and eight games back of first. Me? I am still not worried. Some of the Red Sox injuries might be a lot more impactful then some might think. When it comes down to it, the Red Sox have had as many players on the IL as anyone this season. Including the Yankees.

What The Lineup is Without

The most important bat we’ve been without lately is Mitch Moreland. Mitch has been on the IL for a couple of weeks now, but appears to be nearing a return. While Moreland’s batting average might not appeal to the eye, he was swinging the power bat better than he ever had. He’s already at 13 home runs, which is just two behind his total from last season. Not only is Moreland ailing, but his first base contemporary, Steve Pearce, is as well.

Right when Pearce started to get going with the bat, his back started to bother him. Pearce isn’t expected back for at least another week or two, and when he does come back, there is going to be some tough roster decisions to be made. With Chavis earning his spot to stay, one of Pearce and Nunez could find themselves out of a job in Boston. Pearce needs to get healthy quickly so he can show he still has some value to this team.

Other hitters like Eduardo Nunez and Tzu-Wei Lin have spent time on the IL this year, along with Brock Holt. Holt is the most impactful name of the three, and having him back has already paid dividends. Holt came in with the game on the line last night and delivered. A clutch RBI single to tie the game in the 9th and send it to extras. Brock isn’t a game changer by any means. However, having that utility man and that reliable bat back on the bench is a huge boost.

Missing Some Team Leaders

Of course we can’t forget the struggle which Dustin Pedroia is going through. While he may not be the most impactful injury on the list, he’s another player on our roster who could be contributing but who’s body won’t let him. I still have faith for Dustin and I truly believe he can come back. Not having him even on the bench for morale is a loss for this team.

Finally, J.D. Martinez. J.D. had gone a little cold the last few weeks, I think a lot of it stems from the constant back spasms he’s been dealing with. Martinez has yet to be placed on the IL, but did miss four straight games at one point last week. He’s also missed and been pulled from various others. I definitely think more rest and more DH-ing needs to be in Martinez’s future. Getting him to the all-star break healthy (when he can rest) needs to be top priority for the Red Sox.

The Injuries to the Rotation

The one that I have start with would be David Price. Price spent a few weeks on the injured list, causing him to miss a handful of starts. That proved costly for Boston, as Price has been their best starter this season. That, coupled with the fact that the guys who replaced him, were nothing impressive on the hill. Since returning on May 20th after 18 days on the IL, Price has thrown 24 innings across five starts. In those five starts, he’s picked up three wins and allowed a total of only three runs and four walks. Having David miss a couple weeks certainly took a few W’s out off the win column for the Red Sox.

Then we turn to another devastating injury in the rotation, Nathan Eovaldi. Boston’s prized signing of the offseason, Eovaldi was off to a slow start even before having to have elbow surgery. He hasn’t made a start since April 17th against New York, which happened to be his best outing before being placed on the IL. Eovaldi might not have been anything to marvel at in his first four starts, but we can’t just forget what he did in October.

Even going down the stretch, Nate was fantastic and came through clutch in so many situations. Eovaldi is going to return before the all-star break and should make an immediate impact. At the very least, we know he’s going to give us a better chance to win than a lot of the spot starters who’ve taken his place since.

The Damage to the Bullpen

Three of the bigger innings-eaters in Brian Johnson, Tyler Thornburg and Hector Velazquez have found their way to the IL. This has caused Dombrowski to have to reach deep into the farm system to find bullpen arms. While Thornburg and Velazquez were not great, their replacements have been even worse. Not only that, but the pressure on the big four (Brasier, Workman, Barnes, Walden) has been increased to the point where they look overworked.

Velazquez

People can talk all they want about the Yankees injury problems, and I feel for them, I do. You always want to beat the best teams with all their best players. So hopefully for New York’s sake they can get healthy.

However, Boston’s injury woes have been just has bad and just as impactful. I think once we see Eovaldi return, and J.D. gets back to 100%, this team can get itself on track and still compete for the division.

Pitching Staff

Why David Price is the Ace of this Staff

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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 for the highest single-season mark in his entire career. Finally getting the pitcher that we paid for is truly a fulfilling feeling for both Price, and the fans.

Since giving up eight runs against the Yankees last July, Price has rebounded to post the 5th best ERA in baseball (2.77) in 23 starts. Just another example of the resiliency he continues to show.

This isn’t meant to be a shot at Chris Sale. Or to say that his slow start means he’s not the best pitcher on this team. However, even though Sale may be more dominant strikeout-wise, and even though his numbers will improve, Price is still the best pitcher on this staff.

Rising to the Moment

I find that David Price has overcome two massive obstacles in his career. One being his playoff struggles, and one being his Yankee Stadium struggles. Conquering the first brought so much joy to Red Sox and baseball fans alike. Grinding his way through multiple gutsy starts in the 2018 postseason was his hero’s journey.

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With the postseason struggles in the rearview, it has allowed Price to alleviate so much pressure off his mind and off his shoulders. He came into 2019 with nothing to prove. All he had to do was go out there and pitch. Through 10 starts, he has done exactly that.

So now we get to June 2nd, and David Price is heading into his hell. Yankee Stadium. Price came into this start notorious for struggling in the big moments in front of the roaring crowd of the Bronx. However, Price added another card to his hand on Sunday.

Price went 6 and two thirds, giving up just two runs while striking out 6. He wasn’t perfect, but he pitched great. He got into a few sticky situations and was able to buckle down and work his way out of it. David looked comfortable the entire start, and with another weight off his shoulders Price can only go up from here.

Having these two things conquered, gives Price even more confidence in his back pocket. Not to say Chris Sale isn’t just as confident, but David has all the pressure off of him. He has that Cy Young. He’s got that World Series ring. He has those dominant performances in the postseason and in Yankee Stadium.

He is the ace of this team because of the adversity he’s faced, how he has handled it and bounced back from it. How he’s used it as a way to move forward and completely control his game, and turn it into something dominant.