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Fresh Take Friday: Mookie Betts Is Better Than Mike Trout Right Now (@jackbuffett_)

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The AL MVP Race Consists of Two Players- Mookie and Mike

For years, Mike Trout has reigned supreme as the face of Major League Baseball. He has two MVP awards to his name already. Until this year, no one questioned his status as the best player in baseball. However, Mookie Betts is dominating this year for the first-place Red Sox. The results of the All-Star Game fan voting showed him with 600,000 more votes than Trout. While this is by no means an accurate measure of their skill, the stats show that it’s time to consider Mookie the best player in baseball right now.

Photo via USA Today

(Disclaimer: note that this is RIGHT NOW. Trout has had a far more successful career. Just making it clear.)

The Stats

Let’s get this out of the way right now: yes, Mike Trout has a better WAR than Mookie Betts. Trout’s is 7.1, Betts’ is 5.9. Some people think that is the end-all, be-all of baseball statistics. It is not. That is a conversation for another time, though.

Photo via Getty Images

Let’s start with batting average-the most basic baseball statistic. Mookie Betts currently leads all of baseball in this area, currently hitting .352. Mike Trout is hitting .314. Trout has a higher on-base percentage, beating Mookie .457 to .440. All that means is that more of Trout’s appearances on base come from walks, while Mookie hits more, but draws walks less. Mookie’s slugging percentage is .683 right now, leading the MLB. Trout’s is .618. Betts also leads the league in OPS (on-base plus slugging), with an absurd 1.123, in front of Trout’s 1.075. If you’re looking at solely these numbers, you’re thinking Betts is better, no?

Maybe you’re not a percentage fan. If that’s the case, take a gander at these numbers. Thus far this year, Trout has had 415 plate appearances and Mookie has 341. During these PA’s, Mookie has the same number of hits (102), seven more doubles (25 to 18), and two fewer homers (25 to 23). Not too shabby for having 74 fewer appearances at the plate. This season, Mookie also has just one less RBI, and has scored five more runs. However, Trout has been far better at drawing walks, taking 81 bases on balls to Betts’ 43.

Mookie

Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images

Look at the numbers. Mookie Betts is statistically a better baseball player than Mike Trout this season. It doesn’t hurt that number 50 is leading the Sox to the MLB’s best record at 66-29, riding a ten-game win streak. Meanwhile, Trout’s Angels are 48-46. A team’s record is obviously not indicative of an individual’s success (see Machado, Manny), but it’s worth mentioning.

As the league approaches the All-Star break, both players are destroying the rest of the league. The two are in a tier all by themselves, above the rest of the MLB. Don’t discount how good of a baseball player Mike Trout is. It’s crazy what he’s been able to do for years. However, right now, Betts is the best player in baseball. We’ll see who takes home the MVP award at the end of the year.

*Stats accurate as of Friday, June 13th.

Follow me on Twitter: @jackbuffett_

It’s Time To Revamp The All Star Game’s Selection Process (@ELJGON)

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It’s that time of year again.

The 2018 MLB All-Star rosters have been revealed and boy, do we have a lot to talk about. It’s clear that the player selection process is a popularity vote rather than an endorsement for a successful first half. The fact that Blake Snell (12-4, 2.09 ERA, 1.03 WHIP), Nicholas Castellanos (.306, 15 HR, 56 RBI, .882 OPS), Jesus Aguilar (.302, 23 HR, 64 RBI, 1.000 OPS) were not originally All-Stars is terrible. These players are among many others who face the same issue each year, and it’s doing more harm for the game than good. On a bigger scale, if MLB wants to continue its trend of raising viewership numbers, they need to do away with some old habits; the All-Star game is no exception. Some have many ways to fix the player selection, and here is my take:

Things To Keep

There are certain aspects of the All-Star game and its process that are beneficial to the integrity of baseball as well as the attractiveness of current fans. These aspects should be kept without a doubt.

  1. Uniforms during the actual All-Star game will be every player’s respective uniform. It should follow the home and away color code.
  2. Each team will send at least one representative to the All-Star game. I had a lot of time to think about this, and at first I was against it. Why should someone on a really bad team make the All-Star game over someone who actually deserves it? However, this keeps fans engaged, even when their team is not doing so well. Also, it keeps bigger market teams from overpopulating the roster versus smaller market teams. We’re keeping it.
  3. Both the NL and AL teams will implement the DH regardless of venue.
  4. Managers will make starting lineups.

Things To Change

Here is where things could get a little weird at first but have an open mind.

Basically, the All-Star game format will change into four teams total, two teams for each league (Team A and Team B for NL and AL).

Team A and Team B in each league will play each other on the first day. Then, the winning teams will represent their respective league in the final game the next day. This is a similar process to how the NHL bases their All-Star game. However, since MLB has six divisions instead of four like the NHL, it would get complicated.

Fans will vote for four player captains, two for NL and two for AL.

All captains cannot be from the same Major League teams. Fans will also vote for players into a pool for team captains (with their manager) to pick in a draft style player selection process.

The preliminary games will be six innings long, the final game will be nine.

This ensures a few things such as roster size, reducing game times and reducing the chance of injury among other aspects. Having four teams instead of the usual two would mean that there would be twice as many all-star players as before, which doesn’t make sense.

Roster sizes for the preliminary games are 20 players (eight position players, five bench, three starters, four relievers). The captain of each winning team chooses five players (two position, three pitchers) from the losing team to take them to the final game, thus making a 25 man roster.

Each team will have a manager, as always. But instead of from the recent World Series, they will be from the year’s past championship series.

This still gives us two managers from the World Series and two more managers for the third and fourth teams.

Finally, the fight for home-field advantage in the World Series is coming back.

The All-Star game is so much better when there is actually something to fight for.

 

Wrapping up, this whole thing isn’t perfect. There will be flaws in this and all criticisms are accepted, but we can all agree that something has to be done in order to avoid major snubs every single year while keeping fans of the game engaged.

@ELJGON

The Boston Red Sox At 60+ Wins (@steveA1127)

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It’s Been a Boring Baseball Season

Apr 7, 2018; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) celebrates with teammates after hitting a home run against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

This baseball season has been boring in terms of competition. The Boston Red Sox are currently 63 -29 and have the best record in baseball. Boston has been killing bad teams, which is great. However, the Red Sox are 12-11 against playoff teams. They are 4-5 against the New York Yankees and 2-2 against the Houston Astros. Are these 63 wins a joke? No, but questions can be raised about if they can beat the Yankees in the playoffs.

The Red Sox Are Crushing the Bad Competition

The Red Sox are 6-0 against the Los Angeles Angels this season. This past weekend they killed the Kansas City Royals, who are 39 games under .500. The Red Sox started a series with the Texas Rangers, who are 40-52 and in last place in the American League West. The Red Sox won last night 5-0 in a very easy win for them. They will probably sweep the Rangers. Let’s see how they do in the second half of the season. They still have to play the Yankees two more times and, they also play Cleveland twice in the second half.

David Price Will Never Change

David Price also will never live up to the hype and be able to survive being in Boston. He was and is a complete waste of a roster spot and can’t even pitch against the Kansas City Royals. The All-Star Game is next week and even the hype for that is dead. It used to be an exciting week with the home run derby one night followed by the game the next. Now, with the teams all pretty much being a dud it could be the lowest rating sporting event in a while.

What will the Red Sox do at the trade deadline? They really do need another arm in the bullpen but who’s really out there? They will probably do nothing and keep the team they have. If they want to beat the Yankees, though, Price really needs to stop acting like a baby. I really don’t think that will happen.

Five Red Sox Named To All-Star Roster

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Boston Will Have Five of its Players Heading to D.C.

On Sunday night, the MLB revealed the AL and NL rosters for the All-Star Game. The Red Sox tied with the Indians and Astros for most players on the AL roster. The game takes place on Tuesday, July 17th, at the home ballpark of the Washington Nationals.

The All Stars

This year’s crew is headlined by Mookie Betts and JD Martinez, who will both be starting in the game. Betts, making his third appearance in the Midsummer Classic, was an obvious lock for a starting spot. He currently is leading the entire MLB in batting average (.342). He’s also third in the AL in WAR (5.4). Martinez was another clear-cut choice as he prepares to make his second appearance. He leads both leagues in both homers (27) and RBIs (74).

The remaining Red Sox who made the team are Mitch Moreland, Chris Sale, and Craig Kimbrel. Moreland will be making his first appearance in the All-Star game this year. He’s having a great year for the Sox and made the team as a reserve at first base. Sale and Kimbrel will both represent the American League pitching staff. Sale will make his seventh appearance, having thus far pitched his way to the fourth-best ERA (2.36) and second-highest amount of strikeouts (176) in the AL. Kimbrel, also playing in the game for the seventh time, is second in the majors with 27 saves.

AL All-Star Final Vote-Vote for Benintendi!

This year, there is one remaining roster spot for fans to vote in one last player. For the AL, the candidates are Andrelton Simmons, Giancarlo Stanton, Jean Segura, Eddie Rosario, and Boston’s own Andrew Benintendi. Make sure you vote Benny into the All-Star Game here! Voting ends July 11th at 4:00 p.m. ET. Help the Sox get a sixth All Star!

The Sox are cruising through a great season, and the All-Star selections are just gravy. Though all fans know it isn’t the ultimate goal, it is some great recognition for the chosen players. Congratulations to all of Boston’s players who will no doubt represent the team well in DC!

Follow me on Twitter for more: @jackbuffett_

Down on the farm- 6/30-7/6

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Down on the farm is a series in which every weekend, I will be providing weekly results from the Pawtucket Red Sox (AAA) as well as the Portland Sea Dogs (AA), Salem Red Sox (High A) and Lowell Spinners (class a short season). After every team is recapped, individual stats are listed and dissected. Also, a “prospect of the week” will be featured at the end.

Down On The Farm- Pawtucket Red Sox

Pawtucket went 2-4 over the week and they are now 40-45 on the season. The Sox started off the week on Saturday with a 7-6 loss against the RailRiders. Mike Ohlman knocked in three runs but Ryan Brasier gave up a game-winning single in the tenth. They rebounded and won 2-0 on Sunday. Sam Travis drove in two runs and Josh A. Smith picked up the win by throwing five scoreless innings.

Pawtucket lost 6-2 on Monday. Drew Pomeranz gave up not one, not two, not three, but four home runs in just 2.2 innings. The Sox lost again on Tuesday, 2-1. Chandler Shepherd gave up two runs in 4.1 innings and the offense was stymied. They picked up a win on Wednesday, 6-5. They scored all six runs in the eighth and ninth, and Tzu Wei Lin drove in the game-winning run on a single in the ninth. The game was suspended on Thursday, and Pawtucket lost 3-2 on Friday. Justin Haley gave up two runs in three innings and the offense was frustrated.

Down On The Farm- Portland Sea Dogs

The Sea Dogs went 5-2 over the week and are now 34-51 on the season. Portland started off the week with an 8-2 win over Binghamton on Saturday. Rivera, Ockimey, and Tendler drove in two runs each and Mike Shawaryn gave up two runs over seven innings. They lost in extras on Sunday, 4-3. Austin Rei knocked in two runs but Jordan Weems gave up the go-ahead run in the 11th. The Sea Dogs won on Monday, 5-3. Witte and Ockimey drove in two runs each and Matthew Kent gave up two runs in 6.1 innings.

The offense was baffled on Tuesday as they lost 2-1. Trey Ball picked up the loss by giving up one run in three innings of relief. The Sea Dogs rebounded and won 7-5 on Wednesday. Luke Tendler hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the ninth and Teddy Stankiewicz was decent, giving up four runs in 5.2 innings. Portland won again on Thursday, 10-2. Witte drove in four runs and Dedgar Jimenez gave up two runs in five innings. They closed out the week on Friday with a 5-3 win against Hartford. Renda knocked in two runs and Kyle Hart gave up three runs over six innings.

Down On The Farm- Salem Red Sox

The Red Sox went 4-3 on the week and they are now 40-43 on the season. Salem started off the week on Saturday with an 8-4 win. Osinski and Madera drove in two runs and Algenis Martinez gave up one run in four innings to pick up the win. They lost 3-1 on Sunday. Jake Thompson gave up zero earned runs in 6.2 innings but he could not get any help. Salem lost again on Monday, 6-3. Tanner Houck gave up four runs over 4.2 innings and the offense was slowed down. Salem rebounded on Tuesday and won 4-0. Dalbec knocked in three runs and Darwinzon Hernandez gave up zero runs over six innings.

They lost 7-1 on Wednesday. The offense was not productive and Daniel Gonzalez gave up four runs in five innings. Salem held on to win on Thursday, 10-9. Scott knocked in four runs and Mata picked up the win by giving up three runs in five innings. The Red Sox closed out the week on Friday with a 5-4 win. Dalbec drove in two runs and Jake Thompson gave up three runs in five innings.

Down On The Farm- Lowell Spinners

The Spinners went 3-4 on the week and are now 9-12 on the season. Lowell started off the week on Saturday with a 6-4 win. Kyle Cottam drove in two runs and Hunter Haworth gave up one run over six innings. They lost on Sunday by a score of 7-3. Victor Garcia gave up four runs in two innings and the offense couldn’t muster much. The Spinners won on Monday by the score of 3-1. LeGrant knocked in a run and Eduard Bazardo gave up one run in five innings.

Lowell lost on Tuesday by the score of 4-3. It was an offensive sleeper for the Spinners and Brian Brown gave up three runs in four innings. They rebounded and won on Wednesday, 7-4. The offense scored three runs in the tenth but Gio Arrieta gave up three runs in seven innings. The Spinners lost on Thursday by the score of 5-2. Hunter Haworth gave up three runs in 2.2 innings and the offense could not do much. They closed out the week on Friday. with a 3-2 loss. The offense was quiet again and Alberto Franco gave up one run in 5.1 innings.

Prospect Of The Week- Durbin Feltman

Third round pick in the 2018 draft

Was considered the best closer in college baseball the last two years

Sports a 0 ERA in three innings this season

Some scouts say he could be in the majors by the end of this summer

 

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On This Day In Red Sox History: The Unassisted Triple Play

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On July 8, 1994, the Seattle Mariners came to Fenway Park. Along with them came 18-year-old Alex Rodriguez for his Major League debut. The Mariners had talent but were 12 games under .500. The Red Sox had gotten off to a 20-7 start, but after a miserable June that saw them lose 11 straight at one point their record had fallen to 40-43.

A Slow Start

baseballreference.com

The game had a late start time, getting underway a little past 8:00 pm on a Friday night. The Mariners lineup featured possibly the best player in the game in Ken Griffey Jr. Former batting champion Edgar Martinez was batting cleanup while the 18-year-old phenom batted 9th. In the leadoff spot was little known Brian Turang, the father of 2018 first round pick of the Brewers Brice Turang. The Sox were absent their biggest bat, as Mo Vaughn took a seat. Left-hander Chris Nabholz was taking the mound for just the second time as a member of the Red Sox.

Nabholz allowed three baserunners in the first but no runs came in to score. The Sox got off to a slow start against lefty Dave Fleming. The Mariners hurler had been good the previous two seasons but was off to a miserable start in 1994. The Mariners scored first when Ken Griffey tripled to center in the third. In the fifth, Bill Haselman reached first on an error and would come around to score on a base hit from Felix Fermin to give the Mariners a 2-0 lead. Meanwhile, Fleming was cruising, throwing five shutout innings to start the game.

The Triple Play

With the Sox already trailing 2-0, the Mariners put on the first two men in the sixth inning. Things were looking a little dicey for Chris Nabholz as Marc Newfield stepped in. Newfield hit a sinking liner towards short that John Valentin snared just above ground level. Mike Blowers had been running and was already by third base when Valentin caught the ball, so Valentin ran over to second and tagged it for out number two. Keith Mitchell, who had been running from first, seemed to be caught off guard with what was happening as he made no effort to retreat back to his bag. Valentin tagged him on his way by to complete the unassisted triple play.

Not even the announcers were sure of what was happening. In perhaps one of the most confusing and odd plays you will ever witness, only taking a listen for yourself can do it justice.

John Valentin immediately after completing the 10th unassisted triple play in Major League history. (YouTube)

Triple Play Awakens the Bats

After completing the unassisted triple play, Valentin was due to lead off in the bottom half of the sixth inning. After battling Fleming to a full count, Valentin homered over the Monster in left on the eighth pitch of the at-bat to put the Sox on the scoreboard. Andre Dawson then worked the count full as well before doubling to left, chasing Dave Fleming from the game. Bill Risley came aboard to face Tom Brunansky. After falling behind in the count 1-2, Brunansky homered to left to give the Red Sox their first lead of the game. This was Brunansky’s sixth homer in 19 games since rejoining the Red Sox via trade. After the next two men were retired, catcher Rich Rowland took a 3-1 pitch out of the yard for the team’s third home run of the inning. The Red Sox now led 4-2.

A Wild Ninth Inning

Chris Nabholz kept the Mariners off the board until the ninth. He had allowed just one run in the third and an unearned run in the fifth before Mike Blowers greeted him in the ninth with a home run to close the gap to one run. In came closer Ken Ryan to try and finish things off, and boy did he get some help.

First up against Ryan was Keith Mitchell, the cousin of former MVP winner Kevin Mitchell. Mitchell hit a bullet to the left side where Scott Cooper made a nice diving stop; the throw was in the dirt and scooped by Tim Naehring for the out. Naehring usually played elsewhere in the infield, but he was able to scoop the low throw, a nice play on both ends of the inning’s first out.

Next came Marc Newfield, who had lined into the triple play in the sixth. Newfield flew one towards the triangle in center; Lee Tinsley running to his left made a great diving grab just in front of the warning track. Tinsley appeared injured, lying on the ground following the play, but he ultimately got up and stayed in the game for the final out.

Reggie Jefferson, who would join the Red Sox the following season, pinch-hit for fellow future Red Sox Bill Haselman. It was a good decision as Jefferson crushed a Ken Ryan offering to deep right-center. The ball was between the two fielders as Lee Tinsley and Wes Chamberlain converged in front of the wall. Both player’s leapt for the ball and Chamberlain got the better position. Leaping as high as he could, Chamberlain snared the ball above the wall to rob Jefferson of a game-tying home run. The game was over; the Red Sox held on to a 4-3 win.

Summing Up

The Red Sox made four nice defensive plays to get three outs in the ninth on consecutive plays. It is not often you will see an inning with such a defensive show, let alone have it be for the final three outs, all capped off by a game-ending catch to rob a potential game-tying home run. It was a fantastic ending to a historic game that featured the 10th unassisted triple play in Major League history as well as the debut of Alex Rodriguez at the age of 18. If you have a few minutes, watch the ninth inning below, it is worth it.

Red Sox Interested in Nathan Eovaldi

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It’s July, which means only one thing: Trade SZN. The Red Sox made their fair share of roster moves in June, including signing former All-Star 2B Brandon Phillips to a minor league contract and trading for Steve Pearce. However, Dave Dombrowski has never been shy about shuffling pieces around the board (and across the league), so it’s unlikely the Sox are done tweaking their roster for the summer.

The next shoe to drop could be a move for starting pitching help. The Red Sox were among several teams in attendance for current Rays’ starter Nathan Eovaldi‘s start on Monday, per MLB.com’s Bill Chastain.

Sox fans will remember Eovaldi best during his stint with the Yankees from 2015-16. During that two-year stretch, Eovaldi was 23-11 with a 4.45 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. He missed all of last season after undergoing his second Tommy John’s surgery in August 2016. Eovaldi could represent a low-risk/low-cost rental for teams in need of pitching depth down the stretch.

The Problem

Boston fits that mold perfectly. Chris Sale has been dominant and Rick Porcello has been both consistent and dependable. David Price has shown a tendency to mix strong stretches with complete meltdowns. He is also only a year removed from his own injury issues. Eduardo Rodriguez seems to have righted the ship with Wednesday’s virtuoso performance in Washington. He’s also notoriously inconsistent, and has gone deeper than the 6th inning only twice in his 17 starts this year. Drew Pomeranz and Steven Wright are currently on the disabled list.

Both Wright and Pomeranz are close to returning. Wright is expected back by the All-Star break, and Pomeranz made his first rehab start this week. However, Wright’s knee issues are becoming chronic, and Pomeranz allowed four HRs in Monday’s rehab start. Neither qualify as reliable back-of-the-rotation options.

The Solution

That’s where Eovaldi fits in. He’s posted a 3.92 ERA across seven starts so far this season, with career highs in K/9 (7.6) and K/BB (5.83) ratio. While he’s benefited from good batted ball luck, he’s also had poor home run luck. Opponents are only batting .211 on balls in play, and he’s stranded 79.6% of his runners. However, Eovaldi’s HR/FB rate (21.4%) is higher than ever. In other words, look for both of those numbers to even out a bit as the sample size grows.

Eovaldi’s stuff has remained consistent in his return as well. He still throws gas (avg. four-seam velocity of 97 mph). He’s also mixed in a cutter more frequently than ever. In 2016, only 7.3% of Eovaldi’s pitches were classified as such. That number has climbed all the way up to 25.3% this season. That could partially explain his luck on balls in play. An improved cut-fastball is limiting how much solid contact opposing batters are able to make.

Granted, none of these numbers are exactly eye-popping. But, they are representative of a solid fifth starter who provides depth at the end of the rotation. Eovaldi would come with his own question marks as well; he missed the start of this season with elbow and rib injuries. However, if the price is right, he could be a nice piece to help get the Sox through the dog days of summer.

Top 10 Red Sox All Stars in Franchise History (Players 10-6)

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Hot days, pool parties, no school, and trips to the beach. Summer is in full swing which means that the Midsummer Classic is almost upon us. The 2018 All-Star Game, which will be hosted by the Washington Nationals, is coming up on July 17th. The Red Sox have plenty of candidates to haul in votes. Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez, Chris Sale, Craig Kimbrel are among the front runners along with Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts, and Mitch Moreland who are also receiving a respectable amount of attention. It’s times like these that are suited for a walk down all-star memory lane. Here’s the top 10 all-stars in Red Sox franchise history. 

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10. Fred Lynn (75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80)

Fred Lynn is one of only two players (Ichiro Suzuki) who has won the Rookie of the Year award and the MVP award in the same season. He was a lifetime .308 hitter for the Red Sox and had a great run of eight straight seasons appearing in the All-Star game. Of course, he played only five of those years for the Red Sox. Fred Lynn did not appear on the ballot in 1975 but got voted in because of write-in votes. Lifetime, he has four home runs in All-Star games, three of them as a Red Sox. His five straight appearances prove just how important he was to the team in the late 1970’s.

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9. Manny Ramirez (01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 08)

Manny Ramirez, one of the best Red Sox hitters in franchise history, was no stranger to the annual honor. In fact, in all seven seasons he was an all-star for the team, he was also a starter. In 2004, he hit a two-run home run off of Roger Clemens at Minute Maid Park in Houston in the first inning; it was his only home run in any All-Star appearance of his career, but impressive nonetheless.

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8. Carlton Fisk (72, 73, 74, 76, 77, 78, 80, 99*)

Carlton Fisk, an all-time catcher for the Sox and Hall of Famer, played 2226 games at the backstop. In his 24 seasons as a major leaguer, he accumulated some of the best offensive stats ever seen by a catcher. As far as his all-star resume is concerned, he only accumulated three hits in 11 All-Star games. However, his most notable hit came in 1991 when he was a member of the Chicago White Sox. He became the oldest player to get a hit in an All-Star game (43 years, 8 months).

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7. Jim Rice (77, 78, 79, 80, 83, 84, 85, 86, 99*)

Jim Rice was an all-time great left fielder for the Sox in the late 1970’s and most of the 1980’s. The Hall of Famer is very similar to Mookie Betts; he’s an all-around great hitter and fielder. In all eight appearances as a player (1999 he was a coach), he only had one home run, which was off of Giants pitcher Atlee Hammaker in 1983.

1990SeasonFinale2

6. Wade Boggs (85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92)

Wade Boggs, a once in a lifetime franchise player, was an incredible hitter. He amassed 3010 career hits and a lifetime average of .328 (.338 with the Red Sox), proving just how dominant he was as a third baseman during his time. A starter for seven All-Star teams as a Red Sox, he had a .321 career average in All-Star games. His most memorable moment was when in 1989 – Boggs and Bo Jackson went back to back with solo home runs off of pitcher Rick Reuschel. What made it even more memorable was Vin Scully and President Ronald Reagan commentating the entire moment together.

Stay tuned for players 5-1.

Italics = Starter, * = managed/coached

@ELJGON

Should David Price’s Big Stage Woes Cause Panic?

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Sunday night gave the David Price doubters all the fuel they needed to spit off every reason why he is not worth the big investment. I wonder how many times that has been used in Price articles? I’ve found myself as Price’s last line of defense when it comes to most conversations about the lefty. It does seem that when it comes to the big stage, Price does get a bit rattled. Here, we will make the case of both sides and evaluate where we stand.

 

Why to Panic

Let’s start off by pushing away the blow-hard Boston media perception of Price that has festered since his arrival. The theory is that he is not a good clubhouse leader and has a bad attitude or anything involving Fortnite.  A lot of the young guys in the clubhouse look up to Price, even players who are no longer on their team.

Fingers should be pointed at factual, unfortunate statistics for Price. After this career-high eight spot put up by the Yankees, Price’s totals against the Bombers went to a 2-6 with an 8.43 ERA. Price gave the Yankees and Aaron Hicks (3 HRs) possibly the best night of their July on the first night.

Now Price has jacked up his ERA to a 4.28. Less than desired from the $217M dollar man. And in the days after this Yankees start, it is hard to forget the fact that Price has yet to claim that post-season win. If we are truly bringing his attitude into play as well, David Price does not seem like the happy man who will keep committed to this contract when faced with an opt out. It has never seemed like Price’s statistical timeline has matched up with the rest of the team, so maybe sound the alarm.

 

Why Not to Panic

I vaguely remember a pitcher for the Red Sox who mightily struggled against the Yankees on the road. Years ago, a small Dominican man with a red glove was put into a mental pretzel in the Bronx. It’s very easy to get lost in the mayhem of New York baseball, especially when you are seen as the prey. IN NO WAY AM I CLAIMING DAVID PRICE IS EQUAL TO THE QUALITY OF PEDRO MARTINEZ. But if we are analyzing Boston greats, even the cream of the crop struggled with the New York Yankees, and even in the postseason at times. He won’t call them his daddy, but Price is certainly aware of the situation at hand.

“I’ve faced these guys a lot of times,” said Price. “Been in this division for a long period of time. I’ve faced the Yankees many times. It’s time for me to kind of go back to that drawing board and kind of reinvent myself against these guys.” -MLB.com

It’s clear that as the games go on, the pressure for Price to outshine the Yankees will be there. There are several check marks Boston fans have placed on Price in order for his lucrative contract to benefit them. One of which being consistent quality performances against New York. What I’m concerned with is the quality of David Price that was there before this New York start. Since May 17(disregarding Sunday’s start) Price was premium quality compared to the rest of the roster. Price had a 2.65 ERA, a 6-1 win-loss record, and a 3.27 FIP. This David Price would be nice to get back post this July 1st massacre.

My Conclusion

Personally, I have never had permanent doubt when it comes to David Price. Whether or not we should be paying him for this kind of quality is not in the fans’ control. Personally, I was swayed by postseason Price last year. The fire that was in that version of this pitcher is something that will come out in a divisional series against the Yankees. Rather than a no as meaningful series in the month of July.

 

 

I believe either side has a valid argument. But when it comes down to it  Price has produced quality statistics this season. For some people, the Price will never be right. What do you think?

The Red Sox Should Have Signed Lester, Not Price

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In the winter of 2014, Jon Lester was the big name free agent to hit the market. The Cubs ended up signing him to a six-year, $155M contract. The following winter, David Price was the big name free agent. Lester’s has a $25.8M per year, with Price at $30M annually. Here’s why the Red Sox made a huge mistake.

Jon Lester

Lester said that he would take a discount, making it easier for the Red Sox to sign him. NESN reported that he probably would have signed a five-year extension worth $120M (24 per). In 113 starts as a Cub, Lester has a 3.09 ERA. Lester’s 3.09 ERA since 2015 ranks 10th in the MLB, minimum 500 innings pitched, one spot below Chris Sale. So the Red Sox could have two top-ten pitchers in the league right now. In eleven postseason starts, he has a 1.63 ERA since 2015, and he won the 2016 NLCS MVP.

David Price

After a rough 2015 when Clay Buchholz was the opening day starter, the Red Sox needed to go out and make a big move. They were competing with the Cardinals, so they upped their offer to a seven-year, $217M dollar contract (31 per). Since 2016, Price has a 3.95 ERA in Boston. Price’s 3.95 ERA ranks 27th in the majors since 2016, minimum 400 innings pitched. He ranks third in annual salary, with his 27th slot in the majors is not good enough. In three postseason games as a Red Sox, he has a 4.50 ERA and a 13.50 ERA in his only start.

The Comparison

The Red Sox have won the division both years Price has been in Boston, but they are 1-6 in the playoff games. In his only start against the Indians, Price gave up five runs in 3.1 innings and took the loss. To Price’s credit, he pitched well against the Astros in the bullpen. Lester’s Cubs went to the NLCS in 2015 and 2017 and won the World Series in 2016. Lester is more clutch and trustworthy than Price and is on a better contract. Price is 32 and could opt out of his contract after this year, but I doubt he will given his struggles. I do not like watching a 32-year-old David Price, and I am certainly not looking forward to watching a 36-year-old David Price.

I believe this is the dumbest move ownership has made in the last decade. Some may make the case for the Ramirez and Pablo signing, letting Epstein and Francona go, or something else. But with the difference in money and performance, the decision not to sign Lester and to sign Price is the worst one. There is not a huge difference in money, but the money could be better spent elsewhere. Price is going to get worse as he ages, and the contract is going to look worse and worse each year.