CentralChamps21

No it's because I like fireworks.

If I ever catch anybody's first home run, anything less than a fully stocked 200 level suite (with nobody carding) for a Friday night home game with fireworks after the game is not getting the ball.

Jerry is an awful person and needs to be gone, but it's not his fault that Hahn thought Harrison would be an upgrade over Leury/Mendick.

Well, I survived. Helped that I didn't drive so I couldn't get carjacked.

Burger isn't Grandal slow though. A good bunt gets him home easily.

So with COVID and everything I've barely been into the city the past few years. We had some family friends from out of town here this past week and they were doing all the tourist stuff so I bought a CityPass and joined them. Got to the SkyDeck, Science & Industry, Aquarium, Art Museum and Field Museum all in a 4 day stretch. Was perfect timing too because my main summer job is mowing lawns and the 95+ heat was a great week to take off from that.

Harrison hits a lot of popups and grounders. I'd be doing a squeeze bunt with him when there's a runner on 3rd and < 2 outs.

You mentioning the Louve reminds me that I went to the AI in Chicago this week with some family friends that were in from out of town. Amazing place. Would love to go to the Louvre some day.

They've had some good swings on the ball. I think they get it going soon.

He's moving away from the base throwing across his body.

What a stupid park when the outfielder can't even take a straight path to the ball, but McGuire will take it.

He did get quite a few calls that inning.

Fastball not his best but those were two really good curves.

Tennessee was the betting favorite going into the Super Regionals. They got eliminated. Texas was the betting favorite going into the World Series. They got eliminated.

Is a 120 wRC+ really worth bumping Vaughn, Pollock or Eloy out of the lineup vs RHP, because that's what you're doing if you acquire an OF?

They might, but for me he'd be a last resort if the Sox can't get someone better and even then the Yankees would have to eat some money and not expect a big return.

I was thinking Anderson for Mendick and Haseley for Lambert. I think Harrison has bought himself some more time with his 1.128 OPS over the past week. I also think Ruiz gets a little bit more time before he gets DFA'd. It could also be Anderson for Lambert and Haseley for Engel.

Yeah, why give up that extra pitcher a day before you have to? Seems like Haseley is up for someone else and I agree it's probably Yoan.

Hitting from the left side is clearly this team's biggest deficiency. Unfortunately, there's not a lot to be had out there. I filtered stats for LH/Switch hitters who have a WRC+ > 140 vs RHP in > 100 PA this season and are on a team with a win% < .450. These are the results: JP Crawford, SS/3B, 161 WRC+, signed through 2026 Jazz Chisolm, SS/2B, 158 WRC+, arb eligible in 2024, team control through 2026 Juan Soto LF/RF, 150 WRC+, currently arb eligible, team control through 2024 Josh Bell 1B/DH, 142 WRC+, free agent after 2022 The only one that won't cost a boatload to get is Josh Bell, who's also the worst of the four hitters and the least versatile defensively.

So I did some digging. 5 years service time is the limit at which a player can no longer be optioned to the minors. By my calculations, as of today, Engel is 41 days short of 5 years, so he can be optioned and they wouldn't have to DFA him. Maybe playing every day at AAA for a while will wake up his bat like it (hopefully) did for Haseley.

Davis is probably the guy who gets them through the 5th if Kopech can't. Some combination of Sousa/Ruiz/Foster get the 6th-7th, Kelly 8th, Graveman 9th.

Everybody but Lopez = everybody on the active roster but Lopez, so that implied that Bummer, Crick and Hendriks were not included.

My view on this team all season long has been that NY and HOU are going to be the 1 and 2 seeds, and this Sox team as constructed isn't going to win a Division Series against either team. They won 2 of 3 at Yankee stadium and have a chance to take 2 of 3 at Minute Maid with Kopech going to the mound and the bullpen with everybody but Lopez available.

Yermin's chance at sticking is to find a lefty heavy team, where he might be able to stick as a platoon DH and pinch hitter. He's never going to play a position.

As much as I hate the idea of giving up on someone with Engel's speed and defensive ability in the OF, he's right-handed and sporting a .615 OPS and he just doesn't fit on this roster right now. Does Engel have too much service time to be sent down? I'm not clear on how that works.