JUSTgottaBELIEVE

Here’s one: most games started by a pitcher in the modern era. That record belongs to knuckleballer Phil Niekro. He started 44 games in 1979. Garrett Crochet gets his 4th start this Saturday in the Sox 14th game of the season. If they maintain a 4 man rotation, maybe Garrett can match Phil’s 44 this season.

Hopefully Fedde can give them two more innings. I really don’t want to see the bullpen try to cover more than three innings tonight with the work the high leverage guys got in yesterday.

It’s these little trades that the Sox have to start winning. I’m hoping they do the same this July. If they’re able to turn Lynn, Kelly, Giolito, and Graveman into their top two catchers, high leverage reliever, and back end starting pitcher that’s about the best outcome you could possibly ask for in trading that collection of junk. It also fills roster spots with quality players on low salaries without having to spend $ on the Dejongs and Maldanados of the world in free agency.

And considering they flipped Graveman for him, who is getting paid $8M to miss the entire season, I’d say that trade was a huge win even if Lee only amounts to a serviceable backup catcher.

I think it’s a reach to apply this to guys like Sosa and Colas, who have already experienced a cup of coffee in MLB. Now if they prematurely promote guys like Montgomery or Quero, then I agree with you.

Huh? Baseball savant has him at 98 on his fastball this season. We watching the same guy?

Oh he was “only” 98-99 haha

Yea, I have no idea what @caulfield12 was talking about lol. Dude was bringing the heat

Wow, Kopech turning into a dominant closer would be HUGE for his trade value. Fingers crossed this continues..

4.1 scoreless innings for Leasure this season so far. Stud

I really like Leasure. Still can’t believe they got him and Nastrini for Lynn and Kelly last July lol

No way I’m locking up Soroka for $10M AAV. 5th starters can be found via free agency for that type of money on single year commitments.

Give me the player with more cheap control over the player with less control 10/10 times. You and others have stated he’s basically useless for a contending team this season because he won’t pitch in August/september. How does his value increase in the offseason compared to July? If anything, his value remains the same unless you are presuming values of starting pitchers increase in the offseason compared to the trade deadline. And again, I don’t think that’s true based on what we’ve seen with others in the recent past.

I just don’t see how he’d look more attractive in the offseason compared to July. If we are assuming he’s hitting his innings limit in July and pitches very little to not at all the rest of this season, he isn’t continuing to build trade value in august and September but he is gaining additional service time thereby reducing the acquiring team’s control over him. Are you saying that starting pitching is valued more highly in the offseason versus the trade deadline? I thought we already went thru this with Cease and I don’t think that theory played out to be true.

If he’s at 100 innings in July, you don’t think a team can manage his innings over the final two months and have him start 1 or more games in the postseason? Why is 100 innings the magical number?

I think Steven Wilson will have more trade value than Kopech. I’m thinking they could get a 40/45 FV prospect for him in a few months.

So they’re going to shut him down in early July? That would be surprising.

What’s his innings limit? 100? 120? 150?

Why would he have more value in the offseason than in July? Presumably, he won’t throw a ton of innings in August/September so it’s not like he will be building his value further in those months. There will be far less pitching available in July than there will be in the offseason. We already went thru this with Cease and next offseason has even more available quality free agent starting pitching than this past offseason.

I think it would require a team like the Dodgers to be involved since they are a team that thinks outside the box. They’d probably be the best team to manage his innings until October and then can use him as an opener in the 3rd or 4th slot in the playoffs. I know they will have some starting pitchers returning from injury later this year but I’m not sure how they feel comfortable with that rotation. A lot of question marks still.

I’ve asked this question in a few other threads but thought it deserved it’s own. What are your guesses on the trade value of Sox starting pitchers as we approach the trade deadline? Of course this assumes good health, which is a big assumption for any pitcher these days, but for the sake of discussion let’s assume that. Here are my guesses: Crochet - one 55 FV prospect + two 45/50 FV prospects Crochet’s trade value might be the biggest mystery of all as I could easily see him returning a Cease type package given his young age, incredible stuff, and cheap team control thru 2026. There are obvious risks though, primarily his health, but if he maintains his current dominant form and stays healthy the sky is the limit. I can see a team like the Dodgers being very interested in Crochet this July. Fedde - one 45/50 FV prospect + a flier prospect So far, Fedde’s new and improved repertoire has translated from KBO to MLB. It’s still very early but if he maintains a mid 3’s ERA into July I think a 2023 Lorenzen type return for him is reasonable. I can see a team like the Orioles being interested because I think their rotation will need outside reinforcements this summer but they’re too stingy to pursue high end pitching and unload any of their top prospects. Soroka - a couple flier prospects He isn’t the pitcher he once was due to injury but he has value as a 5th starter and/or long relief arm especially for the cost (both in dollars and prospect value for acquiring team) Flexen / Clevinger - no trade value (if lucky, traded for cash considerations) What are your thoughts?

I thought that only applied to the 2025 draft and then it resets again no?

Oh man, Fedde is going to be in big demand come July. Crochet too, assuming he stays healthy.

True but they were still in the same position come October as this team will be but had a lot more talent. Big missed opportunity in my mind and hence the extreme frustration. I had no expectations coming into this season so whether it’s 40 wins or 60 wins nothing changes in my mind, it’s just a bad team.

2005 was easily the best for me. They didn’t hit nearly as well as they did in 2006 but they were such a well rounded team. Watching our pitching get smacked around in 2006, particularly in the second half of the season, was unwatchable for me. Again, expectations were a big part of that but I’ve never been more frustrated as a Sox fan as I was then.