7/21 Games

[BigEdWalsh]

Charlotte over Scranton 5-1. Sisco started and went 5 innings for the W.

Pods 1-4 with an RBI.

Richar, 2-5 with a 2B.

Sweeney 0-4 with a BB and a run.

Carlos Vasquez pitched 3 scoreless innings in relief.

 

Birmingham beat Chattanooga 4-0. Gio, 6 shutout innings and 9 K's.

Collaro hit a 2 run homer.

Nanita went 3-4.

 

Winston-Salem lost a twinbill 7-2 and 3-0. Nuff said.

 

Kannapolis won 4-1. Carlos Perez with 5 strong innings for the W.

Miranda, Shelby and Carter all had 3 hits.

 

Bristol was clobbered 10-1.

Gerst with 3 of the team's 4 hits.

 

Great Falls is losing in the 8th 8-2 (can't win 'em all).

Poreda with 2 scoreless innings of relief, 2 Ks.

 

 

[danman31]

Russell made his debut out of the Barons pen. 2 innings, one K, and one hit allowed. Let's get him fast tracked to the bigs for a September callup. Phillips can get knocked off the 40-man roster for all I care. Sisco is doing better in AAA, he could earn another shot soon. I'm with the throw guys into the fire theory for the bullpen. Somebody has to stick or the Sox will have only one trusted reliever going into the off season.

 

It should also be interesting to see who takes Russell's spot in the Barons' rotation. They have an off day tomorrow so they can wait another few days, but there are no obvious candidates. Honel may get it, but he hasn't been going deep into games. There are no other obvious candidates from W-S, but I could see McCulloch getting bumped because they might want to push him because he was a first rounder who has been doing fairly well.

[witesoxfan]

Russell made his debut out of the Barons pen. 2 innings, one K, and one hit allowed. Let's get him fast tracked to the bigs for a September callup. Phillips can get knocked off the 40-man roster for all I care. Sisco is doing better in AAA, he could earn another shot soon. I'm with the throw guys into the fire theory for the bullpen. Somebody has to stick or the Sox will have only one trusted reliever going into the off season.

 

I would be looking to trade Thornton, and I am not sure how the Sox can justify keeping him long term. He's having a bit of a rough year ERA and WHIP wise, but he's got pretty solid peripherals; the H/9 will go down with a good defense behind him instead of the mediocre defense the Sox put out there, his K and HR rates are there, and he really hasn't been terribly erratic with his control. I doubt you get an outstanding piece, but I'd target someone in the lower minors to get him anyways; you can't build an organization by trading away players and then getting mediocre players back in return, which is what you'd get for Thornton if you traded him for a guy in AA or above.

 

I also look to move MacDougal too, but I'd hold off on trading him simply because of how terrible he has been this year. I doubt there's any way he can be this bad next year, and if he bounces back, you'll not only have an arm in the pen but also a nice piece to trade with an affordable contract.

[BearSox]

I would be looking to trade Thornton, and I am not sure how the Sox can justify keeping him long term. He's having a bit of a rough year ERA and WHIP wise, but he's got pretty solid peripherals; the H/9 will go down with a good defense behind him instead of the mediocre defense the Sox put out there, his K and HR rates are there, and he really hasn't been terribly erratic with his control. I doubt you get an outstanding piece, but I'd target someone in the lower minors to get him anyways; you can't build an organization by trading away players and then getting mediocre players back in return, which is what you'd get for Thornton if you traded him for a guy in AA or above.

 

I also look to move MacDougal too, but I'd hold off on trading him simply because of how terrible he has been this year. I doubt there's any way he can be this bad next year, and if he bounces back, you'll not only have an arm in the pen but also a nice piece to trade with an affordable contract.

You don't trade lefty pitchers who can hit 95-98 on their fastball for "lower level prospects" unless it is for a great talent.

[witesoxfan]

You don't trade lefty pitchers who can hit 95-98 on their fastball for "lower level prospects" unless it is for a great talent.

 

So you'd trade Lance Broadway for Alan Embree? even in his prime?

 

Thornton's had one good year, and even that wasn't a dominant year out of the pen; aside from those 54 innings, he's done nothing to be considered one of the better lefties in the game. He's merely a good, but not great, bullpen arm.

 

So, yeah, you trade a lefty pitcher that throws 95-98 for a lower level prospect with a high ceiling. Unless of course you want someone like Andy Gonzalez or Aaron Miles coming to the Sox.

[BearSox]

So you'd trade Lance Broadway for Alan Embree? even in his prime?

 

Thornton's had one good year, and even that wasn't a dominant year out of the pen; aside from those 54 innings, he's done nothing to be considered one of the better lefties in the game. He's merely a good, but not great, bullpen arm.

 

So, yeah, you trade a lefty pitcher that throws 95-98 for a lower level prospect with a high ceiling. Unless of course you want someone like Andy Gonzalez or Aaron Miles coming to the Sox.

I fail to see your logic, cause last time I checked Lefties like Thornton don't grow on trees. The M's were idiots for trading him for only Joe Borchard. Unless we get one of the top "lower level" prospects, I'd rather see the team take their chances with Thornton.

 

But then again I forgot, we got our future lefty "fireballer" (if his arm doesn't fall off before then) out of the pen with Poreda.

[witesoxfan]

I fail to see your logic, cause last time I checked Lefties like Thornton don't grow on trees. The M's were idiots for trading him for only Joe Borchard. Unless we get one of the top "lower level" prospects, I'd rather see the team take their chances with Thornton.

 

But then again I forgot, we got our future lefty "fireballer" (if his arm doesn't fall off before then) out of the pen with Poreda.

 

They don't grow on trees, but KW has been able to find them when he needs to over the years; Marte comes to mind instantly, and he was a better pitcher with a better history than Matt Thornton and all he got was a utility player. Thornton's not going to get you more than that just because he can throw the ball 98 MPH from the left side of the mound.

 

Marte got Mackowiak, JC Romero got Alexi Casilla; looking at both trades at the time, it looked like the Sox received the much better product in return. Now looking back, who got the better end, and why would you want to trade Thornton for a guy in AAA? You just won't get much value for him period.

 

(and the Mariners weren't dumb. They had no use for a left hander they felt would always have control problems and thus would always struggle, and they had no more options for him; what other choice were they left with? they got a guy with great power in Borchard and tried to slip him through the cracks. Unfortunately for them, the Marlins were taking any and everything that had talent in its body and throwing it in the fire at the time)