It's awful. If you strike out 3 batters in a row or strike out 3 batters in an inning while giving up a few hits, walks and runs you have the same k/9. When I coached I kept a "K per 10 batters faced" metric and it was way more useful to see who really missed more bats. Don't know why that or a similar stat isn't adopted instead.
He pinch hit for Price in the 8th and I'm pretty sure no one but Light was warming. Probably the 2 most grateful people in the world for that 9th inning rally were Farrell and Kimbrel. That guaranteed that there would be no need for a last second save situation.
Layne was warming when it was a 4 run cushion. Light didn't get up until the Red Sox started scoring. They were both warming for a while, and then when the Red Sox started pouring it on Layne sat down.
No. I appreciate the explanation because I've never really understood that part of the game (despite Wikipedia)
If you think of them as "option years" it's easier to grasp. If you "burn an option" the player can go back and forth as many times as they like during a season. If they come up and stay up, it doesn't count.
Hernandez is learning how to play OF so he can be Brock Holt when Brock Holt is too expensive to carry everyone's jocks so my guess is it's him.
Precisely. This is how the 25th roster spot should optimally be utilized. I'd be making at least 2-3 situational transactions per week
I agree. It's especially the case when it's physically easy to do between Pawtucket and Boston, though even when the Sox are in California this should be done.
10 days that they probably want him actually playing regularly in AAA. They have Rutledge as the backup MI already and if someone gets hurt badly enough to where they want Hernandez back up it would likely involve a DL stint anyhow.
The Red Sox has Smith pitch a full inning on a Friday night and another one on Saturday afternoon in his final two rehab outings. It seems that they wanted to be certain that Smith was prepared to go b2b prior to recalling him rather than place restrictions on him.
There's a difference between wanting to make sure he can do it if needed, and leaving that the only available option on some nights. Moreover, I said, back-to-back-to-back, as in 3 days in a row not 2.
Ah Gotcha. With our depth now there really isn't much reason for any of our 3 setup men to be going 3 days in a row. On the bright side if there are that is a good sign.....we're winning a lot of games in the late innings. We've had worse problems the last two years.
Eh, still not getting swings and misses (even at 96-97) -- 6/4 K/BB doesn't inspire a lot of confidence.
So basically, a useful multi-inning middle relief option behind Kimbrel, Uehara, Smith, Tazawa who can keep the team in games when the starter spits the bit. For the league minimum, and matched with a LHP counterpart on the staff in Robbie Ross.
With that being said, after the latest Owens start, there has to be some thought for trying Barnes as a starter 5 days from now.
The way off-days line up, there are only two necessary #5 starts remaining until 5/28, when Rodriguez should be ready to return with a good amount of AAA tuning-up.
Rodriguez will get the #5 starter spot whenever his knee's 100% and his arm strength is back. Owens, Johnson, Elias, Cuevas...the placeholder doesn't matter. Kelly would almost 100% certainly pass through waivers right now -- his salary's in the millions, he's got only 2 years control remaining after 2016, he's on the DL with a shoulder-related injury, and he "performed" to an ERA over 9 -- so the Sox could probably park him in Pawtucket if there's no ready opening when his rehab's done, if need be.
I think you might be the first to have that thought... The Sox seem sold on him in the pen. He's made 67 appearances between Spring Training 2015 and right now - he's made 7 starts, 2 for the big league club. He averages under 2ip per appearance, including those starts. He's not in the conversation.
Kelly is getting paid 2.6 million. For a 4/5th starter even with outstanding stuff albeit not good results, there is probably close to a 0 chance that he clears waivers.
I thought there was a non-zero chance following Owens last start that Brian Johnson would get the ball last night. After last night I expect this move to be made which would also allow so an additional position player for this weekends Yankee series by sending Owens down today.
According to the ProJo Rodriguez is pitching on Sunday and is expected to throw 100 pitches after throwing 84 last time around, and could start for the Sox at the end of next week if everything goes well.
