Just posted same tweet in another thread. Sorry not original… but it bears repeating. The great 2022 Red Sox bullpen experiment appears not to yet be working.
Cora after the gameQuestioning why Houck wasn’t used in the 9th there…
Didn’t watch the game though
So…. If it’s in the plans to eventually get him back to back games…. When will that be happening and why then and not now?Cora after the game
“We decided he (Houck) wasn’t available before the game, so that’s why you didn’t see him,” Cora said. “We talked about it, and obviously, the decision, it’s not only me. It’s the whole group. He hasn’t pitched back-to-back — that’s something that we have to get him ready for, just to push him that way doesn’t make sense.”
He threw 20+ high stress pitches the night before. And Wacha only went 4.1 innings yesterday. I dont blame cora for staying away from him yesterdaySo…. If it’s in the plans to eventually get him back to back games…. When will that be happening and why then and not now?
He was preparing as a SP, which is how he started the season.Houck is a healthy 25 year old, he can’t go back to back? Why wasn’t he pitching in back to back games in spring training, to be prepared for this?
Several what of rest? If fuss = days, and they don’t have him pitch in consecutive days when he hasn’t even done a two in three yet, is that out of line? Did you hear that Whitlock got hurt? Is Houck a rental in your mind, ok to throw him without concern for his future?Yeah, fair, but I’m still a little puzzled with how they have handled Houck and Whitlock this year. Houck had never even pitched on one days rest this year. If they are going to use him as a short reliever yet still give him several fuss of rest between outings, well, I’m skeptical as to how well that can work.
It’s not a conclusion, it’s a conversion and it’s not instantaneous.Sorry, yes fuss = days. I know your mantra is that every decision the org makes is the right or only one, but if they’ve concluded that Houck is not going to pitch without several days rest- I think he should either be starting or going multiple innings in an outing. Using him as a one inning guy if he’s going to need two days rest isn’t ideal, IMO. How do you think he should be used?
What exactly is the process? Legit question, not trying to be snarky. Papelbon is a guy who pretty much immediately was able to pitch on short rest when converted to a reliever. Derek Lowe’s another. Obviously every pitcher is different, of course.It’s not a conclusion, it’s a conversion and it’s not instantaneous.
It's worth remembering that Sale was injured after they signed Hill and Wacha. So Houck and Whitlock weren't perhaps in the mix as starters unless there was a injury or someone face-planted. So there must have been a plan to use them in relief.Yeah, fair, but I’m still a little puzzled with how they have handled Houck and Whitlock this year. Houck had never even pitched on one days rest this year. If they are going to use him as a short reliever yet still give him several fuss of rest between outings, well, I’m skeptical as to how well that can work.
The process? Simple:What exactly is the process? Legit question, not trying to be snarky. Papelbon is a guy who pretty much immediately was able to pitch on short rest when converted to a reliever. Derek Lowe’s another. Obviously every pitcher is different, of course.
Papelbon pitched on 0 days rest once his rookie year and his first appearance was 6 pitches.What exactly is the process? Legit question, not trying to be snarky. Papelbon is a guy who pretty much immediately was able to pitch on short rest when converted to a reliever. Derek Lowe’s another. Obviously every pitcher is different, of course.
Curious as to those numbers over the past thirty days. Everyone knows the Sox were dreadful the first 45 days or soTony Mazz in the pre-game putting it bluntly when he says that the team has lost 9 games when leading after 8 innings. NY, Tampa and Toronto combined have a total of 11.
Sure, he also pitched on one days rest six times; something Houck has yet to do. In his second year, he pitched on 0 days rest 17 times.Papelbon pitched on 0 days rest once his rookie year and his first appearance was 6 pitches.
So, this is what we talked about yesterday. It is a process to build an arm up for more frequent use. Today is an off day. Tomorrow they will run him through tests, could be as simple as “How do you feel?”, that decides if he can go Tuesday or not. Do that a few times, THEN you might see him in back to backs.Sure, he also pitched on one days rest six times; something Houck has yet to do. In his second year, he pitched on 0 days rest 17 times.
Nevertheless, perhaps a moot point. With all the injuries, Houck should probably be starting.
(Or it’s moot because he pitches on one day rest and nails down the save. Giddy up!).
He hasn't really put a lot of runners on base to be charged with (23 in 21.1 innings). However, he leads the team in inherited runs allowed (10 of 22 have scored). Basically, he's not been good at preventing runners already on base from scoring (which always looks bad) but his own runners allowed aren't scoring as often (perhaps a credit to his bullpen mates).How does Sawamura have an ERA < 3.00????
Which, IIRC, is the opposite of last season.He hasn't really put a lot of runners on base to be charged with (23 in 21.1 innings). However, he leads the team in inherited runs allowed (10 of 22 have scored). Basically, he's not been good at preventing runners already on base from scoring (which always looks bad) but his own runners allowed aren't scoring as often (perhaps a credit to his bullpen mates).
It's got to be Brasier, right?The 13-pitcher limit is finally going to be enforced starting on Monday.
View: https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/1537847398294343680
Sox have 14 pitchers on the current 26-man roster. Who will be the odd man out?
Sawamura can be optioned, right? He signed a free agent contract out of Japan, but still has less than 3 years of service time.Seems like it’s between Sawamura and Brasier at this point.
Yep, they optioned him earlier in the year but called him right back up because someone else got hurt.Sawamura can be optioned, right? He signed a free agent contract out of Japan, but still has less than 3 years of service time.
Well, yeah. But presumably when one of them comes back, one of the guys starting in their place (Crawford or Winckowski) would be optioned back to Worcester.Not 100% sure on the new rule; will they also need to do this again when Whitlock/Eovaldi come back?
Yes, but that will be a bit easier as Winckowski and Crawford are 1-1 rotation swaps.Not 100% sure on the new rule; will they also need to do this again when Whitlock/Eovaldi come back?
There's the option of keeping Crawford up and sending someone like Sawamura down - but 10 days from now the team heads to Toronto.Well, yeah. But presumably when one of them comes back, one of the guys starting in their place (Crawford or Winckowski) would be optioned back to Worcester.
Well, yeah. But presumably when one of them comes back, one of the guys starting in their place (Crawford or Winckowski) would be optioned back to Worcester.
Thought so, thanks folks.Yes, but that will be a bit easier as Winckowski and Crawford are 1-1 rotation swaps.
Ugh. I had forgotten about the Toronto factor.There's the option of keeping Crawford up and sending someone like Sawamura down - but 10 days from now the team heads to Toronto.
It might be related to something discussed the other day in that Sawamura has been very poor at allowing inherited runners to score (10 of 22) which probably doesn't get reflected in his WAR, while not having many of the baserunners he puts on coming around to score, which does show up in WAR. Also Strahm has been used in more high leverage situations (1.93 gmLI), so his poor outings are probably weighted more and thus hurt him more than Sawamura's (0.66 gmLI).Somehow Sawamura has one of the better WAR numbers and Strahm one of the worst and this in no way squares with my viewing experience.
5-run lead, but yeah. Davis has also been one of the best pitchers in the pen this year. It's not like Cora was bringing in the dregs to get them some work and hoping they'd get the job done. The Cards are a good hitting team. They were bound to get to somebody at some point.Totally understandable why Cora brought in Davis. Trying to save Houck with a 4 run lead there.
My scouting report on 17-year old James Norwood: