Following Former Red Sox 2023

Rovin Romine

Rovin Romine

Johnny Rico
Lifetime Member
SoSH Member
Jul 14, 2005
25,961
Miami (oh, Miami!)
People tend to focus on the success stories, but it's also interesting to note guys from 2022 who haven't found their way into a ML game. Perhaps some are injured, or are in the minors or foreign ball - but among the players not popping up:

Abraham Almonte, Jaylin Davis, Jose Iglesias, Kevin Plawecki, Yolmer Sanchez.

Eduard Bazardo, Austin Davis, Michael Feliz, Frank German, Darwinzon Hernandez, Hansel Robles, Hirokazu Sawamura.

***
Apart from Eovaldi, Strahm and Wacha, active players from our 2022 pitching group include Seabold, Barnes, Familia, and Diekman, all with ERAs above 5. Hill has managed 11 starts to go 4 and 5 with a 4.76 ERA.
 
Ale Xander

Ale Xander

Hamilton
SoSH Member
Oct 31, 2013
81,981
Nate the Great Eovaldi allows one hit with zero walks in 6 innings with 7 K.
Jrod, Kelenic and Raleigh go a combined0-12 in the game, in a 12-3 Rangers romp
 
Max Power

Max Power

thai good. you like shirt?
SoSH Member
Jul 20, 2005
8,938
Boston, MA
Turner is still a better fit for the team because he can still use a glove, but a few more homers would be nice.
 
Ale Xander

Ale Xander

Hamilton
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Oct 31, 2013
81,981
Tilt signs minor league deal with the Dodgers [enter joke here]
Per Boston.com (who can’t spell his name correctly)
 
Petagine in a Bottle

Petagine in a Bottle

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Jan 13, 2021
15,521
Jackie’s OPS+ the last four years

116
35
58
10

He was still pretty good at Fenway last year (786 OPS)….but absolutely miserable everywhere else. Hard to understand.
 
santadevil

santadevil

wears depends
Silver Supporter
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Aug 1, 2006
6,767
Saskatchestan
Hoya81 said:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/06/19/daniel-bard-made-an-improbable-comeback-then-he-had-to-do-it-again
Really well written New Yorker article about Daniel Bard’s comeback.
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Really great article. Thanks for posting
Like many here, I'm happy that Bard was able to make a comeback and this appears to be something he'll deal with on and off for the rest of his career...which might only last until the end of this season

Glad he's been able to make some money and not have to worry on that side, as he mentioned, he doesn't have much of a fall back plan, due to not focusing on school (on purpose)
 
Average Reds

Average Reds

Member
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Sep 24, 2007
36,380
Southwestern CT
Hoya81 said:
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/06/19/daniel-bard-made-an-improbable-comeback-then-he-had-to-do-it-again
Really well written New Yorker article about Daniel Bard’s comeback.
Click to expand...
santadevil said:
Really great article. Thanks for posting
Like many here, I'm happy that Bard was able to make a comeback and this appears to be something he'll deal with on and off for the rest of his career...which might only last until the end of this season

Glad he's been able to make some money and not have to worry on that side, as he mentioned, he doesn't have much of a fall back plan, due to not focusing on school (on purpose)
Click to expand...
I’m in Europe this week - since last Wednesday, to be precise - so I didn’t find out about this article until it was texted to me today.

The author is my cousin. She is a great writer.
 
LogansDad

LogansDad

Member
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Nov 15, 2006
33,033
Alamogordo
Seeing some concern about Eovaldi after he was sitting 93.8 in his start tonight, a full 2 MPH off what he has been at this year. Let up 4 runs over 6 IP to the White Sox, including 2 HR.
 
sean1562

sean1562

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Sep 17, 2011
3,739
Thad Ward gives up 4 ERs in .2 innings to bring his season ERA up to 7.12 in 30.1 innings.
 
Humphrey

Humphrey

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Aug 3, 2010
3,466
sean1562 said:
Thad Ward gives up 4 ERs in .2 innings to bring his season ERA up to 7.12 in 30.1 innings.
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Can't say I heard any of those on the board who are prospect-knowledgeable throw up any red flags when Thad Ward got picked up in the Rule 5 draft.
 
simplicio

simplicio

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Apr 11, 2012
9,692
Humphrey said:
Can't say I heard any of those on the board who are prospect-knowledgeable throw up any red flags when Thad Ward got picked up in the Rule 5 draft.
Click to expand...
Message boards and tone and all, so to clarify: this is sarcasm, right?
 
joe dokes

joe dokes

Member
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Jul 18, 2005
33,118
Humphrey said:
Can't say I heard any of those on the board who are prospect-knowledgeable throw up any red flags when Thad Ward got picked up in the Rule 5 draft.
Click to expand...
Other than that it was the End Times when he and Song left, I think this is correct.
 
simplicio

simplicio

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Apr 11, 2012
9,692
Much like the Taylor/Mondesi trade, it continues to feel like everybody lost in the Barnes/Bleier deal.
 
Archer1979

Archer1979

shazowies
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Jul 18, 2005
9,026
Right Here
Smiling Joe Hesketh said:
View: https://twitter.com/jayhaykid/status/1680615745187729413?s=20


OPS+ up to 159 now. 4.5 WAR. Looking like it's the second best season of his career behind 2018.
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Did you see this... Mookie has one goal left.

But if you ask him, there’s one thing left.



“I think my goal now is to become a Hall of Famer,” Betts told FOX Sports’ Rowan Kavner. “And whatever that consists of, that’s what I’m trying to do. The rings, being a team guy, asserting myself a little bit, kind of embracing the platform, all those types of things I think will be what help me get to that end goal.
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https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2023/07/former-red-sox-mookie-betts-says-theres-one-goal-left-he-wants-to-accomplish.html
 
Pitt the Elder

Pitt the Elder

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Sep 7, 2013
4,825
Mookie is on pace for his best season since 2018, at least on the offensive side of the ball. His wRC+ (165), OPS (.979), SLG (.592) are all 2nd best so far in his career, his xwOBA (.408) is sitting just behind his 2019 season for 3rd, and his ISO (.306) is the highest ever a. He's currently sitting at 27 hr through 89 games, putting him on pace to eclipse the career high he set last year (35) and possibly surpass 40 for the first time in his career. At his current pace, he would end up with 7-8 WAR in 150 games played, likely his 3rd highest behind his 2016 and 2018 campaigns.

All that said, Mookie is becoming a different sort of player. Relative to his best seasons with the Sox, he's doing most of his damage with his high-slugging approach at the plate while his defense (-2 OAA per) and baserunning (2.6 BSR) have taken a dip. The simplest explanation is that Mookie has lost some speed, reducing his range and limiting his ability to do damage on the basepaths while also reducing his BAPIP (it was routinely .300+ with Boston but has only been in the .270-.280 range with LA). To wit, his sprint speed (ft/s) while never otherworldly, took a big drop in LA:
  • 2015: 28.7
  • 2016: 28.0
  • 2017: 27.9
  • 2018: 28.1
  • 2019: 27.9
  • 2020: 28.3
  • 2021: 27.1
  • 2022: 27.3
  • 2023: 27.2
Aside from his 28.3 in the COVID-shortened season, Mookie has lost almost a full foot per second in sprint speed, dropping from roughly 75% in the league to around 50%. It is very possible that, over the next few seasons, his speed will be literally below average.

It kind of seems that, barring injuries, we can estimate his career glide path: Mookie will continue to drive the ball and get on base for the foreseeable future and generate elite offensive production but his declining speed will limit his value on defense and the base paths, giving back some of the value he generated for the Sox during his best years for us. But that's one hell of a fine baseball player and one of the best I've had the pleasure to see in my lifetime.
 
jmcc5400

jmcc5400

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Sep 29, 2000
5,901
Pitt the Elder said:
Mookie is on pace for his best season since 2018, at least on the offensive side of the ball. His wRC+ (165), OPS (.979), SLG (.592) are all 2nd best so far in his career, his xwOBA (.408) is sitting just behind his 2019 season for 3rd, and his ISO (.306) is the highest ever a. He's currently sitting at 27 hr through 89 games, putting him on pace to eclipse the career high he set last year (35) and possibly surpass 40 for the first time in his career. At his current pace, he would end up with 7-8 WAR in 150 games played, likely his 3rd highest behind his 2016 and 2018 campaigns.

All that said, Mookie is becoming a different sort of player. Relative to his best seasons with the Sox, he's doing most of his damage with his high-slugging approach at the plate while his defense (-2 OAA per) and baserunning (2.6 BSR) have taken a dip. The simplest explanation is that Mookie has lost some speed, reducing his range and limiting his ability to do damage on the basepaths while also reducing his BAPIP (it was routinely .300+ with Boston but has only been in the .270-.280 range with LA). To wit, his sprint speed (ft/s) while never otherworldly, took a big drop in LA:
  • 2015: 28.7
  • 2016: 28.0
  • 2017: 27.9
  • 2018: 28.1
  • 2019: 27.9
  • 2020: 28.3
  • 2021: 27.1
  • 2022: 27.3
  • 2023: 27.2
Aside from his 28.3 in the COVID-shortened season, Mookie has lost almost a full foot per second in sprint speed, dropping from roughly 75% in the league to around 50%. It is very possible that, over the next few seasons, his speed will be literally below average.

It kind of seems that, barring injuries, we can estimate his career glide path: Mookie will continue to drive the ball and get on base for the foreseeable future and generate elite offensive production but his declining speed will limit his value on defense and the base paths, giving back some of the value he generated for the Sox during his best years for us. But that's one hell of a fine baseball player and one of the best I've had the pleasure to see in my lifetime.
Click to expand...
He's basically on the Roberto Clemente path. https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/jaws_RF.shtml

Just don't sort that list by WAR/162. It will make you sad.
 
Smiling Joe Hesketh

Smiling Joe Hesketh

Throw Momma From the Train
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May 20, 2003
38,079
Deep inside Muppet Labs
It makes sense that his young player skills would erode while his older player skills have remained strong or even improved. Many players only have one or the other and thus their careers are short or commonplace. IIRC in 2018 Mookie was the best in the entire league at taking the extra base so it makes sense that 5 years later he's not at that level.

There's no doubt that Mookie is on a HoF path and will get there unless there is a catastrophic injury along the way.
 
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