The Pen

[dannycater]

Pitched 2 no-hitters, I might have named my kid Homer.

Bill Stoneman threw 2 no hitters too. And no one cared for his 54-85 career record.

[OH FOY!]

Bill Stoneman threw 2 no hitters too. And no one cared for his 54-85 career record.

True DC. I like my kids names anyway.

[OH FOY!]

Wonder if this shows up.
https://twitter.com/bostonsportsinf/...08427682324480

[jung]

Geezus...Yankmees apparently talking to the Jays about both Stroman AND Giles. At least if the Yankmees got them, they would keep them out of the hands of teams we are competing with for a WC birth.

[a700hitter]

I don't disagree, but the idea of building a pen this way is to keep throwing the crap against the wall until something sticks. Sooner or later, something will.

And sometimes it sticks to the bottom of your shoe and it smells.

[moonslav59]

Bumgarner is still somewhat in his prime. He turns 30 soon.

He does have some concerns. He's been declining for 3+ years:

WHIP
1.01 (2015)
1.03
1.09
1.24
1.20 This year

ERA+
146 (2016)
128
118
105 This year

His K rate of 9.3 s still above his career 8.8.
K/BB is 4.79 (career 4.17)

He's a "gamer" for sure, but I doubt we have the goods to get him, and even if we did, it might take out top 3-4 prospects to get him, and our farm would be less than zero. I wouldn't do it for a 2 month rental.

[notin]

Not at the Closer it won't. We don't have a Closer. One is not going to emerge. Yes it will take pressure off of the rest of the pen because they won't be called upon for so many innings 6-8. Does not do a damned thing for the 9th and we still don't have someone that can even reliably close. These bums cannot even Hold. So what would make us think that there is suddenly a Closer in the Bucket-o-Fried chicken bums.

If the other pitchers are not capable of getting a hold as you say, getting a closer won’t help...

[Bellhorn04]

We will have a closer fairly soon, Eovaldi.

[fxkatt]

Geezus...Yankmees apparently talking to the Jays about both Stroman AND Giles. At least if the Yankmees got them, they would keep them out of the hands of teams we are competing with for a WC birth.

If they succeed in this, you might as well put them in the 2019 World Series--with the Dodgers. But how in god's name can they eat up one more top reliever? What hogs. Are half their relief staff injured or what?

[jung]

Wheeler is cheaper and as much or as little a crap shoot as MadBum would be at this point. Some team with more assets to attract in trade will get MadBum.

If they are stuck on Wheeler and get him that would not be a terrible move. However they would still need a Closer not named Nate or any of the Bucket-o-fried chicken bums from that pen. There are certainly more NL pitchers that challenge hitters than there are AL pitchers that challenge hitters. Wheeler certainly challenges hitters as much as anybody in the AL does. He losses more than I like in those challenges. He is a good deal like Nate in that regard as Nate challenges hitters as well and losses sometimes by leaving the ball in the middle of the plate.

I am actually pretty sick and tired of watching Red Sox starters pitch. I like the way Sale pitches but when he can't throw his Slider, he is just a train wreck waiting to happen. The rest of them, save Nate have turned into nibbling Erod with Price having more talent than the rest. Hence Price enjoys more success than the rest. Porcello had his day in the sun as a power pitcher (and I do mean A DAY in the sun) and that is now done and dusted. Erod is Erod now with a change up. Price throws like a veteran pitcher. But he challenges a hitter about once a game, maybe twice on his way out his stint.

Tired of the way they pitch across most of MLB now anyway but particularly non-plused by our own starters who have underperformed as a group about as much as a group can underperform. There was no real reason to be excited about the Sox pen EVER. But the Rotation has really been painful to watch pitch.

[OH FOY!]

Geezus...Yankmees apparently talking to the Jays about both Stroman AND Giles. At least if the Yankmees got them, they would keep them out of the hands of teams we are competing with for a WC birth.

This is not good, especially if Giles has finally found himself again.

[Slasher9]

We will have a closer fairly soon, Eovaldi.

This would make me feel better if he was:
- an actual closer
- not currently on the 60 day IL
- not always 1 pitch away from yet another TJS

[Slasher9]

Zack Wheeler Trade Rumors: Mets 'Have Engaged' Red Sox in Talks

[a700hitter]

Zack Wheeler Trade Rumors: Mets 'Have Engaged' Red Sox in Talks

That's the scuttlebutt in NY.

[jung]

This is not good, especially if Giles has finally found himself again.

Christ, Giles was pitching with a cranky wing all year up until just before the Sox series in Toronto. Did pretty well for having a cranky wing. I would have taken him with his cranky wing over anybody we have had closing and anybody we are likely to have closing out the season.