The Pen

[FredLynn]

Get a Closer...even a slightly over the hill Closer would be better than the trash they have closing now or just throwing Nate to the wolves. Throwing Nate in the Closer role and bringing in Wheeler makes 0 sense. Wheeler is just Nate II probably slightly worse. They are virtually the same pitchers. Get somebody that has closed successfully. He does not have to be currently great at Closer to beat the trash we throw out there to close now and won't have to be great to beat Nate in that role.

Frankly I don't think it much matters what they do. The Wheelers of the world are not likely to save this team from itself. JD is making noise about wanting a more permanent deal at more money. Mookie has been distracted all year by his contract issues. Poor baby, $20M is such a burden for him to carry.

This entire team, certainly the members of it other than X, Rafi, Vaz and Price has whaaaaaaaaaa-ed its way through 90 games and will likely whaaaaaaaa its way out the year.

I think we need to take a leap of faith here and believe DD when he says that they are not going to add much salary. To get a quality closer, one better than the stiffs we now have closing, it costs money. Henry is looking at this team and saying "wait a minute-these guys are good enough to make the playoffs!"-and he is right. The answer isn't spending more money, its getting our pitchers to pitch. Chris Sale is 3-8; Porcello has an ERA well over 5; ERod is nearly at 5. And we don't even have a #5 SP right now, not until Johnson gets back. Compare that to what these guys did last year. They HAVE the talent. They just need to do their jobs. A closer isn't going to help much if our SPs keep sucking. We have actually only lost four games in save situations in the ninth inning this year, I believe. No, our pen isn't very good either, but they get put in a tough situation way too often because our SPs get shellacked.

[jung]

I said before the season started that they should have brought in a decent, not necessarily good, certainly not great (if they did not want to spend the money) Closer because they were putting too much burden on guys that had never closed. They should have brought in a guy that could have helped them understand how to prepare for the 9th inning and how to pitch in the 9th inning...could have led them by example. BUT NO......lets just toss the Bucket-o-Fried Chicken Bums at the Closer role. "Something is bound to stick". Hasn't stuck yet and Nate is simply the next experiment, the next thrown at the wall hope.

I don't have a problem with Wheeler though I am not convinced we can get even him.....EVEN HIM and with Nate we are setting ourselves up to put him on the rack and ultimately back up on the shelf now at $17M per. If they were going to do this with him, they never should have brought him back. Starting.. fine, selected pen duty.... fine, closing not fine as closers have to be able to go on back to back and sometimes back to back to back days. Seriously doubt Nate's arm will stand up to that and I don't buy the argument that Nate had some ulterior motive in flat out saying HE DOES NOT WANT TO CLOSE. Don't buy it. We are just making excuses for this mess like a bunch of Celtics Green-teamers.

[notin]

I said before the season started that they should have brought in a decent, not necessarily good, certainly not great (if they did not want to spend the money) Closer because they were putting too much burden on guys that had never closed. They should have brought in a guy that could have helped them understand how to prepare for the 9th inning and how to pitch in the 9th inning...could have led them by example. BUT NO......lets just toss the Bucket-o-Fried Chicken Bums at the Closer role. "Something is bound to stick". Hasn't stuck yet and Nate is simply the next experiment, the next thrown at the wall hope.

I don't have a problem with Wheeler though I am not convinced we can get even him.....EVEN HIM and with Nate we are setting ourselves up to put him on the rack and ultimately back up on the shelf now at $17M per. If they were going to do this with him, they never should have brought him back. Starting.. fine, selected pen duty.... fine, closing not fine as closers have to be able to go on back to back and sometimes back to back to back days. Seriously doubt Nate's arm will stand up to that and I don't buy the argument that Nate had some ulterior motive in flat out saying HE DOES NOT WANT TO CLOSE. Don't buy it. We are just making excuses for this mess like a bunch of Celtics Green-teamers.

Well if he doesn’t want to do it, he isn’t putting up nearly the same fight you are.

And did he ever “flat out” say he doesn’t want to close? Best I can find is an article saying (not quoting) his preference during free agency was to start, which isn’t really the same thing.

I have to think the Sox discussed this option with him and aren’t simply forcing him into the role...

[jacksonianmarch]

Nate is a good teammate and a good soldier. He proved that last year in the playoffs before his payday. If Cora asks him to jump, he's gonna ask how high.

[notin]

Nate is a good teammate and a good soldier. He proved that last year in the playoffs before his payday. If Cora asks him to jump, he's gonna ask how high.

And he probably prefers to start.

But I don’t think he ever “flat out” said he doesn’t want to close, which would contradict exactly what you said.

Now MLBTR did say he told the Phillies he prefers to start, so those negotiations went nowhere.

Now what he did flat out say is he wanted either Boston or Houston (his hometown). As neither asked him about closing at the time, we don’t really know what he would have said. (In fact, Houston didn’t talk to him at all, much to his disappointment.)

[jacksonianmarch]

I never said Nate doesn't want to close. I don't think Nate is going to be an effective closer due to his lack of swing and miss stuff and lack of health

[notin]

I never said Nate doesn't want to close. I don't think Nate is going to be an effective closer due to his lack of swing and miss stuff and lack of health

I have health concerns, but then I’ve had them about Eovaldi for, oh, I don’t know. Just over 11 months now, I guess...

[notin]

And in case anyone cares or somehow didysee it coming, Tyler Thornburg rejected his minor league assignment. The next step is he will now get dumped faster and harder than me by that Providence College cheerleader all those years ago, thrusting him into a virtual tornado of despair and alcoholism-fueled loneliness.

Ok maybe that last part was just me...

[moonslav59]

Funny thing about this whole mess is we Trade Jalen Beeks for Eovaldi, and he's doing a nice job. We Trade Ty Buttrey, for Kinsler, and he's doing a nice job for the Angels.
Maybe best thing is DD better go for a Starter. His track record for Relievers are killing the Sox. Whoever we Trade, is almost certainly going to have a nice season or seasons for his next team.

Kinsler & Eovaldi did help us win a ring, so there's that, but I get your point.

I don't think many here cared much about losing Beeks. I do remember some wondering about Buttrey, and why we never gave him a shot with us.

Does anyone think Shawaryn is the next Beeks or Houk is the next Buttrey?

[moonslav59]

And in case anyone cares or somehow didysee it coming, Tyler Thornburg rejected his minor league assignment. The next step is he will now get dumped faster and harder than me by that Providence College cheerleader all those years ago, thrusting him into a virtual tornado of despair and alcoholism-fueled loneliness.

Ok maybe that last part was just me...

...until the big bidding begins on his services by the 20 contenders in MLB currently.

[jung]

And he probably prefers to start.

But I don’t think he ever “flat out” said he doesn’t want to close, which would contradict exactly what you said.

Now MLBTR did say he told the Phillies he prefers to start, so those negotiations went nowhere.

Now what he did flat out say is he wanted either Boston or Houston (his hometown). As neither asked him about closing at the time, we don’t really know what he would have said. (In fact, Houston didn’t talk to him at all, much to his disappointment.)

You would have expected him to come out and say that he does not want to close? I would not have. In fact, I would prefer to start is more than I would have recommended he say. What he says is simply an indication of what he thinks his arm can handle. Its not more than that. But its not less than that EITHER!

There is actually something of a bonus to starters in the whole "quality start" nonsense. Notice across MLB they are now struggling to make 6 innings. We have created an interim step in what would have been considered a successful start and human nature has taken over as it usually does in all things. So now, they can argue that they are doing well to make six innings and SON OF A GUN, they now struggle to make 6 innings. Who would have thunk it!

So if I am a pitcher with multiple TJ's and a cranky elbow with bone chips floating around in it, give me a six inning stint once per week with a throwing day tossed in between and $17M clams to do it, and I am happy as a clam.

The pitchers did not create this mess. They are just responding to it. However all you have to do is watch the games to see even the top starters in MLB now pacing themselves to 6 innings. For those that don't know what a pitcher pacing himself to 6 innings looks like, your mileage may vary.

[OH FOY!]

Sox need a 5th Starter, schedule dictates it.

[jung]

Sox need a 5th Starter, schedule dictates it.

Happy to see them get one as long as they get a Closer to boot.

[OH FOY!]

I bet they know more about Eovaldi then we know. I bet he's done for the year. If he cant go 1 inning, and has arm problems, I bet he's not going to contribute at all this season.

[Bellhorn04]

I bet they know more about Eovaldi then we know. I bet he's done for the year. If he cant go 1 inning, and has arm problems, I bet he's not going to contribute at all this season.

I agree with the first sentence, but I see no reason to think he's not going to come back and pitch. The recent reports are all positive. If he wasn't progressing I think we'd know it.