GDT: Red Sox @ Blue Jays (1/3) September 9, 2016

[mellowgold]

Porcello vs. Estrada

 

Boston:

 

2b Pedroia

ss Bogaerts

dh Ortiz

rf Betts

1b Ramirez

3b Shaw

c Leon

cf Bradley

lf Holt

 

 

Toronto:

 

2b Travis

3b Donaldson

1b Encarnacion

dh Bautista

ss Tulowitzki

c Navarro

rf Saunders

lf Upton

cf Pillar

[KevinGregg]

Porcello vs. Estrada

Toronto:

 

2b Travis

3b Donaldson

1b Encarnacion

dh Bautista

ss Tulowitzki

c Navarro

rf Saunders

lf Upton

cf Pillar

 

The f***?

[KevinGregg]

biggest game of the year why cant we run out the A line up?

This isnt april Gibby!

[ChrisS]

The f***?

Martin is hurt and to be fair, the eye test says Navarro has been pretty good at the plate recently.

[mellowgold]

The f***?

 

Gibby strikes again. Martin had better be on his death bed to miss ANY game of this series.

[bones10]

The f***?

 

Martin is on his last leg.

[ChrisS]

Gibby strikes again. Martin had better be on his death bed to miss ANY game of this series.

He couldn't even run 43 hours ago.

[Sam]

Martin is hurt and to be fair, the eye test says Navarro has been pretty good at the plate recently.

 

The eye test says Navarro is still a fat f*** and Upton / Saunders are >>> any day of the year.

[flafson]

The eye test says Navarro is still a fat f*** and Upton / Saunders are >>> any day of the year.

 

Martin can't hit or run right now...

[LGBJ29]

The eye test says Navarro is still a fat f*** and Upton / Saunders are >>> any day of the year.

 

didn't he lose like 40 lbs?

 

But seriously for people to be complaining about Martin not in there is pretty hilarious. Clearly he's not 100%, and for him to do a night game tonight and then a day game tomorrow could jeopardize his health for the remainder of the stretch run. Open your f***ing eyes

[burlingtonbandit]

The eye test says Navarro is still a fat f*** and Upton / Saunders are >>> any day of the year.

 

Upton is terrible vs RHP.

[Governator]

[RealAccountant]

I predict we will sweep the Sox

[mellowgold]

I'm a little surprised Gibby didn't start Smoak to be honest. I know the fact that he's Smoak is working against him but he has absolutely raked against Porcelain (SSS but still).

[Slade]

Gibby strikes again. Martin had better be on his death bed to miss ANY game of this series.

 

Martin looked atrocious at the plate after he got hurt, we need him as healthy as possible for the next 20+ games. With Estrada starting there is no better time than this to get Navarro in there.

[JFD]

I'm a little surprised Gibby didn't start Smoak to be honest. I know the fact that he's Smoak is working against him but he has absolutely raked against Porcelain (SSS but still).

 

Gibby doesn't look at numbers, he makes decisions based on his gut feeling.

[Governator]

I'm a little surprised Gibby didn't start Smoak to be honest. I know the fact that he's Smoak is working against him but he has absolutely raked against Porcelain (SSS but still).

 

He's 0/5 against him this year and last year everyone raked against Porcelain.

[BTS]

I enjoy that Smoak can't even get into the lineup a couple months after signing a multi-year extension.

 

I'd be pretty excited about his departure right now if he weren't signed

[mellowgold]

He's 0/5 against him this year and last year everyone raked against Porcelain.

 

Yeah fair enough. Just noticed that Porcello was autocorrected to Porcelain but it's actually a little funny.

[Governator]

Yeah fair enough. Just noticed that Porcello was autocorrected to Porcelain but it's actually a little funny.

 

lmao

[RealAccountant]

I enjoy that Smoak can't even get into the lineup a couple months after signing a multi-year extension.

 

I'd be pretty excited about his departure right now if he weren't signed

 

I can't enjoy anything..I haven't enjoyed this season at all.

[KevinGregg]

I can't enjoy anything..I haven't enjoyed this season at all.

 

you sound depressed man.

 

This season has been probably a little less exciting than last year but still so much better than every other year

[JoeCarter]

Sox young core + ages + year of free agency

 

Bogaerts (SS), 23.9, 2020

Moncada (2B, eventually), 21.3, 2023

Shaw (3B), 26.3, 2022

Leon ©, 27.5, 2020

Holt (INF/OF), 28.2, 2020

Betts (RF), 23.9, 2021

Bradley Jr (CF), 26.4, 2021

Benintendi (LF), 22.1, 2023

 

I mean what in the actual fugg. Young, cheap talent + willingness to overpay for established superstars. Who cares if they've got question marks on the mound - they have at least 3 more years of good Price, Pomeranz is a good SP3 and cheap through 2019, and they'll just buy the rest. The AL East is basically F'd for the next 4 years.

[Daniel Labude]

Lets Go Blue Jays!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[baseballsss]

Sox young core + ages + year of free agency

 

Bogaerts (SS), 23.9, 2020

Moncada (2B, eventually), 21.3, 2023

Shaw (3B), 26.3, 2022

Leon ©, 27.5, 2020

Holt (INF/OF), 28.2, 2020

Betts (RF), 23.9, 2021

Bradley Jr (CF), 26.4, 2021

Benintendi (LF), 22.1, 2023

 

I mean what in the actual fugg. Young, cheap talent + willingness to overpay for established superstars. Who cares if they've got question marks on the mound - they have at least 3 more years of good Price, Pomeranz is a good SP3 and cheap through 2019, and they'll just buy the rest. The AL East is basically F'd for the next 4 years.

 

The Yankees aren't that far off. Although you just have to question if their prospects will pan out.

[G-Snarls]

Please win this game

 

I beg of thee

[43211234]

Biggest game since last October.

 

Must win series!

[G-Snarls]

I enjoy that Smoak can't even get into the lineup a couple months after signing a multi-year extension.

 

I'd be pretty excited about his departure right now if he weren't signed

 

TY Gibbons

[BlueJays]

It's now or never!

[jaysfan2014]

Sox young core + ages + year of free agency

 

Bogaerts (SS), 23.9, 2020

Moncada (2B, eventually), 21.3, 2023

Shaw (3B), 26.3, 2022

Leon ©, 27.5, 2020

Holt (INF/OF), 28.2, 2020

Betts (RF), 23.9, 2021

Bradley Jr (CF), 26.4, 2021

Benintendi (LF), 22.1, 2023

 

I mean what in the actual fugg. Young, cheap talent + willingness to overpay for established superstars. Who cares if they've got question marks on the mound - they have at least 3 more years of good Price, Pomeranz is a good SP3 and cheap through 2019, and they'll just buy the rest. The AL East is basically F'd for the next 4 years.

 

Wrong--that young cheap talent is set to get expensive starting this offseason:

-Bogaerts is arb eligible after this season and expected to get a significant raise, as is Bradley (Super 2) and Holt. And Betts is on track to get a Trout level contract by the time he's arb eligible.

-Shaw is not the 3B of the future--Rafael Devers is. Shaw is likely to be dealt for pitching help, possibly this offseason

-Sandy Leon is a flash in the pan and won't keep this up--Christian Vazquez is the long term catcher in Boston.

-Moncada is at least a year away from being an option for Boston, as shown by his poor start at the MLB level--he's likely AAA bound next year, providing he isn't traded in a package for a SP, which is a very good possibility, especially after his poor start at the MLB level.

-Pomeranz isn't a long-term piece for Boston--Sox overpaid him for a surprising year in San Diego, similar to what they did with Aaron Hill (an awful trade).And his salary is expected to surge to $7-10M/year in arb this offseason, plus he's not young..

-Holt is a trade candidate, as he isn't really a long-term piece, and doesn't hit for enough power to be a regular, and will be blocked at LF by Benintendi and 3B by Shaw/Sandoval and eventually Devers. Plus they have a cheaper option in Marco Hernandez in their system.

 

In addition, they need bullpen arms in the worst way--Ziegler, Tazawa and Uehara are gone after this season, Ross, Abad and Kelly are non-tender candidates.

 

-They can't buy talent--payroll is unsustainably high for Boston, especially when they've given so many bad contracts to Sandoval, HanRam, Castillo, Craig.. and Price is going to decline. John Henry's not gonna give another big contract, especially when he needs to resign Bogaerts and Betts soon, both expected to get $250-300M/10 years deals, and they owe $160M+ to just 7 players. They need to focus on Betts/Bogaerts, as failing to resign them means they'll end up on the Yankees or Dodgers in 2020/2021.. remember Damon and Ellsbury?

 

And the pipeline is set to get very dry--they have nothing in the farm system close to MLB ready after Moncada/Benintendi. Devers is 2 years away, and they have few, if any high end prospects after those 3. And the pitching pipeline has nothing.. Owens, Ball and Johnson are busts, and Kopech/Groome are raw and far away.