Red Sox Update: So Much for my AL East Winner Pick Edition

 

This iteration of the Red Sox has been competitive since 2016. And it's really as simple as...if the pitching is there, they make the playoffs. If not, they don't. 

This year the pitching wasn't there.

I'll say that this team wasn't nearly as scattered as it was in 2020, where they were struggling for starting options and even good pitchers like Martin Perez and Nate Eovaldi couldn't help. Yes, there were competent starters in Boston this year, and Michael Wacha, Nick Pivetta and Rich Hill had decent seasons. But without Eduardo Rodriguez, a healthy Chris Sale and an elite, healthy Eovaldi, this pitching weighed the team down. There was no one answer in the ninth, with John Schreiber, Tanner Houck, Matt Strahm and Garrett Whitlock getting reps there. Longtime relief surefires Matt Barnes and Ryan Brasier were bloated and unsatisfactory. The call-ups, like Brayan Bello, Connor Seabold, Kutter Crawford and Josh Winckowski, haven't worked as well as they've wanted. And now even Pivetta's got a 4.48 ERA and a 10-11 record. 

The pitching just isn't there. And it cost them a spot in the race that was already crowded enough with the Yankees, Jays and Rays. 

Plus, with so many pitching pieces, like Nate Eovaldi, Matt Strahm, Rich Hill, Michael Wacha, and James Paxton, WHO DIDN'T EVEN PITCH FOR THE SOX AT ALL THIS YEAR, free agents next year, there's no guarantee the pitching will be in better shape next year. I guess Pivetta, Whitlock and the kids are all back, but there are so many question marks, not even including Chris Sale who has been so inconsistent the past few years [again, the Jack McDowell comparisons may not have been far off]. So unless a lot happens and, like usual, the Sox deal like hell this offseason, we could have another year of this team being held back its pitching. 

And at the same time, you have J.D. Martinez possibly leaving, Enrique Hernandez possibly leaving, Tommy Pham possibly leaving, and the possibility of Xander Bogaerts opting out and going somewhere else. Meaning the team could be down to its barest essentials, including Rafael Devers, Alex Verdugo, Trevor Story, and Christian Arroyo, who could be using his impressive second half work as a ramp up to a starting gig next year. This team could look a ton different in 2023, and it's not even a certainty that they'll be better than Baltimore, let alone the others. 

The Red Sox could still be a factor going forward, but they need to ensure a lot of things, including a sturdier, less unstable pitching staff, to conserve their momentum. 

Coming Tonight: A guy who led the league in home runs in 2020 and is trying to outrun the Chris Carter comparisons in Washington. 

Championship Series Day 4: Slamming Into Oblivion

 

I figured that the ALCS was going to become a case of which pitching staff committed less mistakes, but I always thought the Sox' bullpen was going to be the victim of this. Hansel Robles sitting around looking human, that's a giveaway. Adam Ottavino and Matt Barnes teetering on the brink of unreliable? This is all foreshadowing in most seasons. 

However, this has all been a pleasant surprise. Something about the Red Sox lineup absolutely obliterating Houston pitchers has been giving me life in this bland, bland postseason schematic. LOOK AT 'EM GO! J.D., Arroyo, Schwarber, Devers, Hernandez. They're all absolutely attacking this team's bullpen. Which means, if anything, that whatever cheating that the lineup did all those years ago, and may still be doing, didn't spread to the pitching.

Aw, man. Something about seeing the Astros get what they've deserved this series has made me like the Red Sox a little. Let me stress that I'm still gonna be rooting for the NL team in the WS, but the Sox somehow have a habit of feeling fun whenever they get good momentum in the postseason. It happened in 2013, it happened in 2018, and it's happening now. Lots of fun, excellent players, like Rafael Devers, Kyle Schwarber, Enrique Hernandez, Eduardo Rodriguez, and now Christian Arroyo, are getting their due. Arroyo's success comes after years of trying to make it in San Francisco, Tampa and Cleveland before FINALLY getting a shot with the Red Sox and taking it to a huge postseason moment. I'm very happy for the guy. 

We've got a few more games left til we really see the full picture here, but with a Greinke-Pivetta battle looming tonight, I'd kinda like some more offensive olympics happening on the home side. Pivetta's been sharp all postseason, Greinke's been human all year, the signs are there. Let's just bring it on home. 

It'll be interesting how the NLCS game goes as well, considering that it's Morton v. Buehler. We could very well see the Braves go to 3-0. Wouldn't that be something? 

2020 Topps Final Edition: Cards #118-126

 Baseball season is finally upon us, at least for teams that are not the Mets and Nationals, and we're already beginning to see the picture of how the 2021 season might go. But we still have plenty of 2020 Final Edition posts to go before we've entirely put the 2020 season to bed. Here are 9 more cards from it:

Card #118- Oliver Perez, Cleveland Indians

One of the most unexpected career second acts of the modern era, Oliver Perez went from a trusty starter with the Padres and Mets in the 2000s to a relief weapon for the Cleveland Indians. Since 2018, Oliver has sported a 2.67 ERA in 139 appearances, notching 105 strikeouts in that time. It's clear that Perez is still capable of keeping down a lineup, even at 39. Last season was another strong one for Perez, with a 2.00 ERA in 21 games. As he's signed for another year in Cleveland, I hope his excellent work keeps up.

Card #119- Guillermo Heredia, New York Mets

After beginning the season with the last place Pittsburgh Pirates, former Mariners outfielder Guillermo Heredia found himself with a bit of an upgrade, as the Mets waived him in August. His numbers improved slightly, as he bat .235 in 7 games with 2 homers. Due to the crowded Mets camp, Heredia was tossed to Atlanta before the start of the 2021 season.

Card #120- Nate Pearson, Toronto Blue Jays

In a season where anybody in what would be the minor leagues could be fair game for a call-up, Nate Pearson spent a year where he could have been playing for the Bisons in Buffalo...playing for the Blue Jays in Buffalo. Same location, different stakes. Pearson would be in charge of helping the Jays to the playoffs in the early part of the season, but in 5 starts he proved he may not have been 100% ready, with a 7.50 ERA in that time. The Jays are looking to ease Pearson in a bit more carefully this season, so hopefully the numbers will reflect that

Card #121- Tim Anderson ASG, Chicago White Sox

In a supposed 2020 All-Star Game, Tim Anderson would have been the starting shortstop for the AL. It would have been the culmination of several breakout years for TA7, and it would have commemorated his second consecutive .300+ year, and his year of getting a silver slugger and MVP votes. But, unfortunately, Anderson is still searching for his first All Star Game appearance, and hopefully he'll get there this year, wherever it may be.

Card #122- Christian Arroyo, Boston Red Sox

A former infield prospect who had bobbed around the Giants, Rays and Indians organizations unsuccessfully, Christian Arroyo may have finally found a substantial home in Boston. In 14 games at 2nd, Arroyo hit .240 with 8 RBIs including 3 homers. It was in the midst of a year where the Sox used people like Yairo Munoz and Jonathan Arauz in big positions, and all three of them did well amidst the chaos. Unfortunately, the starting second baseman position in Boston seems to belong to Enrique Hernandez now, so Arroyo may have to fight for bench relevancy. 

Card #123- Pete Fairbanks, Tampa Bay Rays

One of the many rookie relievers utilized during the Rays' blockbuster 2020 year, Pete Fairbanks was a former Rangers farmhand who came over in exchange for Nick Solak at the previous trade deadline [in hindsight that may have been slightly lopsided in favor of Texas]. Fairbanks still went off to quick work in Tampa, with a 2.70 ERA in 27 games, 39 Ks and a 6-3 record, plus SEVENTEEN POSTSEASON STRIKEOUTS. Granted, he did give up some important runs to the Dodgers, but he was definitely one of the biggest pieces of the Rays' pen last year. Hopefully his power streak continues this year.

Card #124- Cody Ponce, Pittsburgh Pirates

In a year where there were so few rotation options, a lot of otherwise unneeded pitchers got a chance to start games. Enter Cody Ponce, a rookie that had come over in exchange for Jordan Lyles the previous year, who could start games...so in he went. In 3 starts, he had a 3.63 record with 9 Ks- not perfect, but decent. Not sure where he stands in line to start this year, but he could show up.

Card #125- Todd Frazier, New York Mets

Speaking of people who could theoretically show up in Pittsburgh this year, Todd Frazier is coming off a very frazzled 2020, split between Texas in New York. Frazier was dealt to the Mets to help with a potential playoff bid, and he got back to what he does best...hit for power, not for contact. So a .224 average with 2 homers and a boatload of strikeouts followed, and the Mets didn't make the playoffs. Womp womp. Frazier's still technically signed to a deal with the Pirates, but I'm not sure if they'll need him at all this year, unless things get REALLY dire.

Card #126- Vimael Machin, Oakland Athletics

Before Jake Lamb was handed the starting 3rd baseman gig in Oakland, there was still a void between Lamb was signed and Chapman got injured, and that void, plus earlier backup gigs, were filled by Vimael Machin, a rookie journeyman who was just jazzed to be in the bigs. Machin's .206 average and minimal plate work put him a bit below replacement level [hence Lamb], but he does look to be a factor into the A's 2021 endeavors. He could be a handy backup infielder for all we know.

Monday we get 9 more cards of this. Some of the most intriguing rookies of last year are in here.

10 Games Out (and Falling)

When I literally had to scour the Giants for good photos, and all I came up with was this shot of decent-enough rookie Christian Arroyo, you know that the Giants aren't doing well this year.

There's not much you can say about the Giants that isn't terrible. Hunter Strickland was having a good season until he decided to get cocky and hit Bryce Harper. Madison Bumgarner was having a great season until his ATV accident. Buster Posey IS having a great season, but he's barely producing any RBIs and he can only do so much behind the backstop. Samardzija and Cueto are throwing well, but they're not doing well in the Wins or ERA categories. It's just, to quote Marty Huggins, a mess.

I think it's the combination of the pressure to be great again, and the fact that the pieces that made them great in the first place are beginning to age. Hunter Pence, Matt Cain, George Kontos, Michael Morse...most of the senior members of the 2010s dynasty are aging, not performing as well as they used to. And yes, while Brandons Belt and Crawford, and Joe Panik, are still doing well, they're young, and they're still in their prime. The fact that this Giants team has to replace all the parts that they won Championships with does not bode well for the idea of winning more in the distant future.

At this point, you can only hope they don't completely fall on their face in the end.

Coming Tonight: Toronto player that is somehow NOT doing badly.