Red Mosquito

Simple Torture wrote:Sale is a 10/5 guy, right? I don’t think he’s going anywhere.

I mean.... IF sale is having a good year and the red sox suck, I dont know if he would be opposed to a trade to a good team. But Sale having that good year and staying healthy is highly unlikely.

Mayer is traveling with the team again today and Bleis is starting in RF.

Simple Torture wrote:
Bleis is starting in RF.

Bleis threw a runner out at home to end the 1st and then got a 2-run, bases-loaded single off Manoah in the top of the 2nd.

One thing that worries me with Mayer is how much the future of the organization is being placed solely on his shoulders. For the last 20 years the Red Sox have been able to phase their elite prospects in with situations designed to keep pressure off them. This was the case for Betts, Bogaerts, Pedroia, Ellsbury, Benintendi, Devers, etc.

Because the organization no longer acquires elite talent at the major league level, you can’t do this with Meyer. He will basically be expected to be an impact player the moment he comes up. It’s a ton of pressure for a rookie the likes of which we haven’t seen here since at least Nomar, but I think this is even greater pressure than Nomar was facing.

I agree that there is a ton of pressure on Mayer, and a lot of that comes from being a top-5 draft pick, but I don't think it's true that some of their other top-flight prospects came up without similar expectations or in different situations. Pedroia played 139 games as a rookie while starting for a WS-winning team. Bogaerts only played 18 regular season games (I thought it was way more!) before starting all 6 games of a World Series. Devers was also a top contributor for a WS-winning team in his second season. I think they have similar expectations for Mayer, but they don't necessarily expect him to be "the guy" when he comes up--I think the team fully expects Devers, Casas, Yoshida, and Story (gulp) to be the backbone of the lineup when he arrives, just like Ortiz and Manny were the core when Pedroia was promoted, Ortiz for Xander (this team looks more and more insane as the years pass), and then Xander/Betts/Benentendi when Devers was ready (sorry to trigger you). I think Betts had the least pressure because that 2014 team was so bad and the team just wanted to see what he could do.

Although I'm often quite bullish here and elsewhere about Bleis, I think he has a much, much higher chance of flaming out than Mayer. But it's exciting to dream.

Pedroia had the last couple months of 2006 to ease in before his “rookie” year, and while Xander played in a World Series his rookie year, he wasn’t counted on. He forced his way into the lineup during the playoffs(more like Middlebrooks forced his way out) but he wasn’t expected to be a major contributor. This Mayer situation is just different.

Mr. March

I really like the looks of Yoshida at the plate.

Can he pitch?

elliseamos wrote:Can he pitch?

it looks like he is pretty deficient at every aspect of the game other than hitting, but he looks like a great hitter

OK gang, what should I expect out of this season? I've been out of the loop for a while, any good reason to get back in the loop?

Because expectations are pretty low (maybe that last playoff spot?), pressure should be off so they could surprise us.

And this just came up in my Twitter!

Green Habit wrote:OK gang, what should I expect out of this season? I've been out of the loop for a while, any good reason to get back in the loop?

Not really tbh, unless you get a kick out watching them spin down the drain.

I have high hopes for Yoshida he looks like a really good hitter.

This team fucking blows.

elliseamos wrote:Bloomtown. So hot right now, Bloomtown.

I'm also done with Cora. Gtfo.

bottom of the first looked good tonight vs Atlanta

team seems a little better than last year, but still basically a last place team or close to it. They do seem to have more fight this year, which is a credit to Cora I guess, but they still have a paper thin roster that folds like a house of cards any time anyone on the 25 man goes down. The lack of elite talent, minus Raffy, is glaring now. My biggest worry is I dont see this team coming out of this any time soon, even if Bloom doesnt survive this season(fingers crossed) it is going to take years to undo the damage he has done.