Post by Commissioner Erick on Jul 19, 2018 7:16:51 GMT -5
Boston Red Sox (36-40) @ Toronto Blue Jays (33-43)
BOS: Robby Scott (0-2, 5.14)
TOR: Michael Kopech (1-4, 7.03)
The Red Sox find themselves on the fringes of a playoff race, but in mutiny with their owner. The Blue Jays find themselves with an exciting collection of players that's either a little too young or a little too old to provide Toronto the production needed for a playoff race this year.
With the trade deadline a month away, expect the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays to trade away some of their veteran talent after they face off for the Game of the Week.
Boston is right on the precipice of playoff contention, but they were just swept by Tampa Bay scoring three runs in the three-game series. With the Astros and Yankees on the docket before the All Star break, this is likely their final chance to go on a run before a rough schedule threatens to bury them. Right now, Boston has the highest remaining opponent winning percentage of any team.
Robert Savard's main obstacle though, is owner John Henry, who has threatened to cut next year's scouting and development budget if Savard doesn't cut payroll significantly. Boston has been keeping on, but that resolution may come to a head before this game.
It's a shame because Boston has gotten a great season from Mookie Betts and a resurgent one from Pablo Sandoval. Betts won a Platinum Stick last season and is having a better campaign this year. Meanwhile, Pablo Sandoval's career was left for dead and Big Panda's hitting .325 with eight home runs. Still, with a bloated payroll and a playoff berth unlikely, any spare part may be best off being swapped out for a player who can help in the future.
That focus on the future is the path Toronto took, and naturally, it's led to some growing pains. The team is 33-43 after a couple of winning seasons and sits comfortably out of the playoff race. Most of the veterans aren't hitting, though no veteran contracts extend past this season, so the team will be able to add to its cadre of superprospects and begin afresh.
The Blue Jays may be able to get a haul for Josh Donaldson. After an injury-marred 2018, Donaldson has exacted revenge with a mammoth .280/30/60 first half that many players would happily take for a full season. Donaldson hit 40 home runs in 2017 and it's not impossible to think he hits that mark this season by the trade deadline.
Michael Kopech will get the start, and though his 7.03 ERA is hideous, most of the damage was done in one start where he allowed 13 runs in 1.1 innings. Strip out that start, and his numbers are a pedestrian 4.45. Kopech is rare in that his profile is usually converted to the bullpen before it reaches the minors. His stuff is electric and he misses the heart of bats and when he isn't missing the bat completely. However, he has no control of his pitches at all. As a result, he's walked 31 opponents in 39.2 innings, which is ghastly. Just 23 years old though, Kopech has time to figure out the control issues. He'll need to in order to become an effective starter.
Questions for the GMs:
For Robert Savard, will you sell of any players before today's mandate issued by John Henry?
With Mookie Betts, John Collins, and the players acquired in the Xander Bogaerts trade, you have some young pieces on your team. Will more youth be added to the core, or will the Red Sox feature as a team for veterans going forward?
Robby Scott lost 18 games for Boston last year, while a now-healthy Zach Grienke languishes in the pen. Why have you kept Grienke out of the rotation?
For Joe Mazzola, you demoted Anthony Alford to Triple-A. Will we see him back up before the year is up?
Kopech and Yusniel Diaz are the only two prospects you've called up from the minors to play significant roles so far. How have they looked in the bigs this year?
Josh Donaldson has been sensational this season and hasn't been hamstrung by age or injury this year. However, he's a free agent and your team is going through a youth movement. Will he be traded before the deadline?
BOS: Robby Scott (0-2, 5.14)
TOR: Michael Kopech (1-4, 7.03)
The Red Sox find themselves on the fringes of a playoff race, but in mutiny with their owner. The Blue Jays find themselves with an exciting collection of players that's either a little too young or a little too old to provide Toronto the production needed for a playoff race this year.
With the trade deadline a month away, expect the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays to trade away some of their veteran talent after they face off for the Game of the Week.
Boston is right on the precipice of playoff contention, but they were just swept by Tampa Bay scoring three runs in the three-game series. With the Astros and Yankees on the docket before the All Star break, this is likely their final chance to go on a run before a rough schedule threatens to bury them. Right now, Boston has the highest remaining opponent winning percentage of any team.
Robert Savard's main obstacle though, is owner John Henry, who has threatened to cut next year's scouting and development budget if Savard doesn't cut payroll significantly. Boston has been keeping on, but that resolution may come to a head before this game.
It's a shame because Boston has gotten a great season from Mookie Betts and a resurgent one from Pablo Sandoval. Betts won a Platinum Stick last season and is having a better campaign this year. Meanwhile, Pablo Sandoval's career was left for dead and Big Panda's hitting .325 with eight home runs. Still, with a bloated payroll and a playoff berth unlikely, any spare part may be best off being swapped out for a player who can help in the future.
That focus on the future is the path Toronto took, and naturally, it's led to some growing pains. The team is 33-43 after a couple of winning seasons and sits comfortably out of the playoff race. Most of the veterans aren't hitting, though no veteran contracts extend past this season, so the team will be able to add to its cadre of superprospects and begin afresh.
The Blue Jays may be able to get a haul for Josh Donaldson. After an injury-marred 2018, Donaldson has exacted revenge with a mammoth .280/30/60 first half that many players would happily take for a full season. Donaldson hit 40 home runs in 2017 and it's not impossible to think he hits that mark this season by the trade deadline.
Michael Kopech will get the start, and though his 7.03 ERA is hideous, most of the damage was done in one start where he allowed 13 runs in 1.1 innings. Strip out that start, and his numbers are a pedestrian 4.45. Kopech is rare in that his profile is usually converted to the bullpen before it reaches the minors. His stuff is electric and he misses the heart of bats and when he isn't missing the bat completely. However, he has no control of his pitches at all. As a result, he's walked 31 opponents in 39.2 innings, which is ghastly. Just 23 years old though, Kopech has time to figure out the control issues. He'll need to in order to become an effective starter.
Questions for the GMs:
For Robert Savard, will you sell of any players before today's mandate issued by John Henry?
With Mookie Betts, John Collins, and the players acquired in the Xander Bogaerts trade, you have some young pieces on your team. Will more youth be added to the core, or will the Red Sox feature as a team for veterans going forward?
Robby Scott lost 18 games for Boston last year, while a now-healthy Zach Grienke languishes in the pen. Why have you kept Grienke out of the rotation?
For Joe Mazzola, you demoted Anthony Alford to Triple-A. Will we see him back up before the year is up?
Kopech and Yusniel Diaz are the only two prospects you've called up from the minors to play significant roles so far. How have they looked in the bigs this year?
Josh Donaldson has been sensational this season and hasn't been hamstrung by age or injury this year. However, he's a free agent and your team is going through a youth movement. Will he be traded before the deadline?
