Excuse me as I use lingo my son and his friends are using in the title, first let me explain. My son likes online gaming (at 5-years old.... I'm in trouble) and loves to watch Youtube. After every game the players all say "GG" which means good game but they also use it in the future context as well. For example, "If I get that sword before he does it's GG." Well with that new-found knowledge if the Boston Red Sox and Dave Dombrowski get David Price, and they are supposedly "all in" on the lefty ace, then the AL East Division is GG. It's over. Boston wins.
David Price has had his struggles in the postseason, they are well documented and we all know about it. I didn't suggest we start etching the World Series trophy now but I think that division, barring a big free agent pitching signing by the Toronto Blue Jays or a ton of work by Brian Cashman in the Yankees, would be essentially over. Price is the final missing piece to a young, hungry and exciting Boston Red Sox team.
Boston had two major issues in 2015 that led to another season without the postseason in Bean Town. The lack of an ace starting pitcher and the lack of a shutdown closer/ relief pitcher. The Red Sox have already acquired Craig Kimbrel from the San Diego Padres in an over-pay in my opinion and have now turned their attention to Price, an ace that no one is denying.
Price has a lot of innings on that left arm and he will likely break down eventually much like CC Sabathia has in the latter years of his contract and career but that is unlikely to be for the next three to five seasons, if that soon. Price also allows everyone in that Red Sox rotation to take a step back. Clay Buchholz has all the makings of being a very solid #2 starter while Rick Porcello, stuff wise, may be the best, and most overpaid with an AAV above $20 million, third starter in all of the league.
Dombrowski was the man that traded Price to the Toronto Blue Jays for that substantial haul that was led by Daniel Norris and may want his ace back. Imagine if Dombrowski got Yoenis Cespedes back too? That's GG.
I keep hearing IF a guy goes to this team..."It's all over for the rest of the teams!" I think that was said last year about a team in our division, right? What happened to them in the run to their World Series Victory? They didn't make it but, why not, they had everything they could posable have to get the job done...on paper!
ReplyDeleteNews Flash! A paper is fragile and gets shredded very often when faced with a team that knows how to play baseball the way it was designed to be played...good pitching, great defense, timely hitting to keep the line moving = WS Win!
Can the Yankees catch up and build that formula? Homegrown talent and pick up a needed player or two along the way!
The season is 162 games plus the playoffs and then the Big One, for all the marbles! The best team is not always the winner...the four best games is the winner!
Reed,
DeleteThe playoffs and World Series are a second season. Agreed that anything can happen. The only thing I mentioned in the article was the division though.
I didn't mean to impute anything you wrote Daniel, I understood what you wrote it was good as usual. I was just reading it from all the blogs and it just couldn't go unchallenged...maybe not well but, the idea was there. Use Kansas City as a model, as it seems they are trying to do...or have a better model for others to emulate.
DeleteUnderstood, and I didn't think you were putting down anything I wrote. I just wanted to say it before it really came up, this was just for the division. Playoffs are much tougher to predict and one player, especially a SP, doesn't always get enough opportunities to make the impact they want to.
DeleteI dont think anyone denies that anything can happen in the playoffs. From this blog, it seemed like we were surprised by a lead in division, and did anyone actually think we were going to make a comeback after toronto made huge mid season additions?
ReplyDeleteOn the other side of town, it was expected that the mets could make a run, and they did. but in that case, that was because of big problems with the nationals.
Spade,
DeleteIn my preseason predictions post I had New York winning 90 games and the 2nd Wild Card. They won 88 and the first WC. Some were shocked, I was not one of them.
I was! But the way things turned out by getting to the playoffs was a revelation of sorts.
DeleteTex and A-Rod went down the last month of the season and look what happened, it seemed like at times a few of the guys played as though they had given up. I don't look for that to happen again. In 2016, we will have three older players getting a year older, how much can we depend on them? We had better not have to find out, injuries to Beltran, A-Rod or Tex and the team looses one hell of a lot of production. Those three along with Brett need rested more than ever before...I think! Therefore, I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see them have Bird in the Show sometime in June...or sooner.
This year I think we're better prepared for those injuries though. Sanchez can be the back up catcher and part-time DH to give the team some right-handed pop. Judge can be on the Scranton Shuttle if Beltran or any outfielder goes down. Between Severino, Warren, Mitchell (hopefully) and Rookie Davis eventually the pitching staff should be okay. Bird at first base in case of a Teixeira injury. Aaron Hicks in the outfield.
DeleteLots of options this time around.
And I for one have to give the management a gold star for what they have done so far.
DeleteAny idea on what the team would save in Tax should they contemplate dumping Tex, CC, Beltran as Ken H suggested?
Trading them and not eating salary is the only option. Well that and them retiring which forfeits their salary.
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