Behind The Seams: If Dave Dombrowski Is Out, Who Is In?
Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe says Red Sox President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski is not long for the job. Tony Mazz breaks down how we've gotten to this point.
Behind The Seams: Quiet trade deadline puts onus on existing Red Sox to play closer to their potential
The Red Sox did nothing at the 2019 trade deadline, but that just means the onus is on their existing players to play closer to their potential.
Behind The Seams: Can The Chris Sale Experiment Still Work?
We all know the plan with Chris Sale this year, but looking at the numbers after his high pitch games, his performance is inconclusive.
Behind The Seams: Mental Mistakes and Sloppiness Plague The Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox have picked up where they left off before the All-Star Break, and that's not a good thing. Tony Mazz has more in this week's Behind the Seams.
Mazz: Red Sox look cashed - and they're getting what they deserve
Andrew Cashner was the Red Sox' “solution” to the pitching problems that have affected them since they showed, which isn’t even the equivalent of putting a tuxedo on a pig. It’s buying the pig a t-shirt and some Army fatigues at the thrift store.
Mazz: The Red Sox, their 88-win pace, and the reality of failure
The reigning world champions are closer to the bottom of the real AL, not the top, and there is simply no excuse for that.
Mazz: Dombrowski, Red Sox Starting To Look Desperate
Dave Dombrowski called it "urgency". But the reality is that his decision to name Nathan Eovaldi the Red Sox' closer is a move that screams "desperation".
Behind The Seams: The Red Sox Bullpen Stinks!
A very wise person once told Mazz, "show, don't tell." He shows you just how bad the Boston Red Sox bullpen is this year. They need to fix it, and fast.
Mazz: Cora, Red Sox Still Chasing 2018
Alex Cora and the Red Sox grabbed one win against the league-best Twins and acted like everything was just like 2018 again - then they lost. Will they ever turn the page?
Behind The Seams: The Red Sox "Stink Situationally"
The Red Sox need to step it up in the situational play department. Mazz breaks down why the team has been awful as of late.
Behind The Seams: Red Sox Need To Get Their Act Together
The Red Sox have lost 3.5 games in two weeks, and time isn't on their side.
Mazz: In the end, Pedroia delivered
In the end, how you remember Pedroia is entirely up to you, but here’s a suggestion: don’t be a baby about it. Pedroia gave you his all, and the mere fact that he has hobbled along for the last two years should tell you that.
Behind The Seams: The Red Sox Trouble With "Bad" Teams
The Red Sox seem to have an inability to beat bad teams so far this year.
Mazz: With schedule about to toughen, time for the Red Sox to make a stand
Meanwhile, the Red Sox are, in order, 25-23 overall, 13-10 at home, 12-13 on the road. They look like the definition of middle class. Among the 15 AL teams, they have the sixth-best record in the league overall, the seventh-best record at home, the sixth-best record on the road, the fifth-best record against right-handed starters and the 10th-best record against left-handed starters. Against teams at or above .500, they rank ninth among the 15 AL teams. Against teams below .500, they rank sixth. Get the picture? For the most part, overall, they’ve been average Joes.
Mazz: Young guns Devers and Chavis backbone of Red Sox' resurgence
A closer look at the recent performance of Michael Chavis and Rafael Devers, a pair of young sluggers at the heart of the Red sox' resurgence.
Mazz: Why the Red Sox' resurgence? There are a number of reasons
Five observations about the 2019 Red Sox as they approach the quarter-mile pole in pursuit of a second consecutive World Series championship.
Mazz: Red Sox' spring plan in further question as David Price also lands on IL
Don’t look now, Red Sox followers, but the news that David Price has landed on the injured list has left the Sox in a rather curious position. Forty percent of the team’s starting rotation is now on the IL, Price (elbow tendinitis) joining Nathan Eovaldi (elbow surgery) on the sideline. No one can possibly know how Sox pitchers will fare in the long run this season, but the idea was to bring them along slowly so that they would all be at maximum strength in September and October.
Behind The Seams: Red Sox Have Started Off Mostly Below Average
Where do the 2019 Red Sox land after the first month of baseball? Tony Massarotti breaks down the numbers, and there is room for improvement.
Mazz: Are Alex Cora, Red Sox finally taking it one game at a time?
The Red Sox have not won more than three games in a row. They have won as many as two straight only three times, which means they haven’t played consistently well for consecutive days – let alone weeks – for what amounts to an entire month.
Mazz: Are the Red Sox Showing Real Signs of Life?
If you’re looking for small signs that the team is waking up, the third inning Thursday night is a good start.
Mazz: Looking for me to buy in on 2019 Sox? No Sale.
Meanwhile, here’s the bigger picture: the Red Sox this season are now 9-10 when someone other than Sale is their starting pitcher and 0-5 in games started by their ace. Neither number is especially praiseworthy given what the Sox should be, but that 0-5 right now is the No. 1 reason they continue to stumble along as if blindfolded.
Behind The Seams: What's Bugging Mazz? Fastballs.
With this new launch angle approach, hunting fastballs, let's hit home runs, culture that's hit Major League Baseball, pitchers don't throw fastballs anymore, and that's bugging Tony.
Mazz: Time for Red Sox Pitchers to Get Back to Basics
Call me a traditionalist – and to a degree, I am – but here’s a simple question: if you’re walking a ton of guys and putting yourself in bad situations, why would you keep pitching backwards? Maybe it’s because the Sox de-emphasized the start of the season, brought their pitchers along slowly, don’t have arm strength just yet. Or maybe the slow spring actually prevented Sox pitchers from getting the necessary feel for their off-speed pitches, which means Sox starters are throwing softer and with less break, movement, command.
Mazz: Nathan Eovaldi Back to Being Nate The (No So) Great
So just admit it: you fell in Eovaldi with him last October after what should have been a one-night stand. We all did. And then you committed to something that you really shouldn’t have committed to, a baseball version of “Paradise by the Dashboard Light.”
Mazz: History suggests that the Red Sox need to start digging themselves out of their early hole - and now
Mazz believes in fast starts and strong finishes. The proof is in the performance of recent world champions. And that's why the Red Sox need to start digging themselves out of their early hole now.