Originally Posted by moonslav59
Sale also once broke a rib while throwing a pitch…
Sale also once broke a rib while throwing a pitch…
Maybe so about Casas, but my point is that, although he had done absolutely nothing wrong, it's possible that, because the injury occurred while swinging a bat, he won't be able to swing freely in the future. It's just a tough break, which could still be resolved when and if he starts hitting the ball hard again.
I liked where Sale was at the end of last season. But I absolutely do understand why the Sox let him go and even sent along another $17M to seal the deal.
Halfway through this season, it sure looks like the Braves outsmarted the Sox FO, but time will tell. And the loss of Sale has not been a disaster for the Sox rotation.
he's injury prone. time to trade him and pay all of his salary in exchange for a suspect.
A suspect that is injured more than sale
Alex Cora -- who next season may be managing in either dugout in a Red Sox-Yankees series -- speaks of getting greedy with the '24 Sox. Clearly, Boston is better than New York right now, and only three behind the annual World Series favorites in the loss column.
For dreamers, second place doesn't seem unattainable. Casas will make a full recovery and slug homers all summer to protect Devers, the bullpen won't burn out, and not one single starting pitcher already pushed beyond career innings totals will get hurt the rest of the season.
Now, let's get real. This team has a legit shot at making the postseason, but with clear needs. Foremost has to be a good starter, and three of the top five in MLB pitcher WAR are available: Fedde 4.1 and Crochet 4.0 from the White Sox, and Anderson 3.5 of the Angels.
Crochet leads the AL in Ks, K/9 and FIP... is 25, and not a free agent until 2027... so, which one of the Red Sox' Big FOUR would you trade -- because that's at least the cost it will take to keep another top-of-the-rotation #1 out of Baltimore. The Orioles have prospect capital ready to make the deadline painful...
Start the deal with Anthony or Campbell, and keep Teel and Mayer (potential star catchers and shortstops are more coveted -- but perhaps Chicago has interest in quantity, and asks for both Garcia and Arias as longterm chips)... Fedde and Anderson will cost less, but not for a team that wants to land them before the last minute of July. It's a seller's market!
did you say quantity? well....i'd give them Dalbec, Story, Yoshida, Mata and Valdez for Crochet. Five for one. Helluva deal.
White Sox are probably going to dump Luis Robert and his big bucks contract, as well -- so will want star outfielders. They just might demand Anthony and either Duran or Rafaela for Crochet...
... and I still make the deal, if I'm Breslow -- because even if he doesn't think this year is worth investing in, getting a top starter is always worth it for now and the future... especially, since the Red Sox farm has Dick Bupkis as its future ace.
Crochet could be the next Wheeler (or Tommy John). But if the BoSox stand still, another club acquiring him will blow right past them, and if you blink, Cora will, too. Cause time goes by like hurricanes.
Crochet could be a good acquisition, and it sure looks like the Sox currently have decent outfielders to spare. Right now they have five: Duran, Abreu, Rafaela, O'Neill, and Refsnyer. Plus, as you say, Anthony and Campbell at Portland.
no way i'd trade Duran. i'd trade Anthony for Crochet though. LOL.
People forget that there’s two sides to every trade. We don’t know what Chicago wants, or who they prefer, and what their scouts are telling them about said players.
They may prefer young talent proven at the MLB level, and if they do, the team that offers them their version of Jarren Duran will get Crochet, even if a lot of teams think Anthony will be better.
FWIW, BTV accepted my proposal of Mayer/Cespedes/Bastardo for Crochet.
For Crochet, even with his injury history, I would off Anthony. I also don’t think they’d accept anything less. However, his name here also poses a question as to why he makes sense as a target. The Sox current staff are largely approaching the career highs in IP. Is Crochet, whose in the same boat, a good solution here?
For Anderson and Fedde, I’m reluctant to offer any of the top four. Both are under contract for next year and both have a very limited history of success. Anderson’s performance this season appears to be debatable. His 3.5 bWAR is impressive, but his 0.9 fWAR less so. Don’t get me wrong. I’d inquire and make sure the Angels know I’d take the entirety of next year’s contract. But I’m not giving up anything better than Wikkelman. And he’s not even part of my initial offer.
I have questions about Fedde, too. The career path of flunking out of MLB, reinventing yourself in Asia, and then returning as a star does not always lead to sustained success. If Fedde really another Merrill Kelly? Or is he just another Miles Mikolas? His contract is short and reasonable, so he shouldn’t be too expensive. Max price here is Teel, but I definitely start by pushing Yorke, Lugo, etc. If Breslow surrenders Bleis, it’s not the end of the farm system here…
Moe just asked Curly, and he said, "Soitenly!"
It has to be encouraging that everyone on this board -- the Saturday after the best win of the season -- is prepared to part with "the future" for "the present" (and the gifts it will continue to yield for coming sustainable contenders).
Ramble on: now's the time, the time is now.
I think their Primsry Target should be Tyler Anderson.
This staff’s biggest weakness is limited IP. Crochet and Fedde (career high MLB IP - 133.0) are not good solutions to this particular problem.
Fedde did throw 180 IP last year in KBO, but I’m not sure that’s the same…
I’d be much more in favor of an Anthony-Crochet swap if Garrett had ever reached even 140 IP in MLB. I’d still be excited to get him, but I just think he’s not going to solve the big issue with the 2024 rotation.
But I’d be excited that the Sox finally made a solid deadline addition and added a quality healthy player for the first time since Eovaldi/Pearce/Kinsler in 2018.
(Schwarber in 2021 wasn’t healthy. And we had to wait like 3 weeks for that trade to kick in.)
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