A Realistic View at 2017 Part I

[Hugh2]

I take my first cup with cream an sugar in the morning but every additional cup is black. Speaking of which....

[Bellhorn04]

I'm having my coffee with Hazelnut-flavored liquid Coffemate. I'm kind of hooked on this crap now. Edited January 6, 2017 by Bellhorn04

[S5Dewey]

You sure you really live in Maine? I tried to get the town fathers to eliminate the chicken coop in the middle of our town (rooster) - no luck. Does your town have an ordinance about the number or junked vehicles you can have on the front lawn? engine hangers? 'tachments to the old mobile?

 

Contrary to the common belief that Mainers are steeped in common sense, sometimes we do stupid s*** too. Doubt it? Take a look at how dysfunctional our state government is!

 

To answer your questions in order, yes - I think the number is 3, no, and no. And there's also no limit as to the number of old washers, dryers, stoves and refrigerators one can have on their porch, either!

[moonslav59]

i don't imagine that catcher in the rye is part of the town's library or english department.

 

lol!

[moonslav59]

Contrary to the common belief that Mainers are steeped in common sense, sometimes we do stupid s*** too. Doubt it? Take a look at how dysfunctional our state government is!

 

To answer your questions in order, yes - I think the number is 3, no, and no. And there's also no limit as to the number of old washers, dryers, stoves and refrigerators one can have on their porch, either!

 

The difference between semi-urban and rural Maine is huge. I've lived in both areas.

 

Now, I live in Texas, where they pride themselves on "less gov't interference", but these damn association regulations outdo any state rules. There;s hardly any homes in the Houston suburbs that aren't part of some planned community with all kinds of restrictions.

[Emp9]

$3M and no lost prospects is pretty inexpensive for a quality FA set-up man RP'er these days, especially one with some positive closer experience. Granted, Storen has some big questions or concerns. I'm not saying I wish we signed him at $4M.

 

I'm just saying it might have been a good idea to sign someone like him than to try and trade for a RP'er doing well mid-season. We need to try and keep our prospects at least for a while.

 

oh I didn't mean Storen specifically, just the idea of a late inning guy. If we can sign one decent mid-relief guy without being handcuffed at the deadline I'd be all for it. Who knows, we might need a bat by then and not a RP.

[oldtimer]

Love the smell of coffee- hate the taste.

 

I'm just bored. Nothing happening in baseball.

 

 

join the crowd. the hot stove is only luke warm now. Keep on stoking it up, someone needs to.

[moonslav59]

oh I didn't mean Storen specifically, just the idea of a late inning guy. If we can sign one decent mid-relief guy without being handcuffed at the deadline I'd be all for it. Who knows, we might need a bat by then and not a RP.

 

I don't think Storen would have signed with us for even $4M (33% or one million more than he got.) I do think he'd have been a good addition, if he would gave signed.

 

Assuming we have about $10M in spending room, had we spent $4M on Storen, $6M is a lot of money for the deadline. When we trade for a player at the deadline, we're only responsible for 1/3 of their contract (assuming the other team pays no money at all). That means we can afford to trade for a player or players that are being paid $18M for the full season... maybe like two $9M players.

 

If we traded Abad, as I think we should, even without a SToren type RP'er being added, we'd save another $1.5M (his expected $2M arb minus a $500K guy). That would leave us almost $8M for the deadline.

 

There might also be a de Aza type deal out there, if needed, where the other team pays a big chunk of what is owed.

[Emp9]

Shouldn't be too boring for you guys. You did make the biggest splash of the offseason and enter the season the prohibitive AL favorites to head to the WS. Enjoy the slow buildup. You could be ready to watch a full season of kids make or break it like I am

 

We can relate on this. Sox have brought up so many in recent years. As long as you keep your expectations of winning games in check, or forget about winning at all and just enjoy individual performances however inconsistent they may be. Keep the big picture in mind while identifying their progress and it doesn't matter how the team ends up finishing.

[moonslav59]

join the crowd. the hot stove is only luke warm now. Keep on stoking it up, someone needs to.

 

I tried to stoke the fire with this post, but nobody tried to warm themselves by the fire...

 

Some Sox questions to ponder....

 

Pablo Sandoval: Lots of questions on this guy. Here are some:

Is his weight loss going to be something that we continuously have to worry about?

Even if he gets in top shape, can we expect the numbers he put up several years ago with SF?

Can his fielding return to slight plus or just average?

 

Leon- Vazquez-Swihart: All have shown promise in either offense or defense.

Can two of these guys step up their weaker side and become all around solid catchers?

 

Carson Smith: He's really had just one full season in MLB- a very good one (1.01 WHIP/11.8 K/9). He is coming back from major surgery and may not be "ready" until May or June.

Can we expect the 2015 Smith to return to form by mid season and into the playoffs?

 

Tyler Thornburg: After his rookie year's 1.185 WHIP, he had two years over 1.25 before posting last year's excellent 0.940 number. His K rate was never above 9 until jumping to 12/1 in 2016.

Can we trust these 2016 numbers as legitimate indicator of who he now is and will continue to be?

 

Kelly, Ross & Barnes: Can these guy continue to show the growth they experienced, at least in flashes, in 2016?

Can they make up for the loss of Ziegler, Uehara & Tazawa?

 

ERod, Pomeranz & Wright: All 3 had a very good to great half season last year but also had bad halves as well.

Can the rotation stay healthy enough for one of these guys to give a big boost to our pen?

Can the two that start go long enough into games to lessen the need to have a good pen (or deep pen)?

 

Sale, Porcello, Price: Sale has been a rock, and so has Price until 2016's shaky start and finish. Porcello blossomed.

Can the big 3 live up to their hype?

 

Mitch Moreland: His fielding has always been GG quality.

Can we get decent numbers from him, at least vs RHPs?

Can his playing many games at 1B help keep HanRam fresh and healthy?

 

Chris Young: He's been one of MLB's best hitters vs LHPs in recent years.

Can he produce vs LHPs as a DH?

Can he get enough playing time in the OF to keep him "in the game"?

 

Holt, Rutledge, Hernandez, Travis, Marrero...

Is this bench good enough?

 

Abad, Hembree, Scott, Workman, N Ramirez, Martin, Ysla: Hopefully, we don't have to count on any of these guys too much...

Are they good enough?

 

HanRam: He's been up0 and down for much of his recent career. Age 27 .712, age 28 .759, age 29 1.040, age 30 .817, age 31 .717 and age 32 .866. He's also had under 430 PAs in 3 of the last 6 years (under 512 in 4 of 6).

Is HanRam due for an off year?

Can he help pick up the slack with Papi's retirement?

 

Pedroia: He had his first .800+ OPS since 2011. He had his first season with over 135 games played since 2013.

Can we count on a healthy and productive Pedey this year?

 

Bogaerts: He has shown steady growth at the plate, despite his late season swoon. His OPS jump was due almost exclusively to a gain in power. His fielding is another matter.

Can we hope for a turn around on defense?

Can we expect a further increase in his offense, especially in the OBP area?

 

JBJ: He has had two straight seasons over .830. There were a few big ups and big downs in those two seasons and one big long down in 2014.

Can we expect more consistency in 2017?

Can we expect a jump in OPS?

 

Betts The only question here is how high is this kids ceiling?

[oldtimer]

Some Sox questions to ponder....

 

 

 

Leon- Vazquez-Swihart: All have shown promise in either offense or defense.

Can two of these guys step up their weaker side and become all around solid catchers?

 

Keep an eye on Leon's weight. He seemed to me to be gaining weight throughout last season. Will he pull a Panda on us in 2017?

 

 

Sale, Porcello, Price: Sale has been a rock, and so has Price until 2016's shaky start and finish. Porcello blossomed.

Can the big 3 live up to their hype?

 

Will the risk of injury bite us with Sale?

 

 

Holt, Rutledge, Hernandez, Travis, Marrero...

Is this bench good enough?

 

Young and Swihart may also be bench players and are better than those you name.

 

Abad, Hembree, Scott, Workman, N Ramirez, Martin, Ysla: Hopefully, we don't have to count on any of these guys too much...

Are they good enough?

 

Abad certainly was awful for us in 2016. He seemed to have good stuff but never achieved good results.

 

 

JBJ: He has had two straight seasons over .830. There were a few big ups and big downs in those two seasons and one big long down in 2014.

Can we expect more consistency in 2017?

Can we expect a jump in OPS?

 

What has JBJ done in the off season to improve his technique? Without some change in his swing mechanics I don't believe he can achieve consistency.

 

 

A couple of pot stirrers!

[moonslav59]

We can relate on this. Sox have brought up so many in recent years. As long as you keep your expectations of winning games in check, or forget about winning at all and just enjoy individual performances however inconsistent they may be. Keep the big picture in mind while identifying their progress and it doesn't matter how the team ends up finishing.

 

Losing old men like Papi, Uehara and Ziegler will hurt, but not the Tazawa- Hill types.

 

This team is the youngest I've seen the Sox in a long, long time. Anybody know the last year we were this young?

 

Our oldest 3 guys were born in 1983 (Pedey, HanRam and Young).

 

Wright's the only guy born in 1984.

 

Price, Moreland and Abad in 1985.

 

Sandoval in 1986 and nobody in '87.

 

All the rest will be under 30 for the full 2017 year!

[mvp 78]

Apropos nothing baseball related and since there's nothing going on...

There's a town near me that had a coffee shop in the middle of downtown where they roasted their own coffee. The people who lived near the coffee shop petitioned the Town Council to declare the smell coming from the coffee shop a "nuisance" and a threat to the environment, the town council complied, and the coffee shop had to install scrubbers to take eradicate the smell of the roasting coffee.

 

Roasted coffee smells great. I understand the complaints from the people near the new Sriracha plant, but complaining about roasted coffee is like being annoyed at being close to the chocolate factory.

[mvp 78]

Coffee should always be black, especially your average cup o' joe at the diner down the street. However, coffee at Dunkies can only be consumed with cream and sugar because their black coffee is gross. Honey Dew's black coffee is great though.

[Emp9]

Is everyone grinding their coffee beans? I never buy ground coffee, only the whole beans. A small grinder is around $20 and well worth having ( I have one dedicated for spices as well ).

The grind is important, whether it's coarse or fine. I like the fine as I can get it unless the filter I'm using calls for a more coarse grind.

 

A dark roast is my preference, French roast to Espresso, they're less acidic too than the lighter roasts.

 

Unlike many affection ado's and coffee professionals, I've never liked drip coffee that much. Perks are better. Keurigs are good in a pinch (good for gatherings), especially since you can use your own coffee with them, but still not my fav. I have two different presses. An AeroPress is great for everyday use and travel (Hotels & camping), and a French Press. In a word?: Smooth! Two words?: Smooth baby!

 

Temperature is very important. Some coffees vary but 195 degrees is pretty standard for releasing the full flavor and caffeine. Don't forget about the caffeine.

 

When someone says they don't like coffee, I always question whether they've actually had good coffee or just a few bad experiences they can't really quantify and decide they just don't like it. One should really visit a local roaster and experiment on their own rather than just accept the slop some of these stores are spewing out.

[cp176]

more 'tachments I say!!!

[Emp9]

more 'tachments I say!!!

 

If you can pack a toothbrush you can pack an aeropress. Although it does look like a sex toy or maybe a some drug paraphernalia. "No, Wait!... It's for my coffee addiction, I swear!" lol

[moonslav59]

MLBTR...

 

Right-hander Zach Stewart has agreed to a minor league deal with the Orioles, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com (the news was first reported by Korean media outlet Naver Sports — hat tip to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO.net). Once a well-regarded pitching prospect in the Reds organization, the 30-year-old Stewart is now a well-traveled veteran who will hope to return to the Majors for the first time since 2012 this coming season.

[Spudboy]

Yawn.

[moonslav59]

I know, right?

 

This time of year sucks for sports, especially big baseball fans.

[moonslav59]

Seth Smith to BAL.

Gallardo to SEA.

 

Pretty close to the Buch for Smith trade harmony kept trying to suggest we might be interested in.

 

I guess BAL is paying $2M (the buyout amount on his option).

 

$11M for $7M. BAL saves $4M.

 

I like saving $13.5M with out Buch trade better.

[Bellhorn04]

I know, right?

 

This time of year sucks for sports, especially big baseball fans.

 

Poor us.

 

Guess I'm lucky I'm also a golf fan. It's a sport that virtually never shuts down.

[notin]

Poor us.

 

Guess I'm lucky I'm also a golf fan. It's a sport that virtually never shuts down.

 

Or gets going

[moonslav59]

Poor us.

 

Guess I'm lucky I'm also a golf fan. It's a sport that virtually never shuts down.

 

That's because it's not really a sport.

 

Ohhhhh NOOOooooo! You dih-int!!!!

[Spudboy]

Poor us.

 

Guess I'm lucky I'm also a golf fan. It's a sport that virtually never shuts down.

 

Or gets going

 

Lol. I have The Golf Network or whatever in my cable package. I find myself watching now and then. Especially when there are several hot buxom Asian women playing and a cold breeze kicks up.

[harmony]

Seth Smith to BAL.

Gallardo to SEA.

 

Pretty close to the Buch for Smith trade harmony kept trying to suggest we might be interested in.

 

I guess BAL is paying $2M (the buyout amount on his option).

 

$11M for $7M. BAL saves $4M.

 

I like saving $13.5M with out Buch trade better.

I'm not a huge fan of Clay Buchholz, but I would have preferred one year of Buchholz to one year of Yovani Gallardo.

 

Since the Taijuan Walker trade I've been obsessed with how the Mariners would fill out their starting rotation. I considered scores of trade targets and probably floated a dozen trade proposals on various websites. Gallardo and Baltimore teammate Ubaldo Jimenez never made my cut of starters Seattle should pursue (although Wade Miley did).

 

Perhaps I rely too heavily on 2017 WAR projections that have Gallardo at 0.9, Seth Smith at 1.2 and Buchholz at 1.6. For the time being, Gallardo will replace traded Seattle starter Nate Karns, whose 2017 WAR projection of 1.7 was optimistic.

 

On Friday, the Mariners dealt Karns for Kansas City outfielder Jarrod Dyson. I disliked each trade viewed in isolation but the combination might make sense:

 

Seth Smith

Nate Karns

for

Jarrod Dyson

Yovani Gallardo

 

The Mariners hope to improve their struggling pitching by upgrading the outfield defense with Dyson, Mitch Haniger and Leonys Martin.

 

Seattle reportedly remains in the market for another veteran starting pitcher. GM Jerry Dipoto now has made 34 trades in his 15 months at the helm.

Edited January 7, 2017 by harmony

[cp176]

Or gets going

 

I want some fat bastard to come play (walk 18) with me and then tell me that some relative fitness isn't required to play. lol

[Bellhorn04]

That's because it's not really a sport.

 

Ohhhhh NOOOooooo! You dih-int!!!!

 

It's a great sport.

[Kimmi]

Poor us.

 

Guess I'm lucky I'm also a golf fan. It's a sport that virtually never shuts down.

 

You could always join me in watching The Bachelor.

 

Now that is some good drama.

[Kimmi]

Or gets going

 

Haha. Good one!