3rd Third III

[notin]

 

AL East: Red Sox, Yankees, BROOKLYN, Orioles, Blue Jays, Tigers, Guardians, CAROLINA

AL West: White Sox, Royals, Rangers, Astros, Angels, SAN JOSE, Mariners, Twins

NL East: Nationals, Braves, Phillies, Mets, Marlins, EXPOS, Pirates, Reds

NL West: Brewers, Cubs, Rockies, Cardinals, Padres, Giants, Dodgers, Diamondbacks

 

 

 

 

Instead of Carolina, bring Milwaukee back to the AL East. With Detroit, Cleveland and Milwaukee back in the fold, the AL East can look like it did in the post-Blue Jays expansion up though the 1980s. Who doesn't miss that awesome division?

[moonslav59]

Most of the transplanted residents in that area quit reproducing decades ago..

 

True enough, and their children are old enough to be fans of other teams as well or don't live in the area.

 

I live in the Houston area now, and you see a lot of transplants here, but many are having families. The parents are Sox fans, but the kids are Astos fans.

[sk7326]

Instead of Carolina, bring Milwaukee back to the AL East. With Detroit, Cleveland and Milwaukee back in the fold, the AL East can look like it did in the post-Blue Jays expansion up though the 1980s. Who doesn't miss that awesome division?

 

true - although if you note all of the teams in the East play in the same time zone ... which is nice symmetry

[Jack Flap]

The team has announced Pablo Sandoval has been designated for assignment.

[mvp 78]

The team has announced Pablo Sandoval has been designated for assignment.

 

It's happening meme.

[Kimmi]

The team has announced Pablo Sandoval has been designated for assignment.

 

I'm glad they are putting Pablo (and so many fans) out of their misery. So long Pablo. I wish you the best.

[mvp 78]

I'm glad they are putting Pablo (and so many fans) out of their misery. So long Pablo. I wish you the best.

 

He's probably relieved he can go off his diet now.

[Hugh2]

Evan Drellich ✔ @EvanDrellich

Source: Red Sox top 3B prospect Rafael Devers has been promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket. http://www.csnne.com/boston-red-sox/source-third-base-prospect-rafael-devers-promoted-pawtucket …

 

If Devers looks good in Pawtucket, you have to imagine he's going to end up in Boston at some point this summer.

[mvp 78]

@MikeMonaco_

 

Age at the time of their Triple-A @PawSox debuts:

 

Xander Bogaerts: 20 years, 8 months, 13 days

 

Rafael Devers: 20 years, 8 months, 20 days

[bowman]

Will be interesting to see how the careers of Moncada and Devers compare. All hype so far, but lets look at it 3 years from now.

[Northern Star]

 

I vote no on Prada.

 

They do make some men's stuff too, it's not all handbags.

[Dojji]

Go to four eight team divisions

 

AL East: Red Sox, Yankees, BROOKLYN, Orioles, Blue Jays, Tigers, Guardians, CAROLINA

AL West: White Sox, Royals, Rangers, Astros, Angels, SAN JOSE, Mariners, Twins

NL East: Nationals, Braves, Phillies, Mets, Marlins, EXPOS, Pirates, Reds

NL West: Brewers, Cubs, Rockies, Cardinals, Padres, Giants, Dodgers, Diamondbacks

 

Division opponents 12 times ... 84 games

Other division opponents 9 times = 72 games

One cross league rival = 6 games

 

Yankees-Mets, Orioles-Nationals, Blue Jays-Expos, Cubs-White Sox, SAN JOSE-Giants, Royals-Cards, Guardians-Reds, Dodgers-Angels locked in

 

4 east:east cross rivals locked in, 4 west:west cross rivals locked in

The other teams rotate east:east and west:west. So Red Sox would rotate between Braves, Phillies, Pirates and Marlins over 4 years.

 

2 division winners and 4 wild cards from each league

 

 

Swap Montreal and Carolina.

 

Think about it geographically. Your NL East is centered much further south than the AL East. If you put that NL east division on a map, Montreal sticks out like a sore thumb because it's so far north. Almost as much so as TB in the AL East which I think is in that division mostly because the AL wants to pretend its Eastern Division covers the whole coast despite the fact that the state hosting the second southernmost team in the AL East fought for the Union in the Civil War..

 

Think of it this way:

 

Number of teams north of New York:

 

AL East: 3 (DET, TOR, BOS, HM Brooklyn which is pretty much New York).

 

NL East: 1 (hello, Montreal)

 

Montreal is a much greater fit geographically for the American League with Boston, Toronto and New York. And the three powerful fanbases of the AL East titans will help buoy them up financially, as will the natural rivalry with Boston and Toronto. The new Brooklyn franchise would also be convenient, leaving Tampa Bay as the only true AL East outlier.

 

Meanwhile Carolina is almost exactly central to the NL east geographically and potentially benefit from a natural rivalry with the Braves, so if you're moving a team to another league, the new Carolina franchise would be the one. the Braves and Marlins are about the same distance in one direction as the Nats and Phillies are, and if Montreal is in the AL, New York is the northernmost team.

 

Granted, this would have been a better argument in the era of the train. But travel expenses still matter, especially if we're thinking about how far a fan will go to watch a game on the road. The bandwagons of BOS, TOR, and NYY are huge, and would absolutely go to Montreal to take in a game. Hell, it's less than a day to drive to Montreal from any of New York, Toronto or Boston. Only Tampa Bay in that division would be flight-only distances for a weekend trip to Montreal. That gives Montreal a large revenue advantage in in-division games which is a shot in the arm for a team that can struggle with attendance.

 

I've thought almost since the Expos died that any new Montreal team should be in the AL, for very good regional, geographic and economic reasons.

Edited July 15, 2017 by Dojji

[Fan_since_Boggs]

Ben Badler absolutely loves Rafael Devers--listen to the video:

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/ben-badler-on-red-sox-third-baseman-rafael-devers/#yW816xfFrDRl2sWO.97

[notin]

Evan Drellich ✔ @EvanDrellich

Source: Red Sox top 3B prospect Rafael Devers has been promoted to Triple-A Pawtucket. http://www.csnne.com/boston-red-sox/source-third-base-prospect-rafael-devers-promoted-pawtucket …

 

If Devers looks good in Pawtucket, you have to imagine he's going to end up in Boston at some point this summer.

 

I'd rather they brought him up now rather than wasting prospects on some rental journeyman whose just as likely to go into a slump anyway. Marrero/Lin is still an option if Devers struggles.

 

Of course the team will say he's not ready, and he needs to face more non-MLB caliber pitching in order to get ready for MLB caliber pitching.

 

I do think sometimes "not ready" is GM Speak for "we don't want him reaching free agency by 27." Of course Dombrowski does have a track record for throwing the kids out there. (See Porcello, Rick.)

[notin]

I do think pitching depth ( starter and reliever) might a bigger need than 3b, where the Sox still have actual internal options. ..

[Kimmi]

I'd rather they brought him up now rather than wasting prospects on some rental journeyman whose just as likely to go into a slump anyway. Marrero/Lin is still an option if Devers struggles.

 

Of course the team will say he's not ready, and he needs to face more non-MLB caliber pitching in order to get ready for MLB caliber pitching.

 

I do think sometimes "not ready" is GM Speak for "we don't want him reaching free agency by 27." Of course Dombrowski does have a track record for throwing the kids out there. (See Porcello, Rick.)

 

I really don't think Dombrowski is concerned with a player's 'clock'. Theo yes, Dombrowski not so much.

 

That said, if it ain't broke, there's no reason to call Devers up. If the situation becomes more dire, then by all means, calling him up would make sense (if he's indeed ready). Until then, I'd stick with the Marrero/Lin duo.

[S5Dewey]

I really don't think Dombrowski is concerned with a player's 'clock'. Theo yes, Dombrowski not so much.

 

That said, if it ain't broke, there's no reason to call Devers up. If the situation becomes more dire, then by all means, calling him up would make sense (if he's indeed ready). Until then, I'd stick with the Marrero/Lin duo.

 

It's looking like that's the plan. That's why Devers has been moved to Pawtucket - to get him ready for MLB pitching if need be, and if things keep working for the Sox at 3B Devers can stay in Pawtucket.

[moonslav59]

I'd rather they brought him up now rather than wasting prospects on some rental journeyman whose just as likely to go into a slump anyway. Marrero/Lin is still an option if Devers struggles.

 

Of course the team will say he's not ready, and he needs to face more non-MLB caliber pitching in order to get ready for MLB caliber pitching.

 

I do think sometimes "not ready" is GM Speak for "we don't want him reaching free agency by 27." Of course Dombrowski does have a track record for throwing the kids out there. (See Porcello, Rick.)

 

Maybe the choice is all about years of team control, but it seems like this team has not been to concerned about 5 years from now and beyond. Maybe adding a year to Devers is their way of beginning to address that issue.

 

If the plan is to add a year, then that would mean the plan is not to call him up until June of 2018, right?

 

(I know they can call him up in September, and it doesn't "start the clock.")

 

[a700hitter]

• The Red Sox acquiring third baseman Todd Frazier from the White Soxis reportedly “almost inevitable,” and landing the powerful veteran would make plenty of sense for Boston, details Mike Petriello of MLB.com. As a dead-pull hitter, the right-handed Frazier would be able to take advantage of the left field wall at Fenway Park, notes Petriello, who adds that he’d also give the third base-needy Red Sox a competent defender at the hot corner. As an impending free agent, reeling in Frazier wouldn’t require an enormous haul, likely a prospect in the 11-20 range and one in the 21-30 range, posits Petriello.
  

Maybe Devers 4 for 4 AAA debut has made this less likely.

[mvp 78]

Devers > trade for Frazier

[Bellhorn04]

Devers > trade for Frazier

 

We may get both.

[moonslav59]

We better not trade Devers, even if it's for Beltre or Harrison (players with multiple years of control).

 

[Bellhorn04]

They're not going to trade Devers.

[Kimmi]

They're not going to trade Devers.

 

I don't think they will trade him. It sounds more and more like a trade for Frazier is going to happen.

[bosoxmal]

Let's lead off with Lin; see what happens. Isn't it about time he is ecognized?

[moonslav59]

I don't think they will trade him. It sounds more and more like a trade for Frazier is going to happen.

 

I wouldn't believe everything Rosenthal says, but I've been saying for years that we match up well with the CWS.

 

I've fallen out of favor with Frazier after looking at his second half splits over his entire career.

[Emp9]

Beltre is my first choice, then Harrison. Nunez & Frazier are tied. All of them bring slightly different talents w/ Beltre being the clear favorite. I'd be fine w/ Frazier if he wasn't batting .210.... but he does have 16 HRs

 

 

 

(All depending on what we'd have to give up of course and then we may need to trade for a RP on top of all this)

[Bellhorn04]

We'd all love to have Beltre, and you can bet he'd be very costly.

[bosoxmal]

Forget Panda. We have a VG 3rd baseman right now in LIN. Behind him, doesn't thiss kid Devers also play third? I can't help thinking about the ballyhood Moncada, and the unknown AA kid,Lin. Lin is now showing us why he was called up so early.

 

Time to lead-off with him. Put Mookie down here 6,7 or so. Take the enormious pressure he's been under.

[notin]

I don't think they will trade him. It sounds more and more like a trade for Frazier is going to happen.

 

Frazier is a one trick pony. And that trick isn't defense.

 

Better off calling up Devers and if you must deal with the White Sox, trying to acquire Swarzak...