A Realistic View at 2018: Part II

[notin]

We brought Wright, Smith and eventually (hopefully) Thornburg into the mix. All were virtually nonexistent in 2017.

 

(Note: I'd have kept Taylor, too.)

 

So we "added" the guys MIA from last year?

 

Probably worth mentioning two of those "additions" are still out with injuries..

[moonslav59]

So we "added" the guys MIA from last year?

 

Probably worth mentioning two of those "additions" are still out with injuries..

 

Yes, in a sense, we added them or will be shortly.

 

Plus, we have Workman avaialable all year and felt better about Johnson and Velazquez this winter as opposed to last winter.

 

All we lost was Abad and Ross- who was out almost all last year.

 

My point is that I feel DD was counting on returning injured players instead of signing a journeyman vet to a minor league deal.

 

Look, chances are any vet we signed to a minor league deal would have sucked anyways, had we needed him. I think this argument has gone on too long for such a minor issue.

[Emp9]

Notin, I get you. Decent pitchers were available to be had and they were cheaper than usual before the season broke. But Our injured pitchers were close to being healthy. Sometimes it’s good to see what our farm has to offer. Plus we can always wait and see what kind of deals can be had at the deadline. We’re in good shape, I think.

[harmony]

The Red Sox are now 5-0 in one-run games

[sk7326]

Notin, I get you. Decent pitchers were available to be had and they were cheaper than usual before the season broke. But Our injured pitchers were close to being healthy. Sometimes it’s good to see what our farm has to offer. Plus we can always wait and see what kind of deals can be had at the deadline. We’re in good shape, I think.

 

The starting pitcher market is garbage mostly - Cole Hamels and he costs too much. Otherwise, there is not much which is much of an improvement over what just waiting out ERod or Johnson could do.

[notin]

Notin, I get you. Decent pitchers were available to be had and they were cheaper than usual before the season broke. But Our injured pitchers were close to being healthy. Sometimes it’s good to see what our farm has to offer. Plus we can always wait and see what kind of deals can be had at the deadline. We’re in good shape, I think.

 

Oh the Sox are in EXCELLENT shape today. Sure they had a weak schedule, but they did what they had to and went 8-1. The Yankees also had a fairly light schedule and didn't fare nearly as well. Sure, nothing is clinched yet, but this start has been beyond phenomenal.

 

I hope it holds. No more knee issues for ERod. Mo more elbow issues for Price. No more issues for Pomeranz. Sale must stay healthy, not that he was replaceable anyway. Because if we have to make a deadline deal, we don't have much to offer. Especially given our limited financial flexibility. I foolishly assumed Chavis would be good trade bait. Oh well. Maybe some team will really, really need Aneury Tavarez...

[notin]

 

Look, chances are any vet we signed to a minor league deal would have sucked anyways, had we needed him. I.

 

I bet the Yankee fans all said that when the team signed Aaron Small...

[notin]

Yes, in a sense, we added them or will be shortly.

 

My point is that I feel DD was counting on returning injured players instead of signing a journeyman vet to a minor league deal.

 

 

 

My point was and still is he could/should have done both. It never had to be an either/or situation...

[Nick]

I'm with Moon on adding pitchers. Go big or go home.

 

Instead of signing JD and Moreland, I'd been okay with trading for a front line starter.

[notin]

I'm with Moon on adding pitchers. Go big or go home.

 

Instead of signing JD and Moreland, I'd been okay with trading for a front line starter.

 

We spent or allowance on Chris Sale. Nothing to trade.

 

Getting big name elite starters is great. But those guys fill a different role and aren't the guys you look at when trying to find your seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth options. That would be like having Buster Posey at catcher and bringing in Gary Sanchez as a backup. ..

[moonslav59]

I'm with Moon on adding pitchers. Go big or go home.

 

Instead of signing JD and Moreland, I'd been okay with trading for a front line starter.

 

Sometimes scrub signings work out (like Fister and Rich Hill), but the odds are greatly against it.

 

It's not like I was against signing 1, 2 or 3 vets to minor league deals, but I didn't see the urgency. We ended up with 3 of our top 6 starters out to start the season and still may only have needed Johnson and Velazquez for 3 total starts.

 

Yes, we may need a starter later, and that's one reason why I hated the Moreland signing and Holt arb cost. It's usually easy to take a big contract pitcher off a noncontending team's hands in July. We only have to pay 2 months salary and can get someone much better than a minor league February signing.

 

Who knows, we may not even need one.

[moonslav59]

We spent or allowance on Chris Sale. Nothing to trade.

 

Getting big name elite starters is great. But those guys fill a different role and aren't the guys you look at when trying to find your seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth options. That would be like having Buster Posey at catcher and bringing in Gary Sanchez as a backup. ..

 

We could have afforded lance Lynn had we not signed Moreland and nontendered or traded Holt and Leon. We'd be tight on the max penalty line, but it was doable.

[notin]

We could have afforded lance Lynn had we not signed Moreland and nontendered or traded Holt and Leon. We'd be tight on the max penalty line, but it was doable.

 

Also true. And certainly would have been nice.

 

If that happened, It would have kept ERod down on the farm as depth, which would have worked out the same

[dgalehouse]

Groucho Marx said , " I don't want to be a member of any club that would have me as a member ." I don't think we want any grizzled veteran that would be willing to be stashed in Pawtucket until July or August.

[Nick]

My man Stanton went 0-7 with 5 K's 9 LOB, batting .167.

[Nick]

Moon, if Xander is out for extended period, our nightmare comes true. Our #3 SS will now fill in for Xander. We don't have a #2 on our roster.

[Larry Cook]

Moon, if Xander is out for extended period, our nightmare comes true. Our #3 SS will now fill in for Xander. We don't have a #2 on our roster.

 

Maybe we can cut a deal with Arizona to bring back marrero for cash?

 

If bogey’s archilles is torn, we can put him on the 60 day dl.

[moonslav59]

Moon, if Xander is out for extended period, our nightmare comes true. Our #3 SS will now fill in for Xander. We don't have a #2 on our roster.

 

Too bad Marco misses another chance to show us what he's got.

 

If XB goes on the DL, we'll probably call up Lin, but I think Holt will play everyday. I'm not sure Nunez at SS and Holt at 2B is any better, defenively.

 

The worst part is losing XB's hot bat. He's not all that great on defense, anyways.

 

I wouldn't have been happy with Marrero as our FT SS, but he'd have helped. He also hits lefties well. That's why I was for starting Holt in AAA and keeping Marrero around, at least until (and if) Pedey returns.

 

[kenmeister]

Too bad Marco misses another chance to show us what he's got.

 

If XB goes on the DL, we'll probably call up Lin, but I think Holt will play everyday. I'm not sure Nunez at SS and Holt at 2B is any better, defenively.

 

The worst part is losing XB's hot bat. He's not all that great on defense, anyways.

 

I wouldn't have been happy with Marrero as our FT SS, but he'd have helped. He also hits lefties well. That's why I was for starting Holt in AAA and keeping Marrero around, at least until (and if) Pedey returns.

 

 

I don't think it's a question of if he goes on the DL, but whether it's the 30 day or 60 day.

 

Maybe Holt will play well at SS, that's my hope.

[S5Dewey]

I got up this morning reading about Xbo & his achilles. Is there anything new that I haven't heard yet or is it all worst-case scenario conjecture?

[moonslav59]

I haven't heard anything "new" on XB. I hope he's okay.

 

This might be some good news:

 

Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia is making progress in his recovery from the left knee surgery he underwent in October, manager Alex Cora told Ian Browne of MLB.com and other reporters Sunday. Pedroia is slated to begin running the bases Tuesday, which would be the final hurdle in his recovery, Browne notes. Should that go well, Pedroia would remain on track to return in May. The Red Sox have been well-equipped to go without Pedroia early this year, thanks to the presence of Eduardo Nunez.

[moonslav59]

A Sox- Yanks Comp

 

Runs scored

55 NYY (4th in MLB)

42 BOS (11th)

 

OPS

.747 NYY (10th)

.733 BOS (14th)

 

UZR/150

6.0 NYY (6th)

0.8 BOS (17th)

 

DRS

5 NYY (4th)

-8 BOS (28th)

(I might add, the Sox have yet to commit an "error" this season. The Yanks have 10!)

 

Runs Allowed

26 BOS (4th)

44 NYY (20th)

 

ERA-

65 BOS (2nd)

98 NYY (13th)

 

WHIP

1.13 BOS (5th)

1.20 NYY (10th)

 

SP'er ERA-

41 BOS (1st)

79 NYY (6th)

 

RP'er ERA-

102 BOS (20th) 1.32 WHIP

121 NYY (23rd) 1.20 WHIP

[harmony]

Moon, if Xander is out for extended period, our nightmare comes true. Our #3 SS will now fill in for Xander. We don't have a #2 on our roster.

Detroit's Jose Iglesias and Tampa Bay's Adeiny Hechavarria are each in their final year of team control on clubs that are not expected to contend.

 

The shortstops may be available for that reason, but for the same reason may be too expensive with 2018 salaries of $6.28 million for Iglesias and $5.9 million for Hechavarria.

 

Veteran shortstop Cliff Pennington is being paid $1.5 million this year to be the backup shortstop for a Cincinnati team that probably is going nowhere.

 

This season in their final years of team control, Pittsburgh shortstops Jordy Mercer and Sean Rodriguez will earn $6.75 million and $5.75 million, respectively.

 

With two years of team control backup Mets shortstop Wilmer Flores will earn $3.4 million this year while starter Asdrubal Cabrera will earn $8.25 million in his final year of team control.

 

I suspect the Marlins would gladly dump the salary of Starlin Castro, who has two years and $22 million remaining on his contract.

 

Veteran shortstop Erick Aybar apparently remains unsigned after opting out of his contract with the Minnesota Twins.

 

Deven Marrero at the league minimum looks attractive.

Edited April 9, 2018 by harmony

[S5Dewey]

Iggy? Really? :D

[mvp 78]

Detroit's Jose Iglesias and Tampa Bay's Adeiny Hechavarria are each in their final year of team control on clubs that are not expected to contend.

 

The shortstops may be available for that reason, but for the same reason may be too expensive with 2018 salaries of $6.28 million for Iglesias and $5.9 million for Hechavarria.

 

Not this s*** again...

[S5Dewey]

Not this s*** again...

 

Hahahahaha

[Emp9]

I got up this morning reading about Xbo & his achilles. Is there anything new that I haven't heard yet or is it all worst-case scenario conjecture?

 

Really hoping it was a cramp or muscle spasm. I couldn’t tell if it was his ankle or his shin at first. Later I couldn’t shake the vision of Dan Marino simply (nonchalantly even) walking off the field (wasn’t hit during the play. Usually had a great offensive line protecting him those days) and tore his Achilles. We’ll just have to wait and see. Sucks.

[S5Dewey]

Really hoping it was a cramp or muscle spasm. I couldn’t tell if it was his ankle or his shin at first. Later I couldn’t shake the vision of Dan Marino simply (nonchalantly even) walking off the field (wasn’t hit during the play. Usually had a great offensive line protecting him those days) and tore his Achilles. We’ll just have to wait and see. Sucks.

 

Ya. I know. It's friggin noontime now and still no word. The suspense is killing me. Really. Well, not literally killing me, but ... you know.

[Emp9]

Not this s*** again...

 

Gotta be honest, he was the first name that popped in MY head.

[S5Dewey]

Gotta be honest, he was the first name that popped in MY head.

 

Me too, but I didn't have the courage to go there on this board.

 

Having Iggy at SS would create a serious hole in our offense, but given the way XBo has been hitting, who wouldn't?

 

We could do worse.