A Realistic View at 2019: Part I

[Larry Cook]

I don't think anyone is suggesting just Vaz for Colome. Since Seattle is in rebuild mode, they may take a prospect or two with Vaz.

 

I'm not so down on Vaz anymore. He slumped at the start of the year- both offensively & defensively, but he came on strong just before getting hurt and then struggled to come back until we saw him catching in the playoffs in situations usually reserved for Leon.

 

It won't surprise me, if we trade Vaz, but I think he bounces back next year for whomever he plays for.

 

He's basically had one bad half season out of his last 4.

 

Why are we trying to trade a catcher? Don’t our pitchers love throwing to Leon and Vazquez? Mentally happy pitchers are a good thing to have!

 

Aren’t dalbec and denryi at their highest potential trade chip value right now? Throw in a Matta or Hernandez and we should be able to get the reds closer.

[Kimmi]

If you think that fine, but it worked they won it all without, him. Never got close with him. 29-15 with him, especially after that start. They started out 19-2 right, then 10-13 with him there after that. 79-39 after he was gone. Cora saw he was not a piece to this team, once JD got here. Smart move to save the money too, by DD.

 

The move worked out fine. More than fine. We really didn't miss Hanley at all.

 

That said, DFAing him was all about the money.

[Kimmi]

Anyone arguing that letting Hanley walk was a bad idea is not living in reality

 

I thought it was a bad idea when it happened.

[Kimmi]

Why are we trying to trade a catcher? Don’t our pitchers love throwing to Leon and Vazquez? Mentally happy pitchers are a good thing to have!

 

Aren’t dalbec and denryi at their highest potential trade chip value right now? Throw in a Matta or Hernandez and we should be able to get the reds closer.

 

Based on what I was reading today, Vaz is going nowhere.

 

We are likely to trade a catcher, and it's likely to be Swihart.

[moonslav59]

Why are we trying to trade a catcher? Don’t our pitchers love throwing to Leon and Vazquez? Mentally happy pitchers are a good thing to have!

 

Aren’t dalbec and denryi at their highest potential trade chip value right now? Throw in a Matta or Hernandez and we should be able to get the reds closer.

 

I'm not for trading Vaz or Leon. Our pitchers love them too much.

 

I was just responding to a post about trading Vaz and mentioned i thought it would take more than Vaz to get Colome.

 

I do think there are other catchers out there who know how to handle a staff, but I'm not sure about risking a lengthy learning curve during another championship drive in 2019.

 

If it wss up to me, I keep Vaz & Leon and maybe trade Swihart with prospects for something of value.

[cp176]

Congratulations to the American League's comeback player of the year - David Price!!!

[notin]

Based on what I was reading today, Vaz is going nowhere.

 

We are likely to trade a catcher, and it's likely to be Swihart.

 

If the Sox can find a taker.

 

Reportedly Cora wants a defensive 3b, which might mean some interest in someone like the Angels’ Kaleb Cowart (my speculation- no published rumors). I could see a Swihart-Cowart swap, which looks funny with those two ethnically indeterminable names together. And makes sense for both teams and is actually fair. But DD probably aims higher...

.

[moonslav59]

Here's a write up on Colten Brewer from MLBTR

 

Brewer, a fourth-round pick of the Pirates in 2011, has just 9 2/3 innings of big league experience, all of which came with the Padres in 2018. He was tagged for six earned runs on 15 hits and seven walks with 10 strikeouts in that time, but he was much better in Triple-A El Paso. Despite the hitter-friendly nature of his home environment in Triple-A, Brewer posted a 3.75 ERA with more impressive marks of 11.8 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 with a 55.8 percent grounder rate in 48 innings of relief.

 

Brewer only recently turned 26 and has two minor league option years remaining, so he’ll give the Red Sox some bullpen depth that can be shuttled back and forth between Boston and Pawtucket next season.

[moonslav59]

The Current 40 Man Roster:

 

Red: Bubble Roster or trade candidate

 

Pitchers:

Sale, Price, Porcello, ERod, Wright, Johnson, Velazquez, D Hernandez, Shepherd, D Reyes

Barnes, Brasier, Hembree, Workman, Brewer, Poyner, Thornburg, Walden, Scott, Taylor, Lakins

 

Catchers:

Vazquez, Leon, Swihart

 

1B:

Moreland, Pearce, Travis

 

2B:

Pedroia (DL?), Holt, M Hernandez

 

3B:

Devers, Nunez, Chavis

 

SS:

Bogaerts, Lin

 

LF:

Benintendi

 

CF:

Bradley

 

RF:

Betts

 

DH:

Martinez

 

I count 39. Am I missing someone, or do we just have 39 right now?

 

[Larry Cook]

The Current 40 Man Roster:

 

Red: Bubble Roster or trade candidate

 

Pitchers:

Sale, Price, Porcello, ERod, Wright, Johnson, Velazquez, D Hernandez, Shepherd, D Reyes

Barnes, Brasier, Hembree, Workman, Brewer, Poyner, Thornburg, Walden, Scott, Taylor, Lakins

 

Catchers:

Vazquez, Leon, Swihart

 

1B:

Moreland, Pearce, Travis

 

2B:

Pedroia (DL?), Holt, M Hernandez

 

3B:

Devers, Nunez, Chavis

 

SS:

Bogaerts, Lin

 

LF:

Benintendi

 

CF:

Bradley

 

RF:

Betts

 

DH:

Martinez

 

I count 39. Am I missing someone, or do we just have 39 right now?

 

 

Are they saving a spot for eovaldi or Felton?

[notin]

Are they saving a spot for eovaldi or Felton?

 

Zero chance they save a spot for Felton to start the season. The guy has only pitched in A-ball and they are in no rush to see if he is Craig Hansen2.0...

[notin]

The Current 40 Man Roster:

 

Red: Bubble Roster or trade candidate

 

Pitchers:

Sale, Price, Porcello, ERod, Wright, Johnson, Velazquez, D Hernandez, Shepherd, D Reyes

Barnes, Brasier, Hembree, Workman, Brewer, Poyner, Thornburg, Walden, Scott, Taylor, Lakins

 

Catchers:

Vazquez, Leon, Swihart

 

1B:

Moreland, Pearce, Travis

 

2B:

Pedroia (DL?), Holt, M Hernandez

 

3B:

Devers, Nunez, Chavis

 

SS:

Bogaerts, Lin

 

LF:

Benintendi

 

CF:

Bradley

 

RF:

Betts

 

DH:

Martinez

 

I count 39. Am I missing someone, or do we just have 39 right now?

 

 

Soxprospects.com also has 39.

 

The removals of Austin Maddox and William Cuevas brought them down to 33 and with 6 additions today back to 39.

 

So one spot open and no Ockimey?

[moonslav59]

Soxprospects.com also has 39.

 

The removals of Austin Maddox and William Cuevas brought them down to 33 and with 6 additions today back to 39.

 

So one spot open and no Ockimey?

 

Makes me think a signing is imminent. They just didn't want to string Ockimey along.

 

One would think, if they had a trade lined up for Ockimey, they'd have added him today and traded him soon.

[moonslav59]

Zero chance they save a spot for Felton to start the season. The guy has only pitched in A-ball and they are in no rush to see if he is Craig Hansen2.0...

 

Daalbec has a better chance than Felton, but there's no hurry to add either.

[Larry Cook]

Hope the imminent signing is a starter.

[moonslav59]

Hope the imminent signing is a starter.

 

Eovaldi for 2 years would be fantastic.

 

I'm not high on Keuchel or Morton.

 

I don't see any other starters that match with us that are not big gambles, so if we don't get Eovaldi, I'm thinking 2 solid pen arms instead.

[kenmeister]

Eovaldi for 2 years would be fantastic.

 

I'm not high on Keuchel or Morton.

 

I don't see any other starters that match with us that are not big gambles, so if we don't get Eovaldi, I'm thinking 2 solid pen arms instead.

 

I'd be tempted to grab Anibal Sanchez for the right price. Had a nice rebound season last year.

[cp176]

Oh, by the way, unless someone missed my eariier post - Congratulations to David Price the AL comeback player of the year.

 

Eovaldi obviously wants to start. He has said as much but I think that he also enjoyed being The Relief guy this fall. Using him as a closer would be a great waste of really good innings that he can pitch for us.

 

Dalbec may become a helper for us before Feltman but eventually I wouldn't be at all surprised if Feltman develops into the type of relief pitcher that will really help us.

[notin]

Oh, by the way, unless someone missed my eariier post - Congratulations to David Price the AL comeback player of the year.

 

Eovaldi obviously wants to start. He has said as much but I think that he also enjoyed being The Relief guy this fall. Using him as a closer would be a great waste of really good innings that he can pitch for us.

 

Dalbec may become a helper for us before Feltman but eventually I wouldn't be at all surprised if Feltman develops into the type of relief pitcher that will really help us.

 

Reportedly multiple teams that are interested in Eovaldi want him as a closer. He has said he’s open to the idea but prefers to start, which is probably exactly what his agent told him to say.

 

Frankly any team that wants him as a closer is being stupid. His predicted contracts all have him making starter money which is more than any of the closers already on the market, and there are lots of them. If a team is willing to pay Eovaldi $15mill to close, for just a bit more you can probably get Kimbrel. And for a lot less, you can get Robertson. Or Familia or Miller or Allen or Ramos or any of the other closers already available...

[Larry Cook]

I see stuff in the media about how the Sox should be interested in signing Robertson, but shouldn’t we be interested in signing Britton instead? He is a lefty and he has closing experience.

[notin]

I see stuff in the media about how the Sox should be interested in signing Robertson, but shouldn’t we be interested in signing Britton instead? He is a lefty and he has closing experience.

 

Robertson has closing experience too. Neither are bad options, but Britton hasn’t pitched much in the past two seasons...

[BillyWilliams]

Oh, by the way, unless someone missed my eariier post - Congratulations to David Price the AL comeback player of the year.

 

Eovaldi obviously wants to start. He has said as much but I think that he also enjoyed being The Relief guy this fall. Using him as a closer would be a great waste of really good innings that he can pitch for us.

 

Dalbec may become a helper for us before Feltman but eventually I wouldn't be at all surprised if Feltman develops into the type of relief pitcher that will really help us.

 

Pretty sad that a guy with a $200M+++ contract gets the comeback player of the year award.

[SoxnCycles]

Pretty sad that a guy with a $200M+++ contract gets the comeback player of the year award.

 

Hey!

It takes a special player to come back from tingly fingers!!

[BillyWilliams]

hey!

It takes a special player to come back from tingly fingers!!

 

lol

[notin]

Eovaldi for 2 years would be fantastic.

 

I'm not high on Keuchel or Morton.

 

I don't see any other starters that match with us that are not big gambles, so if we don't get Eovaldi, I'm thinking 2 solid pen arms instead.

 

If the Sox don’t sign Eovaldi I predict they bring back Kimbrel...

[notin]

Pretty sad that a guy with a $200M+++ contract gets the comeback player of the year award.

 

 

He was also voted Fortnight Player of the Year...

[cp176]

ok super job boys - lets have a big group s*** on for a guy that helped us win a World Series. It really is a special group we got here! lol

[Dojji]

Eovaldi obviously wants to start. He has said as much but I think that he also enjoyed being The Relief guy this fall. Using him as a closer would be a great waste of really good innings that he can pitch for us.

 

Quality of innings matters as much as quantity, especially as a late inning reliever. Eovaldi has overpowering stuff bit his track record is of a guy who struggles to be consistent over 150+ IP. He's almost too good to convert to relief, but his type of pitcher converts to that role extremely well.

 

if an elite closer is important to your team, I'm under no doubt whatsoever that he'd be a great one. Whether he'd be more valuable as a moderately good starter is a valid question, but at least for the Red Sox, we need elite lockdown relief innings more than we want 160 innings of 4+ ERA starting, which is what Eovaldi's long term track record suggests he's good for. And I for one think he'd be an insanely good closer.

[Dojji]

Pretty sad that a guy with a $200M+++ contract gets the comeback player of the year award.

 

Nah. He earned the award. He did bounce back, both from poor performances in years past and from the awful postseason stigma he'd been laboring under. Good for him.

 

I for one actually have a great deal of confidence in Price going into next season. I think he'll pitch with renewed confidence that will reflect in his performance.

[Dojji]

Just to further my point aboit Eovaldi

 

Baseball Reference protections

 

Nathan Eovaldi, 113 IP, 4.06 ERA, 103 strikeouts, 1.221 WHIP

 

Brian Johnson: 91 IP, 4.15 ERA, 83 strikeouts, 1.385 WHIP

 

Eovaldi is a little better than Johnson by their projections but they're in the same universe. He's really kind of inherently replaceable as a SP. With his overpowering stuff a conversion to relief would transform Eovaldi from a mediocre and kind of disappointing starter to a terror in late innings. It's not exactly a crazy notion.