The Pen

[moonslav59]

and yet he walked fewer per nine than aroldis chapman...

 

lol!

[jacksonianmarch]

I just looked at his numbers again. I’m baffled as to how a guy who sits at 99 and routinely throws well over 100 mph gets hit as hard as he does. Wow.

[Kimmi]

I would not want to see either Eovaldi or Price in the pen during the season. Both are great pitchers who have had problems with consistency (either recently or always). I say: let them do what they do best. Besides, starters have more status (pride, dignity) and to fool with that, except in the playoffs, could spell trouble.

 

You do not weaken the starting rotation to strengthen the pen.

 

The only way I can see one of our top 5 starters moving to the pen is if injury concerns dictate it.

[harmony]

Reliever Shawn Kelley reportedly is off the table after signing with the Texas Rangers:

 

[notin]

Greg Holland up next?

[dgalehouse]

Reliever Shawn Kelley reportedly is off the table after signing with the Texas Rangers:

 

 

I can't get mad at this one . Not a fan of Shawn Kelley .

[moonslav59]

Reliever Shawn Kelley reportedly is off the table after signing with the Texas Rangers:

 

 

$2.5M

 

I guess DD thinks he can do better, perhaps with a winter or summer trade.

[dgalehouse]

$2.5M

 

I guess DD thinks he can do better, perhaps with a winter or summer trade.

 

I don't know why he would be looking to trade for a reliever when he apparently has no interest in signing any of the available free agents . I don't see the logic there .

[Bellhorn04]

I don't know why he would be looking to trade for a reliever when he apparently has no interest in signing any of the available free agents . I don't see the logic there .

 

Well, it's possible you could make a trade for a good cost-controlled reliever. That was the idea behind the trades for Thornburg and Smith, which of course didn't work out too well because of injuries, and stupidity in one case.

[moonslav59]

I don't know why he would be looking to trade for a reliever when he apparently has no interest in signing any of the available free agents . I don't see the logic there .

 

Well, there are better RP'ers than Kelley out there that make less than $2.5M.

 

That's one reason.

 

If there is a limit on spending, a trade makes sense- maybe a mid season deal makes more sense, since we only pay a pro-rated share of the contract we trade for, but that is tempting fate.

[notin]

Well, there are better RP'ers than Kelley out there that make less than $2.5M.

 

That's one reason.

 

If there is a limit on spending, a trade makes sense- maybe a mid season deal makes more sense, since we only pay a pro-rated share of the contract we trade for, but that is tempting fate.

 

 

If salary is an issue, a trade certainly can make more sense. You can target pitchers already in your price range and even shed some salary depending on who goes back...

[harmony]

The Arizona Diamondbacks have three years of 26-year-old righthander Archie Bradley with a 2019 salary of $1.83 million, five years of nearly 35-year-old Yoshihisa Hirano with a 2019 salary of $3 million and two years of nearly 30-year-old former Red Sox righthander Rubby De La Rosa in the minors:

 

https://www.rosterresource.com/mlb-arizona-diamondbacks/

 

However, I'm not convinced the Diamondbacks are selling off.

Edited January 29, 2019 by harmony

[moonslav59]

The Arizona Diamondbacks have three years of 26-year-old righthander Archie Bradley with a 2019 salary of $1.83 million, five years of nearly 35-year-old Yoshihisa Hirano with a 2019 salary of $3 million and two years of nearly 30-year-old former Red Sox righthander in the minors:

 

https://www.rosterresource.com/mlb-arizona-diamondbacks/

 

However, I'm not convinced the Diamondbacks are selling off.

 

Would it be a sell-off, if they got back ML ready talent like Swihart, Johnson, Velazquez or Chavis?

 

They'd just be upgrading one area by trading from a surplus area.

[Bellhorn04]

Dave's got something up his sleeve. Like everyone else here, I have no idea what it is yet.

[notin]

Dave's got something up his sleeve. Like everyone else here, I have no idea what it is yet.

 

 

His arm?

[notin]

Would it be a sell-off, if they got back ML ready talent like Swihart, Johnson, Velazquez or Chavis?

 

They'd just be upgrading one area by trading from a surplus area.

 

 

Basically Chavis and table scraps for Bradley?

 

I don’t think many teams are so eager to get Brian Johnson, since many teams have out-of-options AAAA pitchers in their late 20’s. Some teams might be intrigued by Swihart, but when you’re shopping for bargains, you don’t pay full price. That’s why I guessed an equal wild card one-for-one swap for 28yo Tayron Guerrero and his 98mph fastball made some sense for both teams (assuming Miami ever deals Realmuto and doesn’t get a catcher back).

 

And most teams already have a guy like Hector Velasquez.

 

Archie Bradley isn’t a relief stud every year, but he does have that ability. (2.1 fWAR in 2017). And he makes very little money and has a few years left. If the Diamondbacks do trade him, they will need some serious enticement. From the Sox perspective, the opening bid might need to include two of Chavis, Dalbec and Darwinzon Hernandez at minimum.

 

If you were GM of the Diamondbacks, would you trade your best relief pitcher for Chavis, Swihart, Johnson and Velasquez?

[moonslav59]

Basically Chavis and table scraps for Bradley?

 

I don’t think many teams are so eager to get Brian Johnson, since many teams have out-of-options AAAA pitchers in their late 20’s. Some teams might be intrigued by Swihart, but when you’re shopping for bargains, you don’t pay full price. That’s why I guessed an equal wild card one-for-one swap for 28yo Tayron Guerrero and his 98mph fastball made some sense for both teams (assuming Miami ever deals Realmuto and doesn’t get a catcher back).

 

And most teams already have a guy like Hector Velasquez.

 

Archie Bradley isn’t a relief stud every year, but he does have that ability. (2.1 fWAR in 2017). And he makes very little money and has a few years left. If the Diamondbacks do trade him, they will need some serious enticement. From the Sox perspective, the opening bid might need to include two of Chavis, Dalbec and Darwinzon Hernandez at minimum.

 

If you were GM of the Diamondbacks, would you trade your best relief pitcher for Chavis, Swihart, Johnson and Velasquez?

 

Not unless my scouts really liked two of the guys you listed, but that is not likely.

 

I'd hate to trade Hernandez, so I'd look for any way to avoid it. If teams are not interested in Johnson, I might offer this and get the best we can, even if it's nothing too special:

 

Chavis OR Dalbec- not both

Velazquez or Johsnon- not both

Swihart and/or Houck/Shawaryn

 

Who do you think we can get for this offer?

[notin]

Not unless my scouts really liked two of the guys you listed, but that is not likely.

 

I'd hate to trade Hernandez, so I'd look for any way to avoid it. If teams are not interested in Johnson, I might offer this and get the best we can, even if it's nothing too special:

 

Chavis OR Dalbec- not both

Velazquez or Johsnon- not both

Swihart and/or Houck/Shawaryn

 

Who do you think we can get for this offer?

 

I would target a small market team with a package of my BA #1 in Dalbec and the MLB-ready Sharwyn. (Johnson, Velasquez, and Swihart add very little. Think of their trade value as about the same as Esteban Quiroz.)

 

My first targets would include Archie Bradley, Mychal Givens, Kirby Yates, Corey Knebel and Arodys Vizcaino. But I would keep in mind pitchers like Scott Oberg and Keone Kela in the likely event I wasn’t enticing any of the teams from that first list.

 

I would also try for Drew Streckenrider. While the Marlins have been borderline unreasonable with JT Realmuto trade offers, at the end of the day this is a team that traded away the 2017 NL MVP and the 2018 NL MVP and still has one of the worst farm systems according to everyone rating them. So making smart trades might not be their forte...

Edited January 29, 2019 by notin

[TylerD]

Any reports come out on where Kimbrel will likely end up? Last I heard the Twins were looking at him.

[moonslav59]

Any reports come out on where Kimbrel will likely end up? Last I heard the Twins were looking at him.

 

If the Cubs trade Zobrist, they can probably afford Kimbrel.

[BillyWilliams]

Any reports come out on where Kimbrel will likely end up? Last I heard the Twins were looking at him.

 

Craig Kimbrel Rumors

WWW.MLB.COM

---

Closer Craig Kimbrel has compiled an impressive resume during his nine seasons in the big leagues, recording a microscopic 1.91 ERA with a 0.92 WHIP, 333 saves and a 14.7 K/9 rate. Below you will find a list of the latest news and rumors surrounding the right-hander.

[TylerD]

Craig Kimbrel Rumors

WWW.MLB.COM

---

Closer Craig Kimbrel has compiled an impressive resume during his nine seasons in the big leagues, recording a microscopic 1.91 ERA with a 0.92 WHIP, 333 saves and a 14.7 K/9 rate. Below you will find a list of the latest news and rumors surrounding the right-hander.

 

Thanks! I could see Minnesota snatching Kimbrel..... Also found it interesting that they seem to think the Sox are in the most need of Kimbrel. Though he got us a lot of saves, nothing will ever change my mind that we didn't need him in the playoffs. We win that World Series with or without him. If the price is right keeping Kimbrel doesn't bother me, but if he goes to a team like Minnesota I'm not too worried about filling the role. I have said before and I will say again, this team is good enough to stay competitive and win games while we figure out a closing role for someone. Will be interesting to see how this plays out.

[TylerD]

If the Cubs trade Zobrist, they can probably afford Kimbrel.

 

Interesting. I could see it..... The Cubs never did rebound and find someone after Wade Davis went to the Rockies. Probably a big reason the Cubs didn't do as good this season (though they were still a playoff caliber team)

[Bellhorn04]

Thanks! I could see Minnesota snatching Kimbrel..... Also found it interesting that they seem to think the Sox are in the most need of Kimbrel. Though he got us a lot of saves, nothing will ever change my mind that we didn't need him in the playoffs. We win that World Series with or without him. If the price is right keeping Kimbrel doesn't bother me, but if he goes to a team like Minnesota I'm not too worried about filling the role. I have said before and I will say again, this team is good enough to stay competitive and win games while we figure out a closing role for someone. Will be interesting to see how this plays out.

 

Kimbrel was extremely reliable for us for 3 seasons. I don't know what was going on with him in the postseason, but it was bad. Remarkably he didn't actually blow any games, just scared the crap out of everyone.

 

Having him back would make us a better team. But his price is going to rule that out.

[dgalehouse]

Kimbrel has been with the Sox three years . Three times an All Star . More importantly, three A.L. East titles . How much he would be missed depends on how much you think he had to do with those titles. If you believe that any number of guys could have done as well , then there is no need to keep him . If you believe he was a big factor in the team's success , then you do want to keep him , or at least find a suitable replacement. It all depends on how you feel about it . Obviously, money is a big factor . No doubt about that .

[notin]

Interesting. I could see it..... The Cubs never did rebound and find someone after Wade Davis went to the Rockies. Probably a big reason the Cubs didn't do as good this season (though they were still a playoff caliber team)

 

 

The Cubs won 3 more games in 2018, their first year without Davis, than they did in 2017, their one year with him...

[TylerD]

The Cubs won 3 more games in 2018, their first year without Davis, than they did in 2017, their one year with him...

Interesting..... didn’t realize that. They didn’t even have a closer last year I don’t think?

[TylerD]

Kimbrel was extremely reliable for us for 3 seasons. I don't know what was going on with him in the postseason, but it was bad. Remarkably he didn't actually blow any games, just scared the crap out of everyone.

 

Having him back would make us a better team. But his price is going to rule that out.

 

I agree. I’m not saying I wouldn’t want to have him back. If the price is right I’m all for it. Unfortunately it just doesn’t look that way. And to be fair Kimbrel was pretty damn good in the World Series.... just s*** the bed against the Yanks and Astros.

[Bellhorn04]

Interesting..... didn’t realize that. They didn’t even have a closer last year I don’t think?

 

Brandon Morrow started as the closer but got hurt.

 

Theo Epstein was apparently a little displeased with Joe Maddon about the circumstances under which Morrow got injured...I don't remember the exact details.

[moonslav59]

I agree. I’m not saying I wouldn’t want to have him back. If the price is right I’m all for it. Unfortunately it just doesn’t look that way. And to be fair Kimbrel was pretty damn good in the World Series.... just s*** the bed against the Yanks and Astros.

 

He did let up an HR, and his K/9 was only 4.2, but his 1.15 WHIP was acceptable.