A Realistic View at 2020: Part I

[notin]

Too soon to tell. Let’s revisit 2017 in 2023 to have an apples to apples comparison to 2013.

 

Maybe Brannen will be out of A ball by then...

[harmony]

Just bring me rings, baby.

 

I'm okay with a few bust years, if I know we are building up for the next ring in the not-so-distant future.

Like the Red Sox, the San Francisco Giants advanced to the postseason four times this decade. The Giants, however, but came away with three World Series titles.

[jacksonianmarch]

The Giants always had a world series hangover. It was strange. Win the title, miss the playoffs, win the title, miss the playoffs, win the title.

[moonslav59]

That’s right. It is separate. When the draft classes are, discussion of the international draft isn’t part of the evaluation.

 

Separate, if you want to make it that way, yes, but you were making blanket claims that Ben could not acquire good young pitchers, and the draft is just one way to get them.

 

The IFA market is another.

 

Trading for ERod was another.

[S5Dewey]

thank god.

maybe now we can keep JBj.

 

If so it would be the triumph of defense over offense.

[notin]

thank god.

maybe now we can keep JBj.

 

So you'd rather have JBJ than Martinez or Betts?

 

JDM and Betts are the type of players you build a championship lineup around. Bradley is the type of player you build around a Martinez or Betts with.

 

If JD opts out and the Sox trade Betts, there is really no reason to keep Bradley. If the Sox trade Betts and lose JD, Rusney Castillo actually makes more sense for the Sox outfield than Bradley...

[Slasher9]

So you'd rather have JBJ than Martinez or Betts?

 

JDM and Betts are the type of players you build a championship lineup around. Bradley is the type of player you build around a Martinez or Betts with.

 

If JD opts out and the Sox trade Betts, there is really no reason to keep Bradley. If the Sox trade Betts and lose JD, Rusney Castillo actually makes more sense for the Sox outfield than Bradley...

 

if JD opts out i do not believe we will trade Betts.

I would for the prospects and resign him when he hits FA but if JD opts out i believe our FO will keep Betts. at least until July 2020.

[notin]

if JD opts out i do not believe we will trade Betts.

I would for the prospects and resign him when he hits FA but if JD opts out i believe our FO will keep Betts. at least until July 2020.

 

It is very possible.

 

It's also possible if JD opts out, the Sox resign him, possibly at a lower AAV but for 4+ years. (Really, what other teams will be looking at him for a better deal?) If that happens, any trade of Betts is completely up in the air. But if Betts isn' traded, it does mean JBJ is likely traded or, more likely, non-tendered. However, like JDM, it is possible Bradley is re-signed at a lower salary than anticipated in arbitration (which is in the $10-12mill range)...

[jacksonianmarch]

Henry needs to decide to either go for it or blow it up. Anything in between is a waste. Status quo (retaining the current roster) is a waste. He either needs to commit to adding to the roster or blow it up and try to rebuild in 3 seasons

[moonslav59]

So you'd rather have JBJ than Martinez or Betts?

 

JDM and Betts are the type of players you build a championship lineup around. Bradley is the type of player you build around a Martinez or Betts with.

 

If JD opts out and the Sox trade Betts, there is really no reason to keep Bradley. If the Sox trade Betts and lose JD, Rusney Castillo actually makes more sense for the Sox outfield than Bradley...

 

That would be interesting- giving Castillo a shot during his last year of team control and with no taxes attached.

 

I shudder to think of this, though:

 

LF: Travis/Sturgeon

CF: Duran/Lin

RF: Castillo

 

[moonslav59]

Henry needs to decide to either go for it or blow it up. Anything in between is a waste. Status quo (retaining the current roster) is a waste. He either needs to commit to adding to the roster or blow it up and try to rebuild in 3 seasons

 

I kind of thought trading 4/5ths of our rotation for guys like Kelly, Craig, Cespedes, Hembree and others was playing it "in bteween," but we won by just adding a few mid range FAs.

 

Who knows.

 

I do get your point, however, and it's not a bad one.

[notin]

That would be interesting- giving Castillo a shot during his last year of team control and with no taxes attached.

 

I shudder to think of this, though:

 

LF: Travis/Sturgeon

CF: Duran/Lin

RF: Castillo

 

 

Brings back memories of O'Leary-Lewis-Bragg in the outfield, doesn't it?

 

And yet despite having one of the weakest hitting outfields in team history, that team won 94 games..

[kenmeister]

That would be interesting- giving Castillo a shot during his last year of team control and with no taxes attached.

 

I shudder to think of this, though:

 

LF: Travis/Sturgeon

CF: Duran/Lin

RF: Castillo

 

 

Wait, what happened to Benitendi?

[notin]

Wait, what happened to Benitendi?

 

Maybe he is DHing to replace Martinez?

[Bellhorn04]

Maybe he is DHing to replace Martinez?

 

Yep. Too fat for the outfield now.

[Slasher9]

Yep. Too fat for the outfield now.

 

#fatbeni

 

he supposed to be getting skinny this offseason.

[notin]

#fatbeni

 

he supposed to be getting skinny this offseason.

 

Going to have to.

 

He might end up playing CF...

[moonslav59]

Wait, what happened to Benitendi?

 

He'll be so fat, he'll have to DH.

[notin]

He'll be so fat, he'll have to DH.

 

And we will call him BeninTONdi...

[moonslav59]

And we will call him BeninTONdi...

 

Or, Bent-to-infinity.

[moonslav59]

Fall/Winter League Update...

 

http://news.soxprospects.com/2019/10/fallwinter-league-roundup-houck-leads.html

[Kimmi]

theo is the G.O.A.T. GM...ever.

i would put Duquette between Ben and DD...

 

I concur.

[Kimmi]

Just bring me rings, baby.

 

I'm okay with a few bust years, if I know we are building up for the next ring in the not-so-distant future.

 

We should be able to win some rings without having the bust years in between.

[Kimmi]

Yep. Too fat for the outfield now.

 

LOL The fat Beni jokes are making me laugh way more than they have any right to.

[moonslav59]

We should be able to win some rings without having the bust years in between.

 

I agree, but sometimes, to make sure you get that ring, you go a little overboard and may have to pay the price here and there.

 

You and I were both happy with Ben, but he gave us 3 "lull years" out of 4- not "busts" but not great either.

[Kimmi]

I agree, but sometimes, to make sure you get that ring, you go a little overboard and may have to pay the price here and there.

 

You and I were both happy with Ben, but he gave us 3 "lull years" out of 4- not "busts" but not great either.

 

I can agree with going a little overboard for a player at the deadline who can put the team over the top.

 

I don't agree with the win at any cost philosophy that creates a future cliff.

[moonslav59]

I can agree with going a little overboard for a player at the deadline who can put the team over the top.

 

I don't agree with the win at any cost philosophy that creates a future cliff.

 

I'd rather we not have to go that far, but it's hard to know, if we'd have won in 2019 without going "overboard." It's easy, in hindsight, to say, we could have won without the Thornburg, Pom, Reed & Kinsler trades, so we went too far overboard, but we had pretty close to the same team for 3-4 years and only won once.

 

I've said I wouldn't have gone so far, but it worked. We won. It sucks we're paying for it now and maybe for a couple more years, but I'll take a ring every 4 years anyway we can get it.

 

Sure, I'd prefer winning every 4 years and leaving a decent future afterwards- like Theo and Ben did, but I'm super glad we won that ring last year. I'm not sure anyone can prove we win without Sale, Price, Kimbrel, Eovaldi or Pearce.

[jacksonianmarch]

I can agree with going a little overboard for a player at the deadline who can put the team over the top.

 

I don't agree with the win at any cost philosophy that creates a future cliff.

 

The sox would have employed that in 2004. The Cubs employed that in 2016. I would anticipate the Guardians would employ that should they have a team good enough to win it

[a700hitter]

Separate, if you want to make it that way, yes, but you were making blanket claims that Ben could not acquire good young pitchers, and the draft is just one way to get them.

 

The IFA market is another.

 

Trading for ERod was another.

ERod is a mark in Ben’s favor in the pitching column and possibly his only positive mark in the pitching column.

[a700hitter]

#fatbeni

 

he supposed to be getting skinny this offseason.

DD should have sold high on Benintendi and shipped him off with 8 c 10 glossies of his catch against the Astros and his Game 2 World Series catch.