A Realistic View at 2022: Part I

[Bellhorn04]

True but that one year might be a relative bargain compared to the free agent alternatives in Correa, Seager and Story…

 

But how much do you give up for one year of Xander at $20 million?

[mvp 78]

When drafted, many thought he would move right into the Sox pen. Glad to see he's still working to get to the majors.

 

Very unfair to put that on a college guy. Glad they didn’t Craig Hansen him.

[Nick]

Bloom is probably okay with our offense. It's pretty simple really.

 

1. Evaluate new CBA.

2. Bloom will not pursue JD if he opts out.

3. Will not rely soley on Dalbec as the 1B. But he'll keep Dalbec. He's cheap.

4. Team will evaluate how Schwarber plays 1B. Or if JD opts out, Sox will pursue Schwarber.

5 Arroyo will be our starting 2B in 2022.

6. Duran will be on the mlb roster

7 Kike will start at whatever position that needs help. Probably start in CF on opening day.

8. 2 catchers, Dalbec, Arroyo, Xander, Devers, Verdugo, Kike, Renfroe, JD. Will add a left handed hitting 1B and Duran, that's 12 if Cora wants 14 pitchers.

 

Basically, savings from Pedroia's money will be given to Schwarber. I'm good with JD opting out. $22M frees up and that's not a bad thing.

Edited August 27, 2021 by Nick

[jacksonianmarch]

I actually think Durran will be traded this offseason. He doesn't look the part. Loopy swing, some pop but they screwed up his swing. With his speed, he should be a Brett Gardner type. Steal tons of bases, hard contact over long fly balls, probably better as a COF defensively. But they turned him into a HR hitter, which doesn't utilize his skill set to it's fullest.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

re. JD opting out: I just don't see a new market developing that will pay him more money for more years. Does anyone think he'll be another Nelson Cruz for the next half decade or so?

 

His fate may really hinge on the next CBA, with terms like the NL accepting the DH... but what are the chances the MLB and the Union agree on anything before Martinez has to declare?

[Bellhorn04]

I actually think Durran will be traded this offseason. He doesn't look the part. Loopy swing, some pop but they screwed up his swing. With his speed, he should be a Brett Gardner type. Steal tons of bases, hard contact over long fly balls, probably better as a COF defensively. But they turned him into a HR hitter, which doesn't utilize his skill set to it's fullest.

 

As you know, selling low is not the best way to go.

[Bellhorn04]

re. JD opting out: I just don't see a new market developing that will pay him more money for more years. Does anyone think he'll be another Nelson Cruz for the next half decade or so?

 

His fate may really hinge on the next CBA, with terms like the NL accepting the DH... but what are the chances the MLB and the Union agree on anything before Martinez has to declare?

 

That's a good point. He likely opts in, with all that uncertainty.

[mvp 78]

I actually think Durran will be traded this offseason. He doesn't look the part. Loopy swing, some pop but they screwed up his swing. With his speed, he should be a Brett Gardner type. Steal tons of bases, hard contact over long fly balls, probably better as a COF defensively. But they turned him into a HR hitter, which doesn't utilize his skill set to it's fullest.

 

The problem was that his swing was too slappy and he wasn't making hard contact. The only way to get him to make hard contact was to revamp his swing. He had a 634 OPS in AA with his old swing. That wasn't going to get it done at higher levels.

[mvp 78]

re. JD opting out: I just don't see a new market developing that will pay him more money for more years. Does anyone think he'll be another Nelson Cruz for the next half decade or so?

 

His fate may really hinge on the next CBA, with terms like the NL accepting the DH... but what are the chances the MLB and the Union agree on anything before Martinez has to declare?

 

He'll need to opt out before the CBA is agreed to for sure. They are going to drag this CBA negotiation out. Tony Clark took a lot of heat for the last CBA. He's going to give more push back this time.

[moonslav59]

re. JD opting out: I just don't see a new market developing that will pay him more money for more years. Does anyone think he'll be another Nelson Cruz for the next half decade or so?

 

His fate may really hinge on the next CBA, with terms like the NL accepting the DH... but what are the chances the MLB and the Union agree on anything before Martinez has to declare?

 

JD just turned 34. Many players already have sharply declined by 34. That being said, he doesn't have to be Nelson Cruz, who is 41, to get a decent 3-4 year deal. Cruz signed a 4 year deal for $57M at age 34. That would be a good comp for JD with inflation figured in.

 

If you look at Nelson's numbers before that 4 year deal, they were way worse than JD's.

 

.838 previous 4 years

.801 previous 2 years

[notin]

He'll need to opt out before the CBA is agreed to for sure. They are going to drag this CBA negotiation out. Tony Clark took a lot of heat for the last CBA. He's going to give more push back this time.

 

It turns out Tony Clark negotiates like he hits. Too many misses…

[notin]

Very unfair to put that on a college guy. Glad they didn’t Craig Hansen him.

 

But the occasional Chad Cordero or Huston Street would be nice…

[mvp 78]

But the occasional Chad Cordero or Huston Street would be nice…

 

And both of those guys had injuries that vastly decreased their careers. Coincidence?!??!

[mvp 78]

It turns out Tony Clark negotiates like he hits. Too many misses…

 

Looks good in the suit tho.

[notin]

And both of those guys had injuries that vastly decreased their careers. Coincidence?!??!

 

Yeah it was tough on Street, seeing his career truncated after a mere 12 years and 668 games…

[mvp 78]

Yeah it was tough on Street, seeing his career truncated after a mere 12 years and 668 games…

 

680 innings. Old Hoss Radbourn pitched almost that many in '84 alone!

 

Strasburg looks like old dependable against those Huston Street numbers. 1400+ innings for that rubber arm.

[notin]

680 innings. Old Hoss Radbourn pitched almost that many in '84 alone!

 

And look where that got ol’ Hoss. He’s dead now. Meanwhile Huston Street is still alive…

[mvp 78]

And look where that got ol’ Hoss. He’s dead now. Meanwhile Huston Street is still alive…

 

Radbourn was considered a hero by some because of his courage in stopping a run-away buggy on the evening of July 12, 1892. On the evening in question, George Fletcher, his wife, and son had come into town for supplies. While Mr. Fletcher was inside a store, he left his wife and son waiting in the carriage. Not long after Mr. Fletcher got out of the buggy, something spooked the horse and the horse took off running. The horse, buggy, Mrs. Fletcher and their son were careening out of control down West Washington Street. As the runaway carriage passed by Radbourn’s billiards hall and saloon,

 

“a young man wearing a white jacket dashed suddenly, and with the stride of a professional sprinter…like a flash was at the running horse’s head. With his right hand he seized the bit and with his left put a powerful clamp upon the horse’s nostrils. The plunging horse dragged the man along with him, and would possibly have gotten away had not the man dexterously turned him so sharply as almost to upset the buggy, thus bringing the animal suddenly almost to a standstill.”

 

Bystanders rushed to the carriage to see if Mrs. Fletcher and her son were okay, and they were unharmed. The man in the white jacket (whom people at the time did not know was Radbourn) quietly walked back to the sidewalk and back into the saloon. Because of Radbourn’s quick reflexes, nerve, and grit, a terrible accident had been averted.

 

After retiring from baseball, Radbourn opened up a successful billiard parlor and saloon in Bloomington, Illinois. He was seriously injured in a hunting accident soon after retirement, in which he lost an eye, and spent most of his remaining years shut up in a back room of the saloon, apparently too ashamed to be seen after the injury. He died in Bloomington in 1897 and was interred in Evergreen Cemetery.

 

Let me know when Street chases down a horse and gets shot in the face.

[notin]

Radbourn was considered a hero by some because of his courage in stopping a run-away buggy on the evening of July 12, 1892. On the evening in question, George Fletcher, his wife, and son had come into town for supplies. While Mr. Fletcher was inside a store, he left his wife and son waiting in the carriage. Not long after Mr. Fletcher got out of the buggy, something spooked the horse and the horse took off running. The horse, buggy, Mrs. Fletcher and their son were careening out of control down West Washington Street. As the runaway carriage passed by Radbourn’s billiards hall and saloon,

 

“a young man wearing a white jacket dashed suddenly, and with the stride of a professional sprinter…like a flash was at the running horse’s head. With his right hand he seized the bit and with his left put a powerful clamp upon the horse’s nostrils. The plunging horse dragged the man along with him, and would possibly have gotten away had not the man dexterously turned him so sharply as almost to upset the buggy, thus bringing the animal suddenly almost to a standstill.”

 

Bystanders rushed to the carriage to see if Mrs. Fletcher and her son were okay, and they were unharmed. The man in the white jacket (whom people at the time did not know was Radbourn) quietly walked back to the sidewalk and back into the saloon. Because of Radbourn’s quick reflexes, nerve, and grit, a terrible accident had been averted.

 

After retiring from baseball, Radbourn opened up a successful billiard parlor and saloon in Bloomington, Illinois. He was seriously injured in a hunting accident soon after retirement, in which he lost an eye, and spent most of his remaining years shut up in a back room of the saloon, apparently too ashamed to be seen after the injury. He died in Bloomington in 1897 and was interred in Evergreen Cemetery.

 

Let me know when Street chases down a horse and gets shot in the face.

 

Well pardon Huston Street for growing up in the era of the motor car and after the invention of the safety on guns.

 

But since both of those Hoss Radbourn stories happened after Hoss retired from baseball, not sure how they equate to Street’s skipping the minors dramatically cutting his career short, considering he pitched in relief more times than Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Well pardon Huston Street for growing up in the era of the motor car and after the invention of the safety on guns.

 

But since both of those Hoss Radbourn stories happened after Hoss retired from baseball, not sure how they equate to Street’s skipping the minors dramatically cutting his career short, considering he pitched in relief more times than Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter…

 

Ah... but not more innings pitched in relief.

 

Most IP With Zero Career Starts: Franco 1,245.2; Hoffman 1,089.1; Sutter? 1,042... bb-ref has Street 21st with 680 IP, but somehow leaves Sutter off its list.

[notin]

Ah... but not more innings pitched in relief.

 

Most IP With Zero Career Starts: Franco 1,245.2; Hoffman 1,089.1; Sutter? 1,042... bb-ref has Street 21st with 680 IP, but somehow leaves Sutter off its list.

 

 

Ok but Street has more career IP than Kimbrel, who I’m told is a future Hall of Famer.

 

Even if Kimbrel does pass him sometime in the next 2 years, Street clearly did not have his career cut short due to skipping the minors…

[notin]

And speaking of Houston, they just signed Marwin Gonzalez…

[moonslav59]

And speaking of Houston, they just signed Marwin Gonzalez…

 

Collecting garbage for their trash cans.

[mvp 78]

Collecting garbage for their trash cans.

 

He's a valuable acquisition for a team that has room on their bench for a glove only UTIL guy.

[mvp 78]

Ok but Street has more career IP than Kimbrel, who I’m told is a future Hall of Famer.

 

Even if Kimbrel does pass him sometime in the next 2 years, Street clearly did not have his career cut short due to skipping the minors…

 

Kimbrel in less innings has almost twice the fWAR. Got it.

[mvp 78]

Well pardon Huston Street for growing up in the era of the motor car and after the invention of the safety on guns.

 

But since both of those Hoss Radbourn stories happened after Hoss retired from baseball, not sure how they equate to Street’s skipping the minors dramatically cutting his career short, considering he pitched in relief more times than Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter…

 

You had mentioned that Radbourn was dead and Houston was alive. That's the only reason I brought up their post playing days.

[notin]

Kimbrel in less innings has almost twice the fWAR. Got it.

 

You’re going to get a hernia if you keep moving those goal posts…

[mvp 78]

You’re going to get a hernia if you keep moving those goal posts…

 

Did I say Kimbrel was a HOFer?

[moonslav59]

He's a valuable acquisition for a team that has room on their bench for a glove only UTIL guy.

 

Can't agree, sorry.

 

The words "valuable" and Marwin should not be in the same sentence.

 

BTW, no team in MLB needs a glove only utility guy more than the Sox.

[notin]

Did I say Kimbrel was a HOFer?

 

No but he certainly will be a candidate.

 

Don’t forget one of the requirements for the Hall is a player’s career has to be a certain length (10 years, I believe). So my point is Street’s career was as long as many in the Hall, and he racked up enough appearances and innings to be comparable to those (who will likely be) in the Hall that filled the same role he filled.

 

He had a long career that was not cut short by being rushed to MLB. Citing Kimbrel’s fWAR and Sutter’s IP (in a different role) and Hoss Radbourn’s equine tackling ability doesn’t change this.

 

Cordero? His career was shortened by injuries, possibly due to being rushed. But Street? Nope. Nothing to suggest it…