Rodon

[moonslav59]

That makes no sense.

 

Umm.... had we made the playoffs, we'd have been called wrong.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

He was last year.

 

I wouldn’t mind if they got a catcher above him, and was disappointed William Contreras went so cheaply. I give up Rafaela in that scenario…

 

Will the Red Sox sign Roberto Perez or Austin Hedges? Former is going to be 34, four years older, but two-time GGer. Either will cost less than half of Vazquez.

 

Dumb me, still speculating on making moves, like it was the team I've followed for over half a century...

[Bellhorn04]

He was last year.

 

By which metric?

[mvp 78]

Umm.... had we made the playoffs, we'd have been called wrong.

 

They didn't and they weren't going to. If the goal is to build for the future, one meagre run at the playoffs wasn't worth the risk.

[mvp 78]

By which metric?

 

fWAR

[Bellhorn04]

They didn't and they weren't going to. If the goal is to build for the future, one meagre run at the playoffs wasn't worth the risk.

 

They said the goal was re-build while competing. It worked in 2021.

[mvp 78]

Will the Red Sox sign Roberto Perez or Austin Hedges? Former is going to be 34, four years older, but two-time GGer. Either will cost less than half of Vazquez.

 

Dumb me, still speculating on making moves, like it was the team I've followed for over half a century...

 

I heard there were no guys left to sign.

[notin]

Will the Red Sox sign Roberto Perez or Austin Hedges? Former is going to be 34, four years older, but two-time GGer. Either will cost less than half of Vazquez.

 

Dumb me, still speculating on making moves, like it was the team I've followed for over half a century...

 

The Sox could also try to work out deals for the players they lost in the Rule 5 draft, thus enabling the drafting teams to demote those players to the minors if they needed to.

 

For example, Washington left 25yo catching prospect Drew Millas unprotected.

 

And Philly left 24yo LHP Erik Miller unprotected.

 

Both don’t seem particularly enamored with these players as much as many scouts (most orgs put Miller in the Phillies top ten).

 

Washington does have a clear path for Ward, so they might be reluctant. Philly would be stupid not to make a deal that would allow them to keep Song, whose career to date consists of 17 IP in low A ball 4 years ago.

 

Those moves won’t make the Sox immediate contenders, but that doesn’t mean either is a bad move…

[mvp 78]

They said the goal was re-build while competing. It worked in 2021.

 

How many other teams have been able to do that?

[notin]

I heard there were no guys left to sign.

 

Hedges is all glove/no bat. Ditto Perez but he’s also 4 years older. After those two, Jorge Alfaro and Tucker Barnhart lead the list. At some point, we are no longer talking about upgrade over McGuire/Wong. Although that doesn’t mean the depth is a bad thing…

[Bellhorn04]

How many other teams have been able to do that?

 

I can't answer that, but if Bloom had made a few better moves for 2022 or we had less injuries they might have made the playoffs again.

[moonslav59]

Will the Red Sox sign Roberto Perez or Austin Hedges? Former is going to be 34, four years older, but two-time GGer. Either will cost less than half of Vazquez.

 

Dumb me, still speculating on making moves, like it was the team I've followed for over half a century...

 

Why not? It's better than wallowing in misery for a few more months.

 

Hey, we play 24 less games vs the AL East.

 

We are stacked with LH'd bats at a time when lefties will be given a huge boost due to recent rule changes.

 

We have 10-15 prospects or recent prospect call-ups looking to get a significant chance to shine in 2023. We don't need even half to shine to see a big impact.

 

We can't know for sure what will happen in 2024, but I firmly believe the odds are we will improve at...

 

1B

2B (assuming Story stays there)

3B

LF

CF

RF

DH

Closer

Set up man

Pen depth

 

Hopefully stay close to even...

C

SP4

SP5

SP depth after 5

 

Pretty clear decline...

SS

SP1

SP2

SP3

 

Maybe we can do something to lessen the blows at these 4 slots, but I'm doubtful we can move any, except maybe SP3 into the equal or plus column, but it doesn't look horrible to me- just disapointing.

 

 

 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Hedges is all glove/no bat. Ditto Perez but he’s also 4 years older. After those two, Jorge Alfaro and Tucker Barnhart lead the list. At some point, we are no longer talking about upgrade over McGuire/Wong. Although that doesn’t mean the depth is a bad thing…

 

D is all I'm considering from catchers now, with bigger, shorter bases and limits on pitchers keeping baserunners close. Veteran D can help a young, rebuilding staff, too.

[mvp 78]

I can't answer that, but if Bloom had made a few better moves for 2022 or we had less injuries they might have made the playoffs again.

 

The better moves would have been prior to the start of the season. The team they constructed didn't seem ready for primetime IMO. It was a team on short contracts that was just itching to be dealt.

[mvp 78]

Hedges is all glove/no bat. Ditto Perez but he’s also 4 years older. After those two, Jorge Alfaro and Tucker Barnhart lead the list. At some point, we are no longer talking about upgrade over McGuire/Wong. Although that doesn’t mean the depth is a bad thing…

 

I'm personally fine with the catching rotation they have now. Put the money elsewhere.

[moonslav59]

I can't answer that, but if Bloom had made a few better moves for 2022 or we had less injuries they might have made the playoffs again.

 

No doubt, especially the JBJ trade and Diekman signing, but he did add Wacha, Hill, Strahm and Refsnyder- later McGuire outplayed Vaz the last 2 months of '22. He added Schreiber in '21, but he came through in '22.

 

It was not really his moves and non moves made, last winter, that was the major cause or even a minor cause of the decline- it was more about vet declines and injuries.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

No doubt, especially the JBJ trade and Diekman signing, but he did add Wacha, Hill, Strahm and Refsnyder- later McGuire outplayed Vaz the last 2 months of '22. He added Schreiber in '21, but he came through in '22.

 

It was not really his moves and non moves made, last winter, that was the major cause or even a minor cause of the decline- it was more about vet declines and injuries.

 

It was just as much that a lot of his mound acquisitions were already prone to injury, Bradley was already in decline, and his non-moves left the rotation, bullpen and rightfield unacceptably incomplete.

[moonslav59]

It was just as much that a lot of his mound acquisitions were already prone to injury, Bradley was already in decline, and his non-moves left the rotation, bullpen and rightfield unacceptably incomplete.

 

We were all acting on the assumption we were going to reset, so when you look at what Bloom had to spend, for every non move we converted into a needed move, I assumed we had to delete one he made.

 

It's okay to say we could have spent Diekman's money elsewhere, and certainly the money gained by not adding JBJ's contract and just trading Renfroe for prospects or a min wage guy would have added enough to make a difference, but to me, still not enough to overcome the injuries and vet declines we saw. The 135 RBIS from Bogey + JD, alone, made it nearly impossible to win in 2022. Nobody foresaw that.

 

The Wacha, Hill, Strahm and Refsnyder additions would be hard to beat, even in hindsight signings.

 

The Story signing offered the most "what ifs" to Bloom's choices before 2022. I thought it was a good signing, then, and still do, so I can't say we coulda, shoulda on him.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

In his first year as a second baseman in Boston, Trevor Story was like Mark Bellhorn with the bat, Pokey Reese with the glove and wheels.

 

Combined, that's a pretty decent player... though, maybe not quite worth the biggest contract of the Bloom Era.

[moonslav59]

In his first year as a second baseman in Boston, Trevor Story was like Mark Bellhorn with the bat, Pokey Reese with the glove and wheels.

 

Combined, that's a pretty decent player... though, maybe not quite worth the biggest contract of the Bloom Era.

 

But now, that contract looks like a steal. It's half what Bogey got!

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

But now, that contract looks like a steal. It's half what Bogey got!

 

And as I've said before, Story for half the cost of Bogaerts may have been the main reason Bloom signed him.

[moonslav59]

And as I've said before, Story for half the cost of Bogaerts may have been the main reason Bloom signed him.

 

I doubt anyone foresaw it being half, but I'm pretty sure they liked him at $140M vs Bogey at $170m, at the time of the signing (same years.)

[sk7326]

good pickup for yanks though durability has been a major concern through his career

[mvp 78]

good pickup for yanks though durability has been a major concern through his career

 

Considerable risk!

[Bellhorn04]

Considerable risk!

 

Chaim and the spreadsheet gang have concluded that all starting pitchers are too risky, so we're good.

[mvp 78]

Chaim and the spreadsheet gang have concluded that all starting pitchers are too risky, so we're good.

 

I wasn't a fan of the ones at the top of the list this offseason, but there were a few others they should have gone after.

 

But what do I know? I've only been right about everything going back 7 years.

[moonslav59]

Chaim and the spreadsheet gang have concluded that all starting pitchers are too risky, so we're good.

 

zI think we add one more high risk picther.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

zI think we add one more high risk picther.

 

I can't even define that right now... high risk that we'd have to pay an entire contract that a player actually completes in Boston? high risk that we'd have to pay half the contract for the player to play for another team? high risk that the guy will melt down from constant media and fan attention, and escape New England in the wee hours of the night on a flight to neutral Switzerland?

[moonslav59]

I can't even define that right now... high risk that we'd have to pay an entire contract that a player actually completes in Boston? high risk that we'd have to pay half the contract for the player to play for another team? high risk that the guy will melt down from constant media and fan attention, and escape New England in the wee hours of the night on a flight to neutral Switzerland?

 

I think Kluber could handle the pressure, and may not be all that "high risk."

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I think Kluber could handle the pressure, and may not be all that "high risk."

 

Why Kluber over Wacha? Kluber had 0.7 WAR last year; Wacha led the Sox staff at 3.3. In '23, Kluber will be 37, Wacha 31.