jacksonianmarch

A veteran catcher can help pitching develop

You can survive heavy expenditures if you’re able to fill in your team with minor league depth. The Yanks have been able to do that. Their window is now and with the ebb and flow of big league teams, they’re likely to start having issues when their core is up for free agency (in 3 years). Teams who spend but get performance for their spending end up ok. It’s when you have Pedroia’s, Ellsbury’s etc who aren’t playing yet eating a lot of money that you get into trouble. If the cash you’re spending on a player is rewarded in value they provide, then its beneficial

Lucroy isn’t what he once was, but for a team like to have some young pitching at the end of their rotation or in their pen, it might be beneficial to have a very experienced catcher on the roster. Lucroy, IMO, is a better bet from a development perspective than Plawecki is

The thing Henry needs to do now is let Bloom do his work. Henry made a mandate, Bloom followed through and actually set the team up for future prosperity. He got FAR more than anyone thought he could for one year of Betts. Yes, they’re under budget, but they’re also underwater with some bad contracts. He needs to be allowed to work his magic to clean the slate. He’s still got two more years of Pedroia, 3 more years of Eovaldi, 3 more years of half-Price and 5 more years of Sale. If he can clear some of that burden while allowing the farm to grow, he will be primed to build the next team. The Sox are currently in tear down mode. This year should see some assets obtained and some costs shed

At this point, one year deals are on the table for anyone. The Sox are going to be sellers at the deadline in all likelihood, so getting guys on one year deals that you can sell off isn’t a bad thing

I’m just glad he’s going to be ok. Pneumonia can kill you, so it sounds like he’s getting better, just is too weak to start his throwing program. While I’m a Yankee fan, I clearly don’t wish physical harm or death on a player due to their jersey color. By the time he starts his throwing program, he may not be built up in time for opening day. Overall, it sounds like he will be fine.

May miss opening day, per report

Signing a third tier guy costs nothing. If the player looks good, you pay them peanuts. If the player sucks, you cut bait for nothing. The Sox are still an appealing team to play for. I’m surprised we haven’t seen a bunch of these guys sign on

The third tier guys are starting to come off the board. I’m still unsure why Bloom hasn’t just signed a bunch of these guys and seen who sticks. The Yanks just brought in Bettis, a starter who was okay once, then got cancer and got smoked last year. The catch is that he hasn’t played his home games outside of Coors, he’d have been a good buy low option. Bloom should sign 4-5 of those types and see which ones make the squad. Unless he fully intends on the 5th spot being a pen spot, but then again, he’ll need SP depth when the inevitable top 4 injury happens

Yanks have added Tony Zych and Chad Bettis. Neither are likely to make the club out of ST

Holt is a utility player who can hit. I’m still surprised some team hasn’t taken a flier on him.

My condolences moon.

He’s adding depth. That’s what you do in today’s game. They’re going to have to load manage Verdugo for 2020, so having a platoon partner for 30% of the games is a smart thing. He’s young, even if he had surgery, it isn’t the end of the world. His talent is undeniable. You roll with the punches going forward. You didn’t get him for 2020 anyway

If the team stays as constituted, then Pillar is your 4th OFer. He was a good get, especially if the plan is to deal off guys on short term deals. Heck, he could be one of them

This makes me wonder if Verdugo had a procedure on his back. How do they know in early February that he won’t be back by the beginning of April?

Lol. This is pure comedy

He’s a patient guy who isn’t afraid to trade anyone on his teams. That’s how he operated at TB and he turned a pile of dog s*** into a perennial winner. He’s also not afraid to have a bridge year. He doesn’t panic and seems to make the right choice in all his moves. As an Yankee fan, it’s troubling knowing a guy like that is in charge of the Sox, but for 2020 and likely a couple years after, I’m expecting to like our end of the rivalry

I think the surprise is going to be how bad your team will be. Vegas still has the Sox at 86 wins. There’s no way the Sox are winning 86 games in the AL East with their rotation outside of Chris Sale returning to 2017 level, Eovaldi channeling his inner iron man, Perez finding his inner Ranger fortitude and Johnson channeling someone else cause he sucks. I think you’re going to see a sell off. Bloom is no fool. He’s going to be a great GM long term, but I think he’s intent on replenishing the farm and the only way to do that is to deal off good assets and draft/sign well. It starts by dealing off short term assets.

Martinez closed for a division winner. He’s not going anywhere

With Puello coming in and Pillar, it makes you wonder if JBJ is next out of town

Interim. How to really cut a guys legs out from under him from day 1

Puig to the Sox makes too much sense. RH, power hitter, cannon for an arm, runs like a deer, head like a bipolar. He’d be on a 1 yr deal

Sox sign Cesar Puello. He’s likely to be your 4th OFer

Football is far more likely to be the "best team wins" scenario than baseball. In football, the teams that win the SB typically have a 75% or higher win percentage in the regular season. In baseball, the team with the most wins in history only won 72% of their games. Most of the time, the WS winning club wins between 90 and 100 games in the regular season, meaning they won between 55-62% of their games. The variability in baseball makes a single game title completely and utterly useless. I actually don't like the WC play-in either. The only 1 game "play-offs" should be the tie breakers to get into the playoffs. That is about it. Otherwise, every team should be given the shot of losing a game and still getting off the mat. I hate the idea of expanding the POs beyond 5 teams. I really do. Baseball doesn't have 32 teams like football does, yet football has 6 playoff spots per conference. The proposal Manfred is talking about is a 7 team PO per league? So just under half the teams in baseball will make the POs? That is absolutely stupid. The only addition to the playoffs that I would make is to keep the 5 teams per league, but make the WC playoff a best of 3 with a single game at the WC2's park on day 1 and a DHer at the WC1's park on day 2.

It is a business to all of them. They don’t play baseball then go to their 9-5’s. They’re baseball players and that’s what pays the bills.