jacksonianmarch

Anyone who has watched Graterol knew he wasn’t a starter. 6’1” 255 pound side of beef with a violent delivery and an enormous fastball. The idea he was a starter in training is just asinine

Taking half of Price’s contract, giving up Maeda and Verdugo is plenty for the Dodgers. Or the Sox could ask the Twins for a different prospect or a second prospect

There is one very simple fix. Cut the Twins out entirely, take Maeda for Boston and roll with a club that could be useful in 2020

Graterol has shoulder issues as well as a prior TJS. I wonder if there’s some chronic anatomical issue in the shoulder

Stud isn't the word. Verdugo will not be Betts. That is what sox fans need to get out of their head. But can he be .290/25/80, steal 10 bases and play above average D. Yes, I think he can.

This isn’t the worst news. We will now keep Happ to the deadline and JMont has the inside track to the 5th starter spot. We have big league depth. We have minor league depth. Our pen is intact. Our lineup is intact. We will still crush

He just had back surgery. This puts him on track for May-June, likely the latter. Thank god we have Cole!

Unless the Sox use Beni to find a pitcher

Arenado isn’t needed with Devers there. Also, anyone dealing for Arenado would have to eat the entire contract and offer major talent.

Context is needed for this trade. A straight up Betts and Price for Verdugo and Graterol deal is clearly not equal talent wise. The Sox were hamstrung with their Lux tax situation. They have been limited to bargain basement additions to a team that won 84 games and was losing their most durable starter. The team, as is, isn’t winning anything in 2020. Could they have contended for a WC2? Maybe, but the reality is, the cliff has come and you’ve got two teams in division that are better. Betts and Price constitute $58 mil on the 2020 Lux tax ledger. Therefore, their cost is prohibitive to filling out the roster. Price was on the docket for 3 years and has already shown a decline in durability and effectiveness. So, you package those two together with half of the money on Price’s contract ($48 mil or so) and you get an OFer who will be in Boston when the next rise occurs and a hot shot rookie pitcher who looks like the odds on favorite to be the closer long term. The cost makes this deal a win for Boston in terms of value added to the team. The problem I have with this deal is two-fold. It was made after season tickets went on sale and it really seems like this was orchestrated at a time where fans are gonna be pissed because they already spent money on a lost season. The timing of this deal makes it so the Sox cannot use any of their tax savings to improve the roster. Graterol has a lot of talent, for sure, but most scouting reports and his injury history have him pegged as a closer. Dealing Price opens a hole in the rotation that, right now, is going to be filled by Brian Johnson. That’s essentially throwing the season from day 1. Hence, I see this as being the first shot fired in a full on firesale, unless Bloom has a plan to add talent into the rotation. Maybe Bloom has Puig in his back pocket and he’s gonna deal Beni for a starter? Who knows But dealing off Price and Betts and getting Verdugo and Graterol makes an area of concern worse in a division and really a league that is going to destroy average or bad teams. The Sox have turned a concern into a critical flaw. I’m wondering if Bloom is going to wait to sell anything not bolted down until in season. He might try to pump and dump Sale and Eo. Workman is likely moved. Barnes is likely moved. ERod May be moved. This could be the first shot fired in a full on dumpster fire season. And the draft benefit of tanking may not be there with the penalties looming.

With a clear need to slash payroll and rebuild, the Sox had to add to their talent pool somehow. With the draft penalties coming, that somehow is by dealing off useful assets. Nobody is gonna give you anything good for guys like Eovaldi or JBJ. This will start a sell off of epic proportions, IMO. JD wants to win and if he comes out stroking again, my bet and the FOs bet will be that he opts out. Teams are more desperate in season and JD will fit with any club that needs offense. He’ll go for something useful, and as possibly the best bat on the market, that something useful could be a top prospect. I also wonder if the Sox quietly entertain offers for ERod in season or after 2020. He’s going to be a popular target and his extra year of control will be enticing on a bad team in 2020. ERod would return a massive haul in season.

It looks like a half and half deal with Price, although it hasn’t been confirmed. Price for $16 mil AAV is still a bit heavy, IMO, so the Dodgers took on more than Price is worth to get Betts. They also handed off Verdugo, who has 5 years of control, and Maeda to upgrade in the OF. Maeda to Price is a downgrade, but they needed to alter the payroll to a bigger degree, and Price was clearly a pre-requisite to make a deal. The Dodgers got better in this one and are hoping for a rebound from Price in both health and performance in what will be his first foray into the NL. The Dodgers also managed to sneak under the LT again The Twins got themselves a starter who easily slots in as the #2 behind Odorizzi and comes with a few years of reasonable control. They gave up a top prospect, albeit one who is likely to be a reliever The Sox got their salary relief. The paid down less than I thought they’d have to, but enough to get two top 100 guys of yesteryear (and now with Brusdar still eligible). They got far more for both Price and Betts than I thought they would have. Verdugo is never going to be Betts. But Betts wasn’t going to be around after 2020 unless the Sox paid More than the 29 other teams. They can still do that. But Verdugo adds to their team for the next 5 years. He plays good D. He’s a good enough base runner. He’s got burgeoning power. He’s got excellent bat to ball skills. He is likely going to be a fringe all star in Boston and IMO is better than Benintendi. Graterol is the bonus the Sox got for Price and the funds going with him. This kid has flames coming out of his hand. Sits 99, tops out at 103. Apparently the Sox plan to start him in AAA in the rotation to (manipulate his service time) see what they have as a starter. But long term, this kid is a closer and one that’ll be effective. His stuff is devastating and he’s just learning to use it. Overall, for 2020, the Sox just downgraded considerably. For 2021 and beyond, they gained much needed financial flexibility and added two players that will fit into the core of their next rising team. This is a good move for Bloom.

Graterol will be your closer. Kid has insane power. Verdugo is your long term RFer. They also dealt off a damaged Price for half off his contract. This is a win. Bloom will be right

Verdugo and Brusdar Graterol to Boston Joc Pederson to LAA Mookie and Price to LAD Kenta Maeda to Twins No word on other pieces from LAA

Wow. I’m actually bummed out. Bloom dealt Betts on a down year and got 5 years of a good OFer. I can’t wait to hear the rest

Speculation and ridiculousness. Just like how Big Papi didn’t cheat, right? You guys are nothing but predictable. The commish fined the Yanks and Sox, sent out a detailed memo, made every manager sign an affidavit and from that point forward threatened massive penalties. There is ZERO proof the Yanks cheated beyond that incident with the Apple Watch. If some comes available, then clearly I’ll change my tune. But until then, speculation is just sour grapes at the penalties coming to the cheating Sox.

You’ve got to get a big league ready starter in a deal for Mookie. Your lineup is deep enough to take the hit especially if Verdugo is the Betts replacement, but your made of glass rotation has a s*** starter at #5 and literally zero contingencies heading into ST. You’ve got to have a 6th and 7th option.

Depends on what you get for Mookie. If you can get another starter and a replacement for Mookie, your lineup will still be deep and you wont have a minus starter in there should you have an injury or deal Price. Stripling has been a 2WAR starter the last 2 seasons. Johnson and Velazquez gave you 0 WAR as the 5th starter. I do wonder if the sox actually had a minus WAR in games not started by Price, Sale, Porcello, Eovaldi and ERod. That means you add to an area of weakness. Now, Verdugo looks like he could be a 4WAR type of player. If the sox get Stripling and Verdugo plus anything else, then they are recalibrating their WAR. Will the team WAR go down? Maybe not. As a matter of fact, the offense may suffer slightly, but the pitching may be helped considerably. As it stands right now, I think the sox are a contender for the 2nd WC, but not a strong one. Dealing Betts and getting any now pitching might give the sox enough contingencies to suppress runs allowed and push the sox closer to contention for that second WC spot

There are 3 sources that say the sox cheated in 2018, AFTER they were reprimanded in 2017. Listen, the slate was wiped clean when the commish came down on the sox and yanks. Any FURTHER use of electronic media, be it for sign stealing or pitch sequence or whatever, would be seriously punished. The Astros did it after the reprimand. The sox are reported to have done the same in 2018.

We knew they were doing something in 2017. Like the Sox were doing. There’s been no proof, no sources that they did anything beyond when they were reprimanded.

That’s classic! Lol

They’re pitchers, they can be out for a whole season if they want to. It looks like the resolution is gonna come soon. That usually means teams have given their best and final and now the Sox have to pick. I’m still shocked the Mets aren’t in on this. They don’t need Price, but they certainly could use Betts and are likely going to be a strong suitor for him on the open market

Nope, still same ole Oppenheimer getting jack s*** out of his drafts. They absolutely kill it with IFA’s and they get a lot of capital out of those 3-10 picks in terms of pen arms, but they’ve been flopping on 1st rounders. I’m fine with the Hensley’s of the world since their issue was health, not talent. But the Culver, Seigler, Volpe and Holder picks are inexcusable IMO. Why draft guys with ceilings of low end starters and more likely to be backups or UTIL players?

2020 May be the future, but you’re team isn’t gonna have a good 2020 without a damn miracle

I hated the Seigler pick from day 1. I also don’t like the Volpe pick. I hope they can prove me wrong