jacksonianmarch

I wouldn’t finalize that deal until MLB is done with the punishment. You don’t want MLB to take that pick. Also, a deal of Betts for Myers makes little sense outside of balancing salaries for 2020, as Myers is under contract for 21 and 22. If hold out for more. As it stands, the Sox aren’t getting more than 1 top 100 in Campusano. Grisham gives them a cheap MLB talent coming off a reasonable, albeit crushing WC debut. He’s got talent. Croneworth is really interesting as a speed/average hitter then as a high powered reliever. You also have to remember that Croneworth was with TB and went with Pham to SD. Bloom may know something we don’t. Lucchesi would give the Sox reliability. Wha trill is a bit more upside but higher risk. That deal would give the Sox a MLb caliber 1b coming off two down years in Myers A starting OFer in Grisham with upside A top 100 catching prospect in Campusano A MLB ready utility guy who doubles as a reliever in Croneworth A big league starter either with back end reliability or back end production with blue chip potential. That’s a deal to at least consider

No statistic can show someone is cheating using electronic means. But the three people who ratted the Sox our are all they’re gonna need. The Sox are gonna get crushed in this one

CC made 93 starts from 31-33. It was his age 34 season that he had knee surgery and missed the year. He then made 27 or more starts 4 years in a row after that with two seasons of 30+. Price has had a season of 11 starts and a season of 22 starts over the last 3 seasons. Outside of CC’s knee surgery season, he’s never started less than 22 games. That goes through his age 39 season. The other major difference is that CC lost his fastball earlier than Price did and lost it to a more significant degree. CC completely reinvented himself, something Price has been slow to do

Gore is untouchable per previous reports

Happ will be the Yanks 5th starter per Cashman. JMont likely to AAA. May actually get an extra year of control by doing so.

Or you can continue being mediocre, which is what the sox will be. Enjoy that.

2016 is not relevant in 2020. Heck, 2017 is not very relevant either. Use the facts. He missed a ton of time last year, then had throwing wrist surgery. He is also 34 with lots of miles on his arm and a recent history of lost velocity. What makes anyone think he is gonna make 28 starts in 2020? He'd be lucky to make 20

The fangraphs piece showing 3 witnesses claiming this scheme was not only done at home, but on the road, makes it FAR more likely that the sox are gonna get hammered here. Rumor has it that the sox are facing a penalty even more harsh than the Astros. Cora may face a 2 or more year ban, which isn't relevant to the sox right now anyway since they've moved on. Here is what I would do if I was Bloom I would NOT hire from within. Roenicke is dead to me if I was Bloom. I'd hire someone who wasn't in that dugout and essentially purge any coaches still on the payroll that were in the clubhouse. Clean sweep. I'd bring in Tek and try to get him to build a staff around him. Tek would be able to get some of the initial goodwill from RSN for his exploits in uniform, and it would immediately give the thought that Henry takes this seriously, which would create a positive media spin. In terms of team building, you have to go by what Henry allows. Losing the 1st and 2nd round picks in 2020 is a major hit. Losing them in 2021 would be devastating and remove any benefit of a "bridge year". Then losing IFA funds on top of that would be killer. So there are two ways to swing this. #1- Go into Henry's office and say, hey, there is really no non-monetary penalty for going way over payroll in 2020. I want to saddle up, sign or trade for as many 1 yr players as I can and ride into 2020 guns blazing. We can get below the top tax bracket for 2021 and totally reset and rebuild in 2022 if Henry says no, I go to #2 #2- I now have lost my top 2 draft picks over the next 2 years and have had my IFA budget slashed. This is a massive hit to a club with a dead farm system in need of, at the very least, some heavy retooling and most likely a full on rebuild. Now I have lost 4 picks that could have helped me and IFA funds that would have allowed me to grab at least one, maybe two top talents to add to my barren system. The only way to start the rebuild is to trade, and you don't get good assets by dealing off s*** parts. I would deal off EVERYONE. Nobody is off limits. I call the Braves and say, hey, I know you just lost Donaldson. Devers is all yours, but we want Riley, Anderson and Pache. I call the Dodgers and say, you know you want Betts. Make me a real offer and he is yours. Offer me bad contracts as well to offset the money, no problem, just add to the prospect haul. I'd take back Kelly, Ruiz and Gray I call the Mutts and say, hey, that Rosario kid needs an upgrade. Send me him and Mauricio. You can have Bogaerts I let it be known that Price is available and the sox will eat up to half the contract. Get at least something for him I let it be known that Sale is available and I would be willing to eat $30 mil over the first 3 years of the deal. That should get enough bites, especially if he shows he is healthy at the beginning of the year I offer to eat half the contract of Eovaldi for something. I'd definitely try to maximize the return on Beni I'd deal Vasquez f*** it. If you have the penalty that is proposed be imposed on your team, then that is a deathknell for a squad trying to build up any minor league blue chippers or depth. The only way to get that coveted cheap, young talent is to deal. And I would deal off EVERYTHING. It would suck to burn two high picks in 2021, but in this madman plan, all the cash outlays are gone after 2022. Sale, you are paying down only 3 years. Price and Eo are done after 3. You would get a prospect haul that would immediately make your farm #1 in the game. Your cost would be basically nothing by 2023 and Bloom can actually build a team.

3 witnesses and you could use the scheme on the road. Well, that’s pretty damning

Bloom took over in October 2014. 2015 Draft Picks 1. Garrett Whitley- still alive as a prospect 3. Brandon Lowe- 3rd place ROY 2019 2016 Draft Picks 13. Nate Lowe- solid big league debut in 2019 2017 Draft Picks 1- McKay- 2 way player, solid debut in 2019 2018 1- Matt Liberatore- dynamite prospect, top 50 now and just dealt to StL 1- Shane McClanahan- still a good prospect, not top 100 IFA notables 2017- Wander Franco- currently #1 prospect in baseball He doesn't knock every pick out of the park in the draft, but his top picks have counted

Bloom is now in charge and my bet is, his organizational drafting policy came with him.

Seriously, if the sox lose their first two picks in 2021, then they should blow past the limit for 2020. Eviscerate the top tax level. The penalty will be their third rounder moves back 10 spots. Who gives a f*** about that. And yeah, it's not your money, and if JH wants to make this right, he will. Spend for 2020. Jump below the top tax line in 2021. Reset and rebuild in 2022

At that point, why not. The benefit of dropping back is the draft selections and if you lose 2020 and 2021 picks, then go for the gusto and rebuild for the 2022 draft

Marc James on EEI said that Jeff Passan told him (cannot find the tweet) that the punishment for the Sox will be more severe than the Astros punishment because they were second time offenders. He was talking about 2 1st and 2nd rounders as well as IFA penalties.

Yanks are also loading up on minor league lefties. Yanks picked up Avilan and Lyons. Neither are expected to make the team, but AAA depth ain’t too bad. It seems to be all quiet on the Yankee front. There was chatter about Hader and then chatter about the Yanks moving a combo of Frazier and or Andujar for another reliever. It seems all of that chatter has fizzled. I like the squad we have. I like the depth. Cole and Sevy, if they stay healthy, are a fearsome top 2, quite possibly the best top 2 in baseball. Our 3-4 are damn good as well and if Paxton puts it together in his contract year (as many players do), he could give us a 3 headed monster. Our 4 is a playoff ace in Tanaka. The pen is deep and closed out by 2 elite level closers. The lineup is deep, powerful and has tons of contingencies. There are no excuses in 2020

Anal Sox is just a standard Monday in the ED. I'd go with something else

Yup. that was a pretty big mistake

Pedey took FAR less than market value in AAV to stay in Boston for longer. He played the game the right way, maximized his lack of physical size and turned it into a great career. His lack of longevity likely killed his HOF chances, but had he stayed healthy and produced at his usual clip, he’d have been pretty close. Still, his 51.4 WAR is 22nd All Time as a second baseman. Of the 21 ahead of him, 14 are HOFers. The other 7 are Willie Randolph, Chase Utley, Ian Kinsler, Jeff Kent, Robby Cano, Lou Whitaker and Bobby Grich. There are SEVEN HOF second basemen who have less WAR than Pedroia. This is a guy who gets his number retired

Then you spend yourself into another cliff. Right now, the sox have the talent to make the playoffs, but the health questions and depth issues that likely put them outside the playoffs. Being a team that misses the POs by 4 games is worse than missing by 20 games, especially when you have a dead farm system. Being far out of the POs gives you a bigger draft pool and better draft position. Being close to the POs puts you in the middle ground and outside the coveted top 6-7 where you can get a truly elite talent. This also depends on the penalties that could be coming in this cheating scandal. If the sox lose their top 2 picks in the 2020 and 2021 draft, then f*** it, see how far you can go. But if they don't, the higher draft pick in 2021 could really be a big thing for the sox going forward. Bloom needs to create lux tax room to appease Henry, although it doesn't alter the product. Bloom needs to deal off some talent to replenish the farm system, and that will downgrade the middling product in the short term but immensely help the product on the field in the long term. Doing what is best for the team involves getting the most talent back. Bloom will change his tune eventually, especially if the sox have a poor start to the season and find themselves down 9 games by mid May

Pedro is just had a “significant” setback with his knee. I admire the guy trying hard to return, but at some point, you gotta cut the cord

Because how bad would it look for the Sox to fire two managers in the same offseason for disciplinary purposes

I think the Sox are stuck waiting on the investigation. If Roenicke has a part in it, then he’s gotta go too. They’ve got two options 1. Wait for investigation and have a blended staff with leftover coaches and maybe an outside manager or bench coach and promote the other position from within 2. Purge all coaches from last year now and build your staff from the ground up No point in considering Roenicke right now if he’s at risk to get suspended too

Then you burn your best trade chip in a season that’s looking like it’s gonna be lost

The fans would likely be removed from the grounds, or in Fenway or Houston, be hired onto their staff

Looks like Mookie is staying for 2020. What a ridiculous ask