jacksonianmarch

Everyone is their focus. I’ve seen them “heavily involved” in Stroman, Ray, and Bauer. I’m not seeing them involved in Bumgarner, which is fine by me unless he starts going on a run

Newest rumor is the Yanks are “interested” in Robby Ray. Not worth it, IMO. He’s a 5IP pitcher who K’s a lot of guys. He’s only a good add I’d he doesn’t cost anything substantial

I didn’t like the ASG being the sole determinant of WS home field. I also don’t like record being the sole determinant. I’d have made it 3 categories, best two of three determines the home field. Record, AS game, Interleague record of League. The third is basically the team from the League (AL vs NL) that won the most games in inter league play, is the better league.

Rumors are starting to fly as the beat writers need to meet deadlines and the bore of the ASG is in full force. There are about 7 teams right now completely out of it and by the deadline there will definitely be more. The strange rumors coming out of Cleveland make me wonder about their viability and whether they think they are real contenders. The rumors out of TB are also strange. Both teams seem less inclined to go for it if there is only a reasonable shot at a WC berth. Both teams seem to be shifting their model based on the division. The Guardians start out the post ASB run with a 3 gamer vs the Twins and are 5.5 back. If they get swept, they are likely to sell Trevor Bauer for now assets to add to their putrid outfield. The Yanks and Astros are heavily in on Bauer with the Astros having more weapons to deal. Bauer is a FA after 2020, so he comes with a second year of control. The Rays have said they are not going to aggressively add if the only real chance they have is for a WC berth. They have a ton of MiLB talent and a pretty good MLB club who is already in a WC slot right now, so it would be weird to see a playoff team not add because they have a 1 game playoff in their future. The Yanks have been talking to Toronto about Stroman and even a Stroman-Giles package. No word on if the two teams would be willing to consummate a bigger deal than the Happ deal recently done last yr. The last thing the Yanks would want is to send real prospects north of the border and have them beat us in the next couple seasons, but it is a possibility. The Sox are casting a "wide net" for starter and relievers with the sox currently setting their sights on Wheeler from the Mets. Wheeler finished 2018 on a roll and is gaining momentum again as a potential high end starter. He is a rental, so his price would be lower, but in an arms race, he has the best one. He was regularly hitting 99mph against the Yanks when he shut down their potent offense

Yeah, I’m not a fan of the ASG. Don’t want anyone hurt. Get through and get to the stretch run

The Rays are not a lock for the postseason at all. Their hell run at the end of this month is going to be a real test for them. The Rays play 10 out of 16 vs the Yanks or Sox to end July into Aug 1. If they are still in the WC lead after that gauntlet, then they are likely to take it to the house. They follow their Aug 1 sox game with an off day then 20 consecutive games vs .500 or worse baseball teams. Their September starts off slow then finished with 8 games vs the LAD, BOS and 2 vs the NYY then close the yr with 3 vs the Jays. If the standings hold and the Yanks and Dodgers clinch by then, the only team fighting them the final two weeks will be the sox. The Guardians have the easiest path due to their division and they should get healthier with Kluber and Carrasco returning. They come out of the break with 3 vs the Twins. If they take that series, then you have to consider the Guardians as more than just a WC team as they're only 5.5 back of the Twins right now. Then the Guardians go on a joy ride through garbage for 14 games with the Tigers-Royals-Blue Jays-Royals on tap. These teams are so bad that the Guardians could conceivably go 12-2. They have their own hell run completing July and for most of August with the Astros-Angels-Rangers-Twins-Red Sox-Yankees for 20 games in a row, no days off. Their September is mostly a mixed bag. They need to crush the bad teams then survive August to win it. The Red Sox have a really tough finish to July. They start the post ASB with 3 vs the Dodgers with their rotation aligned. Expect a Buehler-Kershaw-Ryu battle and they'll be looking for blood. The sox get 7 vs the AL shitters then play 14 in a row vs the Rays and Yanks. This is the make or break spot for the Rays and Sox and it takes us past the trade deadline. The sox then come home vs the Royals and Angels before going to Cleveland. Then they come home for the Orioles and Phillies before going on a whacky west coast trip to SD, then Colorado then back out to Anaheim (wtf?). The sox get a day off, come home and play the Twins and Yankees. They then close the season with a mixed bag against possible WC contenders and mostly vs garbage. The 14 in a row vs the Rays and Yanks will go a long way to confirming who the sox are. If they survive that, then the west coast trip always causes issues with the sox. They have a rough road through Sept 1, then a reasonably easy schedule after that. The A's are the hottest club and the team I have said before is most likely to end up the WC, but their schedule post ASB is difficult. 5 cupcake games out of the break with the Mariners and CWS. Then Twins-Astros-Rangers-Brewers-Cards-Cubs. A 2 series break with the CWS and Giants then back to grind vs the Astros and Yankees for 7 games. They get 6 cupcake games vs the Royals and Giants before coming east vs the Yankees to close August. Their September is a bit easier if the Angels and Rangers fall out of the race with only a 3 game set at Houston standing in their way of a pretty soft September

Barnes doesn't just have trouble with the 9th. He is having immense trouble with back to backs.

Keuchel was apparently offered a 4/$60mil and turned it down. He was going for a 5 year deal and teams rightfully shied away

He has CML, which used to be a death sentence. Thankfully with Gleevec, it is a manageable condition. It isn't curable at this point, but becomes treatable with reasonable life expectancy rates. He should end up being fine and will likely continue his career minimally impeded

Mike Mussina said it best. Good pitchers have all their stuff working 25% of the time. Those are the domination games. 25% of the time you’ve got nothing. Their best hope is to survive. 50% of the time they have some of their stuff working. That 50% is going to determine how good you are. Porcello is giving his team nothing in his 25% where nothing is working. He’s giving his team nothing for a portion of the games where he has something working.

Rick is in a tough spot. There aren’t many reliably healthy innings eaters out there. And Rick’s history seems to follow bad seasons with good, so he’s probably a good bet for a rebound assuming his stuff hasn’t dropped off. Rick has struggled mightily with his release point on his breaking ball this year, essentially removing his ability to change the eye level and leading him to get hammered. If he can figure that out and go on a roll out of the break, there’s no way he signs for two years. If he comes out of the break the same Rick who went in, then he’ll get a one year “prove it” contract on the open market

Price has gone down three years in a row with an elbow issue. Twice it was minor, once not so much. If Price goes down, your team is done. Cora is preserving him as best he can

It’s a crap shoot with the rookies. Rarely you get a KRod circa 2002. Most of the time, you get a Craig Hansen performance. Even if you get a Joba type start, it’s hard to rely on them in crunch time. See the Cleveland Midge game

I’ve never understood it. Especially with the depth we have, there’s no reason to sit two infielders at the same time. With Encarnacion, Lemahieu, Torres, Gregorius and Urshela, he can sit or DH a guy per game. When Voit returns, he can do it even more and when Stanton returns, it’ll be crazy who he can rest. No need to sit them the game before the ASB vs the team that is chasing us

Options don't count into AAV anymore. It's guaranteed money only. Options count only when vested

soxprospects is not an objective site and you know it. jsinger used to post here but couldn't handle the backlash when his reports were questioned

Then rest them vs the bums

It drive me nutty. He rests guys against the wrong teams. Why rest players going into the ASG. They’re barely gonna practice and all of them will get two AB’s tops. Why rest players vs TB and Boston? Go after those clubs and step on the neck. Rest vs Toronto or Baltimore or against half the other AL squads

Yes he has. EE has always been a guy to get white hot then a bit cold. His white hot could be 15 homers in a month, so I’m not worried. If he doesn’t start performing soon, though, he could find himself on the bench come August when’s stanton and Voit are back

Cmon man. DH has walked almost a batter per inning. 47 walks in 55IP. 6 walks in 5.1IP at the MLB level. The guy cannot locate and will be death on your pen even further. If your savior is a guy who walks guys like Daniel Bard post the rotation attempt and isn't even preventing runs well in AAA, then how do you expect him to play well in Boston?

Most of the lists are 30 deep and right now, nobody in the top 30 are sox targets

And Valera and Romine promptly get hits to start the third and have the yanks 90 feet from tying it up

We are resting the three offensive players heading to the ASG. Sanchez is the DH, Torres and DJ are sitting. We are facing the AL ERA leader. Why?

And we are starting Breyvic Valera against the team chasing up. Wtf?

Just punch each other and grab a beer