jacksonianmarch

It’s not AB’s, it’s PA’s. He’s already at 529 this year with 9 games to go. He’s probably got another 30PA’s this year. Let’s just say for all intents and purposes that he’s at 550 this year. He’ll only need 500 next year. That’s easily reachable unless the sox bring in a guy like Duda and platoon. A platoon might save the sox a bit of money

Well, our slim ALE chances were basically extinguished last night. Tanaka has struggled against the Jays all season and we can never hit Estrada. So be it. We will have a chance to line up either Gray or Severino for the playin game

You cannot come close to the option or the union will take you to arbitration. My guess is that you’ll try to unload him. If you cannot I load him, you platoon him. If you have him as your full time DH and he stays healthy (which you know he’ll play as much as he can to get that option) then you’re paying that option

These lists are accurate for now, nobody can be certain what they are next year or after. And yes, blue chippers can miss, which is why you need to amass them. One of the pundits labeled the Yankee system as the best in the game and “it’s not close”. I believe them for the simple reason that we have 6 top 100 guys and something like 15 arms in the system not on that list who have top shelf talent. The pitching depth in this system just shot through the roof. I’ll provide the rest of my rankings with SR’s I’ve pulled from various sites when I’m not post call. When you see the 23 and under crowd who can hit 97 and have at least one plus secondary pitch, you’ll think I’m making it up. I promise you, I’m not. The signings that we’ve made plus the draft picks and the trades have been pure gold. Just a few for instances, when the Yankees traded Nova a year back, we got a struggling lefty starter named Stephen Tarpley. We convert him to relief and he’s throwing mid 90s cheddar and is dominating. We dealt James Pazos, who wasn’t going to make our pen, for Zach Littel who lit the world on fire and we turned him into Jaime Garcia. We dealt Ben Gamel to the Mariners for 2 19 yr old pitchers who made major progress this year in Orozco and De Paula, both who throw mid to High 90s. Cash is amassing arms and it’s incredible to see the scope

The amount of kids in the lower levels with big arms is insane. Loaisiga will be a MiLB FA after the season, so I anticipate that we will add him to the 40 man to avoid that. He had TJS and his velocity increased. Plus, he can command his pitches well.

BTW, the lower levels of this system is absolutely dominated by high end velocity pitching. Impressive to say the least. I am seeing the write-ups come out now and the multitude of pitchers with high velo at young ages is insane

Yankees had 6 players on the top 100 list even after the deals. They had Torres as the #1 prospect in baseball. Also on the list was Mateo, Fowler, and Rutherford. MLB didn't have Acevedo or Tate on their list, but did have Andujar. Otherwise, my top 5 is on there

You have to try and win the ALE. The Yankees lined up Severino to pitch three times to finish the year and he's already at a career high in IP. You have to go with your best and Sale is your best. You can rest him when you clinch, if you clinch

The Twins have literally no chance

I think it depends on how long he stays this good. If he finishes out this year and rolls for the next 2, then yes. If he finishes this year and regresses or gets hurt, then it will be entirely dependent on Espinosa's progress. This isn't like they dealt a wing and a prayer minor leaguer. They dealt a top 25 prospect at 18 who threw like Pedro. If Espinosa comes out fine from TJS and is in the bigs dominating come 2020, then the deal could be a wash. As it stands right now, the win does appear to be in the sox favor

He is going to cost a pretty penny as the biggest bopper on the market. An aging Encarnacion got $20 mil per and he's a pure DH. Martinez isn't a pure DH (yet) and is 4 years younger. He is probably going to get a 5 yr $100+ mil deal on the open market

For years when we had Mo, we outperformed our Pythag. For a team with such a deep and powerful pen, we've blown a lot of leads. You guys should ask Kimbrel to write his next contract. He's dominant AND incredibly consistent. That's the key, and he's the reason you're up on us right now

I've told you guys before, our run differential points towards a much better team than the one we currently have

Not sure that's the case anymore. Sevy, Gray, CC, and Tanaka is a formidable 4 in a long series, especially with CC seemingly owning the sox this year

Yes, there have been arbitration hearings between the MLBPA and MLB, and the players have won. The most recent example was the Mets granting an extra day of service time to a player years ago who the Mets called up one day after he would have qualified for a years service time.

Exactly. A good OFer now is compared to his peers. Martinez is an OFer from yesteryear. Plodding, powerful guy who makes the plays within his range. Now he is being compared to the gazelles out there playing COF, which will in turn make JD's OF capability look worse and worse. It is far easier to teach 1b to an OFer than the reverse.

they're not gonna release him. That being said, if they play him close to the vesting option, the players union would take the sox to court. They've either got to platoon him or eat the possibility that his option vests

If Devers moves to 1b, then your ability to get a bopper shrinks considerably. There are a multitude of 1b's every year who are basically DH's with a glove who you could add to your lineup and improve. But if Devers moves over, you'll need to go after Moustakas, who I'm not all that convinced is a middle of the order bat over the next 6 years or so. I think the sox go after JD Martinez. He'd be perfect in your lineup and I think the plan would be to convert him to 1b

The thing that people aren't taking into perspective when I propose a cliff is also that the sox salaries aren't dropping for 2018. You've got Moreland coming off the books. Whoop dee doo. If Price is hurting, then you need a starter and a power hitter. You're already paying a massive payroll amount and the arb guys are all getting more expensive. This means that you're either completely decimating your farm or dealing young big league talent to help that need (and creating another hole) or more likely, Johnny is opening his wallet again. That will make it much harder to re-sign your arb guys when they hit FA

I'd prefer you face Houston too. If NY faces CLE and you guys face HOU, I might root for you. We cannot beat the Stros. Keuchel is the death of us

And that's not necessarily a bad thing. After 2015, if someone told you that a new GM was going to come in and you'll go worst to first for the next five years then need a huge rebuild, you'd probably take it

Nick, you're not seeing slav's point. You dealt from the prospect pool and depleted it, yet still got good value. The problem is, your new GM dealt all of it sans Devers and this years development hasn't done well to fill the void. This leaves you with a thin upper level of the minors and hence leaves you without top prospects to deal. This is why you have a cliff in 2-3 years. Following DD's path will necessitate a rebuild or an investment in terms of salary beyond which Henry has never gone. Hence the cliff. You'll be rebuilding

We will have money to spare with the best parts of our team intact and the next wave of prospects ready. The rebuild took one season. This is our ramp up year. I expect big things next year

The dodgers were an interesting test case. They spent like drunken sailors on the amateur talent and on the professional side. Their minor league system is still loaded. They've got reserves. Back 20 years ago, if you had money, you'd win. Now, money and prospects are the currency of baseball

If Houston isn't in the running for the top spot in the AL, then that last 4 game series will be a cakewalk for you guys. Your schedule to end the season is pitiful in terms of opponents. You'll probably lose 2 of the 3 vs Baltimore, just because that's what happens when you play them for some reason. But prior to the Houston series, I anticipate you'll go 7-3. And if Houston is not in the running for the top spot, you'll either sweep or take 3 of 4. The division couldn't be more in your hands