jacksonianmarch

FYI, Voit is drawing interest from the Padres, a team starved for offense with Tatis down. Would absolutely love to get Campusano but we’d likely have to add to Voit to get him. We shall see

The HR, K, and BB game of now is not exciting. Exciting is watching Ken Griffey Jr race from 1b for a game winning slide into the plate in the 95 ALDS series with the Yanks. Exciting is a guy on second sprinting home ahead of a throw after a well struck single to the OF. The game of now is so dependent on the long ball that teams now won’t give up potential outs to maximize the chances of a long ball. Gone are the sacrifice bunts and even the stolen bases save a few extraordinary athletes. Banning the shift will bring that back. Add in a better chance of a single and the extra base is imperative to scoring a run. The steal and sacrifice will be worth it again. Also, big ball is fun when it’s not the only way to score. Small ball builds the interest and the game intensity. I miss it

Kennedy said the Sox are “sticking to their plan”. The plan was NOT to contend in 21. That excited the fan base and really energized baseball in MA. Nothing like a good underdog story. But the team from last year lost… Schwarber Renfroe ERod Ottavino Richards Perez You’ve adequately replaced the pen arms. The starters, not so much. ERod’s FIP was really solid, even though his luck wasn’t there. Perez ate some innings. Wacha and Hill aren’t necessarily known as durable guys. Expectation was Sale would help, but he might be out into June. And the offensive losses, not sure what to expect there. It sure looks like Duran is headed for regular work in 22 with JBJ as a 4th OF or lifeline should Duran suck. Either way, those guys won’t replace the big offense Renfroe brought. Schwarber was a beast offensively. Maybe Casas replaces that? Also, if the Sox get Story, I expect they’ll deal Bogaerts, so I’m not sure that’s a major upgrade. Ultimately, Sox caught lightning in a bottle last year. I don’t expect them (but won’t put it past them) to do so again

Think like Bloom. Story provides more price stability, especially since there’s more risk. Story is the better defender as well, so you’d have some level of upgrade. Also, Story and Bogey were nearly identical with WAR for 19-20. With Bogey’s opt out after 22 and the Sox really not making any major moves and sticking with the plan, is Bogey even likely to make a major impact? For Bloom, I expected him to deal Bogaerts if there was a normal off-season. If they sign Story, I reinstate that thought

Pump and flip. This is what rebuilding teams do all the time. The guy was the number 1 prospect in baseball and hit 60 bombs in his first two years, so it’s not like he’s some schmuck. Yanks moved around his position and as soon as they did, he stopped hitting. Remember when they moved Bogey off SS when he came up? Yanks moved him back for the final 6 weeks and he OPs’d over .800 after his move. I’d rather he be in the Yankee lineup to be entirely honest. But his value is there and for a rebuilding team, he’s a good haul to bring in for 3 months, have him tear the cover off the ball and then get a kings ransom for at the deadline

Moneyball isn’t about avoidance of arb players. It’s about seeing value where others don’t. If you can’t see value in 2-3 years of Torres as a 2b then you’re out of your mind.

It would be Torres plus as I explained before. In other news, German went on the 60 day IL with a shoulder issue. They reported he hasn’t been allowed to pick up a ball yet. I don’t think he had off-season surgery. Anything shoulder is concerning. Remove one guy from the 5 man

You don’t sign a good D SS to an enormous deal and move him to 2b where he hasn’t played before. He’s a better SS than Bogey and Bogey is testing FA

You sign Story and you’re tradin Bogaerts

If Yanks put Gleyber in for Montas then they’ll get him. I just don’t see them doing it as it doesn’t fix the Voit issue. Voit’s got two positions, 1b and DH. Both are filled with superior players. Every other guy in this infield glut can play multiple defensive positions

BTV is a pile of s*** and you know it

FYI, rumors out of NY are Yanks May be looking to move Gleyber

Dalbec needs to prove he’s more than just a couple month hot streak. He was abysmal first half of 21 before being an absolute unit second half. We shall see what he does this year before really cementing in his stake on the 1b slot in Boston.

I do not understand the Bryant deal at all. I get that he got the most money, but why go to a place that is in perpetual renovation and just dealt off their best player a season before because of an unwillingness to contend. Bryant must have just said "f*** it, go where the money is". He is going to be asking for a trade after year 1

Yanks plan to contend. Voit is a very valuable player....when he takes the field. Yanks cannot take the chance his knee barks on him again while fighting through what will be the toughest division in baseball. That is why they signed Rizzo. Rizzo offers durability, defense, good ABs and a lefty bat. Voit's ceiling is higher but his floor is that he doesnt play. Voit offers the A's a chance to have another Matt Olson type haul. If Voit stays healthy for all 162, I have no doubt he smacks 40HR and likely pieces together a decent average. If he does so, he will be tremendously valuable at the deadline or this offseason to deal again. The A's like this method of trading. They always grab a high level prospect, a far away prospect and either a MLB rookie or arb guy who is down on their luck. Look at the Olson deal. Pache's value took a hit last year with a middling performance in AAA and a dreadful cup of coffee at the big league level. Langeliers is probably the most valuable prospect changing hands as a D first power hitting catcher who will be big league ready. Estes is a young pitcher with big K rates who is a ways away. Cusick was the first rounder from 2021, so far away. That is also a deal for a hitter in Oakland who has been nails for four years. Different when you are dealing with an arm from Oakland who has only 2 good seasons under his belt. While Voit and Peraza wouldn't be the only pieces, I could see a few deeper prospects moving as well. But it would fit with the A's MO

Yanks looking to add to pitching depth. Not seeing anything on Murphy. Montas or Manaea would cost something for sure and it would probably start with Voit. Oakland now has the space to rehab his value and deal him if he stays healthy

Stress fracture in the rib cage? Strange. Depending on when the date of injury was, it’s usually a 6-8 week process before you can throw again. Stress fractures can be a bit tricky, as they’re mostly due to overuse rather than a specific traumatic injury. And as it’s core, it impedes the ability to do endurance training, which is critical for a pitcher. If this was suffered during a workout right before the lockout lifted then you’re looking at late April when he can pick up a ball again and probably late May before he’s able to pitch for the Sox as a starter. That’s assuming good healing and no relapses.

Rizzo and IKF improve our contact. Strangely, so does Donaldson, but that’s just because how bad our contact actually is. Defense is improved. OF still not improved at all, which worries me. Rotation is deep but a question mark for health (Severino coming off TJS/shoulder s*** and Taillon likely missing April). Pen is deep. This team, as built, should be in the ALE title mix. It seems teams are doing that now that 6 teams make the POs. Make a “good enough” team and then add at the deadline.

Higgy will probably hit 18-20 HR in a full year.

Rizzo back on a 1+1 deal. This essentially spells the end of Voit in NY, which is fine. Voit hasn’t had a healthy, full season since joining NY (only full season was the 60 game sprint). He’s also a butcher in the field. Rizzo also has a very good contact and K rate and adds a lefty bat. Still worries me that the Yanks are looking like they’ll need to get Stanton into the OF. Stanton is not a bad OFer, but he gets hurt easily and DH has ensured his bat is in the lineup 1. Lemahieu 3b 2. Judge RF 3. Rizzo 1b 4. Stanton LF/DH 5. Gallo CF/LF 6. Donaldson/Hicks DH/CF 7. Torres 2b 8. IKF SS 9. Higashioka C

I looked at the defensive rating last year and Yanks were 29th in baseball in DRS with -41. We’ve now jettisoned Sanchez for a far better defensive catcher. We moved Torres to a position he’s better at and brought in an elite fielder to SS. We also will get a full season (it seems) from Gallo who’s a major plus OF. It’s pretty amazing the Yanks even made the POs last year. Offense was bad, defense was atrocious. It was literally on the back of the pitching that the Yanks won 92 and made the POs.

Honestly, I would have sworn the Sox would have added a more sturdy starter than Wacha and Hill to replace ERod

At 33, you don’t bet on yourself. You take as much guaranteed cash as possible. Father Time is undefeated

Defense doesn’t usually slump. Our SS defense last year was abysmal. IKF adds contact and speed, two things we sorely lack

Sox are in for short term only at a massive AAV. Freeman would be better off maximizing total comp over AAV at this point in his career