jacksonianmarch

I haven't been able to keep in the loop due to baby #3 imminent. Maybe before the season

Vazquez is your future backup. I know there is a lot of helium on him, but the league is flush with defensive catchers who cannot hit. Swihart and Sanchez from NY are true offensive difference makers in the making. These guys are rare.

We aren't comparing Sox 2015 to Detroit 2015. We are comparing what was to what it. At first base, Cabrera had a 3.9UZR/150. Napoli had a 7.3 and is projected to decrease in 2015 (per fangraphs). Let's call it a wash At second base, Pedroia had a 20.4 UZR/150. Kinsler had an 11.2UZR/150. Pedroia better, but Kinsler was very good in 2014. At shortstop, it's about who the Tigers had there and who the sox will have there. The majority of the time, Suarez was SS and he was pretty much average (-0.3). Bogaerts was -3.7 as a SS, so 2014 Tigers have an edge, not by much. The biggest advantage is 3b, where Fat Panda had a 3.5UZR/150 and Castellanos was awful at -19.5. So, the Tigers had a minor downgrade at 1b, a downgrade at 2b, an upgrade at SS, and a major downgrade at 3b. Not exactly massive, but the sox infield D is better now that I look at the numbers

Their OF may have been bad, but their IF was about what the sox would be. Porcello is a GB pitcher, the IF defense will be key

The Marlins are going for it this yr. They'd want a player who can start for them, not another project. We gave them a highly versatile 2 hole hitter. You know, in terms of assets, though, we flipped a AAA catcher who will likely end up a RFer for a hard throwing, potential top of the rotation starter. I think Cash did well overall, but I am not sure dealing Prado was a smart choice. If Refsnyder turns out to be as good as we think, then maybe he was right

And the other thing that intrigues me is the talk that the sox D is just worlds better than Detroits. The guy who started at SS most games was a defensive wiz and Kinsler was a far above average defensive 2b. Their only minus guy was their 3b Castellanos. The sox have a defensive wiz at 2b, an above average 3b, an average 1b, and a minus SS. For a sinker baller, I'd say trading a minus 3b for a minus SS is a bit more concerning. Also, for a sinker baller, he'd given up a lot of homers. Moving to the fens will probably bring that up. Last yr was his first yr of out producing his FIP. The question is, can he do it again?

Porcello saw his BABIP drop down to what it should be and he also cut his HR rate down and increased his strand rate. For a sinker baller, he'd had a pretty high HR/9 rate until this past yr.

Long term contracts are the price of doing business when you are a player away. The problem is, the team I support hasn't been just a player away and they kept giving them out like candy and now we're in purgatory. The sox aren't one player away. They're a 1 and a true 2 away. So either they do a long term deal with one and trade for another or sign both, but they need top end help to win a division

I think Middlebrooks could really take off in SD, and not saying that as a sox hater. He just seemed to come up without expectation and mashed. Once something was expected of him, he sucked. Moving to the NL West where nobody really cares about how you perform might be a good method to revive his career. He has light tower power, something that is getting harder to develop.

He's a catcher. You try your best to grow him and go slowly with him if he is to stick at the position

I like the prospect we got. Live arm, impeccable command for a 22 yr old. I also like Eovaldi a lot. High 90s sinking fastball with a good slider. They're talking about having him scrap his change and go with sinker, slider, curveball. Either way, if Rothschild can get through to him, he has the stuff to headline a rotation. I think Jones was the throwin due to his salary, but gives us an option if Teixeira's wrist dies. Overall, I like the guys we got, but giving up Prado really hamstrings us from a depth perspective and pretty much forces us to moves someone up to the two slot in the lineup who probably doesn't belong there. As it stands, I think Headley moves to the two slot with Refsnyder slotting in 9th and everyone moving up one

If the sox open the season with the rotation they have, they'll be sellers by the time an ace actually hits the market.

The reason why Panda got more money is his post season play, plain and simple. If he hit to his career OPS after Sept 30th, he'd have gotten 4yrs and $40 mil.

We also get 22 yr old RHP Domingo German in the deal. Throws up to 95, nice slider and change, good control. Should be in High A or AA to start the yr. This is definitely not a deal for now

Also, this is a kick in the shorts for Tex. They just brought on his replacement if he doesn't hit. Jones has big power but limited everything else.

This is definitely not a 2015 move. Phelps was an injury risk, but he was a decidedly middling rotation option. His stuff wasn't outrageous, but he got by with movement and location. Eovaldi is a power guy, 24 yrs old with a 95+ mph fastball and intermittently plus secondary pitches. He doesn't walk guys and doesn't give up the big homer, but he gets hit around a lot. This Eovaldi kid needs a few seasons before he either reaches his potential or becomes Edwin Jackson. I like the move from an asset acquisition perspective, but I liked Prado a lot. This does shed about $8 mil in cash from our allotment this yr and a bigger chunk in 2016. This also means that we'll be going internally at 2b, which is something we should have done from the start last yr. Pirela and Refsnyder both hit .300+ in AAA last yr. If we aren't gonna promote the guys who mash, we might as well not even own a AAA club.

We gave up Prado, probably our starting 2b, and our current #5 starter for a kid with more upside in the rotation and a lefty bat with power. I could like the deal depending on if Eovaldi can become the player his stuff dictates it could be. I liked Prado a lot. Looks like Refsnyder is getting his chance

He's 24, has been pretty decidedly average in Florida yet has outstanding stuff. Kid sits 95.5-95.9 with his fastball per fangraphs. This is definitely a "look towards the future" kind of move

Holy s***? We pick up Nathan Eovaldi?

I agree Pal. I think re-signing Kuroda is a good idea and one I think Cashman is all about. We just aren't sure if Hiroki will come back. We are very boom or bust in our rotation based on potential, age and injury concerns. If all cracks right, we have two ace level producers in Tanaka and Pineda. But both those guys could end up on the DL and we'll be throwing the Heritage School for the Blind out there and getting our heads kicked in. We have much less depth in the rotation after dealing Greene, but we have a ton of depth in the pen even with KRob moving on. We need one reliable piece. Scherzer would be an awesome pickup, one that makes us probably the favorite to win the AL East, but with the team currently constructed, even with Scherzer, we likely aren't a top notch WS candidate. And adding Scherzer at $28 mil a season for the next 8 yrs isn't a good strategy because adding big money on long term deals is why we're as f***ed as we are currently. If you look at the recent bad contracts made by the FO, most of them were consummated above Cashman's head. Cash re-signed and took on more control and I think the days of the agent going over his head should be over. If that is the case, Scherzer is out. If Boras still has the Hank and Hal back line phone number, then suit him up in pinstripes and suit us up for another contract we'll regret. And Pal, right on about waiting until bad money drop off. After 2015, the only guys who drop out are Brendan Ryan ($2 mil), Chris Capuano ($5 mil), and Shawn Kelley (arb), After 2016, a whole mess of cash comes off the books. Prado's $11 mil, Tex's $22.5 mil, Sabathia's $26 mil, and Beltran's $15 mil

Dude, I'm with you. I'd like to make that pick and avoid another long term bear of a contract. Id rather see how we shape out and if our current strategy fails, go after Price or Cueto next yr

Scherzer got the Lester contract as an offer from the Tigers prior to last season. They're gonna offer him big money. And how many time have the Yankees said they're out on someone only to swoop in and grab them?

Some of these guys come over and dominate. Others fall on their face. Castillo has talent galore, we need to see what he can become in Boston before making any assumptions. He could be the next Puig or Jackie Bradley. Who knows.

Gallardo has been a solid 2 WAR guy pretty much since he came into the league in 2007 (average WAR 1.9). He's a shoe in for 180-200IP with an ERA in the mid 3's. He is a useful piece. Craig is garbage, a shell of himself who has a ridiculous contract for his level of production. The idea that Craig gets Gallardo is fanboy crazy s***. They're gonna deal off Craig, but it's gonna be to a team that throws nearly nothing in return. I think the sox are just looking for someone who might take his whole contract. Gallardo came up as a lights out ace prospect, and while he hasn't been that, he's been pretty useful. He's gonna cost you something of value. Cecchini isn't that guy of value. He's 24 in April, so not the youngest of players, and was pretty bad in 2014 in AAA. You're gonna have to give them a bat and an arm for Gallardo, probably someone like Barnes or Ranaudo plus a guy like Marrero. Not the top guys in the system, but guys that might make you wince a little when pulling the trigger

The White Sox just traded for Samardzija, and signed Robertson, Melky and LaRoche. They are going for it this yr. They aren't dealing Sale no matter what you offer them