mvp 78

Here are some of the lefties that I've seen mentioned: Angels: Jack Dashwood, LHP Health has been an issue for the 6-foot-6 lefty drafted in 2019 as he’s thrown just 40 innings over the past two seasons combined (10 in 2024). He has a low-90s fastball and a decent mid-80s slider that he used to post a 17/2 K/BB ratio over 10 AFL innings this fall. He’s 27, but could be a potential Rule 5 target as a useful lefty reliever. Braves: Luis De Avila, LHP (No. 15) The Braves first got De Avila in the Rule 5 Draft -- the Minor League phase -- in December 2021. At the lower levels of Atlanta's system, he missed bats and got a lot of ground-ball outs in 2022 and 2023. He was effective at Double-A in 2024, with a 3.74 ERA that would have placed him fifth in that category in the Southern League had he thrown enough innings, to go along with a 1.68 GO/AO. He missed a lot fewer bats (79 K’s in 101 IP), but he is a lefty with a track record. Padres: Jagger Haynes, LHP (No. 20) The Padres rolled the dice on drafting Haynes as a raw prep lefty in the final round of the shortened 2020 Draft, and he’s shown glimpses of promise without much production. He had Tommy John surgery and didn’t make his official pro debut until 2023, only throwing 25 1/3 innings that year. He was healthy in 2024 with mixed results at High-A, which probably means he’s too far away for real Rule 5 consideration, but his fastball-curve combination from the left side is intriguing. Of these guys, only Dashwood seems like a guy Breslow would target. Why snag the next Booser in Rule 5 when you can get something better in FA though?

Last year, he was better than Christopher Morel, Noelvi Marte, Ramon Urias, Jose Miranda, Nick Senzel, Jeimer Candelario, Jake Burger and a bunch of others who would have been worse if they got the same playing time as Devers.

1B/20 Just keep trotting him out there like they did with Yaz.

David Hamilton can not play 3B.

Why are you trying to taint the water with a 100M Pivetta deal?

So it's Soto or Burnes & Bregman basically? Bregman is looking for 300M! Pass!

Sox are "in" on Soto. They are clearly more "in" than they were on Yamamoto last year. I still don't believe they land him. They should, but they won't.

You listed a lot of guys, but I'll just mention these two. Wong is already in the process of being replaced. He will be 29 next season. Tek may have been a late bloomer, but his defense wasn't really a work in progress when he became a fulltime player in '99. Wong doesn't have it yet and never will. Casas may have a good 162 game line, but he can't stay healthy for 162 and is horrible defensively. With those vaunted stats, he's only a 2 bWAR per 162 guy. He may not be a top 15 1B in the league

If Walker is pitching better, the Phillies won't want to trade him.

Walker is probably DFA'able at this point. Masa potentially has value left to the right team. Masa's contract is bad, but it's not the worst in the game.

Story had a 790 OPS and played great defense after coming back from injury. He's going to play a full season and be above 4 bWAR.

Soto is a little better than the guys last season. Snell learned from last year's mistake apparently. Chapman did too.

If Adames is a Plan B for Soto, it's a horrible plan to begin with.

He started the season on the IL due to shoulder soreness. He was shutdown midseason due to blisters on his fingers as his new splitter grip wasn't working for him anymore. Maybe him being healthy and seeing a good side session where he can get that splitter low in the zone would show improvement? He's not exactly a guy you can count on. A solid return would have him resembling Kutter Crawford. Do the Sox need two of them?

Why bring in Adames when Mayer, Campbell and others are ready and willing in AAA? Use the money on actual needs rather than just whoever is sitting in FA.

Walker was one of the worst pitchers in all of baseball last year. Maybe you just throw him in the pen as the long man and hope Bailey can turn him back into a 6th man?

Not sure the CHW want 4 40 man guys for Crochet.

If he can just lay off sliders 2 ft out of the zone it would be a huge improvement, yes.

Mets please.

Neither!

Just because I have money, doesn't mean I spend it on Alex Bregman.

Casas, Abreu, Rafaela, Bello, Fitts, Slaten Duran, Devers, DHan, Wong, Whitlock, Houck, Crawford Fitts listed anywhere is wild. We've had less than one full season of RULE 5 PICK Slaten. David Hamilton was on most people's DFA list prior to Opening Day. Wong is a terrible catcher with a mediocre bat. Whitlock can't stay healthy. Crawford peaks as a #3 starter I guess. Bello is young, but not getting a lick better. Rafaela is a bench guy they extended because they wanted to show fans they were actually working last offseason. Cooper Criswell is more of a core player than a lot of the guys listed. He earned an additional option year and Sox can have him through 2029 (longer than Crawford, Houck, Whitlock, Wong, Casas, Duran).

Yeah, the closest comp I have to Kristian Campbell is Rogers Hornsby.

God, I hope so! Seems like it might be a slow day! Bello: not CORE! Isn't improving at all! Casas: not CORE! Can't even stay on the field! Abreu: not CORE! Can't be CORE if he's the first player added to every trade without anyone complaining!

The ascension was even quicker than Mookie's. Mookie used all of 2013 for A ball and the AFL and was a top 10 SoxProspects guy at the end of 2013 jumping 43 spots. He was then called up for good after the trade deadline in 2014. Campbell was out of the top 30 prior to Spring Training 2024, but was put there because of the reports they heard from the scouts they get a long with. He's now neck and neck with Roman Anthony who many think is the #1 prospect in MiLB. That was in less than one calendar year vs 18 months for Mookie. Mookie was younger and had an amazing run and I'm not comparing the two. I'm just giving Campbell proper kudos for what he did this year.