moonslav59

Recently, there has been a bigger "crapshoot" aspect to the playoffs. I agree. It's not all black and white. It's not just about the best record not winning. A top 3-4 team wins more than a 5-8+ team. I'm not sure if the trend will continue.

After last night's games, we are in a 4 way tie for the 4th best record in the AL, at 13-10 (with DET, KCR & TOR) That's a 91 win pace. We have some tougher teams to play, but we do have the big west coast trip out of the way, and some key players returning from injury as we head into a tougher part of our schedule. There is reason for optimism and concern, but I'm liking what I'm seeing from Brez & Bailey, so far.

Agreed, but Reyes was better than Kike and ended up showing that, when he finally did play. Hell, DHam would have been a better choice.

Sorry for sounding acusitive. The team is playing well, now. Let's enjoy this!

I agree, but there was a time, when we had Reyes, when Cora even said, Kike will not be playing SS much, anymore, yet he kept playing him there. That small part was on Cora.

Teams that squeak in to the playoffs do win, from time to time, and it seems more so, recently, but I still see the better teams with way better chances at winning it all or getting to the big dance. It's a delicate balance to try and build for a more sustained future vs the here and now. often doing one harms the other. When odds are low, I look to the future. It's how i see it. I'm fine with people disagreeing, and I understand their views. I did not think we had a big enough chance at winning in '22 or '23. I wasn't alone. Others did think we had a big enough chance to make a run at it. They were not alone.

Where have I said "I give up on 2024?" I'm not for selling, now. If we are on pace for over 90 wins at the deadline, I doubt I will be then, either. The rest of MLB teams have serious weaknesses, too. They have injuries, too or will have some. We need to get some guys back and into form to have a real chance. That can happen. I've not given up. Can you acknowledge, we might be in a position to sell, this deadline? If yes, why is it so bothersome to talk about it and discuss who might bring us value in return? We often discuss more pointless or mundane things than that.

With the injuries we had, I think yes. I understand not thinking the same. (I'm also not one who believes in the playoff crapshoot things, so that plays into my opinion to sell at the 2023 deadline, too.)

Exactly, and discussing the possibilities of selling certain players, based on where we stand before the deadline, is an age old topic. It's been a contentious topic, the last few years, as we have sometimes been on the bubble of buying and selling. There have usually been two camps, except in 2020 (all wanted to sell) and 2021 (all wanted to buy.) It's easy to judge in hindsight, and some might still think we could have made the playoffs in 2022 and or 2023 had we added 2-3 key players, but in hindsight, it looks like it would have taken more than that. Had we gotten something for Bogey, JD, Nate, Wacha, Duvall and others, we'd likely be much better off today and going forward. As we stand now, I'm not for selling. I wish we'd trade for a defensive SS, today. I had hoped we'd sign 3 SP'ers over the winter, not one. We all know this team could implode, at any minute. Before the season started, there were precious few who felt this team had a snowball's chance in hell of just making the playoffs, and that was before we lost Gio and Story for the season and others for parts of the season. I think it is entirely reasonable to look ahead and discuss some what ifs.

How about Whitlock? All I can find is "after May 2."

I don't view trading Kike as "selling." The guy sucked. If we DFA'd him, I would not have blinked an eye. Urias was an attempt to improve the team, but he was not a rental and not very significant. I guess I'm okay with saying it was a teeny, tiny buy. I don't view trading Kike as a "sell." It was a dump. Getting Robertson was surprising, to me. (We also got Hagenman.) Perhaps, in light of what we got, it can be viewed as a "sell," but both of those trades were so minor, I called it a do nothing deadline. I still do.

Is "decent" good enough?

Was that buying and selling?

"Always?" I only remember once. He sold in '20. He bought in '21. He bought & sold in '22. He did squat in '23.

Bell, I said "I think they may..." It's the conditional tense that obviously depends on certain circumstances for it to be an option. In no way did I predict it or say I hope we suck badly enough we'll have a sell off. My point is, if we do, then it might be the right choice. I have also said, I'm not sure what this team's upper brass might do, if we are on the fringe of competition. The Vaz trade was made at a time where many were saying we should be buyers- not sellers, and we actually did do a bit of both, that summer. Other summers, like in '20, when we got Pivetta was a good idea. Many felt we should have sold, last summer. .

Maybe, somehow, still being in AA makes it seem longer.

He confuses opinions with predictions. Like he still thinks you predicted we'd sign Chapman.

Besides, I never "predicted;" I said we "should." This time, I said "I think we may..." That's hardly a prediction, either.

Zero or close to it, through no fault of his own. I think we may be sellers, even if we seem to be in teh race.

Langeliers just swung and missed at a pitch way up high on a 3-2 count with bases loaded and 2 out in the 9th; it is a 0-0 games with the Yanks.

At least you two know how to read.

A bundle of optimism.

Seems like he's been around for a long time.

The big 3 are not off to bad starts, but they are not (yet) lighting the world on fire, either. .784 Mayer .771 Anthony .761 Teel The surprise at AA has been Paulino, Penrod & Dobbins. Kavadas and Fitts are the top guys from Woo. (Meidroth is warming up.) Early & Bolden are impressing w Greenville

3 @ CLE 3 v CHC 3 v SFG 3 @ MIN Day off 2 @ ATL Day off 3 v WSH Then, the real hard part comes (not in order): 7 w Rays 3 w BAL 2 w ATL 3 w MIL 4 w DET 3 w STL May 13 to June 5th will be very telling. No easy teams in the bunch.