moonslav59

Then, there is Pivetta, Schreiber, Refsnyder and besides, most of the guys on your list had their best or one of their best 1, 2 or 3 seasons under Cora.

The Dodgers will nab him, tweak a simple thing, and he'll be the next Brasier.

They would jump at just Mayer. Why give more?

Player-coach?

Hell, this team looked like they might pull out 86-88 wins at various times in July. (Obviously, the were not, but it's not all that hard to imagine 90 wins after adding 2 solid SP'ers and a big RHB (CF or 2B)

We haven't won in so long, nobody looks like a winner. The 2013 team didn't either, before they did. I'm not the eternal optimist. I was one of the first to give up in '22. I did not think we were good enough to win in 2013. I don't think we will win in 2024, even if we get 2 aces and bring back Duvall, but I do think we will be close enough to make the playoffs. Every team has weaknesses, and almost every player has one part of his game weak. I would not call Casas at 1B "unstable," because he has a long way to go to be an average or plus fielder. Same with Devers at 3B. I'm fine with Dugo in RF. Our pen can be one of the best in MLB, if we stop raiding it for starters. I'm not a believer in the playoffs being a crapshoot, although this season is sure looking like one. I guess I'm in the minority, as I was 5 years ago, when a small few of us saw a downturn coming, based on an unsustainable budget, too many starts reaching arbs and free agency at once, and a farm that looked a lot worse than it turned out to be, after so many trades for studs. I expected some very tough years. I did not expect 2019 to be so bad. I did not think it would take us 4 years to build a decent foundation, like I think we have now. Not a ring foundation, but a decent one. One better than it looked like in 2020. Much better. You and others may disagree with some of these specifics or the overall view I hold, but here is my take- position by position: Catcher: I think we are near average now, overall. I think Wong will improve on D and McGuire is what he is. I'm not sure about his offense, but he showed some hope, here and there. I think our catchers will improve. (Our long term future looks much brighter with Teel in the fold. Hickey & Brannon have some hopes, too.) 1B: Casas looks like a great hitter with an excellent approach. I think his OBP will go way up in '24, and maybe his power numbers, too. His D has a long way to go, but he's still an overall big plus at first. (We may not need guys like Jordan to ever make the bigs.) 2B: I'm probably being overly optimistic, here, but between Urias, Reyes and EValdez, I think we can be close to average at 2B. Urias had very nice numbers as recently as 2021 to 2022. EValdez may be a nice hitter, someday. 3B: Devers Forevers. All set. (Meidroth may not ever be needed.) SS: Story is a big "what if," but at least we know he can play plus-plus D. Reyes as the back-up looks better than DHam and Kike. (Mayer, Romero, Zanetello & Cespedes might be one of the best 4 farm levels of SSs in MLB.) LF: I actually don't think I'm being optimistic to think a Duran-Refsnyder platoon can hit over .800 in 2024. While their D is not plus, they should be an improvement over Yoshida on D. (Abreu as a back up looks fine, Rosier is starting to be noticed.) CF: This is a huge question mark. Rafaela could be great, especially on D, or a dud. Abreu is also questionable. Duran should not play CF. (Anthony & Bleis are far away.) RF: Dugo is steady on O and D, but not great. He's got one year left. (Castro is far away. Abrey, Anthony or B leis could end up in RF, if CF is covered b y another.) DH: Yoshida is fine as the DH, despite being overpaid, up to now. SP: Clearly, this position is sorely lacking in solid pitchers. I like Bello as a #3. Pivetta is probably as the #5, if 1, 2 and 4 are filled with durable and capable SPers. Do that and the pen is more than fine for 2024. After Jansen & Martin bolt, it may need a big boost. In short, Solid at 1B, 3B & the pen. Between average and solid at C, SS, LF, RF & DH. Around average or below, but not horrible: 2B Horrible: Rotation (or specifically 3 SP'ers.)

If we don't beef up the rotation, it won't matter who our pitching coach is.

soxprospects reports... The highlight of the first week-plus of the AFL season has been the play of outfielder Corey Rosier. The 24-year-old, acquired in the deal with San Diego that included Jay Groome and Eric Hosmer, has hit safely in each of his six starts for the Desert Dogs. He is 9 for 24 (.360) with a double, triple, and three stolen bases. He has seen time at all three outfield positions, getting three starts in center field, two in left field, and one in right. Nathan Hickey has also seen significant playing time in the desert, getting starts in five of Glendale's eight games. He is just 2 for 14 but has drawn 8 walks in 22 plate appearances, good for a .455 on-base percentage. Lefty Zack Penrod drew the opening day start, getting the loss despite allowing just one run on three hits in four innings. He came back with a victory on October 9, giving up just one hit across four scoreless frames, striking out five. Felix Cepeda has twice worked a scoreless inning, getting credit for a save on Monday. Wyatt Olds has three scoreless frames across his two outings. Bryan Mata has pitched exclusively out of the bullpen, going a scoreless inning in his first appearance and surrendering a pair of runs his second time out. Christopher Troye has allowed one run on three hits in three innings, striking out four.

More good news from this month: Barraclough, Arroyo and C Hamilton elected free agency.

Some think keeping Ort is why Bloom was fired. (I have my ear on the pulse of Sox Nation, in placed nobody else goes.)

Jansen did a very fine job. Winckowski has to be grouped with solid season players Devers was very good, but did have one big weak area (defense.) Does that DNQ him? Dugo was solid, but not spectacular. Not much else. So, if you weren't solid in 2023, you get blown up? I hope you didn't mean clean house, except for Martin.

The comeback has begun!

Had Nate said yes, and we got Abreu, what would be left over? No Yoshida? No Turner? No Kluber and Duvall? I wish we had gotten Nate and Eflin, although I doubt we would have made an offer for Eflin, had we signed Nate. Does Nate, Eflin and JT (and nobody else) get us to the playoffs?

It took time, but yes, they did an almost total make-over. It started with Kimbrel and Kelly after 2018, with no tangible replacements added. Nunez & Pearce fell off a cliff, and Nate threw just 68 IP in 2019. After DD's departure, it went into overdrive. The Betts-1/2 Price deal gets all the attention, but we also never replaced Porcello and a few others with anything valuable for 2020. That deadline, we unloaded Moreland, Workman, Hembree, Pillar and others, as Sale and ERod missed the whole, short season. By 2021, JBJ and some minor pieces were gone, and Sale started just 9 games. By the end of 2022, Vaz was gone, and of course, the big purge happened, last winter: Nate, JD, Bogey... Looking at the 40 Man Roster and team seniority, yes, only Sale and Devers remain from the 2018 MLB roster. A few others remain from that farm: Listed by # seniority on 40 Man Roster: 1. Sale 2. Devers 3. Dalbec 6. Houck 7. Mata 10. Duran 11. Crawford 13. Bello 21. Casas 23. Rafaela 24. Walter 25. Murphy Notable Prospects in the system that were here in 2018: Wikelman Bonaci, Paulino, Bastardo

Nate should have done that more quickly and or quietly. I doubt we make the playoffs, even if he signed, instead of Kluber.

Not at all, but it was further evidence, he had great difficulty finishing the deals he seemed to want the most. I'm glad he swung and missed there, despite Abreu's two blasts, yesterday.

Yes. It seems he had so much going on, he got caught up in the swirl and missed out on much of what he seemed to originally want (Nate, Eflin, Abreu...) He did get "his man" (maybe more the "scouts' man) in Yoshida.

It's the perfect example of his indecisiveness and lack of resolve.

Yes, we blew it.

Okay, but you never said anything, when he signed with texas for less or after they signed Kluber.

You never said a word, at the time.

Pontification Central

For offering him more than Texas did?

Max, I'm giving my opinion. Nobody thinks the resting is why we sucked. If others assume it's true, then good- they agree with me. I still love having Cora as our manager. It was a topic worthy of debate. It has run its course.

Nate Nails