moonslav59

Name one poster is "counting on" even one to be a star? I don't think anyone has said it. I do think it's reasonable to think 1 or 2 will do very well, but I'm not counting on it happening. I want us to add a longer term 2Bman, even though we have Story. Am I "counting on" Mayer? I want us to add a longer term OF'er, depsite having Rafaela, Abreu, now, and Anthony knocking on the 2025 door. I like our catching tandem of Wong and McGuire, and don't think we really need an upgrade, there, but Tell's existence is not making me feel that way. I have no prospect penciled into a starting role. I'm wary on even counting on Rafaela and Abreu to combine on handling one OF slot in '24. I argues with notin about trading Rafaela for ECAB, because I am not fully counting on Abreo. I don't want to speak for others, but I'm not seeing anyone thinking any of these 3 are sure All Stars.

Werner has money, too. Can't he kick in his own chump change?

Of course the value is speculative, in nature, as it was back then, too. If these guys are all busts, we're in big trouble, for sure. If two are busts, it will be very hard for us to compete, going forward, unless other unsung prospects fill their voids. Remember, guys like Betts were not really even on the radar, early in their farm days. He joined our farm in 2011 and did not crack the top 20, until the winter of 2013 (at #10.) We all saw how the vaunted Ben farm did not do all that well, so your concerns are well founded, but for the most part, the national rankings of players and team farms are right more than they are wrong. Yes, it's a gamble to count on the farm, but it's also a gamble on signing major free agents, especially someone like Yamo, who has no ML experience. I'm excited by our farm. Maybe, because there has not been much else to get excited about, but there was a concerted effort to build up the farm for a long time. We have not traded a major prospect since Moncada (#1), Espinoza (#3) and maybe Kopech (#5) That was like 6 years ago. The big club suffered, some, as a result of this hoarding and making more trades for prospects than ones trading them away. It is what it is. Every choice GMs make are gambles. Some seem riskier than others, but building up a farm has a pretty good track record, when you look at how the best teams in MLB have gotten that way, over the years. Did we build up the right way, or not? We should know in the next few years. Anthony, Mayer and Teel look like the best 3 we've had in the system (not in hindsight,) since maybe... (from soxprospects rankings) 2015 Summer: 1. ERod (not our farm developed) 2. Moncada 3. Devers 7. Beni 2015 Fall: 1. Moncada 2. Devers 3. Espinoza 4. Margot 5. Beni 7. Kopech 2005: 1 HRam 2. Papelbon 3. Pedey 4. A Sanchez 5. Lester 2006 1. jake 2. Buch 4. Pedey 2014: 1. Bogey 2. JBJ 10. Betts (not sure we can count him without using hindsight) 2012 1. Bogey 2. Barnes 3. JBJ Calling them suspects is fine. They are, but no matter how pessimistic you can get, our farm looks pretty good, right now. I'm feeling pretty good about our 4-10 prospects and see a lot of promise in those beyond #10, although many will fail. I'm very high on... 4. Rafaela & 8. Abreu (only one needs to shine) 5. Bleis 10. Cespedes 7. Perales & 9. Wikelman (hopefully, one shines) Maybe Yorke surprises me. We can choose to be optimistic about these kids, or not. In this case, many "experts" agree that this is a very promising group of prospects, and many are ML ready or a year away.

These owners are all mega rich, and they have seen the value of their initial investment in the team they won grow by leaps and bounds. I could be wrong about 1 or 2 owners or ownership groups, but I feel confident my statement is accurate. I googled this from 2021, and two owners (COL/MIL) is at $700M net worth, and a few others are near $1.1B, so I can see why maybe they would not want to spend a big chunk of their own money, but they could, at least for a couple years. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/12/mlb-owners-net-worth.html Would you be okay with saying 25+ teams can? Also, with all the side money teams make on concessions, memorabilia and TV contracts and revenue sharing for some), do you really think any owner is losing money? They may not be making $100-200M a year, but they make some and could add their own money, if they wanted to. Sox fans seem to expect JH to do it, despite his being involved with other ventures that may need capital, at the moment.

Good news! It's been a long time since the last championship.

He only said it once, right?

Man, all those guys are keys to our success!

I've agreed to this. My point is every owner could spend to and over the tax line, every year, if they wanted to. It sounds like you think my "varying degrees" is an undersell. Of course, some teams make way more money than others and could spend way more, but even the poorest ownership group can afford to spend $100-200M more, every year. That's all I'm saying. If they all did, maybe JH would spend $200-300M more, (or $100-200M more than he does now, as he surely can, if he wants to.)

We add 3 plus this guy and I guess Dalbec is #4.

That Devers extension was just chump change, right?

It’s not this stopping them.

I did not say go over and make a profit, but with all the side money made and an increase in team interest, they probably could all make something plus. They can afford it because they are all rich enough to spare a few hundred million.

Even the poorest ownership group in MLB can afford to blast past the tax line, here and there, if not every year.

There is growing pressure on getting a first tier SP, since the fall back options are drying up. I agree.

How many other teams and owners could we say this about, to varying degrees?

True, but we already have a squeeze on the 26 and 40, assuming we add at least 3 players (SP, SP, 2B.) It's not big deal, if he ends up being DFA'd, I guess.

If they come up short on fixing the rotation, we'll know for sure the sham is continuing. Like the knee-jerk Story signing and the forced Devers extension, I think they must know the state of Sox Nation, right now. They seem to throw tidbits, just when fan anger is peaking. Let's see what bone they throw us, this time. (It better be a big meaty one or a couple good-sized, marrow bones.)

I actually think Brez has a bunch of moves already planned or in the works. He might be waiting for one shoe to drop, and then we'll see a flurry. A flurry of what is the question. I remain hopeful but expect more of the same.

I meant Edward Cabrera. I'm not sure what was in my head, when I typed OP.

The QB position should be the one position ND should recruit well. Generally, they are smarter and can meet the high entrance standards at ND. The QB also knows he will be on national TV, every weekend.

Sena and Olivarez can throw mid 90’s, too. Mata and Guerrero, as well. I think Perales and Wikelman can touch 96.

Maybe a monkey in a Breslow suit.

I really like Monty, but I’m not into pitchers who walk 4-6 batters per 9 IP. DHern had potential, too. I doubt OP does better than Paxton. I’m not big on Drury, despite him being an upgrade.

The $313M to Devers is 12th most and certainly "big market." Looking at the largest current contracts, 10 of the top 15 or so are with 4 teams: LAD (Ohtani & Betts), SDP (Machado, Bogey & Tatis), PHI (Harper & Turner) and NYY (Judge, Stanton & Cole) then TEX (Seager), LAA (Trout)/BOS/NYM (Lindor) w 1. It's not 15 teams spending like we did on Devers. It's 8. Yes, I expected us to do "both" by 2023, at the latest. We could have. Even the Nate trade in '18 was just Beeks. We haven't traded a real good prospect since Sale, Pom & Kimbrell, nearly all at once. I'm not defending that choice, but it was a factor in why we have lost, so much, recently. It's not just letting stars go. It's not just spending less from 2020-2021. It's a bunch of factors creating a nasty storm.

I knew that was coming. Minor league deal, fine, but ML? LOL