moonslav59

His OPS was about the same. He was under 30. No, it's not a good comp.

I think a pretty significant event happened today that raises serious questions about the system set up through contract negotiations. As we know, the Angels put almost a quarter of their roster on waivers, recently to try and get back under the tax line. That could matter, because the comp pick for losing Ohtani will be affected. Now, the Guardians, who kinda suck, and have the earlier pick on claiming guys off waivers than team ahead of them, claimed 3 players: Lucas Giolito Reynaldo Lopez Matt Moore They have recently gotten back into the AL Central race, die to MIN sucking, too. The Guardians are 6 games under .500 but just 5 games behind MIN, and yet can still can pull this off. It seems kinda unfair, although waiver wire deals have been around a long time, no bad teams will claim high price salary dumps, leaving the weakest contender a glden opportunity to pounce and only pay 1/6 of the player's deal. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/08/guardians-claim-lucas-giolito-reynaldo-lopez-waivers-angels.html

Fair, enough. I'd say Rizzo is borderline and the "average" offense for a 1Bman will likely be better than he gives, next year. Volpe should improve, but it is not a given, and is he average or above, now? I almos put Cortes and Schmidt in red, as they should be average 4/5 SP'ers or better, but again, there is significant concerns on both. My point was meant to highlight how few positions you have locked up as being plus positions, and this is a team that was projected to win the AL, this year!

Any news on the two Sox September call ups?

Yes. All 4 are cheaper options. Ideally, we'd add 4 solid SP'er and have the best pen in MLB: Jansen, Martin, Schreiber, Winckowski Houck, Whitlock, Crawford, Pivetta Depth: Bernardino, Kelly, Joely, Mills, Robertson Murphy, Walter, Mata, Gambrell, Hagenman

Exactly. For God's sake, Crawford is our "ace" right now. Doesn't that tell us something important? I think we can get by with Houck as a 4th or 5th starter than can never go beyond 5 IP. Whitlock needs to be sent to the pen and told he will never start another game with the Sox. Pivetta can be a decent #5, but we need to be thinking of who will be our #1 and our #2. SP1 ____ SP2 ____ SP3 Bello SP4 Houck SP5 Pivetta/Crawford (The other is a long man or SP depth) (Sale is just possible depth- nothing more.)

I've been calling for adding top of the rotation pitchers since the 70's. LOL!

I do NOT "want to dump" Verdugo." I am willing to trade him for equal value. I think Sox brass is looking to trade him, as they will likely not extend him. He has one year of control left. He has trade value. I'm tired of his antics and the poor example he sets for the growing number of young player joining the team. He is having a fine defensive year in RF, but he has had average and below average years in RF, before. (I'm not one to always think a player's recent year is bound to be repeated, next year.) I really like the idea of having Rafaela and Abreu get a solid chance at winning the CF and RF jobs. I don't like the idea of having Duran and Ref as back-ups in CF or RF, so we do need someone else, and I guess having Dugo in RF for one more year makes a lot of sense in that context. We can let Rafaela and Abrue battle for CF and Abreu can back up RF, but then we have too many OF'ers, even if we make Yoshida the FT DH. Do you want to trade Ref or Duran? It seems many here (not you Max) complain about us never trading for anything good- like a SP'er, but whenever a name is suggested, we are told we want to dump the guy or don't like him. You gotta give to get! We need pitching. We have an excess in OF and some young talent that appear to be ML ready. We can't make everyone "untouchable," if we want to make changes to a roster that is not a winning one.

Name the foundation you have going into 2024, then tell me how many you view as "solid": C Trivno/Higgy 1B Rizzo 2B Torres SS Volpe 3B LeMaheu LF I K-F/ Bauers CF ______ RF Judge DH Stanton SP1 Cole SP2 Rodon SP3 Cortez SP4 Schmidt SP5 German/Brito RP Holmes, Loasiga, King, Abreu, Kahnle

YES! I wouldn't mind us having 4 guys in that role: Houck Whitlock Pivetta Crawford Set-up: Martin Winckowski Schreiber Closer: Jansen (No way this ever happens. We'd need to add 4 SP'ers or 3 and hope for a Sale miracle.)

I'd do that, but MVP did not even mention Duran.

I don't make their rules, but SP's has Bernardino as "graduating" in June 2023. Bloom is a genius at farm building. (LOL)

Duran in AAA or what?

Castillo was 29 when traded for and is 30 in his first year of the extension. I'd like younger, too, but he's not old. Pablo Lopez was traded at 26 and is still just 27. All I'm saying is there are deal out there that happen without giving up the world. I get you reluctance on trading mayer. I'm reluctant, too, but we need pitching, and if we wont pay for it with money, this is the only quick fiz solution.

Why isn't Yoshida a prospect in April 2023?

My point is not about Duvall vs Abreu, it's about signing a LF v a CF/RF'er.

Like Dalbec after 2021? (.819 career after '21)

The September rankings update for soxprospects should come out, soon. How far up or down will the players move? Current rank 11. Drohan (I'd move to 18-20th) 15. Cespedes (I'd move to 10 and put Romero 11th.) 20. Castro (To maybe 15th?) 23. Abreu (to top 16?) 24. Paulino (out of top 30?) 43. Gambrell (top 20 too high?) 56. Rosier (top 32?) Any other big movers?

And next year it will be a 10+ fWAR, so what's your point?

Yes, but if you get a single A player and get the salary relief, the idea is you then sign a better FA with the money saved, that is, if you think Bloom can and will do that.

If we can get salary relief b trading Yoshida, and the key her is, we use it on another signing, that has value, too. I could see us asking for offers on Dugo, Duran and Yoshida, but we won't trade more than one. I doubt we trade any.

Cheater Bonds April '04 .472 BA .696 OBP 1.132 SLG (not OPS!) 1.828 OPS 10 HRs 39 BBs in 23 games, including 18 IBBs! In 2001, Cheater Bonds had an OPS over 1.100 and 15+ HRs every month. he also had 30+ BBs in each of the last 5 months of the season. In 2002, he had an OPS over 1.258 in all 6 months of the season. In 2003: all 6 months over 1.265 2004: all over 1.096. 4 straight seasons!

True, but Duran is not great on D, either.

Ahhh, now I get it.

Kinda like the guy who roasts Yoshida over his last month of play.. Duran in last 30 days of play (24 games) .646 OPS