moonslav59

We came close with Wacha and Hill, but on a much smaller scale.

I have agreed on adding another RH'd OF'er, but I'm not for him being a LF'er for precisely the reason of having doubts on Abreu (RF/CF) and Rafaela (CF). We already have 3 OF'ers better suited for LF or DH: Yoshaid, Duran and Refsnyder. I'm not sure about Abreu's CF D, but if he's as good as Duvall or better than Duran, and we keep Dugo, I'm okay with rolling the dice on one of Rafaela or Abreu doing well in CF. If they don't, we can settle on Duran in CF or trade for a CF'er, mid season.

I think "crucify" is a bit over the top, and many who kept pointing out the drag his contract was on the Sox, even after he was traded, we okay with or supported the signing. (I thought it was necessary and that Price was about as sure a bet as you could ever hope for.) I don't think JH goes $210M/7, anytime soon, but I think he might sign 2 guys to $100-120M deals. (Spread the risk.)

The rules SP's uses to determine who is a prospect. They counted Bernardino as one, despite him being 31.

A competent fielding CF'er makes more sense. One that can play CF/RF or CF/2B might be even better.

Maybe, but we would not be signing Duvall based on him being slightly better than Abreu in CF on D.

The few big FA SP'er signings that work, usually only work for the first 1-3 years, so in that sense, it was logical to wait to sign the big FA SP'er(s) until you think the rest of the team is ready and the "window" begins- NOW! (I hope this is the case for 2024, but I have my doubts.)

Agreed. I have him their, so why add a 4th LF'er in Duvall, who is not a good defensive CF'er.

Agreed: the TBD RP should be TBD top SP'er.

I totally agree on pitching being the major holes to fill (note the plural on "holes." It is a very tall task, at hand. Throwing big money at top FA pitchers has been a losing gamble more times than not, over recent years. Trading for younger pitchers is a better bet, but giving up prospects is not something the Sox have done since the 2018 trade deadline. The two guys we have at 1.6 fWAR were somewhat unpredictable, last March: Sale and Crawford. They both rank 90th in MLB in fWAR. That is very sad and very telling. WAKE UP BLOOM & Co! If you divide 30 teams by the 90 best pitchers by WAR, the average team has 3 pitchers better than are top 2. Bello ranks 96th at 1.5, so we had 3 decent third starter types, when healthy or not in the pen. Paxton is at 1.4, about where he was over a month ago, and he's gone after 2023. Not surprisingly our pen looks better: T15 Jansen 1.3 T26 Martin 1.1 T84 Wink at 0.6 T97 Bernardino 0.5 Having 11 guys at 0.5 or better is not bad, but the lack of anyone over 1.6 is screaming for an addition. 1.0 Pivetta 0.8 Houck 0.5 Whitlock 0.3 Screiber (might have reached 0.5 has he not been hurt.)

I think having Abreu and Duran as players who can play CF, if Rafaela bombs, gives us the chance to give him a long look-see.

Yes, there aren't even 60 total FA signings per winter, let alone one year deals. Last winter, however, there were 19 2+ year deals made and 18 one year deals made.

If you added signing a top SP along with the Garrett addition, I'd like this plan. I agree with Red, we aren't moving Devers to 1B in 2024, and I think we'll give Casas a chance to improve at 1B and show he can stay there. (Personally, I'd move Devers to 1B, next year. I'm done hoping he can string 150 games together at average or avg + D.)

I love Duvall, but we need better CF defense, and bringing back Adam means we have 4 guys who LF is their best position (other than maybe DH:) Yoshida, Duran, Refsnyder & Duvall.

I think this team listed would make the playoffs as a WC team. I think you might be short-changing Urias at 2B and as a back up at 3B and maybe 3rd string at SS. He was injured for some of this year, but from 2021-2022, he averaged 24 HRs and 75 RBIs per 660 PAs with a .340 OBP. I can understand thinking maybe this is a fluke for Reyes. I will add that, I was looking at a minimum amount of additions- just 2 SP'er, but I think we might open up enough budget so space to bring back Turner or Duvall or the like- someone who can play 2B & CF or CF/R.

The rules. On SPs. Anyway

Lol Some worried about him aging poorly!

It is a tough call, especially in light of a much improved defense in RF. with all the side issues he was involved in, I’m not sure he is still a Cora fave. I’d see what we can get via trade and pull the trigger, if we can fill another need somewhere.

Is this a top contending team? SP1 Nola SP2 Yamamoto SP3 Bello SP4 Sale/Crawford/Houck SP5 Pivetta Closer Jansen RP2 Martin RP3 Schreiber RP4 Crawford (SP?) RP5 Houck (SP?) RP6 Whitlock RP7 Winckowski RP8 Bernardino, Murphy, Kelly, Robertson, Walter, Mata, Gambrell 1. Duran/Refsnyder LF 2. Devers 3B 3. Story SS 4. Casas 1B 5. Yoshida DH 6. Dugo RF 7. Rafaela/Abreu CF 8. Urias/Reyes 2B 9. Wong/McGuire C

I'd like to see them play, and 5 weeks is a decent amount of time, but it's not really all that definitive. As of now, I think I'd be fine starting 2024 with this: LF: Duran-Refsnyder platoon (Yoshida at DH and back-up LF) CF: Rafaela (Abreu and Duran as back up) RF: Dugu (Abreu as back up) If we trade Dugo, I think we'd need to add a defensive OF'er for CF/RF. Trading Duran would bring back way more than Dugo and probably even Dugo + Yorke. That would leave us with: LF: Yoshida/Ref/Dugo/Abreu CF: Rafaela/Abreu RF: Dugo/Abreu

This Gambrell guy is really doing very well. (He was part of the Beni trade, so many bashed ceaselessly.) Today: 5 IP, 5H, 2ER, 1BB and 9Ks! In Woo's 4-0 loss, they K'd 14 opps. Dalbec had 2 hits. POR lost 5-2, but Rosier continued to impress: 2-3 w 3B & BB *up to .818 OPS). Yorke went 1-3 w BB (.817 OPS) GRE won game one 1-0 on an Anthony HR. The team only mustered 2 hits. Penrod 6IP, 2H, 0ER, 2BB, 8K. They lost game two 7-4 as Rogers got lit up. Anthony went 1-2 w a 2B and 2 BBs (.989 OPS) Castro went 3-4 w a 2B, (.866)

If the SSs are the best on the board, I hope we draft 4 next year.

You didnt like Castillo or Lopez? Who's favorite GM?

Again, who is disagreeing? Why the need to keep repeating a point we all agree on. The pen sucked.

The funny thing is, MVP uses more advanced stats than just about anyone on this site.