moonslav59

Thanks for choosing me as your punching bag and only thing you feel the need to comment on. I feel honored by your well thought out and "meaningful" rant.

For someone who is as tickler for allowing everyone to have their own opinions, you sure do go overboard in jumping to wrong conclusions and bashing others points of view. How in God's name does bringing up your criticism of optimistic fans have anything to do with thinking anyone thinks you are a bigger problem than anyone of the team? Note: I don't expect an answer, as always- just deflections and misconceptions/misinterpretations.

Despite the overwhelming malaise, there is a lot to be optimistic about going forward, if anyone chooses to look for it.

You are clearly gloating. I already said how I'd feel if we finish in last and/or below .500. Cora and Bloom are not going anywhere and I like our extended outlook, despite being very disappointed with 2023. I'm not sure why it upsets you that a fan actually roots for his team and thinks they may have just enough to go right to have a chance. It clearly bothers you when someone does not have the gloom and doom outlook you and others hold, and before you go on about the majority being behind you, I could give a flying EF what the majority thinks or feels. I choose to remain optimistic about the direction of the team. I have patience and hope. Bash that all you want.

I think they just needed to give Story a day off, and with Reyes out, it made more sense to play Rafaela at SS and have Refsnyder play over DHam. I'm not sure if a big prospect deal is in the works this winter (or ever again,) but I think the timing is right. Who we choose to trade would be an issue of contention, and it might just come down to who another GM values more than Bloom & Co. do. Some important questions from last winter got answered, although nothing is ever a sure bet in MLB, I think management feels "safe" going with... Wong & McGuire at catcher (maybe protect Stepen Scott and knowing we have Teel in the system) Casas at 1B, although he needs to improve his defense. (I think he will DH some, when Yoshida "rests" or plays LF.) Story at SS is a lock. I also think we feel better about Reyes and Urais as back up than we did with Yang and DHam. Devers at 3B is a lock, despite our talk of moving him to 1B. It ain't happening, unless we trade Casas or decide to move casas to FT DH and go with Yoshida in LF. (Nope) The OF has question marks, but we have several good options and several more very promising choices: LF: Duran/Refsnyder platoon with Yoshida as DH and LF back-up. CF: Rafaela with Abreu and Duran as back-ups. RF: Dugo with Abreu and Ref as back-ups. DH: Yoshida with casas as back-up. We may add OF depth- someone like the 2023 Duvall or someone who can play 3B/1B like the 2023 Turner or maybe even a middle infielder who might also be able to play CF, not like the 2023 Kike. Our pen looks solid, as long as we don't have to overuse it, and if we can add enough SP'er to the mx, so we can have 2-3 of these guys as long men, it could be one of the pest pens in MLB: Whitlock Houck Pivetta Crawford (All have shown they do better in long relief than starting. If somehow we could go with all 4 in the pen, I'd say this could be the best pen in Sox history. Jansen, Martin, Schreiber, Winckowski, Crawford, Houck, Pivetta & Whitlock (Depth: Bernardino, Joely, Kelly, Mills, Murphy, Walter, Mata, Gambrell...) That leaves at least 2-3 SP slots to fill, but we all know we will put Houck and or Crawford/Pivetta in the rotation and maybe just add 1 or 2, effectively just replacing Kluber. (SAD!) IMO, we should sign one major FA SP'er: the guy from Japan or Urias or some other SP'er on the younger side of 31 or 32. (Two would be great.) And/or trade some top talent for a solid #2 type. Since far away propsects don't carry the trade value they used to, it does not make sense, to me, to trade Anthony, Bleis or Zanetello. I know some fans will get upset when I mention trading some top prospects, and think I am devaluing them or wanting to "dump" them, but the fact is, you have to give something to get something, and our farm and system is weak on pitching and strong on everyday players. So, who do we have that other GMs want and who are 1-2 years away from the bigs? Here is the BTV values given to the ones I am listing here and SP's ranking and ETA to the bigs listed as well: 1. 59.3 Mayer (late '24) 4. 6.4 (wow!) Rafaela ('24) I ahave to think many GMs value him higher than 6.4. 5. N/A Teel (late '25: I doubt we deal him) 6. 19.0 Yorke (late '24) 7. 4.2 Perales (SP's says ETA is 2026) 8. 3.9 Wikelman (mid '25) Now, we are getting away from "top prospects status, but they could be enticing pieces to a package or bundled up to take the place of one top prospect.) 10. Romero 11. Drohan 12. Bonaci 13. Walter 16. Meidroth 17. EValdez 18. Hickey 19. Jordaan 21. Mata 22. DHam 23. Abreu Vet values that could possibly be traded: 46.6 Casas (Devers to 1B and sign a 3Bman or play Urias at 3B) 39.1 Bello (defeats the purpose of adding SP'ers) 27.1 Houck (see Bello) 25.1 Duran (see high?) 16.8 Crawford (sell high?) 13.1 Yoshida (seems overvalued at 13.1) 9.5 Dugo (one year left) 7.0 Schreiber (Has he been just smoke & mirrors?) 6.2 Wink (some numbers show him to be near or below average.) So, to get a very good controllable pitcher, it looks like it has to be Mayer + 1-2 second tier prospects or Rafaela and Yorke plus maybe Perales or Wikelman, unless we consider Houck. I'm not advocating trading any of these guys, but if you had to trade from one of these choices, who do you choose? Mayer + Romero and Hickey Casas + Hickey Rafaela, Yorke and Hickey Duran + Yorke and Hickey Houck + Yorke and ____? Dugo, Yorke and Perales + ____?

And you say you don't gloat. You got what you wanted. Congrats.

It hasn't been great, but the amount of times they have needed to get 4 or more outs in an inning has been astounding. In many games, it happened in 3 or more innings. BTW, our xFIP is 4.17 (18th ranked and 0.10 from 13th.) Our SIERA is 4.04 (17th ranked and 0.02 from being #15.) We are 24th in actual ERA- at 4.50.

Sadly, it seems to be how management is looking at it. I get no sense of urgency, at all. They talk in cryptic cliches trying to reassure the fans they are trying to build a winning team, but it seems so clear to me, the major focus has been on the extended future. The drafting of pretty much only high school kids for the first 3 years of Bloom's tenure was very telling. The massive amount of one year deals for the first 3 years was further evidence. The lowering of our team salary ranking seals the deal for me. This has only been paying lip service to the fans each season, while trying to secretly carry out a long view top priority. (It was not the only priority. We did spend enough to keep hopes mildly alive each March, after 2020, but it's plain as day what the plan has been. The questions, now, are... When do they see us at the point where that focus can shift, even if slightly? Or, and I have said before, quoting that great The Smith's song, "How Soon is Now?" You see, I've already waited so long and all my hope is gone Will we ever "splurge" again? I don't mean Cohen-like spending, but clearly enough to know we are "going for it, now." I have no idea what the timeline is, of if they will ever "splurge" again. Maybe they really want to become the Rays of the North.

I didn't view Aldo as being near a top tier prospect, either, at the time. I thought the trade was a steal for us, and it was that kind of trade I hoped Bloom would have made, earlier this month- but for SP'ers. (I like the Urias trade, but we needed pitching.)t

Finishing in last and under .500 might change the plans, but I doubt Cora or Bloom go. The upper brass must be upset we did not win more often, but this is their hush-hush 5 year plan, that may actually be more like 6.

Most of the signings worked out well, and the focus on the pen was a worthy priority, but yes, the lack of risking salary on good SP'ers has been the theme since the Nate extension. Perez I Richards Perez II Wacha Hill Kluber 4 years and 6 significant additions, yet all below $10M/1 and all but 2 made any impact on the plus side.

I doubt anyone major gets shown the door, in terms of management or coaches. I would not be surprised if most of the top brass sees this season as a step in the right direction, and in some ways, I can see their point. The fact is, the fans have been let down for too many years, and their constant lies only make it worse. I know it's not a major issue, but for whatever reason, not spending right up to the line pretty much says it all. This reminds me of the team management in the 70's that would do just enough to peak interest, yet fail to just take one more step to get us over the hump, name add one or two more solid pitchers. I think our foundation of younger players and promising young players on the farm has improved dramatically since 2019, but many fans could care less. Some here seem almost hostile to even the talk of this area of focus. For the first time since 2018, we seem to be bringing back more players recently acquired. Granted, some will be finishing year 2 of a two year deal, or playing in their final option year in 2024, but those one year and done deals did nothing for the fan base or team continuity. I've given up expecting "next winter" to be the turning point or "splurge winter," but if it's not, I doubt anyone will care, if they say 2025 is "the year."

That something would be a nightmare

For some odd reason, he has a grind about posting wild card updates more often after wins than losses, or stopping after it hardly matters.

It is amazing. Here's more... Their 9th best hitter is at .784! Only 2 of those 9 are over 31 (Ozuna 32 & Rosario 31!) Their lowest SLG guy is at .455 (M Harris.) We only have 5 above that, not counting Duvall.

...and it actually takes work to do that. At least, he fixed the juggled words and letters issue.

If you think it's a "good thing" we did so poorly, so it will force changes, I think you will be disappointed.

Thanks for letting us all know exactly what we need to know.

No to the first point and yes to the second point.

You totally missed it. It’s a dream to think any GM wants to cut salary. bTW, while you weren’t looking the MO changed. We had more deals for 2 or more years than one year deals, last winter. I’m not sure what that has to do with the fact that we all likely agree Turner and Duvall will bolt.

All GMs dream of cutting salary.

Yup. I suppose some will want us to DFA Paxton, Turner and Duvall, since they are all good as gone anyway, and we can get a look see at EValdez & Walter, again, and who else? Dalbec?

You have such vivid dreams.

One big bowl of cherries.

My guess is Bloom could figure out how to post correctly, so I'll hand him that.