moonslav59

The jury is out on McGuire, but he did better than Vaz over the last 2 months in ‘22, and IMO, he has more future upside and will cost way less.

.834 in his last 10 games. I’d like to see him get a chance to play everyday, but I would not bench any of these guys vs RHPs for him: Turner Yoshida Dugo Duran Casas Vs LHPs an argument could be made for some, but we have to let our only top 10 MLB batter v LHPs since 2022 play, too (Refsnyder.) I can see the reasoning for trading the league leading rbi man in 2021 at the deadline. Play Ref v LHPs and play the others, instead.

Before this season, I had two major worries about Sale: 1. Could he even comeback and pitch for a long stretch or two? 2. Could he pitch anywhere near like he did before. I think he answered #2, although with this new injury, I’m not 100% sure he can again.

Yes. They had him as a net -0.1 with HOU after the trade. I have never said he was poor in the areas they measure. He was a plus hitter compared to most catchers, more times than not. I think he was a net plus and never argued to replace, bench or trade him. I criticise one aspect of his skill set, and that it it. I happen to think it knocks him down a peg or two from where many Sox fans seem to have him, but he was a plus for us. He seemed to have alternating very good years with okay to meh years. He was getting older. No slight on our ex Sox players, but I’m glad we have Wong over Vaz and McGuire over Plawecki.

Some were huge, year after year. Others were moderate. Others were small, but almost all went the other way with the major SPers. Sale Price Nate Porcello I think ERod was the only one close, out of all the major SPers.

Duvall is a damn good player.

If he didn’t have that very nice 8-9 game stretch, I’d be done with Sale, but yes, they are toying with us!

Year after year is not luck.

Very true, but Paxton helped get us here. I’d add to the rotation, but if we don’t, I can see why one might think we have little chance at top glory and should trade him. I hope we add Stroman and Snell. If we add nobody, I might end up wishing we had sold on Paxton. I know, sounds pretty wishy washy but I hate this halfway crap.

Let’s just ignore that most pitchers did better with Plawecki and Leon.

Thanks! ☝️

Dealing Kine was the right move, despite his flex advantage over Duvall. We may still end up trading Duvall, too, especially since Duran is doing so well, and Ref keeps raking lefties. I hope that will be the extent of the “selling.” Time to BUY!

Third time. I’ve retracted 2019 alone. I still think if you take the whole time period from 2019 to this spring in totality, tge lack of farm infusion is the biggest of several factors.

Look at BAl, ATL TBR and HOU. How many homegrown regulars do they have? True, the worst and cheapest teams might have over 20, but I like their models best.

Looking at the money Bloom had to spend and all the holes he needed to fill, I’m not even sure Bloom underperformed, let alone to the point where it became the dominant factor in the team’s decline. We tend to remember the bad ones more, and his biggest signings have been among the worst, but he also added or signed a lot of players that performed above expectations or pay scale. I’m fine with anyone saying the net influence was negative, but to me not enough to pass declining vet production or lack of farm infusion. It is possible to win without constant farm infusion. The 2004 team was mostly non homegrown, but Theo realised the importance of needing a strong and deep farm. He made it happen.

I’m not talking stars. I’m talking decent regulars like JBJ, Nixon, Vazquez, Barnes, and so many others. We got nobody better than Houck, who has been far from reliable or regular from the summer of ‘17 Devers call-up to the trio of prospects helping us in the spring and summer of ‘23. Devers helped in 2018 and beyond, but the lack of farm infusion took a mighty toll on the roster. Most winning rosters have several contributing low cost players on the 26, and this allows more targeted spending on fewer needs. A GM with a winter spending budget if $50M, but with just 3 slots to fill has a better chance at success than one with 10-12 holes to fill and the same $50M. That is what Bloom was handed in 2020 and 2021. That changed in March ‘22, but we had nog replaced the departing players with young, low cost players for too long to make much of a difference by signing better players. I swear the signings were better in 22 than 21. No doubt, other factors had major impact. I even named two and suggested there were others. If someone wants to say the tight budgets were 26% of the reason and lack of farm infusion was 24%, then we aren’t far apart.

Perhaps I am. I’m curious why you seem to think it can’t be more important that the other factors taken individually. Biggest factor does not mean 51+% responsible.

I’m saying overall, he did. Vaz sucked on O and was never good on D or CERA things.

I’ve said a couple times that 2019 might not count. I’m still not so sure the 2021 was all that much better than 2022 or maybe 2023. Going by just wins is not my choice. Many vets underperformed in 2022 when compared to 2021. Same with 2019 to 2018. My point is that when looking at the full time period from 2020 to 2022 or from maybe 2019, tge lack of farm infusion was the major culprit out of several contributing factors. With the 2023 Bello, Duran, Casas and Wong, maybe we make the playoffs in 2019 and 2022. Maybe we win it all in 2021. Does not signing Richards and Marwin to a hindsight hero chnge the 2021 team as much as just adding the 3 players I mentioned? Now, figure we should have added 4-5 more by 2021, not just 3. I’m not saying I can scientifically prove this was the biggest factor out of many, but I don’t think my theory is as far-fetched as you seem to think it is.

How much bonus pool money is remaining? Enough for one more signing?

A return in trade would likely be a higher value than the comp pick, but by how much? That difference might be part of the decision making process. Unlike last year, I do not think we should be sellers. I’d be fine with trading Kike, or maybe Duvall, if the return is right, but not Paxton.

He’s like an extra first round pick.

That’s not all that “old.” In fact, racism is a live and well, and making a strong comeback.

Frightening for 2023, yes. Or, some other major player(s) getting hurt.

Kinda like the reverse of 2022, right? The funny part about deadline ‘22 was that one of the biggest gripes was trading Vaz, and by this hindsight judgment you are now talking about, McGuire far outplayed him over the last 2 months. The “returning vets” theme of the anti-fire sale crowd (sound familiar?) fizzled out, and we got nothing upon nothing.