moonslav59

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

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.)