moonslav59

Yes, but only examples of cheap ones. Millar was cheap when we added him, first. Shaw was cheap at the deadline in '21, and in the offseason before 2022, but he sucked in '22. (He did have a record of being a good hitter, though.) Hardly anybody heard of Espinal, when we traded him for Pearce, and Toronto paid almost his whole remaining salary. Finding 1Bman with good hitting records and adding them to your roster can be very inexpensive. Do you disagree? Can we say, at today's dollars, $2-3M/ yr is "cheap?" Maybe a few years back $1.5-2.5M?

What did we have to pay to acquire Millar? Isn't that what we are talking about? (Not to keep a successful player.)

OK. We both know "a dime a dozen" can't mean a dime, when min wage is over $500K. We traded for Pearce, which is what this is about. He was not making close to $6M, when we added him. Shaw was dirt cheap. That's two. Count Millar as 3 and that's 3 in 2 decades. 3 per team x 30 teams is more than a dozen. Are you really arguing it's not easy to find inexpensive 1Bman with histories of being decent to good hitters in the off season and at the deadline? How about when compared to other positions?

Kluber will still get paid and pitch somewhere. Will the Bumgarner DFA mean AZ will never sign another big FA pitcher?

It's hard to imagine Paxton trying to justify being ML ready, right now, but maybe after a couple good starts... (assuming that ever happens.)

Moreland and Pearce were cheap. Travis Shaw in 2021. I think we paid Millar $2M back in '03. That may be 2 or 3 dimes a dozen, but he was not expensive. That is just Sox examples. I can easily find a dozen more.

Many GM do not look at just the most recent numbers, but in his case, it looks like they are. BTW, the Sano sample size you mentioned is about a third of the one you brought up on Casas.

It was meant to be a 24/7/365 point being made. This time of year, hardly anyone is "available." We named some that could have been signed over the winter. We can go back and look at past winters and summer trade deadline deals. 1B has to be the easiest position to fill. "Dimes" are now millions, but some can be acquired for way less than other positions. The Padres paid us to take Hosmer, last summer. The compensation for Steve Pearce was not thought to be all that much, but Espinal proved to be worth 2 dimes.

Every year, decent hitting 1Bmen are traded for peanuts- just not in April. What did we get for Moreland? (I forgot, too.) Who is available, right now? Has Sano signed, yet?

We play them way less, this year, so in theory, that should help.

The Sox currently have the 9th best record in the AL at 13-13. We are 0.5 GB #8 LAA. We are 1.5 GB #5 HOU/MN/NYY and a WC berth. We are 3.5 GB #4 TEX. We are 4 GB from the 2nd best record in the AL (BAL.) To put this in perspective, had we just beaten the O's, yesterday, we'd 8th, a half game out of the WC slot and just 2 GB BAL and 2nd place in the ALE. It's still very early, but it really looks like we have our heart set on a .500 season.

How about a guy who averages this over 650 PAs: .232 31 94 (.752 OPS) at minimum salary? (Hint: he's on our team.)

They don't keep a lot of players around, too long, but the ones they do, like Kiermaier are good on D. They have a great knack for trading away good players right before a steep decline.

They have had a few players not known for D, but not at C, 2B and CF. except maybe Yunel Escobar (SS: -19 DRS and -4.4 UZR/150) Their biggest negative DRS from 2013-2022 -28 Yandy Diaz 3B -20 Brad Miller SS -19 Yunel Escobar SS -12 Beckham SS -12 Meadows RF -10 As. Cabrera SS -10 Wilk Myers RF -9 L Morrison 1B -8 W Ramos C Same time frame, we have 11 players at -9 or more: -50 Bogey SS -44 Devers 3B -21 Nunez 2B -19 Swihart C -15 Pablito 3B -14 Duran CF -14 HRam LF -13 Plawecki C -13 Dalbec 1B -9 JD RF

...and Y Gurriel signed for $1.2 dimes. Bobby Dee might cost a nickel.

It's true on both.

I agree 100%. You are reading too much into my statement that his good start is making protecting him look better. I'm not saying "great" or better than ____- just better.

Maybe. How much longer can Paxton rehab?

He developed it between Dec 1, 2022 and April 5th, 2023?

They did kinda miss in the fall, though.

The Sox brass thought so, and maybe it was close to a coin toss- maybe not. To me, EValdez should be a DH, but how far do platoon DHs make it in MLB? I'm not defending Hamilton- just that he is looking better, this year and maybe deserving of rule 5 protection.

True, but who is beating down the door to be added to the 40, so he can be called up to the bigs in the next month? Not Drohan. When Paxton's rehab is up, we'll have to decide, if he deserves a ML start or a DFA/trade. Isn't there a time limit on rehabs for vets? (I only mentioned the money to correct notin's $14M comment.)

Some thought he might start the year in AA. I don't disagree with a thing you said, here, but my point is that he appears to have played like he deserved being protected. Not being the first one called up only means others are more MLB ready.

Indeed. The question is, how long do we stick with a SP'er who is sucking, before we move to the next option? It makes it harder when most of the SP'ers who are sucking have shown glimmers of competency or better, although for some, those times have been brief and only in maybe 2 games. Several of our SP'ers are coming back from time off, including Sale who had a LONG time off. How much of their struggles can be chalked up to "regaining their groove," or deciding they just don't have it anymore? Kluber has looked good in 2 of his 5 starts and okay in another (where 2 IRs were allowed to score.) IMO, he deserves at least 3-4 more starts, unless he is totally drilled every time. IMO, Sale deserves a longer look, too. Whitlock might have the best stuff of all our starters. He looked great in one start and shaky the others. No way I give up on him, quickly, as a starter. Pivetta has earned a permanent slot. If we can keep him in the 5 slot, we'd be fine. Needing him to be our #2 is asking for trouble. My thoughts are changing on Houck. I think he needs to stay starting until 5 others prove they can do better. That may never happen. I think Bello wins a slot, later this year. He missed almost all of ST'ing and may just be rusty. I still think he is good enough to stick. Crawford might deserve a few more chance. Paxton is someone I will never count on, but let him make his way to getting a chance.

True, and maybe that's all Bello will amount to, but I see this as Spring Training II for Bello.