moonslav59

Houston is not a small market. They key might be when you need a big boost, go with someone like Verlander not a 7 year deal like Price's. Large and short for knows but older studs or Moderate and long for the younger players. The thing is, if we set up a system like the Astros, but then can spend more, when needed, we can win, and nobody will care about losing the Correas, Springers and Verlanders. To pull an Ole Red out, talk radio down here in Houston shows no signs of bitching about losing the Cy Young winner. You can have it all. It just takes patience through the growing pains. Maybe we try and miss the mark, badly. I'm glad we're trying this approach, but there sure has been some sucky moments, along the way.

The first group is here now, or later this season. We should start seeing results starting opening day. It's been 5 opening days since I felt this feeling. We have added Yoshida, Jansen and Martin and have another $40M to spend and maybe a trade in the works. Let's see what unfolds.

We just called up Casas and Bello. Both could be the best since Devers in 2017. (Houck is the only competition.) 5 years: Houck, Dalbec, Duran (to Aug '22) 1 year only: Aug '22 to to July '23: Casas Bello Kelly German Mata Rafaela Walter EValdez Murphy Mayer Yorke Kavadas Lugo Drohan RHern, Abreu, Hamilton, Binelas, Koss, R Fernandez, S Scott No way am I saying many of these will be instantly impactful, but some should pretty quickly and the large amount of hopefuls probably means some will win some key roles, soon enough. The quality and quantity is the best I've seen, right now, than it has been in a long time. This one year has to be better than the last 5, combined.

The scouts and evaluators did not trade away 20 top or previously top 20 prospects under DD's reign, although one could look at how they turned out and shrug. Winning and spending under DD made draft picks lower and bonus pools lower, yet, IMO, many of DD'd draft picks surpassed expectations and are now beginning to make their way onto the big club. (Note: see how long it takes to see results from your own farm building? Most Sox recent GMs are gone before they see them.) The IFA penalties given to the Sox under Ben, were not their fault either. They've swung and missed on a few higher picks, but seem to have done a fine job rebuilding the farm to respectability while adding depth through trades that don't seem to look all that good, right now, except maybe for German and possibly EValdez. I'm not sure a total overhaul is needed. Maybe some fresh blood added, especially in the area of finding pitchers and developing them into gems.

Newsflash! Yanks sign Scott... errr...I mean James Norwood, instead of Rodon.

I totally agree. I'm just looking at what should have been expected given the long stretch with no meaningful impact players coming from within the system, and how long a new GM needs to be given to turn that around. No GM can build up a farm and start seeing meaningful results in 3 short years. It's kind of amazing he acquired the prospect Whitlock through Rule 5. I'm just looking at what should have been expected when the 2019 team, fresh off of losing Kimbrel, Kelly was then forced to trim Betts, Price, Porcello and others, then given a fraction of their contractual total to spend on the 2020 team- a team with a dozen open slots and just $40M to spend. This while watching Sale and ERod miss 2020, and and Pedey & Sale miss almost every game afterwards but still taking up a big chunk of your budget. This while watching sporadic decline from JD and some other vets. This while having your bosses tell you to sell a rosy picture and never ever, ever even consider trading away a top prospect for a quick fix to help you save some face. What GM can start with a roster full of holes and contractual albatrosses and a farm with a 5 year window of producing nobody but Houck and then told, cut the budget and then spend enough to break even, afterwards until March of 2022, when he's thrown one bone- the Story signing. Call this excuse making, but it's reality. Expecting a great team by 2022 was all but impossible. To be honest, I thought we might get there this winter, but with the absurd contracts being thrown around, the $80M I thought could do wonders, is now enough for 2-3 major players, not the 4-5 I hoped for and 3-4 less than we ended up being able to afford.

Do you think what I am about to present was likely, possible or not likely. Henry & Co. interviews Bloom as something like this is presented: "We like what you guys did in Tampa Bay with a limited budget. We want to go in a different direction from where we have been headed for the last 4 years. It may not be pretty. We let our farm decline to the point where our last major impact homegrown player was Devers, and we're not sure when the next one is going to be called up. We don't even have a name, yet. We want your number one priority to be to build up the farm and 40 man foundation, while we get the budget in order. You are going to experience a lot of criticism, as the fanbase here is nowhere near as tolerant as what you had in Tampa. You will be blamed for trading Betts and Price, and yes, that will be your other major task, to start with. We will slowly increase your winter spending budget after year one and two, but we will not be going over the tax line for more than a year, until we've reached a point where our farm and 40 man foundation is strong enough to warrant spending big to get us over the top. You will have a budget like you never had in Tampa, and we expect you to get the team to respectability by 2021 or 2022 and in a position to step it up by maybe 2023 or 2024. We realize it may take 3-4 years to build a strong and deep system and another 1-2 years for some of the younger players to mature into high impact players. It's basically a 5 year plan, but we will never tell the fanbase this. We will try to do just enough to keep the fans interested and thinking we have a chance to make the playoffs by year 2 or 3- maybe 4. You will not be trading any top prospects for at least 3-4 years, maybe 4-5. You will need to fill about 12 roster slots with less money than Betts and Price make in your first year. You may get about $40M in winter two, and we expect you only need to fill 8-10 slots by then. In winter 3, you may get near $60M to spend on 6-8 slots. You will be faced with the Bogey and Devers situations that may turn out like what we had to do with Betts. The fans will hate and blame you, if we lose one or both. Are you up to the task? Bloom, "Sir! Yes, sir! Where do I sign?"

Maybe $150-160M, now, but not back when the market was near $170-180.

Well said, and you can fault the Sox and other teams for miscalculating the spike in market rates for the top free agents, but maybe they just never thought Bogey was worth near what the lowest point BorA$$ countered with. Knowing BorA$$, it's not necessarily a bad thing they didn't jump at any numbers BorA$$ threw out there. We don't know what the numbers were, for sure. We can look back, now, and say wow, we coulda, shoulda, I woulda all we want, but I don't necessarily fault the Sox for sticking to their price line. In hindsight, sure, maybe the lowest number BorA$$ offered was way less than what he got fro SD, but that doesn't mean he's worth it or will earn it. I think Henry is going the way of the Astros. Build the farm. Okay to go large. Okay to go long. Not okay to go large & long. It's not a bad strategy and pretty simple to understand.

You really think that first offer was all Bloom?

True, but you know it is not really a lie, if he was their number one priority but got outbid. He probably got the highest offer of anyone, this winter, from the Sox. I still think the last media reports is what got everyone all jacked up and then the letdown was more severe.

Yes, that was a lot of fun, and it's not a b ad thing to make the playoffs way more often without any rings, but I can take some down times, as long as the rings keep coming every 3-6 years. (We're coming on 6, pretty soon.)

If we are talking runs, the names Bogey and JD sound great, but the 135 RBIs they had combined is barely more than JD had by himself in 2018. I see us being better, offensively at 6 slots, barely worse at 2 (DH & C) and way worse at 1 (SS.)

The moves I mentioned plus a trade for a solid SP'er might make me think we have a good chance at the playoffs, especially since we won't be playing the AL East as much, and with the rules changing to help lefty batters, we can gain there, too.

The Sox seem to "cycle" into all-ins. 2013 was the exception, but they did make a deadline moves that helped (Peavy).

I feel this is like booing Papi for having a bad season.

How do I get rid of these multiple quotes when I post on just this thread?

Her and her dad could be co-owners.

He'd probably fire the whole staff and replace them with yes men who know nothing about baseball.

Abigail Johnson is from MA. Her Dad, Edward, is also from MA and is super rich.

Musk is a huge Sox fan. Be careful what you wish for...

Not on D, as I assume the talk is about, but remember, as compared to 2022, Verdugo was within 100 innings of JBJ in RF. It's not like our RF was GG, this year. Innings in RF 526 JBJ (very good) 432 Dugo (meh) 163 Ref (OK) 124 Cordero (Ughhh- 108 Arroyo -Leee) 46 Duran (Horrific) 24 Ja Davis & 8 Almonte Over half the innings were from Dugo, Cordero, Arroyo, Duran, Davis and Almonte. We aren't even sure we're done adding to the OF. (Gallo is better than Dugo.)

I'd hide, too. There is probably a bounty on his head.

What would Kluber, Andrus and Conforto or gallo cost, in total? My guess is maybe $14M, $10M and $12M or about $36-38M. 1. L Yoshida LF/DH 2. R Kike CF 3. L Devers 3B 4. R Story 2B 5. L Casas 1B 6. L Conforto/Gallo RF 7. R Andrus SS 8. L Verdugo LF/DH/RF 9. L McGuire/ R Wong Bench: L Hosmer or R Dalbec (one gets traded), R Arroyo, R Refsnyder SP1: Sale & Paxton combined SP2: Whitlock SP3: Kluber SP4: Bello SP5: Pivetta SP6/LR: Crawford or Winkowski (the other starts in AAA) Closer: Jansen RP2: Martin RP3: Houck RP4: Schreiber RP5: Joely R. RP6: Barnes RP7: Brasier or Taylor (the other is traded) RP8: Kelly/Mata/German (Walter/Murphy or Wink/Seabold)

I Hope To HELL You Are Right!