moonslav59

You are all over the map. Of course, opinions are based on assumptions. I never said it was a fact we'd sign a SS not a 2Bman. I'm giving my opinion, just like you stated your opinion that that the B ogey decision was going to be the first one. Did Cora or Bloom say that? Stop acting like everyone else giving their opinions is like they are claiming it's 100% fact. It's more strawman construction by you, as always. We have Kike and Story as the only two players we can expect will be starters to begin the season, barring injuries. Story can play 2B & SS and Kike can play CF, 2B & SS. That's 2 players for 3 positions. We have a great need at the third one. It's my opinion that 3rd position will be SS, but it is not a certainty. I didn't think I had to put a qualifier after every opinion I state, convincing you that it's just my opinion and not a stated fact. Geeesh!

Tell us, before any additions are made, who plays 2B SS LF CF RF No, you can't have Story at 2B and SS or Kike in CF or 2B/SS. Again, I'm not saying I'd start Downs. I'd have Arroyo at 2B or SS, if he's healthy, but Downs is up on the depth chart, whether we want him to be or not. It's not a useless thing to do to look at one's depth chart to determine which areas are the highest need. We need a SS badly. We need a corner OF'er badly. We need a SP'er badly. We need pen help badly. In what order is personal preference. I am fine with different opinions, but when I state mine, I give my reasons, and they are not "extreme."

Exaactly. We are almost 100%- certain to add at all 4 high need areas: SS, RF, SP, RP. I just attempted to order them by highest need based on my opinion on what areas were worse off. There is some gray area, because we don't know where Whitlock will be slotted, and we don't know about Houck's health or role. If both are placed in the pen, I'd say the other 3 areas are clearly worse off, right now. Sure, we can move Kike or Story to SS and create another high need area where they vacate. Sure, we could move Dugo to RF and open up a hole in LF.

So, Sale, Bello and Pivetta can move to the pen, so the pen depth chart is useless, too?

You actually have strongly hinted at that.

You really don't get it. The depth chart is who you have, now. We all want to add a SS. Saying Bogey is the best option sounds a lot like you think he's a very high priority- perhaps even number one. You've often said the whole off season starts with the Bogey decision, yet when I say SS is the number one priority, you jump down my throat and accuse me of disliking those who think the pen is first.

I "don't like others?" lmao. I disagree with their opinions. Personally, I'd have Arroyo at SS before Downs, but our current depth chart is what it is. We have a serious need at SS. we could put Kike there, but then we have a serious need in CF. Who do you have slotted at 2B, SS, LF, CF, RF, right now- before any additions? (Here, I'll throw you some bones...) I might say: 2B Story SS Arroyo (or flip him with Story) LF Dugo CF Kike RF Refsnyder No Downs or Duran, but both would be high up on the depth chart at SS/2B (Downs) and LF/CF (Duran). I don't like it. I hope both are traded, this winter, but it is what it is. Maybe put EValdez ahead of Downs at 2B and force Story to play SS. That's okay. Some might call that extreme. Maybe rush Rafaela to an OF slot or try Dalbec in LF. Let us know your chosen depth chart, as of now. (I doubt you give specifics. You like to avoid those.)

Yes, but this is not to say the pen is okay, as is. I don't think anyone thinks that. I do think, and this may be a big if, if Whitlock & Houck stay in the pen, it might not be as bad as many think it is. We'd still need to replace Strahm and hope Barnes, Schreiber and maybe Taylor or Kelly/German come through, but to me, SS, RF and maybe SP'ing are higher need areas. All are high need, but some are higher than others. I'm not sure why my position is so "extreme."

BN Reports Per Passan’s report: the Cubs and Astros’ front offices were agreement at the deadline to trade Contreras straight up for pitcher Jose Urquidy. It just had to get ownership approval. But Crane, leaning on input from Baker, spiked the deal. Get this jaw-dropping quote from Baker: “Much as I like Willson Contreras, Urquidy was one of our best pitchers then,” Baker said. “I needed a guy that wasn’t going to complain about not playing every day. And this is his [free agent] year. See, that’s tough. When you trade for a player in his [free agent] year. Everybody’s about numbers and stuff, and I can’t blame them, no doubt. But that’s not what we needed.”

It's not throwing out extremes. They are near the top of the depth chart, as of now. That's how bad SS and corner OF is. Soxprospects.com has Downs in the 1 slot at SS, Refsnyder #1 in RF and Duran in the #2 slot in CF. Of course, nobody expects them to be there on opening day, but that is precisely why those positions are our highest need areas, along with SP'er, where sure enough, they have Winckowski at the 5 slot before any additions. Yes, I provide evidence to support my position, and yes, who we have at SS, RF and SP looks extremely bad. I have also never said we don't have a high priority with the pen, as well. I've said, several times, we need at minimum 2 solid RP'er or 3-4 good ones. No, I don't think the pen is the number one high need area, but it still is in need of significant fixing. A lot will depend on where we slot Whitlock and Houck. If they both will start, I'd move the pen above the rotation on my own personal priority list. I guess posters should not be allowed to defend their positions, anymore.

Word is the Astros agreed to trade Urquidy for Contreras, straight up at the deadline, but the Astros owner, Jim Crane, nixed the deal. One rumor says Crane asked Dusty Baker about Contreras, and he had "clubhouse concerns" about WC. They ended up settling on Vaz and Mancini.

It wasn't a proposal, for God's sake. When someone says one position is our highest need area, I look at our high need areas and see which ones I think need the most help. It's not a proposal: it's a statement of fact on what we have at each high need area and which one(s) is the worst. I don't think it's the pen, especially if Houck and or Whitlock is part of it. IMO, our weakest positions, right now, are SS, RF and SP (not necessarily in this order) and then the pen. Of course, you overanalyzed again and read things into my statements that were not even mildly implied. Nobody, including myself, is advocating Downs at SS, Duran/Refsnyder as platoons in corner OF or Winckowski as a SP'er. All need fixing, as does the pen. My point was only about what is our top priority, which implies ranking the need areas.

Nobody is really pumped up over Hosmer, but I don't really understand why some seem to have absolutely zero hope he can have a bounce back season- even to just meer respectability. I'm not saying I have high or even moderate hope with Hosmer, but I have not totally written him off as a platoon bat. He has an .827 OPS at Fenway, career. Yes, he's 33 and 3 seasons removed from an .850+ OPS, but his whole career has been an example of ups and downs. Maybe he has one more up in him. OPS+ by Season 118 81 118 99 122 102 133 100 94 132 104 108 Now, for a DH, you expect better than just a 104 OPS, but that has been his lowest OPS+ in 3 seasons. He has a 110 OPS since 2020 and 106 since 2021. Since 2020: .760 OPS v R .728 since 2021 Is there hope he can hit .800 v RHPs in 2023? Probably close to none, but maybe a sliver. I do think he may be able to hit .775, and if Dalbec can do the same vs LHPs, maybe we can equal our 2022 DH OPS.

Not only that they will, but that they "should."

Indeed. The dropping down a few picks hurts, but I don't think it's as big a deal as that IFA money.

Agreed. I was just trying to add why the tax line is brought up, so often, and not only by me. It goes beyond just JH's willingness to spend more (or not.)

I don't either, but I do care about the penalties that go with going over the tax line by too much or by too many consecutive seasons. Even this is not a big deal, if we can win a few more rings, along the way, despite the penalties.

I'll be 100% correct on this winter's Red-like suggestions: I want a SS who will do great in 2023, like Bogey and will pay him exactly the same as those who think he's "not a good enough SS." I want a reliable closer and SP'er. I want a reliable RF'er. If we don't do this, Bloom sucks and I was 100% right.

Name a closer you want. BTW, we both were almost exactly the same on what we'd offer Bogey, so keep building your strawmen. I value him as much as you do.

Just because you and many others don't care, doesn't mean it's not something that is real and important to our up-coming winter plans, and/or next winter's, too. If reading ab out lux tax budgets and plans bothers you, just skip over them. To me, when I look at all the holes we need filling, I'm thinking $120-140M would be a good amount to spend to make us a top contender. I don't think that will be Bloom's given winter spending budget, so I go on an assumption I fully know could be wrong, but until I see otherwise, I'm starting out with the idea we will spend up to $100M, this winter with an outside chance we might go to $120M and reset, the next winter. That guides my ideas on where the spending is mostly needed, because we likely will not spend big on 7-8 slots. I don't think my position is "extreme" or absurd, and if it bothers you that many of my posts have this in mind, then maybe you can just put me on ignore, because I'm going to continue like this, all winter long. If some big wig says we are not going to reset in 2023, then I'm assuming the $120M mark is the new line.

Are you thinking a reset is not a possible scenario? I've said a few times, we may not reset in 2023, but I think we will in '23 or '24, but that is just my opinion. In one scenario, we might have an upper limit of about $100M AAV to spend, this winter. I never claimed it was set in stone or stated by anyone in Sox management as a goal. You are just overanalyzing my statement. It appeared you did not know what scenario meant by your reaction to my scenario given.

Me, too. I'm hopeful a Hosmer-Dalbec platoon with maybe Arroyo, Refsnyder and E Valdez chipping in can give us close to what JD gave us in 2022, but that's still not upgrading DH. it's hoping and wishing we might break even at DH, while we focus all of our resources at other high need areas. If we are in it, at the deadline, we can find an upgrade at DH for much cheaper than at SS, RF, SP or high leverage pen arms.

Glad you finally stated someone you want. It's easy to never be wrong, when you don't state your specific plan ideas. It's easy to be right, when you just say, "We need to upgrade our pen," then claim you were right when the pen sucks.

Good one. My bad... again!

He doesn't know what "scenario" means.