moonslav59

Trevor Story is not a moneyball signing. All teams look for bargains. Even with the cost cuts before 2020, Bloom was given $40M to spend that winter. Billy Beane has never had that much to spend in one winter- maybe even two combined.

Sounded like the 40, to me.

$11.5M/2. Maybe we will be forced to do better, elsewhere.

Are you thinking another name belongs on this list?

Who is the most likely Sox signing for the most money? Bogey? Contreras? Nate? Senga? I doubt Correa is even being considered. Maybe a Devers extension that starts in 2023, so it lessens the affect in following years?

It shouldn't take more than a half hour, but they'll find a way to drag it out.

I'm still hoping we add Jansen or Rogers, but it is probably more like a dream. If we add Fulmer and Kahle, but go bigger at SP'er, we might be okay, but we will have to hope, once again, that we stay relatively healthy. Leaving Hosmer, Dalbec, Refsnyder and Arroyo to handle DH might work out okay, but only if we don't go light at SS and corner OF. Boosting our offense at Catcher migh6t take up some slack in the line-up, but Vaz & McGuire were pretty good on O, last year. (Our catchin OPS was .694 overall.) If we lose on D behind the plate, I'm not sure it's worth the cost. I doubt we get Nimmo, so it pretty much leaves a top 3 SS as our best hope to at least tread water on O, unless a big trade materializes. Is Contreras, Conforto, Andrus and in-system players at DH and 1B going to keep our offense about the same? Casas should be a significant upgrade at 1B. If Story & Kike stay healthy- a plus at 2B and CF. Maybe expect close to the same from Devers & Dugo. It's SS, RF and C still up in the air.

MLB Draft Lottery is tonight. The Sox have a 7% chance to pick top 6 and a 0.8% chance to get to #1.

please no!

I see your point, but I'd be greatly disappointed with a Contreras, Andrus & Gallo plan for the non-pitching side of the ledger. It's just extending the bridge or rebuild, whatever you want to call it, and since I doubt we spend big on the rotation, we'll be leaving a pretty big chunk of the $80M on the table.

I agree. the 8-9 player statement was the most disheartening words I've heard, this winter. I'm pretty happy with 33-34 players on our 40. Sure, another 2-4 could be upgraded, but I do not feel like building up the foundation (quantity) should be a higher priority than building up the top 18-20 players on the 26. I'd rather spend $80M on 4 players (maybe 5 or 6) than 8-9. Let the kids fill the gaps. We have enough of them to think enough can stick and help. C: Wong (RHern) 1B: Casas 2B/DH: E Valdez IF: Downs (Koss/Hamilton) OF: Duran & Crook (Rafaela late 2023- maybe?) SP: (convert to pen?): Mata, Walter, Murphy, TWard, Santos Middle: Crawford & Wink Short: Kelly, German, Wallace, Politi, Ort, DHern, Fernandez That's at least 12-13 players who could show plus value. (Not all 12 will, of course, and we could suffer while cycling through a few to finds the ones that are plus.)

MLBTR: 32. Estevez est. $21M/7 (signed for $13.5M/2) 46. Chris Martin est. $14M/2 (signed for $17.5/2) I thought I saw another site with Estevez ranked slightly higher than Martin in value, but I can't find it. They are both pretty close. Martin might be better, but his age is scary. I wouldn't have minded seeing us sign both, but there are plenty of good RP'ers left.

To me, "upside" means not a proven, solid pitcher.

As he should, until he proves otherwise.

Wink hasn't been to impressive, but at times, he looked like he might become a useful middle innings eater. I'm starting to think 20 year old Luis de la Rosa is the best bet to salvage something from the trade, and that's not a good thing. He's been in our system 3 years and is not in SP's top 60 prospect rankings. As of now, Bloom's best trade appears to be the Workman & Hembree for Pivetta & Seabold trade. Others that still hold some promise: German (w Ottavino) McGuire for Diekman (a plus just dumping Diek) Wallace for Pillar EValdez & Abrue for Vaz (solely promise) Hosmer (for free), Ferguson & Rosier for Groome (stab in the dark) Depending on how you choose to evaluate a trade: 60 games of Betts for 5 years of Dugo and hopes on Wong & Downs. Many see this as a bad trade, and I can understand their position. The Beni trade looks bad, for now. The JBJ trade looks hopelessly horrific. (The Moreland trade gave us nothing (Potts & J Rosario.) Hard to give an overall grade on just trades, but probably a C- is being generous. It could change to a C+ or B- with some luck, but it could also become a clear D or D-.

I'm thinking... Taillon Nate Quintana Kluber (Heaney seems to be close to signing with the Jays, I think.) Is he still looking for the next Martin Perez- the 2022 version?

...and if Bloom is right about adding 8-9 players, that's probably 4-6 more than most teams will add. Word is Dalbec is being shopped and the Rays are interested.

Good sign: we did not get him. (I don't think he fits our biggest 5-6 needs- nor does Contreras.) Bad sign: "Being in" on free agents might mean we are far away on all our bids, and won't pay what it takes to get who we want- even if an overpay. Bloom's setting value seems to be pretty far down from what other GMs are setting, except for Chris Martin, who he paid more than Estevez got (a guy some had ranked higher than Martin.)

Still lots to choose from, and some teams might now be less inclined to spend big on a second FA. We knew the Phillies were going to get a top 3 SS. We pretty much knew we weren't choosing this winter to go large on a SP'er like deGrom or Verlander. It's easy to start feeling down while watching other teams make big splash signings, but I'm hopeful, despite Blooms statements about wanting to add 8-9 players.

Who does he think he is, ARod? No, wait...

MLBTR Bloom speaks... https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/12/chaim-bloom-on-bogaerts-pitching-offseason-additions.html Globe reports: Tommy Kahle is another pen target. Reports are that the Sox offered Abreu low to mid 40's. (He signed for $59.5/3) It appears we were not close. (Not a good sign.) Bloom says we may add 2+ pen arms. Team wants to add 7-9 players, including 3-4 position players. One SP'er who "can bring upside, leadership and consistency to the rotation, as well as innings." Bloom pushed back on the notion of "no competitive offer" made to Bogey, saying " “have certainly made offers to him, we’ve been engaged, and we’ll stay engaged.” Bogey is still "a chief priority." Bloom also noted Story or Kike could play SS, if Bogey departs. Nate and Wacha are "both still possibilities."

Unsigned Free Agents (MLBTR Rankings) QO: Non Red Sox QO: Red Sox 1. Judge 2. Correa 4. Bogey 5. Swanson 6. Rodon 9. Nimmo 10. Contreras 11. Senga 13. Bassitt 14. Taillon 15. Benintendi 17. Manaea 21. Syndergaard 23. Eovaldi 24. T Rogers 25. JD Martinez 26. Vazquez 27. Jansen 30. Quintana 33. Profar 37. Drury 38. Stripling 39. Chafin 40. Segura 41. Wacha 42. Robertson 43. Brantley 44. Conforto 45. Ottavino 47. J Turner 48. Kluber 50. Rucinski Others: Andrus, Belt, Carpenter, Cueto, A Diaz, Fujinami, Fulmer, Gallo, Greinke, Kiermaier, Kimbrel, Longoria, Lugo, Mancini, Moore, Peterson, G Sanchez, Smyly Only a few are gone, and we really had no chance at deGrom, Verlander or Turner. Updated

I didn't think we had room for 9-10 players at $9-10M each.

Certainly, this winter has `been exciting... ...for many other teams.

Kike and Martin are but ripples.