moonslav59

If we go with what we got at 1B and DH, we have a lot of choices, but many are not too encouraging, and there is not room for all of them on the 26. LHB Casas 1B/DH Hosmer DH/1B E Valdez 2B/DH (AAA) Cordero DH/LF (AAA) Duran LF/DH (AAA) W Abreu OF/DH (AAA- may not be ML ready until mid season) RHB Dalbec DH/1B/3B (2B?) (??AAA??) Refsnyder RF/DH Arroyo 2B/3B/SS/DH If Rafaela ever gets called up, maybe Dugo can DH some.

Yes, I think we leave the bottom 3 slots I listed "untouched," or we add a cheap depth kind of player.

Earlier, I wrote 4th OF'er/part time DH, but go off.

I touched on this earlier, but to me, whether we spend big, moderately or skimp, we will likely leave at least one or two positions untouched. In theory, one would think we'd choose the 1-3 slots we think are stronger than the others and fill in the most needy slots, first. If we have promising ML ready or near ready prospects at some slots, we may neglect those or just go for a one year signing to carry us over. Here are the slots that are in need of filling or upgrading. Some, like SP and RP'er may be tweaked, once we know if Whitlock and Houck will be starters or relievers. SS: (Story? Then, we need 2B), (Kike? Then, we need CF), Arroyo, Downs SP: Sale, Bello, Pivetta, (Whitlock, Houck?), Crawford, Winckowski, Seabold (AAA/MLB? Mata, Walter, Murphy) RP: (Whitlock, Houck?), Schreiber, Barnes, Taylor, Kelly, Brasier/Danish/McGee/Reed (AAA/MLB? German, Bazardo, Ort, Politi) RF: (Dugo? Then, we need LF) Refsnyder, Cordero & Duran (LF) (Rafaela/Abreu) C: McGuire, Wong (RHern/Hamilton) 1B: Casas, Hosmer, Dalbec DH: Hosmer, Dalbec, Arroyo, Refsnyder, EValdez (Pham?) 4th OF: (Refsnyder, if we add a starting OF'er) Cordero, Duran I listed these slots in about the order I think the greatest needs are. Top= most urgent.

Maybe Beni or a trade. My point is, I'd rather spend on a solid OF'er than less on one, so we can maybe upgrade on Ref for a 4th OF'er. I say maybe, because it's not a sure bet Myers will do better than Ref.

LF Dugo CF Kike RF Nimmo OF Ref Should be a strength.

I'dl ike to fill our higher need areas first. If you think 4th OF'er is more important than deepening the pen, fine, but we can't do it all. If we try to do it all, we'll end up with mediocrity in many slots.

If we can spend over $123M, like here, I might try something like this: SS Bogey $25 x 6 OF Nimmo $23 x 5 SP Bassitt $20M x 3 SP Wacha $18 x 1 (QO) RP Montero $12 x 1 RP Fulmer $10M x 1 SP R Hill $7M x 1 RP Strahm $5M x 1

Yes, I saw that. I did not disagree with that. I disagreed with spending $20M/2 on a 4th OF'er. 1. I doubt we have enough to even move the money you have for Myers to the pen. 2. If we do spend as much as you suggested, I would not spend that amount on lower need area. 3. Spending that $20M on other positions, either by adding 1 or 2 more FAs or by upgrading on one or two slots is a better way to spend. If we add Beni, our OF is not longer even close to a high need area. I'd even rather bring Vaz back or sign another catcher than a 4th OF'er, let alone someone like Myers.

I want to improve the OF, too, along with many other positions. I fully realize that Ref could easily have been a flash-in-the-pan and counting on Duran or Rafaela as OF depth in 2023 is not something I want to do. We both agree we need an OF'er. I like Nimmo and have been warming up to a Beni return, just because there are so few other options out there, especially with decent OBPs. I just can't see placing the 4th OF'er/ part-time DH as a high enough priority to spend $20M/2 on. The more we have for the rotation, pen, SS, a starting OF'er and locking up Devers, the better.

I have hopes for Ref, but I'm not sold on him. He may just be a flash. He may be a late-bloomer. I do, however, think we have much greater needs than improving on our 4th OF'er- certainly not for $20M/2. That kind of money can get you a good RP'er. I'd be fine starting the season with Ref as our 4th OF'er and possible DH platoon/partner.

You really put a lot of blame on managers.

Muscleman!

Keep pumping up Myers, but he's a 1.2 per year WAR guy since 2019 and he's also 31, same as Ref.

Yuck! I wouldn't give him $10M/2.

bWAR since 2019: Kluber 1.8 (91 ERA+) Wacha 2.7 (91 ERA+) I know Kluber used to be a bull, but 2018 was a long time ago. I think a recent 4 year sample size is more telling than what a pitcher did over 5 years ago. Just my opinion.

They would both be a gamble, but I'd go with one year of Wacha over 2 yrs of Kluber. I'd really prefer we trade for a starter with a record of durability.

I never said I wanted Nate back. I said I'd give Wacha a QO. One year. It's a close call. Maybe he'd take $26M/2, instead. Yes, he scares me, but it's one year not 2 x a QO cost you suggested for Kluber. I think this looks safer: IP since 2019: 281 Kluber 412 Wacha

SP's Awards, today: Brayan Bello: Graduate of the Year (Duran, Crawford and Winckowski were the only other grads) Xander Bogaerts: Homegrown Player of the Year (Devers was his only competition.) Mookie Betts: Ex-Prospect of the Year (No love for Beni!)

Why is Kike worth $10M/1 and Myers $20M/2? The Kluber idea scares the hell out of me.

What a complete dive off a cliff. Age 21-23 (1841 PAs) 162 gm avg: .278 40 104 (77 XBHs w 14 SBs) .369 OBP/.559 SLG/.928 OPS Age 24-26 (1143 PAs) .203 23 74 (31 XBHs w 8 SBs) .272/.376/.648

I think signing Swanson, Nimmo, Wacha, Fulmer & Montero while trading for Lopez makes us "much better." We might even come close to re-setting.

She can more than take care of herself.

It was 4 games in early June: 1-1 w 1BB 1-1 w 4BB 1-2 w 2BB 1-2 w 2BB 4-6 w 9 BB in 4 games (2 triples & 5 SBs)

Speaking of pitching, here are the best OPS Against numbers by Sox pitchers with 60+ IP: .559 Bello AA/AAA .584 Politi AA/AAA .593 Mata 4 Teams .616 Keller AAA .618 Stock A/A+ .623 Wikelman A/A+ .642 Encarnacion A/A+ .653 Winckowski AAA .656 Seabold AAA .657 Uberstine A/A+ .687 Murphy AA/AAA .690 Drohan A+/AA 50-60 IP .495 German AA/AAA .519 Polanco DSL .545 Kelly AAA .585 Walter AA/AAA .601 T Ward (4 Teams) .623 Paez FCL .626 L de la Rosa FCL/A .661 Webb (3 Teams) .663 Wallace AA .664 Talavera FCL/A .685 Thompson AA/AAA .686 Mosqueda AA Notables with under 50 IP .362 Simon Pacheco DSL 35.0 IP .416 Alvaro Mejias DSL 29.1 .454 Andres Ortuno DSL 24.1 .473 Inmer Lobo DSL 22.0 .481 Railin Perez DSL 23.1 .495 Henry Nunez FCL 30.0 .561 Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz FCL/A 38.1 .572 Kaleb Ort AAA 40.2