moonslav59

Hosmer is not really a plus defender: he's just better than Dalbec/Cordero. I don't think we spend big at 1B, but since we also need a DH, maybe we go for a 1 year 1B/DH type. Maybe a guy like mancini, who can play corner OF in a pinch, and is apparently a great clubhouse guy might be a choice.

I understand your opinion. Mine is much different.

I did not say we'd improve by letting them go, but if we spend the entire winter budget on re-signing and extending Bogey and Deverss, and are forced to fill the shoes of Wacha, Nate, JD, Starhm, Hill and in some ways Vaz, will we improve? Keeping both and improving will requires some pretty significant added spending by JH, and that was my point. He may do it for a year or two, but I don't think he'll spend what most fans hopes he does.

They seemed to jump the gun on Ben, so there is a history that backs your point. Ben did win a ring, but those 3 last place finishes did him in. Bloom will have 2, after this year, although 2020 really should not count. The "fun" that 2021 brought us has not been enough to balance out the bad, despite the fact that we were clearly going through a rebuild on a highly restricted budget, especially before 2020 and to a large extent 2021, too. I think JH heard the rumblings and watched ticket sales drop, so he gave Bloom the okay to spend on Story. JH and most fans, including myself, expected a much better season than this- maybe not a WS appearance, but much better than this. I'm sure that frustrates JH as much as us, but I do think he realizes the plan was never to win it all, this year. Almost every move, including the Story signing has been designed for 2024 or beyond. Well, the non fire sale was one exception to that long term priority, but JH has to balance fan outrage over the here and now with long term success. IMO, the long term looks much brighter than it did after 2019 or even before 2019, but that's is something many or even most fans could care less about. There will always be some sort of disconnect on this.

I think the 4 rings will outweigh much of the anger, except for younger fans. Also, he won't stop being Daddy Warbucks by paying Bogey and Devers. We'll still have a top 5 budget, but we won't be able to fill all the other holes with good enough talent to win a ring, unless the farm comes through. Think about it: how is re-signing Bogey and Devers a step towards improving the team? It may or may not even keep us even. I'm not against extending Devers, and I think Henry will keep spending near the tax line, every year, so that's why I don't think souring on JH can ever be a logical position for fans to take- not that all fans are logical. When we let Betts go, I think fans assumed we'd spend the same and replace him, somehow- perhaps by upgrading 3-4 positions. That hasn't really happened, yet. The Story signing didn't come close to replacing Betts. Now, we face losing Bogey. I can't see JH being "tight," this winter.

15 games left and 9 wins from 82. It's not looking like we can make it, but if we do or come close, we might do some playoff spoiling for some AL East teams that have beaten our asses, all year. 4 @ NYY (We are 6-9 v NYY) 4 v BAL (7-8) 3 @ TOR (3-13) 3 v TBR (4-12) We play 'em all.

I'd rather have 2 decades with 4 rings and 6 last place finishes than 3 decades with a mess of 2nd place finishes, barely any last place finishes and no rings. Maybe it's the price we have to pay to cycle into a ring every 3-6 years.

He doesn't do that very often, though.

That he goes, of that if he goes it has to be the Mets?

That does seem to force JH to spend more, when his bottom line shrinks.

Some will, but many will just blame the GM and coach for the losing- not the tight budget due to many top heavy player salaries.

They'll care (not about finances), if JH tightens the belt and we can't fill holes due to too many big contracts and can't win rings anymore. They'll just blame the coach and GM, over and over.

It does suck. I agree. I'm just saying we really might not be as bad as one might think a "last place team" is. Hell, we might be in the division hunt had we been in the AL Central and not had to play the ALE, so much. Again, that's not making excuses or sugar coating a s***** year, but I don't think we are as bad as our record suggests we are. We still have a good core to work with but a lot of big hole and shoes to fill, this winter.

He pitched okay for 4 and 2/3rds, but I'm not too hopeful he ends up a plus. Maybe his best role might be a 2-3 inning, low to medium leverage pitcher. I see many other players I'd look to trade or DFA before him.

Before tonight, we'd have been in third place in 3 divisions and 4th in 2 others, including 0.5 behind MN for 3rd in 4 divisions, and that's not even counting any schedule adjustments being in any division except the AL East.

Two doubles do not equal a home run.

V Santos pitched a gem, tonight (7 IP 3H 0 ER 1BB 8K,) but Dhern came in for the 8th and gave it away. Gotta think DHern is traded or DFA'd, this winter. The O was shut down, but EValdez went 2-3 with a BB.

Sounds about right. Both are too high for my liking, but $176M/7 would not bother me, at all. I think gets $200M/8 to $208M/8. He might get $220/9 from some desperate GM.

It's a lose-lose situation. I'd like to see Bogey back for the Sox, but if he gets more than $160M/6 somewhere else, I won't be upset, unless we don't spend the money on upgrades elsewhere as well as adding a decent SS to partially make up for the downgrade at SS. (Also, re-signing Bogey may end up being a downgrade at SS for the remainder of his deal, too. Maybe not.)

I wouldn't put Albies, Harris or Acuna in the same class as Bogey & Devers, just yet, either. There-in lies the rub. If you wait until they b ecome the next Bogey or Devers, you won't get them to sign for ... $100M/8 Acuna $72M/8 Harris $35M/7 Albies We took a chance on Whitlock. I like it.

But, but, but... I thought we didn't want to become Tampa Bay North!

Near Final Numbers (400+ PAs) OPS 6. Kavadas 1.025 (2nd with 500+ PAs) 23. E Valdez .931 (13th w 500+) 54. M Mayer .887 63. Rafaela .880 130. Abreu .834 143. Lugo .830 152. Paulino .827 BB 1. Abreu 114 5. Kavadas 102 9. Ferguson 96 17. Bonaci 89 (only 89 Ks!) SB/CS 5. Hamilton (70/8) 9. Ferguson (61/5) 82. Rosier (33/4) 102. Abreu (31/3) 130. Rafaela (28/7) 142. Paulino (27/5) 166. Meredith (25/0)

If they could kick out the most undeserving 10, or better yet 20, I'd be fine putting them all in.

The fact that he was basically underpaid for a few years makes it hard to consider paying him $5-7M more year and not improve the team from 2023 to 2024 and beyond. It's not his fault, but it's just a reality. Losing his skillset and opening up just $20M a year is not easy to deal with, either.

Okay. Pretty far from $141M/6 but not too far from $156M/6.