moonslav59

These days, maybe $40-45M/3. I'd offer him the one year QO.

Barnes will be slotted right behind Whitlock on your list, assuming Whitlock is not starting. The 5th starter, assuming it's not Whitlock or an addition might be one from Mata, Crawford, Wink, TWard, Walter, Seabold.

Isn't the $30.4M number due to differed money?

Iggy's D has diminished, greatly, and I think he got $5M/1. I doubt he gets $8M/2, this winter. I don't think Swanson gets what Bogey will get.

I can't see Bogey taking less than $175M/7. I'm not sure the Sox will offer him $150M/6- slightly more than Story.

Another good point, however, even if you move Devers and Bogey to the plus side of returning vets improving, staying the same or declining, the scoresheet is still wildly skewing towards many more decline than improvements- hitting and pitching. The decline of the 2022 Sox was way more driven by returning vets than the moves Bloom made since last season. Blooms winter and in-season moves have been a net plus, despite the JBJ trade, and he did it while also building the farm up (on paper, anyway.) Now, if you want to count not bringing back players from last year who were FAs, that's a different narrative, because of budget constraints, but even then, for every Schwarber and Iggy, there are three Marwins, Richards, Andrieses, Santanas and on and on...

No, because this IF would mean trading the Messiah Casas.

He's not much of a fielder, either, but he's better than Dalbec-Cordero, and as a platoon, actually pretty decent. I would not DH him. I don't think wasting 2 roster spots on a Dalbec-Cordero DH platoon should even be considered. Throw Arroyo into the mix at 1B and DH, and I still don't want 4 roster slots going to Hosmer, Dalbec, Cordero (who can try to play OF, too) and Arroyo (who can play other IF slots when healthy.) I really like Casas, and do see a big need for him at 1B. BTW, he's currently not a great and maybe not even a good defensive 1Bman. Read between the normally rose-colored soxprospects.coms assessment of his defense: Confident picking out throws in the dirt. Soft hands and surprisingly fluid actions. Moves well enough for first base. Potential solid-average defender there. Drafted as a third baseman, but footwork was choppy, he lacked range, and looked awkward fielding the ball there given his size. I fully expect Casas to be our cost-controlled, capable 1Bman for the next few years. He won't be platooned, unless he proves to need it. We may go "light" at DH, or sign someone to play RF with Refsnyder, who can also DH. We may keep one from Dalbec and Cordero on the 26, but not both, and I think both still have options remaining. I think Arroyo has earned a 26 man slot, if healthy and maybe Enmanuel Valdez might bump Dalbec or Cordero off the 26. Our need in CF is the clearest. To me, 2B or SS is second among everyday player needs. RF/DH might be third. I think we may stay put at catcher. 1B is the last possible need area without Casas, but with him is not a n eed area at all. I would not sign a 1B/DH type. I'd sign a RF/DF type.

1. When I suggest a possible trade, I'm not saying Bloom would do it. 2. It is a suggested idea of a trade. (I make some trades on BTV that I don't even click the like button on for the Sox.) 3. Suggesting trading a player does not mean I don't want the player or feel we don't need him. It could mean I think we gain more at the position we trade for than we lose at the position we trade from. (I don't think a Hosmer-Arroyo-Dalbec: choose 2, is worse than out CF, RF, 2B/SS and DH positions look, right now for 2023. Suggesting we trade Casas for an ace like Lopez is actually showing just how much I value Casas. In the end, I doubt we trade Casas, Mayer, Bello, Rafaela or Bleis, and we aren't getting an ace with 5 of anyone else. Mayer is pretty close to being the most untouchable player in our system, to me. One note: I'm very much in favor of a continuing approach of building up the farm, and generally am against trading a whole lot of prospects to fill several holes, but I'm fine with one every now and then, and we've b een adding so much to the farm through trades, over the last 3 years, that I'm thinking the timing might be right for one major farm trade. It's silly to think anyone here might say no to a Casas (and even adding Yorke) for Alcantar. Is that being anti-Casas or saying he's worth double what he really is?

This is one reason why offering one's plan when criticizing would be the fair thing to do. It's easy to go back in hindsight, and say he could have done this or that, but what did you really want back then? I'll be honest, I wanted Baez, McHugh and Suzuki and I think a SP'er (via trade?) I wasn't alone on Suzuki. Others wanted Rodon, Gausman, Correa, Semien or Freeman to take up most of the winter spending budget. Many would have been better than Story, for sure, but I'm not really sure the checkbook was open when they signed.

Fair point on Bogey, and I did not intend to sound "anti-Bogey." I want him back, but I do think his cost will prohibit us from improving at all the areas we need to, this winter. I chose OPS as my comp stat, because our offense has been so bad. Yes, Bogey's D has lifted his WAR above last year, and that has had real value, but BA? Really? That is reaching. His rbi total is woefully lower, due in part to less homers, but also with too many of those BA hits coming when men are not in scoring position, especially with 2 outs or when it counted most: .317 BA .306 RISP .173 RISP, 2 outs .299 Late & Close .284 High Leverage Overall, I'd say he declined on offense but was a net plus overall- same with Devers.

But, Mayer has nothing or very little to do with that choice. You move Bogey to another position (3B, if Devers is gone) or trade Bogey, Story or Mayer, if a logjam ever occurs.

I saw an opening day game there a long time ago, and kinda liked the place. I'm not saying any park is worse, but I enjoyed the game, until the "closer by committee" pen blew the game in the 9th.

Add Paxton and I hope Wacha on a QO.

I know prospects aren't worth much, until they produce at the big league level or are traded for someone who does, but can we revisit one aspect of the deadline trades by Bloom? The Vaz and Diekman trades. Diekman ($4M x 2) for McGuire ($766K + 3 arbs) McGuire .816 in 62 PAs Diekman 4.66 ERA in 9.2 IP/ 2.07 WHIP Vazquez ($7M w 2 months remaining of team control) for Enmanuel Valdez & Wilyer Abreu Vazquez .653 in 52 PAs w HOU Minors: EValdez: .304 28 104 (AA/AAA) .389 OBP/ .579 SLG/ .968 OPS (60BB/107K in 437 ABs) He has 54 HRs over the last 2 seasons (802 ABs) WAbreu: .246 17 67 (AA) .395 OBP/ .433 SLG/ .828 OPS (102 BB/142 K in 423 ABs) The results of the trades are not over, yet, but when you combine these two trades, we gained 3 years of team control at the catcher position, while saving money. The production on O will likely drop over time, but who knows how well Vaz will do going forward and at what cost? Dumping Diekman's contract was a great part of the deal and when you com bine what we owed Vaz and Diekman over the final 2 months plus Diekman's $4M, next year, that may pay for McGuire's 3 arb years. Then, we have some hopes for Valdez and Abreu. The Hosmer and Pham deals will take more time to evaluate, but neither looks bad, off the bat.

The Sox farm continues winning. 2-1, today with a rainout. (16-3 last 5 days) Woo won 5-2. Mata looked OK by the numbers: 6.0 IP, 4H, 2ER, 3BB, 5K German with his 7th save (0H, 0BB, 0K) EValdez (Vaz trade) got 3 of the team's 5 hits and 4 RBI. He had a 2B and HR. Almonte walked 3 times and was 1-1 w 3 runs scored. POR won 5-0 Rafaela 2-4 (HR, 2B) WAbreu 1-3 w 2 BBs (102 on the season) Koss 1-3 (HR, HBP) SAL lost 9-6 Romero 2-4 w 2B and 3 rbi Paulino 1-4 w 2B and BB Anthony 1-4

There is zero dilemma. If and when Mayer is ready to play SS, they guy there can be moves to 2B, 3B or traded.

Wrong, again. The GREEN means sarcasm.

Here who TOR and BAL have to play: BAL 10 TOR 7 BOS 3 @ NYY 4 HOU 3 DET 2 @ WSH TOR 10 BAL 9 TBR 3 BOS 3 NYY 3 @ TEX 2 @ PHI I'm not saying we have a chance, but think about this: if TOR & BAL go 5-5 vs each other and we win those 10 days, we gain 5 on each. Then, we beat them head-to head. Easy, right?

What temper? (BTW, another example of passive aggressive BS on the "partner" thing, while feigning innocence. You don't fool anyone.)

One game under .500. Keep this streak going! What are our chances, if we win 6 more in a row (3 @ TBR and 3@BAL?) Here's the remaining schedule: 3 @ TBR 3 @ BAL day off 2 v NYY day off 3 v KCR day off 2 @ CIN 4 @ NYY 4 v BAL 3 @ TOR 3 v TBR RED= 16 games vs teams we need to pass

Ok, got it. I misread your post. My guess is we may have less than a 1% chance at the top pick and maybe 1-2% at a top 6.

Montas just might redeem himself, after all. Judge got half the Yankees 6 hits and hit his 53rd! Geesh! Man, the Yankee O sucks.

I think he was just hoping you were true to your word about getting "out of here."

Thanks. So, we'd really have to tank to get to 6th worst. We are 12 games ahead of KC.