moonslav59

I hope this is a lie or a smoke screen.

More extreme, IMO. If building back fan faith is the motive, getting Soto might convince the majority of fans we are back in top contention, but unless Henry is prepared to open his checkbook further and become the LAD East, getting Soto and paying him $440M or more would cripple the team's finances for over a decade. We'd be the LAA East, instead.

It would do the opposite, to me, in "restoring faith." I'd totally give up on any thinking that team management has a clue of how to do business and build consistently winning teams. Trading Betts for Verdugo and scraps and then trading 3-5 top prospects for Soto and then paying him 50% more than what we could have gotten Betts for is a major loss in cred, IMO.

You made the mistake of believing JD and assuming he tells truths. The Sox were #1 in payroll in 2018 & 2019, when we finished 1st and 3rd. That's it. We finished 2nd in spending in ... 2001-2002 2004-2007 2010 We finished in last place in... 1992 (unknown) 2012 (3rd in spending) 2014 (4th in spending) 2015 (3rd in spending) 2020 (3rd in spending)

For the same reason I would hope we don’t trade the world for Soto, then pay him 20+% of our payroll for 14 years, I hope the Yanks do trade for him. A dream not a nightmare.

The Bleacher Report graded all team drafts. https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10042696-2022-mlb-draft-results-grades-for-overall-team-by-team-results The worst: D LAD D TBR C- BOS C- MIL C+ HOU C+ CHC (BAL A, TOR B+, NYY

I'm not sure building bulky muscles is the solution for improving most players. If it was, we'd see it happening, everywhere.

When we got Renfroe, I thought we'd see Renfroe in LF and Verdugo in RF. I thought Dugo looked OK in RF. It seems obvious, Cora & Bloom do NOT want Dugo in RF. Zero innings, this year.

Same science: different government choices.

I don't believe that clutch is a repeatable skill, but there is no denying Bogey and JD have come up short with men on base and with RISP, this year. RISP PA/RBI 113/33 Bogey 4 HR 112/36 Verdugo 1 110/30 JD 3 99/46 Story 6 86/30 Devers 6 86/29 Vaz 2 Men on Base 193/43 Bogey 4 HRs 185/47 Verdugo 5 175/33 JD 4 171/51 Story 8 161/45 Devers 12 126/32 Vaz 2

We've seen "signs of life" often this year, only to see a reversal of fortunes to follow. The pattern seems to be a steady up and down trend. If we look good right after the ASB, I'm saying I might not feel like it will be a long lasting trend. I may feel more like I'm expecting a future let down- again. It's just a feel. It's not data based. I had the same feeling in 2019 and gave up on the team very early. Earlier than most. I'm not there yet, but I have deep reservations about this year's team. To me, we need almost all our horses to have a chance, and already it looks like Sale, Kike and Barnes are pretty much done for the majority of the second half of the season. Pivetta might just be going through his normal 2-4 game funk, and will come back. e should know that by the deadline. If he's not looking good, and Wacha, Hill and others on the short term IL are not looking good at the deadline, I'm thinking I'll be leaning towards us being sellers. I have not given up, yet, but I'm not far from that idea.

I'm not there yet, but I'm getting close to thinking even a sign of life might be a false flag, again. To me, the choice of buying or selling will depend mostly on the status of our injured players at deadline time. If they are not looking healthy, and guys like Pivetta, Strahm, Verdugo and Story are still struggling, I'm think the future becomes my higher priority. (I have no idea what Bloom might think.) Yes, this team has shown it can fight back, but it has also shown, more often and too often, that it can implode at any given moment.

With Duran and Verdugo both clearly suited for almost exclusive LF duty, I'm thinking one might be traded at the deadline or this winter.

Yes, I mentioned that on another thread. We already know Sale won’t be back, soon, and Kike looks like a long shot. How Pivetta and others look will be factors, as well. Yes, it’s not just about games behind.

A sweep by TOR almost gets us to 6. I’m not predicting- just asking what people think it would take to be sellers or non serious buyers.

I think the deadline comes before game time in the second HOU game.

What’s the boards feelings on what it will take for us to be sellers? 3-5 or more games behind WC3? 6-8? I-2 with a bunch of guys hurt? On the flip side: will we be buyers if we are not sellers, or is there some place we might be where we are neither, of just make a couple minor moves for a 1Bman and RP that cost us nothing more than players we have no hope in?

Yes, an important distinction. I hesitate to say he deserved it, but I do feel like he let the team and fans down by his choice and deserved questioning and having to hear what fans felt about his choice. They cheer when he does well and makes good choices. He knew what was going to happen and made his choice anyway. I feel zero sympathy for what he faced. None at all.

K I disagree. He knew he’d be criticised by many. I actually expected it would be worse than it was.

There will be no balance, if we are out of it at the deadline. If Bloom thinks we have a legit shot at a ring, he won't be a seller. Maybe, there is a small chance, he things we could win, but he still rolls the dice on the future over 2022. I doubt it, but I wonder about how Bloom and Henry are ordering the priorities. To me, I have my doubts we can win a ring, this year. I have not given up, but I'm thinking even if we are very near the 3rd WC slot at the deadline, maybe selling might still be best. Key word: MAYBE. I'm not convinced selling is the best idea, but it is gaining ground in my mind, as of now.

Why do you assume it would be a small improvement? Bloom got Pivetta and Seabold for Workman & Hembree. Surely, we have better talent to trade than those two. I'm not saying Bloom can find 9 Pivettas at the deadline by trading our 9 free agents to be, but he certainly can significantly improve our long term outlook by trading 4-5 of our top last year players. He may even get a player or two, like Pivetta, that can help right away,

Exactly. It is possible some rich people have empathy for others.

Not many people would turn down $440, if they are pretty certain they can get $460M or more? I did not hold it against Betts, and I don't for Soto, either.

I don't see it happening. Maybe the Dodgers?

Either way, he brought it on himself.