moonslav59

That's 10 guys for 5 slots, without even mentioning Taylor, Barnes, Ort, German & Seabold. I think we will deal some of this excess off- not for anything special, but just to make room for the ones we view as keepers or longer term assets. Since Davis is out of options, I think we try to trade him. I can see us DFA'ing Diekman, if we can't deal some guys away. IMO, if healthy, these are the best 8: Houck Whitlock Schreiber (big gap) Taylor (in rehab) Strahm (struggling a bit) Winckowski Brasier Sawamura (Hill might beat out Brasier/Sawamura) Those with options can be demoted until Sept. Davis, Barnes and Diekman would be lesser pitchers kept just to keep as many options on the team, but they would weaken the staff in August. I keep returning to the winter 40 man roster crunch as a significant factor in what we might do at the deadline. We can't keep everyone for next year's 40 man, so make the choices, at the deadline, and trade some you feel won't b e around anyway, or better ones that will allow us to keep some promising borderline pitchers around longer. Look what keeping Schreiber around after acquiring him in Feb 21 did for us, although he was not added to the 40 until May '22.

It's not like the Sox of old, and even under Theo, did not let stars walk out the door- or deal them close to FA time. Then there was the Fisk debacle. Cooper Lynn Burly Boggs Pedro Manny Damon Ellsbury too many to mention them all.

Is Johnny from Burger King also on the radio talk shows?

I agree. 150 or 152. If the playoffs go to 8 teams, it is even more important to lessen the season length.

I think they handled it well, except for the "lowball" Bogey offer. I would not have extended Nate or traded him over the winter. JD's salary made any trade too narrow to have a chance at helping us now or in the extended future. I'm not sure what it would have taken to get Bogey to restructure his deal or sign an extension. We might have gotten some sort of Verdugo return for him, had we traded him, last winter, but I'm not thinking we should have. I think we have a decent shot, this year, especially if we make a few strategic moves at the deadline, and we'll be fine in 2023 and beyond- with our without these 3.

At least Ty Buttrey has come back down to earth.

Yea, and each extra series or "play-in" game you have to play, lessens your chances to win it all. If the playoffs are a coin flip, like some think it is, the teams that have to get through the WC round have just a 50% chance of getting to the round of 4 that teams with byes reach without having to play a 3 game series to get there. Surely, the 2 teams in each league that get b yes have a better chance winning it all than those who don't, even if all series are 50-50.

The Sox made two key moves in 2018: Eovaldi and Pearce. I think the Yanks will make a move or two at the deadline. If they don't, Cashman will have hell to pay, if a hole is not plugged, even a current and seemingly minor one.

Agreed. If we trade for a 1Bman, and Dalbec is not part of the trade, he'll be demoted in a flash.

They should have traded Kiermaier, last winter. He may go this deadline, but won't get much in return, if anything. They may trade Kluber and Zunino, this deadline, despite being in the race. FA's after 2023: Glasnow Choi

The Bogey, JD, Nate window is closing quickly. I can't see Bloom dealing any of them, even if he added something big to offset losing one of them. It will be sad losing them, and getting nothing in return, but it is what it is, and we can use their salaries plus Price's to get some nice replacements. Hell, we may end up keeping one.

Agreed, any moves made that seem to weaken this year's team, like trading Kike, Hill, Brasier, Sawamura of the like, would be made to make room for an upgrade at a position of high or higher need. We may see a 3-way deal. I am near certain we'll see a 2 or 3 for 1 deal- maybe two deals that will ease this winter's roster crunch while improving the team down the stretch.

True. German's 17.2 IP in AAA have not mirrored his AA numbers, but he does have 23K's and .546 OPSA in AAA which is nearly identical to Ort's OPSA and K rate. German had 3 BB and 18 K's in 11.1 IP at AA, this year.

If Kike returns, he may not be "broken." He's playing, now, in the minors. Despite his often mentioned .240 career BA, he's been a clear plus player for a long time. If Arroyo has no trade value, I'd DFA him over trading Kike, but Arroyo has longer team control, so maybe they trade Kike. The easy solution is demoting Duran.

I could see us trading a few fringe players (Brasier, Sawamura, Davis, Arroyo, Diekman, if anybody wants him), and maybe even Kike and or Hill, and then trade prospects/players that may be facing a 40 man roster crunch, this winter for upgrades in the pen and at 1B. I agree: Bogey, JD and Nate aren't going anywhere. (Wacha, too.)

Even teams with first round byes?

I put him in parenthesis on purpose, but with 5 other pitchers out hurt, not having Danish does matter a tiny bit.

As much as some dislike Brasier, Sawamura and others, I just don't see us DFA'ing anyone, except maye Diekman, but even he has a 2 year deal, so I'm not sure Bloom cuts ties. Barnes is in a similar boat. If we can keep him on the IL through the roster crunch, it won't be an issue, but I seriously doubt we DFA him. Perhaps we can trade him for a similar salary, but I can't see a fit/match anywhere. Davis is out of options. Brasier has an option, so maybe he could be demoted, despite his recent decency. I could see us trade 1-2 RP'ers (maybe Brasier and or Sawamura) for faraway prospects to make room for returning pitchers and future acquisitions for the pen. 8 man pen: No options Strahm Barnes Davis Diekman Options Houck Whitlock Schreiber Brasier Sawamura Taylor Danish (IL) Crawford, Seabold, Wink, Bello Ort, Valdez For the most part, our RP'ers without options are worse than those with options. Something has to give, because there isn't room for our best 8. If we add 1-2 more arms, several good pitchers will be demoted or traded.

Ort's high BB rate scares the bejesus out of me. I have to think he's the first sent back, once a pitcher comes off the IL. We may not see Ort again.

I’d like to see a comp with their career norms

You think we trade Kike, then? (I've suggest trading him on BTV a few times, recently.) Since Kike can play 2B, SS and 3B, I think we'd trade Arroyo before Kike, despite Arroyo's longer team control. If it were up to me, I'd DFA JBJ, once I knew Kike was 100%, but that won't happen.

They are not a weak defensive team. We just got lucky, there. It is a feat to go 2-2 without... Devers Nate Sale Wacha Whitlock Hill Kike (Danish & Seabold, too)

But... I'll never admit it!

It appears Duran and Ref are locked into a platoon, even as Kike is on the IL. I doubt they make either FT, when he returns, so to me, it's Kike vs JBJ, and the choice is clear, assuming Kike hits like he was in his most recent 113 PAs (a sample size much larger than Duran & Ref's). .746 OPS Of course, if he hits like JBJ, maybe they platoon those two, as well. I think they work Kike back, slowly, and see what happens, but I think they view him as a FT player. He has a .737 OPS since 2015, and while that is not great, it beats JBJ's .720 mark since 2015, and Kike can play excellent D, too. Since 2017: .741 Kike .680 JBJ Since 2019: .723 Kike .649 JBJ Since 2021: .735 Kike .524 JBJ

Trade him while his stock is high.