moonslav59

In no way does Sandoval have a guaranteed slot in the 2026 rotation. The contract will likely be a waste, but we did feel the same way about Gio, this time last year, and he was paid twice what Sandoval is making. He has time to earn part or all of the $18M he signed for. BTW, his 4.01 ERA is a 108 ERA+, so saying he's "over a 4 ERA like it's something bad, is a bit deceptive, IMO. I'm not big on counting a young pitcher's first 2-3 years against him, but many like the career stat numbers more than I do. The injury throws everything up in the air for him, and my comment "inside track" was coupled with the statement "assuming everyone is healthy," which is a big unknown. There is also a good chance some of the pitchers I have below Sandoval look great and jump over him, even if he does okay in ST'ing. I look at his record from 2021 to 2024 and see better numbers than Crawford, Dobbins, Harrison and maybe even Bello. That's not to say he is better, now, but IMO the potential is there, because he has done it over a 460 IP sample size. 3.80 ERA (113 ERA+) 3.75 FIP despite a 4 BB/9 rate. His 91 ERA- ranks 32nd among all MLB pitchers with 450+ IP from '21 to '24. His FIP ranks 30th and his ERA 36th. That's pretty good. I'm not sure why you seem to have so little faith in him, when he's had better stretches than most others in the running for the 4 and 5 slots. I have Bello ahead of him, and his ERA (4.09) is worse and was 4.19 in 2025. He has a nice ERA+ of 123, but career it's 104. It's 106 over his last 480 IP. (FIP 4.30) Gray is 36 and had a 4.28 ERA in 2025. His ERA+ over his last 350 IP is 101. Apparently over 4.00 inot bad for some, so why no liking for PS? ERA+ 102 Crawford over last 313 IP 100 Dobbin in 61 career IP and coming off knee surgery 91 Harrison over last 195 IP This is who PS is most in competition with- maybe Tolle or Early break out of ST'ing in the rotation, and I'd love to see them win a slot, but I see Sandoval as the guy who has shown more skills than the others, as of now.

I thought there would be a trade.

There is still time to add a solid #2, but I do wonder why we added a #3 and #5, when it seemed like we had enough of those types. It does seem likely we won't be getting a number 2, unless the plan is to trade a couple of those #4's and 5's we loaded up on as part of the package- or trade them for bats.

That was a big reason it stayed illegal for so long. The Booze lobby is strong.

Then don't tell us you will get a #2, or when you get a guy like Gray or Oviedo, then explain that you pivoted away from the plan or are still going to get a #2. It would be easier to just stop making promises you know you might not keep. He could have just said, "We are going to try to get the best SP'er we can withing the larger plan of this winter's priorities." That would have covered Gray, but many would still complain he wasn't "good enough." At least it wouldn't

I think we have just one big trade in us. We could do two, but then we might start encroaching on the odds of future success by too much. My hope is that JH & Co do what it takes to fill the other big priority or priorities via free agency. I have my doubts there, so maybe 2 trades it is. Basically, I'm okay with no more pitcher additions, if we get two big bats, but of course, I'd love two big bats plus a co-ace.

That was my thought, all long. Now that we spent $21M on Gray and added another #3-5 SP'er, I have lowered that priority to third. 1. Mega RHB (1B, 3B or 2B- DH if Schwarber LHB only.) 2. Plus Bat (1B, 2B/3B, whichever #1 did not fill.) 3. #2 SP'er (closer to a #1 than a #3.) Secondary issues: LH'd RP, #2C, maybe Refsnyder if we trade an OF'er.

I woke up the echoes!

There is one indisputable fact: no poster on this site did more bong hits than I did from 1977-1981.

Hard to get the top quality on one year deals, and that has been a major issue for years. Story and Yoshida are the two FA contracts over 2 years in a long time. We have done a few 2 year deals, like Gio, Jansen, Martin & Sandoval. We need to break that mold, this winter and 2 or more times.

I could see a Duran, Harrison & Crawford deal for a solid #2 or a big bat like K Marte.

Fixed it for you.

Bongs are so out of fashion. Probably that nasty bong water had something to do with that.

I also could see the Mets spending big on everyone but Alonso, so I think we are still in on Schwarber, Alonso and Bregman. I'm not sure I believe that talk about us maybe adding 2 of the 5 targets mentioned, but if one is Okamoto, maybe we might.

If Criswell is claimed, as he likely will be, he won't have a choice.

No, he wasn't. Many of us did not like that signing, but to me he seemed like a better shot in the dark than the Kluber and Richards types. We need to do better. I see Gray as a better shot than Buehler, but is no given.

He was a fine #3 in 2025. Some stats show him as top 60, so maybe a #2, but he did drop off in SEP. I'm not sure we can read into that too much and claim he can't be trusted in the PS. He only had one shot.

Oviedo since 2022: 274 IP at ages 24-27: 3.97 ERA and 110 ERA+ 4.40 FIP due to 4.2 BB/9 His K/9 has ticked up- post TJS- from 7.8 to 9.4 in a small sample size in 2025 (40 IP) He has a 91 ERA- since '22, which is better than Joe Ryan, Pivetta, Lodolo, Bassitt, Kirby, Bello and others. (8th out of 205 pitchers with 250+ IP- tied with Cease & Rodon.) This shows he's close to #3 level, but look at his FIP.... His 4.40 FIP placed him at 147th out of 205, which is maybe #5 territory.

I did not mean to imply it shouldn't be talked about. I talk about it a lot, too. I'm not happy with JH slowing the spending and avoiding large and long deals, although I can understand why, when the vast majority fail. I'm in the camp of "I'll believe it when I see it," and since JH has spent big before, it could happen again, but I'm only making suggested moves based on the idea that JH is not going to blow past the second tax line. I'm not even sure he goes past the first line or barely over.That's not close to "praising" greedy rich people. It's not licking boots by claiming it's "not happen," is "not likely to happen," or "probably won't happen." I call that being realistic not accommodating or accepting it has to be that way. It is what it is. It doesn't have to be, but I'm assuming we stay near the first tax line to maybe just below the second line. There is a chance we got near the second line, but I'll be surprised, if we do. I don't like it. There have been times I have presented suggested moves based on big spending, so I was being hypocritical to say others should not do that. I was wrong on that. IMO, JH is not going to go "full throttle" this winter. I'm fine with others thinking he might. Most of us think he should. Maybe only Kimmi is against that idea, but she seems to only be against large and long overpay deals.

I think you may be right. To me, Crawford and or Oviedo is bound for the pen, barring SP'er injuries.

Gray was the 40th- taking Fitts' slot.

I think he keeps Perales as depth and trades 1-2 SP'ers who have trade value- like Crawford, Harrison or if the right return Early or Tolle. I'm not sure Dobbins or Perales have enough trade value to be worth trading, now. I don't see us trading Bello, but Brez likes to shock the fans.

Name one person who said he's a "lock." I'm probably his biggest supporter and I said I think, if healthy, he has the inside track on the 4 slot, assuming he looks okay in ST'ing. If all these guys look about the same in ST'ing and are healthy, I would guess only Crochet, Gray and Bello are "locks." Here is my pecking order: 4. Sandoval 5. Crawford or Oviedo 7. Harrison 8. Dobbins or Early/Tolle

I don't want the Sox to trade away much of the future, so they don't have to spend money to fill every hole and upgrade a few slots, but there should be some leeway on trading a couple or three decent prospects or young players to fill a big hole or two. While we do have a few higher-priced and a couple over-priced players on the roster, and Houck taking up a 2026 slot without pitching one inning, we have some very inexpensive and reasonably priced players under team control form 2+ years. SPers: Crochet- 6 yrs at $28.3 Bello- 5 yrs at $9.2 Gray- 1 yr at $21M & Sandoval 1 yr at $9.1M Crawford- 3 arbs Houck & Oviedo- 2 arbs Pre-arb: Harrison, Dobbins, Tolle, Early and more... RPers: Chapman- 1 to 2 yrs at $13.3M Whitlock- 1 yr at $7.5M Slaten & Weissert- pre-arb Hicks- 2 yrs at $10.3M Pre-arbs: Moran, Kelly, Sandlin, Mullins and many more.... C: Narvaez- pre-arb & Wong- 3arbs 1B: Casas- 3 arbs 2B: Romy- 3arbs & DHam- pre-arb SS: Story- 2 yrs at $23.3M 3B: Mayer- pre-arb LF: Anthony- 8 yrs at $16.3M plus option Duran- $7.7M then 2 arbs Campbell- $7.5M for 7 yrs plus 2 options CF: Rafaela- 6 yrs at $6.3M RF: Abreu-pre-arb DH: Yoshida- 2 yrs at $18M _________________ We lose Gray, Sandoval & Whitlock after 2026. That's it! That's about $35M coming off the books, too. W4e lose Duran after 2027, if he's not traded before then. We also lose Yoshida and $18M and Houck plus Oviedo. We are nicely set up for a 3+ year window.

I think Campbell is now viewed as a LF'er, so Garcia was knocked down a peg.