moonslav59

It sure looks like a mess, but I'd be a hypocrite to criticize the extension after liking it, at the time. Yes, I knew the risk. Yes, I calculated the value by assuming one missed season, and I still liked the idea of keeping one of the top 3 pitchers in MLB on our staff for 5 years- not 7, 8 or 10, like others are getting.

Pipe dream implies I want it to happen. I don't. "Believe it when you see it?" You did see it- 3 times under Henry. We did have fire sales three in the last decade: The Dodger dump 2014: we dumped almost our entire rotation and best pen piece (Lester, Lackey, Doubront, Peavy & Andrew Miller. We also traded Stephen Drew, Jonny Gomes and Kelly Johnson that summer.) The 2020 deadline (Moreland, Workman & Hembree, Pillar, Osich) though nothing spectacular like Crawford, AGon & Beckett. I seriously doubt it happens, but I believe I have seen it, often enough.

I'm not saying I'm happy we did not "overpay" for anyone. I suggested maybe the Baez offer may have worked, had we topped it, and I realize "overpaying" free agents has been the nature of the beast for decades, but when you look at the success-failure rate of most mega signings and even many of the second tier signings, it's not pretty. Maybe finding another way to consistently win, by building and maintaining the farm while spending on shorter term FAs to fill the gaps might morph into something special every few years. To be honest, I'm not happy. I've watched a flurry of signings and trades over the last few days. Some of the trades do not look like overpays, but I get the idea of holding onto precious prospects. I don't want 2020 to happen again. My feelings are conflicted and sometimes contradictory. It's hard to accept we did nothing major and haven't even spoken to Devers, yet. There is still time on him, and maybe they want to see if he'll be our 3Bman or 1Bman of the future by watching 2022. Seeing what Freeman got, I'm not sure the money offer changes much for 1Bmen. Had we signed Baez, I'd have been okay watching Bogey go- by trade or free agency, depending on our playoff hopes at the deadline.

I mentioned that idea a few days ago, and in terms of the long term outlook, it could make a ton of sense. Fans would be irate for a while, but if Henry & Bloom spent large and long on Devers and some free agents, next winter, maybe forgiveness would win out.

I don't disagree, but maybe the A's are not interested in our prospects not names Casas, Mayer or Yorke. Many of the trades I suggested on that site were voted down from the A's side very handily. Many from the Sox side, too, especially if I included Bello. Can you tell me which free agent you think Bloom should have offered $1M more (assuming he'd take it)?

Where did I say he's a lock to be a FT 1Bman. I'm comparing him to a guy you've been roasting alive for years- Voit and looking at the context of who the A's would prefer and why BTV values Dalbec 3 times more than Voit.

I would not even consider trading Dalbec for Voit. I'd be lmao! Sure, he's an unknown, but he has more years of control and could still improve, especially his OBP & D.

The rings are not the only thing I look at, but it felt like an appropriate thing to say about a team that appears to be trying to buy rings after rings. I've also spoken to this view as it pertains to the Sox and Sox ownership. I think more pride can be taken when you win it all without being the top spender, and even more pride, if you are not at top 3 or 5 or 7... spender, something the Sox have yet to accomplish. Sure Miami and their fans loved to see the LeBron & Co come to town and bring rings, but the rest of America was shaking their heads at the whole process. As to my promise land: I'd love to see sustained winning, with maybe one off year scattered here and there, but when the team reaches a point where the odds seem best, then spend more to make it happen- not all out like 2018, but just spend some cash to improve your chances. Maybe we win- maybe we don't, but making an effort, when close, keeps me content as a fan. I'm not upset at Henry and Bloom. I can see why they do not think "the time" is now. I get the argument that we came so close in 2021, and maybe "the time" was then, and you never know, if you will come that close in a long time, but to me, that team had too many holes to fix by buying pieces to fill, and trading prospects for pieces just harms the longer outlook. I realize this sounds wishy-washy and maybe a bit contradictory, but sometimes things don't all line up all neatly and ordered. It's how I feel about the Sox. I had wished we'd sign at least one guy long term, but when I look at all the biggest contracts given out, this winter, none jump out at me as one I can get mad at Bloom/Henry for not offering more. Maybe I need to re-adjust my thinking on valuing FAs. Maybe Bloom & Henry do. Maybe they know the value and will one day offer it, but just feel like the timing is not right, this season. I trust they know more than I do.

...and tell me the owners are losing money!

Any in the second tier worth spending a penny more? $14M x 4 Jon Gray (Just sign ERod) $13M x 4 A Garcia $11M x 4 Matz $12M x 3 DeSciafini & Kikuchi $16M x 2 Rizzo $13M x 2 Canha $13M x 2 A Wood $8M x 3 Graveman $10M x 2 A Cobb & E Escobar $5M x 4 N Martines $9M x 2 E Rosario, H Neris & Joe Kelly $6M x 3 Loup $15M x 1 N CRuz $7M x 2 Cron, Melancon & Chafin $13M x 1 Greinke

$27M x 6 for a 1Bman who turns 33, this season, coming off his lowest OPS+ number in 6 years. Can anyone really fault Bloom for not offering a penny more than any of these biggest signings? Name one. Just one. $33M x 10 Seager $26M x 7 Bryant $25M x 7 Semien $27M x 6 Freeman $23M x 6 Baez (maybe?) $43M x 3 Scherzer $23M x 5 R Ray $22M x 5 Gausman $17M x 5 Suzuki (maybe not?) $20M x 4 Schwarber $20M x 4 S Marte $15M x 5 ERod $24M x 3 Stroman $15M x 4 C Taylor $15M x 4 R Iglesias $25M x 2 Verlander $22M x 2 Rodon $21M x 1 Syndergaard $20M x 1 Morton $18M x 1 Belt & Wainwright

Glad he stays in the NL. There should be a 300% tax if over the line by $25M,

A lot of spending for 1 ring.

Many by me.

Yanks to open talks with Judge for extension, soon.

Freeman close to signing with LAD. Word is $150M/ ? years.

Nope. Just because we missed out on others does not mean we make a desperation move at a position we are already set in. If we can get a good return for Dalbec and or Casas, then maybe.

He only sees glitter and glitz.

We need a lot to happen, but some are not all that far-fetched. Barnes rebounds from his bad last 10 innings of 2021. Dalbec hits well, all year. Wacha pitches like he did near the end of 2021. Hill stays healthy. Sale pitches for 4 months not 2. Brasier plays all season. Verdugo improves like we expected last year. JBJ rebounds. Duran nears expectations. Bogey has a career year. Vaz returns to near .800 hitting like 2019-2020. Arroyo stays healthy. Devers has a career year. Pivetta continues improving. Houck and Whitlock grow and pitch more innings. We don't need anywhere near all these to happen, just maybe half. I can see the gloom, too, though.

I felt the same way, last March.

Almost every trade made, so far would have been accepted on BTV, and the Chapman trade was not a gross underpay. It is far from perfect, but if the Yanks took a declining Rizzo to play 1B, they must not value Voit that highly. I think they'd rather have Casas or Dalbec.

The guy with one season over a 1.0 bWAR and a career -8.2 DWAR?

The 40 man: to 60 Day: Paxton Devers Bogaerts Eovaldi Kike Houck Whitlock Verdugo Sale (to IL) Pivetta JD Paxton Dalbec Duran Wacha Hill Arroyo Barnes Vaz Taylor JBJ Bello Downs Brasier Mata Winckowski DHern Seabold Groome ADavis R Hernandez Wong Plawecki Crawford Valdez Arauz Bazardo Rosario Potts

Yes, and maybe a solid pitcher.

If Sale returns in 8 weeks, he'll be one. Here's a stab at the 8 from within the system. Eovaldi Pivetts Wacha Hill Houck Whitlock Sale 1 from Wonckowski, Crawford, Seabold or Bello