moonslav59

The future does get here. 2018's future was 2019 and 2020. We paid the piper. I get the argument how things can go horribly wrong when you are supposed to be good, but we needed to make a lot of moves to end up better than the Dodgers, SFG and maybe even HOU. 2023 would have sucked.

So true.

Great post.

It's like we are clinging to hopes on some of our starters that are fading quickly or already extinguished. I get the idea of keeping as many options on teh table for as long as possible, but the "possible time" is here and now. Our rotation is in shambles. There is no sugar coating it. Shambles. Eovaldi is the only sure bet. I'm thrilled and excited about Sale's return, but all year I've said we shouldn't count on anything from him. That has not changed. ERod was showing good signs for 6 straight starts, then the head ache and implosion. Now, those hopes are waining. Pivetta seems to be the best hope of the next 3, but he's been a mess, too. Perez was doing a hell of a job, but his recent sample size of crap is no longer small. He's a mess. Richards is our poster boy for "Shambles." I wouldn't blink if we DFA'd him. I love Houck in the pen, but the rotation takes precedent. I had hopes when they said they were stretching out Whitlock, but that ain't happening. We are stuck with what we got, so yes, why not use Houck instead of Richards? Our pen is still very good without Houck, and Sawamura should be back, soon, right?

I'm more than fine. I had hoped we could get a SP'er, and I was thrilled we got Schwarber for Aldo Ramirez. Just because I hoped we got a pitcher doesn't mean I think we should have grossly overpaid for one. I'm looking at our long term future and our farm is still not top tier and maybe not even middle tier. How do we set ourselves up for long term success without first building up the farm to respectability. Bloom has done a great job starting the rebuild, and dome of DD's farm additions have improved in value, but we still have a ways to go. Couple that with the fact that had we improved by x amount at the deadline, so would everybody else- some by 2x or 3x. We were not at the point where a big move or two would have made us the clear faves or even a solid fave. That could have happened, if everyone else stood pat. That did not happen, and in a big way. I see the last week as a huge gain by us, in terms of the long term. All the best teams in MLB weakened their extended futures, some very significantly, including division foes, the Yanks and Jays. I can't say I'm thrilled we couldn't even add a Jon Gray, but until I know who teams wanted from us, I'm not pretending to know if Bloom made any mistakes. We have a damn good team, now. I've called it a "magical team." I'm going to continue enjoying this season, even if it ends early. I'm super excited about 2022 and beyond. That's more important to me, than going all in to be the 3rd best fave in 2021, at most.

You wanted us to outbid the Dodgers and Yanks and overpay for rentals?

In AAA, what's the worry?

Total fools!

The trade deadline has come and gone. We added Schwarber and scraps. His best position is LF or DH, and that was not our highest need areas, in fact, it might have been our lowest need area. Don't get me wrong, I like the trade, especially if he can play 1B. We did not trade away much of our farm or meaningful vets. I'll leave the talk about 2022 for later, but here is how I see our 26 man roster shaping up, when all is healthy. 1. Kike CF 2. Verdugo LF 3. Bogey SS 4. JD DH 5. Devers 3B 6. Schwarber 1B 7. Renfroe RF 8. Arroyo 2B 9. Vazquez C 10-13 Bench (4): Plawecki Duran Marwin Dalbec 14-18 SP'ers (5): Eovaldi Sale ERod Pivetta Perez 19-26 RP'ers (8): Barnes Ottavino Whitlock Houck Taylor DHern Sawamura Valdez (Richards DFA?) (DFA: Santana & Andriese) Go SOX! Link to Part II https://www.talksox.com/forum/threads/20000-A-Realistic-View-at-2021-Part-II

Maybe, one is slightly less junky or has higher upside.

He was DFA material.

Probably that the other teams wanted more than he was willing to part with.

I'm breathless.

I think Bloom thinks we have a chance to win it tis year and worked like hell to make as many helpful deals as he thought were worth it. He weighed what team's wanted, and didn't like any deals, except the ones he made. He is trying to win, this year, without sacrificing much of the future. It's a dilemma almost every GM faces. We don't know what teams wanted for all those players traded elsewhere, of if we even had enough to offer, in some cases. Maybe, if we heard what they wanted, many of us would be patting Bloom on the back for only trading for Schwarber and Robles. I'm trusting Bloom all the way. He got us to this point, this year, when nobody thought we could do it, this quickly, and for that, he's being blasted and roasted alive. Geesh!

Waiting for all the trades to be announced. I almost missed the Robles deal.

I'm thrilled so many teams mortgaged some of their long term success for missed playoffs chances and early playoff exits. I still like our chances, this year, if we can ride the magic for 3 more months, but for me, I'm more psyched about our chances in 2022 and beyond. This has been a surprising and fun season. I don't get all the negativity, but I guess I should by now.

It was sarcasm.

I can and will play that game. Our chances always looked better in 2022 and 2023 than 2021, to me, even when we had the best record in the AL. I'm going off some assumptions that may be wrong, like we will spend much more, next year, and Bloom will sign 2-4 meaningful FAs and maybe make a couple big trades. One reason I was not for going all in this year was that I knew other teams were going to go all out, too, so improving some might have just barely kept us even with our original odds of winning a ring. This was not the time to try and go bigger than what LA, SD and others did. It just wasn't.

Sox make blockbuster trade! https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/07/red-sox-acquire-hansel-robles-from-twins.html

I'm a bit surprised, but our chances in 2022 and beyond remain intact.

Their farms got a lot stronger.

One hour to go.

I've suggested a few Jon Gray & Cron deals. Also, Boyd & Schoop. Thinking about Gibson and Hendricks, now.

Agreed. If Bogey opts out, who plays SS in 2023?

How much would Gibson cost?