moonslav59

There may be a Rule 5 eligible player or two, we assume will be protected but Bloom may not be all that high on. They may be trade candidates. Also, how much trade value does a guy like Potts have, now?

Yes, and also which teams would like to cut salary in a "lost season." To me, since we won't want to give up any top prospects, our best chance at getting an impact player or two is to trade for salary dump-type players. In theory, we could also trade for a starter, and move Richards or someone else to the pen, but a lot depends on Sale and our plans for how we use him.

I'd be happy with a HS SS, too, but my top 3 hopes are: 1. Leiter 2. Davis 3. Rocker If we end up with Jobe or Watson, I'll be surprised but not upset.

Bolstering the pitching staff and or 1B would likely help our chances, but Bloom is walking a tight line. I'm thinking 2022 and beyond has a higher priority, but you don't want to piss away a season where we have the best AL record near the AS break. These are the 10 guys I see as gone this winter, to make way for 3-4 FA signings and 5-6 Rule 5 prospects: Richards, Marwin, Chavis, Andriese, Workman, Santana, Rios, Arauz, Wilson, Potts I doubt we trade Richards or Marwin, but do any of the other 8 bring us what we need? (Assuming Bloom values the players like I suggested)

We lost 2 in a row and stil have the second best record in all of MLB.

So, you don't think any other team would have paid Betts that amount last winter?

I do, too, especially regarding long term team building.

but, but, but all the black holes in the line-up!

Duran will not be called up to be on the bench. The only guy worthy of sitting is MAYBE Dalbec. We could move Kike to 1B, but I seriously doubt that is the plan.

At the start of the year, if someone had said Judge & Stanton both had over 240 PAs and these Yankees would have these OPS at the All Star Break, one would expect the offense was likely in high gear: .785 Gaby Sanchez/.726 Higashioka .751 Urshela These are the sorry numbers: Odor 161 PAs Voit .688 Andujar .667 Frazier .634 Hicks .627 Torres .627

It's not a lock nobody takes Ward to sit on their 26 all year, but I doubt it.

Maybe locked he gets a chance, but he has to win and keep the job.

One major factor is the number of FAs Bloom expects to sign. His M.O., under an entirely different budget structure was always bulk and quantity as he sought hidden gems. The more FAs he signs, the less Rule 5's he can protect. To me, it probably makes more sense to sign 2-3 bigger FAs rather than 4-5 lesser ones. That is new for him, but it doesn't mean he can't nail his signings. (It also doesn't mean that will be his strategy.) To me, the clear signings we'll need are re-signing or replacing ERod, Barnes & Ottavino. 1B, 2B, CF, Utility and pitching depth can possibly be filled from within the system, or at least we'll give a few players/prospects a chance to wn those slots. It looks like Kike and Arroyo might have already won 2 slots. Dalbec, Duran and others may show they deserve a 2022 chance. The pitching staff loses ERod, Barnes, Ottavino and likely Richards. We may sign 4 pitchers. 40 Man SP Sale ____ Eovaldi Pivetta Perez Whitlock Seabold Mata Groome RP ____ ____ Houck DHern Sawamura Taylor Brasier Valdez Bazardo C Vazquez Plawecki or Wong Ronaldo Hernandez IF Dalbec Arroyo Bogey Devers OF Verdugo Kike Renfroe Duran JD (DH) Cordero Rosario Gone: Richards, Marwin, Chavis, Andriese, Workman, Santana, Rios, Arauz, Wilson, Potts That's 32 keepers, including 3 re-signed/replaced (ERod, Barnes and Ottavino) and 10 goners. 8 slots go to Rule 5 players or more FAs(IF or P) than the 3 sure bets, I suggested. Sure Rule 5: Duran Downs Jimenez Bello Possible Rule 5: Ward Winckowski Ort T Reed German Scherff Feltman Longshot Rule 5: Cottam Castellanos Crawford Dearden

He may decide who he won't protect Rule 5 and deal him or them. If Chavis has any value, I think he's gone. I'm wondering how much Bloom values some guys he did not acquire- prospects like Groome or Ward.

Yeah, I'm always roasting people over small sample size judgments, and here I go...

The Yanks spent over $200M from 2005-2017. They spent more than 2009 five times since then, including $226M in 2019, $224M in 2016 & $237M in 2013. Some might consider that "blowing the top off" the limit. Here's the Yankee- Sox comp from 2009> NYY- BOS (Millions of dollars) 220-140 215-171 216-174 223-169 237-176 (ring) 218-168 224-186 224-201 208-189 183-230 (ring) 226-228 Forgive me, if I don't buy the "Yanks have gone cheap" argument. They've spent enough to win a ring or two since 2009. They just spend in wrongly. FYI, LAD budgets since 2009: 132 110 129 237 257 291 256 244 196 205

Fair enough. With 26 men, now, maybe teams might stretch to take talented prospects who need more time, but there must be dozens of guys like them and better bets, too.

Maybe. I’m sure they’ll go 6-12 tonight.

Yes, I understood your point.

What has German done to impress you? I'm not doubting your knowledge, but he's got a 5.85 ERA in AA with an .825 OPS against. Scherff has looked better and was promoted to AA, but I'm not sure anyone would draft him and keep him on their 26 for a full year. I like him, but I'm thinking we don't need to protect him to keep him. Feltman's stock has been falling. I think German, Scherff, Groome, Ort and maybe even Reed are ahead of him. Perhaps others, too.

We should have traded them all when they had value! Bring back DD!

I'd be surprised any of these 3 are protected or taken in the Rule 5 draft. My guess is, we protect 5-6 players. Jecorrah Arnold Brayan Bello Cole Brannen Gary Calvo Marco Cardoso Pedro Castellanos Felix Cepeda Kole Cottam Kutter Crawford Ricardo Cubillan Osvaldo De La Rosa Tyler Dearden Jonathan Diaz Danny Diaz Jeter Downs Jarren Duran Tyler Esplin Durbin Feltman Ryan Fernandez Ryan Fitzgerald Antoni Flores Frank German Rio Gomez Devlin Granberg Gilberto Jimenez Jose Larez Dominic LoBrutto Bryan Lucas Charlie Madden Alan Marrero Elih Marrero Joan Martinez Alexander Montero Robinson Montero Oddanier Mosqueda Brendan Nail Brett Netzer Tanner Nishioka Kaleb Ort Yusniel Padron-Artiles Aaron Perry Beiker Pineda Antonio Police AJ Politi Ceddanne Rafaela Oscar Rangel Tyreque Reed Jesus Rosillo Yasel Santana Zach Schellinger Alex Scherff John Schreiber Gregori Segovia Chase Shugart Miguel Suero Jake Thompson Wilker Vargas Thaddeus Ward Grant Williams Josh Winckowski I'm not sure why Groome was taken off this list on soxprospects.com, but I think he is Rule 5 eligible, this year and is a possible protectee.

I'd be happy with Rocker. More happy with Leiter or Davis.

I doubt the thrill will be equal.

My guess is any of these top players will be thrilled to be picked by the Sox (not a bad team).