moonslav59

Bloom is somewhat of a wildcard, because his history was with a team that had a totally different financial strategy, and his time here was during a re-tooling phase and reset the budget restrictions. I'm pretty sure we won't see him selling off free agents-to-be, like he had to do with the Rays, and last summer with the Sox, but what will he do? I doubt we see any blockbuster deals. I think we will stay below the tax line and try to find deals like 2018. Low cost with high reward upside potential.

There is more to it than that. Prospects are often valued very highly, despite piss poor early numbers on the farm, and sometimes numbers over a couple years.

If that's what you think, then we can trade him, this winter, and it remains a mega steal.

Kimmi, this is a highway robbery steal.

It's one thing to not want us to have signed Betts. It's another to not see it as a team friendly deal by thinking other teams would have or might have offered more.

...and they don't have 2-5 starters like ours or an offense like ours.

They have him at $8.75M in 2021 and 2022 (lux tax) and $7.0 + $10.5 actual pay. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/119QzUde_UBdUsPmv4u8T5_XSvPNi4EVHBZHwuM5_XPA/edit#gid=1520401900 Prorated, the 2021 value would be about $3M for the Sox.

BTV has Downs worth more than 2 times what Santana+Duffy are worth. I’m not sure why you are so down on Downs over 2 months of meh hitting,

Some one like Jobe might be our best hope at getting Leiter.

Why not start 26 or 40 threads just like this for all the Sox you hate?

I have absolutely no issue with Cora's choice. Taylor had been lights out. Plus, he had to face 3 batters, anyway.

It's too complicated to get Duran to play near FT. Renfroe's .697 OPS vs RHPs does not warrant a platoon, due to his D. (.713 career) Verdugo's .511 vs LHPs, maybe. (.692 career) I guess he could take a few PAs away from Verdugo and Renfroe, but these guys are not weak areas needing fixing. That leaves 1B & 2B for Kike to play, so Duran can get enough PAs. This not only weakens the defense in the OF, it does in the IF, too, and for what? Are so sure Duran will out hit Dalbec and/or Arroyo? Dalbec: .603 v RHP/.831 v LHPs (.683/.887 career) Platooning can make some sense, but with Kike? Arroyo: .699 v RHP/.799 v LHP (.685/.661 career) Platooning here makes little sense. Kike: .733 v RHP/.795 v LHP (.682/.817 career) They all are about .680 vs RHPs. No platoon makes sense, here.

Draft Day 2021- Denver, CO 7:07 pm ESPN (Day 1) Round 1 and Comp-Balance A 1:00 pm MLB Network (Day 2) Rd 2-10 and Comp-Bal B 12:00 pm MLB Network (Day 3) Rd 11-20 Baseball America projects: 1. Mayer 2. Lawlar 3. Jobe 4. Leiter 5. Watson 6. Davis 7. Rocker 8. House

On the farm... Worcester got drilled. Houck 3.1 IP, 4 ER, 3H & 4 BB Duran 0-4, BB & 3K Cordero 2-3 Portland swept a DBL-HDR Crawford 6 IP, 2 ER, 3H & 0BB w 10 Ks Ro Hernandez 2-3, HR and 5 rbi German 4 IP, 2 ER, 6H, 2BB

Well said, oldtimer. Well said. I do think we act to improve our weakest areas. Some look like they might be handled from within the system, assuming no other major players gets injured. Sale Houck Brasier/Bazardo/Valdez/Ort Duran Wilson/Cordero Wong Trades may help us add at RP SP (move someone to the pen) 1B Players who may be replaced: Santana/Chavis Andriese/Brice Rios Workman (Marwin is very doubtful)

Looks like Cole found a new and undetectable sticky substance. (Will he share it with Chapman?)

BTV accepted these deals. (I am not saying I'd make them.) Groome, Ward and Chavis to KCR Danny Duffy, Carlos Santana & $2M (just enough to keep us under) to PIT Tyler Anderson, Richard Rodriguez & Gregory Polanco (dump) ________________________________ Groome, Ward, Chavis & Lopez to DET Matthew Boyd & Jose Cisnero to TEX Kyle Gibson Ian Kennedy to COL CJ Cron & Jon Gray __________________________ A wild one... Groome, Ward, Chavis, Ro Hernandez & Yorke to MIA Starling Marte Richard Bleier Jesus Aguilar

I think the pen will be improved when we add Sale, Houck and maybe Brasier/Bazardo/Valdez (Ort). I'd still like to see us deal for a pitcher. As for the bench, I doubt we trade for a catcher, so I assume you mean replacing Santana/Chavis and/or Marwin. I think it's close to zero eprcent chance we trade or DFA Marwin, so it comes down to Santana/Chavis. I have no issues with trading to upgrade here. I have no issues with calling up Duran, if they think he's ML ready, and he'll get enough playing time to keep sharp and growing. Since Kike can play 2B and 1B, we could probably juggle him around to find enough time for Duran to play. The question is do we want to? It looks like trading for a LH'd hitting 1Bman might happen. (Carlos Santana?)

We got Betts in the 5th round, so...

According to cots, we are $4.53M under the tax line. If we assume we want to stay under the line, we can make a trade or two that adds a net salary of about $4.5M. Here are some players who are owed that amount or less on teams that are out of it or may be by the deadline. The salaries are pro-rated to about 1/3 the seasonal luxury tax amount. Remember, these players will take the place of a player we are paying about $250-300+K minimum for the remainder of the season, so that can be deducted from what we add. I will start with the worst teams: (I list mostly salary dump type players, because I feel they will not need much return value to acquire.) AZ K Marte $1.7M +$4.8M in 2022 + option for 2023 + 2024 BAL Mancini $1.7M +1 arb Means $200K + 3 arbs (would cost a lot in return) PIT Polanco $3.9M/1 (used only to lessen the return not to play) Frazier $1.5M + 1 arb Anderson $800K Rodriguez $600K + 2 arbs TEX Gibson $3.2M +$9.3M in 2022 Gallo $2.1M + 1 arb Kennedy $800K KCR Duffy $4.4M Santana $3.0M + $8.9M in 2022 COL CJ Cron $400K/1 J Gray $2.1M/1 Marquez $2.9M + $8.6M 2022 & 2023+ option '24 MN Berrios $2.1M + 1 arb Buxton $1.7M + 1 arb Rogers $2.1M + 1 arb MIA S Marte $4.2M/1 Aguilar $1.5M + 1 arb Bleier $500K + 1 arb DET Boyd $2.2M + arb Cisnero $320K + 2 arbs I will look at these teams, later: WSH STL PHI Cubs ATL LAA TOR

Just hours to go, and we'll know who we have. I'm curious about who we et second round and beyond, too, but I have to admit, I've never paid this much attention to a MLB draft as this one.

It must be a complicated game these kids and their agents play. Underslot agreements vs what 3 picks away underslot amounts to. Which slot brings the most money and other factors some players might prefer.

When is the last time we made a bid deadline deal where we gave up a top 3 or 4 prospect for a rental, and did it work? I agree, we will likely make moves like 2018. Something in between.

I agree, too, and I don't want to put words in his mouth, but I think that is what he meant. I think his position is... Improving the bench and lessening a GMs options are more important than keeping a prospect playing and growing in AAA.

Taylor is second on the Sox in 8th inning appearances. He's been pitching really well for a long time. Taylor, Ottavino and Barnes have been able to allow a hit or walk or two when they come in and then get out of their own mess. I'm not sure how Cora was supposed to know this was the game that would not happen.