moonslav59

Texas beat #9 Vandy, so that should open up a slot for someone else in the top 12. ND may move up to #11 with a win at BC, today.

I think Bregman made a difference in the clubhouse and specifically our younger players. It would probably be helpful for him to return, but I'm not sure how essential it is, as long as we find a suitable replacement at 3B (2B, if Mayer plays 3B.)

He would probably make a few teams' 26 man rosters.

I think Schwarber might take a 4 year deal with a 5th year option and a hefty buyout. He turns 33 before the season starts, so he'll be 36 in year 4. Sure, someone will offer him 5-6 years, but at a significantly lower AAV. He may not want to count on signing one more deal at age 37, but who knows. $140M/4 ($35M x 4) with an $8M buyout on a $25M 5th year option makes it an offer of: $37M x 4 (Tax line: $29.6M) or $33M x 5

True, but he might also covet Duran or Abreu. He's too smart to covet DHam, Wink, Sandlin and other marginal 26 man players. He may like one of these ML ready options- maybe not as much as Painter, but enough when combined with adding a more than capable OF'er: Dobbins, Crawford, Harrison, Perales or Fitts.

I'm a big supporter on having depth in the rotation, and last year was a glowing example of the idea that you can never have "too much." We started 2025 having 12 or more possible rotation pieces and ended up needing to trade for a SP (D May) and using a rookie (Early) to start our final elimination game. Crochet, Houck, Buehler, Bello, Giolito Crawford, Fitts, Newcomb, Criswell, Dobbins, Priester (traded) Tolle & Early (late season options) RP/SP: Winckowski, Whitlock, Fulmer This winter, despite losing Giolito & May to free agency, along with Houck for the full 2026 season, we still look very deep, but it's mostly with capable 4/5 type SP'ers: 1. Crochet 3/4. Bello & Sandoval 4/5. Early, Tolle, Dobbins, Harrison & Crawford 5/6. Fitts, Criswell, Perales, Uberstine, Anderson RP/SP: Winckowski, Sandlin, Mullins & Drohan/Song That's 16+ names, not counting later season possibilities from Holobetz, Clarke, Aita, Paez, Wehunt or E Rivera. We can maybe safely say it's more like 12-14 viable options- same as last winter. One question might be do we trade from this area of depth? We traded Priester and immediately regretted it, but that should not mean the answer is a firm no. (We also traded Newcomb, who went on to have a great second half of the season as a RP'er. He had the third best ERA- among RP'ers after 6/21 at 27!) My answer would be yes, and hopefully we don't trade the next Priester, but I am also thinking we should be trading for a solid #2 SP'er, so I'd be subtracting from mediocre depth and adding higher quality nearer the top of the rotation. I'm thinking guys like Fitts & Crawford might be the most "expendable," but teams may insist on Harrison, Dobbins or Perales, instead. (I'm not parting with Early or Tolle and don't see the sense in trading Bello or Sandoval.) We may have to involve a third team, but who can we get for Duran/Abreu plus Fitts, Crawford and Sandlin/Mullins?

With needs at 1B, 3B/2B and SP2, I doubt we have the resources to spend on a high leverage RP. We had one of the best pens in MLB, this year, and although that was surprising, we did it while Slaten was out for much of the season. Next year, we will have: Chapman Whitlock- Slaten Weissert- Bernardino Converted 1-2 SP'ers? Fitts, Criswell, Crawford, Dobbins, Perales, Harrison, Sandlin, Mullins and a doubtfully converted Tolle. Hicks-Winckowski Murphy-Moran- Kelly-Guerrero I know, last winter, we probably relied on converted SP'ers for the 2025 pen and hardly got any IP from them, but unless we have as many SP'er injuries as 2025, I think we'll see more this next season.

I think the Sox will make him a decent offer but probably not the one he takes.

Perhaps the most meaningful games remaining before conference championships: 5 GA at 8 GA Tech (NOV 28: both need to win before this game) 3 TEX A&M at 20 TEX (NOV 28: always a big game) 1 Ohio St at 21 MI (NOV 29: always a big game) 3 TEX A&M at 19 MO (next week: A&M looking for the bye/Mo looking for a shot) 20 TEX at 5 GA (NOV 15: means more if TEX wins today) 9 Vandy at 14 TN (NOV 29: Vandy needs to win today) 9 Vandy at 20 Texas (today: TX could get back in the mix/ Vandy could be bounced.) 18 OKL at 4 ALA (NOV 15) 10 BYU at 13 TEX Tech (next week: winner might be in/ loser out) 18 OKL at 14 TN (today: the winner has a shot: the loser does not) 23 USC at 6 ORE (NOV 22: Go Trojans!) 10 BYU at 17 CIN (NOV 22: assuming both win before this game) 19 MO at 18 OKL (NOV 22: both need to win before this game) There really are not that many huge games remaining, but enough to make it interesting.

I agree on the running blunder idea. He only scores if that ball makes the gap, and if it does, he could have jogged home.

I doubt subbing Abel does the trick for MN. BTW, it's not like DD is immune to disingenuity. Make it worth his while and he can come around. Besides, he might be high on a kid like Clarke, Valera or Fajardo- just don't give up Early or Tolle.

But, if he does not get a better offer, he may very well end up back here. He's not all that bad vs RHPs, and with Romy as his platoon partner, we could be okay at 1B with Lowe-Romy, but I'm dead set against the idea of not having major power at 1B, unless we do two things: add 2 major power bats at 1B, 2B or DH.

The tax line is $244M, which includes $18M for player benefits and another $8M or so for 40 man roster "filler players" and the pre-arb bonus pool, so that leaves about $218M on the players without paying any taxes at the year 2 rate. I will be upset if we don't make an effort to maximize spending to fill the 3-4 needs we have. I realize JH & Co are here to make money, but winning helps make money, too. IMO, going up to the second tax line and then resetting next year should be the plan. That would mean signing 1-2 high AAV deals for 1 year and maybe 1-2 longer deals. We have some kids that need to prove they deserve a slot, so 1-2 one year deals would allow that to happen. #1 3B power bat (2B, if Mayer plays 3B) T#2 SP2 T#2 1B power bat (#4 2B/3B, but fill these top 2 well, and I'm fine with counting on Mayer, Romy and Associates to fill #4.) We can probably fill one slot via trade. I suggest the #2 SP'er, so the financial resources could be focused on 2-3 players and not 3-4. Higher quality is our real top priority.

While the need for a solid #2 SP'er is real, we have so many 4/5 type pitchers with promise of becoming a 2/3 that, to me, the need for a major power bat is the number one priority. I'd almost put a second big bat as the #2 priority, but SP 2 is right up there. If we actually added 3 very high quality players, we could probably be okay not doing anything else. Of course, we can make a couple more minor adds, like brining Matz and Ref back, but adding 3 major players would do it for me. (I'd bring Ref back, if we trade an OF'er, but if we don't I'd uses Romy as the DH platoon and open up Ref's slot for Garcia or Campbell.)

Tough way to lose a game. Our old friend Kike makes the play. Our old friend Mookie gets the hit.

According to BTV, a Duran for Lodolo trade is a gross Sox overpay by almost double. Even Duran (73.1) for Lodolo (29.4) plus Tim McLain (10.2) is an overpay. How about Duran (73.1) Hicks (-17.6) and DHam (5.7) for Lodolo & McLain? It's still an overpay, and I'm not sure Cincy wants to take on the Hicks contract plus pay Duran $3.5M more than Lodolo, but BTV says Cincy should say yes. The Sox would save about $14M on the tax budget, which might be close to enough to pay for Suarez or Merrill Kelly.

The first Official College Bowl Rankings come out Nov 4th. As of now, the top 12 might be: 1 Ohio St 7-0 2 TX A & M 8-0 3 IN 8-0 4 AL 7-1 5 GA 6-1 6 Ole Miss 7-1 7 GA Tech 8-0 8 Ore 7-1 9 Vandy 7-1 10 BYU 8-0 11 MIA 6-1 12 ND 5-2 ________ Others: TX Tech, VA & CIN 7-1, LOuis 6-1 & TN TX, MO & MI 6-2 HOU & MEM 7-1 _________________ There are not many huge games, this weekend, but upsets happen all the time: Penn St at 1 Ohio St 2 IN at MD 5 GA at FL So Carolina at 7 Ole Miss 8 GA Tech at NC St 9 Vandy at 20 TX 10 MIA at SMU 12 ND at BC 13 TX Tech at K St 14 TN vs 18 OKL

I'd put 10-15 players ahead of him.

Agreed. MLB.com is so messed up on farm issues.

It's hard to know what PHI would want for Harper. How about Duran and Hicks for Harper and Painter, then flip Painter, Garcia and Sandlin for Joe Ryan. Would BTV approve?

You know what still blows my mind? All but 3 players on the 40 man roster were added to it after the start of the 2021 season. (Houck Sept '20) Wong (Nov '20) and Whitlock (Dec '20) Nobody on the 40 was on the 40 to start 2020. What a massive turnover for a team that continually and emphatically denied they were ever in a rebuild mode. It may have been drawn out, but it was a complete overhaul and teardown reconstruction. The 10th most senior 40 man roster player is Zack Kelly- added late AUG '22. #20 is Slaten, who was added DEC '23!

I feel like I'm higher on Romy than most, but I'm not even sure I feel comfy with him in a platoon role at 2B or 1B, next year, let alone FT. I do think he has a significant chance at doing "well enough," but we need to greatly improve at minimum 2 of these 3 positions: 1B, 2B, 3B, and I think the plan is Mayer takes care of 2B or 3B, so that leaves Romy out in the cold or as a platoon DH with Masa. I guess the actual plan should be to significantly improve at 3 of 4 everyday positions: 1B, 2B, 3B and DH plus a SP2, but we know hoping for just 2 position players and a pitcher is asking for too much. Hey, you know how "Hank" is the nickname for Henry? We should call John Henry "Mr. Hanky." They guy is a big turd, afterall.

Okay. I thought you might have meant it that way, but it was right after talking about FA signings.

Did you mean Bregman as the "last guy standing?"

They aren't upgrades, but they aren't much worse, either. I'm not advocating them over Yoshida, but saving a few Million dollars and using the savings to upgrade elsewhere may more than make up for any drop off. I'd like to see Alonso (Casas to DH, eventuallY) or Schwarber (Casas/Romy at 1B) than Masa at DH and Hoskins at 1B. I think Suarez is a realistic alternative due to the likelihood of a shorter length contract and maybe $10M less AAV. Suarez could play 3B for a year and then maybe move to 1B, if Casas never comes back strongly. The "savings" on Suarez vs Bregman, Alonso or Schwarber might allow us to also sign Polanco, Hoskins, W Castro, Torres or lesser guys like Rengifo, Josh Bell, Brandon Lowe or a pitcher like Merrill Kelly. Alonso and Schwarber may cost as much AAV as 2 of the guys I mentioned- maybe 3 if it's Rengifo, Lowe and Kelly, but they won't squeeze Mayer out of a slot.