moonslav59

But if his age 26 season needs to be limited in IP'd, anyway, what's the issue?

Why not? We are not the only team with several holes to fill and several options still out there. (I hope we don't trade him, unless the return looks like a clear win- doubtful.)

We don't know if the league was disinterested. Some teams might be waiting out on Ozuna, JBJ or someone else, and Beni is their fall back choice.

I totally agree, and while I have not been Beni's biggest fan, the guy can hit. He's also not bad on D, in LF ONLY. Now, if he hits well in 2021, and we don't look like we are going anywhere, this year, it may make more sense to trade him at the deadline and get more than just s0-so prospects.

Why not? For pitchers, year 32 is often a very good year, but wouldn't it actually be age 31?

That is true. It should not be puzzling.

I'm all for adding at least 2 more significant players before opening day- preferably a CF'er and a closer, but another SP'er couldn't hurt, either. I do think the main prize is still 2022 and beyond- not 2021, and we should not so anything that hinders our chances or positioning in 2022. I'm not sure how important staying under the tax line is for our longer term outlook. It seems like gaining one more year of lower taxes will allow for more spending down the road, but adding a bunch of one year players and trading them for prospects at the deadline could help much more than tax savings, and who know, maybe a miracle happens and we actually put everything together and make a strong run at 2021, however unlikely those chances look, right now..

Margot came up the same year Beni did. I'd trade Beni for Margot in a flash.

That could happen, too. I think we'll have a pretty good sense of our chance by the deadline and act accordingly.

We are probably going to limit his IP to 120-140, so having him pitch sparsely in AAA for 7 weeks, solves two goals, at once. Yes, if he's in the pen, then keeping him under 120-140 does not need a demotion to AAA.

Since he has only 1 year of team control- trading him at the deadline may be the best idea, even if we are in the race. Same with Richards, ERod, Barnes and maybe Eovaldi, JD and Vaz, too.

The one thing I find puzzling, is how Jacko is so high on Taillon (2 TJs) but so low on Sale (1 TJ). I'm high on both.

I do, too. Trading at a low stock price is bad business. The reasoning for trading him is two-fold: 1) to create budget space 2) We have 2 LF'ers and no real CF'er, unless we take E Hernandez away from 2B, which creates a need there. IF trading Beni allows us to sign Pillar or JBJ, our OF will improve at the same time as our farm, assuming we get good prospects for Beni. Or, we trade Beni for a low cost CF'er/2Bman or RP'er and basically do the same thing. I do not want to see this: LF Beni CF Verdugo RF Renfroe As our budget stands now, we can sign Pillar, which make our OF look fine, as Beni & Renfroe can platoon in LF and act as 4th OF'er, too, but then we are basically saying no to anymore pen additions that cost money.

A team that spends $200M+ does not take 4-5 years to rebuild. Sure, it may end up taking that long, but it is not a sure thing. A team that spends $200M+ and has some high draft picks and a decent young core of players under team control for 3+ years should NOT take more than 1-2 years to rebuild. We also have some contracts coming off the books that do not really open any gaping holes, except if Bogey opts out (and ERod, if he does well in 2021). Lux Tax Numbers Off the Books: after 2021: $14M Pedey $10M Richards (option for 1 more) $9M Ottavino $8M ERod $5M Barnes $5M Perez (option for 1 more) after 2022: $22M JD $22M Bogey opt out $17M Eovaldi $7M E Hernandez $7M Beni $5M Vaz Only a couple guys, here, may be hard to replace for the money they cost. Core Foundation and Years of Team Control: 3 Years Devers 4 Years Verdugo Sale (option for 5th yr) Pivetta Munoz 5+ Years D Hern Dalbec Houck Possible Impact Prospects (age): Casas 21 Downs 22 Mata 22 Duran 24 Jimenez 20 Seabold 25 Song 23 Longer shots: Ward 24, Groome 22, Rosario 21, Potts 22, Murphy 22, Wong 24, Bello 21, Wallace 22, Arauz 22, Bazardo 25, Feltman 23, Whitlock 24 Far Away: Ramirez 19, Yorke 18, Bonaci 18, Jordan 18, Lugo 19

The main thing is, we need to limit his innings anyways, so holding him down in the minors for 6-7 weeks is a no brainer. That 6-7 weeks need not be April and May, and since it looks like Sale & ERod will start the season on the IL, Houck may be sent down once one is called up. Who knows? By then, maybe Eovaldi or Richards is on the IL.

Maybe I need to re-examine my thoughts. LOL!

I actually suggested the Sox sign Ottavino years ago, when he was a FA. I'm not going to let small sample sizes from 2020 or playoffs affect my opinion of him. Does it raise some concerns? Yes, barely, but he can easily do better than Rosenthal, Hand, Yates, Colome and Treinen.

I still don't think it's a slam dunk to say the Yanks improved. You need health from several injury-prone or recently injured players to improve on Tanaka-Paxton-Happ. Sure, the potential is there, but you sure view your potential in a very different light than the Sox recently-injured starters.

I'm not saying they won't be .450 to .500, but they have the potential to make the playoffs, especially since the the AL has gotten worse, except for Toronto.

MLBTR Free-agent righty Masahiro Tanaka could be nearing a return to his native Japan

Here is our current pitching depth chart: SP Sale ERod Richards Eovaldi Perez Pivetta Houck Whitlock Mazza Seabold Mata Hart Gossett Kent Ward RP Barnes Ottavino Brasier D Hern Taylor Brice Andriese Valdez Brewer Weber Walden Springs Payamps Bazardo Gonsalves Hall Shawaryn Grotz Maybe 8 capable, when healthy, SP'ers can and will be enough. If a lot goes right, maybe one can help the pen and a long guy or "opener." Maybe even one can be our closer.

Gotcha. I went back and fixed it.

Agreed, but as soon as ERod or Sale return, I can see Houck being sent down. His innings need to be limited anyways, so the main reason is not to extend his years of team control, but if this kid does very well, one more year can be golden.

I think you underestimate the Sox chances at being much better than .450. (Maybe you overestimate how good the rest of the AL is.) Many of our players had good to great season just 1-2 years ago- others 3 years ago, and very few are so far past prime that high expectations are unrealistic.

I am, too, but my point was about this deal being pretty close to a zero risk deal. You have so many good prospects and your 40 man roster is deep. You'd likely have had to DFA or trade away equals to the guys you gave PIT for Taillon. Frankly, I was shocked at how little they took back. I wish the Sox had offered more. I do think Taillon will do very well, but if never throws a pitch for the Yanks, you barely lost anything. Your SP'er depth is so deep, it's not like you structured your team around Taillon's success.