moonslav59

I'm not saying "This is the year," and in some ways it makes more sense to wait a year or two, but to me, it's all about who Bloom sees as "the guy." We want to be much better next year without harming the longer outlook. If Bloom sees a guy he really likes, he may pounce this winter. He likely will not.

Replacing some of the names on the list of 2019 departees is addition by subtraction. I'm not expecting a ring in 2021, but 2022 is not out of the question, if we spend up to the limit line and maybe the over it for 2022. (We also lose Pedey's deal after 2021.) We could be looking at $80-100M/yr we can spend on FAs over the next 2 years. If Bloom is as thrifty as we think he can be, that's a lot of added talent to put with Devers, JD, a healthy Sale (2022), Bogey, Vaz, and maybe Eovaldi. We'd only need a few of our players & farm hands to play key roles- maybe DHern, Dalbec, Houck, Arroyo/Munoz/Downs/Chavis, among others.

No, I don't, and my original statement was about Bloom possibly identifying someone he thinks can be a big value for the longterm. I don't pretend to know more than him, and I trust he is a good evaluator. Maybe he doesn't see anyone like that on this winter's FA list, but if he does, I don't see why waiting another year helps. We likely need 2-3 pretty big named players or under the radar types that become big additions. My thoughts are about the idea that waiting to get them all at once might be harder than picking up the players we really want when they become available. Maybe it's one a year for 3 years, none this year, 2 next year and 1 in 2023. I'm just thinking we have the budget space, and if Bloom sees someone he likes, this winter, I'd say go for it. Personally, I'm not high on Bauer, Realmuto or Springer, but if Bloom likes one and goes for it, I won't judge him harshly, except maybe in hindsight. His plan may be to sign some very decent FAs, but not the big 3 or 4. He may have to sign them to 3-5 year deals at pretty decent numbers. Spreading the risk makes sense, and keeping the deals under 4-5 years does, too, but who knows who we can get on non long term deals. Again, any big signing or addition we make this winter would not be about winning it all in 2021. It would be about the longer term with the added bonus of making us more fun to watch in 2021 and maybe even competing for a playoff slot.

The issue is with the word "proven."

I never said to win it all in 2021. Why would signing someone to a long deal, this winter, be only about winning in 2021? I'm not saying we should or will sign a big name, but we do want to get better in 2021 without harming our chances in 2022 and beyond. If we can find one key piece, this winter, why put it off? Maybe Bloom doesn't see a keeper, and puts it off. I'm fine with that and trust he knows what he's doing.

I'm all for building up the farm, but there comes a time when a big deal is needed to put a team over the top. Can teams win without doing that? Yes, but we never have.

Yes, but are we certain he can never be a starter?

A few people said he was slated to be a RP'er, perhaps based on health issues. He was mostly a starter in the minors and has started for the Dodgers, this year. I'm not sure we can say he had to be a RP'er.

Well, before today's game, that didn't seem all that out of the question. Let's see how he finishes the season and looks in spring training. It's nice to have hopes about one of our pitchers from our system.

I think we can do better for close to the same or less. Here's what some OF'ers got last winter (pre-COVID): Kole Calhoun $8M x 2 S Akiyama $7M x 3 Y Tsutsugo $6M x 2 A Jones $4M x 2 Pillar $4.25M x 1 Markakis, Thames, Gordon $4M x 1 B Miller & Dyson $2M x 1

I understand your hesitancy to sign big contracts, but every ring we've ever won was dependent on at least one large and long contract- usually 2-3.

Also, a straight up trade of Eovaldi for Odor would save us about $9M a year. Add that to the money we were planning on spending for pitchers and the upgrade could work out. If Eovaldi keeps getting hurt, we lose nothing.

Look at my suggested Rangers offer: Eovaldi, Vaz & Chavis for Odor -26, LeClerc 16.8, Taveras 12.6 & Hernandez C-1B minors

Vaz is quality, and maybe someone likes and needs a guy like Chavis. (See some deals I found that are 3 for 3 type deals that take on some negative salary and give back something of value.) Eovaldi has value, but it's just his contract that scares away teams. If we take some salary back, that cancels out that drag.

These teams have the lowest catcher WAR 2019-2020 combined: (Vaz, Chavis & Eovaldi are valued at 13.1- here is close to equal value) -3.9 TEX (Odor -26, LeClerc 16.8, Taveras 12.6 & Hernandez C-1B minors) -3.5 DET (Zimmerman -4.5, Boyd 5.7 & Goodrum 12.0)) -2.6 COL (Blackmon -11.6, Freeland 16.8 & Amador 2B minors 7.6) 0.4 LAA (Upton -47, Canning 17.8 & Marsh OF minors 36.0) 0.4 BAL 0.5 PIT 0.7 NYM (Syndergaard, Familia & Greene OF minors) 0.9 STL (Fowler -19.8, Gallegos 26 & Reyes 5.3) 1.3 WSH (Castro -2.2, Rainey 10.7 or Suero 9.9 & de la Rosa OF minors 2.6) 1.7 TOR 1.8 TBR (Kiermaier -6.5 & Baz +19.5) , KC & MIA

Nobody is saying to swear by them.

Trade Values rates this as a moderate overpy by the Sox: Eovaldi, Chavez & Vaz for' Syndergaard, Familia and Greene (OF in minors)

My point was that people here seem to think trading Eovaldi is nuts, but when we speak of his value to other teams, he's worthless (actually negative). Same thing with Price. Many hated that we traded him away and paid half his salary... like he's worth $15M a year (about what Eovaldi is being paid).

How about when you add Chavis?

Also, according to some, here, Eovaldi is the second coming of David Price, who was someone not worth trading away.

I'm not saying we'll get an ace. We'll get someone about the value of Vazquez better. Many teams need a catcher. Some teams have a surplus of pitching. It's not going to be easy, but if someone really wants Vaz, they would give someone better than Eovaldi. Also, I only mentioned Eovaldi in passing. We could trade Vaz and Chavis for a pitcher and keep Eovaldi. I mentioned Eovaldi as a possible way to lessen the financial hit signing Realmuto would be. I'm not even sure I want Realmuto.

Dalbec, JBJ & Chavis are 8 for 11 with 8 runs, 7 RBIs and 3 HRs!

Umm, because of Vazquez. Whatever value he has, you add to Eovaldi's value and get a pitcher with that total value. (We could even add someone like Chavis.) If the pitcher we get is paid as much as Eovaldi, then the money part is taken out of the equation. Why do you think Eovaldi+ Vaz= Eovaldi's equal?

He's up to .275, now. Dalbec's 7th HR is unexpected, too.

The Yanks are Houck, lined and sinkered!