moonslav59

This season Boston returns the same basic group of talented regulars and starting pitchers that set that franchise record for wins just two years ago. This is just plain false. Yes, some additions by subtractions listed below, but look at who we replaced these guys with... Missing from the 2018 roster are (listed by most PAs or IP in 2018): PA 6. Nunez 502 8. Moreland 459 9. Holt 367 10. Leon 288 12. Swihart 207 13. HRam 195 14. Pearce 165 (very important in playoffs) 15. Kinsler 143 IP 1. Porcello 191 5. Johnson 99 (still in system- not on 40 man roster) 7. Pomeranz 74 8. Kelly 66 9. Kimbrel 62 (most high leverage) 13 Wright 54 16 Thornburg 24 8 out of the top 15 PA guys gone. 6 of the top 13 IP guys gone. This is NOT the 2018 team, and neither was the 2019 team.

I don't disagree, but I seem to be getting mixed messages from you on what you think the Sox should have done. I'm all for your position of signing cheap guys to add depth, but are you for resetting or going for one last hurrah? I think we both agree playing the middle ground is the worst choice. (Not that we will end up doing this all year.)

If anybody can pay Betts $400M, it's Henry and a small few other owners willing to take that plunge. My guess is he gets $350M/10 or 11. Certainly resetting makes it more doable, but even if someone outbids us, that money can be used (with much lower taxes) to sign multiple players to get us back to the top. 50% of $35M is $17.5M. 20% is $7M. That $10M in year one can get us a decent player or two.

Clemens Bonds Schill (maybe on last ballot, but I'm leaning no.) Rolen (not sure) Wagner (nope) Helton (nope) Manny (YES!) Andruw Jones (maybe) 2021 Buehrle (Not likely, but maybe last ballot) 2022 ARod (make him wait) Ortiz (YES) Teixeira (Nope) 2024 Beltre Maybe)

That's how I see it: maybe lose Betts, so we can keep him. If we can shed Price's contract by packaging him with Betts, our budget will be set up very nicely for 2021-2022. Just shedding Betts to reset, but keeping Price or Eovaldi will just create a similar situation as we face now: too little budget space to fill all our most pressing needs.

It's one of those punts that gained about 10-15 yards in field position, if that. The only reason I said 10-15 is that we are still in a position where we can easily reset, even if we wait until July- unless, God forbid, Betts, Price & Eovaldi are all hurt.

"punt" is not always giving up on a game. Usually, it is not. We are not taking a knee, down 28-0 with 30 seconds left, but we are punting the ball away by not making any significant moves to even replace the players we lost from a non playoff 2019 team. Don't get me wrong, I was fine with not going out and spending this year, but I expected a reset. Doing neither is my last choice (not that we can't still spend & compete or reset by season's end).

I rhink they look at the short list of unanimous or near unanimous names and don't think those tow are better than some below them. The bigger injustice is the 5-10 voters who left others off their first ballot. I'm glad one guy left Jete off. If I had a vote, it would be 2 "no's."

It looks like the plan is to role the dice we have and wait until July to make any hard choices. Punting is a strategy better suited for football, but sometimes it may work in baseball. At least it keeps enough fans thinking there is a chance. It's not like I think we have no chance. We have a better chance than some years, long ago, and I still watched every pitch of every game back then, too. It would be nice to see some magic, this year. I just hope punting does not lengthen the rise back to the top. It looks like I'm in a small minority on this one, but we'll see what happens.

Highest % Vote in History: 100 Mo 99.7 Jete 99.3 Griffey 98.8 Seaver 98.8 Ryan 98.5 Ripken 98.2 Cobb 98.2 Brett 97.8 Aaron 97.6 Gwynn 97.3 Randy Johnson 97.2 G Maddux 97.2 C Jones 96.5 Schmidt 96.4 Bench 95.6 Carlton 95.1 Ruth 95.1 Wagner 94.8 R Henderson 94.7 Mays 94.6 Yaz 94.0 Appling 93.8 Feller 93.6 R Jackson 93.4 Williams 93.2 Musial 92.9 Guerrero 92.7 Clemente 92.6 Palmer 92.0 B Robinson 91.9 Glavine 91.9 Boggs 91.7 O Smith 91.1 Pedro 90.7 Mathewson 90.5 Carew 90.0 R Alomar

Jete misses by one. Walker 76.6% on 10th ballot. Schill gets 70% on 8th ballot. Close call on future votes. Clemens 61% on 8th. My guess is he gets in on the 10th. Bonds 61% on 8th. Same as Roger. Vizquel 53% on 3rd. I doubt he makes it. Next year, these guys will be on the ballot: Mark Buehrle Tim Hudson Torii Hunter (None are better than Clemens, Bonds & Schill.)

At this point, I honestly don't even care to hear what the setback is. Pedey is toast. Thanks for the laser memories.

It's not happening, but I'll bite. If we are 10 over in July, some players stock will have risen. I'd still have a fire sale. There's no way I'd trade prospects to try and improve our chances. It's time to let go. It's not worth betting the future on 25 to 1 odds or worse. We need to start yesterday on improving our long term plan. We've already wasted time going nowhere. If we wanted to win in 2020, we could have done something about it. We didn't. There's nothing left in the cupboards to raid. Clinging to super long odds on a 2020 miracle is going to hamper and prolong our rise back to the top.

Of the 9 players Bloom acquired, 6 are pitchers. Plawecki, Peraza & Auraz are non pitchers. Perez is a SP'er- the other 5 RP'ers. Of the 5 in-system additions, 2 are pitchers: Hart is projected as a SP'er in AAA and Aybar is projected to start in single A, so we won't be seeing him in 2020.

Last year, I believe we went the whole year with 13 pitchers. I don't recall that ever happening before. (Can anybody check that?) With the 26th man added this year, I'm thinking it might be a stretch to think we go with 14 pitchers for any extended period of time. Here is our pitching depth chart as I see it, assuming everyone is healthy: Rotation (5): Sale, ERod, Price, Eovaldi, Perez Long Relievers (2): D Hernandez & Velazquez Relievers (6): Workman, Barnes, Taylor, Walden, Hembree, Brasier Others on 40 man roster (10): Brice, Weber, Hart, Shawaryn, Brewer, Osich, Mazza, Springs, M Hall, D Reyes Others NOT on 40 man roster who may conribute in 2020 (9): B Johnson, B Poyner, T Houck, D McGrath, B Mata, T Ward, J Diaz, D Feltman, E Bazardo Am I forgetting someone?

So Jete won't be unanimous. Walker deserves in.

Here are the players added to the 40 man roster by Bloom: (Red = 9 acquired by Bloom) Josh Osich Bobby Dalbec CJ Chatham Marcus Wilson Yoan Aybar Kyle Hart Jonathan Arauz Jose Peraza Martin Perez Chris Mazza Kevin Plawecki Austin Brice Jeffery Springs Matt Hall

MLBTR reports... Red Sox Trade Travis Lakins To Cubs, Outright Bobby Poyner By Steve Adams | January 21, 2020 at 2:35pm CDT The Red Sox traded right-hander Travis Lakins to the Cubs in exchange for a player to be named later or cash, both teams announced Tuesday afternoon. The Sox added that left-hander Bobby Poyner went unclaimed on outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Pawtucket. Both teams now have full 40-man rosters. Lakins, 25, was designated for assignment last week. Although he’d consistently ranked in the No. 15-25 range of a thin Boston farm system, the Ohio State product has yet to put together a particularly strong showing in the Majors or in the upper minors. Lakins made his big league debut this past season, yielding a 3.86 ERA with a lackluster 18-to-10 K/BB ratio in 23 2/3 innings for Boston. His work in Triple-A has been rather similar, as he’s compiled a 3.82 ERA with 8.4 K/9, 4.1 BB/9 and slightly below-average grounder rates in parts of two seasons there. Scouting reports on Lakins praise his curveball as a potential above-average offering, and he did average 93.8 mph on his heater in his brief MLB work. Clearly, the new Chaim Bloom-led front office isn’t enthralled with the right-hander, but the Cubs and their ongoing quest to stockpile ’pen depth without actually adding to the payroll in a meaningful way saw enough upside to take a flier. Poyner, meanwhile, limped to a 6.94 ERA in just 11 2/3 innings last year. He posted solid numbers for the BoSox in his debut campaign (2018) and has averaged nearly 10 punchouts per nine innings pitched over the life of his minor league career. Having gone unclaimed, Poyner will remain in the organization without requiring a 40-man roster spot, so the Sox could take another look at him down the line in 2020.

I'm fine with people clinging to 2020 hopes, but I take issue with anyone who thinks keeping everyone doesn't affect 2021 and beyond. I'm not saying our opinions matter to the team and how well or poorly they do, but the win here and now philosophy is what got us into this scrape, and it seems like some are finding it hard to let go of that mentality. To me, doing that as the GM will severely impact our longer term hopes. Doing that as a fan comes natural to many and has no affect on the team's present or future.... nor does hoping we start the rebuild now.

That's your choice, but I'm not going to pretend it won't affect 2021 and beyond, if we keep everyone for the long odds of 2020.

On top of all this, all the good AL teams, except the Astros improved over the winter (on paper). I get how being a fan means believing in your team, but how about believing in 2021 and beyond? This all our eggs into a sketchy 2020 season seems absurd, to me.

Gobble dee goop. We sucked last year after losing Kimbrel, Kelly, Pom, Nunez and more. We just lost Porcello, Moreland, Pearce and more. We gained Perez and Peraza. Call it whatever you want, but there are great odds against us having even a decent season, let alone a strong one. Clinging to a faint hope will only make 2021 and beyond worse. Time to cut our loses and look beyond 2020. I'm trying to be optimistic by hoping 2021 might bring high hopes (maybe 2022), but if we shoot high for 2020, I'm thinking 2023 might end up being our best hope.

There can be no "crank." All the best FAs are gone. We've already lost more than we've gained, so far this winter, and the starting point was a team that missed the playoffs and has numerous health issues that don't appear to be imrpoving. I'm not sure we'll end up with penalties, and we shouldn't plan on it, but even if we do get some- all the more reason to get some young talent any way possible.

I'm all for that, but you rarely find "young" in free agency. I'd be fine, if we spent the money for Betts on quality arms, and I trust Bloom to know who those are. No more Price & Eovaldi blunders.

Wrong, the reset greatly alters the product going forward (not for the good in 2020). Regardless of what the penalties are, we'll be better off, going forward, with 2 prospects and a reset budget. It's funny how you've been bashing the Sox for months and now say they have the talent to make the playoffs. Which is it?