moonslav59

Please don't say "nobody believed me." There were plenty of us who knew we were going for broke and would have to pay later. Plenty.

I certainly agree he looks more like a RP'er at this point in his career, but I wouldn't count him out as a starter option. We may also try to use him as a 2-3 IP starter and long man, where he basically just goes once through a line-up. What about Houck?

It looked that way, yesterday, but maybe LSU is just a juggernaut. Would you put Oregon, Florida, Wisconsin or anyone else ahead of them in the final poll? I will admit the 5-10 teams are pretty bunched up.

I think any trade we make will be based on making the team better, except for maybe the one or two we make to get under the tax line, assuming we go that route. Trading JBJ will likely not make us "better now," but he just has one year of team control, so it seems he will be the guy dealt to put us barely under the luxury tax line. Any further moves will require a delicate balance of money, if we indeed try to stay under all year. I get the reasons why we want to stay competitive, or at least appear competitive to fans and viewers, and I'd very much like us to stay competitive or semi-competitive every year, but I fear trying to stay marginally competitive my hamper efforts or extend the time period it takes for us to become highly competitive. In my opinion, trying to get to highly competitive as quickly as possible without harming the extended future is a worthy goal. The whole budget- luxury tax issue is what mucks up mostly short but also long term plans, and us fans not really knowing how firm the commitment is to reset makes it hard for us to suggest or discuss reasonable or possible moves we can make to improve the team now and or for 2021 and beyond. I seriously doubt we trade both Betts and JD, except maybe at the deadline, if we are out of it. Trading even one seems like a less than 50-50 idea, again unless it's at the deadline. More likely, we trade JBJ, stay near the line and make the big choice in July.

Damn Ohio State! Here's how I project the final rankings: 1. Ohio State 2. LSU 3. Clemson 4. Oklahoma 5. Georgia 6. Oregon 7. Florida 8. Wisconsin 9. Baylor 10. Penn St. 11. Utah 12. Auburn 13. Alabama 14. Memphis 15. Michigan 16. Notre Dame 17. Boise State 18. Iowa 19. Minnesota 20. Appalachian State

The trade simulator accepted this trade: Eovaldi, JBJ, Chavis, Duran to CLE for Kluber, Hand, Santana, Carrasco & Luplow It looks like overkill, but CLE would save a lot of money in 2020, but not the next 2 years. Santana $20M (Lux) + option ($17.5M w $500K buyout) Kluber $16.5M + option ($14M w $1M buyout) Carrasco $11.75M x 3 + option ($14M w $3M buyout) Hand $6.6M + option ($10M w $1M buyout) $54M in 2020 Total $14M min (w 3 buyouts) to $53M (no buyouts) in 2021 $12M in 2022 CLE gets: $17M x 3 Eovaldi $11M x 1 JBJ $28M in 2020 total (Save $26M) $17M in 2021 $17M in 2022 The Sox would have to then trade Price or Betts to have any chance at resetting, or trade Martinez & Santana or Kluber.

I'm not a Choo fan. I'm not an Odor or Myers fan either. We'd deal Martinez, Chavis & Duran for Kopech to the White Sox and play Choo at DH.

They're adding $15M next year but more afterwards. I guess we could send some cash or take on Ramos's $9.5M x 1.

Is there no chance DHern is used as a starter? You think Houck is not ML ready or not better than Velazquez?

Even if that is true, and I'm not sure I agree, the $32M to $17M keeps Price #1 in my book. What's the chances of Price instead of Eovaldi for Odor being accepted by TX? What if we took on Mathis & Choo?

We were at about 60-70% of their opening day payroll back in 2004 & 2005. The Yanks outspent us every year from 1999 to 2018. http://www.stevetheump.com/Payrolls.htm

Clemson & LSU got the job done convincingly. Oklahoma squeaked out an OT win. Now, it's up to Ohio State. They're down 14-7 near halftime. If Ohio State wins, I see the final rankings as such: 1. Ohio State (If the barely win, I suppose LSU could jump to #1.) 2. LSU 3. Clemson 4. Oklahoma 5. Georgia 6. Florida 7. Oregon 8. Wisconsin 9. Baylor 10. Penn St. 11. Utah 12. Auburn 13. Alabama 14. Memphis 15. Michigan 16. Notre Dame 17. Boise State 18. Iowa 19. Minnesota 20. Appalachian State If Wisconsin wins... 1. LSU 2. Clemson 3. Ohio State 4. Oklahoma 5. Wisconsin 6. Georgia 7. Florida 8. Oregon 9-20 same as above

This has nothing to do with the trade simulator, despite me bringing it up. 1 year of a player like Betts in the heart of his prime would bring mega bucks due to the low risk attached to a 1 year deal. I am 100% certain someone would pay Betts over $40M for just 1 year. My guess is it would be closer to $50M than $40M. He may end up getting $35M x 10, and that type of contract would be based on setting his value something like this: $50M year 1 $45M yr 2 $45M yr 3 $40M yr 4 $35M yr 5 $35M yr 6 $30M yr 7 $25M yr 8 $25M yr 9 $20M yr 10

About 6-8 teams would sign Betts to $40-50M for 1 year as a FA. There is little risk. Of course someone would pay $28M/1. The issue is how much would they give up for him? If his trade value is $50M, like the trade simulator suggests, one would think it would have to be a lot. If we took back $10-15M in salary from return players, then one would expect a nice haul.

How about... (Lux tax $)? Betts ($28M/1) Eovaldi ($17M x 3) Chavis & Walden for Syndergaard ($10M + last arb) Familia ($10M x 2) Jed Lowrie ($10M x 1)

I agree. I also agree with your order of wish list. If we could do the deals you suggested- Price for Myers and Eovaldi for Odor, we'd have the 1B and 2B holes filled and could afford to trade Chavis (some might say Dalbec). Maybe we get a cheap CF'er for Chavis and a cheap RP'er for JBJ. With the money saved (~$25M), we could sign 2 SP'ers. Maybe Roark, Teheran and Lindblom.

Oklahoma squeaks by. They need Georgia to lose. I hate the Sooners. Go Bulldogs!

Also, assuming we trade Betts & others, the better we position ourselves for 2021 and beyond, the more likely Betts might want to come back. If we go for broke in 2020, come up short, and have nothing to show by not trading anyone, we'll be in sad shape for 2021 and attracting Betts to return might be more diffficult. Of course, if we out bid everyone, that should be enough, regardless.

It's supposed to be garbage: we're dumping Eovaldi. The ides is to gain some budget space to add more depth.

It took this one: Eovaldi, Chavis & JBJ for Belt & Yaz. We could kick in some cash, too. I just posted: Eovaldi, Chavis & Chatham for Belt & Dubon

I was glad to see Utah's chances squashed last night, but I hope Oregon doesn't sneak in. To me, the winner of OK-Baylor will go, if GA loses. If GA wins, then no OK, Baylor or Oregon. Assuming Clemson wins.... LSU wins: 1. LSU (They will keep Ohio St.S #1) 2. Ohio State (LSU) 3. Clemson 4. Oklahoma or Baylor GA wins... 1. Ohio St 2. Clemson 3. Georgia 4. LSU (I doubt OK-Baylor winner jumps LSU.)

Are you considering JBJ being a gonner, or are you just counting the $17M+ nplayers?

Are we the only team left?

JBJ at $11M for 1 year is not what Pitt wants, right now. If we trade JBJ, it would be to free up the full $11M.

One's arm is hanging by a thread- one has had a hodge podge of non-career threatening injuries.