moonslav59

Yes. We will sign a big FA at some point. I think we'll wait until we think we are one stud away from being a top contender before doing that, so now is the time to find some hidden gems and low cost - team controlled role players that can get us closer to the "pounce time."

I never even knew he'd come back.

The money. Fans expect players getting paid that much to do as well or better than they were doing before the signing, even if that is unrealistic. I was okay with the signing, as I felt he was likely the best or one of the best FA Sp'ers on the market for a 5-7 year stretch. We needed an ace. There he was. Had we signed Scherzer the prior season (instead of Pablito and Ramito), the fans would be happier. Many felt the deal was too long, but a necessity to land a gem like him. We expected he'd give us some great years early on and then probably be a burden towards the end of the deal. It turns out we mitigated some of the back end losses, but paying $16M a year for nothing is still a large sunken cost. Now, did he give us even close to what we expected for the first 4 years? I guess it depends on each of our expectations, but I think it's safe to say almost all of us thought he could have given us more. Without that playoff performance, we might be nearly unanimous on this (year, right!). I won't dive too deeply into the numbers, but he gave us 98 starts and 588 IP in 4 seasons That's about 24 starts and 147 IP a year. While that doesn't seem awful, the guy had been a horse before the signing: GS/IP (reverse order before our signing him) 32/220 34/248 (led league in both) 27/187 31/211 34/224 (led in GS) 32/209 (He did lead the league in IP his first year with the Sox, but the 358 IP the last 3 years combined really hurt. That's less than 120/yr.) ERA/WHIP 3.38/1.199 first 4 years with TBR 2.90/1.087 middle 4 years with TBR & DET/TOR 3.84/1.204 with Boston ERA+ 117 first 4 133 middle 4 118 last 4 I realize it's not all about numbers, but I for one, expected better in those 4 years. He wasn't bad. It wasn't a bust, but at the price, Price was not worth the price tag.

Sox Prospects just updated their list by adding the prospects we traded for and shuffling a few here and there. Here is the updated list: https://soxprospects.com/ 1. Casas 2. Downs 3. Mata 4. Duran (up from 7) 5. Song 6. Dalbec 7. Jimenez 8. Groome 9. Ward 10. Houck 11. Rosario 12. Seabold 13. Yorke 14. Lugo 15. Potts

I will add, I think it's a close call, but at his age and with his injury history, I would not sign him as a FA for what he is still owed by the Dodgers.

Finding gems in the dumpster was supposed to be Blooms strong area. He deserves more time, but it would have been nice to see some results, already. Perez looks like a nice get, but $6M is not really dumpster diving. Besides Valdez and Osich, here's an incomplete list of "dives:" Chris Mazza Mike Kickham Kevin Plawecki Jeffrey Springs (for S Travis) Matt Hall (for Jhon Nunez) Cesar Puello Kevin Pillar (since traded) Jonathan Lucroy Collin McHugh Josh Osich (since traded) Jhonny Pereda (for Lakins) Zack Godley Dylan Covey Stephen Gonsalves Robert Stock Christian Arroyo Pivetta & Seabold (for Workman & Hembree) Potts & Rosario (for Moreland) PTBNLs (for Pillar & Osich)

I would not sign Price for what the Dodgers are paying him and still owe him. IMO, it was a net gain for us by losing him and half his contract, by itself.

Is this guy the only silver lining we have left for the 2020 season? (Perez? Verdugo?)

I think the assumption was they'd be over the cap after 2021.

I'd have liked someone different, too. I'm glad we ended up with a ring, or DD would be roasted alive. I'm just saying I think pushing Ben aside too early was the bigger mistake. Had we not won a ring under DD, then I'd change my choice.

There's just never any consistency on these last second foul calls.

Agreed. I say it every year, but this is the worst Sox staff I've seen in decades. Injuries are part of that point, but even a healthy ERod, Sale & Eovaldi still leaves our staff seriously lacking.

It's hard to notice a lost step. He never was fast to begin with. He still looks fluid and solid, but two years of numbers in decline are hard to ignore. There are a lot of great defensive CF'ers who can't hit well out there.

Being a Bucks fan from the Lew Alcindor days has not been easy. I thought this "might be the year," but it looks bad, right now.

#7 Beni 2015 #7 Trey Ball 2013 #7 Trot Nixon 1993 #3 Mike Garman 1967 #4 Ken Brett 1966 #5 Billy Conigliaro 1965

As far as I know, never. We had #3 in '67 and haven't been above #7 since.

Here is a list of some of the best, probable FAs available this winter: SP Trevor Bauer OF George Springer SP Marcus Stroman OF Marcell Ozuna CL Kirby Yates 2B DJ LeMahieu SS Marcus Semien C JT Realmuto LF Michael Brantley 3B Justing Turner DH Nelson Cruz I'm sure I missed some names.

Truly a legend.

To me, it was more about not giving Ben one more year than hiring DD.

He's my favorite Sox player and has been for years, but his defense has slipped. I would not offer him that much.

True, but we added some known commodities in Jeter, Wong and others.

We might get more than 34 IP from Eovaldi, too, but counting on that would be a mistake. Our pitching staff is absurdly bad. Our best WHIP, this year, is Perez at 1.274 and Valdez at 1.286. All the others, still on the team, except for Eovaldi are over 1.35. All but Valdez have an ERA over 4.50!

I had hoped with the trades made, we'd be a little higher, but this shows just how hard it is to build a strong farm while winning so much and spending over the limits.

So here's what you're working with, plus the 7 they need to add: C: Vazquez, Plawecki, Wong CIF: Devers, Chavis, Dalbec, Potts MIF: Pedroia, Bogaerts, Chatham, Arauz, Peraza OF: Benintendi, Martinez, Wilson, Verdugo, Rosario UT: Lin, Munoz SP: Rodriguez, Sale, Eovaldi, Weber, Hart, Perez, Godley, Pivetta, Groome, Houck, Mata, Seabold RP: Barnes, Walden, Brasier, Brewer, Taylor, Hernandez, Aybar, Brice, Springs, Valdez, Stock, Triggs, Leyer Swing: Mazza, Hall, Covey, Kickham We certainly don't have a roster crunch. (I highlighted, in red, those I wouldn't cry if DFA'd or traded for scraps...not even counting Eovaldi. We will certainly add FA's and pieces via trades, and then there is Rule 5 additions. Here's that list to choose from (You have some listed already): Christopher Acosta Eduard Bazardo Garrett Benge Gary Calvo Pedro Castellanos Kutter Crawford Ricardo Cubillan Chad De La Guerra Jerry Downs Jose Espada Rio Gomez Jay Groome Hunter Haworth Tanner Houck Matt Kent Jose Larez Adam Lau Dominic LoBrutto Everlouis Lozada Bryan Lucas Charlie Madden Alan Marrero Joan Martinez Bryan Mata Tate Matheny Alexander Montero Oddanier Mosqueda Brendan Nail Brett Netzer Tanner Nishioka Emerson Ortiz Michael Osinski Yorvin Pantoja Isaac Pinales Antonio Police Hudson Potts Bobby Poyner Roniel Raudes Austin Rei Denyi Reyes Jeremy Rivera Jeisson Rosario Jagger Rusconi Yasel Santana Zach Schellinger Alex Scherff Nick Sciortino Connor Seabold Mike Shawaryn Kervin Suarez Jake Thompson Josh Tobias Connor Wong Minor League FAs, unless added to 40 man: Stetson Allie Christina Arroyo Roldani Baldwin Jett Bandy Seth Blair Rusney Castillo Juan Centeno Enmanuel De Jesus Jhonathan Diaz Raynel Espinal Yoel Espinal Stephen Gonsalves Trevor Hildenberger Ryder Jones Tommy Joseph Kevin Lenik Nick Longhi Jonathan Lucroy Daniel McGrath Joey Meneses Johan Mieses Josh Ockimey Jhonny Pereda Cesar Puello Andrew Schwaab Caleb Simpson Kevin Steen Cole Sturgeon Domingo Tapia Konner Wade Tom Windle

I don't disagree. I actually said, "Trade him" after his good start- right before he fizzled and went on the IL. If we can get someone to pay part of his contract or make an Eovaldi-Odor type trade, it might be worth it.