moonslav59

Convenient sampling? I chose the 2 year sample size not three or 4 like I usually use to make it look worse for us. 3 "great" pitching prospects? How many are top 100? Even top 100 are often not called "great." Your view on Sale's ineffectiveness is very telling. Of course there is a huge worry about his health, but the guy has pitched very well over these last 2 years, and pitched more innings than Paxton, despite the injuries. Sale's11.1K/9 career rate is the best in history. His last 2 years: 13.5 and 13.1- both his career best. (Maybe velocity isn't everything.) K/BB: career 5.37 is the best in MLB history. Last 2 years? 6.97 & 5.89- both above his career number. Career WHIP: 1.04-- last 2 years combined: 0.97. xFIP- in 2019: 64 (second in all of MLB to G Cole) xFIP: 2.94 in 2019 and 2.91 career. These aren't"convenient fact choices. I use these stats all the time and more than any others for all pitchers. (Okay, I used ERA- a lot, too, and his is 91 this year, which is still pretty decent but is way below his career norm of 71, but using your favorite stat, BAbip, maybe it's partially a fluke (.309 in 2019)

That's the part that bother me about jacko, and I'm sure many outsiders view some of us Sox fans in the same light. For example, look how Sox fans used to roast Yankee fans because King George was buying players and rings left and right. Now, Henry is outspending many teams by 2 or 3 or more times and the next highest spending teams by $20-30M, but it's all good. Henry is great- George was evil. You know if Sale was a Yankee and Paxton a Sox, jacko would be going on and on about how Sale is the better pick going forward.

I think of trolling as someone who states outlandishly crazy or wrong positions just to get a reaction, but I suppose if a Yankee fan would come to a Sox site and only state negative things, even while they may be winning a ring- like last year- one could call him a troll. I don't see Jacko or harmony that way.They aren't Sox fans, so obviously they have different perspective, and sometimes I think their input is thought-provoking and merit. I view some Sox fans on this site as trolls or prone to trolling.

I'm sure management knows more about their injuries and the future possibilities of health and meaningful innings. If they view Sale and Price as probably pitching 300-350 IP combined, next year, then I'm sure you'd call it hope not science. If they are relatively certain of 350 IP, then their plan will reflect that fact. If their relatively certain of 200-350, they'd probably plan on getting starter depth, if they are going for a ring. It's interesting to note that the IP leader from 2018-2019 is Justin Verlander- the old man. One could argue, the Sox limited Sale's IP last year, even though he might have been able to pitch more, if needed, but let's go by just IP'd. 2018-2019 IP in the AL- Yanks vs Sox: 5. Porcello 354 (Likely not on the Sox, next year) 17. Tanaka 328 21. ERod 315 25. Sale 305 (More than Paxton) 26. Paxton 304 (Who next year, astonishingly, will be one year younger!) 28. Price 283 (15 teams in AL, so top 20 is in 2nd tier out of 5.) 35. CC 257 (Retiring) 42. German 226 (some as RP'er) 51. Severino (The iron man) 67. Eovaldi 164 85. Green 140 88. Velazquez 137 92. Johnson 134

Like nobody their age ever improves or comes back from injury. BTW, Sale pitched about as many innings as some Yankee pitchers this year and a couple more than Sevy. Price, too.

Ooops, I thought this was the realistic thread.

Not really. This post was dead over a month ago.

By tanking for consecutive years, or do you mean something else?

That was before draft slot money, when "unsignable" players fell to rich teams in the lower rounds or lower first round.

Very true, nick.

2018.

Glad to see you have a sense of humor.

It always does. Look at the years the Sox won or came real close: 1967: Lonborg 1975: Tiant, Lee & Wise 1986: Clemens, Boyd, Hurst 2004: Pedro, Schilling, Wake, Lowe 2007: Beckett, Schilling, Wake, Dice-K 2013: Lester, Lackey, Buch 2018: Sale, Price, Porcello, ERod It's no coincidence our ring years had some of our very best starting pitchers and rotations.

This year depended on that, too.

No, it's certainly been our biggest farm weakness since Lester.

Yes, because it is not falling as fast as normal balls do.

Also, Anibal Sanchez, Frankie Montas and Jalen Beeks.

Replacing Wright with Chacin makes sense, especially if Wright will cost over $2-3M.

Our possible 26 man roster opening day 2020: 6 SP: Sale, ERod, Price, Eovaldi, Wright, Johnson (out of options) 7 RP: _FA__, Workman, Barnes, Taylor, Walden, DHernandez, Hembree 2 C: Vaz & Centeno (Leon if back at near min) 2 1B: Dalbec & Ockimey (or Travis from LF) 2 2B: Chavis & Marco (or Lin/Chatham) 1 3B: Devers 1 SS: Bogey 2 LF: Beni & Travis (or Duran) 1 CF: __FA__ 1 RF: Betts 1 DH: JD Other 14 on 40 man roster: Chacin, Velazquez, Reyes, Weber, Houck, Shawaryn Brasier, Brewer, Lakins, Poyner, Kelley Lin, Chatham, Sturgeon or Gorkys

I've always lobbied for the 26 man roster, but I hope it doesn't lead to one more pitching change per game. I like the Sept limit of 28. That will avoid the 10 RP'er per game fiascoes.

I think, if we lose JBJ's salary, we'll have about $5-7M to spend and stay under the first tax line. That could get us a cheap defensive CF'er and a cheap RP'er. The rest is filled in house.

Or, you like Marco and Lin more than I do. I'm not high on Travis, but I do think Ockimey can work as a strict platoon 1B/DH type. He has killed RHPs for years: .898 in 2019 AAA .968 in 2018 AA .844 in 2017 A+ If Chavis (.742 v LHPs_ or Travis (.711 v LHPs) can do better vs lefties, we might be okay on offense at 1B. 2B looks much better defensively, if Marco and Lin play more than Chavis.

I'm thinking it's about even: 1B: Chavis, Travis, Dalbec, Ockimey 2B: Chavis, Marco, Lin, Chatham (Dalbec?)

Sox managers have been using some form of extra rest or scheduled rest days off for a long time. One could argue it sucks, but one could argue it has worked (4 rings). It's all conjecture. As for Remy and Eck being "clowns," I like Eck most of the time, but he certainly has some weird positions and has made clownish statements, like the "...rising fastball..." Remy is a cool guy, but to me, he's lost it and become a cult of himself. I think he tries to be funny, too much. That's why I referenced "clown" with him. They both make some great insights, and calling them "clowns" instead of saying they act like clowns, at times, was wrong.

Nobody is expecting Dalbec to come any where near JD on offense, and since he's one of our better defensive players, he might be the last choice at DH. Chavis & Ockimey may try and fill that roll (not like JD) after 2020. I can see the point in trading Dalbec, who is blocked at his most value fulfilling position, but we really need a 1Bman next year.