moonslav59

Some winter farm notes from soxprospects.com: 2017 first-round pick Tanner Houck (pictured) got the start in Wednesday's Super Round matchup with Australia. The righty allowed two runs on just two hits in his five innings of work, striking out five, walking two, and throwing 46 of 72 pitches (63.9%) for strikes. Unfortunately, that was all the support the Australian staff needed, holding the USA lineup to a single run and saddling Houck with the tough-luck loss. Noah Song was outstanding, going unscored upon in 3 1/3 hitless innings across three appearances. Song struck out three and walked one, with a particularly dominant effort coming in Friday's win over Taiwan. video: At the plate, CJ Chatham started all five games, going 5 for 17 with a double and two walks. Chatham played almost exclusively second base, save for two innings in left field in Monday's contest. Bobby Dalbec also started each game, twice getting the call at first base and serving as the designated hitter in the other three. He was 3 for 17 on the week with a double, three walks, and seven strikeouts. Marco Hernandez saw his first action of the winter for Licey. The infielder homered as part of a 5 for 19 week, driving in a pair of runs. All five of Hernandez's starts came at second base.

Maybe he meant by throwing in Erod to the trade. That might create a market.

I doubt any GM can create a market where one does not exist, but I think a few teams would like to have JD already. It might just be about needing money with the deal or us not getting much back in return, except salary relief and the ability to sign a few bargain FAs with the money saved.

MLBTR suggests a possible trade: Betts to CWS for 2B prospect (#40 on MLB Pipeline) Nick Madrigal. If we did that, why not trade Price for Wil Myers & a prospect and Eovalid & JD for ML ready prospects. Maybe then, we'd have the funds to re-sign Betts and a few moderate free agents and a nice core of young players to make them want to play in Boston. Note: I am not saying I want to trade Betts and others. I'm just putting this out there as a long shot option.

We'll know within a year or two some of the effects of nearly emptying the farm. The debate will likely never end, and will be revived every time one of the young guys we trade has a great season (or more). Again,I was fine with what DD did since we won a ring, but I knew the price we'd have to pay would be painful at some point.

Dumping Price (and or others) and using the savings to sign a pitcher would address the pitching issue, too.

I think the biggest advantage of resetting is that it allows us to go way over the line in 2021 (sign Betts?) without major taxes.

Maybe the Yanks can work out some sort of work-release or furlough program.

Putting a SS/3Bman like HRam in the OF might be more dangerous than the 1B, but I don't think playing an OF'er in the OF 5 games a year is more dangerous than asking him to learn how to play 1B- a position that is involved in many more plays per game and is something very new to him. Plus, if JD is taught to play 1B, my guess is the plan would be for more than 5 games.

I don't want JD playing in the field at all. I'm okay with a handful of games in the OF in NL parks, when needed. I do think there is less risk of him getting hurt playing a position he's played for more than a decade and maybe has 2-4 plays a game hit his way. I think, for him, 1B would be more dangerous. Plus, I don't want to do anything to distract him from his hitting, and that takes a lot of his time already.

If two offers are very close, he may consider location, local taxes and family preferences.

Yes, but all those things are unavoidable. Playing 1B rather than DH is a choice made and a bigger gamble.

I guess everyone else who missed JF doesn't know pitching, either. I would not write off Kopech just yet, either.

It's not that simple. Placing and aged, sore-backed player in any new position is a gamble. BTW, I'm not for playing him in the OF either. he should DH only with maybe a handful of games in the OF at NL parks.

Maybe JD said he does not want to play 1B. Maybe Sox management doesn't view him as a possible capable 1Bman. Maybe they fear risk of injury. I think the Sox have had a bigger need with OF depth over 1B depth, so that alone could be the main reason. (I'm not for giving him a 1Bman's mitt next spring- at all!)

Everybody does it or tries to do it- just not to this extreme. I'm not saying they should not be punishes severely, but the art of trying to stealing signs goes way back.

Keeping him until July will not hurt season ticket sales & NESN subscriptions. It also does Betts a favor by not attaching a comp pick when he becomes a FA. It allows us to see if we can possibly win it all in 2020 but still let us retool, if we don't look competitive. The hard choice will be, if we look kind of competitive by the deadline.

Yes, but he has to get hurt or have a bad year to not be able to sign a 3+ year deal for more.

Exactly.

He makes a lot less in 2021 and 2022.

I'm not saying I like the option, but it might be better than these two options... 1) Losing Betts after 2020 and getting only a comp pick. (The ickiest choice, unless we win a 2020 ring.) 2) Trading Betts and not re-signing him after 2020. 3) Not trading Betts, missing the playoffs in 2020, then re-signing him. 4) Not trading Betts, missing the playoffs in 2020, then not re-signing him.

The odds would be better, if we got something for Betts and then re-signed him. Either way, if we re-sign Betts after 2020, I doubt there will be much lingering issues with the fans, except for during 2020.

I think JD will opt out, unless he gets hurt or has an off year. I don't think Mookie's situation plays into his choice much at all.

No, but winning in 2021 or 2022 would help them get over it.

Nobody cared who these guys were. Some felt we could have gotten more for AGon, despite us dumping CC. Despite trading one of our best players, we won the ring the very next year and all was forgotten. I'm not asking us to forget Betts- I'm hoping we re-sign him and win a ring in 2021 or 2022. Trading him (then getting him back) first might make that more likely.