moonslav59

Maybe something like this... 3 Wright- 6 Sale 2 Johnson- 6 Prcie 3 Velazquez- 6 Porcello 2 Workman- 6 Eovaldi 2 Wright- 6 ERod 3 Johnson- 6 Sale 2 Velazquez- 6 Price 3 Workman-6 Porcello 3 Wright- 6 Eovaldi 2 Johnson- 6 ERod (A 4 man opener rotation of 2-3 IP with a 5 man rotation) 3 late inning RP'ers: Barnes, Brasier & Thornburg

Yes, that's the normal interpretation, and every team has an ace, since every team has a best pitcher. Then, fans say, "We need an ace!" But, they already have one. They really just need a better ace. Fans have also been know to say, "We have 2 or 3 aces." They never say that, if they have 3 equally mediocre best pitchers on the team, so a certain objective criteria for better performance is implied.

The best pitcher on one team might be 4th or 5th best on another.

Maybe something like this: 6 divisions of 5 teams EAST BOS NYY NYM PHI TOR BAL WSH ATL TBR MIA PIT CLE DET CIN CWS WEST CC MIL MN KC STL TX HOU COL AZ SDP SEA SF OAK LAD LAA I like this better: (5 divisions of 6 teams) EAST BOS NYY NYM PHI BAL WSH MidEast TOR PIT DET CLE CIN CWS MidWest CC MIL MN KC STL COL SOUTH ATL TBR MIA TX HOU AZ WEST SEA OAK SF LAD LAA SD (Alternative: Pit to East, Wsh to south, AZ to Mid West, Cubs to Mid East. This allows the Cubs to be with the CWS , PIT to be with PHI, and AZ to play closer their time zone, but it eliminates the BAL-WSH rivalry.) Schedules: 6 divisions of 5 teams 18 games vs own div (18 x 5= 90 games) 3 games vs 4 other divisions (3 x 20=60 games) 2 games vs 1 other division (2 x 5=10 games) 1 extra game vs 2 teams from above division (2 games) 5 divisions of 6 teams 18 games vs own division (18 x 5= 90 games) 3 games vs other divisions (3 x 24= 72 games) Neat and balanced.

"Ace" is hard term to define. Most fans call the best starter on their team their "ace." In this sense, one could argue there are 30 aces, but I'd argue a better #2 or even #3 on another team could and should replace the weaker "aces" in the top 30, but I'm okay with making a distinction between "ace" and "number ones". One could claim there are 10-20 "aces" in MLB and 30 "number ones" including the aces.

Not at all. I do think he might be regretting not taking the QO.

We will have injuries. We will likely have some decline from a player or two (or more). Then, there's losing Kimbrel, which has been beaten to death several times over. Here is where we might see some gains: Maybe... 100-150 more PAs from Devers (plus improved defense) Better production from Devers over all his 2019 PAs 150-250 more PAs from Pearce 70-90 more PAs from Betts and Bogey Better health from Nunez & Vazquez Vaz & Leon hitting their career norms (close to 100 pts better than 2018) Pedey going from 13 PAs to 113, 213, 313 or 413 PAs of decent production. JBJ stretching his 4 months of 2018 consistent offense to 6 months in 2019. 10-20 more starts from Eovaldi 6-8 more starts from ERod 4-6 more starts from Sale 3 more starts from Price (Total, we could see 30-33 more starts from these guys.)

I thought they uses a different ML service time than MLB uses to determine who is a rookie (prospect) and who is post- rookie/prospect.

It could really mess with the hitters timing, even beyond their AB (or two) vs Wright.

If you want to win, yes. This is the current range: 1's: 1.70-3.31 2's: 3.31-3.77 3's: 3.78-4.21 4's: 4.25-4.70 5's: 4.71-5.77 This is probably what you need to have a good chance at a ring: 1: 2.50-3.00 2: 3.00- 3.50 3: 3.40-3.90 4: 3.70-4.10 5: 4.00-4.50

Maybe an ace could be... ACE: 180+ IP & 3.50 ERA (Last year, 20 met this criteria) #2: 160+ IP & 4.00 ERA (Last year 23 met this but not ace criteria) #3: 140+ IP & 4.50 ERA (Last year 26 met this criteria but not the higher ones) 88 pitchers had 140+ IP #4: 120+ IP & 4.80 ERA (Last year 18 pitchers met this criteria) 106 pitchers has 120+ IP #5: 100+ IP & 5.00 ERA (Last year 22 pitcher met this criteria) 112 out of 128 pitchers met one of these criteria. To get to a sample size of 150 (30 teams x 5 starters, we have to drop the IP to about 80 IP (145 last year). That shows just how important IP'd are. Only 32 pitchers had 180+ IP last year (13 with 200+). If you go strictly by groups of 30 to determine #1, 2, 3 , and 5's, this would be the ERA cut-offs at 70+ IP (155 pitchers) in 2018: 1's: 1.70-3.31 2's: 3.31-3.77 3's: 3.78-4.21 4's: 4.25-4.70 5's: 4.71-5.77

Quality starts should be changed to something like this: 5+ IP 2 or less runs 6.1+ IP 3 runs or less 8+ IP 4 runs or less If letting up 3 runs in 6 IP- a 4.50 ERA, why isn't 4 runs in 8 IP a quality start? At least that should be added. I get the 5 IP puts a strain on your pen, but 2 runs in 5 IP is an ERA of 3.60, which is so much better than 4.50 that it makes up for the 1 IP less.

How does it work on his pay? Do we need to DFA him before opening day to avoid owing him his money? I still think we trade him for a "non-descript minor leaguer" maybe slightly better.

Pomeranz was a top 5 starter to start 2018. Our preseason top 5 and 2018 GS'd 27 Sale 30 Price 33 Porcello 11 Pomeranz 23 ERod Total: 124 4 Wright (6th starter Total: 128 from our top 6 starters on opening day. Yankees 32 Severino 27 Tanaka 23 Gray 29 Sabathia 6 Montgomery Total: 117 11 German (6th starter) 128 from top 6.

That's very deceptive. Pom was clearly in our top 5 last spring. Wright was our 6th starter. You guys have Paxton, instead of Lynn and Gray.

I'd add Dalbec to the maybe list. Lin, Travis & Poyner are still listed on soxprospects.com, but are they still considered official prospects?

IMO, our best hope is striking gold with an international FA signing or two. The sudden death or Daniel Flores hurt our farm a lot. Our biggest bonuses of late have been: $1.6M Danny Diaz $1.4M Antoni Flores $1.15M Eduardo Lopez 2011-2015 $31.5M Y Moncada (+ a hefty 100% tax) $5.4M R Castillo (+ a hefty contract) $4M D Hinojosa $2.1M T-W Lin $1.8M Anderson Espinoza $1.5M Rafael Devers $1.5M C. Acosta $900K Raymond Flores $800K M Margot

Thanks for the links. 154 different players were selected for varying top 100 lists. Not surprising, since once you get to #60 or 70, it's pretty much a crap shoot.

It's been this way for a while. I guess there are no aces anymore.

If Pedey can give us 100 solid games and be ready for the playoffs, it could be a huge boost. Our 2B was pretty crappy last year. 22nd in WAR 17th UZR/150 (thanks, in part to Kinsler) We can hope Pedey can improve on our 2B OPS of .658 and the defense from 2018.

I'm not surprised by our #30, and I hope those who thought we could rebuild the farm quickly realize just how hard it is, but I didn't expect the Yanks to be above 18th or 20th. I'm still not convinced. All I ever hear is you can't count on far away prospects.

Assuming good health, I guess they could DH him when JD rests or is in the OF, but Pearce may be pushing for more PAs through that same route.

You'd be close but wrong.

I like the idea of using roughly the top 30 pitchers as the criteria for considering someone as an "ace". There are, in theory, 150 slots in MLB's 30 team rotations. Being in the top 20% makes you part of the conversation. Porcello would clearly be the best pitcher on several teams right now. Does that make him an ace? I wouldn't go that far, because then any pitcher that is better than the worst #1 pitcher on a given team could be called the ace of that team, if he was traded there. I know the criteria is hotly debated, but being 18th in WAR is pretty impressive. 24th in WHIP adds to the argument that Porcello is at least close to an ace. Personally, I'd call him a decent #2 or a solid #3. I'd call Sale the best of the #1's. The ace of aces. I'd call Price a decent ace or a solid #2. Eovaldi can be a #2, if healthy. ERod may someday be a #1 or 2, but I'd call him a decnt #3 right now. Severino is a true ace. Paxton could be an ace, if he ever gets near 200 IP. He's a 2, now. Happ has pitched like a solid #2 over the last 3 years. Tanaka is hard to call. I'd say decent #2 or solid #3. CC is on his way out, but he's likely a good 4.

If the top 30 starters in MLB are called "an ace," then in the last 3 years combined, Porcello places... 18th in WAR 24th in WHIP 41st in ERA-