moonslav59

The player who bats 4th gets more RBI chances than the guy who bats 3rd, despite getting 20-30 less PAs over a season.

If a slump is scoring 12 runs in the last 3 games and 52 in the last 9, then we aren't so bad off.

Good points, but it we will still need a solid #2 next year, and it will likely cost much more than $3.8M to do it via free agency. I'm not sure we have prospects we want to trade for one. We need to rebuild our farm not shorten it. We may find a good solution within the system, but I'd rather hope on Pedey, Nunez. Holt, Hernandez and others at 2B than Hembree, Workman, Smith and Brasier to be our solid #2, assuming Thornburg is our #1 and we can only afford one semi-major acquisition. This is just talking the theory of what our number 1-2-3 priorities will be this winter. If we get a solid closer (which may be Kimbrel returning), then maybe I'd put 2B ahead of a strong set-up man, but if we are relying on Thornburg, Smith, Barnes or Brasier to close, we'd better get 2 strong set-up men before a 2Bman, in my book. First, because our closer will probably be weaker, and second, because our best set-up man will be moving to closer causing us to not only lose Kelly at set-up but another guy, too.

Nice to see Velazquez and our pen do well. This is two days in a row for our pen. I think those two days off sandwiched around the Philly series helped. Time for the O to turn it on again.

I'd call 'em even since mid June.

That's what I said last year, too. However, we were fighting for not having to play the WC game. (I still wanted to rest Sale, then- not saying I was right.)

I don't see a significant amount going to LC, but yes, more than earlier in the year. They still play the shift on him, so the opps haven't felt he's going the other way enough to change their strategies.

I disagree. While the Kelly of the last month should be easy to replace, he's been a net plus over the season. I'd rather have Kelly in 2019 than Smith or Hembree, two that will likely move up to or near his slot.

While true, he was hitting the ball pretty hard when at .510, too. JBJ is still pulling the ball, now. They are just falling for hits or going over the fences.

Replacing what Pom has given us this year will be easy. It's addition by subtraction. Replacing Kimbrel, Kelly, Eovaldi & Pearce will be harder. Yes, 2B is a concern, but I would not be surprised, if we wait to do anything at 2B until we see how Pedey and Nunez are doing healthwise. Maybe make a deadline deal.

If Sale can continue pitching like he did his last start, maybe he should get 10 days off between every start. Seriously though, get this guy as much rest as he needs. He's a machine out there, when healthy.

Yes, JBJ had great "protection" when he was at .510, too.

So are they! The A's were 9-10 when they took 2 of 3 from us at home. They went 8-10 after beating us. They then took 2 of 3 from us at Fenway in May. They finished May 8-6 after beating us. They were a near .500 team when the beat us twice. We were 16-2 when we arrived in Oakland in May. I think we went 10-8 between the two series. I think the A's have the second best record since May 31st at 46-21. We are best at 49-19. However, look at the two records since June 16th: 40-11 BOS 40-13 A's One could argue that over the most recent third of a season, we have played about the same great ball as each other.

Losing Kimbrel & Kelly makes getting a top RP'er a higher priority than 2B, where we will have Nunez, Holt, Hernandez, Lin and maybe Quiroz in the mix. While this pen might not be bad, it probably won't be top 10 or 15: Thornburg Smith Barnes Braiser Hembree Workman 2 from Wright/Johnson/Velazquez (assuming the rotation is 100% healthy) Scott/Poyner/Walden/Maddox Haley/Shawaryn/Cuevas/Shepherd/D Hernandez Houck/Feltman/Lakins

That too. UZR/150 2008-2014 +2.3 (+6.0 in 2014)

Dalbec with 2 dbls and an RBI. Kent 6.2 IP 0 ER 2H 4 BB Alex Scherff 4 IP1 ER 2H 0 BB 5 K

He's becoming what we all hoped he could be.

I'm far from giving up on Devers, especially his bat. I just see him as moving to 1B sooner than most. I guess DD saw Nunez as the insurance at 3B (and 2B). the problem is, Nunez is not really better on defense at 3B than Devers is. Better arm- worse range and reflexes.

It's like the Astros are the 2017 Red Sox. 2017> 2018 OPS (listed in order of most PAs in 2017) .957> .857 Altuve .889>.768 Springer .827 .817> .714 Gurriel .847> .724 Reddick .907> .708 Gonzalez .666> n/a Beltran .941> .799 Correa .759> .606 McCann .767 .815> .690 Marisnick

...and how Cora gets the credit or blame depending on how well or baldy they do.

Feeling good despite the Sale to DL news. Nice win. A's are tied with the 'stros. WOW!

I'll give my two cents, if you don't mind. $47M +$9M= $56M We're about $41M over the luxury tax limit now. That leaves $15M, if we want to reset (not likely, unless maybe if we win a ring this fall). We could spend $55M and straddle the maxline again in 2019, if we make a strong drive for a (another) ring. Other spending adjustments this winter: +$1M Sale option(plus another $1M, if he wins the Cy Young) + ~26M in arbs raises: Betts $10.5M > ~$18.5M (2 of 3 arbs) Bogey $7M> ~$13M (3 of 3) J B J $$6M> ~$9M (3 of 4) ERod $2.4M>~$6.4M (2 of 4) Holt $2.2M> ~$3.2M (3 of 3) Thornburg $2M> ~$2.5M (3 of 3) S Leon $2M> ~$2.5M (3 of 4) Barnes $606K> ~$1.6M (1 of 3) Wright $1.1M> ~$1.6M (2 of 3) Hembree $582K>~$1M (1 of 3) Swihart $564K> ~$1M (1 of 3) Smith $850K> ~$1M (2 of 3) That's about $27M total, before we even try to fill any slots left vacant by departing free agents. We'd be $12M over the luxury tax (year 2 consecutive) and $27M from the max line. In house possibilities? Kimbrel- Thornburg, Smith, Kelly, Barnes (Houck/Feltman) (Then we'd need to fill another set-up role, if one moves to closer) Kelly- Everyone else moves up one notch (Barnes, Thornburg, Smith, Hembree, Brasier, Workman... Pom- Wright, Johnson or Velazquez Eovaldi- (same as above) Pearce- Travis/Ockimey/Dalbec/Chavis (Devers to 1B?) Kinsler- Pedey/Nunez/Holt/MHernandez (Lin/Quiroz)

I was certainly higher on Moose than LoMo or Duda, because I was worried about Devers and his learning curve under a hot spotlight at 3B. Duda and LoMo cannot play 3B. None have really done well this year, but Moose has been better than the other two. I'm sure glad we didn't get hosed with Hosmer.

Better than horrific can still be pretty bad. The issue with Devers is just his arm. I'm not down-playing the problem, but is range is fine right now.

Another very nice catch and two hits. He's at .698 now after being at .510 three months ago.