moonslav59

His fat ass is blocking the light at the end of the tunnel!

I think Price is our best starter for the pen, so I start him just one game (#4). If Eovaldi starts Sunday, he does get one more day of rest. He started Monday, so his normal day would be Saturday. I'm okay with starting Eovaldi game 3 and 7, but I'd prefer Porcello in that role. Game 3 is often the biggest game. Game 7, of course, is the biggest, if it gets there. Sale would go 1 and 5, both also huge games. I don't think Porcello needs rest. He sat forever before the releif stint and only pitched 60 something pitches last night.

I think the only way Sale could be used is for a clean inning. You don't save him, in case someone falters. You save Kimbel for Sale in the 9th, assuming Porcello gets through one more inning cleanly. Again, I have no issue with Cora's choices. He's by far the best manager we've ever had. It's not even close.

You guys are all projecting what might have happened and ignoring what did happen. I actually see them judging in hindsight. Kimbrel was a good choice, but he did poorly and came oh so close to losing the game. To hear someone say, "For last nights game, Kimbrel was not better than any other alternative." is pure hindsight.

Yes, and that was always part of the Sox managerial problems-- this overblown need to make the veteran players happy at the expense of what was best for the team. JM thought he was doing Buck a favor by letting him be on the field for the celebration- never thinking he might be sealing his fate as a goat. (Note: I never see Buck as a goat. He was a major reason we got to that series, and I only blame McNamara.)

Repost: Here's how 2019 looks with MLBTR's arb estimates included: In Luxury Tax Dollars 31.1 David Price 22.0 JD Martinez 20.1 Rick Porcello 18.7 Mookie Betts 13.8 Dustin Pedroia 13.5M Chris Sale 11.9 Xander Bogaerts 7.9 Jackie Bradley Jr. 6.5 Mitch Moreland 5.0 Eduardo Nunez (with PA bonus reached) 4.8 Eduardo Rodriguez 4.5 Christian Vazquez 3.4 Brock Holt 2.3 Tyler Thornburg 2.3 Sandy Leon 1.5 Matt Barnes 1.4 Brandon Workman 1.4 Steven Wright 1.2 Heath Hembree 1.1 Carson Smith 1.1 Blake Swihart $172M Total (21 players) $2.2M Min for 4 MLB roster players $2.2M 15 players in minor leagues on 40 man roster $14.5M Player Benefits $18.5M Sandoval $209M Total That's exactly the CB Threshold next year, so if we want to reset, we'll have to trade equal salary to what we add. My guess is, it depends on winning a ring or not this year, but after 2020, we will try to reset one way or another. If we try to stay below the $40M line, what can we get for $39M?

The Dodgers reset their tax also. They seem to keep all their big named players at what ever it takes. I'd bet on the Dodgers keeping him. My guess is the Yankees get Harper and at least 2 from Keuchel, Morton and Happ.

Big health gamble, but he should be cheaper than many others.

I'd be surprised, if it doesn't have 3 newbies. Tanaka & Sev return. Gray has to win a spot or will be traded.

Probably not, but when another team spends $180M more than you in those 3 rings years, it kind of weakens your argument.

I think Eovaldi grabs a big check elsewhere. Robertson might be too costly for his age. I think we go less expensive and maybe go quantity over quality...maybe.

Yes, waiting at 2B is probably what we'll do, unless we find out early that Pedey is done. We'll probably wait at SP'er as we find out about Wright, Johnson, Velazquez and maybe even Shawaryn as they all fight to win Pom/Eovaldi's slot. 1B will likely see Moreland vs RHPs and some platoon pick-up to add. Devers will have the 3B job with Nunez and Holt looking to win time at 3b and 2B. I'm not for changing out a catcher, but many here want to up our offense from that slot. It's like all our weakest areas (maybe weaker but not weak) may be put on hold, except for the pen, which need at least a couple significant upgrades.

My first though, when I saw Sale come in, was that we were going all out to win game 4 at the expense of game 5. I didn't think they use Sale for 1 inning and then let him start game 5. It's not a normal hard-throwing day. I did not expect Sale to come out in the 9th, but I had a lot more faith in him than Kimbrel, and I even said it last night before Kimbrel imploded. If we couldn't win with sale in the 9th, we probably weren't going to win with him in game 5. Now, in hindsight, I can see the reasoning about limiting Sale to 1 IP, so he can give us meaningful and multiple innings in game 5, if needed, but now that I'm looking in hindsight, I'm thinking we could have tried this.... 6 Porcello 1 Barnes 1 Brazier 1 Sale with Kimbrel available if anyone started a fire.

No, it wouldn't surprise me if neither get offered a contract, but I still think there's an outside chance they eventually become who we hoped they'd be-- probably not 2019, but the arb estimates are low on Smith ($1.2M) and probably too high for Thornburg ($2.3M, I think).

I get the argument, and it makes sense, but to me, Pedro was the best pitcher I've ever seen, and an 80% Pedro was still better than anyone else ready to pitch that game. I have no beef with those who disagree, but I think the highly charged criticism of Little went over board, considering we're talking about taking Pedro out- not a Porcello or an Eovaldi.

I agree, but if we plan on that happening, we'll likely have to find the next "kinsler" mid season.

I did mention catcher in another post. While I do think we need to try and upgrade the bottom of our order, I'm fine with Leon & Vaz next year. I love their defense and the intangibles they bring to our staff. If we can pick up a catcher that can quickly create the same comfort level with our starters AND hit over .700, fine, but that will be very costly, and would likely force us to not upgrade in areas I think need more help: Pen 2B RH'd hitter (1B) I'd also put starting pitcher depth ahead of upgrading our catching position, but I don't think we have enough resources to go down to our 4th and 5th priorities (actually 5th and 6th, because we need at least 2 RP'ers with Kimbrel and Kelly leaving. I think we wait until the season starts to find a SP'er. I think we go with the catchers we have. We could let 2B ride and hope for the best. There's a lot of wannabees and an outside chance Pedey returns: Pedey Nunez Holt Marco Hernandez Lin Quiroz We could trade Moreland and move Devers to 1B and then take one or two from Nunez, Holt, Lin and Hernandez out of the 2B mix or use 3-4 guys to rotate among the 2 positions. We could use Devers at 3B vs RHPs and 1B vs LHPs, and then just have to use Nunez at 3B vs LHPs. Lot's of possibilities. If we want to be a strong contender next year, we can't lose Kimbrel and not improve significantly elsewhere. I don't think CF is the place. Our 2B, 1B and even 3B is by far the weakest offensive position beyond catcher. We have to have faith in Devers. He's our only real hope for a big in-house infusion or improvement over this year's team, whether it be at 3B, 1B or even DH, if we trade JBJ. I have very little faith in Chavis, Dalbec or Ockimey helping us in 2020 and beyond, and near zero hopes for 2019 with those 3. Travis is a pipe dream. We got nothin' on the farm to help us in 2019. We have to make do with shrewd moderate signings and maybe a strategic trade. We can hope DD comes through, again, on mid season deals. No choices look easy. We could sign Dozier, and he could suck or Pedey could come back strong and force an issue. We could try to go large at 1B with someone like Abreu, but at what cost? We could try to acquire another ace or solid #2 starter like Carrasco, but again, at what cost (JBJ & ERod?) We could look for mid-range guys like Eovaldi, Pearce and the Cody Allens of the world, but that's not going to make up for losing Kimbrel and Kelly.

I missed that. I thought they showed an empty pen after the HBP.

Starting Price in game also allows us to use him in relief in game 1, 5, 6 or 7. He rates to be the best starter coming out from the pen, next to Sale, who we want to avoid doing, unless it's elimination time.

You don't think Nietzsche is sexier?

I'd have pitched Sale the 8th and 9th, but I have no issues with Cora going with the guy who got us here- Kimbrel. As bad as Kimbrel looked, I'm not sure any other pitcher could have regained his composure in such a high leverage situation as Kimbrel put himself into last night. Nobody was warming up in the 9th. It was sink or swim with kimbrel. (Note: I am one of the few Sox fans that still feel (or admit it) that leaving Pedro in was the right thing. Pedro was our best pitcher.)

He may go: Sale -Porcello -Price -Eovaldi

I think we'll go $39M over next year, unless we win it this year, and Henry pulls the plug. That could get us Kimbrel, Pearce and Kinsler. I'm not high on Kinsler, who looks to be in steep offensive decline. Guys like Pearce should not cost much. I'd pass on Kimbrel and maybe go with this: 2 from: Cody Allen Jeurys Familai Adam Ottavino Adam Warren 2B DJ LeMahieu 1B Matt Adams, Marwin Gonzalez or Steve Pearce I'd save some budget space to pick up a SP'er like Eovaldi or Happ this year.

Okay, maybe 50 was hyperbole, but clearly the yanks have outspent the rest of the league by quite a lot over the last 90-100 years. Sure, another team spent big here and there, but the Yanks have pretty consistently been big spenders- not just with payroll budgets, but also with International FA signings, before the limits, pre-draft era young players and just plain outright giving cash to teams for very good players. Since the Stienbreener era, it's not really even close. There were so many seasons where the Yanks let by $50-75M over the next team, that other closer seasons can't make up for. Yes, we have bought players that helped us win a ring, but the Yankees outspent us by over $180M during the 3 years we won championships. That number is mind-boggling. This year, we lead the second place team by about $35M. That includes over $35M paid to HRam and Pablito. I guess one could claim we bought a ring, because we signed JD and paid a hefty bonus to get Moncada, who brought us Sale, but even still, this is not like 2004, 2007 and 2013's differentials.

The Astros are scary, but many of the players we think of as scary are having off years- not just a mini-slump, but off years. Would we be pumped up if our best 3 hitters last year declined like this? .941 Correo to .728 .957 Altuve to .837 .889 Springer to .780 Plus.... .817 Guriel to .751 .847 Reddick to .718 .815 Marisnik to .674 .907 Gonzalez to .733 This looks like the Sox from 2016 to 2017. It's their turn to be jinxed. Granted, Bregman has given them a big boost