moonslav59

Yes, somehow oh for 12 worked!

Big run!

Now, come on JBJ! Shut everyone up!

holt!!!!!!

No Betts in the 1 slot anymore.

Devers!

I think the answer is to put Bogey 2nd and flip Beni & JD 3rd and 4th depending on what handed pitcher starts. Moreland up 5th.

A Golden opportunity lost.

Just caught up. Brian freakin' Johnson???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Does that make Larry Henry's puppet?

Which means even at pro-rated numbers adding Castillo and trading JBJ for no salary would come pretty close, if not put us over, unless we wait until August.

Porcello had a lot more bad luck in that game beyond what you mentioned, but he's had a lot of run support this year, so I guess "luck" is relative.

I loved the Porcello signing at the time, and love it more now.

Holt actually hits very close to the same vs LHPs or RHPs. Career: .692 vs LHPs .717 vs RHPs

All of this is true, but the system has changed radically since 2010-2011. We can no longer draft good players with signability issues with lower picks. The comp pick system has changed. The international bonus pool has tightened. Look at 2010: We had 4 picks in the top 57, despite losing pick 29 and 80 for signing Lackey and Scutaro. Yes, we missed with Vitek & Brentz, but we got Robbie Ross for Ranaudo and still have Workman. 2011 saw us get 4 picks in the top 40, and we still have JBJ, Barnes & Swihart on the roster. It will be hard to stockpile picks like that again while signing new free agents to replace those departing. In 2012, we got 3 picks in the top 37. In 2013, we got 2 in the top 33, including Kopech as a comp pick that was essential in bringing us Sale. From 2014 to 2018, we've done no better than 2 in the top 51 picks. That avenue has dried up. The IFA avenue is much harder now. Our budget is maxed out for signing FAs. We won't be getting a number 7 pick (like Beni) in the immediate future. Our farm shows no sign of having high impact players available by 2019, 2020 or 2021. I'm not saying it can't happen, but the context has changed sharply.

I have us being only $2-3M under the $40M mark, when you figure in benefits costs.

It really is a sad looking farm system, although had Devers never been called up, it wouldn't look so bad.

I'm not too optimistic with TT, but certainly there is hope he can step in and hep us in a big way.

Groome's injury and Mata's age is the major factor in Houck's rise to #2, but your point is well taken.

Yes, my point was moving down 10 slots from 29th to 39th is not all that terrible.

The added penalty is not all that terrible, but when you add it to the already existing taxes, it adds up.

They adjusted their rankings after the Chavis suspension and Groome injury. Why would they move even more, now?

They just recently updated their rankings, so how much more movement will we see?

Speaking of soxprospects,com, where do you think they'll slot our recent draftees? Maybe this? 1. Chavis 2. Houck 3. Mata 4. Groome 5. Casas 6. Beeks 7. Feltman 8. D Hernandez 9. Decker 10. Chatham 11. Ockimey 12. Travis 13. Northcut (assuming he signs) 14. Dalbec 15. Scherff 16. Cottam 17. D Diaz 18. Lakins 19. Brannen 20. A Flores

...and he never signed a long term deal.