moonslav59

Can Sanchez learn how to play 1B?

Add to that is the fact that we didn't just lose anyone to graduation. True, Devers is young and was in the minors not too long ago. Same with Beni, but many teams have a weak farm do to recent graduations- not us.

We can afford Pearce, if we can find someone to take Moreland and pay his contract ($5.5M x 1). 2016-2018 vs RHP .789 Pearce (597 PAs) .755 Moreland (1248 PAs) vs LHPs .908 Pearce (314 PAs) .725 Moreland (290) Chavis could provide a platoon, if needed, or we could try to get JD to play 1B some. (Ockimey bats LH'd.)

IDK, it was your point to defend. Clearly, Pearce was signed to platoon, but he did pretty good vs righties. That may have played into more playing time- not just injuries to Moreland.

Do teams really promise a guy like Pearce he will be guaranteed a FT position? Now, that's not to say, he and his agent might look at team rosters and determine what place he should play more often, but this is likely his last big contract, so he is probably not looking for someone to assure him 150 starts, so he can put up a big year and get a bigger contract later. I'm not saying he doesn't want to play everyday, but players who are looking for that (contractually) are usually doing so to increase future contract value. They sign one year deals. Pearce is probably going to sign with the highest bidder, unless the numbers are close. If someone goes 3 years, we probably can't compete. I'd love to have him back, but even if we do re-sign him, it's not lock he keeps doing very well with us as he ages out.

Hmmm.... Games started by Pearce with Boston: 21 vs RHPs 15 vs LHPs (not counting the playoffs)

Top Prospect Count: 55+ 6 ATL 5 SDP 4 CWS 7 teams with none, including BOS 50+ 12 ATL 12 SDP 11 CWS 9 TBR 3 teams with none (BAL, BOS, SEA)

Does anyone still think our farm will replenish itself by magic or something? I've heard for 2 years, we'd build it back up. It's not easy, these days. The system ain't what it used to be. Winning doesn't help. Limited international budgets don't help. We will need farm infusions starting in 2020 or 2021 at the latest. I can't see where that's coming from. I'm okay with the situation, because we won a ring by trading away a lot of highly ranked/rated prospects. DD got some top talent in most of the deals. I will say, I wasn't expecting a 29th ranking, especially since nobody great just graduated this year.

I want Eovaldi back, too, but he's older than Sale and Porcello and will be aging more when they reach free agency. A 4 year deal for him may really bite us in 2021.

We may not be able to bring Eovaldi, Kimbrel, Pearce and Kelly back, but we should have enough budget space to fill those roles with capable players- enough to make us a top 4 contender. 2020 will be more difficult, and 2021 looks almost impossible to me, unless Henry spends way more.

For thirty plus years I used to say, "I'll take 10 last place finishes for just one ring!" I don't feel that way anymore. I admit; I'm spoiled. I really don't mind having a couple down years starting in 2020 or 2021... call it a cliff or whatever you want, but because of this ring, it will all be worth it. That being said, how about another one in 2019 before the semi-rebuild begins?

The way Pearce hit righties last year and Moreland nosedived again, Pearce could/should get plenty of time vs righties next year.

Our budget issue is more about 2021 than 2019. We can stay competitive through 2020, but having money on the books for 2021 could prevent us from keeping a key star. IMO, we really want to keep contracts at or below 2 years, except maybe for Eovaldi. If we don't keep Eovaldi, then we can probably give 3 years to Pearce and Kelly.

If he'd take the Oriole offer, then why not offer him this... $14M x 2 with a $5M option for a 3rd year and a $2M buyout. He either gets $16M/2 or $19M/3 from us. The luxury tax hit is $8M for 2 years vs $7.5M.

This team is really special. I can't help but feel Cora (and DD) was a big part of the clubhouse confidence and cohesiveness. I got choked up reading the article. What a great team! I'm hopeful we can keep it going, at least another year. I'm more inclined to want Eovaldi back after reading the article. (I wanted him before reading, but felt the years would be too long.)

Where did I ever come close to saying I think the Pats won't win the Super Bowl? I just said, I enjoy watching them lose. I'm a Packer's fan.

Probably some truth to this, but for me personally, I loved the AGon trade and extension and claimed he'd "hit 50 HRs for us." I hated the CC signing from before it even happened. One of the good things about the AGon trade was that he allowed us to dump CC & Beckett.

I know hometown discounts are largely a dream of fans who care about the budget, but I'm wondering how much this magical season will play in the minds of Eovaldi, Pearce and maybe others. The way the team treated Eovaldi after the extra inning loss was pretty unforgettable. The bonds this team had with each other might play into some of the choices our free agents will make. I just read the SI article on our World Series win. Here are some notable quotes and paraphrasing I found: Cora has 119 fotos on his office wall- one for each win we had this year. Brock Holt agrees with me, when he said, "Now we deserve to be known as the greatest Red Sox team of all time, and if you want to put us with some of the best overall, we'll take that. This team is special." After the 18 inning loss, Price was the first to meet Eovaldi near the dugout,but the entire team was there. Price hugged him hard and patted his chest and back. Cora was next. It seemed like "he was the one who hit the walk off homer!" The article says, "Price never left [Eovaldi's] side. He joined him in the training room...He sat next to him on the bus back to the ...hotel. The next day, he even took adjoining soaks with Eovaldi in the hot and cold tubs." "Nobody has ever done anything like that for me," Eovaldi says. "He's a great teammate." Although Cora apparently "abhors" team meeting, he called one right after the 18 inning loss vs the Dodgers. Holt said of the meeting, that it was a "big reason why we won the next two games...the whole group played for each other and would do anything to help the team." Cora said to the team, "Listen up! We just played one of the greatest games in World Series history. Red Sox. Dodger. Dodger Stadium. World Series. And, the way you competed is something all of us should be proud of. This is a great team. This is a great game, and you guyss proved it tonight. And Nathan..." Cora went on to praise Eovalid, and when he was done, the whole clubhouse erupted into a standing ovation. "There were tears," Holt says. Porcello was one of the ones crying.Then, "every Sox player, coach and staff member lined up to take turns hugging Eovaldi- not one of those quick good game bro hugs. I'm talking about a minute each," Porcello says. "What Nathan did was the epitome of what our team is about...We just lost a World Series game in 18 innings, but after that [meeting], it didn't feel like a loss, It felt like we won." "A short while later, as Cora unwound [in his office], he looked up to see a line outside his office. There stood Price, Porcello and Sale...They told him they were all ready to pitch the next game." At 8:30 the next morning, Eovaldi told Cora, "I'm good to go tonight." Porcello said after the game that during the last week of the regular season, Porcello, Moreland, Price and Kinsler, who had all been to the World Series before and lost, "made a vow over 3, 4, 5, 13 beers," Porcello says, "we'd do everything to win it all this year. I can't hold back the tears. I apologize. This is....beautiful!"" The article also mentions how DD thought Eovaldo could be our "Charlie Morton" in the playoffs, when we traded for him. It mentions how Cora did not think HRam would do well when not playing everyday, and that is why he suggested we cut him, when we added Pedey to the 25 man roster. "people said it was about money," said Cora, "but this it was a baseball move." The article mentions Cora's interview for the manager's job, and how management felt he "aced" the whole interview, except for the question on how he'd handle "reducing a star''s playing time. He dismissed the problem as "no problem at all." He would simply put the best team on the field. Apparently, upper management felt he was being naive. A team source later said, "Well, I guess he did ace the entire test." There's much more to the article, but it really left me feeling very warm inside about this team. They are the best I've ever seen, and again, I think Cora is the best Sox manager of all time.

LOL, just enjoying watching the Pats lose while still thinking of the Sox.

A brief look at our Bull Pen: Free Agents (or DFA'd) this winter: 142.1 IP total 62.1 Kimbrel 0.995 WHIP) 65.2 Kelly (1.355) 14.1 Smith (1.395) 61.2 Barnes (1.265) Can he be a closer? He was a very respectable set-up man this year. We may not want to mess that up. 33.2 Brasier (0.772) Maybe has the better profile to close but has so little ML experience, one wonders. I can't see us letting just Brasier and Barnes fight it out for thenex closer slot. 60.0 Hembree (1.333) This could be the year, he is given a more prominent role. He needs to prove he can do it. 41.1 Workman (1.210) I've always been a big Workman fan, but I feel like 2019 might be his last chance to show he can win and keep a key role in the pen. 22.1 Poyner (1.119) Showed some promise this year, but the sample size is rather small. 24.0 Thornburg (1.583) This guy was supposed to be a key pen force. The injury really messed that up, but maybe he can shine in his contract year. 6.2 R Scott (2.250) Maybe he can have a big bounce back season. He was pretty decent and consistent before 2018. 14.2 Walden (1.159) Kind of an unknown. Lakins and Feltman both may give us some help from the farm. Long Relief/Spot Start (numbers in relief only) 29.2 Wright(1.213) If we don't re-sign Eovaldi or another starter, one of these guys will fill a starting rotation role. My guess is Wright, if healthy, is top of the depth charts. 38.2 Johnson (1.397) Showed some promise this year and could step it up next year. 54.2 Velazquez (1.372) He looked real good at times, and maybe some hidden injury kept him on the bench for some stretches this year. I'm hopeful he can get near 90-100 IP this year. I seriously doubt we don't add an arm or two to the pen, but if not, her might be how we make up for the 142 IP Kimbrel, Kelly & Smith gave us. +30 Brasier (34>64) +20 Poyner (22.1>42.1) +20 Thornburg (24>44) +10 Workman (41>51) +40 R Scott (6.2>46.2) +20 Walden (14.2>34.2)

Sox By Age (Notice how few are past prime or significantly past prime) (Age on opening day 2019) Top 15 Players 35 Pedey (may not even play again) 34 Wright (at least most injuries are not arm-related) 33 Price (mechanics adjustment might add years to career) 33 Moreland (injuries seem to be taking their toll) 32 Nunez (hopefully gets his knee fixed) 31 Brasier (could have a major role next year) 31 B Holt (maybe has gotten his durably issues solved) 31 Martinez (second most games & PAs of his career in 2018) 30 Porcello (2019 last contract year) 30 C Sale (turns 30 just before season starts) 30 Velazquez (maybe his time to seriously increase his IP) 30 Hembree (has been very healthy) 30 Workman (needs to prove he belongs) 30 Thornburg (last contract year) 30 Leon (seems older) 30 Walden (maybe a wild card for 2019) 29 Barnes (may be given a chance to win closer role) 29 R Scott (was very promising before last year) 28 JBJ (came into his won with a very consistent last 4+ months) 27 Vazquez (may be our FT catcher next year) 27 Johnson (may be counted on for bigger role in '19) 27 A Maddox (showed promise in 2017- out injured 2018) 27 Cuevas (could be a bubble 40 man roster player) 26 Betts (amazing he's still so young) 26 Bogaerts (just really entering prime!) 26 Poyner (may fill a key role next year) 26 Swihart (trade bait) 26 Marco Hernandez (could be his last chance) 26 Shepherd (may be a trade or DFA candidate) 25 ERod (turns 26 in April) 25 S Travis (could be traded or DFA'd) 25 Lin (key utility AAA depth) 24 Benintendi (scary still pre-prime) 22 Devers (still a baby)

But, the "gamble" was there before the Series MVP.

Just think, if we sign Harper, the JBJ trade thread will spring back to life! Please, God, NO!

How long does it take to recover from a hernia operation? BTW, I'm home now. Feeling good.

Pearce seems better, but he's on the wrong side a platoon. I'm not sure his nice splits vs RHPs with the Sox is an indication that, at age 35, he finally figured out how to hit righties. I still think $15M/2 might be as high as anyone might go. Maybe $20M/3?