moonslav59

Ouch! Even counting inflation....

2 out of 4, which means go back 1 year (pre-Sox: 15-13 3.43).

It would have been dumb had it been 25% the money and 50% the years.

I like the way you think!

It doesn't matter how hard you try to bash Porcello, he's been very good in 2 out of 4 seasons. He's been decent or better in 6 of 8 seasons.

Though, he's better than most team's emergency 3rd catcher.

I'm not defending Porcello's 2017 season, and I agreed on IP being too highly valued in one WAR calculations, but his win-loss record was not aided by good luck. His W_L record should have been better, despite his less than decent season.

Ask him if he knows a guy named Mr. Fangraphs, and if he believes in line-up protection.

More players will get shorter contracts than predicted vs longer ones like Hoze got.

Hence, the word "most."

Once the Dodgers and Yankees reset their tax, I do think they may sign 2 big free agents each, but I'm not sure how much other teams will go large and long. The "long" has been killing teams for a while now, and most teams are wising up.

Depends if mid range contracts are up. The players should stop bargaining for top pay for a couple dozen players and seek higher pay for the rest and a quicker path to free agency.

So, basically Porcello got 30% of the cheap wins but 60% of the tough loses.

I doubt anyone changes their approach to an extreme. Just stop being so predictable, is all I ask.

Agreed. Just say BUCH NO!

Yes. I chose Marrero, since he is out of options and the best fielder of the bunch. Our IF defense is weak, but I doubt we use Marrero much, even as a late inning defensive replacement. He'll sit on the bench as pre or in game injury insurance. Holt is barely an upgrade on defense at 3B or 2B, so I don't see the use of choosing him over Marrero. I'd give Swihart a chance and keep Leon as Sale's caddie.

soxprospects.com... On Swihart's defense.... https://www.overthemonster.com/2018/3/1/17065230/blake-swihart-spring-training-defense On Chavis.... Michael Chavis has battled injuries throughout his professional career, including missing time the last two seasons with hand and arm injuries. On Sunday, Chad Jennings of the Boston Herald reporting that Chavis was shut down this spring with an oblique injury and there was no timetable for his return. One hopes the Red Sox are being overly cautious here, but with his history, it does raise some concern. On the 5th starter... Red Sox manager Alex Cora has said that the team is approaching the year assuming neither Steven Wright nor Eduardo Rodriguez will be ready to start the season as they recover from knee injuries. That opens up opportunities for others, and the Boston Globe's Peter Abraham writes that Brian Johnson is making his case to be one of the benefactors. On our catchers.... Cora has already stated definitively that Sandy Leon and Christian Vazquez are his catchers to begin the 2018 season, but that did not stop Matt Collins at Over the Monster from naming Swihart one of his five breakout candidates for this season.... Blake Swihart The Red Sox haven’t even had a week’s worth of spring training games, but one player has already taken camp by storm. This is an enormous spring for Swihart as he is fighting for a role on the roster and to prove that he was still a player to be excited about a couple years removed from being a top prospect. He’s been on fire at the plate already, and while it is extemely early in spring training and the competition is not much to write home about, he is showing that there may be some of that old magic left from his prospect days. Swihart is starting from a relatively low position in terms of perceived value, but we could be back to looking at him as one of the best young catchers in the game if everything goes absolutely perfectly. I wouldn’t bet on him climbing quite this high, or even to take over as the top catcher on the roster as some are predicting, but it is admittedly getting hard to not let this hot start in spring influence me even if I know it’s not the logical thing to do. On Marco's injury... infielder Marco Hernandez was sent back to Boston when he continued to experience discomfort in his surgically repaired left shoulder. He had a second procedure to "remove some hardware" Cora told reporters, and will miss all of spring training as a result.

Options for what? The only players who need to be PH for are our catchers. To me, that's more important than having a poor fielding Holt sitting on the bench every inning of every game. Holt is only needed, if there is an injury. Marrero can be used as a late inning defensive replacement, and I guess once in a great while, you may want to PH for him in extra innings, but I'll take the flex a third catcher who can play 1B and LF over Holt 7 days a week.

Agreed. Mental blunders was second. Lost power third.

4 man bench: Moreland: 1B/LF Swihart: C/ 1B/ LF Marrero: SS/ 2B/ 3B Leon: C If someone gets hurt, Holt is called up in a flash. What's the problem with this alignment? Having Holt & Marrero is redundant. Besides, Leon may be a better hitter than both these guys two anyways. Since JD can play OF, HRam can play 1B, and Nunez can play just about anywhere, we'll have all the one day flexibility we need.

Taking first pitches right down the middle is one thing that has bugged me for years. Things have changed since the days of trying to get to opposing pens as soon as possible. I'm glad Cora seems to be on top of this, and we'll see some adjustments this year.

Easy choice. It's not like you have a clown at 3B that needs replacing.

It need not be an either - or.

Maybe, finally, one of our prospect starting pitchers can actually develop into something special.

Or, most of it. Remember, he was coming off a nice 2016 season.