moonslav59

Hardly any rejoicing or energy at all after JB's HR. It was like he was coming back to the dugout after a sac fly in a 10-0 game.

I see HRam as our DH next year-like it or not. Forcing HRam to play 1B FT is asking for trouble. Now, if we could find a way to get rid of HRam and sign JD, I'd listen. How's this? Trade HRam, Bogey, Groome and Ockimey for Votto. Sign: JD Martinez & Cozart. (I'm dreaming: I know.) 1. Beni LF 2. Betts RF 3. JD DH 4. Votto 1B 5. Cozart SS 6. Devers 3B 7. Pedey 2B 8. JBJ CF 9. Vaz/Leon C Bench: Leon, Hernandez, Lin and Holt

22 Games left- about an 1/8th of a season. 6 vs TBR (3H/3A) 4 v HOU (last 4 of the year) 3 v OAK 3 v TOR 3 @ BAL 3 @ CIN If we can't keep the lead with this schedule, then we weren't all that good to begin with. Let's look at our WAR leaders (fangraphs) at the 140 game mark: 7.5 Sale (1st among pitchers only) 4.0 Betts (28th among everyday players) 2.9 Kimbrel (26th) 2.8 Pom(32nd) 2.4 JBJ (82nd) 2.3 Bogey (88th) 2.0 Beni (108) 2.0 Pedey (109) 2.0 Nunez (111) 1.9 Porcello (73rd) 1.7 ERod (87th) 1.2 Vaz (176) 1.2 Price (133) 1.1 Fister (138) 0.9 Barnes 0.8 Moreland 0.8 Devers 0.7 Kelly 0.5 Hembree 0.4 Abad 0.3 Workman, Boyer 0.2 Leon, Johnson, Maddox 0.1 Marrero. Velazquez -0.1 HRam, Young, Taylor -0.2 Reed -0.3 Scott -0.5 Wright

There's a thing called "google". I heard it helps you find things on the internets.

All it takes is two games and your mood flips 180 degrees. Did you see how excited everyone was after JBJ's 3-run blast? I didn't.

...on the "internets".

We will probably fave the Guardians, so maybe you are right.

My guess is that while GMs value what you did the last year, they look beyond just one time frame of data. I agree on the idea that DD will be looking for a big splash power hitter this winter, and I'm not talking the 15-25 HR power of Hosmer or Cozart. I'd be lobbying for JD Martinez, if we could play him someplace other than DH. Stanton or Votto seem like the obvious choices, but both get paid a lot, and paying money plus giving up several top young players is usually something I am against. I loved the Sale trade, because it was just prospects. His contract was a bargain. I'm not saying I'm against trading for Stanton or Votto, but I'd like to see the offer before agreeing on it. I might go with... Bogey Groome Chavis or Ockimey Beeks or Shawaryn (If we could get them to take HRam off our hands as a salary offset, I'd add other prospects like Dalbec & Lakins

I've only followed baseball from the late 60's and the 162 game schedule was present then. We've had a lot of days off since the all star game, and the allstar break is longer than ever. I can see needing to gibe Pedey a break, but not 22-24 year olds. I get the sitting for slump argument, but these youngsters should not look or be tired.

Fair enough. I still think the modern player is babied too much.

Betts has 3 arb years. This winter will be his first, and players do not get full value their first arb year, especially after a "down year". I'm not great at predicting arb contracts, but Mookie might make $40-50M total in the next 3 years. That means the extension was really about $55M/2. To me, that's borderline "lowball". It's the first offer, so there could be some back and forth. If Betts doesn't want 10 years, I'd go as high as $135M/6, which is really about $85M/3 after arbs.

Sub Chavis or Ockimey and Beeks or Lakins for Betts, and I'd think about it. Maybe they'd take HRam back as a salary offset piece. HRam Bogey ERod Ockimey Lakins

That doesn't always mean what it looks like. Nobody claimed Manny either, yet years later when he was imploding mentally and everyone knew we were trying to dump him, we got jason bay for him.

Cozart never hit more than 16 HRs before this year's 18. His .947 OPS screams "OUTLIER!". He's never been over .770 before this year. He's not our missing clean-up hitter and may be no better than a healthy Bogey next year. Hosmer is NOT a clean-up hitter either. While 28 is a nice age for a FA and would be an upgrade over Moreland, I don't see him as filling the obvious need we have- power hitting clean up hitter. This is his first season over .822. He's inconsistent (under .762 in 2 of the last 4 seasons). Moustakas seems to fit the need most from your list. 29 is a decent age for a big signing, but he also is having a somewhat "outlier season". His current .867 OPS is over 50 points better than any previous season. His 36 HRs are impressive, but he never hit more than 22 before and that was in 2015- the only year his OBP was above .320. He's risky, but I feel, he's the best choice of this bunch to fill our power hitter need. The problem is, we have a good, promising, young 3Bman now, and moving him to 1B might be premature. JD Martinez is not on your list, and I hate signing a guy that would likely play DH almost FT AND force HRam to have to play 1B FT or platoon with Travis. JD will be 30 next year and has hit over 22 HRs for 4 straight seasons- something nobody above has done. He's also hit over 34 HRs twice (2017 and 2015). He's got a sweet OBP of over .340, but has been over .358 in 3 of his last 4 seasons. He's been over .879 four straight seasons. He fits our power hitting need best, but plays the wrong position. If he DHs and we go to an NL park, we have to sit one of our best 4 hitters: Martinez, Betts, Beni or JBJ. Like I said, it's not an easy fix. I doubt Votto is an easy get. He doesn't want to be traded. If we could get Cincy to take HRam as a salary offset along with a bunch of highly regarded young players, maybe they'd bite. Since they are losing Cozart, maybe they'd be interested in.... Bogey, Chatham, Groome, Chavis or Ockimey plus HRam instead of money. We'd then have to find a SS. Again, not an easy fix. (No Bogey would mean adding Flores and Beeks or more)

Who? Those don't come easy, and if he doesn't play 1B, we are displacing a current player. Which player would that be? I feel we need a bigger bat than Hosmer, a more predictable bat than Duda or Morrison and one that can turn this offense around. Free agents this year, are not that great. Maybe only JD Martinez and Moustakas might fit that need. Both would involve moving a player or would have to play DH- neither fill our 1B need. Trading for a 1Bman (Votto?) would be costly in many ways. I don't see an easy winter fix.

With so many days off in the playoffs, the fact that Pom needs pen help is not a major issue. As of right now, I go... 1. Sale 2. Pom 3. Fister 4. ERod Cy Porcello goes to long relief.

It makes me curious why one our youngest teams in memory needs so much rest.

I seriously doubt we sign even a mid level RP'er this winter. There's not as much money available as many think as players like Sale get hefty raises and arb raises will be costly. Lucky, we should be going over the luxury limit next year and maybe by a lot. I see us spending large on a clean-up hitter (1B/3B/DH) and maybe bring back Nunez or sign another offensive piece. Our pen may actually have more pitchers than we have room for... 2018 Pen Kimbrel Smith Thornburg Kelly Workman Barnes Hembree (out of options) Wright (if not a starter) R Ross Scott Maddox Taylor Johnson/Beeks/Elias/Haley/Velazquez Poyner/Cosart/Shepherd/Buttrey

He's gotta work on that hez before his throw. It seems like something that is easily correctable, but by trying to fix it, he could get more wild with his throws. Time will tell.

I certainly would prefer to let Devers improve at 3B and stay there, but I'm not a big Hosmer fan. I don't see any sure fire big FA 1Bman this winter, so that is why I suggested the idea. It's not like Devers is a great defender at 3B, so in a way it would solve two problems "perpetrate" one. We could possibly trade for Votto, but he want's to stay in Cincy. There's Abreu on the White Sox, but he's not a big difference maker. To me, trading for Donaldson or signing Moustakas might be the best choice. Notice I said "might". I'm not sold on the idea yet either, but do you have a better idea on acquiring a big bat this winter?

True, but every team plays with and through injuries.

I'd guess Bogey and JBJ will be better over the next 4-5 years combined than their 2017 numbers. It would be ahrd for me to bet that Bogey will end up closer to 2016 than 2017 over the next 4-5 years, but I think JBJ will. I expect Pedey and HRam to continue declining. Leon is probably going to always be between .625 and .700. Vaz may keep going well, but should end up between .700-.750. I think Beni will improve. Devers is tough to call. I'm hopeful we pick up a mega power hitter to bat clean-up next year- probably 1B or 3B (Devers to 1B). This might be good enough for next year... 1. Bogey or Pedey 2. Betts 3. Beni 4. Power hitter 5. Devers 6. Pedey or Bogey 7. HRam or JBJ 8. JBJ or HRam 9. Vaz/Leon I'd like to see Nunez back and Holt gone, but who knows.

Nice to see 6 runs, but still not getting to 10 hits in a game. Nice job by Fister. 25 Ks last night. 10 tonight. Fister has been a godsend.

Some- not all. I'm not doubting that some or most of these guys might actually be "closer" to what they look like this year than last. Most likely, they are somewhere in between. However, I still think it is very rare for any team or any given group of 8-10 players to go down hill by this much- all at once.

Big crooked numbers are nice.