moonslav59

How's Brentz done with his high K rate issue?

I've never been a big Brentz fan, but it's hard to argue against him getting a chance. I doubt they move Young to make room for Brentz, so it might be a September call-up chance to get a look and maybe win more playing time.

If Carson Smith can give us anything this year, I'd be happy and surprised. I'm pulling hard for him to succeed.

He didn't get the ball to 1B faster. He often took one more step before the jump-turn-throw. Other SSs simply planted and threw is the same or less time. He didn't get to more balls in the hole. His jumping and twirling just made the play look better than it really was. It was a mirage.

I suppose Nunez could play LF vs LHPs and rotate positions vs RHPs to give everyone a rest, but that might be too problematic. Nunez at 2B while Pedey recovers and gets rest. Nunez at SS while Bogey rest or gets a 10 DL stint to regain. Nunez at 3b while Devers rests (Devers has never player 150+ games in a year). Nunez at DH while HRam rests or HRam plays 1B as Moreland rests. Nunez in LF as Betts or JBJ rests (Beni moves to CF or RF) Basically, we can get Nunez into the line-up by sitting 8 of 9 batting slot players. (Note: if we have a worse record than CLE, we can block an August waiver deal for Bruce or anyone else.)

Fair enough. I liked the HRam deal, too. My "unlucky" comment was not meant to bash the GM. I actually meant it the opposite way as a response to another post. I hated the CC and Pablo deals, with both the GMs had valid explanations/reasons for the signings. I'm not against DD. I disliked some deals just as I disliked some by Ben, and I thought Ben deserved another year at the helm. Some of the DD deals I disliked are looking good (POM). Some I liked (C Smith & Thornburg) are not. I loved the Sale trade from the first second, in fact I had been drooling over Sale for years. I'm glad DD went for a ring, but in general, I feel he sacrificed a bit too much of the extended future to do so. I know many disagree, and I'm fine with that. I may seem like I'm keeping score (tracking right/wrong points), but I've never said I'm better than any GM we have ever had. I'm opinionated like many of us. I care about the players more than the GM, too, and I've defended our GMs often. On boards like this, talking about GM activities seems to take the front seat more often than it probably should, but I guess that might just be the nature of the beast.

I think the context was pitchers, so Bagwell wouldn't count. Homegrown talent, so Moyer doesn't count. In his lifetime, so Ruth doesn't count.

Unless someone is injured, he'd be squeezing Beni (OF) or Nunez/HRam (DH). I can see benching Moreland and playing HRam at 1B FT, but where does Nunez play, if Bruce DHs?

Just a week ago, Vaz was heading towards the .500's in OPS, but I agree. I don't mind some sub par offense from a catching tandem that excels on defense and staff-handling.

Well said, as always, Kimmi. The base-running outs that bug me the most are the bonehead ones that show a lack of fundamentals or lack of emphasis or focus on paying attention while on the bases (and in the field, I might add).

Without a doubt, and I have never been against making bold multi-prospect moves for guys like Sale. I'm just showing the "magnitude" of quantity (more than quality, I might add).

Some are borderline "starring" for someone else, but some had at least a year or two of stardom or near stardom (maybe a stretch on some)... Don Aase Rafael Betancourt John Tudor Bob Ojeda Paul Quantrill Aaron Sele Jeff Supan Carl Pavano John Papelbon Cla Meredith Stephen Fife Alex Wilson Felix Doubront

Jorge de la Rosa Anibal Sanchez There's maybe more

Yes indeed. Yes, we still have Devers, Groome, Chavis and Mata, but in DD's short time here, these are the prospects traded away. While it's true some have lost value since the trade, and much of their value at the time of the trades were "speculative", they held value nonetheless. Highest ranking according to soxprospects.com: 1 Moncada (Sale) 3 Margot (Kimbrel) 3 Espinoza (Pomeranz) 3 Cecchini (Cash)-had fallen way down before trade 5 Kopech (Sale) 6 Guerra (Kimbrel) 7 Basabe (Sale) 9 Dubon (Thornburg) 9 Longhi (Int'l bonus space) 12 T Shaw (Thornburg)-not a prospect when traded 12 W Rijo (A Hill) 13 Allen (Kimbrel) 13 Light (Abad) 18 Basabe (Ziegler) 18 Callahan (AReed) 20 Asuaje (Kimbrel) 20 Bautista (A Reed) 20 Nogosek (A Reed) 21 V Diaz (Sale) 21 J Aro (wtih Wade Miley for C Smith & R Elias) 24 Pennington (Thornburg) 30 A Wilkerson (A Hill) 40 Almonte (Ziegler) n/a G Santos (A Reed) DD got some top talent for these guys, but the sheer number trades is mind-boggling.

Then couldn't we call Crawford, Pablo and HRam "unlucky"?

JF has to try to get Beni hitting again to fulfill the capability of this team and tonight will be that attempt. I have been watching him hit and he still seems to have a pretty swing so maybe somethig about his plate approach is being worked on. I would like to see him pull more often rather than hit weaker balls to left field and also be a little more aggressive going on an earlier pitch. Saying that, I really don't see major flaws but the results haven't been good of late. He's been flailing at breaking balls down and away for a long time, especially vs LHPs. I'd call that a flaw. I would not bat Beni in the top 6 or 7 until he shows he's adjusted.

It might not be a long time, but I agree. Besides, it's easier and cheaper to find a big hitter at 1B than 3B, so I'd keep Devers there until he proves he doesn't belong there.

My point was, others made the same play without jumping and twirling. He made the play look like a spectacular defensive play, when really it wasn't. That's what I meant by a "mirage". I was fooled at first, too. He wasn't a bad fielder his first couple years, but he quickly turned average and below average. It wasn't just 2004 that was horrible. He actually had a worse UZR/150 in 2002. I'm convinced OCab's D was essential to our first ring in my lifetime.

Maybe that's where I read it. I'm glad he's not on the 60-day.

I'm not as big a Hosmer fan as some here, but his "off year" in 2016 still saw him hit 25 HRs and put up a .761 OPS. Pablo was in steady decline when we signed him. Hosmer: 2015: .822 2016: .761 (25 HRs and 104 RBI) 2017: .878 He's not the prototypical 1Bman with just 19 HRs and 35 2B+3B per 162 games, and he only plays about average defense, but he'd be a step up from Moreland. I do think there might be better choices out there, and maybe a trade would work better than a signing, but something will be done this winter.

Yeah, I didn't take your post that way, and I know you didn't mean this year. With Moreland and Young leaving this year and HRam after next, there is plenty of room for Chavis to play 1B or DH on this team in 2019. (He might even be called up in 2018.)

Hosmer Alonso Duda Morrison Moustakas (move Devers to 1B) I'd even think about signing Cozart and moving Bogey to 1B or 3B (Devers to 1B). Or, sign an OF'er and move him to DH and have HRam play 1B FT (Bruce or several others).

Don't get me started! Jeter sucked on defense, but many remember that one highlight and think he was a plus defender.

Yes, and stats show adding better hitters helps a line-up.

Coulda swore I read it on MLBTR, but it's not there (anymore?). Maybe it was just a vivid nightmare.