moonslav59

If players start signing in a flurry, DD better not let plan B escape and be forced to overpay for what's left (JD?).

Surely, if we can afford JD, we can afford a solid pitcher and someone like Duda. Morrison might be a bit too expensive, depending on which pitcher we get, but it looks like we could get Darvish & Duda or Cobb (or Lynn) & Morrison for what it appears JD might get. Doing this might also allow us to trade ERod mid season, if our rotation looks healthy and we have a big need somewhere (2B? Clean-up?)

Since nobody is signing, I'm not sure if DD is being patient or just playing the game everyone is playing right now.

Good one. I've been high on JD for a long time, but I'm cooling off some. I'd be okay with a solid pitcher plus Duda or Morrison, instead. I can't see us doing nothing significant. We chose last year to reset the tax, so we could spend this year (and beyond). It wouldn't make sense to stand pat.

Yes--went back and edited.

From soxprospects.com http://news.soxprospects.com/2018/01/fallwinter-league-roundup-castillo.html Rusney Castillo went 8 for 21 over six games, with two home runs, a double, and one walk to go along with two hit-by-pitches. Hector Velazquez In the first game of the semi-finals, he got the win for Navojoa. He was able to limit the damage to only one unearned run despite allowing eight hits over five innings while striking out only two.

Apparently, they had a 1,000 acre farm.

I found this... Forbes cites Henry’s source of wealth as “self-made,” and it couldn’t be more accurate. Growing up in both the green plains of Illinois and the brush land of Arkansas before relocating to California in his teens. Growing, he always had a knack for numbers and a love for baseball, but despite this his future in sports investment wasn’t fully realized until the 1970’s, after his father’s death. Suddenly in charge of the farm and its sales, and began to self-teach himself hedging and trading tactics. By the early ’80’s, Henry began the John W. Henry & Co, a financial trading firm where he could bring his knowledge and expertise to paying clients.

Say we end up signing JD. The Pirates are in rebuild mode. How about... Trade: Holt ($2.2M and 1 arb left), Brentz (out of options), Hembree (out of options and 3 arbs after this year) and Beeks for Josh Harrison [18:$10M, 19:$10.5M club option ($1M buyout), 20:$11.5M club option ($0.5M buyout)] and $3M cash

Ockimey is probably a little high there. If he's going to be an impact bat, he needs to take a big jump this year. He did have an .820 OPS between A+ and AA ball last year at age 21. His power numbers were low (14 HRs & 43 EBH in 452 ABs), but I don't think he needs to make a big jump this year. He's got 2-3 years to get ML ready. He still is a bit "raw", but to me that can mean his ceiling is high, if he can ever refine himself. His K rate is way too high, but with a .385 OBP, ipt may not be that big of an issue.

Did you know Sean Cleary & Steve Boyd? They are good friends of mine that lived in Flanner for a couple years before moving off campus.

I played hoops at The Rock with Orlando Woolridge, Silk Wilcox, Phil Pozderac, Luther Bradley and Jerome Heavens. JH was the nicest, most unpretentious guy I ever knew.

On bad days!

Think of all the money spent beyond what was on the luxury tax budget: Castillo Craig Moncada's signing penalty fee Dice-K's posting fee I'm sure there's more.

I heard he had X-Ray and Infrared vision.

Blue Jays sign Granderson. Does this take them out of the JD sweepstakes?

...and the JBJ market.

They didn't give much financial aid back in my day. My family had 4 kids in college at the same time! However, my sisters were paying $12-15K at Yale, and the understanding was that ND kept their prices lower for all to counter for financial aid to just a few. What hall were you in? I was in the jock hall (Fisher Hall by the South Dining Hall. Joe Montana's room was in the same hallway as mine, but he never stepped foot in it. (I often wondered who collected all the envelopes the alumni kept slipping under his door!) We were there for some great years.

Well, if he has surgery, he may be recovered by 2019 or 2020.

It's imperative that we don't pick up Hanley's vested option for 2019. We will absolutely not extend Porcello after 2019. I can see Sox shopping him if a viable alternative surfaces in our farm system. It would also help if we don't have a need for Kimbrel in 2019 and beyond. Basically we can use Hanley's money to sign Pom (his $8.5M for 2018 is already baked in, so it's a delta of say $11.5M to give him a $20M deal). That still leaves around $9M from Hanley's contract that can even go for Kimbrel. He's already making $13M. Sale's new contract can come from the money we're paying Sandoval right now. That's $19M in savings plus what Chris is making right now to get him to $30M plus. Luxury tax limit will jump to $206M in 2019 or $9M increase. That amount should cover much of the arbitration raises from 2018 to 2019. Basically we're good through 2020, window of 3 years. Younger kids need to emerge over the next three years. The arb costs will rise significantly, so that will eat up a good chunk or HRam and Pablo's departing deals over the next few years. Porcello's $20M may help, but if he does well over the next two years, replacing him for $20M might be difficult. I agree the "window" goes to 2020 not 2019, but we also have to consider the tax rates go up every time you go over the limit in consecutive years. If we go over in 2019 and 2020 we'll be in the 3rd year penalty phase, and it will be very costly to Henry. A problem might arise, if Henry decides to reset after 2019, then 2020 might be outside the "window."

When I went to the University of Notre Dame from '77 to '81, football and basketball tickets were included in the cost. I believe we paid about $6-9K per year for me to go there. Now, it's about $65,000 for tuition and room & board.

Fans will also buy tickets and tune in when the team wins with a bunch of no-names, but selling season tickets in the winter is tied to big splash sign ings.

Agreed. I'm almost certain, one way or another, we end up over the second penalty limit.

It may not be an either/or. If darvish will make about $100M, we can get Darvish AND Morrison for close to what JD will make I'm not a huge Morrison or Duda fan, but both have put up some big power numbers (Morrison for 1 year- Duda for 4 years). If we can find a take for HRam that saves us $5-9M, there's no log jam at all, and we're spending less than if we sign JD and keep HRam. There is a chance Morrison's 38 HRs was not a fluke.

True, but we need a 5th starter. Cole is a decent 3 starter. I'm wondering why we didn't make a try. (Maybe we did.)