moonslav59

He's slightly better in ERA- He's significantly better in BB/K 5.91 Porcello 5.85 Tomlin 5.18 C Sale 4.58 Tanaka 4.56 Price 4.46 Verlander 3.98 Kluber

My two favorite pitcher stats have always been... ERA- 70 A Sanchez 71 Porcello 72 Verlander 72 Tanaka 73 Kluber WHIP 1.00 Verlander 1.01 Porcello 1.04 C Sale 1.06 Kluber 1.08 Tanaka 8th 1.17 A Sanchez

If you carry the extra position player you want something specialized ... someone you might actually deploy in these games ... so your choices are (for type): - A pure defensive sub Marrero/ Vazquez/ maybe Hill - Someone who can pinch run and a threat to steal Hernandez/ Moncada (in AZ)/ Marrero? - A designated pinch hitter sort Young or Beni- whoever doesn't start (obviously would be nice if they could do multiple) But I think that is the skill set you are diving into. Unfortunately the injury to a Sam Travis (who was the best candidate if he kept growing) eliminates any real good candidates to just pinch hit. I'd probably lean to Merrero and just stick with an extra defender. I'd take Marrero over Hill, but I like Hernandez as our first IF sub.

The trade was actually made on July 14th, but I don't think we found out about the nondisclosure until after the deadline, so we were basically boxed in.

I doubt they offer any relief to the Sox this offseason as well, but that doesn't make it right. A message needs to be sent to other GMs that this sort of cheating will be dealt with harshly. I don't see how a trade reversal hurts SD. They did not need Pom this year anyways. Who knows, maybe the Sox would say no again, but we should get something in return- a 4th round pick at worst.

Hernandez is a decent fielding SS who was given reps at 3B in AAA, so I would think he is better defensively at 3B than Holt. Hernandez is definitely better on defense at SS than Holt, but they gave Holt the start on September 22nd at SS. It may just come down to JF going with the vet and not wanting to put Hernandez into the fire so late in a pressure-cooked season. Holt had ample opportunities to win the 3B job, and in some ways, he's one reason why we signed Pablo. Holt was not in the mix last year or in ST'ing. They gave the job to Shaw over Pablo with Holt's name never mentioned. I think Hernandez was hurt at some point this season, so maybe that is part of the decision. He only played in 57 games at AAA- starting 54. He got only 10 starts at 3B, but that's all Bogey and Moncada got before being called up, a pet peeve of mine BTW. He started 6 games at 3B with the Sox (1 at SS and 2 at 2B mostly when Holt was out). Hernandez has a .730 OPS in a tiny ML sample size of 56 PAs, but he did have an .832 OPS at AA (294 PAs in 2015- age 22) and a .752 OPS at AAA (427 PAs over the last 2 years- age 22-23). I have to think he's a better offensive option than Shaw or Hill, and he could PH for Leon or Vaz or Holaday.

It looks that way. We certainly had several chances to give him a longer look at 3B. He could have even been given a chance to play SS in a couple late season games, so Bogey could get more rest. A game or two at 2B could have been squeezed in as well, after we clinched.

Tall pitchers help make up for when they lowered the mound after the 1968 season.

I hate to say it, but your future looks very bright. I used to rant about the age and contract thing finally catching up with the Yanks. It took longer to happen than I projected, but it has also taken the yanks much shorter time than I expected to turn things around. Kudos to Cash for having the huevos to fire sale the vets for some very promising prospects. I had wished the Sox had done the same back in 2014, but I guess I can't argue too much with our results either.

And, even fat guys can be great!

Yeah, after the trade deadline is over and the team is out of options. We should get a sandwich pick or second rounder from SD, of they should offer a re-do after the season. It seems fair. The Padres would not have made the playoffs had they kept Pom, and we get back our prospect. I think we could then offer Espi, Swihart, Basabe, Owens, Johnson and Devers for Quintana and Robertson. Then, we sign Justin Turner or Gurriel, which would set up a possible chance to trade Moncada, if needed. Maybe trade Buchholz, Barnes and Hembree for Giles.

In all fairness, here's the tiny Guardians: 5-9 Jose Ramirez (5th in PA) 5-9 A Almonte (11th) 5-9 M Martinez (15th) 5-10 R Davis (6th) 5-11 Kipnis (1st) 5-11 Santana (2nd) 5-11 Lindor (3rd) 5-11 R Perez (12th) 5 of their top 6 PA players are under 6 feet tall.

Good read. There will be lots of big names to choose from. There will be a better idea of what the big need areas are by then too. I think the Yanks might surprise in 2017, but not too much.

Big Papi balances it all out!

I'd prefer game 5 in Boston, but hopefully, we won't even need game 5.

I think PH'ing beyond Young or Beni, meaning Hernandez or Shaw is a better option that letting Leon, Holaday or Vaz hit. It's not great, but depending on the pitcher, it's still an upgrade. I had hoped they'd have let Moncada PH vs some righties to see if he had some offense in him. The Hernandez snub really vexes me.

Even better!

We should be able to rescind the trade in December.

If they really want Vaz over Holaday or Hanigan, why didn't they play him more towards the end, even if as a personal caddy catcher for someone. I see no need for 13 pitchers. We'll have 3 days off before game and 2 games off within the 5 game series. Anyone who does not pitch more than 2 innings in any game should be available the next game, and the next game... We don't even need 12 pitchers! I'd take Hernandez, but again, they hardly played him towards the end, so how sharp is he? TShaw or Hill? Who cares- they both suck. PR'er? Moncada (Hernandez)? 3rd catcher? So we can PH twice for them? I'd go (in this order): SP: Porcello, Price, Buchholz, ERod (LR if not starting game 4) RP: Uehara (closer), Ziegler, Kimbrel, Tazawa, Kelly, Ross, Scott (sorry Abad). DH: Ortiz C: Leon, Holaday 1B: Ramirez 2B: Pedroia 3B: Holt (I'd have gone with Hernandez, but it's not going to happen) SS: Bogaerts LF: Benintendi v R, Young v L CF: Bradley RF: Betts 3B/1B: Shaw (he can play 1B, if needed- Hill cannot) 3B/SS/2B: Hernandez 25th man.....drum roll.... PR/PH: Moncada (but I seriously doubt it happens) 2nd choice: Vazquez (so, we can PH for Leon with Young or Shaw and then PH for Holaday later) 3rd choice: Hill (So, we can PH for Holt and Shaw) 4th choice: Abad (LOOGIE) 5th choice: Barnes (Pom? Wright?)

My point is that although high K pitchers usually do better than low K pitchers, it doesn't mean K's equate to greatness. Great pitching is about getting guys out. When hitters do get on, it's about not letting them be HRs or XBHs. It's about limiting BBs and HBPs. It sometimes is about buckling down when men do get on base. I get how a K saves a fielder from having to make a play, but the Sox are not a better fielding team than the Guardians, so Porcello was not aided by greater fielding. The fact is, he walked less hitters. He allowed less men on base than Kluber. His adjusted ERA (or ERA-) was better than Kluber's. I just don't see why higher K's is enough to overturn the bottom line.

That was a great article that covered just about everything that needed to me covered. Papi will always be "the greatest" in my mind.

If Mo never got higher than #2 (the year Colon won it), i doubt any reliever will do better. I think it's Kluber or Porcello. There's enough to support both winning. I doubt Sale gets many votes, so I think it's a two man race. I'm not even sure britton can get enough votes for 3rd place.

3 Days off 8 pm @ CLE 4:30 @ CLE Day Off 4 pm CLE ? pm CLE (if needed) Day Off ? pm @ CLE (if needed) Plenty of rest and then 2 days off within the 5 game series. If needed, we could go with Porcello in game 1 and 4 on 3 days rest and then have Price in game 5 on regular rest. If up 2-1, we may go with out 4th starter (ERod or Buch, whoever doesn't start in game 3). This would allow Porcello to pitch game 5 on an extra day's rest, probably not against Kluber (who would likely have been used in game 4 down 1-2 games). Our offense should be well rested for every game. One would think every relief pitcher would be rested enough to pitch in all games, unless used for 2 or more innings in the previous game.

Maybe it will only be a partial eclipse.

I kind of expected he wouldn't. Not many players soar above their AA & AAA numbers.