moonslav59

It was great seeing Chris Murphy back on the mound. Better to see him do well.

Feast or famine. 18 hits, 6 BBs, 2 HBP and 2 SF.

Gio's ERA is now under 4.00.

To me, the best general approach is to trade for an established young pitcher with 2+ years of team control, and that almost always happens in the winter. Deadline deals are usually rentals for prospects. Winter deals are prospects for established vets. I'm not saying it has to be this way, but trying to get a stud pitcher, at the deadline will almost always involve a massive overpay- and that's just for a rental. If we trade some rentals and get a top pitching prospects who is MLB ready, I would not be against the idea, but it's a big dice roll. Maybe the safe plan would be to trade all our FAs-to-be for the best prospects available, then wait until winter to combine enough of our prospects to package for a trade like the Crochet one, the Sale and Beckett. I just feel safer going this route. Since we already have some top and mid tier prospects many teams want, adding some more would give us the upper hand on being able to offer the best deal for the best pitchers on the trade market. The next hope is that with the money saved on the Devers trade we can actually sign someone better than Gio or Buehler types.

Many a pitching prospect has had great stuff and not produced at the ML level.

You do realize top pitching prospects often fail, right? Also, that a major overpay, although it does probably get DD's attention.

I will say I am not for putting your 9th best OBP guy up first, all year long, Only Rafaela has more than 150 PAs and a lower OBP, and I don't want him up first, either. I do question the timing of the swap, as I do those who are saying Story should not be in the line-up, right after his best (or second best) stretch of the season,

I don't doubt it. We'd have to make an offer they could not refuse. It might be one I'd refuse, too.

It's something you live with. One time, I was out walking dog in the streets of Mexico City, and a kid came up and asked if my dog bites, as she reached out to pet him. I said, "Si, si," thinking she asked if it was okay to pet him, You should have seen her arm T-Rex in a flash. I wish I learned Spanish better than I did. I know I tried. I know I was motivated. I just couldn't do it, for the life of me. Now, I teach English and see some people have the same issues I had with Spanish.

You still don't get it. I know what side you on. I'm fine with it. My point was about it being okay or not for a manager to refuse to do what his boss asked him to do. Again, we don't know if he was asked or not, so don't go now claiming I'm calling Cora insubordinate, like you said I did with Devers.

You are currently confused, too.

I took beginning French 3 times in my life. I had to drop it in college, after one semester, because I know I was going to fail. I took beginning Latin for the second semester to meet my graduation criteria. You keep brining up examples of people who did it, and maybe it wasn't easy for some of them, but I do know it is extremely difficult for some adults to learn a new language, myself included, and I had incentive to learn it, too.

No, I did not. Please stop this. I said Cora might be viewed that way, if he was told to ask/tell Devers to play 3B, but refused to do what his bass said, but I did not know if he was told to do so, or not. If he was told to and did not, it's text book insubordination. I'm not sure Devers was ever asked or told to play 1B, other than through the media. If he was never told to do it, it's not insubordination. My position is we don't know. I have said that if they told Devers to and he refused, then it would be insubordination, but as always, you hear what you want to hear or twist what I say into something not true. It's what you do, even after being corrected. I do think he should have volunteered to do whatever is best for the team, like he openly did in SF, and maybe he did in private with the Sox. We don't know jack, so I'm not calling him any names, except a "great hitter."

All true, but we have to keep trying to fix the major issues while playing the best options we have, until it's fixed. I also still think Story might improve enough to be a slight plus at SS or 2B for the next 1.5 to 2.5 seasons. I think that more than I do for DHam, Grissom & Romy combined. That might not be saying much, and I've made the point that we can't be winners with just Bregman and 8 slightly plus everyday players: we need more major plus players, but until we get them, I'll settle for slightly plus over what we are currently seeing at several positions. I'm not for "settling" as a long term plan.

Murphy is a way better back-up catcher than Wong, even as he ages. His bat would be a big plus at DH and when he catched 20-25% of the time. The $15M x 3 is less than Story's $24M x3, so even if we pay ATL $9M x 3, we break even on money and get the bat and depth at C we need. I have no idea if ATL has any interest in Story, even without adding a penny to their 3 year budget. I do think they need a SS, though. (BTW, this trade was notin's idea.)

Yes, that is one reason why you have been around, so much. Still won't admit it wasn't me that called Devers bad names, though- just as expected.

Injury does worry me, but to me, Bregman is a proven star on O and D and helps his teammates be better. Every 4-5 year deal is a big risk.

That's why I said I just hope he comes back next year and maybe a few years afterwards. I'd be willing to go 4-5, just so we get him for the first 2-3 years.

I didn't call it insubordination. Thanks for actually answering my question and saying you are fine with a manager not doing what his boss wants him to do, just because you agree with the position the manager took.

I did say "maybe."

Max, I too hate blaming the GM for injuries, but he did sign a guy he knew was out until August (Sandoval) instead of signing a guy known for being healthy- like Gio- LOL! He signed Buehler, fully knowing his injury history rivaled that of Sale. If only he bounced back like Sale did- LOL! He signed an 80 year old closer (Chapman) and 75 year old set up man (Wilson,) and lo-and-behold, they are the ones staying healthy and doing well- LOL! He knew Casas was a china doll and then traded away Meidroth as a throw in on a trade, but hey, he got lucky with Toro-Romy, when he couldn't get his manager to get Devers to even try 1B. (Not funny, so no LOL.) Other teams have major injuries and players doing way worse than expected: Yankees with Cole and D Williams and the Astros with 5 SP'ers and J Alvarez. We suck at pitching, hitting, defense and baserunning. Even the guys that are supposed to be good at those things have not been as expected. Maybe that is not Brez's fault, but the fact is, we'd suck, even if Bregman, Hendriks, Gio and Houck were healthy all year long.

Don't expect Red to admit he confused me with someone else.... maybe you.

Not everyone's brain is hardwired for language acquisition as easily as the next guy, especially adults. Again, I'm not defending Devers, but the guy doesn't live here. He works here, then goes home. he will likely not retire here, either. He doesn't need to speak English to do his job, and maybe doesn't care about communicating Americans who does not speak Spanish.

Maybe Houck can be great from the pen. Burdi might help, some. Murphy is a wildcard & what if. We need Bregman and Dobbins back and in top form to have any shot. I doubt even that is enough.

Once Bregman returns, maybe we can get ATL to take Story, plus some cash and maybe a guy like Mullins for Murphy and his rather large contract. Murphy could DH when not catching.