There was also Sandoval, who never got a start after being expected back by August.
Perales might have started had he not been on the season long IL.
Wink might have gotten a start or two had he not been out all year.
Criswell got one start, was demoted and then went on the IL.
Harrison has been passed over.
Sadly, Priester was traded away.
So, Early jumped over Harrison. Early was not even Rule 5 eligible, so this caused a winter roster slot to be used up. That tells us that Harrison's ankle injury is the issue, or they lost all faith in his 2025 worthiness.
I'm not buying that.
I think he sets a firm offering price and won't budge.
He got a lot done over the winter, made a huge summer trade. I think he sticks to the idea that overpaying for deadline deals should be avoided and to make most deals in the winter, It's not a bad strategy.
I do wish he'd done more at the deadline (like get Joe Ryan or M Keller.) I do not think he should be fired for not doing a deal none of us know what the return was to be.
I get your point and don't disagree. My point is, if we didn't get Phillips and Eyanson, wefd have gotten two other players at likely two different bonus payouts,.
I do agree that Eyanson looks better than anyone else we might have drafted, instead. I get your point about the added money and overslot signings. I'm glad we got both Phillips and Eyanson.
I hope the Priester deal pays off for us, at some point. I think the odds that one of the three guys we got (or Eyanson) will give us some plus value is pretty high.
I'm wondering if 4 years is too much. His offense was in decline for a few years before coming to BOS.
OPS+
162 in 2019
134 in '22
122 in '23
117 in '24
(129, now)
He turns 32 in March.
I'm looking more at the teams ahead of us than those behind us. All those teams have weak areas and have struggled at some point is the last month or two (or three.)
People point to the Astros as a model organization, and rightfully so, but only COL has a higher chase rate, and ATH have a lower pitches seen per PA that they do, this year.
I think HOU is 25th in runs scored.
3 GB TOR
2.5 DET
1.0 NYY
+1.5 HOU
+3.5 SEA (last WC)
+5.0 TEX (on the outside, now.)
We have the 8th best record in all MLB:
-0.5 LAD for 7th
-1.0 NYY for 6th
-1.5 CHC for 5th (The Sox are 1.5 games away from a top 5 team!)
Bottom 4, tonight:
3 for 7 w BB, HR, 3 runs, 2RBI
Someone was saying one of our biggest weaknesses was the lower half of the line-up. (The same guy who said Narvaez was toast.)
It's actually been one of our strengths, and not just tonight.
The A's are no longer a bad team, despite having the 3rd worst record in the AL. They are 20-15 in their last 35 games, 33-27 in last 60 games.
They do much better on the road than home, so maybe that helps, this series.