moonslav59

Great movie and a perfect link to how most of us think, right now.

It's very difficult for many adults to learn a new language. I lived in Mexico for 3.5 years, took 5 levels of Spanish at the big university, and then hired a one-on-one tutor for another year. I got to the point where I could understand maybe 75% of what I read, 50% of what I could hear and my speaking level got to maybe 25% efficiency. (I teach ESL, so I know a little bit about proficiency levels in all 4 domains of language.) I'm not defending anybody for not learning the prominent language of the country they spend so much time in, but this is not even his home. I couldn't learn Spanish when Mexico was my home, and I planned on living there indefinitely.

We know he did not get Devers to even try ona 1Bman's mitt in practice. I do not know, but I don't think he even politely asked Devers about maybe playing 1B. He should have told him, nicely, "We need you to play 1B and not 'everywhere.'" He could couch it anyway he felt necessary, but Devers needed to play 1B and he did not. Then, he says "I'll play anywhere," the first day in SF. How can anyone think we managed the move to 1B, correctly? If Cora didn't even ask him, that's a huge problem, IMO. If he did ask him, and Devers refused, then trading Devers was the correct thing to do.

We'll see, and within the context of giving up Devers, I still think the return looks like Crap. I was higher on Dugo and Jeter Downs than Harrison & Hicks, and look where they got us.

Not that I've heard of, but I'd rather overpay for a guy like him than a top pitching prospect.

The Astros have a secret they have kept hidden for many years.

Agreed. He's likely a better defender than Anthony, since he can play CF, well. He's better than Campbell in the OF, as of now, anyway. He's a RHB, so that helps, but now that Devers is gone, we need one of our many lefties to step it up, bigtime.

I'm wondering how close Sox brass thinks Jh Garcia is from the big dance. He's looking very impressive, of late.

On soxprospects.com, Jordan moved up from #32 to #24. Tolle is at #5. Sandlin dropped from #8 to 13. Jh Garcia jumped from #14 to #7. Tibbs joined at #8. Romero dropped from #6 to 10. Clarke jumped from #18 to 11. Cespedes fell from #9 to 16. Monegro jumped from 27 to 19, but I think he's on the IL, now. Enddy Azocar made the biggest leap from #51 to 21, along with Uberstine from #54 to 26. Z Ehrhard jumped a lot, too (47 to 26) D Reyes with a big drop (21 to 31)

Breaking the mold!

What's the odds we sit Bregman down and talk about how much we want him back in 2026, then trade him and bring him back? (It wouldn't really be tinkering, since he's under contract with him, now.) He could still be a piece to build a young team around starting in 2026. It's not like our best young players are in single A.

The biggest difference is that we had nobody really good to trade. The better ones were hurt. In theory, Bregman could be traded, but I'm all for extending him. Chapman is a better trade chip than Jansen was in '24. Wilson maybe better than Martin. While Duran is not a FA to be, he'll bring way more back than O'Neill might have brought us. I'm not sure about rumors of teams wanting Buehler, but so be it. Gio should being more than Buehler. Ref won't bring much, but someone might really need a top 10 MLB batter vs LHPs. We could get enough prospects from trading these guys to make a nice winter trade. I know, I know, why should we expect we do well on winter trades and signings, this time around? What's the alternative? Just give up? I know, I know, the mob wants a complete blow-up and start over. Not me.

I did in 2023. I think I wanted us to buy in '24- just not top prospects. I'm not happy having to repeat myself. This sucks for all Sox fans from all sides of the spectrum.

I absolutely am disgusted to be for a firesale. Kicking the can sucks. I don't see anyway we can added 3-4 pieces and get back in this thing, so every trade should be about maximizing the assets we can have this summer to trade and spend to fill the biggest needs we have. Assuming we keep Bregman, trade Duran, Campbell, Casas, Arias & Sandlin for Skenes and trade all of FAs to be for prospects that can be flipped in a winter trade, this would be the framework: SP: Crochet, Skenes, Sandoval, Bello, Dobbins RP: ______, _____, Slaten, Whitlock, Houck, Crawford, Fitts, Weissert C: Narvaez, Wong or _____ 1B: ______ (Toro) 2B: Story or Mayer (DHam) SS: Mayer or Story (Romero) 3B: Bregman (Grissom) LF: Anthony (Refsnyder) CF: Rafaela (Garcia) RF: Abreu- Refsnyder (Garcia) DH: Garcia-Romy (Yoshida)

I'm not totally sold on any prospect pitcher.

Whoever Cora picks, it's Cora's fault.

Jh Garcia hit his 9th bomb, tonight and is at .983. Maybe the big 3 was really the big 4. Campbell went 1-2 w 2BBs in the 4-2 loss. Uberstine was not good. POR is down 2-1, late. Song let up the runs. GRE & SAL had rainouts or suspended games.

We have our 3 hits. Does that mean we are done for the night?

He needs to be back, next year. Anything beyond is great. Get it done!

It worked, once. That is proof? He yanked many a pitcher early, when they needed to be yanked, and they were way below 90 pitches. I agreed on some times I wondered why he pulled a guy that seemed to be doing well, but stated we don't and didn't have all the facts. Maybe, they noticed something we didn't. Maybe even the pitcher said something we didn't hear, or the catcher commented that the guy was losing it. Maybe the guy was on a pitch count for a good reason, we didn't know about. Maybe Bello is still pitching well, precisely because we yanked him early a few times. We just don't know all the facts and what ifs. I do know that during the game threads, I see a lot of , "Cora should have yanked ____," said right after a homer of bases loaded walk. We also see many times a pitcher looks horrible, then pitches 3-4 nice innings after some were screaming he be yanked. We forget about those choices made more than we remember the choices that did not work out. I have no issues with Cora's in game pitching choices. I question some moves, but not any more than other managers, and probably less. He's had to start our 8th, 10th and 12th slotted SP'ers way too often. He was handed a highly questioned pen, and they have the 4th best fWAR in MLB. To me, how he's handled the staff is his strongest point in favor of not being terminated. We just have to agree to disagree. Yes, he's made mistakes. He'd agree, too. To me, he's done more good than bad, and the team just hasn't responded, key players were hurt or traded away. If I gotta blame someone, it's the players, JH and then maybe Brez. Cora is way down on my blame list.

He's not signed for 26, nor do we have an option. We can trade him and then sign him in 2026. It's rare, but we could, From the sounds of many here, what sort of chance do we have, in 2025, even if we became all-in buyers? By all in, does than mean trade 2 of the top 3 prospects plus guys like Arias, Garcia, Tolle, Bleis and Cespedes? Ro two of the top 3 and 3 of the next 5 or 6? The worst choice, to me, is another half way choice.

Trading for a pitching prospect is different than a Crochet-like deal. I'm not against trading for Abel or Painter. A trade centered on Duran might get it done, but they may ask for Arias and Tolle, too, if not a big 3. Would you trade Duran, Campbell and Mullins for Abel or Painter?

Nobody likes trading good players for crap. Some see the Devers trade as a salary dump and or clubhouse issue deal, and that's why we got crap. The salary savings being spent wisely is something we all doubt- both in terms of actually being spent and the "wisely" part. The Betts trade is beyond further debate, but we all hate that it happened. My point is this: we don't look like a winning team, unless we go full buy mode at the deadline and trade away several good and maybe some top prospects, and even then, nothing is guaranteed. We can play it half way and sell moderate prospects that look blocked for moderate and short term gains that likely get us nowhere near a ring. Or we sell. We trade every free agent to be, except maybe Bregman, who we extend, and we make a strategic choice on which excess OF'er to trade. As much as I hate to see Duran traded, I think he makes the most sense, and a deadline trade means for prospects, unless we involve a third team and get a pitcher. (But, most likely only pitcher rentals are available- not the Crochet type of trade.) I know it sucks, but to me, it might be the only way we can get a quick turn around and be winners in 2026.

The thing is, generally, trading for rentsls happens at the deadline. Trading for controlled pitchers happens in the winter. Trading Duran and Chapman would be for prospects, not some solid SP'er, because the team acquiring these two will be a playoff bound team in need of said pitcher. Maybe a three way deal can get it done: Duran & Chapman to team A, prospects from team A and us to team B, and a solid Sp'er to us.

You make some great and insightful comments, Max. I know, I often respond only to the ones I disagree with, but I agree with more than not.