moonslav59

Not much mention of Wily Adames much anymore, and for good reason. He's owed $28M year for 5 more years. He turns 31 in SEPT so will begin the next 5 years at ages 31-32-33-34-35. That's not really horrible, but his OPS+ has dropped from 118 in 2024 to 112 in 2025 to 97, so far this season. The 15 HRs are still nice, but his OBP has dipped to .281. His defense is no longer all that great, but he's not bad. He's still an upgrade over Story-Mayer and Monasterio-Cheng. I know Arias is in the wings, but we have an opening at 2B, too. it's been open for over a decade. We lose the Story contract after 2027 and a $5M buyout, so do we really want to add 4 more years of a larger contract and risk being worse off than we are with Story, now? That's just part of the concern. Maybe we get them to take the $30M owed Story and also kick in $5M a year from 2028-2031. I'm not sure that's a good deal, before we even start talking about who SF gets for him. If we gave the KC, it would knock $7M off the $23M a year remainder, so maybe $16M x 4 is not that bad. Anyone like: Story & KC to SFG for W Adames and $5M for '28, '29, '30 & '31? It's basically Adames for free in 2027 then $16M a year for 4 more, and we lose KC. Does SFG say no?

They should have had Devers grab a 1Bman's glove "just in case" before Casas ever showed real MLB promise. I was fine giving him a chance to improve at 3B, and there were some pretty long stretches where he seemed to be getting better, but he kept making too many errors. To me, too many were throwing, so I felt he'd be fine at 1B, but they obviously did not want to give it a try, for whatever reason. Plus, Casas was maybe the worst defensive 1Bman to play for the Sox, so it's not like we risked getting worse at 1B defense by moving Casas to DH, when and if ever healthy. After having so many issues at 1B, over the years, including a previous injury to Casas that caused us to look for a 1Bman via trade, they should never have said "Put your glove away," assuming they did say that. They should have told him we want you to DH but get ready to play 1B, if we need you. Maybe they felt he was too upset to even say that, but that does not change the fact that they should of done it. It also does not in anyway let devers off the hook. A player got hurt, and the plan changed. It doesn't matter whether anyone here or anywhere agrees that the plan change was good for the team or not, the team decided they needed him at 1B, and he refused. That's asking to be traded, and they obliged. Good riddance, and I'm glad we got out from under the contract, because he is showing the same issues with SFG and even has shown some decline at the plate, although we all know those numbers can change in a matter of weeks with a hitter like he is (was.) We could sure use his bat, but we need team players. It looks like we have some, now.

Duran adds next to nothing to a trade, especially to a team looking to rebuild and or save money. Mayer might have some nice trade value to some GMs who like his future, but I'm not sure how many GM like it, or how much value they assign to his upside potential. Eyanson, Early and Arias have the highest trade value, and it might take two to get a top quality player controlled beyond 2026. Pena has one more year. Would you give two of those 3 for him? I might for Pena & Paredes- both controlled through 2027- maybe not for just Pena.

While I agree Bello will help eat innings from the pen, and more than Coulombe was giving us, he might be a once every 5 day long man. No doubt, 4 IP every 5 days helps a lot.

Yes, MIN is buying. HOU might end up being sellers or not.

9 years? He was drafted 8 years ago. He played 24 games after being drafted in 2018. There was no MiLB in 2020. Go ahead and count 2018, it's really just 7 seasons. True: he did next to nothing for the first 3-4 seasons played. He only came to life in 2024 at AA and 2025 at AAA. I'd like to see what he does in the next few weeks before anointing him our 2B solution.

How many other teams have shed many or most of their scouts?

If HOU is the big seller, this summer, they do have players at positions we need. Yordan Alvarez is a pipedream and even an offer of Early, Arias and Witherspoon likely would fall way-way-way short. Paredes at DH, unless we want to move Durbin to 2B. Nice RHB. Pena at SS is also a RHB and plays a position we have great need. Okert LHP and Blubaugh RHP might help the pen. Could an offer starting with Arias and Mayer net us Pena & Paredes? (Key word: "starting")

The report says MIN will pay $2M of the remaining $6M. I think HOU is already under the tax line.

Not sure trading a pitcher that is always hurt is a sign of "selling."

I think you have to start at the top (AAA & AA) and work backwards. Identify who is not needed as MLB depth for 2026, and then who it least likely to ever be a MLB option, and cut them loose. Almost all the picks were listed as SS or OF, but we know some movement will occur. Catcher: I think Knizner has won the first catcher depth slot along with Gasper. There is no need to keep Delay & Thaiss, so there is one. Maybe promote Brannon, Baez, Jo Garcia or Rosario from AA to AAA, and up the line from there. 1B has Sogard listed at AAA, so promoting Brannon as the 1B/C/DH might be a good idea. Let Matt Lloyd and/or keep/trade Hickey. 2B has McDonough & Ferguson & SS has Capra. I have zero faith in the first two ever being true MLB options, so I could see cutting one loose and promoting Arias after the ASB. 3B has Romero, and my guess is he stays at 3B to finish the 2026 season at AAA. (Eaton is a keeper and can play OF) OF: Castro-Ward-KC will likely stay, but AAA could add an OF'er from AA, if we had one worty. More likely we just add Eaton to the mix. Maybe we trade Bleis, Frazier or Taylor and promote Gonzales from A+, to make room for an OF'er down lower- by attrition. Maybe we trade some farm OF'ers and middle infielders. Pitchers: I think our pitching on the farm is stronger, so maybe we trade pitching for ML help, and open up some room for drafted pitchers. To me, our most tradeable prospects are: Near ML Ready: 13 Holobetz, 16 Romero, 19 Uberstine, 20 Paez, 21 Mullins, 24 Bastardo, 30 Castro, 36 Brannon, 37 Bleis Close enough to MLB? 14 Cespedes, 17 Wehunt, 25 Winnay, 26 Monegro, 34 Jo Garcia, 35 Ziehl, 46 Taylor, 58 Rogers

Not the first time somethin like this has happened. What doesn't happen often is a player refusing to play where he's need most.

Have you 100% written KC off?

MLB.com's injury report on Crochet has not been updated since June 22nd. Most other are from July 5-9th.

Our middle infield as been a disaster for many years. Back to the Pedey days. Bogey was a plus value SS, but not good on D. Story was okay at 2B, when healthy and had one okay year at SS. We have sucked at middle infield. Keeping Arias is a must, despite the chance he flops. Nobody else excites me. I need more time to evaluate Seigler.

Pena does have 1 more year of arb, but he as missed time with injuries the last 1.5 seasons. Word down here is that HOU will not extend him. HOU does not want Duran, but they need a LHB OF'er. Maybe we can force him upon them and offer them a second piece that convinces them. It might take Early & Duran, but maybe Witherspoon, Duran & Phillips?

Exactly the reason SS is #1 or #2. If and when Arias is ready, we have a need at 2B, too. 1. Catcher 2. SS or DH/LF

Top OPS by possible trade targets at these positions: Catcher .942 Jeffers .863 Goodman .812 Rushing .807 Langeliers .763 Rutschman SS .874 O Lopez .862 Abrams .787 Correa .779 Neto .773 Pena .701 Adames (way better than Cheng) DH/LF 1.059 Yordan .967 Soto .904 Buxton .902 Kurtz .900 Moniak .878 Reynolds .871 A Vaughn .863 J McCarthy .846 Bleday .842 Horwitz .838 O'Hearn .832 Eldridge .829 Arraez (2B too) .822 L Hicks .820 Alonso .817 Conforto .812 S Stewart .808 Soderstrom .805 Schmidt .799 N lowe 2B .810 Edwards .803 B Lowe .790 G Torres .772 KMarte

I know. In 3 weeks, they may still be over .500 but 7 GB, while the Sox are at .500 and +1 in the WC.

Agreed, and same with Primera, Delzine and Soto. Valera had surgery, as did Gobout. The Sox don't have many near ML ready prospects and need Arias & Eyanson to fill future needs. Witherspoon may be in AA, soon, but 2028 is possible. Phillips, too. The most ML ready prospects we have are in the Paulino, Cutter Coffey mold: 13 Holobetz AA 14 Cespedes (still in A+) 16 Romero AAA (more like #25-30) 18 Rivera MLB (We may need him) 19 Uberstine AAA (more like #25-30) 20. Paez AA 21. Mullins AA 24 Bastardo AAA 25 Winnay AA 26 Monegro AA 34 Jo Garcia AA 36 Brannon AA 31 Castro AAA & 37 Bleis AA We aren't getting top talent with this list. This is like past trades: Luis Garcia, Lucas Sims & James Paxton type material. It might take Witherspoon, Phillips and some from this list to even keep GMs from hanging up. Think Eyanson or Early, if you are wide-eyed.

Understood. I am going on the assumption they will be sellers and we will be buyers. Yes, a big assumption. BTW, PIT is -2.0 from the WC, while the ox are -0.5,

I'd like to see a SS and Jeffers. Lindor, Adames, Neto, Pena, _____?

The thing about Gray is that the team has to pay his salary, even the part STL pays to BOS, unless we kick that back to the new team. Gray's value to a team not worried about money is higher, IMO, but maybe 20 teams cannot or will not pay that amount. Chapman seems under-valued, but closers often are. To me, Catcher should be #1 or #2. DH/LF or DH/C as #2 or #3 SS #3 or #2 (2B as #4.) I just like Lowe's power, despite being a LHB.

Due to being rentals, BTV assigns some pretty low values for Jeffers and BLowe. I suspect it will cost way more than what is listed here, just as it would cost more to trade for the -$2M Sonny Gray or $3.3M Chapman. $5.9M Jeffers $4.3M BLowe To me, these two feel right. They are good enough to not be dud of a deadline, but not so costly that we need to trade Early, Arias or Eyanson to acquire. What would it take to get both? Here are some BTV values of players I might part with: 31.2 Mayer (maybe for both, somehow involving more players or teams) 24.2 Azocar (for both or one plus more?) 22.0 Gonzales (for both or one plus more?) 16.9 D Soto? 12.7 Valera? 11.8 Witherspoon? 11.2 Delzine (I would for one) 9.3 Godbout (I would for one) 8.6 Duran (yea, right) 8.3 Phillips (I would for one) 5.9 Rivas +2.1 Uberstine? I would 5.1 Cespedes +2.8 Holobetz? I would 2.3 Romero + 2.4 Samaniego+ 1.7 Mullins/Monegro/Ramos? I would I kinda like this line-up: 1. Jeffers RHB C (.404 OBP) 2. Rafaela RHB CF (.328 OBP/.433 SLG) 3. BLowe LHB 2B (.487 SLG) 4. Contreras RHB 1B (.542 SLG) 5. Abreu LHB RF (.428 SLG) Flip to 6 slot v L 6. Durbin RHB 3B (Man on Fire) Flip to 5 slot v L 7. Romy RHB DH v L & R / Seigler L/R v some R 8. Yoshida LHB LF 9. Monasterio L/R SS v R/ Cheng RHB v L (until Story returns?) Seigler at SS? Yikes!?!? Bench: Wong (Narvaez to AAA) Seigler, Duran, Cheng or Monasterio

Shows how low Duran has set the bar.