moonslav59

I asked that exact same question in this post you responded to.

Agreed- just around 10th.

What is "earth" for Houck? The guy looked very sharp from ages 24 to 26, and it looks like 2023 was the "outlier" season. 2020-2022: 3.01 ERA (150 ERA+) in 146 IP: 2.95 FIP/ 1.12 WHIP 2024: 3.12 ERA (137 ERA+) in 179 IP: 3.32 FIP/ 1.14 WHIP Of course, any pitcher can take a step back in any given year, but I see no reason to expect one with Houck. There might be an equal chance he does better in 2025 than he did in 2024. His 3 year earlier sample size was better.

If Cohen would have gone $250M more to get Soto, then why not spend that on Burnes?

Even without Scott of Hoffman, I'd be thrilled. (Maybe an Estevez type signing)

I'm not so sure about that return package, but if Jones is all he's cracked up to be, I would. Hard to know for sure, but we don't know about Mayer, either, of if Abreu ever learns to hit lefties. On the surface, I think I'd say yes. Of course, I would first try a package without a top 3 prospect, but why would PIT say yes to... Abreu, DHam and two from Perales, Arias, Bleis or Cespedes (Romero, if they leave us Arias.) Even three or four from the Perales, Bleis, Cespedes, Romero or a Garcia brother would likely not be enough.

Jones?

I like the RHB more than Bregman's bat, but Bregman's D would be a big plus, and our OF is our strength. If the Teoscar signing got us a good pitcher for Abreu, fine.

Very true, but it just takes one team. The guy seems to be a good hitter. He has been hurt a couple times in 2 years, but that may not be his MO>

I think JH would pay that, but it will take $200M/6 minimum.

You may be right. Just curious, would a Bregman or Burnes signing be enough? How about two from: Teoscar/Santander or Flaherty/Manaea/Scott?

Until we win a significant bid, the sham continues.

JH has to pick a guy and just not stop bidding until he's ours. It makes so much sense, it will never happen.

He has a .795 OPS over the last 5 years. That's pretty good, but if we trade Casas, it is no upgrade on O. If we DFA or trade Yoshida, I'm not sure Bregman is much of an upgrade over a Yoshida-Ref DH platoon. He has had horrific starts to some seasons, recently. I'd like to see us sign him, and he should be okay on O, as he ages, but he's not great on offense. A Casas-Devers 1B-DH share would be ideal.

The more key players come off the FA market, the more a trade might be our only hope. If we end up signing Teoscar or Santander, it almost forces an Abreu trade. If we fully trust Anthony with maybe Campbell as a FT OF'er, we could trade Abreu and Rafaela. I do think Rafaela would be an excellent utility player, although a bit expensive for that. If we end up signing Burnes, Flaherty, Manaea or Pivetta, I guess some want to include Buehler, we would not have to trade to make room for him on the 13 man staff. We can move Crawford to the pen and demote our worst RP'er with options to AAA. (Chapman, Wilson and Hendriks are the only pitchers out of options.) If they sign a quality RP'er- same thing. If they sign Bregman, they could trade Casas or go overboard to dump Yoshida.

You radiate cold shards of broken glass You're nearly a good laugh, almost worth a quick grin (I could work on this one for you, if you want.) 😋

Agreed, maybe we could get someone to pay $1-3M more than minimum wage. but the hope is, if he comes back and hits well, we could get more. I'm not expecting any player in return- just salary relief that I probably mistakenly hope JH would use elsewhere.

So, then Cohen does not spend as much as it takes to win a ring.

Why are pitchers getting hurt more often? https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-releases-report-on-pitcher-injuries-2024

In the AL, the Red Sox are very serious about making a pitch to the Sasaki team. The main selling point might be the history of Japanese pitchers having success and positive experiences playing in Boston: Daisuke Matsuzaka, Uehara and Junichi Tazawa. They have an impressive pitching development program and it certainly doesn’t hurt when the general manager, Craig Breslow, can speak directly to it (as opposed to just handing it off to “the experts”). Breslow also personally scouted Sasaki for one of his starts in Japan in September.

Just a castaway, an owner lost at sea, oh Another lonely day with nobody signed for me, oh More loneliness than any fan could bear Rescue me before I fall into despair, oh I'll send an S.O.S to the world I'll send an S.O.S to the world I hope that someone gets the I hope that someone gets the I hope that someone gets the message is full throttle, yeah Message is full throttle, yeah A year has passed since I sank the boat I should have known this right from the start Only a sham can keep this together A Chapman can't mend our team but ure can break our heart I'll send an S.O.S to the world I'll send an S.O.S to the world I hope that someone gets the I hope that someone gets the I hope that someone gets the message is full throttle, yeah Message is full throttle, yeah Oh, message full throttle, yeah Message full throttle, yeah Walked out this morning, I don't believe what I saw Hundred billion dollars spent on Soto's shore Seems we're not alone at being alone Hundred billion fans, looking for a hope I'll send an S.O.S to the world I'll send an S.O.S to the world I hope that someone gets the I hope that someone gets the hope that someone gets the message is full throttle, yeah Message is full throttle, yeah Oh, message full throttle, yeah Message full throttle, yeah Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S I'm sending out an S.O.S I'm sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S Sending out an S.O.S

ZIPS: 3.5 Crochet, 2.7 Houck, 2.2 Bello, 1.6 Crawford, 1.4 Giolito, 1.3 Priester & Fitts, 1.0 Criswell, 0.9 Dobbins 1.4 Whitlock, 1.3 Wink, 0.9 Chapman, 0.6 Slaten, 0.3 Hendriks 3.8 Devers, 3.7 Duran, 2.5 Campbell, 2.3 Anthony, 2.2 Abreu, 2.1 Rafaela 1.6 Yoshida & Grissom, 1.5 Casas & DHam, 1.3 Story 1.2 Romy & Gasper, 1.1 Ref & Westbrook, 1.0 Mayer 0.9 Wong & Narvaez "...almost every player is projected to be average or better, with decent depth at most positions. Even at catcher, which is projected to be their worst position (now that they’ve traded Kyle Teel), the Red Sox should get an acceptable level of mediocrity...Campbell and Roman Anthony project to be Boston’s third- and fourth-best offensive players, respectively.."

Just buy an island and start his own baseball league.

Most sites have Dorian Soto a top 10 signing, so this would be good news. Speaking of IFAs, here is a short list of recent ones: '17 Bello & Rafaela '18 Sena '19 Perales, Jh Garcia, Monegro, Castro '21 Bleis & Paez '22 Jo Garcia, Yuten (Yoshida) '23 Arias & Cespedes '24 D Reyes, Ju Gonzalez, Asencio, Brito...

He may have ended up spending $250K for a $100K Corvette, if someone else kept bidding, but we don't know that. At some point, he'd give up and just buy the $150K Ferrari.