moonslav59

Who is saying don't sign Bregman or anyone else? We've all been suggesting ways to upgrade our actual weaker areas, now ones where we are better than others or have great hopes in a ML ready prospect to step in, if the DHam-Grissom 2B platoon implodes.

.729 might be what Breg hits over the next 6 years. DHam brings more than just .729. He is, IMO, a better defensive 2Bman than Breg and steals mega bases. My real confidence lies with Campbell, who am certain will outhit Breg in the next 6 years and is likely a better defensive 2Bman, too. If Mayer wins the SS job, we'll have a RH'd GG 2Bman, as well, in Story. We don't need a 2Bman who may or may not improve the 2B offense.

You act like the first half of 2024 is the outlier. It's not. You don't hit .795 over the last 4-5 years and think he is really the batter he was over the second half of the most recent season. There is no reason to think he'll be better over a full season in 2025. 2023: .726 first half/ .901 second half 2022: .764/.894 He's a streaky hitter, who has had reverse splits over the 2023 and 2024 season. He may not be the savior we need vs LHPs, either. 2023: .696 v L and .712 in 2024. He's a damn good defensive 3Bman who hits well, but not great. He may be a good defensive 2Bman, but we already have that role filled. Who is overthinking this? We need to improve 3B D. We need a good to great RHB. We don't need a good RHB to play 2B.

It's hard to imagine JH saying no to a Jansen contract. These are the types of things that puzzle me.

You know I'm talking about 3B defense. I'm not signing Bregman to bench Devers. His bat stays. Nobody is saying we bench or trade Devers.

DHam was better than "good at 2B" and hit .729 v RHP. We have Campbell. We don't need a 2Bman, finally. If we sign Bregman to play 2B, I'm jumping on the fire Brez & Cora bandwagon, day one. (That is NOT hyperbole. That choice breaks the camel's back.)

.795 OPS over the last 4 and 5 years. He would add some RHB help, but not enough. His plus O and plus-plus D at 3B is what fulfils his true value. We have a weakness at 3B. Don't overthink it.

That does sound like I think it could happen. I did not mean to imply that. I know they are tied to Devers at 3B until Casas or Yoshida are gone. To me, I'd make the move now, even without adding Bregman or Arenado. Either start Campbell at 3B and go with a DHam Grissom platoon at 2B or give Grissom some time at 3B and Campbell times at 3B and 2B. Devers and Casas share DH/1B duty and Yoshida is benched, dumped or forced to win the LF job.

I know this. That won't stop me from saying what I think is a better plan.

Exactly. The window SHOULD be , now, but instead we get halfway measures- maybe just enough to give fans enough hope to not revolt.

3 years of god-awful defense at 3B, and the talk is about how much they want to keep Devers at 3B, even if they add Bregman or Arenado. This is gross incompetence, or just a ruse to keep Devers happy, at least until they actually add a real 3Bman.

That's how I see it. The trade made the window NOW! Of course, we may extend him, and maybe they already have an extension worked out, but for now, the window may not be better in 1 or more years. If the plan was to wait for Anthony, Campbell, Mayer and others to be significan't, then we should have waited to make a Crochet-type trade.

Casas has 4 years left.... UGH!!!!!!!! LEEEEEEEEEEEEE! The middle IF, once again, will rely on Story's health, but I do think we already have 2B "fixed," defensively. DHam looked like a plus in 2024 at 2B, and there is no reason to think Campbell will be a minus at 2B. (BTW, Campbell might also be the solution at 3B and not 3B. Maybe he plays 2B v LHPs and 3B vs RHPs.) I've never thought the Sox would move Devers, as I wish they would. I'm surprised you'd rather keep him there. Do you think he'd be better at 1B than Casas, who is awful at 1B D? (We could DH Casas or do a 1B/DH share between the two.) notin mentioned Grissom at 3B or Mayer. Could we see this? Vs RHP: Campbell at 3B and DHam at 2B Vs LHP: Grissom at 3B and Campbell at 2B

So, basically a used car salesman= big fat liar. (BTW, I don't disagree.)

He's just trying to give hope to guys like Crawford, Fitts, Priester, Criswell and Fulmer.

#32 out of 34 from 2022 to 2024, according to OAA (-16.) Wisdom & Burger were worse. #34 out of 35 '22-'24, according to DRS (-24.) Only Bohm was worse (-27.) With different players coming up slightly worse than Devers on these two lists, one could argue Devers comes out as the worst or tied for worst. Anyway, is it really that much better if he's 29th or 28th? We need to give our pitchers a break by providing them with a plus defense behind them, and the place to start is corner IF. (We have to just hope Story bring more stability to our MI.) Catcher is another task that needs to be addressed.

I fully realize Rafaela may be better, going forward, despite your hyper criticism of him (well, mostly his contract), this year, but we have duplicated values in the OF and nobody who can play 3B better than 29 other 3Bmen. My suggested trade also included adding a RHB OF'er like Grichuk. You gotta give to get. I'd start with an offer of Cespedes & Winckowski, but might go as high as Rafaela, straight up. (BTW, I chose Rafaela not just because of our duplicated OF values, but because he is owed about $49M to Arenado's $60M. The deal would make more financial sense to JH and his bean counters.)

I kept thinking the days of feeding the monster would cycle back around, one day, but it really has not happened. The Story signing, and to a lesser extent, Yoshida deal didn't even match the amount of salary we have lost over those years. The Devers extension was massive, but it too did not put us near the spending and spending rankings we used to be at, years ago. It was also likely only done to quell a fan revolution. I will say, that despite these guys being mainly "figureheads," there is still some major disconnect going on within the FO. Are they really this stupid? Are they really just blatant liars? Are the both? If the Kennedy statement about the tax line not being a priority, this winter was true or close to the truth, then what is the hold up? Is someone saying, "It's okay to spend up to $260M," but then nix every big offer suggested, only because they'd rather spend the money on other players? What "other players?" Again, it looks like it is not happening. The so-called bidding on Soto was a mirage and fed the idea that our FO is willing to spend, but just on certain players that we never make the top offer on. I'm tired of the circle jerk. This was the winter for action- meaningful action. Okay, Crochet was meaningful, but where is the spending to go along with that trade and open up the window wide, even if just for Crochet's 2 years of control? Cricketts, as always. (Please, nobody say the name "Buehler" as an effort to spend us to glory.)

MLBTR reported that Arenado's contract has $74M remaining, of which COL pays $10M and deferred payments brings the actual amount owed to $60M. Forget giving them Yoshida: they want to cut salary. We could trade Rafaela (owed about $49M/7) and the AAV hit would only be about $18M a year with no money pitched in by STL. That would leave us enough to sign Grichuk and or Estevez. Of course, I's only do this, if we moved Devers to 1B/DH and not play Arenado at 1B. It creates an issue with Yoshida, but he's an issue, anyway. In theory, we could platoon Yoshida/Ref in LF and Abreu/Grichuk in RF, until Anthony is called up, and alternate Casas and Devers at 1B & DH.

No other team sports "award" a win to a single player. A pitcher can let up 8 runs, while a batter hits 3 grand slams, but guess which player is the only one with a chance at the win?

Not sure, and not sure it matters.

How many here would be happy if we ended the off season by adding Grichuk and Estevez and traded Abreu for Catcher Caratini (1 yr at $6M) and RHP Luis Garcia (2 arbs left)? Adds: Crochet, Buehler, Chapman, Sandoval, Caratini, L Garcia, Grichuk, Estevez & Wilson Lost: Jansen, Martin, O'Neill, Pivetta and a few others, plus 3 of our top 8 prospects 1. L Duran CF 2. R Campbell 2B 3. L Casas 1B 4. L Devers 3B 5. R Grichuk LF 6. L Anthony RF 7. R Story SS 8. L Yoshida/R Refnsyer DH 9. Caratini-Wong C Bench: Rafaela & DHam/Grissom/Romy SP: Crochet, Houck, Buehler, Bello, Giolito RP: Chapman, Estevez, Hendriks, Slaten, Whitlock, L Garcia, Crawford, Wilson

My bad on Kikuchi. I was looking at his age at debut. I still would like that signing- just not as much. Forget the signings by players who took less to play where they wanted to, ie Burnes & Teoscar. What signings that have already been made would you think would have been worth bidding more on?

Agreed. We've been watching that strategy fail for a half a decade. One of our biggest hopes was a return to form by Sale. I'm tired of hoping. I gave up on expecting, a while ago.

Teoscar took less to play in LA, where he wanted to play. He's 32- not in prime. O'Neill got $50M/3 and had only one season with 390+ PAs, before 2024. He's 29. I suggested Kikuchi at age 27 (28 in 2025.)