moonslav59

To me, this was the winter mistake, and it was last winter, too. If we didn't have a big need elsewhere, it's fine to have depth like this in the OF, but we did and we do. I like Durbin, but I have to think we could have done better by trading an OF'er, even if it was for prospects that were flipped or subbed out to add to the Durbin offer and to get KMarte or Neto. I've made this point several times, but the step down from Duran at DH vs Masa/Casas/Campbell/Romy is not all that much. The step up from Mayer or Durbin to KMarte or Neto is way more significant. An injury to an OF'er? We still have Campbell, Masa, Romy or Eaton.

Exactly. We really don't need a $35M DH posing as a 1Bman. We did need his bat, and I wanted him, but I'd prefer Contreras at his cost. I prefer Suarez over Bregman. I will say, I wish we got a 2B/3Bman, even if it meant no Sonny Gray & Kiner-Falefa, but there is more than one way to win.

Suarez got about the same as Bregman. I'd rather have $21M Gray + $18M Contreras than $35M Alonso, despite my call for quality over quantity.

Of course you are not. It doesn't fit your off-base narrative.

We needed a boost. A pitcher might have been better, We did have 3 batters over .890 at the deadline (Devers, Bogey & JD,) but Renfroe was at .767 and Verdugo at .749. You mentioned Dalbec, like he was some kind of plus in the first 4 months of 2021. He was at .659 at the deadline. Vaz was at .649. Marwin and Santana were below .600. Kike, Plawecki & Arroyo were doing fine, but we needed to knock out one of our black holes in the line-up and Schwarber was a nice get, even without hindsight.

One out of one, yes. His other two partial seasons were pretty good, despite the higher k rate. 2022: .766 OPS (.358 OBP and over 30 HRs per 650.) Not bad. 2024: .800 OPS (.337 OBP and 35+ HRs per 650.) Pretty damn good.

That is a concern, and even Masa could hit his way above Casas. (Campbell, too.)

You could be right. Knee injuries can be tricky for some hitters. I think he comes back and squeezes Masa out of a job and maybe off the roster.

He'll be the DH. In 950 PAs since '22: 3.2 oWAR -2.3 dWAR While that is only slightly better than Yoshida's numbers per PA, he brings power to a team that needs it. He also has decent splits vs L & R.

Ok. Fair enough. Even if you count Schwarber, it's still sickening to see the lack of effort. (I will add that in several seasons, I wanted us to sell, and that only happened in 2020- we got Pivetta.)

Most of the "misses" came when there was one WC team and the play-in game format. Now, that so many teams make the dance, it is very rare to see an 88, 89 or 90 win team miss the playoffs. In many seasons 83-86 wins are enough.

Talk about carrying "no weight." Possible ring with Alonso. 4th place "flops" with Contreras + Kiner Falefa.

We needed a bat and Schwarber filled that need and played some positions, other than DH. 2018 was within a decade: We might now win without Nate and Pearce. (Kinsler helped, too.) 2017: We added Nunez and Reed at the deadline- both promised to fill big needs. That was pretty long ago, and had you said 7 years, you'd be right.

So, Alonso and no Contreras and Kiner-Falefa= ring competition. Contreras + Kiner-Falefa and no Alonso = 4th place. The spending is pretty close, but JH is a lying cheapskates owner over this.

I do think he should spend more. I think all owners should. I don't call him cheap, because he has been far from cheap. You may think that carries "no weight," but it does. That last time, he opened his wallet for top talent? Just weeks ago. This winter: $28M Crochet $26M Suarez $21M Gray $18M Contreras $6M Kiner -Falefa How many teams spent this much in "new spending," this year. Look it up, and get back to me with an answer to this specific question. No tangent to spending vs revenue. New spending in 2025: $32M Bregman ($40M in reality) $21M Buehler $11M Chapman $9M Sandoval $2M Wilson 2024: (I admit, this was not enough for 2024, but it marked the start of some changes in spending patters.) $29M x 10 Devers $18M x 2 Giolito $5M x 2 Hendriks No. It's not enough. No the world is not all black and white, where you either spend like the Mets & Dodgers or you are a "lying cheapskates who doesn't want to win." That statement is what carries no weight..

Back to square one, again. You did mention the back up player, Gasper, like he mattered. You mentioned had we gotten Alonso, you'd be fine, and that it wouldn't have cost any more money, had he just not spent on X, Y or Z. So, then it wasn't the spending amount, it was spending on the wrong guys. You are all over the map, and end up at the same place- your rock- the spending to revenue ranking from 2 years ago, You do realize 30 owners could spend nearly every penny of their revenue, and someone would be ranked 30th.

Casas could be the key to the season.

We didn't choose Gasper over Alonso. We chose Contreras. Gasper would still be here.

Nobody ever presses these guys.

Winning a division and a ring goes far beyond your top 3 SP'ers and top 2 pen arms, but what MLB has the best 3 SP'ers and 2 pen arms? Projected fWAR: 15.9 BOS - 5.8 Crochet, 3.7 Gray, 3.4 Suarez + 1.7 Chapman, 1.3 Whitlock 14.9 PHI- 4.8 Sanchez, 3.5 Luzardo, 3.3 Wheeler, 2.1 Duran, 1.2 Alvarado 14.1 DET -6.3 Skubal, 3.6 Valdez, 2.5 Flaherty + 1.2 Vest, 0.5 Melton 11.9 LAD -3.6 Yamamoto, 2.9 Snell, 2.6 Glasnow+ 1.7 Diaz, 1.1 Scott Others.... 10.7 TOR- 3.9 Cease, 3.0 Gausman, 2.1 Ponce+ 1.0 Hoffman, 0.7 Valand 9.4 NYY- 3.9 Fried, 2.3 Rodon, 2.0 Cole+ 1.3 Bednar, 0.9 Doval

MLB.com projects the defending MLB champions- the Jays- to have this rotation: Cease, Gausman, Yesavage, Ponce, Berrios (Bieber starts the season on the IL- big surprise.) The "on the rise" Orioles are projected as such: Bradish, T Rogers, Baz, Bassitt & Eflin/Kremer

MLB.com projects the greatest team in MLB history- the 2026 NY Yankees- to have this rotation: Fried, Schlitter, Warren, Weathers & Gil. (The say Rodon is due back in April/May and Cole in May/June.

No even for Masa? OH MAN!!!

Some of it better than their pitching coaches advice! LOL

Hey, join the club. The Sox wnet decades without ever being considered serious contenders. Talk abut hard times: no team ever missed the playoffs ny a half game, except the Sox (the 1972 strike shortened season) The Sox missed the playoffs while winning... 97 in '77 99 in '78 91 in '79 93 in '02 89 in '10 90 in '11