moonslav59

I have no way of knowing if Rafaela will ever improve enough to be even close to what JBJ was for those 6 years. He's already had a few years to try and learn better discipline. We know they worked with him on this at every level, and it backfired to the point where I think they gave up trying and just resigned themselves to the fact that this is who he is and maybe he can find ways to get enough hits, a decent amount of homers and then steal some bases to a level where his great defense pulls him to a net plus. I don't know if that ever happens, because I doubt he ever "learns" strike zone discipline. There is a very long list of free-swinger flame outs. Bell a I looked at just how few plus offensive players had high K rates, and I found a few with 4:1 or 5:1 ratios, maybe a couple with 6:1, and no peers at 9:1. His K rate is scary as hell, and I have deep concerns he never improves, but he just turned 24. I never judge a guy on just his last 4-6 weeks. Hardly any player ever just repeats a 6 weeks stretch, over and over. I don't expect great improvement, but most players do improve after 24 and up to 27 or 28- some even later. I doubt he makes it to 27 or 28, if he stays like he's been the last few weeks, but why assume this is him? All through his minor league career, we heard the same thing, then watched him have hot streaks after hot streaks, enough time to turn his numbers into decent to good territory. He did it in the bigs, too, and was once at a point where his OPS was at the league average, after a sizable sample size. He's struggling, now, and I understand why he's getting kicked around while down. I'm just saying I'm not joining in with a kick.

No doubt, trades run the risk of regret. That trade did not slow down SEA one bit in making trades.

Maybe I have not mentioned it enough, but I have often said, "We better pick the right guy to get." I think it is unfair to say "especially Breslow," based on less than a year as the CBO. Yes, the Sale trade sucked, but that was not an example of him trading for a pitcher that did not work out. The Gio addition was a signing, not a trade, and blaming an injury on the CBO is not my thing. It's not like Gio was a Paxton, Kluber or Richards-type signing we saw under Bloom. Other trades or pitcher additions: Fitts, Slaten, Criswell, Sandlin and yes, also Weissert, I Campbell and Chase Andusawa. I feel more trust in Brez than Bloom on additing pitching. I share the concern on JH maybe not allowing a big trade or signing for a pitcher, but that won't stop me from suggesting what I think we need to do. Don't confuse suggestions with predictions, and I certainly know that even if they do what I suggest they do, it could all go horribly wrong. Do you now like Fitts, Criswell and Slaten? Who got them?

Shouldn't everyone agree to a trade where they think the return package is better and better for the team's needs? Now, if someone has such an inflated view of a player that no reasonable suggested trade would ever tilt the balance to supporting the idea of the trade, I can understand, but to say a player is "untouchable" seems odd, to me. I'd love to keep Anthony. The uy could be the next superstar in MLB. I fully realize the risk involved with trading him and his upside potential. I don't want to do it. However, what I also don't want is for us to neglect vastly improving our pitching staff, and I realize you have to give great value to get great value, and I really like our OF, now. I also think Campbell can play the OF and JH Garcia is the real deal. We also drafted Montgomery, but he is much farther away than Anthony. I'm sure what I'd demand for Anthony, but I'm sure there are some reasonable offers I would consider. I would NOT trade Anthony for just 2 years of Skubal. (I'm not sure DET would, either.) If he agreed to a reasonable extension, I probably would, and then bite my nails in fear that Anthony becomes the next Betts fiasco.

Only 5 pitchers in MLB have more IP and a lower ERA than Houck's 3.13 ERA: (Sale misses by 1 IP.) 2.48 Skubal 2.56 Wheeler 2.95 Burnes 2.96 Miller 3.03 Lugo Houck has a better WHIP than Lugo and Burnes. Only 11 pitchers have more IP and a better ERA than Crawford, and Houck is not one, due to .2 less IP.

Where did I say I am grading him on potential? I gave numbers for 2024 and where he fits among the top 270 players in MLB by PAs (30 teams x 9 batters in a line-up.) He ranks about 200th out of 270. For a 23 year old in his rookie year, playing more than half of his games at the wrong position, I call that "okay." You don't. I can agree to disagree with you on that. He's not the worst player on the team or even the starting 9. He's going through a terrible time, right now, and yes every PAs counts- the ones now and when he was hot, too. No, he hasn't shown much with the bat, except when it counts, but I am not one to call that a skill. 19 HRs in your first 650 PAs is not bad. The OBP and K:BB rate are worse than sucking. I'd be fine with saying his offense has been less than "okay" but when factoring in his D and the context he's played in, his overall 2024 has been "okay." Also, I know you never asked me to join your bandwagon. I was just pointing out, I see things way differently than you, and that's not a problem, to me. I enjoy a healthy debate, and you have always been respectful.

I have not heard anyone say his offense is good. Some have pointed to RBIs, and the fact that 19 HRs and 22 SBs isn't too shaby for a first 650 PAs of a career, but no. He has not been good. Yes, horrible OBP. Yes, horrible plate discipline. Yes, long slumps. I'm not sure why these seem to be the most important aspects of a final grade. All are important, but so is D, HRs, SBs, HRs and other numbers. Overall, he is better than you seem to make him out to be. If we are talking about just the Rafaela since August 9th, I agree. I have no reason to think this is who he is and will be, forever.

I'm not assuming it will or even implying it will. If I had to project his career OPS over under on JBJ's career .684 mark, I'd pick under, but I have no way of knowing. It's .670 now, at age 23. Most players, who stick around, improve after age 23.

For a rookie, a certain yes on "okay." If he was 28, I'd say no, but I'd be okay with him as my 4th OF'er/ Defensive replacement, PR guy. FWAR has not been kind to Rafaela, in part because of his bad SS defense, while being forced to play out of position in his rookie year. If you divide the top 270 batters by most PAs, this year, and then into 9 tiers, his 0.9 fWAR places him in the 7th tier, with more than 70 out of 270 players with a worse fWAR than he has. This is his rookie year. No, bottom 3rd tier is not good. It might not even be "okay," but within the context of being 23, a rookie and being jerked to SS, suddenly., I'm saying he's been borderline but okay. His bWAR is a surprising 2.7. I'm not sure where that places him, but it's likely top 50% out of a 270 player sample size. The guy is struggling, now, and has had other long periods of near the same. Go ahead and kick a guy when he's down, if it somehow works for you. I'm not joining your bandwagon.

I like his chances more than most, and trading him now, would not bring back all that much, so even if you are half right, then he should be a "keeper." Here are the guys I really want to keep, but would trade for the right return: Anthony, Duran & Campbell. Devers is not on the list due to the contract and the idea that JH will have a limited budget for the remainder of his contract. (What we pay Devers, we don't pay someone else.) 2nd tier: Teel & Houck (maybe Devers) 3rd tier: Devers, Abreu, Bello, Slaten, Mayer, Arias, Cespedes, JH Garcia 4th tier: Casas, Rafaela, Crawford, Whitlock

Right now, yes. He is batting very badly. Off the charts badly. Tonight, though, he'd be projected to have 328 RBI on a season. "Right now," he's freakin' amazing! LOL!

Same when any player is in a mega slump. You seem to assume this is who he always has been, is and ever will be.

I'm replying to your point that he is never any good on O. You brought up JBJ, not me, and acted like he was no good, too. JBJ did end up with good numbers over a combined 6 year period, whereas Rafaela has not, but Rafaela has only had one full season to look at. Now, you seem to be implying JBJ was okay. Here is one comp stat you might find interesting: .556 first 613 PAs of career: JBJ (2013 to AUG 12, 2015) Age 23-25 .670 first 646 PAs of career: Rafaela (2023-2024) Age 23-24

I'm not itching to trade Anthony. I actually do NOT want to. My point is, anyone should be traded for a better return. It's that simple. To think we have a player that is better than any possible return package (within reason) just does not compute with me, if the return fills a much greater need for the Sox (PITCHING) than OF does, now. I'm all for trading Rafaela or Abreu, instead- knowing the return will be much less.

Yes, he did start sucking on O, and they did get rid of him at the right time (the first time.) He did have a 6 season stretch of better than "acceptable" offense and GG or near GG defense in a very important OF position. I guess nothing short of an All Star at every position is good enough for you. Oh, wait. ... JBJ was an AS. Ooops.

You mean like this? .860 4/24 to 5/7 .841 5/19 to 6/18 or a longer one of .804 from 5/19 to 7/12 (179 PAs) .832 7/2 to 8/13 (141 PAs) He actually had a 280 PA stretch of .783. That's almost half his 2024 PAs. No wonder I stopped coming to the game threads. The negativity is just plain unhealthy.

Yup. So what? Nobody ever expected him to walk much. He needs to improve in some areas or excell even more in areas he is already good in to become a net plus player. He just turned 25, last week. He has a +2.7 bWAR (4th best on the Sox) 0.9 fWAR ranks 8th, but feel free to pick on the non worst player on the team, during his first full year in MLB.

Yes, and I also know his age, his defensive skills and how players often improve as they approach prime years. I'm also not one to only see the bad in every single player and aspect of my team.

JBJ was pretty damn good for several years, and not just on defense. 2015-2020 (6 year stretch;) 101 OPS+ and a GG Award.

AUG 9th (Twice) He walked a couple games before that one, too.

To the drinking fountain?

Hell, why not sign Soto & Bregman and then trade Casas, Rafaela, Grissom & Abreu for pitching. 1. L Duran CF 2. L Devers 1B 3. L Soto LF 4. R Bregman 3B 5. L Anthony RF 6. R Campbell 2B (L DHam) 7. L Yoshida DH (R Refsnyder) 8. R Story SS (L- Mayer) 9. R Wong C (L Teel) LMAO!

Rafaela is one of your keepers?

Imagine if the actually tried being honest or at least not dishonest or deceptive. I'm not sure any GM is totally honest and forthcoming, but these guys take the cake.

Here is a look at the 2023 Season Ending Rosters: Sale, Bello, Pivetta, Houck, Crawford (IL Paxton) Jansen, (IL Martin,) Wink, Whitlock, Bernardino, Schreiber, Llovera, Murphy, Kelly, Robertson (IL Joely) Wong & McGuire Turner (IL Casas) Dalbec EValdez (IL Urias) Reyes Devers Story Abreu, Refsnyder Duvall, Rafaela Verdugo Yoshida AAA: SP: Drohan, Bearclaw, Van Belle, Gambrell, Walter, Rio Gomez (IL Santos), RP: Ort, Mata, Weiss, Jacques, Garza, Gillaspie, Politi, Booser, F German, R Fernandez, Hagenman, Mosqueda, Shugart, Nail C: Ro Hernandez, Caleb Hamilton, 1B: Kavadas, 2B: McDonough, 3B: Sogard, SS: Koss, LF: Dearden, CF Crook, RF: C Rosier, DH: Scott AA "Highlights: SP Wikelman, Dob bins, I Coffey, Liu/ RP: Hoppe, Troye, Zef/ C Teel/ 1B Jordan/ 2B Yorke/ 3B: M Lugo/ SS Meidroth/ OF: Anthony & Sikes/ DH: Hickey WOW! What a changeover!