moonslav59

Indeed. In the past, some/most did expect him to spend more after the dip in 2020, but now, we expect that he can spend more money but chooses not to. That is not unrealistic. We look at a pretty solid core of young players and expect that a caring owner might want to do something about filling some gaps by throwing money at them, but we know our owner is choosing stingy greed, instead. I still hope he spends more, this winter or next, not I'm not hopeful.

He's not known for his defense and does not have a GG like O'Neill. O'Neill also has an OPS+ of 137 in 189 PAs (6th on the Sox.) Teoscar has 90 more PAs (4th on his team,) which of course has enormous value. We knew we were rolling the dice on O'Neill's health. He's played in just over 2/3 of the team's games. If Ref wasn't doing so well, it would have hurt more than it has, but we do need O'Neill's RHB in the line-up, along with Refs. Had the savings of adding O'Neill over Teoscar been actually used on adding someone else- like Imanaga instead of Gio or Gio and Flaherty, then it would be more understandable, but sadly we stay way under the tax line.

YES! And statements like "full throttle" and others before that, were reasons why some fans had high or higher expectations than we should have.

We finally have RHB looking good, on the farm.

how about 2 of 4?

RBI + Runs- HR 61 Duran 59 Rafaela 54 Devers 42 Abreu 39 O'Neill 37 Wong

Games like this are a real kick in the you-know-what. When Bobby Dee accounts for your only run, you know your offense is having a bad day.

Woo won 8-2 Alexander 6 IP 2H 0ER 2BB 4K Sogard and Yorke homered and had 2 hits, each. Kavadas and Meidroth got their daily BB. Yoshida 1-4 in rehab POR is losing 5-4 Perales 2.1 IP 2H 1ER 1BB 3K K Campbell 1-2 w 2BB and 2B Anthony, Mayer and Teel on base once each. GRE was smoked 12-1, with aa runs allowed in the 7th and 8th. Paez 5 IP 2H 1ER 0BB 8K Monegro 2IP 5H 9runs 4ER 4BB 2K SAL scored 3 in the 8th to go up 7-4, but now are down 8-7 Zanetello 0-5 w 4Ks Cespedes 2-3 (1.009 OPS) in an FCL win.

Why? Because one bad third of a season? vs L .887 in '21 .896 in '22 .710 in '23 .571 in 45 ABs

We may lose 3!

So, your plan is to bench Wong, so Teel plays, bench RBI leader Rafaela, so Anthony can play and call up Yorke, who is slipping in the rankings, to replace DHam at 2B? (Mayer at SS makes some sense.)

Bello's last 9 starts: IP/ ER 5.1/ 1 5.1/ 2 6.0/ 0 5.0/ 2 4.2/ 5 6.0/ 3 5.0/ 3 6.1/ 4 (2 ER after 5) 4.2/ 5 (0 after 4.2 IP)

Bello is looking like the Houck of old. He looks good through the first 2 ABs vs a line-up, then BAM!

Bobby Dee to save the day!

Agreed. The Pham, McGuire and Hosmer deals were pretty insignificant. I remember thinking it was a wishy-washy deadline, as Bloom tried to make it look like he was trying to improve the team and the future.

OK. You said we did nothing.

The last 2 seasons includes 2022. I wouldn't call it "nothing." BTW, we also got McGuire, which was not really a buy or sell type trade. We also were "buyers" on the Northcut for Tommy Pham trade in '22. Bloom was busy, but nothing really major, except maybe the Vaz for Abreu & Valdez deal. I do agree on adding Urias for Blaylock counts as nothing ('23.) Same with Kike for Robertson & Hagenman not counting as a sell, but rather a nothing deal. In '21, we added Schwarber, Robles and Austin Davis. Later, we added Iggy and T Shaw. That was significant "buying." I think Brez goes full sell on all free agents-to be, regardless of what the return might be. Unlike Bloom, he will just take the best offer out there. I could see him also making a surprise trade of someone who does not fit into his plan for the future or someone that might not be his type of player. This is pure speculation, but he has had time to get a read on many players, and my guess is those reads are not all good to him. I've mentioned McGuire, due to Teel knocking on the door. Depending on how the view Anthony's ETA, maybe we deal an OF'er, despite how well all 3 are doing. I don't think Mayer's addition to the middle infield mix means we can afford to trade someone. Story and Grissom are still question marks. Yorke is falling, and DHam and Romy should not be viewed as FT options. EValdez is in the mix and has looked better on D, this year. I think we trade: Pivetta Jansen Martin, if back O'Neill, if healthy Anderson, if anyone wants him I'm not projecting great returns, but Pivetta and Jansen look to have more trade value than Vaz did in '22.

Availability is always an issue with some teams more than others. Part of our issues with this is based on us signing so many players with recent injury histories and the 4 year drama with Sale. This year, the O'Neill's issues are not surprising, and I guess Whitlock's, too. Giolito was surprising. Casas has been hurt, before, but this time was rather freakish. I don't blame a SS for diving for a ball. It's instinct, but yes, even if he got the ball, uninjured, the guy is still safe at 1B. With how well Ref is doing, the Yoshida injury is not a concern. We sure could use a healthy O'Neill, Casas, Abreu, Martin and continued good health from Pivetta & others. I'd mention Grissom's return, but I'm not sure he can improve on DHam and Romy.

I thought you mentioned Severino or Montas, but maybe it was someone else. I really thought Imanaga and Lugo were worthy gambles. I felt if Yamo was worth what he was getting, Imanaga was worth a shot, despite being older. The Lugo never pitching many innings was overblown, IMO. I saw it as a plus, as his arm was not overworked for his age. I like Sonny Gray, because I thought he'd take a shorter term deal, which JH might be attracted to. I liked Monty, more when he was the last man standing. I was 50-50 on Stroman vs Gio, but neither were high on my list. I did not want Snell.

Don't be so sure on what "lane" Brez picks. I doubt he trades prospects for rentals, and the "third lane" would be doing nothing or what Bloom tried once: doing both lanes. If I had to guess, I'd say we will be sellers- full throttle.

Not many here wanted Imanaga. After the signing with the Cubs for just $53M/4, some did say it might have been a good deal to give, but only a few spoke out for it. Hardly anyone wanted Lugo or Flaherty. I think you mentioned Severino & Montas, but they both looked too much like Kluber and Richards to most of us. The Stroman vs Gio debate was lengthy and maybe about a 50-50 split on who was the best gamble. I don't recall anyone wanting Lopez or Manaea. The Cease and Burnes trades involved pitchers doing well to start 2024. The fact is, many of the pitcher signings, last winter, worked out well- just not Gio, Snell, Erod and maybe Monty.

$38.5M 2 Gio RP: $32M/2 Jansen and $18.5M/2 Martin and Barnes. What am I missing on $11M?

LOL. Trade Pivetta, Jansen and Martin and sign Hill. Makes sense.

It was not "hindsight" for some, but your point still has merit. There was just no way we would have come close to winning that contract battle for Yamo. Many of us wanted some of these guys before hindsight, too: 13/1 Severino 3.25 (46th in fWAR among all SP'ers) 14/1 Flaherty 3.22 (12th in fWAR) 28/2 Manaea 3.63 (54th) 30/3 R Lopez 1.85 (30th) 32/2 Wacha 4.24 (37th) 37/2 Stroman 3.04 (0.2 fWAR/1.1 bWAR) 45/3 S Lugo 2.13 (17th in fWAR) 53/4 Imanaga 1.88 (17th in fWAR) 75/3 S Gray 3.21 (23rd) There are also... Min/5 Criswell 4.14 (0.7 fWAR) 16/1 Montas 4.00 (0.6 fWAR) 37/2 Stroman 3.04 (0.2 fWAR) 25/1 Montgomery 6.80 (0.1) 62/2 Snell 6.18 (0.1) 80/4 ERod (N/A) I was high on Imanaga, Seth Lugo, Sonny Gray and Monty.

If one was Bogey, I'm not so sure. It was all about Betts. Had we signed Betts and not made massive cuts to the budget after 2022, we'd have been okay, even with all the bad deals that came after Betts. Our lower paid deals had better results, anyway. Even if you assume, we could have gotten Bogey at $220M/5, which is no sure thing, I'd rather have these guys at less than half the overall cost. 32/2 Jansen 18/2 Martin 14/1 Turner 14/2 Kike I 7/1 Wacha 7/1 Duvall 5/1 Hill