Jack Flap

Wow, that seems like a steal. Yet another guy who would have made sense for us passes by...oh well.

Lol, I know...it was still funny.

No one guessed that our unsung MVP this year would be.......Jim Callis.

Obviously there is a lot about spring training that is important and meaningful. I think the argument here is whether spring training statistics, W-L records, etc. are in any way predictive of what's going to happen during the regular season...I would contend that they are not, but that is a very different thing from calling ST as a whole "meaningless."

Awkward.

Well... up to today, Barnes has pitched once, Brasier and Hembree have not appeared at all, and the entire rotation aside from E-Rod is just starting to get into action. Mostly we've been seeing guys who are unlikely or already out of the running for a roster spot (the Brian Ellingtons, Trevor Kelleys, Marcus Waldens, Erasmo Ramirezes, etc), which is exactly why the overall results are to be taken with a big grain of salt at this early juncture. FWIW, I will say I've been disappointed by Workman and Thornburg (two guys who really needed to show something this spring) so far...though there is still time for that narrative to turn around.

Are we dumping J.D. and Mookie for Bryce Brentz and Chad De La Guerra yet?

And people would start worrying every spring when Big Papi was hitting .220.

No collusion! Witch hunt! Sad!!

Heh, I literally clicked on this thread to post something about Lin. I like him a lot, and it's a shame he doesn't really have a spot on this team right now barring an injury. Hope he gets a chance before too long, because he definitely seems like a guy who could contribute.

I understand how you feel...I like a good redemption story as much as the next guy, but it's hard not to feel weird about the whole Mejia thing. I guess I'll have to tell myself that in a world where we've recently seen the Yanks (Chapman) and Astros (Osuna) exploit domestic violence situations to gain a competitive edge, there are worse sins than giving one final chance to a guy who was quite young when he made his (admittedly stupid and repeated) mistakes, and has paid for them by seeing a once-promising career derailed. Mostly, though, I'm puzzled as to why the league would want to set the precedent that the three-strike "lifetime ban" isn't actually a lifetime ban at all, but rather a "wait a couple of years, and if you appear contrite and ask really nicely, you can be reinstated" type of ban...not a great message, IMO.

Not all that curious. They reported on the suspension at the time it happened, and have mentioned it many times since then...as Bellhorn said, it's common knowledge now, so it's not like anyone is trying to hide it. I would guess that when that report was written up, it was simply overlooked.

Despite how extremely early it is, I like to see Chavis and Dalbec making positive impressions. There was a time not long ago when nary a power bat could be found in our system, but right now we have a few guys with a chance to deliver some serious pop.

Here are Cora's comments from this morning...pure class and such great perspective, as always: https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2019/02/boston-red-sox-manager-alex-cora-pays-heartfelt-tribute-to-longtime-boston-globe-reporter-nick-cafardo.html

Wow...very shocking and sad. RIP.

If by this you mean he just turned 22 in October, then...yes. Other than the World Series, he played all of last season as a 21-year-old, a point which is important to remember if parts of it seemed inconsistent or disappointing. I don't get some people's pessimism...I think we'll see a lot of improvement from him this year.

I don't know if that was meant for me personally, as I've never been a particularly big DD critic and in fact have defended him quite often...but...FWIW, I would put most "DD wrecked the farm," "My favorite GM can beat up your favorite GM," and "The cliff is coming!" type discussions into the same bucket. Some things can only be discussed so much before they devolve into repetitive horse-beating with nothing new or substantive being introduced. But...that's just my two cents. No offense intended.

Wow, I'm sorry to hear this. Too many memories to count involving Zac...he was such a memorable personality over there, and always kept things fun and lighthearted. RIP.

Just a thought (probably an uncalled for one), but it gets tiresome to read these threads when nearly every discussion turns into a debate over whether analytics and stat geeks are ruining the game, whether WAR is any more or less useful than pitcher W-L record, etc. I get that posters here have wildly different opinions on these matters, and sometimes these disagreements will be hashed out, but on the whole it might be best for the sides to agree to disagree, as I don't think either is going to convert the other any time soon (and that's perfectly okay). Regarding the 'pen, I'm still hoping for a surprise last-minute addition or two, but as that currently appears unlikely, I think I can live with the current group until further notice. Looks like it's going to be Barnes' and Brasier's time to shine, and a wild card like the old Thornburg re-emerging, or a big step forward from Brewer or one of the other dark horses, would really be a godsend. Feltman, Lakins, Hernandez, and the rest of the arms in the high minors will bear close watching. Should be an interesting ride, to say the least...

I voted "Traded for non-descript minor leaguer." Much as I'd like to believe in Swihart (being a Sox draftee, former top prospect, and all that), the fact is that he had no trade value and wasn't trusted enough by the team to be given any defined role or appreciable playing time a year ago, and I don't know what possibly could have happened since then to alter that equation. Assuming his future isn't here, I'd like to see some rebuilding club take a flyer on him and give him a chance to prove himself once and for all...we ought to get something back, but I'm not really expecting much.

Everyone will still call it the DL out of habit for at least a year anyway.

Worth noting that the projected lineup at the link is just one writer's opinion...Peter Abraham's first projection, for comparison's sake, has the Sox trading Swihart and keeping Leon, and puts Workman and Velazquez in the bullpen. At this point, their guesses are probably as good as mine and yours.

I know people love to hate on Fangraphs' $/WAR conversions, but according to them, Mookie was worth a cool $83.1 million in 2018.

I think 2016 counts as "putting it all together," and offers a blueprint for what a "more consistent" Bradley would look like. His worst month was a .651 OPS and he was over .800 in 4 out of 6, with one of those being batshit crazy hot (1.175). We're not looking for him to do anything he hasn't already shown he's capable of doing...just not going ice cold for 2-3 months out of the season would make all the difference.

I don't think you're necessarily in a minority here. I think all of us came into this winter assuming we'd add a closer -- at least someone better/more experienced than Barnes. It's the owners/front office who seem to have had other plans. We're definitely on the same wavelength on this.