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Hey, they almost won a title in 2021, anddid so without any allegations of cheating. Should they just wait until the next great Astro team can be assembled? Don't forget - when LA acquired Betts, he was still technically a rental. They weren't able to extend him for a few months, and possibly helped out by a pandemic. But from the time the season was postponed until they extended Betts, the Dodgers were also facing the possibility of acquiring Betts and having him never suit up...

True, but the flip side is most of them are expected to command top dollar. A team like Houston might not be able to accommodate Story or Baez with that they are offering Correa, but they are also the defending AL champions and need to address what is now a rather large hole in their lineup...

Marte has missed 89 games total in the past 4 years. And possible not all of those were due to injury...

Well, the problem is that most of the injury-prone guys are also heavily paid to be injury-prone. Stanton and Hicks are pretty much immovable...

I would expect that to be the plan. They's be more likely to deal him this off-season if they were, say, an 85 win team last year that came in 4th in the AL East...

Jose Urquidy would be “equal value” per BTV. Good or bad trade?

Doesn’t that also depends on how many years of “equal value”? Verdugo is no Betts, but did the Sox make a good deal there or not?

Both parts of that are assumptions. Mookie never said he wanted to leave Boston. He was just adamant about testing free agency. Bogaerts’ decision to opt out also means he wants to test free agency…

We really don’t know if it’s any different with Bogaerts…

He’s basically in the exact same position Mookie was in when he was traded. I’d prefer he got extended, but I have to think the trade option is still on the table, especially to a team that loses out with all the potential shortstop movement this off-season…

Hicks was valued at 3.4 fWAR in 88 games in 2017 and 5 fWAR in 137 games in 2018. He was a good player who played a premium defensive position and did well offensively and defensively. But he has always struggled to stay healthy, and that has been his downfall…

A lot of Baby Kutter’s down your way?

And for at least 2+ years after…

Bogaerts has already expressed he plans to opt out after next season. Whether he likes Boston or not, this revelation also carried the same level of surprise as if he had predicted that tomorrow night will be dark…

Bloom is acting as the current GM. Does it really surprise you that his name comes up in the off-season? The same people who like Bloom also liked Theo Epstein. Do they ever mention Epstein?

I like the idea of extending Xander, but I actually do think there’s a 50/50 chance he’s dealt…

Andrus then. I'm not even sure Piscotty plays anymore...

And no one is allowed to mention His Name without dgalehouse offering up that exact response every time....

Once they’ve dumped those contracts, why have even a $3mill closer?

… which is why you’re not the GM of the Oakland A’s…

Lou Trivino is there for the taking. Really, most teams will be focusing on SP. That is just the way of MLB. If the Sox can simply bring back ERod and move Whitlock to the rotation, they can dedicate more resources to the bullpen. And then it becomes a game of depth. Depth, depth, and more depth...

On the "Benintendi Surprise Scale," moving Duran simply does not register. Moving Verdugo would. Maybe the "surprise" will be Duran in CF and Hernandez at 2b? That obvious plan that is sitting right there in front of both of us and would actually surprise me more than simply dealing Duran...

The most fascinating thing about Kutter Crawford is that his older brother, also a minor league pitcher, is named Jon. How on Earth do you go from "Jon" to "Kutter" when naming your kids?

Probably worth noting there is always a chance Bloom trades away a starter in a deal no one saw coming. We all saw Betts getting traded from a mile away. But who foresaw Benintendi getting moved? Will there be a Benintendi this offseason?

I could see the entire off-season revolving around "getting the band back together." Bringing back ERod and Schwarber would be the highlights. Soxprospects.com lists the Sox as acquiring 4 pitchers - two starters (one they name in ERod) and two relievers. But it is very likely two of these acquisitions are filled by Houck and Whitlock, both of whom they have in undetermined roles. So if the starting roles are filled by Whitlock and (probably?) ERod, and Houck takes one of the reliever roles, that really just leaves one roster spot available for a new pitcher. So the notion of spening all available cash on pitching does seem a lot less likely, although certainly ERod or his replacement will take up a big chunk as well. The only real question mark in the lineup is 2B. Internal candidates include Hernandez, Arroyo, Downs and possibly Bogaerts (where there were some rumors exterior to this forum that he was amenable to a change in position). The current consensus opinion is that Arroyo will be around, but cannot be counted on to play a full time starting role, and tht Downs in just not really ready. So that leaves Hernandez as an option to move in from CF or Bogaerts to move over from SS. Either way, it creates a vacancy, and the only viable option with the current players involves Dalbec at 1B, Schwarber in LF, and Verdugo in CF. Two of those moves represnt definitive drops in defense, and the thrid one can go either way but is on a pretty weak position to begin with. So if we assume the Sox leave Hernandez in CF and if Schwarber returns, he plays 1B (with Dalbec), that means the Sox need to add either a 2B or a SS. 2B feels more likely to me. C: Vazquez 1B: Schwarber (Dalbec) 2B: Acquisition 3B: Devers SS: Bogaerts LF: Verdugo CF: Hernandez RF: Renfroe DH: Martinez BN: Plawecki (or Wong?), Arroyo, Dalbec (Acquisition if Schwarber doesn't sign), Locastro SP: Sale, ERod (Or ?), Eovaldi, Pivetta, Whitlock RP: Houck (CL), Barnes, Brasier, Taylor, Davis, DHernandez, Sawamura, Acquisition. And then adding a few arms for MiLB depth. It's nice to know who the top 5 starters are, but a team hoping to contend has to also plan for 6-10...