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1. Maeda is a (maybe slightly above?) average starter who had a terrific 2020 “season” that stands out from the rest of his career. 2. Would acquiring an MLB pitcher who was already over 30 really have made sense in a trade for the Sox best position player?

So sad. We missed out on a starting pitcher whose topped 135 innings twice in 6 years…

We did. But he failed his physical…

Jarren Duran is an obvious candidate…

It would basically be a pre-emptive move if/when he opts out after this season. But for 2022, Baez would play 2b (like he did for the Mets) and X would play shortstop…

That’s a rather harsh assessment of his physical appearance, you body-shamer!!

Even with the rather mediocre selections in free agency?

Well, Rotoworld is reporting they are talking to Javier Baez. I’m surprised, too…

AGon was the Betts in that trade - the good player LA wanted to get bad enough to take on everything else...

Or maybe he doesn't try to break up the AL runner-ups and tries to add to them. The only team to last longer than Boston this October is losing one of their best players as it is...

No but it is guaranteed no regardless of what happens with the CBA...

i'm not so sure Renfroe is going to get anything close to a "prospect haul"...

I would prefer that, but I am not really sure if he is enough of a prospect to get a decent pitcher with multiple years of control...

I am not sure sure signing the versatile Baez is thumbing one's nose at Mayer and the 2024 roster, which Mayer might not even be part of considering he will still only be 21 years old at the time...

A simple plan 1. Trade for CL Lou Trivino with Oakland. Trivino has a surplus value on BTV of $1.1mill, which gives plenty of options. 3B/2B Hudson Potts ($2.4mill) looks like an overpay, but I'd be surprised if Oakland went for it. Maybe LHP Chris Murphy ($2.1mill) would get the deal done. Trivino make $923K last off-season, so let's put his first year arb salary around $2mill. 2. Sign Cesar Hernandez for 2B. Hernandez has a Gold Glove on his resume, and has shown the ability to bat just about anywhere, and is consistenly in the 2-3 fWAR range. Last year, he signed for 1 yr / $5mill. 2 yrs / $16mill might be enough. Not sure how Hernandez missed to the top 50 free agent list on MLBTR. 3. Sign a SP. I'll go with Jon Gray, coming off a rough 2020-21 in Colorado where he made $6mill. I am horrible at guessing free agenmt deals. so I can go with the MLBTR prediction of 4 years / $56mill. 4. Trade for a SP using Jarren Duran (BTV surprlus value - $23.2 mill). Some intriguing matches include Northeastern alum Aaron Civale ($21.6 mill) and Sox legacy Cal Quantrill ($21.2 mill). Not sure about how Cleveland feels about moving a SP, but it's not unheard of for them and their OF is full of questions. Neither Civale nor Quantrill is arbitration-eligible until next season. 5. Non-tender Plawecki and Austin Davis Obviously, the biggest obstacle is the Cleveland trade, which BTV accepts but Cleveland probably doesn't. Dealing Duran to Oakland for someone like Sean Manaea is much more likely. Manaea is inhis last year of arbitration elgibility and will command a lot more than Civale or Quantrill, but he can easily be fit in here. C: Vazquez 1B: Dalbec (and eventually Casas) 2B: C Hernandez 3B: Devers SS: Bogaerts LF: Verdugo CF: E Hernandez RF: Renfroe DH: Martinez SP: Sale, Eovaldi, Gray, Manaea/Civale/Quantrill, Pivetta BP: Trivino, Houck, Whitlock, Barnes, Brasier, Taylor, Sawamura, D Hernandez BN: C Wong, Arroyo, Locastro, and a placeholder for Casas, probably Arauz. Added cost from trades/free agents: ~$25mill (plus Manaea). Should come in under whatever the budget is...

I was talking about July of 2020. Sure we did not have Whitlock back then, but the WAPM foresaw it ...

While I don't think a pre-emptive move for the SS position if Bogaerts leaves is a bad thing, it is also possibly very unnecessary. When Bogaerts hits the market next off-season, if the Sox cannot bring him back, the other shortstops that might be available include Trea Turner and Dansby Swanson. Tim Anderson is another, but he has a $12.5mill team option that is very likely to be exercised...

I did state that acquiring Seager would lessen their interest in Olson, as he is the left-handed hitter they desperately need to replace Rizzo. I also suspect Torres might consider terminating his lease in the Bronx, and I suppose he might be part of a package for Oakland, either going directly there (extremely unlikely) or to a third team to get an enticing prospect (more likely, although probably not to Boston despite the fit). BTV doesn't give him much surplus value ($10.8mill), but he also does carry some name value and it's not like 2021 is representative of his entire career. Maybe something like Yankees get: Matt Olson (from A's), SS Yolbert Sanchez (from White Sox) White Sox get: Gleyber Torres (from Yankees) A's get: SS Oswald Pereza (from Yankees), OF Yoeklis Cespedes (from White Sox, younger brother of Yoenis), RHP Luis Gil (from Yankees) BTV accepts it, and it clears up the Yankee infield problem you mentioned. It also makes some sense for all three teams, with the possibility that some players like Yolbert Sanchez can be substituted for by any of a bunch of others...

Unlike Schwarber, JD, etc. Baez can actually flash some serious leather. He is a very good player. And despite his overt affections displayed to the Mets' fans, he is probably going to re-sign there. Apparently, he and Lindor are BFF's going back to when both were drafted in the same first round. Of course, the dust has recently settled in the Mets' front office, and we will have to see how Billy Eppler feels about Baez to make this a reality...

We may also stop talking about Mayer by then. I know Bloom has to consider the future when making deals, but he probably shouldn't build the 2022 roster around players who graduated high school in 2021...

Oh I would never have expected anything from you to be founded.

Yes, I blatantly plagiarized the sentiments I have been expressing since, like, July...

For a closer? It is. It's not quite Liam Hendricks level, but that is a lot of money for a 60 inning pitcher. Also bear in mind signing Raisel Iglesias would cost the Sox a draft pick. I don't see Bloom giving up a draft pick for a closer...

I am imagining a much simpler plan for free agency - three free agents. The Sox are likely to sign one starting pitcher. I would add Matz to the list not because I think he is a good fit, but because the rumors are already out there. I would also add Martin Perez, again, not because I think he fits, but Bloom has already signed him twice. Other candidates are probably pitchers like Jon Gray (who is now 5th in fWAR among free agent starters since 2018, behind Verlander, Kershaw, Gausman and Stroman), Jakob Junis (long shot who has been limited to about 65 IP in the last 2 seasons due to injuries, and therefore might be willing to sign a short term low money deal), and Matt Boyd (not a free agent, but is a non-tender candidate in Detroit). I expect a RP to be signed. But not a conventional closer, because Bloom ahs a history of building bullpens using interchangeable parts for that role. With one (or hopefully both) or Houck and Whitlock in the bullpen, someone like Archie Bradley might be a solid fit. Mychal Givens is among the leaders for free agent RP since 2018, along with Ryan Tepera. Another name I keep on the list is Hansel Robles, since he has expressed interest (although I should note that it's not exactly uncommon for players to expres interest in staying with their current team during the timeframe when that's the only team they can legally negotiate with). Graveman is another name, but he might be pricing himself out of the Sox range with his uncharacteristically stellar season. He also has a long injury history, although a lot of that damage was when he was trying to be a starter. I expect a 2B. Cesar Hernandez is the headliner here, IMO. Semien is a name linked to Boston going back to last year, and his QO might be less of an issue given that Bogaerts has already voiced his desire to exercise his opt-out. I like Eduardo Escobar as a hitter, but not as a fielder, although repeated shifting strategies have lessened the need for defense at 2B. Jonathan Villar has some potential, but at the end of the day, he also strikes me as a best-case scenario for the future of Jarren Duran. I think another pitcher is acquired via trade, probably involving Duran, who has no place to play, is MLB-ready, not getting younger, and makes the league minimum, which maximizes his appeal around the league...

i will wager one of any body part that I have two (or more) of that the Sox do not sign 5 free agents to Major League deals....