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HEy, sometimes a guy just is not as healthy for a season as he was the year before. Any stretch last year where JD had a cold or a tummy ache was magnified because it was such a shortened season. And while he did hit .213, it was only in 211 at bats. The season was about 9 weeks long, and if he averaged just 1.5 more hits per week, the guy would have been hitting .275 and we would have never had this discussion. And if you give JD enough time, he can get those extra 1.5 hits per week. He just didn't get the chance last year.

The Red Sox as a team last year had only 524 IP. So 250 IP is approximately one half of their season total...

I get your point, and the Hall has probably ignored some great defensive players with weak bats. But sometimes - probably more political than anything else - a player carried by his defensive skillset does get in. For example, if I asked you which of these three players is NOT a Hall of Famer: Player A: Played 23 seasons and had a career OPS+ of 105 Player B: Played 19 seasons with a career OPS+ of 87 Player C: Played 15 years with a career OPS+ of 144 You'd look at those number right away and say "Lance Berkman is the one not in the Hall of Fame, and he probably shouldn't be. And both Brooks Robinson and Ozzie Smith deserve it more because their defense made them both better overall players despite them both possessing offensive skills that were average or below average." Which, of course, is the correct answer. (And also I would be impressed with how quick you got it.) But when you also point out that several elite defensive players such as Andruw Jones, Scott Rolen and Omar Vizquel also failed to get into the Hall this year, and for all of them it was their 4th chance, while better hitters who couldn't field like Edgar Martinez, Larry Walker, and Jim Thome were all elected over them, it does add a lot of merit to your point. Conclusion: If you are a great fielder who struggles at the plate, your chances are helped substantially if you can do back flips on the field...

I've herard otherwise about Davis, but I've never seen him play, and, let's be honest, even if I had, I am totally unqualified to tell if a college catcher could stick at that position up to the majors. If the book on him is - might not stick at catcher, than, yeah, I'd pass on him, too. At the number 4 pick, anyway. Maybe gamble on him in another round if he falls. But that makes the fourth pick all the more difficult. Fabian is a hot name, but he does seem to have a ton of strikeouts (albeit with a good amount of walks) and is only hitting like .236 against college pitching this year so far. No idea how he will be, either, although I have heard he is a good defensive player. I have a feeling the Sox will take one of the shortstops - Lawlor, Mayer or McLain. But I'd love to see them add a high upside arm...

His numbers on 0 days rest are atrocious...

Probably a factor. Along with Rusney Castillo. And in the case of Betts, while not a lousy player, the mega deal for Price may have been a factor? I want to count Eovaldi, too, although it looks as though Betts was already rejecting Sox offers before he was signed...

Oh I will definitely be disappointed if that happens. I'm not expecting the opportunity to even be there, so I think it would shock me more. But at some point, I can definitely acknowledge that every GM in the league has more knowledge of every single player in college than I will ever have...

It is a tough call, because some players are hellbent on reaching free agency, and some agents are hellbent on getting their clients there. I mean, for most of these guys, free agency is what they have been working their whole lives for =- it's a chance to have their whole financial lives suddenly transformed just for playing baseball. And for a lot of them, it's the first time they get to choose what team they will play for. But then. it does appera to be true that a certain amount of them are happy with the status quo team and will gladly extend for lots and lots of money, even leaving a few million on the table to stay put. (And some just like to take it now and avoid leaving more on the table in the event of injury or sudden ineffectiveness)...

Hey, I think the phrase "immortalized in my living room" is classic. But also Mazza was the one bargain bin who did look like he might stick, much to my chagrin. For most of the off-season, soxprospects.com had projected him in the 2021 rotation, not even in the bullpen. His ERA was reasonable (4.80), but his FIP was even better (4.26). Still, I was very glad when he got DFA'd, and even happier when Tampa wanted to trade for him, instead of just waiting for him to be waived so they could claim him for nothing. And even happier than that when it looked like they gave the Sox back a viable prospect as opposed to some sort of Josh Tobias organizational filler...

If Leiter is there at 4 and the Sox pass, should we be disappointed? It seems like we should be, but I can't pretend I go into this with equal information to the Sox front office (or any team's front office). MLB.com has Leiter going 7th, citing his size (6' and 195lbs) and his walk rate as reasons he falls. Now this draft was done in December, 2020, and Leiter has certainly has cut down on his walks (from 4.6BB/9 to 3.4BB/9) since then. But he is probably still close to 6' 195lbs...

Some will. Others believe the organization can print money and should just give up whatever it takes to get the deal done...

Zero chance he goes directly to DH, and there are far too many reasons for that to not happen. If he continues to struggle defensively at 3B, flip him with Dalbec. I actually it is a good idea to do this change mid-season because, once you have decided Devers cannot handle the position, it would be good to see if you actually like Dalbec there. No point in going through this whole exercise again next season, just with different names. However, just because I think it is a good idea doesn't mean I think it will happen (and really, doesn't even mean it is actually a good idea)...

I won't go that far. He did hire an agent for a reason...

"Mom, you cost me over $100 million!"

As you are griping about parsing over word choices, I have to say "immortalized in my living room" doesn't strike me as the most extreme predecessor to an insult I have ever come across...

I think I would mind the Lester situation less of they just made him a reasonable offer and he turned it down. The insultingly low offer put the blame squarely on the Sox as opposed to making it Lester's decision to leave on his own...

Oh it's very likely. If us under-informed folk like him so much, safe bet he is not a secret from the front offices around the league...

Why? The Sox are not likely to make the postseason anyway. So why not either let Devers see if he can handle 3B or move him to 1B and see if he can handle that position? There is absolutely no point in making a 24yo player a full time DH just so a 34yo high-salaried player player can show us what we already know about his defensive skills. Wherever Devers plays, his defense is NOT going to be why the Sox miss the post-season. There is no reason to pigeonhole him into the most limited role in the lineup before he turns 25. Not to mention, who takes over the corner INF positions and what outfielder takes a seat under this scenario?

And let's get this straight - Youkilis played 16 games at 1B in Pawtucket in 2005. Plus a couple games there in Pawtucket in 2004 and 40 games in A ball at 1B. My statement was he played less games than Casas' total of 96 at 1B prior to 2006. And he did. He played 67 games at 1B prior to 2006, and they were spread out over 4 seasons in 3 different leagues and while he played a lot of other positions. As this season was never really an attempt to make the postseason anyway, due primarily to Sale being out, the Sox actually could try to switch Devers midseason and it won't be why they miss the playoffs. But most likely, they give him one more full year to see if he can handle the hot corner before making any decisions...

It most likely would, but if they put him at 1B during the season, they wouldn't be breaking new ground. Mark Teixeira, for example, played 15 games at 3B and the Rangers just gave up on him and moved him to 1B without ever sending him down to learn the new position. They also stuck him in the OF that same year without ever sending him down, but they gave up on that, too...

He did play 9 games there in 2005, where he also played 2 games at 2B (but only 7 innings total) and 24 at third. Thinking mid-season change myself...

Second place thanks to the alphabet!!!

Like Jaden Hill? Same strategy the Royals used grabbing Hunter Dozier in the first round and saving slot money for Sean Manaea...

Also more than Kevin Youkilis had prior to 2006...

Even bad baseball teams are still comprised of some of the best players in the world. Yes, you want to beat up on the worst teams, but unlike in other sports, those "worst teams" are still going to win about 40% of the time...