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No, the way to win a World Series is to have the best team. The top 5 players by fWAR over the past 50 years only combined for 5 World Series rings in 108 seasons of MLB. And fWAR leader (Barry Bonds) in that time frame never one won. The top 5 pitchers by fWAR over the past 50 years also only combined for 5 WS rings in 117 seasons. (Technically 6, but that would mean counting Ryan's 1969 WS ring, which was outside my range. HEy he only pitched 89 IP that year anyway.) It's not about the best players. The Sox had Hall of Famers in LF for 50 straight seasons and none of them ever won a World Series....

I know. Wht a boob. Of course, with every team in the NL Central slashing payroll, and the Cubs very likely hanging on to Darvish and Heyward, there might actually be a Default Post-Season birth in their immediate future...

Well, Torres just finished his age 23 season with a career total of 8.3 fWAR. After his age 23 season, Villar was worth -0.3 fWAR....

I don't think any team should do it. I don't think the oft-injured and aging Darvish is sufficient enticement for the massively overpaid Heyward...

But why would the Sox (or any team) take on Heyward's deal (3 years $65 million) to get the declining years of Darvish without reaping the benefits of his good years? That would invovle committing over $120 mill over the next 3 years to two players in their 30's whose best days are not only behind them, but were not really all that great when they were in them? (With Darvish's best years being muddled by various injuries., which are not likely to suddenly heal themselves as he ages.)

Yu Darvish (age: 34, 3 yrs $59million left) is reportedly available. Certainly he was an ace last year, but will he be worth is for ages 35 through 37? At that point, probably better to have just kept Price...

WEll, they also "dumped" Josiah Gray in that deal, and I bet they'd take him back. But the Sox just do not have the resources to get Castillo, Cincy interest in Downs or not...

And the weird part was it was some stupid Sports Illustrated Player of the Year Award to finally get him to write it. I’m picturing his internal struggle. “Do I publish that article where I say the Sox need to be embarrassed by the World Series? Not yet. How about after the Gold Glove? Or Silver Slugger? Or great season Graterol had? Or after coming in second line NL MVP? No, no, no and no. Too soon. Timing is everything here.” “Betts won SI Player of the Year!! The time is now! Get that blog online!”

No. I said Castillo is likely out of play for the Sox. And because that’s probably what the neighborhood of the asking price...

He'll cost you Torres, Garcia and probably another. Although taking back, say, Moustakas, might soften the blow a little...

The only thing the Sox need is pitching. Really just a frontline pitcher and some relievers. The "bare cupboard" was still 11th in runs scored last year, and that was with virtually no contribution from Benintendi or Martinez. Teams with money don't rebuild. "Rebuilding" is just a salesmanship way of saying "going cheap"...

My DD complaints were the Price contract and the Kimbrel trade. I was a bit hesitant with the Espinoza trade as well as the Kinsler and Nunez deals. But not so much as to hold them against the guy...

Actually no one is saying Bloom should trde prospects for pitchers, but they are saying what it would take. And there is a difference between suggesting which young playes/prospects areredundant or expendable vs just flat out trading every single prospect in the farm system. And I only ripped one DD trade (Kimbrel) and really did not like his approach to signing free agents to mega-contracts. I liked the Sale trade and still do. And I even liked the Thornburg and Carson Smith trades, despite neither working out, as that latter part was something DD was unaware of at the time. (I actually ripped Cherington for NOT trading prospects multiple times.)

Not every team has the financial luxury of the Red Sox...

The only way the Sox get Castillo is if they include something along the lines of Downs and Casas and also take back the contracts of Moustakas, Castellanos and Akiyama. And even then it’s no guarantee. Which is sad because the Sox could actually use all of those players...

It was a bargain rate. And Castillo’s is potentially an even greater bargain...

Actually the site liked Verdugo as a potential swap for Betts. Now some of the talking heads were insisting it be May and Lux, which the site did not like. Castillo will be costly, but part of the reason he might net more than Sale could be because Sale had a guaranteed $39million for his last 3 seasons. Castillo is first time arb eligible this year and might make half of that before reaching free agency...

Per MLBTR, the Reds are listening to offers for Luis Castillo. Per BTV, this would require something like Verdugo, Bogaerts, Downs and Dalbec. I'm thinking any deal is extremely unlikely...

But why is Duran the "better player"? Duran's OPS in AA ball was lower than any OPS in Benintendi's career in any MLB season in which he has had at least 60 plate appearances. And it was A LOT lower. .634 to .774. That's a full 140 points lower. Just because Benintendi is a question doesn't make Duran the answer...

There will definitely be teams dumping contracts. When Brad Hand can clear waivers at 1yr/$10 mill, there are clearly a lot of teams in cost cutting mode....

Even ignoring the BTV trade values, I just don't see any of them bringing back anything useful. Except Chavis might be worth a decent reliever. The addition of Renfroe takes Chavis out of the LF mix. But if they add a LHH 1b, it might keep him in the 1B mix and make Dalbec tradable...

Right now, there is nothing about Arauz that makes me think every organization does not already have one or two guys like him somewhere. Bear in mind that teams passed on him as Rule 5 player, back when he was literally free. I am not sure what Chavis brings to the table besides moderate power and a low salary. Sure, some teams will want him, but not for anything good. Maybe a decent bullpen arm? (And this is absolutely something the Sox need to consider.) Hoping to deal the undesirables and improve the team is like trying to get rich by having a yard sale. Sure you might offload some stuff you don't want, but you are going to be disappointed if you thought anyone else would pay attractive sums for it...

That is possible and something Bloom has tried before. I've mentioned various cndidates who not only have undesirable contracts, but also actually fill vacancies on the Sox roster (Kiermaier, Inciarte, Lorenzo Cain, Rougned Odor). And there are probably a few pitchers who could be on that list as well (Danny Duffy, Alex Cobb, Johnny Cueto) and maybe some who are marginal fits for the Sox (Dexter Fowler, Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Mike Moustakas, Nick Castellanos, Charlie Blackmon). And then there are other undesirable contracts we have avoided mentioning, but might be in play. Some fill vacancies on the Sox roster (Robinson Cano, Scott Kingery, Jeurys Familia) and some do not (Chris Davis, Ian Desmond, Elvis Andrus) but could be accommodated. Maybe. Does not mean they should be. I'd be OK with Andrus (2 yr /$28.5 mill) at 2B, and Desmond's deal (1 yr/$10mill ) actually is not so bad that either team could easily part with the right pitcher to make the contracts amenable. But Chris Davis and his 2 yrs $46mill? Pass. The O's don't have a pitcher to trade that makes me think taking that on is a good idea. Which deals might be worth taking on to get a pitcher? Right of the bat, I like Cain, Kiermaier and Inciarte. In the right deal, I could get behind Odor, Moustaks, Castellanos, Andrus, Desmond, Kingery, Familia... basically anyone but Cano, Cueto, Heyward, Davis and Charlie Blackmon (.987 home/.747 road) . Also, the unmentioned Nolan Arenado, whose deal (6yrs/$199mill left)and home road splits (.985/.793) could make for one of the worst acquisitions of all time. And I'm split on Upton, so that one will depend on the pitcher. (Hint: Pass. The Angels are buying pitching, not selling.) And there are probably lots more. Maybe the Sox can just go get Zack Greinke? (OK that would feel counterproductive after just dealing David Price.) So there are opportunities if Bloom can find other GMs in a financial bind and feels like being the one guy spending money...

Once again, the idea is to give up something good. A struggling Benintendi is not on the wish list of any other team. If you want to hold Duran and prefer the Sox acquire some Alex Cobb-style wild card and hope it works out, then maybe 2021 will be less disappointing. And I’m not sure Duran is really the key to getting more pitching. But I do know the Sox will have to give up someone good that they prefer to keep...

With no Plan B, maybe Vazquez is no longer one of the Sox trade chips. So then, who is? Who is the Plan B? Who’s the fallback option? Jeter Downs? Bobby Dalbec? (His last name does sorta rhyme with “fallback.”)