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Hitters stepping out and fouling pitches off doesn't help, either. MLB can't do much about foul balls, but they can do something about pitching pace and hitters stepping out of the box...

By trading who?

Fall back options are not required by opening day. But I still expect the Sox to sign either Brad Miller or Mitch Moreland...

Like many Americans, I love football. Except for the Jets and Dolphins. But like many sports, it has its dry spots of inactivity. Not everyone loves basketball, but you have to give them credit for the pace. Unless they’re running that putrid Triangle Offense...

Assuming you;re not counting the 2 hours and 45 minutes of non-action in every game...

Well I was thinking more about his drug and alcohol abuse, but mostly the contests he used to take part in to see who could hold lit cigarettes against their skin the longest...

The Moon Rays?

Maybe. But they had Zunino on the roster last August and apparently still asked about Vazquez...

And that is now the length of the typical Sox-Yankees game...

This just seems like typical evolution of any sport, doesn't it? If nothing else, it just helps us remember our age. Maybe (and it seems so to me) many fans just like "the game they grew up playing." But like any sport, baseball has evolved using metrics and specializations and strategies, just like it always has and the game you grew up with involved some bastardization that the previous generation was disgusted by. I imagine the older fans watching MLB in the 1900's and 1910s probably got disgusted by watching 5 an rotations. "You didn't see ol' Hoss Radbourne waiting for his turn to pitch!" Or the use of specialized relief pitchers, and that whole new-fanged ERA stat. "If wins were good enough for Jack Chesbro, they're good enough for me!!" Or fans in the 1920's who hated the whole webbed glove that you didn't share with the other team. Or in the 1930's, when they added foul poles and night games but removed spitballs. And I am not even going to get into the horrific fan reactions to the biggest changes in the 1940s. This was the absolute nadir of American Sports Fan Behavior. (And the 1950's gave us the slider and it's counterattack - switch-hitting.) And some fans in the 1960's must have been completely aghast at the addition of the DH!! "Baseball is nine vs nine!!!" Or MLB expansion leading to 2 divisions in each league! And a whole new round of playoffs And we won't even get into the 1980's and this whole specialized closer and the 1990's with dedicated set-up pitchers and dedicated LOOGY's. Defensive shifts? Eh. Doesn't even register with me And I will tell you now, I am just as shocked and appalled with the new "3 batter minimum", 7 inning double headers and runners on 2B in extra innings. But if I ever have a grandson who likes baseball, he will think of these as "the game he grew up with" and probably find some new rules or strategies or evolutionary tactics of the game that completely revile him. "Gotta tell you, Pops, I'm not a big fan of these new road games on the moon."

Baseball rally needs to take steps to prevent November baseball. It's not even in their best interest to maximize the number ofdays they compete with the more popular NFL. I've been saying it for years but they need to bring back Sunday doubleheaders. The owners are against it because double headers reduce gate revenue (which is not really a factor in pandemic times), but this might be helpful for some struggling teams with what basically turns into a "2 games for the price of one" promotion. And MLB has already taken steps that make this easier on the players by expanding rosters to 26 players...

He was also known for careless activities like opening beer bottles with his teeth. Not quite a Bobby Jenks level of self-abuse, but certainly not conducive to longevity in an athletic career...

And Cory Snyder's career actually flopped when compared to Branyan. Snyder played for 9 seasons, and after the first 3 (83 HRs, .776 OPS) tailed off dramatically (66 HRs .674 OPS in his last 6). Of course, unlike Snyder, Branyan was also ranked in the top 100 by BA four times, including 2 in the top 30, as opposed to Snyder's 0. But the Legend of Cory Snyder started I believe with his being a key part of the Silver Medal winning Olympic team in 1984...

I think that one is too pricey. And very risky at not being worth it...

I strongly recommend the Villar-nilla...

Despite the priority being pitching, I think the Sox will move on a free agent 2B. Second base is the position where the most likely bargains are going to be found. There are just too many players available who represent upgrades for Boston and not enough teams looking for a 2B for them all to find better deals elsewhere. Couple that with the limited amount of starting pitching worth signing in free agency, and the fact that the Sox DFA'd Yairo Munoz (which means he is not only not part of the 2B solution, he is not even expected to be part of the utility infielder solution), and it strongly indicates the Sox will bring in someone to play 2B. I don't think they go all in for LeMahieu, Kolten Wong or Marcus Semien. But one of the Hernandez' (Cesar or Enrique) or Schoop or La Stella or Villar or Hanser Alberto are all options on the table...

If the Sox are going to platoon at 1B, I'd just assume it be Chavis, who has no other known role, over wasting the better player in a limited role that might get him 150 PA over a full season...

Sorry for ruining it for you, but this isn't new. In fact, if anything, this might be more on you. After all, Russ Branyan actually had a career most young players can only hope to achieve; he just wasn't a star. But Branyan played for 14 seasons, hit 194 home runs and posted a career slash line of .232/.329/.485. He never deserved any sort of recognition like an All Star appearance or MVP consideration, and he was the definitive "journeyman" playing for 10 different teams in that 14 year stretch. But he was not exactly another rehash of Kevin Maas. And I judge Dalbec on more than just those 23 games, I guess. I was also the rare one on this board (or maybe it was the other one?) that was constantly down on Will Middlebrooks, too, despite his hot start. Like how I thought the Mark Reynolds comps for Middlebrooks actually represented a lot of hopefulness, I don't think Branyan is necessarily a bad comp for Dalbec. Bobby might not have the same longevity, but nothing about him makes my guess about a TTO highK/high SLG/low BA profile exactly like Branyan look inaccurate or unlikely. I think too many people throw "All Star" expectations at young players far too quickly without being realistic about it. After all, I bet Branyan has the similar expectations from Cleveland fans when he hit 16 HRs and had a .871 OPS in 220 PA as a 24yo. And maybe tempering the expectations a bit might make the game more enjoyable as you can appreciate some of the players for what they are as opposed to what you fantasize they can be...

I'd say Anderson is more likely than Fairbanks, simply because Anderson has less control and fewer year until arbitration (and Anderson is probably a little less popular with the bulk of Tampa fans right now). But I think if the Sox do any deal with Tampa, Baz or McClanahan are the more likely targets in a potential Vazquez=Kiermaier swap.

Also I am not sure how relevant ZiPS is with this projection. Most projections (except Steamer600) also try to forecast playing time, which can change if a player is traded. and in this case, Dalbec would likely be a 1B in Boston, where his production is largely weighed against better hitters and defense is a lesser part of it to determine his fWAR. . However, in KC, where the royals non-tendered Maikel Franco and just signed Carlos Santana, Dalbec would more likely be a full time 3B. Is anyone projecting his fWAR for that role?

Yes they would. But they won’t get Nunez for minimum wage. Also if you think the extra control of Dalbec does not even things out, you might want to let the people at BTV know. I didn’t choose Keller at random...

I think there’s a good chance he’s the Second Coming of Russ Branyan...

Advanced stats have been around a lot longer than that. Topps was adding OPS to baseball cards back in 2004. And stats like WARP and VORP and Win Shares (the ancestors of fWAR and bWAR) have been around since before 2000. And that’s before we even get into DIPS...

But then slugging 1b might not be the most difficult commodity to replace. Are the Sox better off with Dalbec? Or if they deal Dalbec to, say, Kansas City for Brad Keller and then sign Renato Nunez?

That does not mean anyone wants him. The only teram that I think might be interested is the Brewers, who need to move on from Jedd Gyorko at 3B. I am not sure if they think Chavis is a fit at that position defensively (he does fit their tight budget), but the Brewers always do bizarre things in the infield. This is the team that moved both Travis Shaw and Mike Moustakas to 2B...