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You think that would make him love the DH. One less chance to embarass himself. If pitchers took hitting seriously, I might feel different, but they don't and they have no reason to...

I misunderstood that idea. But either way, the use of the DH becomes dependent on the pitch count of a different player. This is not a good thing. Watching pitchers hit is like watching kickers try to throw passes...

Worst. Idea. Ever. That means the use of the DH could depend on the pitch count of the opposing pitcher. And the "NL Strategy" always falls apart because of those pitch counts that negate the decisions that managers used to have to make. The use of openers is really not a problem, but if you do not like this non-traditional strategy, this very solution will increase the use of openers. If I am managing a team who has a potent DH, know that I am pulling my starter very quickly and getting that bat out of the lineup, possibly before he has a chance to swing the bat even one time. This type of rule would actual allow a manager to have influence over the lineup of the other team. Not to mention, the main problem with that NL Strategy is most pitchers do not take hitting seriously. They all know they are not getting paid for their ability to hit. And the pitchers who take it the least seriously are the relief pitchers, many of whom go through entire seasons without ever picking up a bat. Just adopt the DH. The rest of the world uses one. The only leagues that still require pitcher to hit are the Pacific Coast League in Japan and the National League. Any argument for keeping the DH anywhere does run counter to any solution MLB tries to implement that is supposed to make the game more exciting for fans...

Actually I would say hockey fans love the action and fact pace as the reason for the enjoyment in watching televised broadcasts. However, one thing that does hurt hockey that work well for baseball and even football is that those latter two sports are conducive to being broadcast on the radio. Ever try to listen to a hockey game on the radio? It's impossible to follow the action...

Oh it was much better, if you think 92 PA is a representative sample size...

At some point, you're trying to substitute 4 quarters for a dollar. While that works at 7-11, it's usually not as successful with MLB trades...

No I think Devers can and will top Branyan's career OPS of .814. Dalbec? I doubt it...

No. Sign one of the players named Hernandez for 2B. Cesar is probably better, but Enrique is still very good and probably cheaper. For CF, it might get interesting. The Sox might try to take back one of the bad contracts out there like Kiermaier, Inciarte, or Cain. The free agent market at this point is either prohibitive for a team that needs pitching, or the type of players readily found anywhere. I just cannot get excited about Jake Marisnick, Kevin Pillar, Alberto Almora or Delino DeShields Jr. Maybe a trade of Chavis for a CF makes the most sense. Per BTV, the only CF roughly equal to Chavis in value is Philly's Adam Hasely. That does seem like a fair deal and Philly might be OK taking Chavis back for 2B and moving Segura back to SS. Not that Hasely makes my belly button pucker and unpucker...

But would the other team do it? Really, that's the main issue here...

Move Dalbec to a corner OF spot? Thus the transformation into Russ Branyan 2.0 is complete! I'd be ok with him as the full time 1B. I just think if the idea is to use him as the RHH part of a platoon, it's a waste and the Sox would be better off moving him for a SP. But then, I've been predicting the Sox sign Brad Miller, who is a left-handed bat but not someone you want to give 450 PA at 1B to...

Yeah but I wonder exactly what SP onw could get for Chavis? Some of the equally valued pitchers on BTV include: Kyle Freeland (Col), Caleb Smith (AZ), Cal Quantrill (Cle), Josh Lindblom (Mil), Kyle Wright (Atl), JT Brubaker (Pitt), Koby Allard (Tex), Jon Gray (Col), and Bryse Wilson (Atl). But do any of those teams want Chavis? I am not so sure he is the most desirable trade chip. I'd make some of those deals if other teams were interested...

Probably the most likely. But what if Dalbec's role is limited to weakside platoon at 1b?

Per BTV, Bobby Dalbec has a surplus trade value of $18.2 million. Some roughly equivalent starting pitchers include Brady Singer (KC, 21.5), Lance McCullers Jr (Hou, 21.4), Triston McKenzie (Cle 21.1), Jameson Taillon (Pitt, 20.3), Aaron Civale (Cle 20.2), Yu Darvish (CHC, 20.1), Dylan Bundy (LAA, 19.3), Zach Eflin (Phi, 19.3), Brad Keller (KC, 19.1), Noah Syndergaard (NYM, 18.9), Randy Dobnak (Min, 17.5), Spencer Turnbull (Det, 17.5), and Jose Urquidy (Hou, 17.2). Now on that list, teams like Cleveland, Houston, Phladelphia, and Pitt might not be so hot for a corner infielder, even one with power. So unless a thrid team is involved, not very likely. LAA signed a Rendon for 3B last off-season, and might not mind the 1B, but their counterpiece in Dylan Bundy is entering his option year. That leaves Dalbec in the follwoing potential deals 1. To CHC for Yu Darvish 2. To Min for Randy Dobnak 3. To KC for Brad Keller 4. To KC for Brady Singer 5. To Detroit for Spencer Turnbull. Darvish is still on free agent money. Why not just sign someone? I don't know much about Dobnak or Singer. But Dalbec for Brad Keller or Dalbec for Spencer Turnbull both intrigue me. KC just non-tendered their starting 3B and Detroit has a boatload of young pitching and is reportedly looking for some young hitting. So either might actually be interested. Do any of these trades intrigue you at all?

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...