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I would expect Benintendi to be better going forward, But Margot was clearly better in 2020, which was the premise. Really, what Margot represetnted for the Sox was the minimum wage guy the Sox could have used in CF if they wanted to help keep their more expensive players on board. That was his role regardless of OPS...

He struggled to get something palatable last off-season. He represents the clear best potential bargain on the market from a Baseball Only standpoint. Emphasis on that last prepositional phrase...

So you're selling high on Brentz' head, too? One thing about Brentz. Has any other player ever taken figurative language and turned in to the literal truth so explicitly as when Bryce shot himself in the foot?

On August 10, Benintendi had accumulated 2 hits for the season. the same number that DFA candidate Tzu-Wei Lin had by that date. There is no wrong answer for when it would have been a good time to make that substitution...

No aspect of Bryce Brentz' game is worth a million dollars. Obviously I was referring to the Bubonic Puig, a guy who would be a great fit for the Sox but would also make all the sense in the world to pass on.

He has stated many times his eyes have been failing him. I kept trying to turn him on to Zoom Text, but for all I know, he was already using it...

Or starting LF over the .442 OPS the Sox threw out there for the first quarter of the season...

To be fair, he is hardly the first person to get excited about a player based on post-season performances. (Also, you're understating Margot this post season, as he has a 1.218 OPS and 2 HRs, including yesterday's insane line drive that cleared the CF wall at Petco, of all parks.)

I hope he was just too bored with the Sox this season to bother posting...

Something I was saying in December of 2015. Except I wasn't referring to Bauer...

No. That's why I am trying to force one...

I think the OP needs to make up his mind. Cora or Bauer? Given how critical Bauer was about the Astros’ cheating scandal, it is possible bringing back Cora would be an obstacle to signing Bauer. And even if the Sox did sign both, safe bet Bauer is too public and upfront to keep his mouth shut about anything. I could see signing both as a bad mix. So.... Cora or Bauer?

Maybe, but if we’re going to use the “multi million dollar arm with a ten cent head” description on any free agent, Bauer is not the first guy on that list I think of. Of course, the guy I’d apply that label to isn’t a pitcher. But he is a rifle-armed right fielder whose head might be overpriced at ten cents...

There was a trend with those oft-injured pitchers like Smyly, Pineda and Richard getting 2yr $10-12 mill contracts despite already being out for the first year. Those deals rarely pan out...

Did they mention bosoxmal?

No he’s not. He’s actually one of the most dedicated players to improving through advanced metrics. (And possibly through cheating.)

That does help his case for the Sox...

Also, this fellow apparently also wrote a book titled Apes, Men and Morons, which is a much cooler title

Sired? I mean, it's technically correct. Just rarely hear it used to describe humans. But then we are talking about an anthropologist...

.. and are probably both on the radar...

I think the list of definite Qualifying Offers is smaller than many think. Outside of Bauer, Springer and Realmuto, is anyone else definite? There are a few in the possible/priobable range, and that is where I put Stroman. Teams simply might not be spending enough this year to had out $18mill candy bars...

I preferred him over Valdez...

Ozuna would be sweet. But the premise was finding the underrated free agents, which is what I suspect will be at least part of the plan. Why sign Ozuna when Springer is right there, too? And is just a little bit older, a lot better, local, has connections with the team (former college teammate of Matt Barnes) and grew up as a Red Sox fan? Last year was Ozuna's one year "prove it" deal where he tried to bounce back offensively and destroy a ruined defensive reputation. Unlikely he settles for another one year deal, and no idea what type of years he wants. Pederson is actually a good (not great) defensive outfielder if not in CF. Ozuna was a better outfielder using defensive metrics early in his career, but he had some issues in St. Louis in his last year there. And then there is also the legitimate concern with Ozuna is whether or not he gets a Qualifying Offer. Right now, the theory is Bloom won't be signing anyone with one. It doesn't matter whether or not any of us think it should be a factor. There is the very real possibility that it is with the only person whose opinion counts. Of course, the most likely LF in Boston next year is still Benintendi. While Boston will need to add an OF, the obvious need is a CF. Ozuna has played there, but not regularly since 2016 and not at all since 2017. While Pederson has played CF more recently, he is not very good at it. Springer, on the other hand, is the best CF of the bunch, and by a lot. Of course, despite his being a perfect fit for multiple reasons mentioned above, I think neither he nor Ozuna are not going to happen...

I expect Bloom to sign free agents, just not major ones to big, long term deals. Basically take the same approach Cherington took prior to 2013, but not with as many free agents. Some potentially undervalued players include James McCann, a former All Star catcher that the White Sox are extremely unlikely to re-sign (as they have Yasmani Grandal at the position). McCann has grown as a hitter the last 2 years and also does do the job on the defensive metrics, with 9 DRS in the last two years, and 1150 innings. Comparatively, Christian Vazquez has 6 DRS in the same time frame with 1274 innings behind the plate. So a potential move might be to sign McCann and move Vazquez for a pitcher. On the pitching front, I would expect him to ignore Bauer (because the QO impacts the simultaneous farm system build) and maybe look at Stroman or Jose Quintana. Both are essentially the same pitcher, but Stroman is RH and 2 years younger, but that age difference might translate into a bigger contract for more money and years. If the Sox sign an outfielder, Joc Pederson might be in play. Pederson has the glaring weakness of not hitting lefties, but if he is signed to play LF, the Sox have an in-house answer in Chavis, who can't do anything except hit lefties. Of course, that last part would mean they either gave up on Benintendi or made the unwise decision to move Beni to CF...

This fan base went from "just one championship before I die" as their dream to finding two consecutive seasons of no post season as completely intolerable. And Henry has shown he shares that latter viewpoint. Bloom won't be able to do a full tear down and rebuild. And Bloom cannot go two seasons with his signature move as trading Mookie Betts. He will have to do something. And while the Rays were not good his first 4 years as VP of Ops, bear in mind 1) he had no budget and 2) no real fan base to appease. The Sox more likely hired him to run the team like Friedman has the Dodgers, who have finished in 1st in the NL West every season of his tenure....