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I'm sure other "hindrances" could have been avoided. There was no reason to bring Eovaldi back, for example. And it has been a massive flop. Of course, even if the Sox saved that $285mill does not mean they would have tied it all up and then some in Betts. The 2013 team did teach us that spreading the money around a little can be very successful in itself...

Agree. My favorite target has been Jonathan Schoop, but only becuase 1) he is an adequate player, 2) he takes short contracts and 3) he is a buddy of Bogaerts. He's nothing special. I figure CF is more likely. Duran has not played any real games this year and I dislike the idea of trying to win with 2 rookies in the everyday lineup. Dalbec and Duran have very little in common with Rice and Lynn...

He has beaten the odds by playing 5 season in MLB, which already puts him well into the top 50% of all players. And he's been a full time starter since being called up. And is still only 26. He's basically a year older than Dalbec, whom people still want to give a chance to. Players his age and from his same first round are just making their MLB debuts now. Ke'Bryan Hayes, for example, debited this week. Sure, there were better players taken later, but a lot more worse ones were. And of the 6 players taken in front of him, 3 (Kyle Tucker, Brendan Rodgers, and Dillon Tate) are less accomplished in MLB and a fourth (Tyler Jay) has been largely ineffective in AA ball for multiple organizations. But yeah, he's no Alex Bregman. Although he sure can catch Bregman's sinking line drives...

I can't, but honestly, I thought this outcome was predictable when the Sox signed Price. I only liked that deal because of the opt out, and once he got injured, it seemed really unlikely that he would. But my main contention that I posted way back on the archives of this board, was that it made it more difficult to extend the players like Betts, whom I did name specifically...

The Series where I fell in love with Alex Gonzalez, easily my favorite of the Sox Post-Nomar/Pre-Bogaerts Revolving Door at Shortstop Era...

Now if the Sox try this in 2020: C:Vazquez 1b: Devers 2b: Munoz or Chavis 3B: Dalbec SS: Bogaerts LF: Benintendi CF: Duran RF: Verdugo DH: Martinez BN: Plawaecki, Chavis (or Munoz), Lin, 4th OF (or Peraza). Is that lineup sufficient to just allocate resources to the mound? If not, which position should the Sox focus on upgrading?

I am actually starting to like Yairo Munoz, despite how the Sox did acquire him. (He threw a tantrum over playing time and voluntarily left the Cardinals, who later released him.) He hits the ball hard and plays everywhere. No need to play Arauz every day. He's earmarked for Pawtucket next year and probably has the ceiling of a glove-first utility infielder (once he learns to keep his mitt squeezed and hold the ball)...

And right after Benintendi, the next pick was Carson Fulmer, who has been DFAd three times in the past 12 months. Is Benintendi a good Major Leaguer or not? Just because a better player was picked later does not mean he was a bad pick. By that logic, Strasburg was a bad pick because Trout was still on the board...

So I take it only 2020 counts? 2016-2019, Happ and Benintendi were basically the same hitter - .796 OPS for Benintendi and .816 for Happ. Miniscule difference, especially since Benintendi has about 1000 more PA in that timeframe. But Benintendi was worth 9.0 fWAR while Happ was only worth 4.8 fWAR...

I remember way back a long, long time ago when the Sox had another infield prospect who struck out 12 times in his first 19 at-bats, and everyone thought he simply could not hit MLB pitching and was overmatched.. But you know who liked him? The White Sox, and they were willing to give up Chris Sale to get him. (Yes, he was their second choice, but he was still a choice)

And Lester. After all, Kason Gabbard got off to a hotter start than Lester did....

So it did start with Moncada. I can't fault that. Was Rusney considered part of that budget?

You are forgetting the one thing all rich people have in common - the desire to not make other people rich...

For all the good Henry has done for the sox, his desire to spend has been somewhat mercurial. When Cherington took over, he was not allowed to spend. He had to trade Marco Scutaro just so he could bring in Cody Ross. That's a small market maneuver. Then he was allowed to spend and he went nuts with a massive spress that worked out really well (meaning we won a WS) when he brought in Napoli, Dempster, Drew, Victorino and (especially) Uehara. And then he spent poorly again with Sandoval, Hanley and Rusney. And he was not allowed to spend again - remember "no long term contracts for pitchers" - so Lester and Lackey were dealt. Dombrowski was in the opposite camp. He was allowed to spend like mad, basically an open check book. He also lived up to his rep as a Farm Killer. And it worked for a while. But when it stopped, so did his ability to spend. And then Bloom was brought in and was allowed to spend on some second tier players like Perez and Peraza, but nothing else. It's like when the Sox win, Henry laments how much it costs to do so and dials back. But then realizes the losses are even worse when the Sox lose. And then he forgets all about this. Lather. Rinse. Repeat....

He did draft Benintendi. And wasn't his international spending trouble for going over the limits to get Moncada (who became Sale)? He also drafted Buttrey, Dubon, Kopech, Chavis, Beeks, and Logan Allen, all of whom (save Chavis) were traded away for other pieces...

There was still some chatter about an Eovaldi/Oder trade with Texas, but likely it was killed by Eovaldi's injury...

Or have him mercifully put to sleep. He’s clearly suffering...

Just look at Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The Nippon Ham Fighters are owned by Nippon Ham. (There is no city in Japan named Nippon - which is the Japanese word for Japan - and the team is not the Ham Fighters, despite how awesome that would be.) The Yomiuri Giants are owned by Yomirui Shimbun Holdings The Hanshin Tigers are owned by Hankyu Hanshin Holdings Inc. The Fukuoka Softbank Hawks are owned by the majority shareholder in Softbank Holdings. The Chunichi Dragons are owned by Chunichi Shimbun Co Ltd. I think only the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and the Hiroshima Carp are named after actual cities in Japan. Almost all of these team play their home games in Tokyo, too, I believe...

I am looking at his MiLB free agent acquisitions and his minor league veteran trades as his "dives." The overwhelming bulk of them have done next to nothing. Osich was a good pickup. Valdez was a good pickup. Really, for 25+ year old career minor leaguers released by other teams, to find two players that good is actually alot. Some of the rest were signed due to some raw skills like Stock (100mph fastball), Caleb Simpson (also a 100mph fastball, but not on your list), and Matt Hall (spin rate). But the raw talents have not really produced. Stock just walks people faster than other pitchers. Godley has been occasionally good, but lately he is not exactly leaving me wanting more. He's really been a disappointment since those two respectable seasons he had in Arizona in 2017-18, when he gave the DBacks 333 IP of 4.10 ERA/3.63 FIP. Not sure why his last two years have been a series of poor starts and DFAs, but they have...

And more than the Rays entire staff!!

He is probably the only potential keeper from the Bloom Dumpster Diving Experiment, although Osich would be on the list as well had he not been dealt...

You like to draw grades solely on the seasons these GMs were in charge with no thought into what the condition was of the team they inherited or left behind, like they are all running fantasy baseball teams in a re-draft league. Dombrowski does not win 3 titles without what he inherited from Cherington. He absolutely doesn't. And his spending habits absolutely did leave the team in the shape it is in today for Bloom to clean up. Both Bloom and Cherington inherited messy teams and were not allowed to spend any money, unlike Dombrowski. For someone who believes spending is the best way to win, why not take into consideration whether or not they were allowed to do so in the first place? I do try to take these factors into consideration when evaluating a GM, which is why I would score Dombrowski lower than you might and Cherington higher. I think it is an easier job for a GM when they have more resources. Bloom has to be given an INC grade so far because he really has not been allowed to do anything...

Well, what BTV would ultimately have said back then was the Sox got the better end of the trade...

Both signed extensions prior to reaching free agency, which Bench would have likely done before his sixth season...

In today's game, that qualifies him to manage the New York Yankees...