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Oh no. Only baseball names only around here. And little Brock Dyckshoorn Notin knew what she was getting into...

Agree. It makes zero sense that the Sox have two backup catchers and zero backup outfielders. And while they do have two backup infielders, neither can play shortstop very well...

Who doesn’t? I was thinking of naming my daughter Carter Capps...

Seriously though, can Carter Capps be far behind?

Mostly because MLB has a long history of making lifetime bans not last a lifetime. I believe Steve Howe received multiple lifetime bans back in the 1980’s...

I gave this its own thread, so people could find it easier...

... to a minor league deal. Mejia is a 29yo former Mets’ closer who hasn’t pitched in MLB since 2015 due to a lifetime ban for PED usage (since rescinded). He pitched 7 innings in the Mets’ minor leagues last year. So whose next? Will DD dig up Carter Capps?

Silly Epstein. If there’s one thing he needed to know about Brandon Morrow, it’s that he gets hurt easily and frequently. I assume Maddon just looked at Morrow funny. That is usually enough...

He was a lot better once Eric Gagne clued him in that he was tipping his pitches...

Conley is another option. He is a first year arb guy, so he might see his price tag escalate on them. He converted to relief last year and his fastball jumped 6mph (which is not uncommon). I am not so sure they’re wild about Ockimey, since they passed on him when he was free last month. And Velasquez is the rare case whose more valuable to Boston than other teams, due to his option. But I’m sure the teams could work something out. My only concern is why did Conley move to relief? Was it due to arm injuries? Let’s say they insist on Dalbec for Conley? Would you do it? Would you do Dalbec and Swihart for Conley and Guerrero? I also wonder if they’d have any interest in former Florida Gator and Cocoa Beach native Brian Johnson...

One might think so. But as myself and others have noted, they traded away the 2017 NL MVP and the 2018 NL MVP and still have one of, if not the worst farm system in MLB. So trading for prospects might not be working out as planned. Also it depends on who you’re trading for. Streckenrider? Certainly they will want prospects. Tayron Guerrero? I think he’s a good trade comp for Swihart. And as his fastball rivals Kelly’s, he had at least one ability DD is known for liking in a pitcher...

The Cubs won 3 more games in 2018, their first year without Davis, than they did in 2017, their one year with him...

I prefer Lin over Swihart as well, as he can back up SS has an option left if Pedroia can play. But as for who wants Swihart, the best bet might be Miami if they ever trade Realmuto without getting back a catcher. If Swihart was their catcher and cost them a few games with atrocious defense, what’s the impact? They win 45 games instead of 50? He gets booed by a couple dozen hometown fans? They can afford to play him and see how much potential he lives up to, if any...

And OBP...

But according to you, Swihart is more part of the problem with MLB-caliber catching than part of the solution. If Pedroia can’t go, they might keep Swihart. But I think in that case, a capable backup SS or backup OF is probably more important to this team than a third catcher who can also play the corners in a pinch. A back up SS/OF would be ideal. (Lin?). Also at one point this off-season, Cora reportedly wanted a defensive 3b on the roster. Now as Cora is likely aware of the existence of both Holt and Nunez, he presumably wants someone else. I’d like to see them deal Swihart for a RP, but I wonder what they can get (Tayron Guerrero?). I almost think any decent reliever you add Swihart to the package for can probably be had for the same package without him. If the Sox want a defensive SS/3b other than Lin, they might use him to pry someone like Miguel Rojas or JT Riddle out of Miami...

While it does appear unlikely, until Kimbrel signs elsewhere it is a possibility...

Getting rid of HanRam was certainly impacted by his pending vesting option, but it was not completely independent of Swihart. Remember in the days before, DD was actively shopping Swihart in order to clear roster space for Pedroia. Reportedly one of the reasons no deal for Swihart could be found was the anticipation he would be DFAd anyway. But the DD crossed up the world and released Hanley...

I would target a small market team with a package of my BA #1 in Dalbec and the MLB-ready Sharwyn. (Johnson, Velasquez, and Swihart add very little. Think of their trade value as about the same as Esteban Quiroz.) My first targets would include Archie Bradley, Mychal Givens, Kirby Yates, Corey Knebel and Arodys Vizcaino. But I would keep in mind pitchers like Scott Oberg and Keone Kela in the likely event I wasn’t enticing any of the teams from that first list. I would also try for Drew Streckenrider. While the Marlins have been borderline unreasonable with JT Realmuto trade offers, at the end of the day this is a team that traded away the 2017 NL MVP and the 2018 NL MVP and still has one of the worst farm systems according to everyone rating them. So making smart trades might not be their forte...

There have been plenty of people who think Tzu-Wei Lin needs more playing time and JD Martinez is a good option for fourth outfielder and this is OK. But Swihart get 30 starts behind the plate? That’s a white flag!!! Blake is not winning a Gold Glove back there, but he isn’t completely lost either. And for some reason, Dombrowski is mildly infatuated with him, not only trying him in the outfield for no reason, but also releasing Hanley just to keep him. On some level, one has to think DD wants him to get a shot. He does have a very good arm, which certainly helps. But he does also need some playing time to get better behind the plate. And he also has the most offensive potential of any of the Sox catchers...

Basically Chavis and table scraps for Bradley? I don’t think many teams are so eager to get Brian Johnson, since many teams have out-of-options AAAA pitchers in their late 20’s. Some teams might be intrigued by Swihart, but when you’re shopping for bargains, you don’t pay full price. That’s why I guessed an equal wild card one-for-one swap for 28yo Tayron Guerrero and his 98mph fastball made some sense for both teams (assuming Miami ever deals Realmuto and doesn’t get a catcher back). And most teams already have a guy like Hector Velasquez. Archie Bradley isn’t a relief stud every year, but he does have that ability. (2.1 fWAR in 2017). And he makes very little money and has a few years left. If the Diamondbacks do trade him, they will need some serious enticement. From the Sox perspective, the opening bid might need to include two of Chavis, Dalbec and Darwinzon Hernandez at minimum. If you were GM of the Diamondbacks, would you trade your best relief pitcher for Chavis, Swihart, Johnson and Velasquez?

His arm?

Yes I have. Although a lot of that was before a lot of the team’s budget became more public. Back when we all assumed “Hey we signed Pearce. Certainly that means we won’t be so limited when it comes to spending on the bullpen.” I thought maybe DD wanted to see if Grandal or Ramos become this off-season’s Moustakas. (And maybe he was doing just that.) Now we have about $8mill AAV tied up in 3 catchers and we likely can’t fit them all on the roster. DD has said he will trade one. Well as we still need bullpen help, the trick is finding a reasonable match, not just assuming this means dealing Swihart for a 25yo A-Ball bench bat, which doesn’t help the bullpen and barely frees up any money. I think Leon, offensive hole that he is, makes the most sense to keep as thevstarter. Vazquez might be the better hitter, but not much better, and his comparable but maybe slightly worse defense really doesn’t justify his higher AAV. I think that makes him expendable, although who he could be dealt for is a bit of a mystery. The best match I have found all things considered is Fernando Rodney, of whom I am not a fan. Although certainly DD has been one at one point...

That’s more a question you should be andwering, as you brought up their salary and control as reasons why they are strengths...

If salary is an issue, a trade certainly can make more sense. You can target pitchers already in your price range and even shed some salary depending on who goes back...

Greg Holland up next?