notin

I hated it. Not so much for giving up Espinoza, but for getting a pitcher with a shaky career already over his career high in IP...

So if the Sox moved Bogaerts to third, which isn't going to happen, who plays short? Internal options are guys like Marrero and Hernandez. Are they upgrades over Sandoval or Shaw or Holt?

Well, we know what Wheeler was. TJ surgery has also shown to have a very high rate of recurrence, usually with 600 IP. Wheeler has already had two and is starting to look like Jarrod Parker. He's probably best avoided unless the price is dirt cheap. I don't see Sale as an option. The Sox seem more llikely to go with the six starters they have and upgrade the bullpen with Holland and/or Hudson or ? Really not sure how many arms they can realistically add, ad they have Kimbrel, Kelly, Barnes, one displaced starter (barring injury), Hembree, Ross, Abad and Elias. One or two of those guys has to go...

Rasmus sucks. Why get a DH who can't hit? He wasn't released for being "too awesome" Brandon Moss vs RHP. Young vs LHP And this from a guy who hates platoons..

THe idea that scouting would disappear is a slippery sope argument. Not to mention, "eye test" from scouts and "eye test" from fans are two entirely different things. Don't take it personal. That encompasses all of us. But as a fan, you tens to watch one team and see one shortstop, centerfielder, etc. play 150 or so times. You see other shortstops, centerfielders, etc. play 6 to 18 times tops. That sample size makes for a poor evaluation, especially since the eye test inevitably turns into comparasion or worse yet, superlative. I bet somewhere on this board, possibly from you, but also others, I can find someone referencing Jackie Bradley as the "best centerfielder in the "AL, or possibly "in MLB." How much time did these people spend watching Kevin Pillar or Kevin Kiermaier? Have they ever even seen Ender Inciarte or AJ Pollock? And yet somehow, this is the conclusion. Heck I live in Cubs Country and people out here think Dexter Fowler is an elite defensive player based on the eye test. And I am quoting the evidence here "I don't care what the metrics say. I watched every Cub game and saw him make more great plays than any other center fielder~" And THAT is supposed to validate it?

And the "eye test " has a tendency to turn into the "reputation test" very quickly. ..

A car has more moving parts than a tricycle but I bet you don't commute on the latter. The problem with "eye test" defense is you only see a small sample from the other players and too often it turns into "I saw that guy make an error. " Well that and it's almost 100% subjective...

Are you really trying to compare the health histories of a catcher/outfielder who hurt his ankle and missed a few months with a pitcher who has had multiple surgeries on his pitching arm and hasn't pitched since 2014?

Maybe but at least both of them have actually played in the last couple seasons. With Wheeler, you not only get standard prospect question marks, but also legitimate health concerns.

Why bother with Zack Wheeler? He's missed 2 full seasons and wasn't exactly Sandy Koufax when he could pitch. Sure he might live up to his potential he had four years ago, but he also might spend the rest of his career bouncing from DL to active roster. If the Sox do try to acquire this human lottery ticket, hopefully they're smart enough to not use legitimate trade chips that could otherwise be dealt for a pitcher whose actually thrown a pitch since 2014....

Really? No credit for Uehara? No credit for Napoli? Cherington signed about one quarter of that roster prior to the season and won a World Series a mere FOURTEEN MONTHS after the Great Reset Button Trade with th he Dodgers...

Agree. Vazquez is Jose Molina 2.0. Not sure why so many are convinced he is some sort of generational talent as a defensive catcher. He's a good defender and not much of a hitter, which is the job requirements as a standard MLB backup catcher. In that capacity he does fill a need for the 2017 Red Sox, but too many people find it necessary to claim he is something he isn't. ..

The fact that Beltane has more of Dombrowski's attention than Encarnacion does show the Sox really are not in on the Jays slugger. You don't sign Encarnacion because a deal with Carlos Beltran fell through. At some point, Brandon Moss probably gets on the radar instead. Or Mitch Moreland. Basically a LHH that can platoon with Young...

I also expect almost no movement from the Sox until the new CBA is worked out

Trade speculation about Sale is fun, but unlikely. And while I normally hate discussing character, in the case of Sale I am starting to wonder if his tantrum-filled season hasn't indirectly destroyed the White Sox from within. I actually expect minimal activity from Boston, including no starting pitchers. They're too expensive in this market and Pomeranz, much as I am not impressed with him, was undoubtedly acquired with 2017 in mind. A DH not likely from Toronto, a reliever or two, and (hopefully) a third baseman, although most likely just a right-handed hitting one. And hopefully the cash not spent is used instead to extend Betts, Bradley and Bogaerts. ..

I believe you mean "notin and Whitey Herzog". That works better

While I agree the Sox would like him to bounce back, the emergence of tbe younger players like Shaw and the Killer B's has lessened the Sox financial needs to the point where he is no longer needed. Also "Shaw and the Killer B [ee's]" is a great name for a rock band.

Well you had to be there for the accolades Vazquez was receiving towards the end of the BDC board. No catcher has the lofty level of impact Vazquez was reported to have when compared to other mere mortal catchers...

DFA or DL. Anything he can be traded for, Sox fans shouldn't want...

Christian Vazquez is a backup catcher. Everyone raved about his defense before he started hitting .226. The truth is, while he is good defensively, he isn't and never was an amazing game changer that many praised him for being. (No catcher is defensively; it's not a big deal.) The truth is, he is closer to Jose Molina than Yadier. And always was. Leon is having a terrific year and will continue to do so as long as that .473 BABIP can last...

Really Vizquel and Roberto Alomar was about as good as it ever got.

Also, notin said it. No cred here? I mean, you aren't even certain if Herzog said it. You KNOW I did....

I prefer he go, but then I never wanted him in Boston.

But the problem there is the bullpen, not the manager. A good bullpen can make any manager look like a genius. But that doesn't mean having a bad bullpen makes the manager an idiot...

By "dropped 15 pounds", they mean he spilled his plate of lasagna. Yes, I am not above these type of jokes...