Nick

He can be Betts defensively and play right if Verdugo leaves after 2024.

The core group of Devers, Yoshida, Duran, Casas and Wong are coming along nicely. Throw in another .800 OPS guy in Story along with one year guys in Verduo and Turner, 2024 is looking better every day. I'd like to see us go all in on that young, Japanese pitcher. I think Paxton loves pitching for Boston. Bring him back on a 2 year deal with a club ootion. Then wait for Mayer's arrival sometime in July. The team is set.

Cora's son strikes out. Sub .600 OPS. Impressive.

You have a good point. I had forgotten about THAT. So he was cheating. Great.

I would even tell my best friends, and I have great respect for you and Moon, but please shut the f*** up when I'm talking trash about Kike. Yep, no fault but Paxton's for hitting and walking #7-#9 batters. With bases loaded, a ground ball to Kike and you'll see it on replay that Kike took a false step towards second. You guys can make all excuses for Kike but both Hamilton and Chang would have made that play. So there should have been one out, runners on first and third with one run in. Then there's a ground ball to Devers. Had there been runners on first and third, the runner probably would have stayed at third and I'm confident there would have been a second out. Paxton proceeded to walk the next batter, loading the bases. But with two outs, there was a chance Paxton would have escaped the inning with one run, never having to throw the grand slam. Facts Kike leads the majors in errors at shortstop. He's made two more errors this week. Cora mentioned before July that Kike would no longer play short. But in the MassLive article today that Cora thought Kike has improved at short, despite playing short only half the games. Bellhorn I don't give a flying f*** how the team is playing in terms of how the lineup is made. Cora could be wrong at times. I know that Kike has not helped the team during that streak. So you insert Kike because the team is playing well despite Kike not helping that cause? Okay. His f***ING OPS is almost below .600. Why the f*** is he still in the lineup? Play him in f***ING center field if he must. I thought getting Chang back was to move Kike off the f***ING shortstop position. Play Arroyo at short. He's better than Kike at short. You and Moon can come up with every f***ING reason to have Kike at short. I can't come up with one f***ING reason to play him at short. You two know that I'm right. I want what's best for MY TEAM and Kike ain't getting the job at f***ING short. Do you read other sites? There's lots of talk about Kike being a bad teammate. Self-centered, it's all about himself. Flashy shoes, dye your hair. I see it. PS. MY BAD, APPARENTLY KIKE DID NOT MAKE AN ERROR TODAY. A BASE HIT.

Kike back at short. Paxton asks Cora if he can pitch Sunday instead. I had a coach that batted his son clean up and he sucked.

Injury had nothing to do with Barnes. His decline came right after the extension. Of course he was always soft mentally. Give me Bello clones with an attitude anytime.

Matt Barnes to have season ending hip surgery. Nice extension given out by Bloom couple of years ago. 2 years, $18M+. Miami will decline the 24' option year and pay him off the $2M+. Nice knowing you. I like Bloom and I don't want him gone but he has made plenty of mistakes. I just don't want someone coming in start trading away our prospects.

Casas Turner Chang Devers (2) infielders all hitting HR. Duval with homer. Duran being Duran. Add another single turned to double. OPS now nearing 900. Yoshida with 7th consecutive multiple hit games. Bello being the future ace. Pretty good day. I will be in Wrigley Sunnday.

Turner at 2B. And Chang at short. No kike.

We are better off keeping this team together and go after the Japanese pitcher and retaining Paxton with a short term deal. A qualifying offer may do the trick. Also add another smaller FA signing for a starting pitcher. Story, Turner and Sale all return for 2024. Kike and Duval will be gone. I prefer staying the course with what we have this year. Just hope we are still in it as injured players return. Do no blow up the farm for 2 month rentals.

With enough shortstops in the organization now, days of Kike playing there is nearing to an end. Just a thought in case Cora insists on bringing back Kike year after year on one year deals. Kike is Cora's favorite son. Perhaps Bloom was sending Cora a message.

What would the comp picks have been had Bloom not screwed up the tax limit?

Where will Teal be placed in 2024? High A?

No worries..... I value your posts.

What's your pleasure Moon? I'm trying to cut out the beer. I've lost 30 lbs and beer is one thing I've cut down on. It's made me cranky though.

Is there anyone on that Oakland staff that we can get it on the cheap? Throw tons of cash and some low A ball players?

Let's pay attention to the draft. I'm looking for a college pitcher. High school pitchers seem too far off into the future.

Great job by Duval today. Maybe his bat will get going. (see how easy I am to please?). Good win despite getting outhit 11 to 6. Long balls matter. It's a good day when German pitches one hitter over 6 innings and give up only one earned run (2 runs total) but the Yankees are losing 7-4 going into bottom of the 9th. I think we're only two games out.

Aren't you and Moon the champions of sample size? Duran's small sample size vs lefties is biased based on previous year's stats. Yes we don't know if he can hit lefties. Isn't it time we give him that chance? He did hit a 'lucky' homer vs a lefty yesterday. I'm assuming that's what you and Moon are thinking, it was just a 'luck'. Okay, I'm done. I've said everything I need to. Adios Amigos.

Kike is starting in center field today. Anyone here honestly thinks he is better choice than Duran? I don't care if God is pitching. Duran is the better choice than Kike in CF.

Good call by Cora. Sitting down Duran, Verdugo and Casas. Why does Verdugo need a day off when he has 4 day vacation coming up? Cora is over rated. It's not lefties stopping Duran. It's Cora. 3 innings, 0 hits. How's that 7 right handed bats working out? Where's Moon? Still looking at Duran's CAREER NUMBERS?

Are you that dense? Do you believe CAREER NUMBERS FOR DURAN IS APPLICABLE NOW? REALLY? For a 'rookie' season Duran (2023), what he did in 2022 is f***ING MEANINLESS. You do get that Duran is NOT the same player he was last year, or don't you? Why do you constantly bring in his CAREER NUMBERS? You just don't want to give into the idea that Kike SUCKS! Period. I'm done talking to you about Duran/Kike/Duval. You talk about Duval's small sample size since his return. Well that sample size encompasses entire month of June. But you constantly bring up what he did for 8 games to start the season. Which one looks to you like a better sample size? Eight games or entire month of June. Whatever fits your argument as usual.

You sure have become an apologist for both Keke and Duval. They deserve NOTHING. Duran deserves chance to play every day more than Kike. Ever think how many games were wasted by Sox in June by having both Duval and Kike in the lineup? Just give it up Moon. You are defending two has beens. Two rentals. If I'm Bloom I'd get rid of both and force Cora's hand.

Sox has taken several positive steps forward despite all my bitching. We may have found a future leadoff man in Duran. Great speed, improving defense and a dangerous bat. He is defensive disrupter. We have a keeper in Yoshida. Despite his defensive limitations his bat will play in the majors. This maybe the breakout year we have been looking for from Verdugo. Obviously his offense has turned up a notch but just as importantly I don't hear complaints about his ability to play right field on this board. Not much to say about Bello. He is our future ace. Great poise for a 24 year old. Mentally tough. Devers is Devers. An all-star caliber 3B for next 10 years. We may have a rising star at 1B in Casas. Like to see more power out if him. No speed, defense still a suspect. Potential is there to do more. I hope I don't regret what I just said about Casas. Whitlock and Houck are solid. I am willing to give up the idea of both starting if we can find replacements. Same goes for Kutter. Story just has to get on the field and show us the player we are paying $23M. Wong is our starting catcher. He will get better offensively. I love his arm and his speed. We have other things to worry about. Not much to say about Turner. Great get by Bloom. His ability to play corner infield is a major plus for a DH. Looks to me like our positional needs are not our problem going forward. We need to get past July with what we have. Go get some starting pitching. Keep trying Bloom. You may have to pay more than $8-10M. Our window just opened up for 2024 and beyond. Don't get cheap on us. Extend Verdugo and Bello this winter. Lock in the core group.