Hugh2

If the Playoffs started today the Sox would be in the playoffs. The Sox are a playoff team. Those are the facts....and the facts are undisputed.

I like it. You can platoon him with Valdez, actually you could play him at SS and put Hamilton at 2nd when going up against a lefty.

Buying at the deadline might help reinvigerate a fan base too. We are in the playoffs right now, AND if we upgrade, fans will come back. You spend money to make money, ownership needs to buy if they want fans to come back. They don't, nor shouldn't empty the farm, and they don't need to

Wish there was a nice RHH second baseman on the rental market.

Alonso is nice, but I'd rather rent him than buy him, we already have a gazillion corner/DH type guys. He's a righty, that's nice, but he will be 30 moving forward, and this team has a nack for giving money to the wrong guy. I'd rather find a SS/2B/OF who is a righty, but I'd glady rent Alonso and 1b/DH him the rest of the way this year. I'd actually love him in the middle of our lineup for a late summer run.

Alert: Sox are the hottest team in baseball. Currently only 1 game out of the playoffs. Casas returning soon. Authorities recommend that you immediately suspend any talk of trading players and root for this team. I repeat, we are jumping ON ship.

Agree, even if he mashes all year. You can always give him a call up with the last few weeks of the Milb season as a reward. He's fine.

So far, we hope he can be more. Doesn't have to be an ace.

Given O'Neil's history of being an all star level player when 100% healthy, if he is again playing that way and it's only a rental I can see him getting a rentals ransom....a good rental. Teams will overpay at the deadline. Not sure we could get a top 100 prospect for him, but a guy who is on the fringe who has the upside to blossom? I can certainly see that. Maybe. But at this point they shouldn't sell, although they're one bad losing streak away from being sellers.

Nick Yorke/Marcelo Mayer

Do people actually think Cora isn't going to play all 26? that 3-4 guys will never play or pitch and he will overplay everyone? Would any good manager do that? no.

There's still plenty of time to suck and sell off, but if the trade deadline was tonight, team looking to get key players back plus being right inthe playoff hunt and playing well lately says they need to be buyers. Problem is, one of the things I'd really want this team to buy seemingly is NOT available at the deadline. I want a RHH short stop, or really even just a good short stop. Correct me if I'm wrong but there don't seem to be any rentals available who fit that description, and I wouldn't want to pay the premium on a guy with control seeing how the system is flush with up the middle talent perculating it's way up the system. In another universe I'd love to target a guy such as Willy Adames, he has a good bat and would add plus defense at SS and help set this defense. Will be a free agent at the end of the year so he shouldn't cost as much, and I think Milwaukee has some good young IF talent to replace him with. But, they're 1st in their division with playoff ambitions.....he's not for sale. Of course, another Starting pitcher and a reliever can always come in handy. Those SHOULD be available. This is why Breslow gets paid the big bucks.

That's fine, but if you're trading for a guy that fits that profile, elite pitcher with 3+ years of control then teams are going to ask for both Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer+++ more. In todays world, theres' also a higher chance that guy gets injured. At this point, especially with how well the pitching is starting to turn in the organization, I'd start to just invest more in our own pitching and sign a free agent to fill in the gaps.

This is the moment during the season where the Red Sox start to lose, if they can stay hot......especially against good teams. That's a statement.

Well let me just clarify that this is under the assumption that the team could consider them ready this year.

There's a lot of moving variables, It's more probably than not we see any one of these guys next year rather than this year. Development aside, a lot depends on the big league club. Here we stand, 2.5 games out of the playoffs. It feels like everytime they get some momentum they fall off, and everytime the start to lose it they string together a few wins. If they get healthy, perform, and are in the playoff hunt. There's not much need to rush Teel with the Wong/McGuire duo, or Anthony with Duran/Rafaela/Abreu, or Mayer with Rafaela, Hamilton, Valdez on the roster. But if anyone one of those guys is mashing in AAA come late July or early august and the Sox think they're ready or close to it and someone like Wong/Rafaela go down could I see one of those guys being called upon to come up if the team thinks they may be ready to contribute? Absolutely, and I still think one of them may even get a cup of coffee this year.

Well that's the reality you gotta face with many big leaguers. Most people don't bust in and immediately hit, many do, you just don't always know. Look at Duran, look at Pedey, although to be fair Pedey hit really well relatively quickly in the large scheme of things a down month or two isn't a lot. Look at even Bogey who hit OK then had a sophmore slump, Mookie was instantenously good. Some guys come up and are good relatively quickly and then fall off a cliff (Andrew Benintendi. The thing is, none of us really know, nor do we have the expertise to say when these kids are ready. But they certainly shouldn't ever be held back if they're ready to take the next step either. They're all hitting well and reaching the 250 PA threshold. I suspsect all 3 will be promoted to AAA this year and at least one of them is going to break onto the MLB roster, perhaps it's just a cup of coffee, perhaps more.

Yeah, welcome to the bigs, most players break into the bigs and aren't instantaneously all stars. That doesn't disprove, or prove my point either way. How many first round catchers debuted in the big leagues when they were 24 or older?????

Never said it wasn't. But now that's on my mind here are some other first round college catchers and how old they were when they broke into the Majors Buster Posey 22 Mike Zunino 22 Yasmani Grandal 23 Jason Castro 23 Matt Wieters 23 Teel will be 23 before next season starts. Suggesting he may be close to MLB level is not analogous with he is ready, and it's certainly not crazy to suggest he may be close to ready.

All good points, and you'er probably right, I'm probably pushing on Teel but I do disagree that the "despite not being blocked is telling" comment. It's not like they've been in AA for a long time. Take a guy like Mookie Betts as a prime example of someone who absolutely demolised the minors and pushed his way up to the majors. He got 257 PA's before he got promoted from AA, even a guy being rushed or pushing his way up is going to get at least 250 PA's at a level. Teel is at 230, he could easily still be mashing his way up AND afford to be kept in AA for another month. FTR Mayer is at 258 PA's Anthony is at 211 PA's Also the big 3 by OPS by Month Anthony: .638/.868/1.416 Mayer: .820/.845/.891 Teel: .678/1.003/.990 All three are building up towards a promotion, and it can probably wait a month or two before I would question why they're not being moved up yet.

Teel is mashing in AA, probably should be promoted within a month. How long do you think they will keep him at AAA for? He's going to be ready sooner, rather than later.

Grissom is 6 years younger than Dalbec too, and has never K'd like him, they are not the same. Not when it comes to DFA'ing or waiting for a guy to develop.

If he maintined, who says he can maintain that? If he's still hitting crazy good at the end of the year it will be because he starts barreling up the ball and hitting it harder. If he does not, his numbers will take a big step back. Hope to be wrong, but If we were placing bets here I'd be betting on Wongs numbers diving. Still see a bit of a clutch player in him.

I'm not advocating platooning them off of splits, just Teel is mashing. If both are still hitting one can DH some as well. Also, not that it changes my opinion, but I don't necessarily expect Wongs reverse splits to conitnue for his whole career.

I'm not looking to replace Wong, I'm looking to replace McGuire.