Hugh2

Yes he's put on some weight, so he has that going in his favor. We will have to wait and see, but he's doing a fine job right now.

Yes but JBJ hit well in the minors and scouts loved his tools at the plate. You can't say the same thing about Lin and Marrero.

I get what you're saying but it's never a good idea to bet on the exception and not the norm. There will always be anecdotal evidence (Travis Shaw) to justify why guys like Tzu-Wei Lin will play exceptionally well at the MLB level. But more often than not guys regress to what they are. Also, it's important to not that Shaw could always hit, he had a .803 OPS in the minors and currently his MLB OPS is .809. The question with Shaw was if he had the bat speed to carry his hitting tools to the next level, and it looks like he does. Sometimes guys have other qualities that we just can't quantify, who knows what it is with Shaw....maybe he's just really smart and able to overcome that deficiency. Wei Lin is currently sporting a .877 OPS in 46 PA's after 6 seasons in the minors with an OPS of .638. It's extremely, extremely likely his MLB line going forward at some point is going to represent the .638 if not worse. Things change, this isn't set in stone, but he's not going to BABIP .448 for the rest of the season. I'm a big fan of riding what you got, catching lightning in a bottle, going with the trend, or however else you want to put it and Lin plays the position fine. But at times this teams lack of offense has really shown, and if there's one place we can use an upgrade.....it's at 3B. Perhaps Lin stays hot long enough for a guy like Devers in a month or two, but I'd be very uncomfortable if Lin is our 3B going into the post season. If I'm wrong, and he's sporting a .877 OPS come October I'd gladly eat some crow. You guys can shove a big old plate of crow done my throat. It's exciting to see guys defy the odds but hedging your bets at 3B could pay dividends when it comes to trying to win a WS this year.

HA! now that was funny

Another young guy to keep an eye on is Bryan Mata, I'm also really liking this young kid Scherff we just drafted too. Perhaps one of these young guns can turn recent trends of developing pitchers around in this system.

So if I want to get a boner over a cliff I will.

Everything is out of our control. Whether they win or lose, make the playoffs, who they bring in for the 8th inning, whether or not they sign a pitcher etc etc etc. We are just a very diversified bunch in terms of what we want to complain about and that is basically the foundation of every fan forum.

Exactly, when you look at this team, and take the talent that is either homegrown (Mookie Betts, JBJ) or traded for (Chris Sale). You can see they were acquired under old rules. All the rules that teams like the Sox were better at working than everyone else have been changed. You can't throw money around in the draft anymore (mookie Betts) you don't get multiple picks in the first round anymore (Matt Barnes, JBJ) (kopech = Sale) you can't just burn money in the international market either (Moncada = Kopech) Lin got 2 million. I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm not saying it's hopeless, but as a fan who is fascinated with the business side, and the development of talent etc etc etc I'm curious as to how things will transpire in the future. Just saying "prospects are just prospects and the problem will fix itself" in my eyes is sticking your head in the sand. That doesn't take away any problems. As a Sox fan who doesn't plan on dying the next three years I care about the future. I understand that everyone cheers in their own way, and different things spark our interest so to each their own. But please, this isn't being pessimistic, weren't negative people because we care about a subject more than other people.

Right, the glass is half full or half empty. Then there are those of us who realize the glass is going to be empty eventually and there's nothing in the fridge to fill it back up with.

If I had to choose between and all .800+ ops lineup with average to subpar defense and an all .600 OPS lineup with better to superior defense I'd take the .800 OPS lineup every single time. All things considered, the .800 OPS team would be in contention and the .600 team would struggle to win games. To be fair, I do think there are some who undervalue defense, especially at certain positions, but I think there are those of us who overvalue it as well. Nothing wrong with preferring something as a fan, some people like the long ball, some love watching a pitcher execute his game, and some love watching the diving play but the reality is if this team wants to upgrade the lineup it's going to be awfully hard going into the playoffs with two black holes in the lineup.

No, I was asking about the "fens" but I figure now you meant Fenway

who?

I think Devers is in line for a promotion any day now. If he is mashing it by July 30th and there's no good values out there for DD I think he will give the kid a chance, otherwise, I think they will look for an upgrade at 3B.

Yes but sometimes that pessimism is 100% justified. For example, Phillies fans have every reason to feel pessimistic about their chances of making the post season this year.

I get the window argument, and I'm even conversing about it on another thread now, and while it does concern me there is the reality that no one knows how the future will transpire. Perhaps the Sox draft the next Mike Trout with their 30th pick in the draft next year. Maybe they go after Otani and he becomes the next Kershaw. What I find concerning is when you look at the way this entire team is constructing you can pinpoint almost every player to a system that no longer exists (free agents aside). But again, everyone has to play by these rules and we don't have a crystal ball. I do worry about the future, I'am a bit pessimistic but I think I'd like to consider it more of a curiosity as to what the Sox will do to keep pumping talent in the roster. I believe I still reserve the right to enjoy the team now as well.

yes, and I'd argue it's after the 2019 season.

In the top 10? we're more like one for two....that's pretty good, see my last post.

We picked in the top 10 twice within three years and walked away with Andrew Benintendi, I can live with that. You look at any team that had multiple picks within a few years in the top ten and they did no better. The Orioles had to take a bust Matt Hobgood to get lucky with Manny Machado. Yes, stars exist in the first round, especially the top ten and it's very lopsided compared to the rest of the draft but it's still about a 25% chance you're drafting an all star. Realistically if your first round pick becomes an everyday major leaguer in any capacity you did a great job drafting. EDIT: Realistically it's probably closer to 10% of top ten picks become all stars where's 25-33% become productive everyday players. I saw a study on it once but I'm too lazy to look it up right now.

Compare the top 10 from the last 20 drafts to the 20th-30th pick. There is a TREMENDOUS difference. Big difference between the first round and the rest of the draft too.

You have to develop major leaguers, you just have to, if you don't it's very hard to field an MLB team. Now with that said, it's important to remember that prospects are assets, and sometimes you trade them for something you need more. I feel kind of bad saying that because these are actual people but this is a business and that is how it plays out. So I'm fine with trading, what worried me was the excess of trading prospects and the long-term ramifications that it will bring. With that said this trade is starting to look much better for the Sox and that has everything to do with Drew being healthy and pitching better.

A trade for Donaldson starts with Devers plus.

Here's a short little video on the Sox signee Flores http://www.baseballamerica.com/international/ben-badler-red-sox-daniel-flores/#V4zJbvyHI0xg4m6C.97

being excited about 16 year olds playing baseball is certainly not for the faint of hearted. As the old saying goes "prospects will break your heart" I enjoy it.

Well that's the name of the game. I think to be a true lover of prospects you have to understand the further away these kids are the more paths they have to lead to failure, however, there's also more upside and more hope as well. It's almost like investing your money in the stock market into a well-diversified portfolio and the international system is one piece of the puzzle that teams use to stock their farm systems. These kids will go to the DSL, the good ones will come stateside after one year and play in the GCL and then they will move on to Lowell of Greenville. The really good ones will skip a level. Rafael Devers moved from the DSL to the GCL in the middle of his first year in the system and skipped Lowell and went straight to Greenville the next. After spending a full season in the DSL Bryan Mata skipped botht the GCL and Lowell and is currently starting in Greenville this year.

I get that, some guys still develop as a SS and move off when they have too. Still, with that many you have to assume they view a few of them as a 3B or 2B right now and develop them there now.