I would put Boegarts second, Beni third and Betts fourth. Pablo doesn't walk enough for me to bat him second. Then Hanley 5, Pablo, Moreland, catcher , and JBJ ninth, that's where he has had the most success.
No reason for Porcello not to match last year had similar year in 14. Wright missed 2 months even if he's not as good you have an extra 2 months. EROD looks like he's ready to take the next step. Prices throwing program according t Farrell can start at anytime. Pom taking his regular turn Friday. Thorn burg pitching Friday and a bullpen with many hard throwers and depth. They had 5 less wins then they should have last year, possible but I find it hard to believe they can't match there win total from last year.
I would like to hear your thought process Sale will be an upgrade over last years Price Erod should definitely be better then last year. Wright missed the last 2 months of last season and pPorcello is just hitting his prime. Not one doctor has said that Price needs surgery.
Last year they had numerous replacement level starts from OSullivan, Owens, Bucholtz and Kelly.
The bullpen didn't have Carson Smith last year or Thornburg, I would guess one of them at least will be effective. Kelly was lights out in September and October. Looks like Hembree and Barnes can take the next step. Have 4 lefties to choose from plus some minor league depth.
Don't think worst case scenario will happen with all there pitchers.
We were 20 and 24 in one run games last year with our run differential we should have won 98 games. Our young core is a year older and should keep getting better, negativity about this team makes absolutely no sense.
Bill James said I believe last October he wouldn't trade Marco for Josh Donaldson, Machado oo Arrenado straight up. That is crazy, and probably not true, but shows that he is viewed quite highly.
It's easy now to say we didn't have to do anything after the fact, at that point in the season it was clear we needed to make a trade, you could not count on Buch and Erod rebounding.
Pom actually gave us some very valuable start in August that could have gone to Elias, Osullivan or Owens, which would not have been ideal.
Of course at that time we needed a starter, we had Porcello, Price and Wright and some really bad starts from everybody else. We stayed ahead of the market for Pom. The return on Rich Hill was even worse. Beane was also asking for Espi for Hill , an upcoming free agent who was injured. for it to work out for us Pom has to stay healthy, but Espi is a long way from being a major league pitcher and a lot of factors can impede his development.
The problem with starting Kendrick to start the season is if we send him down we will lose him. We signed him as a minor league free agent, have to put him on the 40 man roster if we option him back to the minors he becomes a free agent.
I think the biggest reason they are down on him is because of Espinoza. If he stays healthy( which is a big if ) I think he will be solid. Very good for a number 5 starter, but you don't trade a prospect like Espi for a number 5.