5GoldGlovesOF,75

But there is no Bloom history whatsoever that he is willing to offer market value for a multi-year contract to a frontline free agent starting pitcher. The closest he came to that was Eflin, who was apparently under everyone's radar -- except for those pitching alchemists in Tampa. Some posters like to insist (wish/hope/pray) that Bloom is just waiting for the right time to invest in actual under-30 starters... meanwhile, others insist it all starts with pitching, and the time is always now.

I can see the White Sox maybe accepting this trade for one of these pitchers, but not for two under-30 starters receiving recent Cy Young votes. For a Chicago GM to keep his job, the return would have to be more of a sure thing than two position players with potential (one of whom is redundant with the presence of Andrew Vaughn) and three decent arms that right now look destined for the bullpen. Have to think the White Sox would surely start by asking for Bello for either Cease or Giolito... ... and hopefully, Bloom would end discussions there. Or shift attention to a cheaper albeit more mediocre innings eater in Lance Lynn. He currently leads the AL in home runs and earned runs allowed, so at least we know he throws strikes. Ugh.

My math be off, but I think $700M is around one-thousand times the MLB minimum salary. So for the price of one Ohtani, the Red Sox could instead have 1,000 big leaguers making minimum wage. Now obviously he's a one-of-a-kind -- actually two-of-a-kind/once-in-a-lifetime -- ballplayer... and a thousand rookies probably won't turn into very many All-Stars or even regulars in a starting line-up. But you have to think Bloom and his boys could at least package together a couple hundred of them and trade for some all-purpose utility men and stretchable relievers capable of opening and bulking... I mean, Oakland has a run differential of MINUS 248 -- and Pablo Reyes, with a positive overall WAR and dWAR, couldn't make their club?

But Ohtani could make us the Angels. A host on talk TV today said trade Mayer and Bello for him. His reasoning: Mayer might someday be a star hitter and Bello might be a star pitcher, but Ohtani is already both. He didn't say, though, that the Sox would then have half as many players in the line-up or on the roster. He also said to pay him $700 million... because then the Sox would be the talk of Boston again (like, you fools-- I mean, gamblers-- hey, at least Sam Kennedy would finally be telling the truth).

Yup, and guys who attend universities with good baseball programs have at least a couple years of seasoning under professional coaches vs. better competition than kids with live arms in high schools. Even if not projected as first-round prospects, college strike throwers have value in completing pitching staffs at various levels of a farm system. And thus, they at least have a shot...

Makes sense. So does using those later picks on college pitchers, whose development into a pro won't take as long as a high schooler.

Good rundown. One thing we never hear about BPA is pitchers converting to regular positions. For example, half the Sox' picks yesterday were college pitchers -- were they the best players available or best pitchers available? I say this because growing up, and even through college, the best players -- guys with the arm to play shortstop or catcher -- are almost always also the best pitchers. And they all bat clean-up (and play quarterback and date the prom queen). Wakefield was a home run hitter in college, converted to pitcher in the pros when a coach liked his knuckleball. Still waiting on the Sox to try Dalbec, a collegiate star pitcher, on the mound... in the name of Ohtani, why not?

No shortstop? Haven't you been following the draft thread? No first baseman? Just move one of the 12 new shortstops over -- they're all just "best player available" so can play anywhere. As for an ace, here's a thought: if the Sox were really going to spend $600 million, couldn't they just use those funds instead to sign the next three top free agent starters on the market? Then they'd be investing in an actual rotation...

It's possible Sale will never be entirely healthy again, even if he has more great months like May 2023. What other $30 million dollar ace breaks a rib throwing a pitch, and a year later breaks a shoulder blade throwing another pitch? From now on, maybe we should just welcome spurts of Sale health as bonus rounds. Whitlock, unfortunately, is turning into another disappointment -- in perspective -- as the first under-30 pitcher Bloom locked up longterm. He's not the budget albatross of a Sale, but he is starting to look like damaged goods already. The Sox can't count on either, nor do they know for sure that Houck will return and not have issues (physical or mental) recovering from his injury. If Boston is serious about making a run this season, the club needs to add more than another bullpen piece that Kenley Jansen is requesting. Trading Paxton would only subtract from the rotation that is already 40% openers. The veteran position players on expiring contracts won't bring back any viable starting pitchers, either. If Bloom really wants to compete in the second half, he's going to have to deal some decent prospects from the minors.

The post didn't suggest a Paxton to the A's trade for Sears, but a Paxton trade to a "contender" who'd offer a kind of package, -- like Sears and others -- similar to what the Yankees gave up for Montas a year ago.

I hope we do as well as that -- if we're on the other side of the deal. The desperate Yanks gave up what are now three big league pitchers (plus another minor leaguer) -- including JP Sears -- for Montas and Lou Trivino. That's the kind of package Bloom may be offered for Paxton -- and acquiring an under-30 starter like Sears for the rotation who's under control for the next five years may be too tempting to pass on... even if the Sox are still going for it.

Of course -- fans want to win now, today, especially the day they pay for tickets to see maybe their one game in person for the year. Bloom and Cora know their club is too lopsided with lefty sticks, and that a legitimate playoff run would be greatly enhanced with a consistent righty power threat behind Devers. And since Duvall is already here and paid for, it would naturally be ideal if he could regain that opening week stardom... if his wrist will let him regain his timing. Meanwhile, maybe Bloom is working OT trying to pry southpaw JP Sears from the Oakland Lost Paychecks before another wild card rival does...

Good points both, but we know good managers try to give their guys ample opportunities to bounce back, find their groove, figure things out, etc. They're usually looking at the long game, and know they need to see if players can improve or be trusted to help out later on, as well. The thing is, we'll never know how much input/influence/orders come from "the top." Franchy couldn't play outfield, but who specifically made him a first baseman? Who put Arroyo in RF? We know Bloom acquired Schwarber with no place to play him (even at DH), but who shoehorned him into first base... or did the CBO and skipper just look at each other, and shrug: "He can't be worse than Franchy..."

Nazzan Zanetello tells it like it is: "I'm a five-tool player and a five-tool person." Hit -- he'll be an instant hit with the fans Hit with power -- his powerful personality will make him a team leader Throw -- he'll throw away any negative press (or posts) Catch -- and catch himself, before he responds in negative ways Run -- with positive body language, he'll run through the farm system to Boston

Almost all shortstops or pitchers; draft fans rejoice! Early is especially intriguing -- a guy fans of pitch clocks will be rooting for. All those quick pitches gotta cause batters to be late... Nice work, Moon, pasting the reports. Thank you for your efforts.

Red Sox reportedly one of eight MLB teams with scouts in attendance watching recent start in Japan by ace pitcher Yamamoto, age 24. Yoshida's ex-teammate has pretty good stats this year -- even if the two-time MVP is doing it in a league some equate to Triple A: 1.66 ERA, 101 strikeouts and just 12 walks through 92.1 innings...

"add pitching, add a bat" (whispered a fan during the All-Star break)... ... some experts who take posts out of context actually offer alternatives; others just disparage others' opinions and reply with blasphemy. How dare anyone post something on their forum that they don't have to read.

Yes sir -- from now on, I'll follow the strict forum posting rules as only defined by the tips of your erudite fingertips.

No post even came close to suggesting such a swap. Mine said we needed to add a bat. Sorry for bringing up Soler. I'd say we need to add a bat similar to the deadline when we got Schwarber, but then someone would jump all over the fact that he's a lefty. We just may have enough southpaw sticks in '23.

Thank you for contributing to the discussions about the Red Sox.

Correct -- I've only been saying that the past four years.

Watch it! Don't you know we can't trade for actual needs until we're finally good (even while glaring holes in need of upgrade prevent us from being good enough to replace them)...

Who is they? Talksox has been talking roster changes, and some posters brought up DFAing their least favorites. My posts today are about not dumping guys like Duvall or Kike, since they're a few of the very few players on the roster with any RH power. I have nothing against Turner, and even called him a professional hitter, but it might help boost a team's chances to add a regular righty power bat to go along with 162-game average of 19 homers over his 15-year career. BTW, anyone who read my posts about JD Martinez the past few years knows how cooked I thought he looked in Boston, constantly flailing at sliders out of the zone. I'm glad for him that he has thrived with a change of scenery, because I'll always remember him the missing link in the line-up that drove the 2018 champs. Why keep bringing up Bogaerts? He's not having an All-Star year, but he'd still be third on the Sox in HRs. I wouldn't have paid him for 11 years, either. But is there any doubt with him at shortstop all season -- instead of Kike -- that Boston would be in third place and in command of a playoff spot right now?

The Sox have little right-handed power -- by design -- because "the roster is the roster" and was, going into the season. Bloom rolled the dice on Kike bouncing back (not free-falling), Duvall having an entire healthy season, and Story earning some of his overpaid salary. Turner the Pro Hitter and his plate coverage lends more to spray than slug. Boston of course needs to add at least one authentic starting pitcher, but the club could really use a Jorge Soler type, if Bloom would only part with another Aldo Ramirez. But forget about the actual Soler -- he's got another year on his contract, and Miami's got the second-most wins in the NL...

The best chance for the Red Sox to make a legitimate run this season would seem to be an acceptable recovery by Story; he doesn't have to be a star or play commensurate with his salary -- just enough to be a decent MLB starting infielder. Story at SS and Arroyo at 2B are probably the best DP combo, at least both have been semi-regulars at those positions... not just fill-ins. As for Duvall -- he is a rare righty power bat on the roster, even if off the bench. No one is replacing that, unless Story returns as the Bionic Man, or Aquaman gets so hot they have to keep him around. If they dump Kike, they can't dump Duvall... because there's no else even close to slamming 25 HRs from the right side, like Kike did only two years ago.