5GoldGlovesOF,75

I have an eight-track of Seger's Against the Wind. I think it was before he signed for over $300 million with Texas.

When making comps, it is interesting to look at salaries. For instance, consider Marte and Canha, compared to Kike Hernandez. Marte, age 33, will make over $20 million for each of the next three years. Marte's 162-game averages: 98 runs scored, 18 HRs, .290 batting average, .798 OPS. Canha, age 33, will make $11.5 mil for the next two years. Canha's 162: 86 runs, 21 HRs, .248 BA, .773 OPS. Kike, age 30, will make $10 mil next year. Kike's 162: 68 runs, 17 HRs, .240 BA, .732 OPS, good OF and IF defense. Get what you pay for? In the postseason, Marte: 9 G, .167, .536. Canha 9 G, .138, .454. Kike: 69 G, .269, .900.

I'll reply to you, since you posted an idea about actually going forward, instead of trying to justify mistakes Bloom is universally panned here and elsewhere (all season long, in the case of Renfroe -- who I don't even like because of his shaky D and all-or-nothing swing): The Sox definitely need a starting outfielder who can both catch the ball and hit the ball. Besides the mound, the outfield is the most obvious spot on the field where they need an upgrade right now; though other moves may soon dictate priorities. Nimmo is certainly an option, and the Mets just spent big on outfielders Marte and Canha last winter. No offense, but equating a combo of players added and/or lost at various positions is futile to me. They're all part of the same budget, and I can't begin to guess if the money saved on Price, for example, in 2020 went to another pitcher, several scrap heap arms, part of Kevin Pillar's contract or a combination of season ticket promotional brochures and office stationary.

Nope. Story only hit about half as many home runs (16 to '21 Renfroe's 31), but if you want to blame that on games missed via injury, then there's bats missed via K: Trevor whiffed in 30.8% of his ABs; '21 Hunter fanned 22.7%. And nothing against citing production from combinations of positions, but then no one replaced the middle-order presence of '21's second-half difference-maker, Kyle Schwarber. If Bloom can be excused for not anticipating power regression from the Sox' remaining All-Stars, plus Kike (injury?), and Dalbec (sophomore jinx), then he can't be for letting go of Renfroe and Schwarbs... who have 72 HRs combined (that's more than the greatest Yankee in the history of this year!).

This is where I'm at, except I'll go Moon and call it significantly improve the pitching staff. And to keep it in generalizations, the Red Sox' biggest needs are then: 1. Pitcher 2. Pitcher 3. Pitcher 4. Hitter (to replace Renfroe's bat in '22, which they never did) 5. Hitter (to replace JD's bat) and if Bogaerts leaves... 6. Fielder (to replace his SS glove) #1-3 are the bare minimum for improvement; either, three durable starters or two starters and a legitimate closer.

The Sox once had Frankie Rodriguez and Trey Ball, who both wanted to pitch and hit. I don't know what those guys were thinking. Imagine a big leaguer starting on the mound one day, and then DHing or even playing a position on the other days... Maybe Bloom means they'll activate old timers to wear a uni, down a beer, and climb out of the stands to throw one inning like the Bananas did with Bill Lee. Koji, come on down. Foulkie, you're next. Paps? Zoom for you!

This is why Bloom needs, at least, to make a better investment in bullpen depth... whether it's spending on free agents, trading prospects for relievers or more likely -- converting promising young arms into relief roles. I might be wrong, but the latter may be what Chaim meant when he mentioned to Pete A. "contributions from unexpected places and contributions from within." Imagine having half a dozen Frank Germans on the Wooster bus, dropping in and out of Fenway, depending on the weekly bullpen burnout of modern starters not going 5 frames. And isn't having a revolving door of no-name arms that throw in the high-90s a trademark of at least one sustained contender in the AL East (actually the AL far southEast)...

I'm not Moon, but have a follow-up question: let's assume 30-year old Judge and 26-year old Devers each get 10-year megacontracts this winter; which one will produce a higher WAR for the next decade? Before you answer, consider which one will miss the most games with injuries...

Reading between some lines from Pete Abraham's "conversation with Chaim Bloom..." Bloom: “Not every problem is solved by writing a check or making a trade. A lot of it comes from within." Poster: talksox is fully prepared to pine for free agents, concoct deals on Baseball Trade Values, and see none of those proposals actually occur. But if Seabold and Winckowski make the 2023 starting rotation... Bloom: "Because of having the flexibility that we have financially, we may be able to use that in certain ways to help our bullpen." Poster: Can one of those "certain ways" please involve spending on good relievers once or twice? Comment on another forum said Cora and Bloom both want a dollar, but Cora wants it in quarters, while Bloom wants 100 pennies. No one complained about nickels and dimes. Bloom (when asked if the offseason hinges on Bogaerts and Devers): “Certainly the perception will be that. Emotionally we’re going to feel that for sure." Poster: Bye-bye Bogey. Too many people discussing X this week are using derivatives of the word emotion -- as in sad emotions. Not one is saying get ready to celebrate. Bloom: "I can’t say what will happen with Raffy right now. But every player has a right to make choices." Poster: And every fan has the right to choose not to buy tickets.

This winter, Chaim Bloom should have interest in any big league pitcher not wearing a shirt that says Red Sox. Hopefully, not many of those will be guys cut by previous clubs, recovering from injuries that caused them to miss the past season or two, or with multiple arm tattoos but zero needle holes from vaccines.

Ah, I knew an old pro who always used to say, "The team that drinks together wins together." Think of Kevin Millar handing out shots of bourbon in the clubhouse before the '03 ALCS games. Although Jack Daniels can make friends out of foes, and foes out of friends.

And yet, ol Nick was a saint in last year's ALDS clincher vs. Tampa, with four shutout extra innings. Was that recent enough?

If the Sox do sign any $20+ million dollar shortstops, it might mean they'll be dealing Mayer. Personally, I just don't see that happening; top prospects who are future cornerstones when they make the majors -- at minimum wage -- are the keys to a rebuilding team. And the Red Sox are so needy in so many areas that it makes sense for Bloom to hang onto Casas, Mayer, and Rafaela so they don't have to spend resources on 1B, SS and CF longterm. Remember, Kike was re-signed, but for only one year...

From today's Boston Globe: "Pivetta’s divisional ERA is the 14th highest among the 1,256 instances of a pitcher making 13+ starts in a season against the AL East since the introduction of division play in 1969." I don't play a math teacher anymore, but I think that's over half a century. But be confident the Red Sox analytics department can plan next year's rotation so that Nick only starts against the MLB's other five divisions next year. ps. this is the latest on a Saturday morning in October of a season in which Boston will not be participating in the playoffs that I have typed something about any Pivettas in 6,051 posts.

Do you think Sam Kennedy's kids even believe him when he says he's taking them to buy ice cream? Waves at the front door: "Come on! We're going all out!" ...parked in the driveway is a Mr. Softee truck.

This whole post reminded me of Ripken. I can't remember him ever dazzling, but he was always positioned where the ball was going because he knew every pitch that was coming and the batter's tendencies to handle them. One year he made three errors... playing every inning of every game..

Boggs almost always took the first pitch, so everyone threw it right down the middle. Drove me crazy. And from the stats I could find, he had a higher batting average swinging at the first pitch than taking it (maybe it was a selective set-up on his part, for big moments). Doesn't matter, he hit over .300 for his career in either approach.

My eye test is from what I just read: in his first 22 games, Casas has an identical 21.8 K-rate and BB-rate. The average MLB K-rate is 22.1; the average BB-rate is 8.4.

Maybe because he already landed in the city and state where he wanted to work? (inferred the poster)

Eee-gaads. According to their grades, Bogey was #1 as an A- and no one else was even a B+ except Barnes, with "the stuff of a rotation anchor"... which many would say was prescient in a literal sense (heavy metal object dragging rotation to the bottom of the sea). The evals were pretty honest, though. No one was rated as a five-tool player like we've read, seen or heard about Mayer, Rafaela and Bleis...

This has to be in play, but the pitcher can't be a prospect, too. He has to already be good in the majors. It could happen if they do decide to pay Bogey for another half dozen years.

Prior to Bello's rise, Mata had been the org's top pitching prospect for what seems like three or four years. He may still need a stable spring training to solidify his status as a keeper. Romero is one of many Sox middle infielders who have value -- and so may be expendable. Corner guys like Jordan and Kavadas could be prime trade candidates. Niko's award could make him more desirable to other teams (and the Sox awarding him could be strategic). It's advisable to give Yorke at least another year of development before including him in a deal, since many believe he profiles as a big league bat. Those are rare in Beantown these days...

I guess they could attack Garcia with his own bat, since it wasn't doing him much good in producing a .583 OPS...

They don't; I just don't think spending for a shortstop who will want more than Bogaerts is in the plans. But if the Sox need an entire new left side, Correa has already shown that he is amenable to moving to third for Alex Cora. Bogey has been there and said he is done with that.

Of course it is, and anything is on the table. Every player in the system is trade bait. Personally, I'd be surprised if Bloom parted with any of the four or five prospects the organization projects as future core members of the next sustained contender (and the first since the 00s Red Sox). And part of the reason is they'll all earn minimum wage upon promotion, with the potential to sign lucrative, albeit below-market contracts. Guesses include Casas, Bello, Mayer, Rafaela, Bleis, Perales. Anyone else?