5GoldGlovesOF,75

Kike is trending, so Bloom will do the opposite of our preferences. Remember, Kike's biggest value to management remains his versatility, and he has played more games in his career in LF than SS... and also, more games in LF than JBJ has played in RF. Kike was arguably the Sox' best player last year, so it's hard to keep in mind that Bradley was also arguably their best player in 2020 (especially to miserable fans -- most probably in Milwaukee -- who only go by the most recent season). p.s. when I suggested Pham as another outfielder to acquire, it was to platoon with JBJ, but to play LF vs. lefties... with Kike moving back to CF

A few posters say they expect it, but I'll bet it will still be a stunner if the Sox sign anyone to say, five years, for as much as $50 million. But if it happens, it might be like trying to eat just one spicy corn chip...

I can see the Sox justifying a high, short AAV to a pitcher rather than a position player -- the only regulars making over $10 Mil per were all signed by other GMs/CBOs...

I'm not assuming JBJ will play RF, but if that's his part-time position, then a cheap righty bat like Souza would fit the platoon. If Verdugo moves over to RF permanently, and Kike splits fulltime in CF and LF (when Jackie starts), then a righty bat like Pham is a much more affordable option than McCutcheon as JBJ's platoon partner. The projections for Suzuki, who has never played in the MLB, are five years for $55 million? Does that fit Bloom's MO in any way? I can't even see $11M AAV for one or two years; not when Kike is still the longest term contract Bloom has given out for an outfielder, at $14M for two (Bradley makes more AAV, but we all know he is the cost of Binelas and Hamilton).

I just believe beat reporters who are closer to the pulse of the team they cover than anyone else on the internet. So my personal opinions of guys like Alex Speier, Pete Abraham, Rob Bradford, John Tomase, Peter Gammons, etc. aren't a factor. Same with a national guy like Ken Rosenthal, who is always working and knows everybody. Whether you like him or not, he's more credible than most. You're right, there are no reliable sources. It's arguable the very term is a misnomer; otherwise, why is someone afraid his name will be used? It's not like any of these reporters, team employees and player agents are at risk of having to go into the witness protection program... or are they? Some may risk their jobs, whether through being fired for spilling the beans, blackballed for breaking trust and thus, losing future scoops, or just from fabricating or feeding misinformation campaigns (oops, that's ok with half the country these days). Some are certainly being used as pawns by both sides of management and labor, but that comes with the badge...

I heard from reliable sources the Red Sox are interested. Does reliable actually mean liable to be libel, over and over again? Or to lie once more?

Those in the industry whose predictions sometimes come true. Today's bowtie is cut by Chris Sale scissors in dishonor of the knights (and daze) of the keypads... because anyone is gooder than us.

It's so obvious Jose just likes East Coast cooking better: .356/.915 in '21 for Boston, .373/.956 in '20 in Baltimore... compared to his time last year in LA of .259/.670. Not all ballplayers like constant warm and sunny weather (I just don't know them). But even when he wasn't playing in the postseason, Iglesias looked like he enjoyed being in the dugout, cheering guys on; Arroyo even credited Jose with a bunting tip -- which ultimately helped win the ALDS. Those are the kind of guys a well-rounded roster craves. Maybe he'll even make a good MLB coach someday.

Wonder what Iglesias wants to finish his playing days in Boston and transition to a coach -- which is basically what happened last September and October. Joe Churches seemed to love both Beantown experiences and may even make a good organizational mentor for Marcelo Mayer...

It's ok if they're just talking about recipes for the holiday feast: "Five boxes of ziti? I'll need at least seven -- I gotta big family to feed."

Renfroe in '21 was -0.5 dWAR... correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that mean -- according to this metric -- he was worse than the average replacement player? In other words, the Sox would've been better off -- defensively -- if Taylor Motter was in RF all season?

I think he's below average, but just from what I saw the past two years. For example, Verdugo looked pretty good to me in RF in 2020, compared to Renfroe in 2021 (I know we're not supposed to say "Mookie would've had that" -- but I definitely thought it more last season, especially on pops or flies that fell in down the line...).

Geez... now we're straying into almost half the genders in the history of the world.

Agreed. Oldtimer's priorities are what we see as fans, but certainly not for what Bloom is prepared to pay at the cost of payroll or prospects.

Hey... "minus wins"? That could almost be political for losses (if that hadn't already been eradicated from recent platforms posing as history books). It probably wasn't your intention, but the term is at least diplomatic... and we're all ambassadors of a sort for the sport. Now I'm going to punch myself in the head.

It's arguable the "team" was the reason the team had a COVID outbreak... what's not is that Bloom and Cora should be looked upon favorably by history for keeping the '21 club afloat for those two weeks.

Posters still have to admit, though, that the Sox are just doing business differently now. Zero player contracts guaranteed for more than two years in the entire Bloom Era is a fact. The franchise bragged about resetting a few years ago, and some fans have been convinced renewed spending -- on star acquisitions -- is about to commence... ever since. Instead, success has been achieved by spending less money for less years on less sought-afters. The other difference between the current front office and the days of Theo-Ben-Dave -- and this could just be more mass media coverage on more various and available platforms than ever before -- but never in history have the Red Sox been so "interested" in so many players... only to see 99.9% of them sign elsewhere. It used to be that the Sox locked up the majority of guys they wanted... unless the Yankees sniped an eBay bid in the last seconds.

Whadaya mean: Two days ago we didn't even have Jackie on our radar, but there just aren't that many true centerfielders out there, and now we have two, and you can never have enough, blah-blahblah-blah-yadayada

Except Correa is a lot taller, which apparently means more to some evaluators than actual statistical accomplishments. Plus, the Red Sox care more about NESN, and hot dog and beer sales at Fenway for 2022... 2020 is over and done with (never even happened, to some).

For all we know, Casas could be Bloom's big chip to dangle in a deal for a young, controllable MLB starting pitcher. Maybe the JBJ trade has made Casas more touchable, now that the Sox have another legit power-hitting first base prospect in Alex Binelas (also a lefty stick, as is Marcelo Mayer... maybe Bloom is too forward-thinking; if so, Yorke and his righty bat could be a lineup fixture in Boston before all of them).

Could be that Bloom is anticipating Casas at first base, and/or Dalbec and Duran traded. This might be a good debate for prognosticators -- which lefty bat will see more starts for Boston in 2022: Duran or Casas? How about in just the second half of '22?

Yup, I remember one Colorado bar back in 1980. They had 25-cent Coors on tap, but all the guys in cowboy boots were drinking Bud.

Thanks, Hugh and Ghost. Maybe the new CBA -- whenever that is settled -- will provide the impetus for the next longterm Red Sox signing. But it may no longer make sense -- fiscally nor analytically -- to sign a player at the beginning of his prime at age 28, since that already seems too late; smart teams just don't want to risk getting stuck with the second half of albatross contracts. Depending on the (inevitable?) adjusted age/service time agreement between owners and the union, a young stud who comes up when he's 20 and stars for four or five years is a much better investment. A guy like Juan Soto, who made it at age 19 and has posted a .981 OPS for four seasons (and already three Top 10 MVP finishes) is the safest bet on the board. He just turned 23, but won't be eligible for free agency until 2025... by then, not even he may be worth what he wants. Trout's already 30 and missed last year with an injury; he's signed for $37 million per year through 2030... The next/first guys Bloom wants to lock up longterm just may be Mayer and Yorke -- if they're tearing through the minors in the next few years and continue to rake in the bigs. But that wait-and-see window is a small one in a big market, before a CBO's job is on the line and he's compelled to make a splash!

I expect it, and predicted when Betts was traded that the Sox would sign someone not as good for more money, sooner rather than later. But I'll still be surprised and at this point shocked if it ever happens when Bloom is in charge.

Correa vs. Devers for the next decade makes for a good debate. Both began in the MLB at age 20, but Correa is the better player right now because of defense. Through each of their age 24 seasons, Carlos (who is two years older) has been worth more than twice the WAR of Raffy. But going forward, who has more room to grow into potentially an all-timer? Career OPS rates so far for Correa .837 and Devers .847 are good, but not automatic Cooperstown predictors. For context, here are a couple other infielders through age 24: Miguel Cabrera had a .929 OPS, and when he reached his prime between ages 28-32, won four batting crowns with marks of .330 or higher, with an average OPS of .996; Albert Pujols didn't make the majors at age 20, but from age 21-24 he had an OPS of 1.037. In his prime years of age 28-32, he also had an OPS of .996. Extreme cases above, but are any infielders really worthy of a 10-year deal? Lindor's career OPS through age 24 was .837... and since then, it has gone down (great fielder, though). Tatis is already playing some outfield at age 22...