5GoldGlovesOF,75

Yaz was an All-Star from the neck down... according to Eddie Stanky.

In that Rosenthal interview there was talk of waiting for the new vaccine and that the MLB wanted to get players vaccinated first (though I don't know how feasible that is).

I have, and it's the worst part of him being traded; if the Sox had kept him and made a pandemic Godfather offer last summer, he just may have signed in Boston. I think he wanted to play somewhere else, but I never thought there would be a possibility of him returning once he was dealt.

There was nothing prudent or sensible about their decision whatsoever, which is based entirely on partisan politics and the looming CBA battle. But it's not surprising, since the latest CDC data shows that ego-centric (my adjective) young adults are now the biggest spreaders of the virus in this country.

Mookie wanted fair market value -- at least as much as Harper and Machado -- and another team established his market by offering him a contract he signed. If Betts' deal hampers the Dodgers' pursuit of other talent, as very few fans probably fear, that would be a detriment. But now they're reportedly one of the two finalists for Bauer...

The fact that Boston's payroll is already high may be the reason they're didn't spend large the past two years... but only they know what they can actually afford. It will be interesting to see how long Henry and Co will wait for Bloom's gradual rebuild. But I'm on record that some Red Sox GM in the near future will sign a big money free agent who will never be as good for a franchise -- in so many ways -- as Mookie Betts.

I'm not a doctor nor I don't play one online, but it also seems like very few larger guys last long. Knees and backs are often issues with large frames over time, from carrying around all that extra weight. Go back and look at the list of Hall of Famers over-30 I posted yesterday; none of them were the size of Stanton and Judge, who break down every year.

They just need to convince him to retire and be a coach (I'm so funny I forget to make Pedey laugh). It's just a good thing they won't have to pay Betts on the next Red Sox team that's a yearly contender. He'll be in his 30s by then... Age 32 Season: Clemente...led NL H, BA Puckett... led AL H, TB Dawson... led NL HR, RBI, TB Morgan... led NL OB, SLG, OPS, TB Age 33 Season: Aaron... led NL R, HR, SLG, TB Mays... led NL HR, OB, SLG, TB Biggio... led NL Doubles (56) Age 34 Season: Molitor... led AL R, H, Triples B.Williams... led NL BA, SLG, OPS, TB Age 35 Ripken... led MLB G (163) Age 36 Schmidt... led NL HR, RBI, SLG, OPS Age 37 Brett... led AL BA, Doubles Age 38 Jeter... led AL H Age 39 Season: Henderson... led AL SB, BB Stargell... NL MVP in Regular Season, NLCS & WS

This has been my point all offseason. Rebuilds have to start adding actual MLB TALENT sometime (if I could get my post commands back, I'd boldface your last line and the word "talent")... especially in a winter where a lot has been available.

Hopefully, Theo Epstein and Ken Griffey Junior will work on saving what's left, because young fans whose parents drag them to live games ain't watching much on the tube and staying up past their bedtimes (and we aren't, either). A lot of kids who play baseball and attend games grow up to become young adults who watch more of the other, shorter sports during waking hours and call in to those shows.

Not even JBJ himself can scale the fiscal fence to keep his Fenway legacy from going, going, gone. But it was fun while it lasted -- watching Bradley roam the pastures was above-average entertainment... ... in a dead pastime that no longer exists for those who tune into a New England sports TV talkshow, where hosts and callers blab about the Patriots 99% of the time, every day, all year, except when they show Bruins or Celtics highlights. The worst part is this is nothing new; even when the Sox ruled the MLB in the summer of '18, hosts and callers cared more about the NFL draft and training camp. Sincerely, Backasoreus, Kneeasoreus, and Tricerabottoms.

Those numbers right there tell me there's as much chance of Bloom signing a closer as there is in him even listening to Scott Boras using the words "Fifty million" and "Bradley" in the same hemisphere.

The Red Sox were reportedly interested in seeing these contract terms to find out how much they saved by not signing them. The analytics dept. is busy adding up the money spent this offseason by the rest of the MLB, and will celebrate the final dollar amount on twitter... then they'll take it down.

Right now, the '21 #4 rated draft pick on MLB.com is a catcher, Adrian Del Castillo from University of Miami... "by just about any measure, the most complete hitter in the 2021 class. A catcher by trade, it’s unlikely he stays behind the plate at the next level, but the bat is special enough to warrant a top pick" (sounds like a report on Bryce Harper, as a teenager). Hope he's still available at #4. The #2 and #3 guys are shortstops. The #5 and #6 guys are pitchers... https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2020/9/7/21407638/2021-mlb-draft-scouting-report-adrian-del-castillo

Admittedly, you have pointed out the one offseason in the history of the franchise that the Red Sox signed a bunch of decent players with one or tool quality assets each that collaborated to produce a world title. That glass was more than half full if we acknowledge that all of those guys named were past All-Stars or received MVP votes before '13... except Koji, whose peripherals show he was still very good (sub 1 WHIP). This Sox 2021 team has only added complementary pieces: Renfroe, Andriese and Hernandez -- three more part-timers to a last-place club who recently told fans to forget about seeing much of our rehabbing staff ace this summer... since there will be no logical reason to expedite his comeback.

... between now and the last significant addition to the MLB roster (though I like Verdugo, we all know that was a subtraction)? Was it Eovaldi, summer of '18... though he and Steve Pearce were intended as supplementary pieces at the time of their acquisitions? How about: JD Martinez, nearly three years ago?

And to think we were only an ox away...

Third-most similar batter is Wladimir Balentien!

Nicky is a power-speed package; projected for 2 triples and 2 stolen bases in '21! https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/delmoni01.shtml

Nicky Delmonico, come on up!

This is why most players are only getting one-year deals; owners know there might not be a next season (not to mention a variant, mutated 2021). It also further explains why the Sox FO "may not be all-in".

We should all be leery of the Red Sox rotation as is, but I don't see how anyone can favor the Yankees to finally win a pennant based on their pitching "upgrades", either. An MLB article today says NY improved their rotation, but all I see is a "favorite" who replaced their #s 2, 3 and 4 starters with injured guys and hopefuls. Nothing guaranteed, there, either. Requesting board assistance: I've lost all features and editing privileges, and even submitting replies is a three-button excursion. Can anyone tech savvy help?

He's another that took time to develop, and with different teams than the one who first traded for him. It reinforces the difficulty of the sport, and why very few are instant stars the moment they debut... and why trading prospects for "sure things" provides more immediate hope (and fun) for rabid fanbases and impatient franchises. I doubt there are many Cardinals fans bemoaning the addition of Arenado or the loss of the minor leaguers it took to get him.

I was also thinking Andrew Miller, but he was a #6 overall pick who kept getting traded (four teams) before getting Cy Young votes and making All-Star teams... as a set-up man?

MLB.com with today's article on every team's "regret" trades One MLB player each team would like back WWW.MLB.COM Every team has regrets. The Red Sox probably wish they didn’t want Larry Andersen so bad they were willing to trade Jeff Bagwell for him; the Cubs will hear the name “Ernie Broglio” in their ears forever; and hey, didn’t Babe Ruth used to play for the Red Sox? There’s ... ... gets the wheels turning. A lot of talent is exchanged in deals, but seldom does one team really fleece another by nabbing a future Hall of Famer -- especially if he's still only a prospect. Tatis Jr. was a steal, but other than that... Arozarena had a great month, but will he sustain success? Gleybar Torres tailed off a bit, but even if he rebounds, do any Cubs' fans regret their title? In the past 30+ years, Smoltz and Bagwell are two traded prospects who made it to Cooperstown. Are there more? Or do teams, fan addicts, and trade simulator sites vastly overrate players who haven't even made it to the majors?