5GoldGlovesOF,75

I was citing Quintana's bWAR for 1990 at 2.0, and 1991 at 2.9. Oddly, his career bWAR is 2.7, a tenth less than his fWAR. Both Fangraphs and BB Ref describe their WAR totals as estimates, but the latter is easier for a dinosaur like me -- more appealing and quicker to access -- because I like clicking on any team in any season and seeing pics and totals of their top 12 WAR players. That's also the best I can do in accepting a major modern stat that can't be figured with one or two of the four operations of a calculator.

When discussing the 2021 starting rotation, the guy I worry will be the least reliable -- as far as the total unknown -- may be our 19-game winner from '19, ERod. Since there are no longterm studies of the longterm affects of Covid, we can only hope the heart problems afflicting some victims will heal entirely... eventually. If not? He may never be the same player again. At least with the Tommy John guys, we know what to expect... Anyone remember Carlos Quintana? Red Sox starting first baseman in 1990 and '91, decent hitter -- .287, .295 -- around a 2-3 WAR guy... then broke his upper arm in a car accident, lost all pop and was done in the MLB at age 27.

Yes, thanks. Maybe the Red Sox of the past were just appeasing (I'm not going to say patronizing) these "two-way" draftees early on, until they realized they'd better focus on one direction. After all, doesn't every Little League All-Star start his career as an ace pitcher who also plays shortstop or catcher and bats clean-up? Of course, there are plenty of cases of guys converting from regular to pitcher or vice versa. The reverse of Ruth was maybe Bob Lemon, third baseman before WWII, Hall of Fame pitcher after the war. Javy Guerra was once a highly-regarded shortstop prospect that the Sox sent to SD in the Kimbrel trade; now he's a reliever.

I'm so done with drafting two-way guys because of raw tools instead of targeting projected MLB pitchers or MLB hitters. Frankie Rodriquez, Casey Kelly, Trey Ball -- that's enough -- none of them became Babe Ruth or Ohtani, and hardly anyone in history has ever been even a semi-regular as both a pitcher and regular position player at the same time because they all get injured and/or distracted trying to do one thing and then can't do the other. It just doesn't translate at the top level in the sport. Wakefield set a college record for home runs, and yet for some reason, no big league club even let him DH.

I agree with this, and don't think they'll acquire enough new starting pitchers with the intent of bumping Houck out of the rotation. But I could see having back-ups ready in case he falters and needs to work out of the pen as he refines his arsenal.

Maybe not, but we now know LA was thinking more like 13 years of Mookie. If Friedman was willing to make that kind of investment -- making Betts the Face of the Franchise for the next Dodger decade -- then he could've been pressed to add a pitching prospect... if Bloom had any leverage (which he did not, because of Price).

I don't know is on third.

There are just not that many catchers with Vazquez' wheels that can bat leadoff in the big leagues.

Even with her, he couldn't steal first base...

I'm not screaming, because I sense Mookie wasn't signing here, and know Price had to go; as much as this season sucked, imagine how much more fun it would've been having Price around folding all the cards, and mocking "Manager Ron" and "GM Brian" and "Officer Chaim". I just think it's unrealistic to think Boston will be better off without the longterm "burden" of paying for a Hall of Famer in his prime. Betts may well be less productive in the second half of his contract, but the next six years sure would've been better watching him win more MVPs for the Red Sox than for another team.

Graterol was a Twin.

I'm ok with Kiermaier, and not ok with Hamilton. I also think JBJ is going, going, gone and has been since he and Mookie knew they'd no longer be teammates. I'd welcome Taylor or Marisnick for a year, as well. It may be unrealistic to expect Duran to open '21 in the bigs, and even/if, not see him suffer growing pains that almost all young guys encounter in their first and moreso second years. Most rookies projected as starters the following year are introduced to the majors the previous September. Some, like Ellsbury or Bogie, help win titles. Even Fred Lynn, who won the MVP his rookie year, came up the previous September -- crushing it in 51 plate appearances with a .419 average and 1.188 OPS.

Count me as dumb then, because I wasn't surprised but am still aggravated Bloom couldn't get one Dodger arm for a Hall of Famer -- who again leads the MLB in WAR this year. Of course, I'll always feel the return would've been better had Boston not insisted on LA taking Price in the deal. For a franchise that has had trouble drafting and developing starting pitching this entire century -- granted, two whole decades so far -- right now I'd take the best pitcher available, even over a position player with higher "value" (which is just projections based on someone's numerical system anyway)... ... because the Red Sox have many holes, but the most glaring continue to be the ones that make up 75% of a baseball team (based on the old adage).

I'd be interested in all in the "others" column, and would rather sign, say Minor and Hendriks combined than what it would take for one of Bauer or Stroman. Ozuna loves to homer in Fenway, but he's a bad outfielder and a better DH (which we may need but can't afford for two more years). Lester would be a good veteran influence -- as a winner and mentor -- but I'd doubt ownership would give him enough to make up for his distaste with the way it ended in Boston.

All true, but his last year was a real drag in many ways (as chronicled ad nauseously). Statistically, it was probably his worst in Boston, and the worst stat for a spectator had to be the time between pitches -- entertaining it was not.

I suggested trading Vazquez in a package for an MLB starting pitcher and then signing Realmuto a few weeks ago. And the main reason is... ...Trevor Bauer. The best free agent starting pitcher available may be the wrong man for Boston at this time. In some ways, he is a right-handed David Price. Both will or were 30 years old beginning their big contract years. Each will have or had considerable mileage on their arms by that time; Price threw a few hundred more, but Bauer threw more long toss over the centerfield wall. And finally, each retains a penchant for being outspoken. In my opinion, the latter is one of the main reasons, along with a looming no-trade clause, that Bloom was ordered to dump Price. We know Price was borderline intolerable when the Red Sox were winning, and him holding a press conference to further diss Eck just when the team appeared about to go on a roll last summer was the final straw. What we don't know is how a guy like Bauer will react to the media, fans and clubhouse in a rebuilding season or seasons after the worst summer in modern franchise history. Maybe a safer bet to spend on is Liam Hendriks, the AL's top closer... depending on how much the few big market buyers are willing to invest in relievers this winter.

Nope, but I can about missing out on getting any pitcher from the best staff in baseball in a trade for someone who is now their best position player.

The explanation that is still confusing to me is that his medicals didn't profile him to be a starter, which is supposedly why the Sox wanted him. Meanwhile, LA uses him as an opener (a strategy invented in Tampa during Bloom's days there), while our openers -- most acquired or promoted since -- have been the bane of the worst pitching staff in Boston history this summer.

Some folks forget that for a few golden months in the title year of 2013, I'm-the-ace/he's-the-ace actually was the ace... before he got hurt. As for Eovaldi, I understand the disappointment in the number of innings he's provided since 2018, but I don't get why a team with historically bad starting pitching would ever want to get rid of a hard worker who 1) is still in his prime; 2) throws 100 mph; and 3) is a proven winner in the postseason and in Yankee Stadium. Eovaldi is exactly the kind of starter with elite stuff and credentials that the Sox should be targeting. And dumping his $17 million salary to reinvest the savings into another arm doesn't make sense, when a guy like Zach Wheeler with similar talents -- but no rings -- just upped the pitching market last year by signing for $23.6 million annually for the next five seasons.

He has the balance and hand-eye to win the batting crown. All he lacks is discipline (I won't call it maturity, because those terms aren't always mutual). We may need a new a thread: "Why won't Devers be traded?"

We're golden -- 18 year-old Nick Yorke has already been promoted to Pawtucket today.

Come on, you know they were just turning to the hooch in September, drowning their sorrows. Through August, it was all milk and cookies (wait, that's what the drunks were throwing when they got lit up that whole last month...)

So Manfred better also make sure that when the Rays win the 2020 World Series, that they split their winners' shares of cake with the 2019 Nationals... Right?

Why would you say that about Devers? I'd say it for JD, but Rafie has the hand-eye to rope just about any pitch in the rule book strike zone. He doesn't have to jump out of his shoes at neck-high fastballs.

There are many things that go on -- in the clubhouse, on airplanes, buses, in hotels on the road -- that the public never hears about. Many have to do with lifestyle choices, and that includes food, drink or other stuff that may be part of a training regimen or just something to get a guy through another night. But public perception is crucial, and when a ballclub chokes like the '11 Red Sox, and players "disrespect" their manager, then fingers will be pointed -- horizontally and vertically. Tito's father-son relationship with Lester may or may not have been scarred, but no one really complained when changes were made; except when damage-control made sure to kick Tito on his way out the door. Bet that's something that doesn't happen in every city, according to the likes of AJ -- voted the most hated MLB player by his peers (for, like Canseco, telling it like it is?). What most fans expect out of their players is that they just bust their asses when on the field (like we think we would, if we could). Constant hustle is why we loved Mookie or why Verdugo and Munoz would be cheered the loudest if we were there. It's why it's so vital to have young guys in the lineup trying to make a name -- and a buck; being accountable to spectators is also what's missing the most for the veterans. Do you think Devers may be a bit more focused and selective if fans were in the stands booing every time he hacked and missed at a pitch in his eyes? The scores don't matter, no one's in the park, so the guy's just playing home run derby in nightly "BP" sessions...