5GoldGlovesOF,75

Ah-choo. Here's the list of all the major leaguers from 1871 to 2019 who had 125 HRs, 125 SBs, .300 BA, .875 OPS, and less than 500 Ks (min. 3500 PA) in their first six seasons: Mookie Betts.

"I don't think there is a snowballs chance in hell that they trade Mookie between now and the deadline as we would all know the direction of the 2020 team that very instant. I suspect that is not an outcome the Sox brass is interested in. The Sox as a business outside of its standard fair hard assets lives off of the speculation by fans that their could be greatness in a particular edition of the team. Remove that speculation and a significant portion of the Sox fan base could just plain tune out for a year. That is an issue in this environment that includes so many entertainment options. Getting them back if they tune out for a year could be an problem." "jung, the buzz about Mookie being traded has really picked up hard the last few days...One thing I think we have already learned about Bloom is that the dude is patient." Jung and Bell, I want to agree with you both... this is the kind of unfamiliar, convoluted cold-stove season Sox fans have been dealing with all winter. One thing for sure: Bloom is the extreme opposite of Dombrowski (thus far). Another: if Mookie is dealt, there's no way they're moving JBJ to right, Beni to center and JD to anywhere in the outfield -- that would be weakening three positions instead of just one. I think I'll stay on this thread today; there's no way our unflappable new Chief Officer will fall for some of those salary-dump proposals on the Realistic thread... (like a straight swap a Yankee fan belched of Betts for Pollock -- ya, right; Yanks should throw in Judge for Kike Hernandez, and Billy Crystal for Will Smith).

I already agreed with that scenario, with the possibility of signing all three of Springer, Robbie Ray and Liam Hendricks instead... But the reality is that none of us know what teams can and can't afford, lux tax be damned; just look at the clubs that recently spent big bucks at market value -- and not just Yanks:Cole, Washington:Strasburg, Angels:Rendon... ...but Twins: Donaldson, Pineda, Bailey; Phils:Wheeler, Didi (and Harper); BJs:Ryu, Roark; Dbacks:MadBum; ChiSox:Grandal; Keuchel, Edwing; Atl:Ozuna, Hamels, Smith; SD:Machado; Col: Arenado; Cards:Goldy, etc.... Texas also made some big bids and is opening a new stadium (they once shocked the world on ARod), Atlanta only signing Ozuna for one year gives them options, Mets and LA are players, Cubs -- like Boston -- will have the resources if they lower payroll, SF needs a new cornerstone... A better question might be: who probably can't afford Betts? Tampa, KC, Cleveland, Oakland, Miami, Pittsburgh and Cincy? I'd add Baltimore, but not too long ago they overpaid for Chris Davis.

It's a fact that that's your opinion.

What fact: someone's opinion? While I agree that Moon's scenario would be ideal for fans who are pessimistic about Boston's chances this year, it is my opinion that once Mookie leaves, he's gone for good. I have never spoken to Betts personally, but history shows only a rare few guys out of hundreds of traded free agents that re-signed with their original clubs the next year. More importantly, he has never once said he would love to play his entire career in the balmy 30-degree April nights of New England, nor have I ever even seen him quoted that playing in front of a rabid fanbase of mostly full-houses on an annual contender is a priority. As for money, there have been big-time free agents, when choosing between the two highest bidders, who took the second-best offer because of personal preferences. Nobody really knows anything -- except Mookie, his family, his agents and maybe the Red Sox.

https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2020/01/26/discussions-are-evolving-mookie-betts-trade-talks-with-dodgers-padres/P5BDPvQWmknsMklY8YMK7K/story.html With this latest from Speier, I'm sensing things are getting serious. Thankfully (I guess) most of the names in play are -- gasp -- prospects that many keep insisting could never be swapped for one year of a Hall of Famer... At least Bloom waited until he had two rivals bidding against each other. No matter the return, when/if this goes down it will be a sad overall day for the Nation... and it's already sad that it ever had to come to this. People can keep spinning the narrative that it's all the fault of an ex-GM who spent large on other players -- with the blessing of his rich bosses -- but I'll never be convinced that when Betts is traded it isn't just because he didn't want to be here anymore.

The City Council of LA would love to blame those dastards from Houston and Boston, but Rendon and Soto say Hi.

But to one team -- because that's all it will take -- that one year could be THE YEAR when they commit to do anything and everything to win it all. And even some numbers guys here have said they'd sacrifice five years for a title or be happy with a championship every five years (I'm paraphrasing). What do you think is the percentage of Dodgers fans that would agree to those terms, after not having won since '88 and thinking they were robbed of two recent rings? This is my Sunday morning in a morbid offseason, debating trading Mookie Betts for three prospects who probably will never even earn a combined career WAR as high as his before he sprints to Cooperstown...

I was just going off Gammons' tweet from last night, when he quotes two NL execs speculating about Betts for "a straight prospect swap w/ LAD(3-4 of Verdugo, Ruiz, Downs, Busch, Gray, Gonsolin, Kasowski)" Sox covet young pitching depth above all else, but would also need a player with at least star potential to replace the second-best outfielder in the MLB.

I'd hold out for Verdugo, and they can keep Pollock and Maeda. LA won't need Verdugo if they get Mookie Betts; they'll have a starting outfield of Betts, Bellinger and Pederson (avg. 37 HRs), with Pollock and Chris Taylor as decent back-ups. The Dodgers will also want to keep Maeda, their #4 starter last year, since they lost Ryu and Hill.

I like Sandburg's poetry better... or is that another Chicago Hall of Famer?

I hated giving away Meredith at 22... then he only kicked around for five more years. Career W-L: 14-14. Wasn't Kottaras kind of Swihart before Swihart?

With the Padres in play, there may be more pressure for LA to cave and keep Betts out of a rival's uniform. The prize is Mookie, and the cost is high-upside prospects. The Dodgers can keep Lux and May, but they need to give up Verdugo, Gray and Gonsolin. I don't care what the simulator says, what's the market value on a player who puts a team over the top? LA won 106 games last year when none of the three farmhands listed were major factors. Trading them wouldn't crush the future; May is poised to replace Ryu, and Lux could be Rookie of the Year. With Betts, they'd be favorites to at least get back to the World Series... and be a favorite to sign him longterm. Boston would receive a good young outfielder and pitching depth. If one of the two develops enough to take a regular turn in the rotation, they could still be competitive in 2020. Scoff away, but this is the minimum type of return I trust Bloom is still holding out for...

MVP of the '18 postseason!

I'd first need to take some PDDs (Performance Detracting Drugs). But I do agree on bringing back twinbills, if we can somehow cut games down to three hours or less... I am a traditionalist, but I'd start with a pitch-clock, and batters required to stay in the damn box. This would also help limit sign-stealing delays. Hell, let's just start by banning velcro on batting gloves.

Bob Stanley driving a flying saucer... I'm not on board that.

Now here's one area where most humans can agree on using the word "cheaters" -- except, that is, for ballplayers who insist that groupies are part of the game...

Anything on the Charles for Mission Beach, even if it's a one-year rental. The North End's untouchable, plus it would put them over the lux tax...

If Moreland is re-signed, he would just be the lefty stick in a platoon and/or defensive replacement at this point. They're all temps while the Nation awaits the next big thing -- Casas -- who is reportedly getting bigger... https://sports.yahoo.com/top-prospect-triston-casas-quite-173557037.html?src=rss

Ah, an astute one-time head hunter. Once I hit a walk-off HR vs. the top team in our old-mens league. Next time we played them, I led off and their ace threw the first pitch at my ribs, but missed. He had the best control in the league, so I thought he was just warming up... then he got me with the second pitch. You bet I stole on the very first pitch to the next batter, and eventually came around with the first run.

Who gets thrown at first: Bregman, Altuve or Fiers (it would have to be an interleague game in an NL park, and don't be surprised if his club shuffles the rotation so he misses that scheduled start)?

Notice that nobody is actually sorry for doing their jobs; they're just sorry for losing their jobs. Guys are of course apologetic for the spotlight shining onto their respective teams... At first, I predicted other teams would retaliate against their infamous colleagues, but now I just expect business as usual. The former or the latter will go a long way in revealing just how egregious or overblown this whole thing actually is...

The problem that a lot of people don't want to hear is that for baseball ballplayers, the C-word isn't even part of their parlance. Seeking an edge is in their DNAs. Players, coaches, scouts, employees in the analytics department constantly study the opposition; it's their job. Baseball is a game based on using codes, and the guys who who can break a code are among the most respected in the game.

it is a fairly god awful deal for one season of Betts. There, I placed the adjective after the adverb to make it make sense. Trading a Hall of Famer for someone's negative-WAR big money albatross, without getting back that team's top prospects (yes, plural) is about the worst salary dump proposal I've seen all winter -- and this one wasn't even made up by internet posters! MLB sources -- give me a break, this is yet another instance of instant media blather. This SD deal wouldn't be getting back pennies on the dollar, but instead be giving up dollars for someone to take our dollars. Bloom would wilt before his first season. Betts could do for the Pads what Yellich did for the Brewers... and once he gets a taste of San Diego weather, he ain't coming back to New England.

I agree with all of this. ERod would be the perfect low-cost addition to a team trying to get to the next level. The ask would have to be two pitchers coming back; an MLB-ready starter and a top prospect. Trade simulators -- get on this now... what pretender needs a 19-game winner to be a contender?