drewski6

I want Duran staring down opposing pitchers with crazy eyes. Getting the crowd into games. Reeking havoc on the basepaths. Talking sh*t through the media. Harassing opposing fans. Flipping off opposing managers. Just being a pest. Psyching our guys up. Pushing our guys to work out more. We need Duran if we are going to go anywhere this year. More than we need a #2 IMO.

There isnt a pitcher on the planet I trade Duran for.

Duran is the leader on this team. Hes not worth ANY pitcher. Hes our energy, our leader in the weight room, our leader of sh*t-talking. The playoffs have a lot of energy, intimidation, psychology. Duran is the right type of crazy (these days). You cant give that up. Abreu - I like him too much but can be talking into flipping for a pitcher, but I like him too much. I dont think the need for a starter is as dire as most. And Im focused on 2025. I think we shouldnt even be thinking about selling right now. Or buying AND selling. Only buy. This team is really good (as long as Crochet is healthy, knock on wood).

I like most of this, but I really dont want to trade either Duran or Abreu right now. Im more of a make it work guy. I dont need Ryan. Id rather trade prospects for something lesser. Regarding next year, keep Giolitto, right? Take him over Cease. And do better than Hoskins. So thats a lot Im changing about the specific players, but I dont want to focus on that, because we agree a lot on the most relevant parts of this discussion (why Devers was traded). But why the F are you going for Hoskins? Id rather put Duran at 1B.

But I dont think it was financial. I do think it was attitude and egos and they were surprised the giants would take the contract and give a + value back, and they thought that the opportunity to move him - it would be harder in the future.

Agree with first part, not second. I think there were multiple things going on, multiple reasons, and the reason they pulled the trigger was a list. I dont think they view the hitting secondary to defense and pitching tho, and therefore, I disagree with it being about "higher need areas" I think first and foremost it was attitude and clubhouse culture I think secondly, they thought the value of the asset would likely go down from there. So not they think they needed pitching or defense more than they needed a masher, but more a chance to cash out while getting a + BTV back. So I think it was the return. Not these guys specifically , but the fact that the return package had a net + (even if HIcks is underwater), I think they thought better to trade one year early than one year late (like a Belichick trading Richard Seymour type move) I think they saw the logjam at DH and that contributed Devers was already aging with the injury lingering. Thats a sign of aging. Also his bodytype Like someone else said, most of the time when you sign an 8 yr deal, you expect to get surplus value in the front, but have to carry in the back, so the contract gets harder to move when the first 2 years gone, so they were surprised how easily they could move it, and pulled the trigger Regarding whre the money specifically goes - I dont think about it like that, personally. To me its a pool. It creates more money in the pool, but Im not concerned about dollar for dollar tracking.

Multiple agents came forward and said "the sox have stated they really like my client, but neeed to move money before bidding" Actually happened. But regarding the current debate: it was a mixture of both. It wasnt 100% moving some money to sign a SP, but it wasnt 0% either. They thought, at the time, they were killing 2 birds with one stone. Fixing 2B (Grissom) and moving out money to sign a different pitcher.

When I jumped in, you mentioned we cant platoon both 1b and DH. I see that the implication was "while also platooning 2b" Correct, hard to platoon 3x. Unless its september *(Id also do it playoffs, but Id carry 5 position players, calling Hammy back up). Not sure if teams still do this but you dont need as many pitchers in playoffs. Yes, for July and August platooning 3 positions would be tough. You could and I would, but its tough. The three platoons would be : Mayer/Romy Duran/Refsnyder Toro/Yoshida (working on 1b as we speak) Id do it, but Im crazy a superior baseball mind. Or id play Mayer everyday. Or DFA Yoshida and call Ham back up.

You gave Steer out as a name, and then said Romy is too hot to trade. Steer makes Romy look like an ice cub. Dude is on absolute fire.

He doesnt need to. Romy can platoon with Mayer or Toro in the IF. The other platoon is either at DH or in the OF, as it involves Refsnyder

Awesome card.

Even tweed!

Things come back around if you wait long enough. Even bell-bottoms.

Why not? Toro/Romy platoon at 1B. Refsnyder/Duran platoon at DH

You guys should keep arguing because in my eyes , you two both make good points often on here, and I often confuse you two because both one syllable names beginning with an H (apologies). And you guys debating directly w each other, Im hopeful, will help me distinguish going forward. You are both good posters , so I try to individualize but for some reason, i struggle to not mix you two up. You both prob dont want to hear that in the middle of a debate with each other (dont confuse me with THAT guy"). Apologies for that too.

And Im not sure that our game 2 starter wont be Crochets right arm.

💪

Yeah, fine, but dont act like Im stretching/reaching or just making a general optimistic/rosy outlook without anything else. If Crochet is healthy AND we make the playoffs, we are dangerous. He is the best pitcher in the AL, and the second best one is out for the year. Yes, he will start every third game. NOw if you dont think he'll end the year healthy, fine. But Im saying we ARE better build for the playoffs than the reg season. Because rotations shorten. We're top heavy.

Exactly.

I know its been a while since we were in the playoffs, but.... sorry for the snark. Crochet will pitch games 1,4,7 in world series and maybe even make a bp appearance as well.

Im not counting it out. And hes closing the other 4

Its possible that every team in the playoffs besides us has their top 3 pitchers on the IL. Dodgers did last year, Yankees do already this year. If Crochet is still standing (knock on wood) , I honestly believe that Crochet + nobody else may be the best pitching staff in the playoffs. One way to get better is to have all the competition get hurt.

It will depend a lot on the days-off schedule. But playoffs are less about pitching depth, its about your best pitcher. Crochet will start 3/7 games and come out of the pen in a fourth.

I use to not know where anybody went to college. Now-a-days dudes are graduating from universities already well-knowns

That list is growing though. College baseball is better than its ever been. Because you make more in college these days then in the minor legues. Dudes are going to and staying in college longer. Still impressive but pre-NIL history doesnt matter in this case anymore cuz so much has changed with NIL.