drewski6

I have been playing MLB the show, in franchise mode, for 5 years. As in 5 different copies of the game, 5 real life years. During these 5 actual years, I have gone through well over 100 in-game years, 100 rule 5 drafts. And its hard every time. Granted the AI on trades isnt great and its too easy to get all the best prospects, which makes it sad when you have to let your B potentials get rule 5 drafted.

Yes. Dodgers, Padres, Yankees, Blue Jays, Tigers, Astros looks like a who's who of ws faves

I do not want to get too caught up in the nuance of exactly how deep you think we should be on SP because Id rather stick to your general point, expect attrition, because I agree and its relevant to the point Im trying to make about offense (expense attrition). Starting to think a rule of 2x applies. General rule. To win you need one TOTR starter, so have 2. You need 2 other good starters so get 4. You need 3 more capable (journeyman 5th starter types)/promising unproven youngsters (youngsters who you can hoard on the farm, but it helps your depth)/projects(guys trying to work back after a bad year or injury you think you can rectify). Putting these final 3 in one category, you need 3 of them so get 6. So all in all, you have 2 TOTR, 4 additional good starters, 6 additional options. It sounds like a lot, but like you always say - expect attrition (maybe not those words) But, my point here, is less also apply to offense, but remember - Im not saying positionally, Im thinking more lineupally. You need 3 very good bats, so get 6. I care not where they play. I mean for sure balance aquiring/playing these 6 quality bats with defense so you arent a train wreck in the field. But my point here is that Im not saying that you need 2x good 1b, 2x good cf, 2x good 2b....But I think you need 6 very good bats, so you are reasonably assured to have a good top half of the order to compliment your pitching and d. This sounds like I am expecting a lot, but I believe in windows. So you spend a period preparing for this, and once your window opens you have trade chips and propsect options that serve you well here. For example, you cant have all this on your 26, but if some are in the form of prospects, great. Its how you have extra depth beyond your 26. I think thats where we are, and I read an article this morning about how Chaim has had quite the glow up. If Im a St Louis fan, Im looking at RA and Tolle and Early, and Bello, and others, including pieces that went for Crochet, and Im thinking "did we get a steal?" As a RS fan, I know why Chaims time came and went, but if I was a ST Louis fan, Id look at the sox and be happy to have Chaim. I think, I cant know for sure.

Why Marte specifically? Hes not especially available

Both. Get greedy.

Im seeing similarities between what people have said re: pitching and what ive seen this year on offense. We went into the season, 7 deep at pitching, and we still needed this dude off waivers, or this dude from the farm. I think we are just living in the era of attrition on both sides of the ball. I dont think that you can divorce the bottom third of our lineup being noodle bats (its really the bottom 6) from the injuries. Its why we have such few hitters. The era of stockpiling talent may be back. So yes, keep your guys w options in the minors just because its one more dude you can have. Hoard. This is also why I think the deadline is so important. Because youre a lot closer to the playoffs, so if someone is healthy and productive at the deadline there is a greater chance that they will be healthy and productive once playoffs roll in. You gotta add and keep adding. I dont think we should be looking at log-jams much differently than how we would view a pitching stff. You have 5 solid starters and a few intriguing minor leaguers and depth options you think are capable, but you arent freaking out because "cant have too much pitching" or "every year , we end up dipping into our 8th starter" But with offense, it doesnt seem the same. It seems 4 of'ers! One MUST go. Or two leadoff guys? One must go! I think the era of you cant have too much pitching has passed. I think we are now in the era of you cant have too much talent. Its not the age of aquarius. Its the age of attritionarious. Or something. We're gonna workshop that line, I promise.

I agree, and I manage differently in playoffs. You hold weapons back more in playoffs. E.g. maybe Hamilton might start a game in reg season due to his D, but in playoffs, you may hold him until first pinch running opportunity. You use your whole team more in playoffs. And speed is super helpful in playoffs. Especially these days.

As in the first time I saw He might have got caught up in an unfortunate "change for change's sake"

I thought he would after the first time I read that he might, but not before.

pinch running and small ball late and close in playoffs is a lot of fun. Looking forward to it. Enjoying even talking about it (no jinx, no jinx, no jinx)

Sogard might lose his place to the pinch runners Hamilton and Eaton, cuz small ball baby

I think I like the way this team looks compared to others in a postseason. Our rotation is top heavy, that helps in postseason (first bullet is stealing your bullets, admit) Second bullet also a complete jack of yours (small ball goes up, we have zee wheels, lebowski) Breggie got that playoff experience (new bullet, yay) Story may not but hes such a pro, I highly doubt that he will do anything diff cuz its postseason (what you want) Chapman is fearless (nikki bella reference only MVP will get) Duran got that intensity, which granted can go in 2 diff ways, but I think its going to help us more than hurt Maybe RA comes back We got some pitchers who batters havent seen a lot of and I think that can help

Doesnt dismiss your whole point.

Nice discovery of a secondary correlation

all good

Yup and for a minute there I was considering going my own path in placing it in the "excess" category, but Im back now.

No I meant that literally, not as in trying to drive a point. As in I literally in the last 90 minutes, I have changed my mind on whether I am happy on Tolle and Early and Dobbins as the back end of our rotation next year. Im now with Moon where Id like a FA signing. Push your 3rd starter to 4th, 4th to 5th, 5th to depth and so have you

little weed joke for ya

just pre-baked , like its 4:10pm

After the eaton fiasco, is it the same dude? one heck of a leash for a 3b coach

Id like to take back when I said that I dont need a SP this offseason to be signed.

See, I agree with you. My positions are weird I know. I have 0 beef with the current staff and I do not want to spend any money on pitching in the offseason. I love our SP. I love we resigned Chapman. I love this team. And I know that your tune hasnt changed. Mine has. I wanted pitching at the deadline, and now Im glad we didnt get it. Im very happy w Tolle and Early go-forward. But Breslow wanted more pitching too, is my only disagreement to your posts. Its very possible to me that you had a better sense of the in-house candidates then Breslow did. Because he never said or implied that he thought we didnt need more pitching (than he got). You can talk about the results, and thats fair but thats not relevant to the fact that Breslow wanted more pitching than he got. And he tried to get it and fell short. ANd I agree that its awesome that he did. But I disagree that he should get all this credit for failing even if it turned out well.

Im not sure where the allegiances are in this royal rumble. But Im ducking chair shots left and right.

I mean a WS contender, but those bats may come. A couple more would have given a bit more leeway but they may come from RA making a surprise return, or Bregman heating up, or Abreu coming back. But right now, I dont feel that we are in the conversation for champ, but Im not ruling it out.

He said "other teams have to want your players. I tried trading so many guys, guys whose name would make you (the panel) uncomfortable. But nobody really wanted our guys" It could have been more they preferred other names than our dudes had 0 value.