southpaw777

I wouldnt count on Kopech in 2017. Unless of course he takes a huge step forward and can control and command his pitches, which he really cant yet. Hes got front line potential...right now MLB hitters will light him up. Lets see how he handles advanced hitting at the AA level first. Best bet is to take their time with him, and Groome. Their development will dictate their rise to the MLB. If Kopech makes enough noise this year they will have to listen. I Just wouldnt expect it this year...

Absolutely. His slg is never high beause hes not a hr/power hitter. Base hits and doubles, although he will run into a few every year. Also taking some walks. His D and handling of the pitching staff/game has been his calling card throughout the minors. Although a SSS in MLB, he has had a lot of good things said about him by his pitchers and teammates. Im hoping he wins the starting job and doesnt give it up for the next decade.

I think a lot of people/fans, like me, are mostly pissed because he acted like he didnt really care and had this whatever attitude. He didnt even care enough to work harder on his diet and exercise after stealing 95m for the organization. I think if his attitude was better and fans thought he actually tried hard to change there would be more forgiving..

Swihart has plenty of value right now. Not enough to be a centerpiece for an Ace, but still good value. By saying he needs to increase his value is not saying he deosnt have any value or that his value is low... He just doesnt have enough now to be that centerpiece. Maybe after a great half season in AAA behind the dish as well as a solid bat that value could be closer to being that centerpiece... Depending on how his development goes and how Vaz and Leon do will depend on if hes here by the seasons end. Its another wait and see type thing for now.

I think Vaz, with regular play, will hit enough to be a starter. Is he going to hit 280? No, but i can see 250ish with regular ABs. No real power, but I can see gap to gap line drive hitter with a bunch of doubles...i see his Abs and I see good pitch recognition amd he also sees a lot of pitches. Guys like Vaz develop the offense later because theyre doing what they should be...gettimg the D solid first...he wont ever be a stud with the bat, but Give him the regular Abs and avoid injury and I see someone that could be a dominant force behind the plate along with a decent stick for the next decade...

Not sure he IS better than what we have there now. Why even consider moving your AS SS anyway? Seems counter productive, no? Even mentioning it as an option is not realistic because I hightly doubt hes even an option there right now.

Well written OP I agree that the MLB rotation is fine as is going into 2017. We will always do our signing of possible depth arms for the rotation and the bullpen and store them in AAA. Bullpens around MLb are interesting. After aeeing how quickly starters were getting the hook and just how the league is really leaning on 5-6 IP from starters now, I have a feeling salaries for late inning arms and especially closers are going to through the roof...Kimbrel may seem like a bargain as a closer in his final year here. I say we NEED to add another proven late inning hard throwing reliever. Out of some names Ive heard, Jansen and Holland seem like good fits. Chapman, although the best one, is going to cost waaaay too much and he will want to close, as will Kimbrel. Seems like they would be creating some drama. I heard Kopechs name and I dont think hes realistic in 2017. Not impossible, just improbable. He has a lot of control issues to work through and needs to command the 100+ MPh fb better first. Hes also just starting AA this year. Id pump the brakes on MK for now. Think 2018, with anything in 2017 being a complete bonus. As far as the starting position players go, I agree with most here. We have to see what Sandoval gives us before a move at 3b should be made. Unless we can move Sandy and have the $$ to replace him, Id pencil him in along with Shaw @3b. I like the idea of Beltran on a 1-2 year deal, but nothing more. If joey bats would do 2 years at a decent salary Im all about that as well...EE is not an option IMHO. If there isnt a profile that fits these guys for a DH/1b/corner OF on a short term deal then I guess we start rotating guys like Young, Sandy, Hanley, etc., @ DH throughout the year. Id rather replace Papi with one guy who will do the bulk of the DHing though. I think as it stamds now we are set at catcher. vaz and Leon make up one of the best defensive catching tandums in the league. The both are not offensive powers, but bith have good plate discipline and make good contact. Id rather a stud defender than a guy whos going to cost runs, but has a decent stick. Speaking of which, I still see Swihart as trade bait come july. He should be in AAA all year working on his D as a catcher so his value can increase some. He will never be as good as the other two defensively IMO and is still a valuable trade chip for us. I have no issue Trading one of Moncada or Devers, but not both. I would protect Kopech and Groome for now since they are our only power RHP prospects worth mentioning right now. Obviously that depends on who were being offered for them, but barring a BIg name they go nowhere with me. Some guys like Sam Travis who were hurt last year will be back at full health looking to pick up where they left off... All in all I like what we have going into 2017. Basiclaly a couple bullpen moves, some roster manipulation, and maybe another bat for DH....

He did just that. But it was obvious that 3b has much different reaction times. you cant teach everyone to have good quick twitch reflexes needed for the corners...that was the point. Not his attitude. They couldnt teach Hanley the Of but damn, he picked up 1b pretty good...Besides, im not so sure Xander has the arm for 3b. Hes no Machado with the arm...

Fully agree and I dont think there will be a big Splash move this winter anyway. He does need a full year at AAA and hes a safety net in case Vaz or Leon have issues. All bets are off come July though as He should get a rise in his stock by mid season. Ultimately I think he should, and will be used in a trade at some point.

If the Sox give up Sale they will want a MLB ready or near ready guy to take his spot..ERod seems the most logical. Good young controlled LHP who can hit 95+. We wouldnt need 4 LHP in our rotation either so it works out perfectly for both teams.

Im with you on this. I dont see much movement as well. Couple bp arms, maybe a short term deal like Beltran if hes not too expensive...other than that I dont see a big splash move this winter either.

Not with Moon my friend...he is the king of trade proposals...I actually enjoy going back and forth with him about some of his trade ideas...not that I think all of it is actually probable, its still fun.

Seriously, swihart is light years behind Vaz and Leon defensively...his athleticism will take him only so far as a catcher...hes not a natural catcher like the other two and it really shows...his hitting is better for sure, but he will give up a lot of runs behind the plate right now. Hes not going to get that good in one offseason, no way...to get to the level defensively of the other two will take a few years. I think he will improve, but I dont have very high expectations for him defensively right now...I guess we will see how he progresses with hopefully a full year in AAA. I think hes still trade bait though

Im thinking they may want another young LHP like ERod along with Moncada and JBJ. Thats a nice start for Sale and maybe add another piece or two to add another player to the deal.. I hold on tightly to Kopech and Groome right now. Theyre the only decent RHP prospects right now it the top 10. Of course there will be lower level players like Shaw or Owens that can/will be added if there are more players added by CWS...we could even use Travis or Doubon...

Some people need to realize that not all players can be moved around. They are great at one position and just OK at others...Xander started playing ball as a teenager so he had only played ss for a few years before Boston got him. And it wasnt training in the US, so he was very raw still. it was an unnecessary demotion and was a dumbass move by the organization...he went to 3b and didnt complain one bit. He was honest about being very uncomfortabl but still did his best. He did what he was asked to do so whats the issue? And as far as closing...Chapman wouldnt come here anyway if he wasnt the closer. Guys have defined roles and need to stay there because thats where they are at their best...

He LOVES great defensive players...didnt like Xander taking Iggys place, even though Iggy is about useless IMHO and has an attitude...Xander will be fine. Its certainly not unusual to struggle a little at this age The HR went up significantly...the runs went way up. Obp the same, more RBI, slg went up..ba went down to 294, but if thats an off year, Im good. Not sure what there is to complain about...maybe hes still a little crusty over the Iggy deal Just messin with ya 5

Like i said, he got to a lot of balls..great range...then hed throw it away so Im not sure how he made up for it. Yes, after the injury he was done. And I was happy to see his sorry ass go. It was kinda the Same with Crawford. I watched in tampa and heard him say he didnt want to be a leader of the team, refused to play cf, refused to leadoff and was a bit of a cry baby...i cringed hard on that one... When you watch these guys in a very easy atmosphere to play and still have issues, Im not sure what Theo was thinking. Character in a player is huge...

Someone has a sandy vagina

True...If we only go one year it better be at least 20m. More years, less $$$ Either way, i agree with you...its going to be right around $20m per

Dont look at overall numbers...notice that his splits greatly improve as he makes his way up the ladder...THAT is what Im seeing...then when he was in Boston he didnt get as many opportunitities thus causing the inconsistency IMO. It certainly had something to do with it...there is not nearly enough of a smaple size for anyone to say he should be platooned....Farrell is clueless when it comes to that IMO. Play Beni vs both LH/RH pitchers consistently and I think we will be very pleased.

For me, Swihart can go if the return is good. Maybe Devers too. Moncada Groome and Kopech go nowhere right now...

Im really looking forward to seeing a full season from Beni and how he handles things. From everything ive seen/heard, which is only about 2.5 years worth, I have faith that there will be short slumps and. 300ba...

It never hurts to show appreciation for hard work. It encourages more from that person and those watching. Doesnt matter what field of work its in

I dont think he would feel any pressure leading off. The kid is a ballplayer and seems like he could handle it and stay within himself. I suggested it last year. Seems like the perfect leadoff guy like Betts was. Has the good BA/OBP and has some speed to be a threat on the basepaths...My guess is Beni could also have that power and move down to the meat of the order, but for now I like him leading off. I wouldnt complain either way though.

And the great thing being that Beni hits very well against LH or RH pitching. His being PH for as much as he was last year was completely unnecessary IMHO. Hopefully Farrell realizes that and stops with the matchup ********. Not every player needs it.