SoxBlanco

Yeah, I would let division winner 3 and WC1 play all three games at home.

I would guess the top two division winners get a bye. Third best division winner plays WC3, and WC1 plays WC2 (probably a 3 game series).

I actually wasn’t referring to the footing on dirt/grass at all. I just found it humorous that you thought a baseball was easier to control when it’s wet from rain. It seemed ridiculous to me, so I was comparing it to something else that would sound ridiculous.

What do those signs say that janitors put up after mopping the floor? Do they say "Cautious: Slippery when wet"? Or do they say "Cautious: Very difficult to control your footing once this floor completely dries"?

Probably similar to what it took to get Lance Lynn.

I totally agree with this premise, but it gets tricky with the way schedules are created. Should a division-winning Oakland team that is 87-75 get to choose their opponent over a 96-66 Tampa team that got second place in the East?

If the third division winner is given some sort of an advantage for their series against the 6 seed (home field throughout, ghost win, etc.), do you think the 4 seed (1 WC) would get the same advantage over the 5 seed (2 WC)?

@southsider2k5, thanks for all the updates. Much appreciated.

"Match 31"??? Does Jesse Rogers have @Kyyle23 writing Tweets for him now? @poppysox, make sure you jump on Twitter and call him out. Inexcusable error.

You shuold be emabrrassed. Even my 5 year old son konws that the word "play" has an L in it. This was much wosre than a seplling error. It was...a TYPO!! You mihgt as well never psot on these boards agian.

A starting pitcher is what interests me the most. It would have to come via trade, right?

Conforto makes too much sense, similar to how Grandal made too much sense a couple years ago.

I’m 38. Discovered this place during the winter meetings at the start of the rebuild. I wasn’t on Twitter and still remember refreshing constantly as the Sale trade broke.

He knows that. He was trying to say that it’s not true that the Sox don’t have a lefty in the rotation, because they have Keuchel.

Does this make it more likely that we trade for Gavin Lux? @Harold's Leg Lift

But even if the Sox had a top 5 payroll in April, you would not be happy if they got to that number by signing a bunch of smaller contracts. And you're not wrong. I agree with you there. I just want to point out that there are two different complaints here: 1. The Sox won't spend and will never have a top 5 or 10 payroll. 2. The Sox won't ever sign the big names because they are afraid to dish out a big contract. The issue for you is #2, which is definitely fair. But I constantly see #1 being argued and discussed around here (not necessarily by you), and I don't think that's much of an issue anymore. It's pretty obvious we will have a high payroll this year (yes, I understand "high" is a relative term).

I think there's a decent chance we end up with either Gray, Castillo, Mahle, Bassitt, Montas, or Manaea. I think there's an even better chance that we end up with either Conforto, Castellanos, or Bryant.

Werther’s are fantastic.

Anderson SS Robert CF Schwarber DH Abreu 1B Grandal C Eloy LF Moncada 3B Vaughn 2B Conforto RF Defense is laughable, but that lineup would MASH. ?

You are acting like the offseason is over tomorrow. The Sox will make more moves.

You're wrong. The Sox should absolutely make moves to get better. When did I say otherwise?

What have Boston, Tampa, Houston, and the Yankees done to make themselves better? Those were the other "good teams" that made the playoffs last year.

Doesn't Castillo only have two years of control? I'd rather just grab Bassitt for a year if Castillo would cost Vaughn+.

I hear ya, and I don't disagree. Two questions regarding a potential Bassitt trade: 1. A Bassitt trade would be similar to the Lynn trade last year in terms of cost, right? 2. If we make a trade like that, who are the best free agent starting pitchers next offseason (assuming we don't extend Bassitt like we did Lynn)? I suppose Google can quickly tell me the answer to that, so I'll get on that as soon as I hit "Reply".

Good to hear from you. Any free agent rumblings? You hearing anything on Conforto?