SoxBlanco

Thanks for chiming in. Also, I really hope you're right in that this TLR hire means JR will be opening up the checkbook.

@Harold's Leg Lift, need your input here. Also, I'm going to add Bench Coach to this discussion.

Alright, time to move on to our next hire. Who will we hire to be the pitching coach? How about Bench Coach? Harold was all over this. He also hinted that Hahn didn't want TLR but was told he could have his choice as a pitching coach as a sort of "consolation". So who will it be?

I am definitely against hiring TLR, so this isn't meant to be an argument FOR hiring him, but JR had to consider these things we're worried about, right? I can't see a scenario where TLR is hired without this stuff being discussed with TLR and possibly with TA. We're not going to just hire him and then anxiously wait to see how he handles BLM-related issues. The whole kneeling thing HAD to have been discussed, right? Maybe I'm giving JR and the front office too much credit.

Agreed. I have to believe this has been discussed with TA. Perhaps TA even met with TLR.

I’ve always thought his base running got overrated because he’s supposed to be a smart, heady player. But I thought his defense has always been solid. Was his defense not good in college or in the minors?

Is that part of what you've heard? Or are you just guessing that he will spend more if TLR is hired?

I know this would never happen, but if you could take TLR, Bauer, and Springer right now, would anybody say no?

Has TLR been offered the job and it's up to him to make a decision now?

You’re scaring me here. Are you actually saying that JR might hire TLR and then tell Hahn he can have his choice of pitching coach? I’ve been assuming it’s only a matter of time until we hire Hinch.

I think there are two roads we can choose to go down: 1. Let McCann walk and roll with one of the best catchers in baseball (Grandal) or 2. Sign McCann to be the primary catcher, which pushes Grandal to a DH/C/1B. Then trade Vaughn in a package for an absolute stud starting pitcher. I'm one of the biggest Vaughn fans on this board, but I wouldn't hate option 2 if we got a legit ace. I'm just not sure anybody is available who fits that description.

Does he have two years of control left? What do you guys think it would take to land him?

This is actually what I think is happening as well.

That's how he has responded to every tweet involving Hinch. He shoots down almost every idea, but doesn't comment on Hinch. It's pretty obvious that Stone thinks (or knows) that Hinch is the guy.

He didn't shoot him down, but he did say he doesn't think it'll be him...

True, but he did shoot down the Hinch/TLR tandem, as seen below. Maybe he's not shooting down La Russa because they are actually meeting with him (for whatever reason), and he's not going to shoot somebody down who is actually being interviewed.

Yeah, if you read Stone's tweets, it's pretty obvious Hinch is the guy. Everybody is guessing names, and he is saying "no" to all of them except Hinch. Then when somebody mentions two names, Stone always shoots down the non-Hinch name, like this...

Here's Stone's take on Hinch being a cheater. And I tend to agree. It doesn't bother me. I would love to hire him.

That’s ok. Improper ellipses use doesn’t show a lack of integrity. But had it been improper use of a question mark? Forget about it. Instant ban. No integrity whatsoever.

You're right. It could really go either way. The way I see it is that anybody could be off, including Dunning. It's a crapshoot...so the best option is to just go inning by inning and pitch the best possible option in that particular inning. If all that mattered was getting through the first inning scoreless, who do you pitch? Whatever the answer is, that's who you go with. I'd rather have Foster than Dunning. But like you said, it's a coin flip. I wouldn't want to be the one making the decision.

After sleeping on it, I think I would actually start one of the bullpen guys and go inning by inning. Sure, you run the risk of running out of quality guys, but you then still have Dunning if necessary. I’d rather choose an option where there’s a chance we get through a game with our six best bullpen pieces and Dunning is there as an emergency to pitch 3 or 4 innings than choose an option where you start Dunning just because it’s possible something could go wrong. If you’re Oakland right now, what are you hoping we do? I think they are hoping we start Dunning and they can get to him early.

If Dunning starts, I think the biggest question mark is when to pull him. We can all say that a "quick hook" is needed, but what exactly does that mean? If he gives up a run? If two guys get on base in an inning? Let's say he pitches a scoreless first inning, giving up one single. Then to start the second inning, he gets an out and then walks a guy. Then the next guy lines out, and the guy after that singles. 2 on, 2 out. Are you pulling him there? RR is going to have a tough decision, unless he's lights out. The only guarantee is that people will complain about the decision based on the outcome.

I've thought about this idea too, but it's tough when you don't know how Dunning will respond to coming in relief. I know he did it in college, but to be a starter this year and then be asked to enter in the 2nd or 3rd inning could be tough. I think I would start Dunning and let him go once through the lineup. Then you use the pen to cover 6 innings or so.

Zero chance.

Yeah, there can’t be a rule against waiting until the last minute, is there? If so, it would be too easy to get around. Just announce Keuchel as the starter and then change your mind last minute.