Flash

Really just the eye test combined with trend from second half of '19. He could be serviceable but would prefer someone else in closer role.

Colome appears finished and I hope he isn't being looked to. Burdi would be awesome if he can stay healthy...sure looked filthy yesterday. For some reason I'm still holding out hope for Herrera, at least as a late inning option and its conceivable Bummer could end up in that role.

I see what you did there

Am losing faith in any of Basabe, Rutherford, Gonzalez, Adolfo. Feel as though 2020 is make or break. I'd be fine moving all down to bottom third of your 30.

D1 Baseball has him ranked #1 among OFs. .975 OPS last year. Hope he's still around at 11 but obviously wont be if he keeps this up.

Kjerstad (Ark. OF) off to hot start with 2 more HRs and 6 RBIs today.

I don't disagree but keep an eye on Heston Kjerstad, strapping switch-hitting OF at Arkansas. SEC Freshman player of the year. Strong overall tools with power.

No need to refer to me as Good lord in public.

What would you think of Bryant as a trade candidate? Less expensive over next 2 years than NA. Can play OF, 3rd. Guessing Cubs would want Cease back.

Part of the fun is disagreeing and while I don't like arguing against our guys, give me Acuna and Soto all day. Between Chapman, Arenado, Devers, Bregman and Rendon, Its hard to argue Moncada is top 5 at his position (not to mention Bryant, Donaldson, Machado, Ramirez, Suarez, et al although the argument can be made for any of them). I suppose if we extrapolate over 162 games, you'd probably have to throw Tatis Jr., Gleybar Torres, Javy Baez into the mix. Plenty of strong players and while Moncada is a talent, I don't think he is top 10 but, like I said, disagreeing is part of the fun.

Based on? You can also throw in Semien, Marte, Bogaertz, Springer, Chapman, Devers, Story, Arenado. You can look up their WAR #s as easily as me.

Too much love. Maybe top 25 or so....Bregman, Soto, Bellinger, Acuna, Yelich, Trout, Rendon, Altuve, Betts, Lindor off top of my head. Can probably rattle off another 10 or so w/o too much arguement and another 10 we can quibble over.

Man would I love if Castellanos ended up a WS. Like him over Mazara in RF and EE as DH but with both of them on board, Castellanos is an expensive redundancy.

Low probability for Castellanos at this point but, if it were me, I'd have signed him to 4 years in a heartbeat, even after Mazara signed but in lieu of EE. . He is a budding superstar who is just hitting his prime and whoever gets him will be very happy.

Might look to Mets for combo platter with Jed Lowrie 1/$12M and Diaz. Mets would love to move Lowrie and, if he's healthy, he can be Lemahieu.

For me, Moncada bats 2nd every game and Eloy bats 4th. I'd bat Abreu 3rd vs. LH and Grandal 5th and would switch them vs. RH. EE bats 6th. Would love if Robert could capably lead-off as he has done in AA and AAA, at least vs. LH and ideally, every game. If Robert struggles at LO, either TA or Madrigal. Love the idea of Madrigal forcing pitchers to throw 7-8 pitches to start game. Both he and TA would force teams to pay attention should they get on base.

Absent further moves by FO, who is likely to lead-off? Robert Anderson Madrigal Leury Other

I can see the Sox finishing with the 3rd-6th best record in AL after NYY, Astros. Twins, Oakland and Tampa Bay will duke it out with us. Key variables for me are effectiveness of Colome/closer and Lopez/Cease progress. I have no doubt we will score runs and am counting on TAs defence to improve.

If he offered to play for free I would have reservations about adding Puig.

Not a judgement on EE or even the rationale of short commitment but I watched NC once he joined the Cubs (prior to that I saw very little of him) and what I saw was simply the best hitter I'd seen all year. I know about small sample sizes but that guy was phenomenal. He looked fine in OF but everyone seems to believe he is a liability. I don't know about that but what I saw at the plate makes me believe that he is on the cusp of greatness. Wish it were as a WS.

Hader? Why should Yankees get all the good stuff?

Any chance we could be contenders for Hader? Wonder what kind of package we could assemble?

I'm reasonably indifferent but Engel (statistically in 2019) hits lefties better than Leury although Garcia had about 2X number of ABs Engel Slash vs. LH - .313 .360 .482 .841 Garcia Slash vs. LH- .311 .344 .443 .786 If Engel can approach those splits in 100 plus ABs, we should be fine in RF

Why do you believe Leury is the guy? Engel is the better OFr and hits lefties pretty well. I actually think a Mazara/Engel platoon might be strong.

Whoa!