Look at Ray Ray Run

Awesome. Let's cherry pick an ERA stat from one year. In 2017 the Astros won the World Series. Mike Fiers had a 5.43 FIP and a 5.22 ERA. in 2018 the Red Sox gave 24 starts and 170 innings (5th starter spot) to pitchers that combined for a 5.2 ERA and 5.3 FIP. They won a World Series and had a historically good season. If you think Lopez would be holding this team back and detrimental to them as a 2-3 WAR 5th starter, you are mistaken. This is all assuming Lopez gets no better, despite entering his age 26 season.

What is a walking hot take about finding it absurd to start Dylan Covey for a month after you went all-in trading for Mookie Betts? None of this scenario makes any sense. None of the OF prospects are netting you an impact starter. We just went through a rebuild, finally, and now that the end is near Sox fans want to go back to the old way of doing business; trying to win year to year with patch-work rosters driven by FA. No thanks. I'll stick to the plan and I won't trade assets for a 1 year rental in a season that isn't in their peak competitive window. And yes, I don't like moving Yoan Moncada to RF. What a crazy thought there as well.

So we're going into the season relying on Carlos Rodon? Hard pass. Lopez, at worst, is a 5th starter on a competitive team who is cost controlled. He absolutely is a part of the long term picture, even if he only gets marginally better.

Again, if you're not all-in next year then trading for Betts is an outlandish proposition.

If that was the plan, why would you give up anything for him just to get him 1 year earlier when they're not expected to be a top contender? Just sign him next year and keep the pieces for the future. This is the part of the discussion that has never made sense to me. Trading for him does not improve your chances of signing him, and if the main argument for obtaining him assumes they resign him then they might as well just wait to sign him next year. Odds are the Sox won't sign Betts - obviously - so trading for 1 year in a year where they're not a bonafide contender is just a waste.

Huh? So the Sox would trade for a guy who only impacts next year, and then you'd be happy that the Sox started Dylan Covey for a month + in a year they'd have to contend because they traded for Mookie for one year. Those two things don't make a lot of sense.

Yeah, this wouldn't kill them as it wouldn't create another hole for the team; it would take a little depth away from a position that you need it, but you have to sacrifice something.

I mean, Lopez isn't even 26 years old yet. Seems odd to give up on any arm with his talent and stuff; in the past three years, he's taken his k-rate from 5.66 to 7.28 to 8.07. Everything else has not improved in sync, but the talent is there. I wouldn't give up on Lopez at this point

And then next year you have to find another RF'er. At some point, budgets matter. To get two starters you can rely on enough to move on from two pieces that were a part of the future, you'll have to pay decent money. Then next year, Betts leaves and you have to find another RF'er. The Sox are not in a position to trade for a 1 year rental; next year is not a do or die year by any means.; A 1 year rental has way more value to a team in which Betts could push them over the top.

Edwards makes Madrigal look like superman. He's young and has time, but I'm not sure I'd refer to him as a top tier prospect.

I also think there's no chance the Red Sox are trading Mookie Betts. That organization will give Price and JD away for free before they let a player of Mookies caliber walk. An organization like the red Sox cant let a HOF caliber player walk in his prime.

Yes. Giving up an MLB asset and creating that hole, then trading from the only depth we have at that position go replace him (dunning) and then just throwing in a prospect that could be an MLb player as well... all for 1 year at 20 million for betts in a year where the sox are not guaranteed to be good. And that person is paid to write about baseball. Dunning had the injury so cant say this quite as certainly, but I felt dunning had the highest floor as a SP among all the prospects.

Dunning, basebe and Reylo for Mookie? What a terrible proposal.

Theres been quite a few really good arms. Nomo, Iwakuma, Maeda, Kuroda, Koji and all the guys you named. Some came over old and still were damn good. If Ohtani stays healthy he looks really special.

The apart about the surgery being botched and etc was difficult to read. Glad he's moved past the demons. He had a big alcohol problem in the minors as well, if I recall, which was a big reason the White Sox were even able to acquire him.

Assume you're just talking position players. Ohtani seems pretty amazing even just as a position player.

And how does 3 WAR Bryce harper take the 72 win white sox and turn them into a perennial contender in one year? If a player cares enough about a teams future and winning when signing, I think he'd do more research than looking at a press clipping for a Harper signing. The sox are in a better position to win over the next several years than the Phillies. Exhausting? You're still here pseudo b****ing about missing out on bryce Harper or manny machado. Its unbelievable really. Now you've taken it so far to insinuate maybe the sox lost out on wheeler because they didnt sign one of those guys. Its hilarious.

I mean, no one was wrong about wheeler. Sox made the highest offer, so insiders that said that would happen were absolutely correct.

You know what helps take a team out of irrelevance? Winning. Do you know what hampers winning? Giving 300 million to a guy who isnt worth 300 million when you have a payroll ceiling that isnt at the luxury tax #.

So what part of this scenario does Wheeler stop caring about his wifes family and staying out East? If playing with Harper doesnt motivate him to sign, what are you arguing? That if the sox overpaid harper, wheelers wife wouldn't matter anymore? Not sure how I have a strange take. You literally insinuated that, maybe, if the sox signed harper last year wheeler would have accepted the offer this year from the sox. Why are those two things at all related?

Man, sox fans really think the drop off from wheeler to bum/ryu is much more than it actually is

Yeah, and the sox would have 300 million dollars less to spend so... I'll take the extra 300 million.

Rendon and Timmy can sit and talk about how boring baseball is when they're not the ones playing it. Would be awesome.

The phillies are in a worse position to win than the White Sox. I don't think wheeler was signing to hang out with bryce. You'll spin even the right moves (not signing Harper) into something negative.

Rendon also isnt looking for any 8 or 10 year deals. Guy wants about a 5 year contract and then wants to retire. Which is a good thing, but also leads me to believe he'll he a dodger for about 5 years 200 million