CentralChamps21

Goodwin could start for Engel or Vaughn against a righty that has extreme splits, and pinch hit some against right relievers.

Yeah I know that but at this point I'm not sure which starter moves to the pen so I left them all as starters for now. I do think with 3-4 games in an NL park they might opt to swap out a reliver for someone like Sheets since you need more pinch hitters.

Assuming everybody that is expected back is actually back and healthy and nobody else is out, I'm comfortable with these guys being on the playoff roster: C Grandal, Collins IF Abreu, Garcia, Anderson, Moncada OF/DH Vaughn, Jimenez, Robert, Engel, Goodwin, Hamilton SP Lynn, Rodon, Giolito, Cease, Keuchel RP Hendriks, Bummer, Marshall, Crochet, Heuer, Kopech, Burr This leaves room for a 2B and one RP.

I'm about to get into the market for a post-COVID girlfirend. Should I lead with my excellent work here on Soxtalk?

I watch events on ESPN, that's it. No pregame, no postgame, no highlight/analysis shows, no talking heads. I pretty much watch Monday Night Football, college football, and the one or two Sox games per year they carry. I did watch a lot of the Euro games.

Does ESPN+ suck less than regular ESPN?

ESPN is garbage.

The Trump administration and his mouthpieces were talking up the vaccine and how quickly Trump all by himself got us vaccines so quickly. Then January 20 came, and Biden promised a million doses administered per month and 70% vaccination rate by July 4, and in an instant, the right wing propaganda went into full swing to try to sabotage those goals to make Biden look bad, and that's when the lies about the vaccine started spreading like wildfire.

Here's another way of looking at it. Gallo is a 6 WAR player. The Rangers are going to expect a return reflecting that. Based on last year + this year, Engel is projecting out to be about a 3 WAR player. The Sox would only get half their value in a trade. Despite Leury's resurgence, I think the better value is upgrading 2B and the bullpen and riding with the OF we have.

Gibson ruins the no-hitter. Eovaldi pitching the 4th. Hope Rodon has the 5th.

Gibson was warming up in the bullpen. Lynn must have already been up and ready to go by then.

Good to see Burnes looking human.

No, but I'm saying that Gallo isn't enough of an upgrade over Engel to be worth giving up someone like Crochet who can help the Sox win this year.

So I had to click on the line for more context, this is the TN state health dept. that's doing this, and they're ending vaccine outreach programs to kids for all vaccines, not just COVID.

Does Ohtani actually have to accomplish anything tonight to win ASG MVP, or does he just have to not die? I feel like he could go 0-2, give up 3 runs pitching, with Tim Anderson hitting a 3-run go ahead homer, and Ohtani would somehow still win MVP.

I wouldn't mind this: build in one 7-inning straight doubleheader against each division opponent per year, two home and two away for a total of four. This creates four more off days per year, which can be used to reduce the need for unscheduled doubleheaders (which would be 9 innings if needed). Try to backload the off days to reduce the need for unscheduled doubleheaders. Also, I like pushing the runner on 2nd back from the 10th to the 12th or 13th.

I would sign both and see if there's a trade market for Keuchel.

Rodon I get but why Lynn? He's the least likely guy to get injured with all that insulation.

Engel not FA after this season, plus I'm more worried about winning this year.

Engel is back. That will help the HR total out of the RF position if he can stay healthy.

Robert Vaughn Engel Hamilton Goodwin plus Eloy will still play LF some. I get that none of these guys gives you the left-handed power that Gallo brings, but I think a Goodwin/Engel platoon in RF with someone like Escobar at 2B gives you a better chance to win this year than Gallo in RF and a Garcia/Mendick platoon at 2B, especially if the former includes keeping Crochet.

Including Crochet in a package for Gallo is dealing from a position of weakness (bullpen) to add to a position of strength (outfield). It doesn't make sense unless you're also dealing Vaughn or Engel for significant bullpen help.

Yes, I like the older format when there was no clock and you got to keep hitting until your 10th swing that didn't result in a homer.

For @greg775 or anybody else who is getting confused about conflicting information. In addition to being a nurse, my mom is a part of a worldwide group of medical professionals who are making a coordinated effort to fight misinformation on Tik Tok. I'm not going link to her account because some of her other content is embarrassing, so you'll have to take my word for it. Anyway, one of the things they do is investigate videos of people claiming that someone close to them died shortly after getting vaccinated. For most of them the person they claimed had died wasn't even dead. For others there was clear evidence of a pre-existing condition like late-stage cancer or addiction. One had died in a car crash. The once piece of information that we have and can be scientifically and medically verified is that over 99% of COVID deaths are unvaccinated people. Regardless of how little you trust Dr. Fauci, CNN, or anybody else, that fact alone should make everybody want to get vaccinated.

Sean Burke, RHP, U of Maryland.