CentralChamps21

Tim Anderson

Yoan Moncada

Adam Eaton

A Michigan alum coaching his alma mater to defeat in a big game--looks like sports are completely back to normal.

Gonzaga/USC hasn't been much to wait for. Not sure Gonzaga vs anybody is worth waiting for at this point.

Can go 8-8-1

Now that Lucroy is gone, cutting Zavala means that Mercedes is the only catching option if Grandal or Collins go down. If they aren't comfortable with Mercedes catching then Zavala probably survives.

RJ Anderson picked the A's to finish 2nd in the AL West, the Angels 3rd, but has the Angels as a WC and not the A's. Amazing how you can earn money writing for CBS sports and not even know how the playoffs work.

So on the 40-man right now we have: Active roster position players (13): Grandal, Abreu, Madrigal, Anderson, Moncada, Vaughn, Robert, Eaton, Collins, Garcia, Lamb, Hamilton, Mercedes Active roster pitchers (13): Giolito, Keuchel, Lynn, Cease, Rodon, Hendriks, Bummer, Marshall, Crochet, Kopech, Heuer, Foster, Ruiz 10-day IL players (1): Engel 60-day IL players (don't count against the 40): Cordero, Jimenez, Fry?? Non-active roster players (13): Burdi, Flores, Johnson, Lambert, Lopez, Stiever, Zavala, Burger, Mendick, Sheets, Adolfo, Gonzalez, Rutherford So if Fry goes on the 60-day and not the 10-day, nobody has to be DFA'd right now and one person has to go when Engel comes back (unless it's someone with options left).

At this point, if you believe what this guy says, then let me hold the football for you while you run up and kick it.

Can the same player be picked by more than one person in the same game?

I don't think he's going to be any worse than Eloy when it comes to getting to balls. It's throwing that is going to cost a run once in a while.

If Vaughn sees significant time at LF, I can see Yermin making it. OF: Robert, Eaton, Garcia, Vaughn, Hamilton (replaced by Engel) IF: Moncada, Anderson, Madrigal, Abreu, Mendick C : Grandal, Collins DH: Mercedes

To be fair, if Charlie Tilson is in the lineup on 7/16, the season is already a lost cause.

Revised predictions: vs RHP: Anderson 6, Grandal 2, Abreu 3, Moncada 5, Robert 8, Eaton 9, Vaughn 7, Collins DH, Madrigal 4 vs LHP: Anderson 6, Grandal 2, Abreu 3, Moncada 5, Robert 8, Vaughn DH, Eaton 9 (until Engel is back), Madrigal 4, Garcia 7

That likely depends on whether or not they decide to use Vaughn in LF. If so, there is room for both. If not, then I think Lucroy is the odd man out.

Last year he had a .767 OPS vs RHP but in only 35 PA. If I thought he could repeat that, or even within 20 points of that, his defense would justify starting him. I wouldn't be shocked if he could do it, but I wouldn't want to count on it.

They did, but so did Oregon St.

Oregon St and Loyola combined 0/8 from 3 so far. This is ugly . . .

Someone take the voodoo dolls of Sox OF out of Hamilton's locker!

Only one of them is good, and that's Eloy improving enough to keep him in RF. Otherwise, the only way there's room for Abreu on the roster is that at least one of Eloy and Vaughn is injured or much worse than expected. I suppose there's a tiny chance that Abreu is so good that he gets another contract and some team makes a crazy trade offer for Vaughn that the Sox can't turn down.

So Vaughn in LF means a Collins/Lucroy or Collins Mercedes platoon at DH. The question then becomes, does that DH platoon give you more offensive added value over Engel/Garcia than Engel/Garcia give you in added defensive value over Vaughn in LF. When you add in Robert's ability to cover a bit for a sub-par LF, I think it does. There is also the option of splitting the difference, having Collins DH and Vaughn in LF vs RHP, but Garcia in LF and Vaughn DH vs RHP.

Put Mercedes in LF, tell him he doesn't have to get anything that isn't hit right at him, and have Robert and Engel cover it all.

Anderson SS Grandal C Abreu 1B Moncada 3B Robert CF Vaughn DH Eaton RF Madrigal 2B Hamilton/Garcia LF until Eaton is back

Keuchel looking good but to be fair this is a "B" lineup he's facing.