CentralChamps21

My guess is the second time the A's called about Vaughn the Sox offered Montgomery as an alternative and someone ran with that even though there was no indication Oakland was interested.

This trade sound really close in the same way that that I'm really close to buying a new Porsche while I'm at the Honda dealer next door looking at used Civics.

I think it's easier to win without premium position players than it is without premium starting pitching. With all the injuries last year, the Sox had significant playing time from Garcia, Goodwin, Mercedes, Collins, Hernandez, Mendick, Sheets, Hamilton, Zavala and Lamb and still won the division easily. If Giolito or Lynn are down for longer than expected or Cease/Kopech have injuries, it will be much harder to overcome.

I guess I've never understood the concept of a trade being "very close." It seems to be that it's a binary state--it's either a done deal or it isn't.

I doubt Sheets was ever someone Oakland would consider. If they can't get Vaughn, they'll want guys who are 2+ years away from the majors.

I'm not a prospect expert but Kelly + Sheets sounds like a lot to give up for 2 years of Montas.

Abreu, Anderson, Giolito, Robert

Fouling off a lot of two strike pitches should do it.

Oakland is up 9-0 in the 5th at Tampa. They don't need Vaughn.

They had to lay off sales staff in order to give Giolito that extra $50K he wanted.

At least Seattle has to play a night game, then fly to Chicago, then play a mid-afternoon game. Maybe they're legs won't be 100%.

He 100% should have received the QO. Wouldn't have guaranteed him 2 years if he refused it though. Best I would have done is a vesting option for the 2nd year. If someone else still offers him 2 years guaranteed after the QO, then I don't put that on the Sox for not matching it.

Eloy Jimenez

Andrew Vaughn

That's fucked up.

Cubs have 45 K+BB in 3 games. Sox have only 20. Putting balls in play is working for the Sox so far though. 14 XBH through 3 games. Only Astros have more with 16, but they've played 4 games.

It's not a home run if the batter doesn't score for whatever reason.

That made me think of the very rare circumstance when a run can be earned for a pitcher but unearned for a team: 2 outs, nobody on Pitcher A allows a runner via error Pitcher B relieves pitcher A and allows a home run to the first batter. The runner on base is unearned for both the team and Pitcher A The batter who homered is unearned for the team but earned for Pitcher B. The reason: a batter you allow to score can't be unearned because of an error that occurred before you were pitching.

I don't see him listed on their roster

Luis Robert

I love bizarre early season SSS stats: Royals 2-1, -11 RD Guardians 1-2, +11 RD

If everybody stays healthy, sometime during July 1-3 we get Carlos Rodon vs Anderson/Robert/Abreu/Jimenez/Grandal/Vaughn/Moncada/Pollock/Harrison and it will be epic.

Romy needs to be somewhere that he can play every day. He's not going to become a better hitter playing 1-2 days a week on the Sox. Mendick is pretty much what he's going to be. You're not wasting anything only playing him 1-2 days a week.

There's the Cubs bullpen we know and love.