JoeC

I meant before the 8-spot.

It’s good enough to stick right there with the Royals, and, after all, isn’t that the benchmark of any well-functioning organization?

I don’t like laughing at injuries, but seriously?

Please. Let's not get carried away. Our team has 11. Jake only has 10. To paraphrase Jim Carr in Slap Shot, "we don't want to make this any harder for them than it already is."

I was opposed to the hire, but I am willing to see how things shake out for a couple of years

...but there ARE guys. I'm sure there are more if you look at 2015 ~ 2016 draft classes as well (who presumably would have made up a good portion of the farm system when he took over in 2017). The point is that, even if we assume that Getz was competent as a director of player development, the system he oversaw and for which he was responsible for the output consistently failed to produce quality major league players, outside of the "can't miss" prospects who are talented enough anyways and the occasional long reliever / middle reliever. You don't need to turn an entire draft class into everyday major league players, but when the best you've produced is Cody Heuer, that's not a sign of a quality farm system. I would think that generally, to be promoted, most organizations would want you to... you know... excel at your previous job. Is it a symptom of the organization as a whole? Absolutely yes. And that's not a good thing. I will also go on the record as saying that I like the individual moves Getz has made, generally. I hate the Clevinger signing, but other than that, I generally don't mind what he's done, and I want to give him a chance as a GM. I just don't see how anyone can look at this system over the past several years and say "yep - they aren't failing as an organization."

Do later picks count? Just from 2017, there are several picks from later than the 10th round who have made "noticeable impact." AJ's point is that the Sox have taken blue-chip guys and turned them into, at best, what was expected of them. They haven't taken any "take a flyer on this kid" guys and turned them into anything more than utility guys / mid-bullpen arms in quite some time.

RE: Getz and his track record for developing players, I'll let someone else who (presumably) isn't on SoxTalk make my statement:

Alternate headline: Potent Charlotte offense nets 11 on vaunted Norfolk pitching staff, outscores Kjerstad 11-10.

Still on a 2-day undefeated streak!

Byron Buxton nearly run over by a sprinting sausage yesterday in Milwaukee. The "Reverse Randall Simon" would have been a quite unfortunate method of injury for the injury-plagued Buxton: https://www.mlb.com/brewers/video/sausage-race-look-out-byron

Also known as "having trust issues." As in "I overtrusted that fart." At least it wasn't to start an overtime in the NHL playoffs:

It absolutely is another indictment on this organization.

Yep - aware of all of that. I guess my question is if other teams saw on-field red flags, not just off-field red flags... but I suppose that doesn't matter at this point, really.

Yeah, not saying his off-field issues aren't a thing. Just wondering what other red flags there are, or if it's 100% about the off-field issues / abuse allegations.

Who will play in more games? Bryan Shaw or (Eloy + Moncada)?

Yeah, I’m just trying to understand Getz’s end game here. I can generally see the logic in his individual moves if you look at it through the lens of stocking the farm and building trade capital to stock the farm. This move, to me, falls outside of that, other than maybe just a “we know this guy can get us innings, and we don’t give two shits about his off-the-field issues because we can’t sink any meaningfully lower there” perspective. Clevinger clearly didn’t build up enough value last year (when he performed well) to garner interest from any team that matters, so why would we go for him over, say, a reclamation project?

So my question still stands… do you think Getz is trying to be good enough to the 21st-best record in baseball so he can secure the 10th pick?

All cynicism aside, other than his off-the-field issues, what else kept him from a) being traded at the deadline; b) signing for cheap with a team that has any semblance of hope? I’m all about signing guys on the cheap (low cost) that we can flip midseason for some modicum of value in terms of prospect capital, but it looks like Clevinger (ignoring his off-the-field issues) can’t even fit that profile. My only thought is that Getz wants to salvage an 11th-worst finish somehow to try to save face, because there’s literally no benefit to finishing worse than 11th-worst.

Does the team technically have motivation to finish with the 11th-worst record, somehow? Like, they know the team is going to suck, but being in the bottom 10 will get you the 11th pick (I think) based on the new draft rules… so they’re going to go “all in” on 11th-worst? Not that that’s achievable or anything, but I’m just trying to understand the motivations….

When you say “decline,” do you mean like a declining trajectory (like declining performance)? Or do you mean to opt against choosing (like declining an option)? This has future contractual implications.

Dumpster Fire Milkshake next?

I had to look this up to make sure this wasn't an April Fools joke. Not sure if this is a bleaker indication of the Sox or of Clevinger.

I seriously wonder the combined WAR of PTBNL / future considerations per franchise.

(from XKCD)