FoxForce2

A little late in the game for that. He could have knocked off 10-15 lb over winter. By most appearances, he's just not that motivated to get fit, and at his age is not likely to change his ways in any significant manner.

The point being, Crochet will be working with and going through Sox authorized evaluation and methodologies WRT rehab. Not as if he's dangling out on an island regarding his comeback. The way some posters have pictured this, it's as if the guy is somehow relegated to a loose cannon status that will only be worked into the system when he checks into Chicago and gets looked at by the immediate big-league medical staff. Which would obviously be a preposterous way of doing business.

Do the Sox maintain a staff or other personnel at Camelback through the year?

Anyone heard something about Kelly's status?

We hear a lot about Cespedes arm but not much about how well he fields his position - his brother had a magnum of an arm, but was no better than average in field-play and erratic at that. Lot of swing-and-miss with YC so far as well. It's yet another 'we'll see', but again, the Sox are pretty well locked in with Cespedes/Colas for several reasons. I have no doubt that Hahn had this in the forefront of his mind when looking at the RF situation and going for a nearer term solution than what Suzuki's contract would entail. Even then - what to do with Kimbrel? How many in the Sox camp have real experience with Japanese players anyway?

Sign him for 5 - what to do with Cespedes/Colas? The Cuban Connection is strong with this team.

Not unlikely, almost certain that the move was at least run by him at some point.

1. Having gone so many years without a lock-down, or even solid RF, the fans would be expected to be at least somewhat excited about getting a real outfielder. Now if he doesn't make the AS team this year, some could very well go bitter about the deal. People tend to exaggerate when dealing with their sports teams. 2. Competent range, vision and glove. An arm that can make the throws to the cut-off man with at least some mustard. Roberto Clemente he ain't. But he's not Adam Dunn either. 3. Yep and not unlike Engel in that regard. 4. Hey! I resemble that remark. 5. Given the circumstances, who would be ideal? There are different ways of evaluating Hahn's performance on this entire deal of Madrigal/Heuer ---> Kimbrel ---> Pollock. There are doubtless any number of variables that have come into play that we, as fans, don't know about. JR may very well have pulled his ass out the fire with this move, but both of the trades made/make some sense when looked at in the immediate conditions of their making. I still say we needed a fireman/set-up reliever rather than a closer last year. As for "We'll see" - isn't that almost always the case in deals like this?

Even in his twilight, I wouldn't mind the Sox bringing in Bill James as a consultant. If TLR could get 70+ year old mind right, he might learn something.

To the A's, Keuchel is entirely irrelevant. As of right now, I don't know a team that would be interested.

We'll see how the numbers play out over the course of the season, but I'm guessing opposing pitchers are going to lay out a steady stream of sliders to these two.

Stone has been saying this for awhile now.

Until they both go down with bad hamstrings and lower back problems. I'm not always a glass half empty type, but given these guys' track records, it's not out of the question.

I looked at that earlier. All but ZiPS have Pollock getting more PA than last year, or any of the past three years for that matter. Not sure what the reasoning is on that.

Pollock = good bat. OK field. Engel = very good field. OK bat. Works for me. Until it doesn't.

Pollock has at least competent range, vision and glove in the OF - he should be able to hit cut-off men with some velocity and accuracy. Engel is clearly a better fielder. Some kind of platoon might just work.

Why won't this site allow a simple deletion of a post?

"Always drink gin with a mark kid. That way they can't tell if you're cutting it." Henry Gondorf The Sting

Heh - considering how Moncada has looked this spring... But no - Manaea as a rental is a different matter than Manaea as a 3-5 guy.

Sheesh! Maybe Burger is the cavalry to the recsue.

And yes, the extension/new contract on Manaea is the trick isn't it? I like Burger but I'd say he's just Sox-blocked at this point. Sheets LHB is pretty valuable to this team, tough to let him go at this point. Burger+?? might be worth at least a look by both sides.

I'm not arguing whether or not they didn't make the grade in MLB as hitters or even as clubhouse/dugout guys. But were they busts in the field?

This. I think this Pollock move, along with Haseley are the right moves, not only this year, but over the next several years.

Pollock and Engel 2021 injury record was somewhat similar. Back and hamstring issues.

Fukudome had one bad year in the field (2009). Otherwise he was pretty much MLB average.