FoxForce2

While he didn't take a strong role in this year's negotiations, the enmity between the Players Association and JR is well documented. It's just something that has occurred to me but might not be much of a factor at all.

Stroman has some kind of beef with TLR and wasn't coming to the Sox. I've wondered throughout the year if a TLR and JR aversion among some players is strong enough to greatly reduce a number of FA's probability of coming to this team.

Pretty dismal track record. Not many teams will flourish with that set of duds.

A deep dive in WAR at the end, but considering age and the number of games played, not really falling off a cliff. Not entirely different than Pujols, with Pujols' health issues dropping his numbers down a bit more. But who knows - Abreau might very well pull off a Cruz or even Ortiz twilight resurgence.

Grandal --- don't forget Grandal/Collins/Zavala

Soxtalk would be a lot more comfortable with the guy on-board.

Geeze man, it's Minneapolis AND St. Paul. That's two whole cities. With the Sox it's just Chicago and what... Joliet? Hinsdale?

Easy enough to look up, but here it is anyway. Ward's best year at the plate. Note Peters' batting numbers. This was an off year at the plate for him, but he still got 126 PA. https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/CHW/1964.shtml

62-66 Sox home of the knuckleballers. Wilhelm and Fisher with Wood coming into his own. I always felt Robinson was overlooked, he had a short but very good career. Don't know what happened to him. Too bad about Ward and the accident - his '64 season was first class.

That long extension will drive the ball a long way. I'm betting he'll have to bring his swing in a little to get more consistent contact.

Probably one hitter away from the WS.

Not just time to time - he was a frequent PH both here and in Boston. In todays' game there would be a possibility of him going as an occasional DH. Maybe not Ohtani level, but he was a hitter.

If that's the limiting factor then there is little point in considering Manea. Losing Sheets or Crochet plus another prospect is hardly worth one year of the guy.

It's pretty obvious, if the Sox are giving up anything substantial, bringing in Manea would almost have to come with an extension in mind. Otherwise you're paying a premium for a rental.

More than a few posters here don't get this. Andrew Vaughn got a grand total of 205 PA in Rookie and A ball his draft year. Covid year he spent at Schaumberg. Come Eloy's injury in '21 and -VOILA!- welcome not only to the Majors and MLB pitching but a new position(s) as well. That not to mention on a contending team to boot. My only quibble would be that he might use a half season in AAA to get his eyeballs and swing calibrated to good RH pitching. Or not.

Juan Pizarro in 63-64 was lights out.

When I saw the pic of Robert in shorts, I thought I was looking at the second coming of Earl Campbell. I have my doubts about the benefit of hypertrophy in baseball players.

All teams have injury and multiple personnel problems through a season. Last year the Sox had more than a fair share. While algorithms are limited in accounting for unforeseen occurrences the Sigma would need to be even a tad broader when working the Sox formulae, considering this roster over a season anyway. Lotta variables on this team.

Playing in Denver will help his career batting numbers.

Jose 3 year ZiPS projection. Not too shabby. Season Team Level Age G AB PA H 1B 2B 3B HR R RBI BB SO SB CS BB% K% BB/K AVG OBP SLG OPS ISO BABIP wSB wOBA WAR 2022 ZiPS PROJ 35 141 549 614 145 85 31 2 27 75 109 44 135 1 0 7.2% 22.0% 0.33 .264 .331 .475 .806 .211 .299 -0.3 .341 2.1 2023 ZiPS PROJ 36 128 497 554 128 79 27 1 21 64 91 37 116 1 0 6.7% 20.9% 0.32 .258 .321 .443 .764 .185 .292 -0.2 .326 1.1 2024 ZiPS PROJ 37 118 463 512 117 76 23 1 17 55 78 31 100 1 0 6.1% 19.5% 0.31 .253 .313 .417 .729 .164 .284 -0.2 .313 0.4

Has anyone shown interest in Kimbrel? He hasn't exactly been in the news - other than on Sox boards/threads.

Same here. Russians - gotta be Russians.

Lillian brought up Tyler Naquin (Reds) yesterday. At $1.5M for one year he compares very favorably to Peterson. I can hear the groaning on this one, but considering the way the OF's are coming off the board...

Leon Russell on piano and conducting the band in his and Cocker's arrangement here. Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour.

Eloy's injury rushed Vaughn's advent into MLB. Vaughn's only significant experience against quality pitching came in college. *College* On a contender, with solid depth, we'd all be looking with bated breath at Vaughn's upcoming rookie year in 2022. Vaughn needs something like 300-400 PA against AAA level pitching, with a majority of that against RHP. That, not to mention a full slate of reps at 1B and LF. Win Now anxiety might just very well sabotage this whole operation.