GreenSox

If it's really about him learning from different defensive situations, he'd face more of those in the majors. But maybe KW saw the effect of calling up Moncada, Anderson and the 3 pitchers, if not before they were ready, before they dominated lower levels and now he wants to make sure that the AA and AAA coaches do the teaching. Maybe Renteria, Cooper et al are more focused on winning games than on development. Thus, pitching Rodon for 110+, only tepid chances for Leury to learn CF, etc. Just speculation, obviously.

The Astros, without Altuve and Correa, really could use a bat. They are no lock for the division. They could use Harper...although imo, they could use Avi or Abreu even more!

Absolutely. I watched Bieber for a few innings tonight. He looked really talented- made a few mistakes, but he threw a lot of great pitches. I'd love to move him out of this division.

Reds are in build-up mode. They think they can compete next year. Nice move for them although all 3 are risks.

Well those were some heady comments from Kenny. Hard not to get pumped!

yea, forgot about him. Him too.

Yea, move Avilan and Cedeno - creates room and will get a little something. Currently in the pen, only Fry and Danish are of any long term interest really, as of now.

Unfortunately, he won't return anything. I'd be surprised if a contender wants him anyway. There's room to bring up a young starter - he can go to the pen.

Then the prospects come to the American League. No thanks. Archer seems to be a Q level pitcher to me...

If they can't trade Avilan or Cedeno, they just have to let them go. I Danish is getting his trial right now; my guess is the Sox already decided no on Guerro, but maybe he gets a trial soon - he's pitched reasonably well. Burr had a promotion despite walking 4.5 per 9 so I figured it was filler and thus I'd say he won't be protected. Absolutely protect Ruiz - he's pitched great this year and he's young. Mendick, Polo and everybodyy's favorite prospect from 3 years ago, Michalczewski - probably not.

Henzman is a college reliever turned starter; Dunning was a reliever, but he always projected as a starter; the Fla rotation was full. Hamilton as an 11th round pick college reliever as fine; 4th/5th round relievers are questionable. A college reliever in round 1 is super questionable. A guy I followed closely in college, was a college reliever, drafted in the teens a couple of years ago, and is the closer on a AAA team. He has a WHIP near 1.00 and averages well over a K per inning. He is not even in his team's top 30 prospects

No, we do not.

That's a cool site. Baseball trades are a blast. Thanks for the link.

I'm not sure that the relievers that the Sox are bringing in are particularly "high ceiling." Frare has been a reliever virtually his entire career; he was a 24 year old AA pitcher who just recently turned it on. The Sox have used some high picks on college relievers, but are college relievers really high ceiling? Or are they "quick to the majors" I can recall Huston Street being a first round pick, but they are rarely picked in the first round, where teams seek ceiling. I'm not convinced that high picks for college relievers is good value. Fry was a starter for the Sox until his surgery, so he too has starter pedigree. We might eventually see Lopez and Giolito in the pen - I hope not, but it could happen. I guess Fulmer too, but I think he needs a new coach/approach. Too much stuff to give up on. Medeiros is here to start. If he doesn't hack it, fine, he goes to the pen. But for now he's a starter. From Balta's numbers and my own sense, the best approach is to assemble as many quality minor league starters as possible; and from that group, you will find most of your relievers.

Injuries are an excuse. Fulmer, Lopez and Giolito weren't injured; if they had developed, or 2 of them, things would be on track. Add Moncada and Anderson. That is the first-wave core. No injuries.

Have the Sox decided whether he goes to AAA or AA? I noticed that his AAA appearance was v. the C Knights. Hope it's Charlotte, but I guess they'd have to clear some room.

The first step is trading Avi.

call him up and then we'll have to sweat out the Cooper effect.

It is, but I was just pointing out that they could still sign a bunch of players even with the limitations. They need to keep the lower levels stocked.

They can in 300K or lower increments. Padres signed 9 international players at 300K bonuses each.

No

They really need to move Avilan and Cedeno now....although they'd probably move them for more rule 5 guys and they could also just leave them unprotected anyway. But they will expose some interesting players. The unprotected Jake Peter has yielded 2 players.

His numbers as a reliever are no better than as a starter. Send him down to A ball and start over with him. Un teach him that intra-windup glove-pump he picked up somewhere that he didn't have at Vanderbilt. Find a coach who worked with Clevenger - he too has a rushed delivery with a lot of moving parts.

They can't add free agents next year because free agents will merely make them watchable and that doesn't justify the cost. The rebuild is at least 1 year behind schedule...and if the first wave are mostly busts, and not just slow developers, then it's likely 3 years behind schedule. And that's due to the failure of Fulmer, Giolito and Lopez....the horrendous starting pitching is why the team is unwatchable and non-competitive most nights. While the Sox will need Moncada (and a couple of others) to be great for the team to be great, he's not terrible and he's not the reason the team is terrible - that's the pitching.

Most of us knew deep down that Q just wasn't the same last year; getting a great deal for him, was the Sox big break in this rebuild.