GreenSox

Anti-Century Magic Number is 8. Sox should make good progress in this series. Tampa should be good and demoralized after last weekend's debacle.

I would think the Sox could improve on movement and base-stealing (but for Robert, the Sox would be last in the league). They don't seem that unathletic to me (other than a couple of vets). Brewers lead the league in steals and caught stealing. Their c .75% success percentage is bottom 1/3; but I guess they've done the math and figured it still yields a positive expected outome. Sox are just a tad under 80% (Robert's a tad > 80% so it's not him pulling everyone up). Venable's right-hand man is a long-time Brewer, so it's surprising that the Sox haven't run more. Now maybe it will come when the Sox get more youthful in the other OF spots.

And I agree that Detroit was built through the draft. But I question the tanking part. Only Mize, Greene, and Torkelson, among their first round picks, have done much of anything and only Greene is a difference maker. Yes, it's better to draft 1st than 2nd; 2nd than 3rd and so forth. I just think there's a lot of uncertainty in MLB draft and prospects; much more than NBA and NFL. Need lines in the water; spins of the wheel; thus I don't like punting in drafts; like a little quantity in prospect trades, even at the expense of, say, a top 20 prospect.

Thanks for the post: well-researched, reasoned and full of information I certainly like the changed org approach toward taking the walks. But I wonder if it's for everyone. Robert has a near 10% walk rate this year (way high for him) but has had a poor year overall. (His absence the last few weeks may be a reason the team walk rate is down,) Sosa is an ever improving hitter, but his walk rate is way low. He certainly needs to improve his OBP to be a complete hitter, and that will require more walks; but you don't want to completely mute his aggression. He also has a very reasonable K rate, and more looking-Ks is often a result of looking for more walks. I also like the idea of a couple of hitters in the lineup being "Against the grain" -- not OBP guys.

I don't see how tanking helped the Tigers much. Riley Greene is good, but even he's not elite. Their elite pitcher was drafted in the 9th round. Tanking gives one top pick a year. And even then, most years don't have a slam-dunk/annual all-star prospect. Even if you draft 30th it's like you lost your 1st round pick, but you draft first in rounds 2-20. The Sox didn't start losing intentionally. The players turned sour and they didn't have a group of young players to replace them. Unless you are a big spender, you need youth. While the Crochet trade could be considered tanking, it's a trade frankly I hope the Sox have the guts to make if they are good and the farm isn't...because they won't be good for long if they don't have a constant inflow of youth.

I'll take Williams out of those 2. Helsley has just been miserable this year. Doesn't mean he will be next year, but when you're this bad, I think trade offers are likely to be tepid next July.

19th round pick from 2023...what's the rush? I take it that Connor is not high on the list and they just moved him to AAA because they needed more room at A+/AA?

Vasil should be a starter. Wish Taylor were took, but doesn't look like it. I still think Martin/Cannon/Burke could make good relievers. Stockpile the pitching Getz. Buying relievers at the deadline is bad business.

Skubal should be out of the division for 2027, right on time for the Sox to take over. Sox should be interesting in 2026, but should get really noisy in 2027.

Obviously a positive trade for the Sox. It was a fair deal when made; and so far it looks even better. It was a better balance of perceived quality/quantity than, say, the Sale trade. Sale had the high ranked prospects, but the other 2 pieces were weak. This time, the prospects weren't ranked as high (but were ascending) and the 2 secondary players were both interesting.

Thanks for putting this together. Just bolded some players we could move along from on the 40 man; and some unprotected players that I would consider protecting. I wouldn't want to push all of those bolded guys off, but I would if the alternative was risk of loss of young pitchers. I would definitely protect Peoples. And I wouldn't want to lose Zavala (I realize the chances of him being picked in Rule 5 are small). Dalquist and Kelley probably should be protected as well.

Without looking it up, I was thinking that it might be Davidson, the catcher we took back from Seattle in the Garcia trade. But I'm not sure as I just don't remember a backup catcher at all that season. And speaking of Davidson, I saw him at some point this season; he's on the broadcast crew of some team.

Well they weren't going to get a starting 3B from a contender. But the offseason is a different story. Now I wouldn't make that trade. They both are poor defenders, but I prefer Sosa's steady improvement on offense year after year. Vientos had a nice 2024, but this year it's Sosa 1.3 fWar and .5 fWar for Vientos.

Trade him for Vientos, if true that the Mets like him. Isn't Vargas our 1B? Cannon has really spit the bit this season. Maybe put him the pen (probably Burke and Martin belong there too).

Wilson really had a poor year. I count 12-15 players on the 40-man who really wouldn't be missed. I hope they bring up Palette. I think they're going to have to put him on the 40-man anyway in December.

Getz turned down offers for Civale at the deadline, only to cut him a month later. Use the trading periods, Getz.

Too young. May he rest in peace.

He really isn't. He's hit at every level and improves every year. He doesn't K like Burger. Sox got a declining prospect for Burger. Won't gut much more for Sosa. No reason to trade him now.

Nice W. Leasure certainly has the stones and stuff to close; still inconsistent, though. Need to finish 13-11 to avoid the century. That's not asking for much. Not asking for 20-4. Just a modest 13-11.

2 best pitchers are the Rule 5 picks (albeit 1 indirectly). 2 more this December, please. Vasil should be in the rotation next year, but until then, closer works.

Robert had the best stretch he's had in 2 seasons, the 6 weeks right before the deadline. Hard to see the offers getting better. Now I do think that a lot of GMs see Getz as a punching bag and consider anything less than a rip-off as a loss for them. Getz needs to up his game.

Yankees hit random solo shots. Sox hit random doubles then stranded them. One day...

Just as soon as they become successful major leaguers. So far, the slate is Crochet (and he's really a Hahn/Haber selection) and hopefully Montgomery.

Montgomery, holding my breath he sticks. Earlier this year Taylor and Schultz. Even Cannon and Burke looked like they'd be back of the rotation starters. Some of the apparent busts I guess are bullpen possibilities (Dalquist, Kelley, Palette, et al). There have been a lot of teases. Hoping it all comes together.

Well Bannister was hired by Getz, so I don't expect a change. But Katz wasn't...I wouldn't be surprised to see him go. Shirley wasn't hired by Getz either; never hear any rumblings but using 80% of the draft on Jared Kelley has kept me antsy about him.