hogan873

Lopez was one of the bright spots last year. He showed flashes of being an exceptional pitcher, and pitched well overall. As you pointed out, he's young and has plenty of room to grow. I would expect a stronger year from him in 2019.

Moncada will have a much better year, and his move to 3rd base will make him even more valuable. I feel that he'll be a perennial 20/20 guy, possibly hitting 30+ HRs eventually. He needs to be more aggressive and swing at the close pitches, especially when he's down in the count. I think that is he can hit .260+ this year, he'll continue to get better. I think Luis Robert has the potential to be a superstar. His speed alone is going to make him a menace for other teams. He's shown that he has huge raw power. That HR he hit the other day looked like he barely swung the bat. If he lives up to his potential, he'll be a force. If he lives up to some of his potential, he'll still be a difference maker. Like Robert, I think Eloy can be a star. Obviously doesn't have the speed or defensive tools that Robert has, but the hit and power tools are scary. He's another one that has to realize just some of his potential to be good. I don't know enough about a lot of the other guys. But I like Madrigal's chances to be a solid second baseman for the Sox. This year will be very telling for a good number of the prospects.

The criticism is obviously getting to them. KW comes out and days something, but he says the wrong thing. Like, totally wrong. Hahn seems to speak a little more honestly, but he's still not saying anything that is going to make the fans respect them more. If they were not willing to spend what was necessary from the beginning, then they shouldn't have said anything eluding to them pursuing one of the big two.

Ultimately I think it comes down to Jerry not authorizing the money. But KW needs to shut the hell up. Stop with the whining about how the Sox are perceived and do something about it.

I'm not happy with the front office and their failure to sign one of the big two. However, I watch the games for the players. I'll still watch as many games as possible, and I'll go to a game or two. I have more Sox stuff in my closet than anything else, and that won't change. I don't have as high hopes as I did a few months ago, but I'm still excited to see what our prospects can do.

Three year opt out, too.

But over 10 years?

I guess they're spending their stupid money. Thank god it's over.

Not really called a squad. I guess we just say it's the 25-man roster, or the "25-man". Even though the roster is finalized the day before, we know most of who will make it now, and we'll know all but a spot or two several days before opening day.

I think that when he finally does sign, the deal will be more than we think the Sox should offer. If he ends up signing for 10/$330 or less, that will be concerning...unless he takes less to play in LA.

That definitely won't get it done. He's probably going to end up getting about $70M more than that.

Remember a month or so ago when it was speculated that this could drag into March and we scoffed at the idea. Well, here we are. Something's gotta give soon...hopefully.

I really enjoyed it, too. As a huge Queen fan myself, I loved the music. Rami Malek did an outstanding job re-enacting everything for the live performances. I know there were some inaccuracies in the story, but it was a very good movie.

Give him a "swell-opt" opportunity after every game. "Dude, I'm gonna need more money to play with these clowns tomorrow."

There's absolutely no reason the Sox shouldn't be trying to sign Harper. The deafening silence from the Sox means they are either working quietly to do so or not doing anything. I'm hopeful for the former but prepared for the latter.

I was talking about the Sox, not the Phillies. We don't know anything about any offers to Harper from the Sox (if there are any). In regards to the Sox reportedly not offering an opt out (according to Levine), it was later reported that the Sox are NOT against opt outs.

That supposition was shot down after Levine reported it in regards to the Machado negotiations. I would think they will offer opt outs if they are serious about trying to sign Harper. I do wonder, though, if they would be willing to offer one at 3 years.

I never really thought Arenado would have been an option for the Sox. I expected him to re-sign with the Rockies or for someone else to pay him big. The extension now was a bit of a surprise, and it's great for him and the Rockies. Puts more pressure on teams like the Sox to make moves. Hopefully they are pushing hard for Harper.

I took shack's post of the door being wide open to mean that it was wide open for the Sox, meaning they could offer enough to be the high bidder. The walking slowly towards the door makes me scratch my head, though. Does it mean the Sox are approaching Harper with a deal, or is Harper approaching the Sox because they have made a great offer?

Hey! I have gray in my beard, and I'm...oh wait. I'm old as fuck.

Only speculation, but they might be willing to guarantee more for Harper for two reasons: 1) They were always willing to guarantee more for Harper if he ended up being their main target. 2) They are willing to guarantee more for Harper because of what happened with Machado. Personally I think Harper does more for the team from a marketing standpoint, and he may be worth more because of that. Regardless, I hope the subtle potential bombs from yesterday actually mean something. I do think the Sox are more involved with Harper than we're being led to believe. They were obviously interested in him from the beginning, so I don't know why they would be out now.

You can most likely have both. This disappointment won't be quite as crushing, but it will still hurt.

Thank God baseball is back. I know it's very early spring training, but seeing what some of these guys are doing so far is exciting. I hope Robert can stay healthly, because he could be something special.

The Sox, if they actually are still in on Harper, are the only AL team to be interested. Could that possibly be a bit of a factor for Harper? He could slide into a 1B/DH role eventually. There could be more flexibility with an AL team. Unless, of course, the NL does adopt the DH.

I like Palka a lot...as a hitter. But you're right about the defense. That's why I wouldn't be against adding someone...only if the price was low.