hogan873

Not a peep from the meeting today so far. Hopefully that's a good sign that they're actually negotiating instead of sticking their tongues out at each other. It will be interesting to hear what kind of progress was made.

Good news. Makes the games more watchable, cuts down on risk to pitchers, and gives more guys an opportunity to play.

Both sides are going to sit in the corner, arms crossed, holding their breath until they get what they want. No consideration for the fans. I get there are legitimate gripes on both ends, but all we hear is how far apart they are on some key issues. And every meeting that happens, there's little to no movement. If either or both sides really want to get the season going on time, they'd have meaningful, constructive meetings and get it figured out. They have no interest in doing so right now.

The first half of season of Ozark is great. Episode 7 was fantastic. Can't wait for the second half. And holy crap, Peacemaker is a lot of fun. Perfect mix of action and humor. John Cena is perfect in the role.

Should be pretty wild. Hopefully the Sox get involved.

Reading on a Kindle is very convenient, and I read most books that way. But there is something about reading an actual book. I'll still grab one from the library once in a while.

I primarily read fiction, but I've read some non-fiction lately. Douglas Preston's The Lost City of the Monkey God is one of my favorites.

It's very good. I didn't know what to expect, even with the nearly 100% positive reviews. It jumps around in time a lot, but it will at least tell you what year it is (in pandemic years with 2020 being year zero). The bulk of the story takes place in 2040 (year 20), but there's a ton of flashback and character detail. I was surprised at how much I enjoy it.

Just started Bad Blood, the story of the Theranos start-up that scammed hundreds of millions of dollars from investors. Pretty fascinating so far, and it's written almost like a thriller. I didn't know much about Theranos until I saw there is going to be a series on Hulu and a movie on Apple coming out this year. I figured I'd read the book first. So far, I'm really enjoying it.

I read that they did away with the confusing out-of-sequence time jumps from the first season. At the very end of the first season it all came together, and we realized that the story was told out of sequence, and it made sense. But it was probably over done.

Watching Invasion on Apple+. It was panned by critics and audiences complained it was too slow. I'm actually really enjoying it. I like the slow build and not seeing the aliens right away. The character building it decent, although not many of the characters are likable. I find this to be pretty realistic, though, with people being selfish and motivated to do what's best for them when disaster strikes. Station Eleven on HBO Max is very good. I didn't know what to expect based on the description, and I didn't know if I was ready to watch a show about a pandemic. But, the show does a nice job of jumping around it time showing how the pandemic unfolded and then how life is after (decades into the future). The second season of The Witcher is awesome. So far, it's even more fun than the first season while expanding on the universe.

There's been essentially no news on negotiations, and I don't expect to hear much until after the new year. I hope they get to work and hammer out an agreement early so we don't lose any games next season.

I'm a fan. I also picked up a bottle of Evan Williams egg nog, made with bourbon. It is quite good.

I'm not going to pretend to know all of what is being bargained over. I would think most of us don't know much more than the obvious. As far as supporting one side or the other, I don't know...or care really. Both sides will be at fault for a work stoppage. It was obvious, to me at least, that neither side cared much what the fans thought when they squabbled over when to start the 2020 season. I'm just hoping for a quick resolution to this and there being no effect on when the 2022 season will start. I do hope a few things come out of this, including the universal DH, expanded playoffs, and a salary floor.

That would make sense. And maybe that is what they're aiming to do. I think if the Sox offered the Kimbrel/Segura swap, the Phillies may have already agreed to that. Regardless, I don't see Kimbrel being a part of the 2022 Sox.

Segura is better than Hernandez. Not $10 million better, but he's been much more valuable over the years. His WAR is 14 better than Cesar's with about 1000 more plate appearances. I'd be okay with a Kimbrel for Segura swap. Not the perfect fit, but he'd definitely fill the hole at 2B well enough.

From a few years ago, but I'm halfway through the second and unfortunately last season of The Knick. A fantastic show about a very interesting time in medical history. Clive Owen's character is one of the best in TV history.

This is fine. As I, and others, have mentioned, the three years is a bit weird, but the $ per year is acceptable for what Leury brings to the team.

Leury is quite valuable as a utility player. He can play every OF position and just about every IF position. As long as he continues to be used as a super sub, I'm fine with having him back. The 3-year deal is a bit unexpected, but as long as the $ is lower, I'm fine with this.

Right after the news of Gomes' signing, he tweeted an four airplane emojis, showing it taking off and landing. The comments to the tweet seem to indicate he's expecting to be traded and/or wanting to be traded.

https://twitter.com/ken_rosenthal/status/1465717056142299137?s=21 And Contreras doesn’t seem happy about it.

If he can go somewhere and be a closer, my guess is that he'll rebound and be worth what he's getting paid. As a floundering set-up man, he'll be way overpaid. I just don't see how he's not traded.

Probably referring to the amount of money those guys were owed when they were older than Baez will be at the end of this contract. However, talent-wise there's no comparison.

Barring a crazy day of signings (which is still possible), there will be plenty of quality free agents hanging in limbo after today. Who knows how long it will be before a new CBA is agreed upon. Guys like Conforto, Castellanos, Freeman, Rizzo, Correa, Story, and a bunch of pitchers will be flying off the shelves once FAs can be signed again. I'd be really surprised if a few of a big ones aren't signed today.

I did not expect the Sox to be in on Seager, Scherzer, or even Semien (considering the length of contract he was going to get), but it's just frustrating seeing all these moves being made and rumors flying everywhere and not hearing a damn peep about the Sox. If they don't get anything of substance done by tomorrow, it's going to be a long, frustrating winter waiting for a new CBA before anything else happens. The team is worse than it was at the end of the season. Two major holes at 2B and RF and a significant gap at SP. And other teams in the AL are getting better by the minute. Not addressing at least one need before Wednesday would be very discouraging and pretty inexcusable.