BamaDoc

Think you mean 7/21

Kinda surprised unless done as a favor to him. Had been pitching well of late except one outing. With teams looking for pen help hoped we could have gotten low level prospect or international pool money.

Anything this year is a bonus. Just let him get his head straight that he is healthy. Put him on an inning every third or fourth day which is a lot easier in minors.

I had posted about him awhile back. If we sell, I wouldn't mind seeing him get one spot for 20 plus games and see if being in every day helps his hitting. He appeared to hit in minors better when playing regular which isn't shocking for a youngster.

QUOTE (LDF @ Jul 7, 2015 -> 06:20 PM) the problem is, these kids know nothing else but playing ball. it is the wisdom of these, who set up these complexes to think of the common good. wasn't there some kind of issue that was brought up in the offseason about this?? If you have an academy type setting you could also have school. These are very young kids. Teach them english, it would help them if they come over and being bilingual would help those that don't make it have a skill in the tourism industry.

Awesome. great questions and follow ups

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Jun 27, 2015 -> 05:17 PM) http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/splits/_/id/6219/zach-duke If they can't find a single reliever who can limit lefties to under an 800 ops for under $5 million they're doomed anyway. Jennings was known for reverse splits vs lefties or at least not destroying them so if someone was looking for a lefty I would be happy to oblige and send them him and try Philips or someone else as a LOOGY.

Something to think about. We have Jennings and Albers completing rehab assignments. Matt Lindstrom was awful at the start of this year but now in his last 8 games 10.2 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 9ks. Some others with solid numbers as well. Several teams are looking for bullpen help and we look like we may have a surplus. Guerra could go back down maybe Carrol or someone could get moved. Just hopeful we could get an asset from a surplus. I realize no earth shaking return is likely but may be first place something happens.

QUOTE (shysocks @ Jun 24, 2015 -> 05:44 PM) Whatever the Sox decide, I think we can all agree that the best approach would be to keep yanking the two of them around between Charlotte and Chicago at irregular intervals. Sanchez was hitting a ton at AAA, then cooled of before getting promoted. Not great timing. Retrospect wish he started the season up while Johnson worked on d in minors. Now would be switch time in that scenario or two weeks ago. I have no prob with Bonafacio getting phantom injury and have Johnson come up and Sanchez play late for d

Thanks all for responses. I had thought about him managing but there I could see lack of MLB experience making it harder. Multi millionaires may have a hard time buying in. I came up with player selection and development being a better role. It's what they already do all the time. Dick Allen: Thats part of my point. Would someone like Corbin be better at identifying who can teach it and who can learn it? Caufield12: I agree that you would have to have sweeping significant change throughout the system so therefore it would not be without huge risk. Perhaps as you move up the minors you could have a increase in ex MLB players coaches to fine tune or polish prospects. If you think about it, the lowest levels are where the most teaching needs to be done and biggest personal adjustments are going on like guys first time away from home or living in a new country. The lowest levels are where the first time coaches are sent. First time coaches are learning how to coach and may be least equipped to handle anything. My lowest levels would often have the best and veteran teachers, it's where you learn to do it our way. Young coaches could be there but also for them to learn how we do it from vet coaches. Not to pick on a player but Micah came into our system in 2012 and has moved up from rookie league. You/he should be taught and learn.

I watched last night CWS games and started thinking outside the box. I know it wouldn't be done due to egos and the risks/embarrassment of failure but look at Vanderbilt pre Corbin. Vandy was a program with no history and one of the greatest disadvantages in recruiting there could be. Many of you may not realize that most baseball scholarships are fractions of a full ride. At Vandy if you are on a third or half ride you must come up with the rest of the money. That extra is often 20-30k just in tuition. That cost severely limits your player pool. Academic requirements are substantial and most academic scholarships start with needing about 32 on an ACT. Yet he has built a very solid program all while the MLB raids his roster and recruiting class. They play smart aggressive baseball. They develop pitchers and hitters. I would consider hiring someone like that to run my minor league system. I think the minors are much more like college than MLB. You are dealing with developing players and dealing with kids away from home and life problems. I would seriously consider a guy like Corbin and give him a huge say in hiring scouts and instructors. So often scouts and instructors are former MLB players or failed minor leaguers who seem to have little qualifications. There is a place for people who have MLB experience but not in an organizational nepotistic way. Imagine guys developing. Coming up and able to hit behind runners, execute a bunt when called for, knowing how to play defense. Playing smart.

I guess the only positive is we aren't the ones paying Reed 4.9 million. Heck if they release him……..Coop will fix him

Pulling my hair looking for offense. Kottaras hits lefty experienced/old at 32 could he help. His career major OPS better than what we are getting but know nothing of his defense or game calling? Could he at least be part of platoon? Leury Garcia, the guy I least wanted on the team this year. Has cooled off as Johnson and Saladino getting most of at bats. When playing regularly was hitting around .300. No pop but if you wanted to let Johnson continue to work on defense, could you bring him up for a couple weeks and bat him ninth and leave him alone. Could he hit worse than Sanchez? He has in past but he played irregularly and maybe he needs not to sit and think to much or looses rhythm easily. Play him at second every day at AAA for a week to get rhythm and what have we got to lose? Can't believe I am putting Garcia as a possible offense upgrade.

With so many guys signing and Fulmer unable to sign due to still playing, it makes me think they have a deal in place and just can't announce it.

Eaton, Melky, Abreu, Alexi at my last look were all 100-150 OPS below projections/last yr/career avg. Oddly LaRoche , Conner, Flowers were pretty much at projections yet they get all the grief. This is a team thing, hopefully they come out of it together but we all see guys pressing and trying to hit five run homers.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ May 23, 2015 -> 02:54 PM) He asked out and was denied? Ridiculous. No Monday after walking (non swing) in the ninth inning he got to first and asked out.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ May 23, 2015 -> 01:11 AM) I agree, said so at the time, and now emit a loud "sigh" aimed at the person making the lineups who didn't do that. Same thing I suggested pre game after he had to come out. It is one of the things I thought Ozzie handled well, keeping guys problems small not letting them get bigger. I understand if we were last two weeks in contention but were not there. Oz was good about keeping them out a game after they said they were good to go just to protect the player from himself. I am not advocating anything re oz just an example of different style

QUOTE (chw42 @ May 19, 2015 -> 06:57 PM) Avi had knee inflammation? I thought it was something in his back. With Avi tweaked and a right-hander starting is it a good time to rest him and start Shuck?

Shark at 100 pitches and struggled today but had a 123inning. Bring back or call it a day? I take out.

We work Kazmir's pitch count and Otero gets 5 outs with 12 pitches.

Logical guy to go but I think he may be successful.

Interesting thought but I remember the days of Herb Washington. Herb may be a great guy but in two years and 105 games he never had a plate appearance. I am in favor of baseball players having baseball skills not further specialization. I believe in platooning and match ups but there should be a trade off involved i.e. less flexibility later in the game. It is part of the beauty of the game and I am hoping that the versatile player like a Zobrist or even a Bonifacio is appreciated over players who are strictly one dimensional. There should be a price to pay for lineups with a slow, high strikeout, poor defense power only hitters. There is value beyond just stats for the rubber armed reliever who can pitch multiple days or give you several innings or spot start. He protects the rest of the pitching staff. We have historic rates for lack of contact and the ability to do the little things especially on defense.

With the budget being exceeded and a lot of new players, we may be at the point of owners wanting to see how this team comes together. If it is in contention or playing well you may add a further piece during the season. If it was your money, it wouldn't be unreasonable to say "lets see how this is working out'' before dropping further big bucks.

Could it be the winning team isn't really that excited about winning the bid and is slow playing the whole scenario? If you announce it with fanfare you are under pressure to get a deal done.

Crawford makes sense if you use the DH as a rotating rest spot so he could play left and DH. OPS .767 last year with nearly equal L/R splits. Owed 62 over 3 years. The Dodgers could also use a #5 and Danks fits in terms of dollars and in moving to NL I think he can perform. Owed 29 over two so a difference of 33 million. I would want both Pedro Baez and Yimi Garcia as young cost controlled relievers and about 20 in cash. We can leverage our payroll flexibility to acquire young ready talent with the "bad contract".