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Even if they do show up which I suspect will happen given their track records, however much offense we gain we could just as likely lose if Eaton gets nagging injuries, Mercedes becomes human and Robert is MIA. If the Sox need more HR's take a shot at Sam Hilliard and see what the Rockies want for him rather than Tapia. Big time pop but 27 and not on the Rockies 25 atm , has shown flashes of being good but one of those big time K bats. Can play any OF position and is LH.

SO does that mean we are in the middle of our window now and how long is the back end going to last if we keep kicking the can down the road ? 2023 ?

People have been talking about extending Vaughn and Lynn for months . Many thought Vaughn would be extended before the season started. I said he wouldn't. May be the only one who said it. Why wouldn't Lynn test free agency ? Because JR is such a generous owner ?

In one respect i suppose you could say it's knee jerk but as a very long time Sox fan it's also not knee jerk. I have observed how JR runs the team. The Sox have never had 2 seasons in a row of making the playoffs and if we miss them this year the record is still in tact. It's typical of the Sox front office to keep kicking the can down the road and we as fans start agreeing with it. I wanted to maximize the window last year and get Lynn at the trade deadline. Ok Lost in the playoff. Everyone said it wasn't our year anyway. Fast forward to this year. Injuries taking a big chunk out of the team but let's just wait and see how it goes. Ok fine, we're kicking that can again in a year that the starting pitching might be the best we get for the whole window . How long does it take for everyone to realize that you are buying right into JR's M.O ?

I don't think it is. They will lose a certainty after this year in Lynn so they need a certainty in return. You think it's Kopech. I think it could be Kopech . You could be right but I'd rather be more certain. The Dodgers can afford to lose in the playoffs because they are in them almost every year and eventually that pays off in a World Series win. The Sox rarely make the playoffs and certainly don't spend like the Dodgers. Our playoff appearances are rare gems that need to be polished and taken advantage of with a World Series win in the short window the Sox are going to have. All this talk about the future and selling out for this year means nothing. How often do we as fans get sold a bill of goods about the future and we still haven't had 2 playoff appearances in a row. Time for people who care about winning to wise up, grab the brass ring while you're still on the merry-go round, because if the past leadership of JR is any indication we won't be on the ride long.

But the question still remains is that good enough to win a World Series ? I know you just enjoy baseball and winning is secondary but the goal for most here is to win a World Series and established quality pitching, barring injury as you say, are much more likely to provide, well, certainty , rather than 3 of the 4 you named being, for lack of a better word, uncertainties.

Let's hope by then it isn't too little too late and it's more meaningful than a token gesture.

I took that into consideration with my "how confident are you that the Sox have the best offer" comment, because if you make that offer that means you already are willing to take on the salary.

I guess we will have to see today Robert's prognosis before discussing this more. Just remember Engel was on the 10 day IL and his return has been delayed more than a month after that. The Sox will be very cautious with him .

Bryant will be much sought after. The Cubs will wait until the trade deadline and take the best offer. How confident are you the Sox have the best offer and that the Cubs actually trade him to the Sox ?

I'm open to your suggestions. When Eloy comes back you have 2 DH's and a 1st baseman playing LF. Not terribly versatile and a detriment for going deep into the playoffs and a bigger one for the World Series.

Keuchel will be 34, Cease has one good start this year and Kopech will be in his 1st year of starting . How confident are you in the Sox finding a #2 starting pitcher . FA ? Trade ? That's what you will need to make a World Series next year and that's only if Cease can become good and Kopech can be good starting for a whole season. Too may variables.

I'm the 1st one to say it's a long season and even said the Robert injury could be a blessing in disguise just as the Eloy injury has been so far in providing opportunities to Vaughn and Mercedes. But it's one thing to lose a power hitting, bad fielding, injury prone OF and yet another to lose your best defensive and perhaps the most valuable player overall along with Eloy for an extended period of time. I know what I have been proposing is out there but I'm trying to figure out what can realistically be done to save this season because it could also go south very quickly. I'd like some other suggestions then besides mine to make the team better in the immediate future besides just hoping the Sox can survive. That way I don't have to feel the brunt of Tapia sucks, I don't trust Mercedes, Eloy is the future, let's wait it out stuff.

That's a good point but I'm expecting no less than a month and that's being optimistic.,

It's never just one starter. It hasn't been in the last 2 years and it wont be next yr. The Sox lucked into Rodon being good. Resigning Lynn would help but how likely is that ? And who actually wants to sign him at his age for 2 or 3 more seasons ?

So get more for him or miss the playoffs this year. Pretty simple. Maybe you rather trade Vaughn or are fine with missing the playoffs again and wasting the good group of starting pitching we have. Either decide to try something drastic or remember that you wanted to play for the future when they waste another year.

So you trade Vaughn for a significant upgrade or you trade Eloy ? Mercedes is no use to an NL team. Trade pitching prospects when Rodon and Lynn are gone next yr and Keuchel is another year older ?

And the window gets smaller and smaller every year. Last year was a playoff team they choose not to mortgage the future for. This year is a playoff team that is being derailed by injuries so hey dont mortgage the future again. There's always 22, 23 while Keuchel gets older, Lynn is gone, Rodon is gone. Kopech steps right into the rotation but who else ?

Define terrible. He's currently worth.3- .5 WAR depending if its bWAr or FWar. Is anyone in the Sox current group of OF's worth that ?

I agree but it's also less then ideal throwing this season away when the starting pitching might be the best we have in the rebuild window. How confident are you that this is a playoff team without Robert and Eloy for 2-3 months.

Ok I can accept that. I did ask at one point if Eloy was worth more than Tapia since he was injured. If that's the case I still prefer for this not to be a lost season if both Eloy and Robert are out another 2 months or more with the starting pitching looking good. Once the Sox fall below .500 or have more injuries and miss the playoffs maybe then you change your mind once we start hearing "wait til next year" once again. It's perfect for JR to keep stringing this along.

He's an injured player now and a big injury risk moving forward . Tapia's no superstar but Eloy is no great WAR producer . Because of Tapia's speed and hit tool he's worth.3-.5 WAR so far this season. I suppose I am over hyping him because I imagine a .300 hitter with speed and versatile enough to play all 3 OF positions, sort of like a Tim Anderson type who provides much better OF depth. If you think Eloy is worth more than him you just answered my question if the Sox could get more than Tapia for him. Right now I'd rather take my chances on Mercedes and Vaughn and add another piece who will help in the playoffs and with depth and team speed than I am waiting around for Eloy and see what the Sox will do with him Vaughn and Mercedes, a group of either 3 DH's or 1 LF and 2 DH's.

I agree as you can see by my last sentence right after the part you bolded, but do the Sox agree ?

No a real trade. Tapia is a good offensive and defensive player with a lot of speed and a great hit tool who can play all 3 OF positions. What is Eloy to the Sox right now. Nothing. What is he when he comes back ? a DH ? Our LF ? What happens with Vaughn and Mercedes ? I'd rather have a good OF who can hit with speed now than replace Vaughn or Merdedes if they both continue to hit well.

A savior who said that ? I think he's the obvious choice in CF now between Hamilton, Leury and Luis Gonzalez.