bmags

lack of range, lack of arm.

I'm not super optimistic on conforto though, I don't think sox will be able to get past much more than 4/60, that like 4/55-65 seems like their sweet spot for big acquisitions and seems like that puts them in a box of getting DHs/RPs that swim in those contracts. But we'll see. It would be nice if they could pry murphy away... but good luck working with Theo I mean Beane I mean Stearns I mean

Obviously trading a reliever for cost controlled infielder is good, though I really wonder if we'll ever see power from lux, and I think it's most likely he's just a normie.

He was really miserable in the first half, but he had a 6 week downtime with a hamstring injury. His power was just gone. WAs it because of that? I don't know. But his second-half was better, his slugging returned to .450. And through both slump and non-slump he kept a .340 obp. I don't know what the guy's market is, but I kinda see this as when the dodgers signed pollock. Feels like we really need this guy for this team.

I think age is a big diff here, as well as much less exciting cuban league track record. The idea with him was he remade his body, and he did hit for more power than in Cuba. But there is reason for doubt here.

scary as hell that former mets are the key to our improvement, however, I think soxtalk is right. conforto is a high obp lefthanded outfielder And if they sign baez, there is a possibility of a buy low on Mcneil. I don't think that's likely, as he'd probably be 3b. But of potential 2b that provide what this lineup needs, man conforto/mcneil stick out.

I was very nervous about conforto but I think that is a no brainer addition. Realistically, cesar or leury are the most sensible 2b for us. They are good defensively. Cesar actually doesn't chase. He was so bad it was painful, but we really should have a switch hitter here, and he has the benefit over leury of not swinging at everything. This solves problems without shooting us in the foot in another place.

The excitement over getting a veteran LH hitting 2b or RF will be shortlived after viewing the list. Grandal offers plus LHH out of (ostensibly) the catcher position. Sheets, if the sox believe in him, provides DH LH power. The sox have two options to diversify offensively: - Add players with strong chase rates, bringing in much more discipline to our hitting - Add more left handed hitters - Ideally do this with defense For RF and 2b, the available players bringing plus defense and strong discipline (notice, they still K, they just don't chase) would be Mark Canha and using Chris Taylor as a 2b, and relying on a Romy to also be a leury. Chris Taylor Ks a lot, he walks a lot, he doesn't crush the ball but he makes good contact. He also doesn't hit ground balls a lot, only 35%. Mark Canha Ks less, walks more (12%). doesn't chase, and definitely has polarizing defensive metrics but OAA has him +2 in RF. He hits fewer Ground balls. Both of them are right handed Obviously, Eminor3d's RF he mentioned from JApan fits the bill in many of these, hopefully. Lefthanded hitters? - Well for 2b, you have a bunch of switch hitters. Escobar, Hernandez, Leury Garcia, Freddy Galvis. Basically Leury was the best hitter vs. RHP. Galvis, Escobar, Hernandez should be defensive upgrades. Jonathan Villar could play 2b, if you'd like that. - Outfield? You have Michael Conforto, the young...bounce back candidate. Joc Pederson, whom if you hated him for his splits maybe you like that he's average vs both this year? Now, starling marte does crush RHP despite being RH. But he's 33, and he would be the sox probably last big money spend if they get him. Who do you feel good about getting you Grandals power, walks and switch hitting? Who is the catcher you are signing?

For as process-poor as Sox have often been in last 15 years, it is nice know we still are a “Kenny Williams at a showcase” away from being surprising players for a guy like this.

Normally I'm out on most of the guys you bring up as posting (though I love the posts), I'm very in here. Does he hit the ball on the ground ?

It's like reading early 2000 forward chain letters

Abrams is a good prospect but he only completed half a season at AA and then broke his leg. It was a good season, but it wasn't amazing given the league. If this prevents shoring up additional pitching I think it's a bit too all or nothing. But I get the idea. I do wonder if you half-life Hosmers contract at what point is he fine. He goes down to $13 mill next year. I'm assuming at 6-7 million he becomes a decent possibility. But the most hilarious thing about Hosmer is his fielding metrics are horrendous now. Like maybe a team like boston goes cheaper at 1b and takes Hosmer if he was a good defensive player, and likes his LH bat in fenway, but meh.

yeah pretty annoyed.

Ohh I wasn't even thinking for sox sales. I mean if phils would be interested in a Kimbrel for Segura swap, freeing the position to go after a top IFer like Semien while locking down the bullpen. He has stuff that is good (high contact) but stuff that is bad (also very groundball heavy). But their salary matches and he has 1 year left on his deal.

Scherzers spittle is actually regenerative.

Yanks will swim in same waters as us apparently.

what teams do we think are offseason sellers? It may be a tough offseason to buy via trades. AL Buyers (or "not sellers") in my estimation: Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Blue Jays Tigers, Sox, Royals (in their own way) Mariners, Angels NL Buyers: Mets, Braves, Phillies Brewers, Cards, Reds I would say aren't "sellers" Giants, Dodgers, Padres And the talent on the rangers, dbacks, pirates, orioles is now atrocious. Weird year. So I guess if you are someone who thinks there could be ML player for ML player swaps, this would be the year.

crazy. I'm 150,000% team scherzer. I like Semien though.

That's true, he does give you some more professional ABs by chasing fewer pitches than our team does on average. But he definitely feasts on FBs.

Yes, Zaidi is clearly very good at PD. If you aren't imitating him, you should be less confident. The stuff on their batting practice vs heavy sliders instead of cookie fastballs is not groundbreaking but something this team especially needs to find new ways to work in. It feels like all of our hitters have gravitated to the same place.

I know offense is more fun, but genuinely interested in understanding where this board thinks the biggest impact would be, knowing that neither will happen.

I do think there is quite a bit more juice to squeeze out of the talent of this roster through player development and coaching. The sox have really leaned into some volatile players and played into their strengths and lived with their weaknesses. But now we see how magnified some of these weaknesses can become. Especially the wildness when we face more disciplined teams. For pitching though, I think we do need to diversify with some different pitcher types. I hope players like Marshall bounce back, because we miss some different look guys, but we had so few that could throw a damn strike. Thank goodness for Tepera. Pretty much every team in the playoffs has the discipline to say "okay we'll be able to hold off on your off speed and go after fastballs" and the velo did nothing. When they sat fastball they could hit it. But with hitting...there is no way some of these players need to be as GB heavy as they are. I think with TIm...he probably will be. But anyone else...sox need to help them. I don't think we need to bring in hitters specifically who elevate, but if the sox think they need to bring in josh donaldson to teach our hitters how to...then what are we doing here.

9 2b being available at the trade deadline is more than any other position save RP, and whatever odds you are discussing aren't any better in Free Agency or trade currently, so going to bat for a promising 2b prospect who showed versatility and power makes sense when money is valuable.

I think he's a victim to the garpax strategy of "throw a lot of young talent together with poor coaching and see what sticks". Even last year, there was a lot of priority put in trying to find White and Lauri's fit, and guys like Gafford and WCJ to me suffered because they are guys who as big guys can thrive earlier on a team with defined roles. Well on the bulls everyone was defining their role. I'm not sure Donovan's "prove it" strategy where he basically asked WCJ and Gafford to be the version of themselves where they would be a lead in the offense brought out the best in them, and they did pretty damn well post-bulls. But whatever, still hopeful we find something interesting out of Troy Brown Jr.

Yes, should not be hard to add a reasonable 2b at the deadline. The 2b additions did reasonably well Using OPS+ since fangraphs maddeningly never splits out team additions like baseball ref does Harrison on As - 79 Escobar on Brewers - 113 Turner on Dodgers - 152 Schoop (unmoved) - 95 ( ish) Iglesias on Red Sox - 142 Baez on Mets - 141 Frazier on Padres - 86 Story (unmoved) - 120 (ish) Hernandez on White Sox - 69 (nice) Red sox acquired Schwarber (154 OPS+) for their 19th ranked relief prospect and picked up Iglesias off of waivers. Better scouting is needed, but how much are we willing to pay? The true upgrades will require substantial cost. If they go for a top guy like Semien, I'm all ears. But if you were to throw a bucket of escobar, leury, iglesias, galvis, etc in a bowl, I wouldn't say with certainty anyone provides meaningful upgrades over what the sox got out of Leury this year. And I think it's reasonable Romy could pace that on 550k. And if he doesn't, go trade for Jose Iglesias again, nobody seems to want his very good production plus defense ever.