Lillian

He looks so small, in this interview: https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/video/how-golden-spikes-award-winner-andrew-vaughn-developed-his-power It's hard to believe that he is 5' 11" and 208 pounds. He looks much smaller than that. Perhaps he has a very strong lower body.

Doesn't the loss of a Draft pick only affect teams, which aren't picking in the top 10?

Vaughn won the Golden Spikes Player of the Year Award, as a sophomore. If he has a junior year anything close to last year, he'll be my pick, if he makes it to #3. The most intriguing thing to me is that he only struck out 18 times, while hitting 23 homers. I don't care if he hits a few less round trippers, as long as he continues to not strike out. After this season's horrible team strike out total, having Madrigal and Vaughn in a future lineup would be a refreshing change. Here is something to think about: He also pitched and is reputed to be an outstanding defensive first baseman. One has to wonder if he could play third. He has the arm and good hands. Whether, or not, he has the quickness, needed for the hot corner, is uncertain, but it's worth considering. I just searched images of him and I am surprised to see how small he looks. I thought that he would be a stronger looking guy, even if he is only reported to be 5' 11". Frankly, I doubt that he's that tall. He must have very strong hands and wrist. We'll, if Mookie Betts, Bregman and Jose Ramirez can hit all of those home runs, I guess maybe it doesn't matter. None of them are big guys either.

I would go: 1) Rutschman 2) Vaughn 3) Jung

So, you would pick Adley Rutschman one and Langeliers two, correct? Who would be #3?

Ok, so who are your top 3 picks, in order? I know it's way too early, but I'm curious.

I will be shocked if he is non-tendered. It is more likely that he comes back healthy, after knee surgery, and starts the season in RF. No one is ready to replace him there, and he does not have enough trade value, for that scenario.

You may be right about his power not being quite as outstanding as it appears, based on last year's output. However, his .400 average, .531 OBP, with just 18 strike outs, argue for a very complete hitter. How many college guys ever have that kind of run production, while almost never striking out? To me, the best comp might be Joey Votto, from the right side of the plate.

Is there anything about the pitching in the PAC 12 that diminishes Vaughn's numbers? They are astounding. A home run in every 8.6 at bats. 23 homers and 18 strike outs!!!! A 9% strike out rate. 63 RBI's in 54 games. Yikes!! I don't care what position he plays, and oddly enough the Sox don't really have that much depth at that position. If he has another big year, In 2019, and if he's available at #3, it's hard to imagine passing on that kind of bat.

Down 8 to 1, so it looks like the Sox will clinch the 3RD pick, tonight.

Is there a third option? How about neither? I'm not inclined to favor spending that much money on one player, when the front office doesn't yet know what they have. Since most everyone here seems to feel that the loss of Kopech, means that they won't be competitive next year, maybe it makes sense to just play out the season, and see what they have for 2020, when that highly vaunted competitive window opens. The hints have already been dropped, that Moncada is headed for 3B, to make room for Madrigal, whose only real viable position is 2ND. Anderson is pegged as the SS, for the foreseeable future. That crowded outfield poses lots of questions. Eloy and Robert can both reasonably be expected to be there and to be core pieces. That only leaves one corner outfield spot for one of Adolfo, Rutherford, Walker, Basabe, or Gonzalez, assuming of course, that Avi is not retained, which might be a mistake. It looks like they might have found a LH DH in Palka. A second season, and a full one, might reveal what they really have in him. Will he turn out to be a flash in the pan, or a guy who hits 35 to 40 Home runs, with lots of RBI's, including in clutch situations? First Base? My guess is that Eloy ends up there, ultimately. It might be a good spot for Palka, if he becomes part of the future. It's the easiest position to fill. There are always decent hitting first basemen, who can provide adequate defense. Many here have suggested that Abreu wouldn't even net a couple of good prospects. If a hole should emerge there, it shouldn't be that difficult to fill it. Catching now has some depth, with Collins, Narvaez, Zavala and maybe Adley Rutschman, especially if the Sox end up with the 3RD pick. You can even include Smith. I imagine that they will trade Castillo. The way today's pitchers all seem to be made out of fragile glass arms, that break when put under the tremendous strain of pitching 6 innings, every 5TH day, maybe the front office should just spend all of the money on pitchers, in hopes that they can find 5 starters, who can survive a full season. At any rate, I think it's too soon to commit to a 10 year, $350 to $400 million contract for one player, to fill a hole, which may not exist.

Regarding Shields: There really is no basis for expecting that he will revert back to his 2017 performance. He made a significant adjustment in his approach and delivery and it has helped him to "reinvent" himself. Watching him this season, it is obvious that he is a completely different kind of pitcher now. If he stays healthy, there is no reason that he can't continue to do what he did this season. It doesn't make him a top, or middle of the rotation starter, but it certainly qualifies him, as an innings eating, 5TH starter.

If you're anything like me, watching him and the hitters' reactions, is more revealing than the box score. I don't care whom he was facing, his pitches look very nasty.

I'm not trying to be a "smart aleck," and I don't know exactly what to think of Covey, myself. However, I'm just wondering if you have reconsidered your assessment of his future, with the Sox. One has to be impressed with his stuff. If he can learn to be consistent, it seems that he is certainly at least a legitimate 5TH starter, on a good staff. This seems to be an important question to answer, as he could really help fill out next year's rotation, while the Sox wait for Kopech, Cease and Dunning, in 2020.

I really like Dylan's stuff. It's a shame that he isn't more consistent.

I like Matt's improved ability to draw some walks, however Palka provides something that Davidson does not, which is a LF power bat. You know how often I have mentioned that need, so it's an easy choice for me.

As his reputation as a "dangerous" hitter grows, he will almost certainly be pitched around, in many situations, with a RHP on the mound. That will afford him more chances to walk, if he can be patient.

Palka will almost certainly be on the roster and get plenty of playing time. If Cordell is going to be on the team, he will be the centerfielder and Palka would be the DH.

I disagree. I think Anderson is still growing, as a baseball player.

Palka now with a homer every 14 at bats. That puts him among the leaders in the Majors.

So then, I assume that you gentlemen favor trading Abreu and Avi, for more prospects, and simply tanking again, next year, in hopes of acquiring more high Draft choices. I wouldn't expect to get much for Avi, after his injury plagued year. Not sure what Jose would bring either, given his age and his being a first baseman/DH.

The only ones, for whom I projected better numbers than their historical norm are Moncada and Palka, the two rookies. Everyone else pretty much has the kind of projected stats, which would be consistent with what they have done, weighted more heavily for the last couple of years, in the case of someone like Avi, who only "broke out" last year. Certainly Abreu and Donaldson have both performed at that level, or better. There is no track record for Eloy, of course, but those numbers seem reasonable, for our projected "Super Star" of the future, even if in his rookie year. Yes, I indeed stated that the young pitchers would need to improve, but that is both a reasonable expectation and one which better transpire, or this rebuild is in serious question. I think with Rodon and Corbin at the top of the rotation, Lopez and Giolito should be able to fill the #3 and #4 spots. If neither of them are going to fulfill that expectation, then I guess we have to wait and hope the Sox can find some arms to fill out the rotation, behind Kopech and Cease, in 2020 and beyond. Dunning could certainly be one of those guys, but Hansen is a huge question mark.

The following projections for 2019 seems reasonable, if Moncada and Palka can improve a little, in their second full seasons: HR AVG. OBP 2B Moncada. 25 .250 .350 3B Donaldson. 35 .275 .375 1B Abreu 30 .290 .350 DH Palka 30 .250 .330 LF Eloy 25 .280 .340 C Narvaez 10 .270 .360 RF Avi. 25. .280 .330 SS Anderson 20 .250 .300 CF Engel (With that offense and Eloy and Avi at the corners, his defense in CF would justify below average offense)

If Rodon, Lopez, Giolito and a solid #2 through free agency, like Corbin, wouldn't give them a solid front four, then the rebuild has serious problems. It's reasonable to hope for Giolito and Lopez to take a step forward. They have shown flashes of being very good, but inconsistent. Covey is probably OK, as a 5TH starter, for one year until Kopech and Cease arrive in 2020.. If next year's outfield of Eloy in LF and Avi in RF and whoever can provide plus defense in CF, wouldn't be adequate, then we are going to be disappointed in Eloy. The bullpen is a wild card, as always, but there are some decent options. What is so lacking in an offense featuring Moncada, Avi, Donaldson, Abreu, Palka, Eloy, Narvaez, Anderson and whoever plays CF.

It may be September, but he is not exactly doing this off of AAAA pitchers, or rookies. His last two homers have come off of Kluber and Carrasco. Moreover, they were not hit on "off" nights, for those outstanding pitchers. The rest of the lineup wasn't doing much against them.