Lillian

Why are the Sox using their typical lineup against left handers today, in view of the fact that Keuchel has been better vs. rh hitters?

??? I wanted to ask why the Sox are using their typical lineup against left handers today, in view of the fact that Keuchel has been better vs. rh hitters.

They are going to have to start "culling the herd". I'd like to see them cut loose some of the guys who likely don't have a future, in this organization. Brett, May and Robbins will soon have to be moved, to make room for these guys. I hope that they only keep someone like Cordell, at AAA, once he's healthy, just to ensure that they have a Major League ready outfielder, in case of injuries.

How good is that collegiate conference, in which he played at New Mexico? His stats were terrific there. Especially notable is that .500 OBP, which he put up, his Junior year, while drawing almost twice as many walks, as strike outs. How fast do you think that he could realistically be ready for the Majors? I assume 2020 is the answer, but would be interested to know. The long list of intriguing outfield prospects, in this organization, is indeed very impressive. Odd that they drafted yet another one, with their second pick, in this year's Draft, although I understand Walker's appeal. I really like him, but with any luck, they are going to end up trading away several of these guys, which is not a bad thing, just curious that they keep acquiring more outfielders.

The Orioles do not expect to get anyone of Moncada's caliber, for a 3 or 5 month Machado rental. That is a huge overpay. If you are ready to trade Yoan, you can get more value than a meaningless second half of a pending free agent. They would not get anywhere near the value back, if they immediately flipped Machado, as you suggest, in your scenario. Moreover, if the Sox are really "tanking," for the next Draft, that would be counter productive.

Hallelujah!!! Finally Yoan had a good at bat, from the right side.

And I suspect that you may be close to changing Sheets' grade, right?

It would be interesting to add an element to this ranking. I'd like to know what you all think about these youngsters, in terms of how their prospects have improved, or dimmed, perhaps from the time that they were each acquired. For example: Jimenez - As bright as his prospects were, when acquired for Quintana, they have only gotten even brighter. If he can stay healthy, he could be the biggest future star, on any of our lists. Rutherford - While originally underwhelmed by the trade, he has rebounded, to regain his top prospect status. Adolfo - He has exceeded most everyone's expectations and now has star potential Basabe - He seemed like a "throw in," to many but may be a huge sleeper, in that trade for Sale. He appears to be a genuine 5 tool talent. Gonzales - He has established himself as a serious contender for a spot, anywhere in the outfield. While I didn't initially think so, it now appears that if he doesn't make it to the Majors on the Sox, it will likely be more a consequence of no room for him, rather than an assessment that he is not good enough. Booker - He may be the biggest surprise. Although he put up good numbers, his last year at Iowa, he wasn't really very highly regarded. However, he has demonstrated legitimate 5 tool potential. Well, you get the idea. This exercise might help to reassure those who are either disappointed, or impatient, with the rebuild. Looking at my little example, one should be encouraged. I'd really like to see some of your astute observations and assessments, of the players, on your lists.

We're all entitled to our opinions, even if they border on hyperbole, and even hysteria. Here are a few of mine, regarding Moncada: 1) He has exceptional "tools". He is strong, fast and athletic. 2) He is not a switch hitter. He is a left handed hitter, who has been unjustifiably billed as a switch hitter. Perhaps he can learn to become one, but at this point, he isn't. 3) He is not 6' 2", although that it is what is claimed. I would guess 6' 4) I've said this before, and others have expressed the same opinion, but he has a lot more style, than actual baseball skill. Some might think that "pretty swing," looks good, even when striking out. Don't count me as one of them. His fielding fundamentals are not conventional and not very good. Perhaps he should stop trying to emulate his idol, Cano and just focus on making plays. 5) Having received $31 million, before ever proving his ability to play Major League baseball is a significant obstacle to his ultimate success. We'll see how he overcomes that. It's always a consideration, but especially problematic for a young guy, with a lot to learn. Learning takes dedication and all that money doesn't incentivize hard work and dedication. 6) I'm very worried about who is going to mentor this young man, if Abreu is traded. He strikes me as someone who really needs mentoring. 7) We've discussed his approach, at the plate, ad nauseam. Therefore, all I'll say here is that it needs to change. How well he can make adjustments will be an important indication about his future in professional baseball. That's my opinion

Is Eloy destined to become the youngest perennial DH, in the history of Baseball? On the other hand, if hitting is the source of his knee problems, then we're really in trouble. Has anyone confirmed that it's his knee, or could it be something else?

Gavin Sheets is really on a tear!!! Let's hope that he has really figured it out. He could be a big part of this rebuild. Do I have to say it? Shhhh..... A left handed, middle of the order bat.

Perhaps the most interesting area is the outfield. Looking ahead to the next decade, there are several legitimate CF prospects, headed by Robert. Basabe, Walker, Gonzales. Booker and even Cordell, although he's nearing the end of prospect age. They all possess the tools to play CF. RF will have several options, with Adolfo being the best suited, given his arm. Rutherford is probably the #1 candidate for LF, and a left handed bat, which you all know, I covet. Notice that I left Eloy out of the outfield equation. I still feel that with all of the outfield talent, which the Sox have assembled, most of which is also defensively pretty good, that Jimenez will end up at first base. I'm not suggesting that he needs to move there, but it just seems to me to be likely. As he fills out, he will likely become a little too slow and lumbering to play good outfield defense, in fact, I understand that he really isn't very good now. One impact of all of that outfield talent is that I don't expect to see Tilson, Engel, or even Avi as part of the future, when this team is ready to contend, providing of course, that at least a few of these prospects realize their potential. My expectation for Avi is that he will play out his pre free agent status and then move on. It's hard to imagine that they would give him a big contract, with the pipeline full of all of that promising, inexpensive talent. it's a shame that he lost so much playing time, which has all but eliminated the prospect of being able to be dealt, for a anyone of value. Providing Avi has played well, leading up to the end of next year, why not make him a qualifying offer, for one year and let him stay? If he accepts, that would provide one more year for the youngsters to develop, and postpone their service time. If he declines, the Sox get another decent Draft pick. Gavin Sheets is the wild card, in this scenario. If he develops and can provide a middle of the order, left handed bat, that would eliminate the possibility of Eloy playing first base. Who knows, if enough of these youngsters pan out, Eloy may be destined to become a DH. I understand that it would be very unusual for a young star to be relegated to DH'ing, but in this case, it's conceivable. Then too, there is the question of whether or not Burger can recover enough to play 3RD. If not, he may need to move to first, or maybe even DH. In any event, it's very intriguing to think of all that potential, without having to pencil in huge free agent, long term contracts. I don't ever remember a time, in all of the years that I have followed the Sox, when they had so many youngsters, about whom a fan could be hopeful. Maybe they will end up trading some of that excess outfield talent, in order to fill other holes. Although, if things go right, there might not be too many holes to fill. Oh well, we can dream, can't we? Hey, given this season, dreams are about all we have.

It's worth differentiating between results and the approach. Perhaps some of us would be more patient, if we saw him trying to have a better approach. Again, contrast what he is doing, with Anderson's recent performance. While Tim is still hitting for power, he is also taking a lot of those outside pitches to right field. That is the kind of approach, which I am hoping to see with Moncada.

While some of the comments are full of hyperbole, there is justifiably some concern. The question regarding the viability of him remaining a switch hitter, is certainly valid. My hope that he could become a Henderson/Raines type Super Lead off hitter is quickly evaporating. If he is going to stubbornly stick to this "3 outcome" approach, he is better suited as a middle of the order hitter. That's not the end of the world, but it certainly diminishes the use of his talent.

Well, gentlemen, interesting discussion. Thank you for the input. We'll just have to wait an see.

I'm not suggesting that he try to become a slap hitter. When there is a pitch, which he can pull and drive, that's a great approach. However, the more he insists upon doing exclusively that, the fewer such pitches he is likely to see. For example, if a pitcher pitches him away. it's so much more effective to simply hit the ball to the other side, especially when the defense has employed a shift.

You may be correct, but if so, that would indeed be a shame. He has too much speed and talent, to relegate himself to that kind of hitter.

I don't think that anyone is suggesting that he try to make a "mid swing adjustment". My point is that a hitter is not best served by swinging exactly the same way, within the same swing plane, regardless of the situation, the location of the pitch, or any other variable factor. One relevant example would be trying to pull an outside pitch. It's far more effective to take an outside pitch the other way, which often dictates a "hands before the barrel of the bat" swing. Anderson seems to have figured that out. Moncada may have a "pretty swing," but the results can be "ugly" when the bat doesn't barrel up the ball.

"Robotic" is precisely what I meant. Unless he makes adjustments, it will only get worse, as more and more pitchers begin to exploit that flaw, by pitching him away from the "robotic" swing. As gratifying as it is to see Anderson discovering how effective he can be, taking pitches to the opposite field, it's that frustrating watching Moncada refusing to do so.

Moncada is virtually worthless, as a RH hitter and from the left side I see two major problems: First; he has one swing, regardless of the count or the situation. Secondly, he takes way too many pitches, with 2 strikes. Hopefully, he will learn and make adjustments.

Pardon my ignorance, but how is it allowable for an infielder to block the bag, when a runner is attempting a steal?

In contrast to some of the other teams, which are in the "race to the bottom," the Sox have few contributing assets, which will be traded, at the deadline. Moreover, they have just gotten back Rodon and the 'Garcias'. The improvement in the lineup, coupled with the continuing development of the young guys, and oh yes, a surprisingly decent bullpen, could surprise a lot of people. If they trade both Soria and Shields, it may depend upon how well their replacements do. Nevertheless, I wouldn't be surprised if this team played .500 baseball, the rest of the way. That would leave them with a final record, 23 games below .500. 68 wins would not put them in a great position for the Draft, but it would be fun to watch and would hopefully start to create a winning culture, for this young core. Frankly, I'm more concerned about how well our current crop of prospects progress, than I am about the potential for another couple of top Draft picks. I'd be satisfied, if they end up picking in the top 7 or 8.

Ptatc, it does seem that most of these Tommy John Surgeries are being performed on young pitchers. I can't recall that many veteran hurlers, requiring this procedure. It would be interesting to see a statistic, which could provide the factual evidence.

Are any of you watching the OSU game?

Interesting points. Your explanation poses a dilemma. Some argue that the younger pitcher, with less "wear and tear" on his arm, is a safer bet to stay healthy, at least for the near term. Perhaps that assumption should be weighed against your assertion that pitchers who survive their earlier years, as a pro, may have a higher probability of avoiding these kinds of injuries, given their history of staying healthy.