JUSTgottaBELIEVE

Why? Colas will be 24 and hitting very well in A+/AA. No reason he shouldn’t be ready this time next year. Cespedes will be 25 and hasn’t torn up AA but he’s at least held his own and should provide plus defense. Certainly enough to be a 5th OF type next year.

Sheets is a DH against RHP and should be rarely used as a backup 1b/OF. Engel and Pollock should see ~80 games next year. Robert and Vaughn should see 130+ games (really they should hardly sit if they’re healthy). Not counting on Eloy for much but if he gives 80 games between DH/LF that’s probably about all you can expect. Colas and Cespedes should be ready by Memorial Day 2023. Doesn’t leave room for another marginal upgrade unless you’re dumping two or three of the guys above. If you’re adding, it needs to be a clear upgrade at a starting position. Conforto, with all the uncertainties around him, isn’t that imo.

Yea, I don’t see it. Not for what I would consider a marginal upgrade at best. You’ve got Eloy, Vaughn, Robert, Engel, Sheets, and Pollock fighting for 4 spots with Cespedes and Colas on the way next year. If you’re adding another OF, it better be a significant upgrade. It doesn’t have to be Soto, but at least someone on Brandon Nimmo’s level at least.

Agreed. Sox need someone to help THIS season. As in, someone that they can plug into the lineup within the next two weeks for the last two months of the season. I know it won’t happen but I’d be all for a Soto acquisition. The window is this season and the next two seasons anyways. Go for it.

Huh? Conforto will be 30 at the start of next season.

I’d bet a combo of Engel/Vaughn outproduces Conforto in RF next season. And they’d be cheaper too. Cespedes and Colas are close as well. They should provide plenty of corner OF depth next year.

Doesn’t matter. He should be up by Memorial Day 2023. Run Engel/Vaughn out there in RF for the first 6 weeks if you have to. Still a better option than a guy that is now a 1.5-2 WAR player (maybe) that had an entire season off due to injury and will be overpaid based on past performance.

Agreed. He’s unlikely to contribute anything to the team this season and next season I expect Colas to provide similar production at a far cheaper salary.

So Montgomery-Colas-Schultz-Vera plus Burger-Martin-Sheets get it done? I think I’d do it.

And Sox remaining strength of schedule is #29. Twins #19, Guardians #20. The division is still very much there for the taking considering this is the healthiest the Sox have been all season.

Kelly throwing a lot more strikes last few outings. If he finds that command, he’s going to be very valuable to this team in the second half.

He’s looked very good over the last few outings. Might be getting healthy finally.

https://mobile.twitter.com/everything_sox/status/1548763718271602690?s=21&t=15P-bq0bJMT1eNW0nHnQhQ

It will cost them an extra $4M to pick up the option. In what world is that pricey? This isn’t the 90s.

So that extra $4M to pick up the option for next season looks like a steal

How much does 1 WAR cost in the open market these days? Because he’ll do at least that.

I realize this was sarcasm but picking up that option for next season doesn’t look like a bad idea at all.

If Moncada returns to his former self, I’ll put TA/Moncada/Robert/Abreu/Vaughn against any other team’s top 5.

Leury flashing leather

The Twins still suck. Guess this club just needed an old fashioned KW ass kicking to wake up. Second half is ours.

I never said Pollock is a perfect fit for RF. But I see him as a better fit for RF than someone like Schwarber. I think a combination of Vaughn/Engel/Pollack is fine for the corners. Sheets is a DH/1b and should only be playing outfield in a pinch. Colas should be up next year. Hopefully his defense is good enough to man RF full time.

I saw RF as the biggest need by far. I liked the Pollock trade. The outfield free agent market was very weak imo and I didn’t see any of the available options as significant upgrades from what they already had. Many were focused on the starting rotation as a big need. I didn’t and still don’t think that’s a need. Giolito/Lynn simply have to pitch better.

You have your opinion and I have mine. I still believe the first half struggles have far more to do with players already on the roster than ones that weren’t. And no one can convince me that adding Schwarber and Gausman (and no one else) gives this team more than a few more wins than where they stand today.

How is an overall grade of B- praising him? And you don’t hit on every free agent signing, no one does. You can’t rip him for signing Kelly but not give credit for signing Graveman. Or rip him for signing Velasquez but not give credit for signing Cueto. Even teams with huge free agent budgets last offseason like the Jays and Rangers have seen mixed results this season.

Who did you want him to sign last offseason that would have made that much of a difference?