caulfield12

Right... SS who hit very well in ST but not perceived as anything more than AAA roster filler. Got a lot more PT than Yoghurt. Already around 30.

Back soreness. 1 for his last 14 or something like that…

Elvis Andrus is currently fourth in MLB total games played, lol. We need a combination of durability/athleticism AND youth…which is exactly what the Guardians are attempting to do across the field. Pretty sure Jose Ramirez and Josh Bell are their two oldest players. Everyone else in their baseball primes and most are significantly younger…Amed Rosario (FA/walk year) would be the third oldest. Fwiw, Zunino is just a one year plug and play type since he’s just holding that spot warm for Bo Naylor…soon to be yet another rookie on that roster to go with all the 1st through 3rd year guys out in that bullpen.

Alberto is the main one at fault for throwing the ball too quickly and not running the baserunner almost all the way back to second base. Every Little League coach would come to the exact same conclusion. Just like Sheets needs to be kept as far away from the playing field (other than hitting) as possible.

There’s nothing worse than being halfway in…halfway out. That’s precisely where the Sox spent 2013-2016, even with Sale Q Eaton Abreu Shark Frazier Robertson Dunn Melky, etc. Same exact place we are heading for in 2023. Third place, with a #11-15 draft pick but not a Top Ten in sight unless the wheels totally come off. We are basically the MLB version of the Bulls right now. No Bulls fan in their right mind would bet on them getting out of the first round even if they miraculously made it out of the play-in tournament.

So basically what they would have to do is execute the same turnarounds the Guardians and Twins executed…with the closest parallel being Minnesota. As pointed out with the Twins’ analogy, Kopech would NOW be the closest approximation to Jose Berrios. Over a year ago, it would have been Lucas Giolito. And Cease would play the role of Buxton getting extended. And Robert internally the closest approximation to signing Carlos Correa. The problem with all that is we would be left with Cease and what else as the starting rotation in 2024? Let’s say we got at least 2-3 AA/AAA pitchers back for Kopech and/or Tim Anderson, we’re still three spots short unless you are willing to count on someone like Martin or Mena as your fifth. So that means you’re taking a massive gamble and replacing at least three rotation spots externally and one internally. Hold onto Kopech and how do you manage to get TWO or THREE legit starting prospects for what we currently have on the roster? Trade Jimenez and Moncada for 30-50 cents on the dollar? Every time you deal someone you open yet another hole in the dike or dam that starts spurting water out.

It pretty much spells the death of the rebuild. Of course, it could just as easily be Moncada’s season heading south again with the back, right? In that case, trying to think of any players that WOULDN’T be traded or would likely be the core of the team moving forward. Robert and Cease are the most valuable assets on the roster. Perhaps the only two really premium assets remaining. Surely, Lynn, Giolito, Reynaldo (really team friendly extension possible, but premature…limited time to decide), Clevinger, Graveman, Bummer, Kelly would all be gone…Benintendi’s presence really makes zero sense in a rebuilding situation but 50/50 Hahn would have to keep him after he just signed for five long years. Moncada salary dumped upon the highest bidder. Same with Grandal, Alberto, Andrus. What to do with Kopech if you’re not going to extend him? He won’t be around in time for the next rebuild to gel. What value does Jimenez realistically have if he can’t stay healthy even as a full time DH? Two more big decisions with these two. TA7 (depends on the seriousness of his injury and readiness of Colson), Kopech, Crochet, Hendriks (unless trade value returns in 2023), Colas, Vaughn are players you would expect to still be around for various reasons, Zavala/Perez, Romy, Sosa, etc. Colson Montgomery could be a big league starter by late this year but likelier to be May, 2023, already missing April with the oblique). Burger pretty much would have to take over third for Moncada, and Sheets would stick for DH/1B/PH (need offense from SOMEWHERE) despite both players being increasingly out of place in a speed/defense-oriented game. Seems a decision on Dylan Cease (trade/extend) is really going to be the next domino to fall if things start to go south and attendance craters. And it’s not like they can offer him the same deal Byron Buxton accepted…it would be for at least $125-140 million. For a extreme velocity/stuff pitcher with TJ in his past. Bleak bleak bleak…but hopefully Hahn isn’t allowed to make a single one of these critical decisions moving forward.

https://www.mlb.com/news/tim-anderson-injures-knee-on-close-play-at-third

"Waves and waves of talent..." I know, I know...he's the hottest hitter pretty much in the entire minor leagues that we'll proceed to sit for 2-3 games to "soak it all in (again)" while his current hot streak and good feelings go POOF.

I guess pretty much anything's better than the oblique again, all things considered...

So we have a veteran 2B (see Hernandez/Harrison) who will soon need to be replaced...a SS that needs to be replaced (Anderson) for someone (Andrus) who no longer has the range he once did, so we can actually play a 2B (Sosa) who should have gotten a lot of run last year in preparation for this moment but was screwed over by LaRussa's veteran preferences. I guess Popeye Rodriguez is next up? Seems they're not going to trust Erick Hernandez...as they view the Sosa/Andrus combo the best short-term solution. Should have just kept Mendick, lol...or followed through with the Burger to 2B fantasy.

At least his OPS for this season is going to be artificially higher for a "salary dump" trade next year...that said, he was already in the process of cooling down, 1 for his last 14 or whatever it was. (Luckily have Jordan Walker as back-up preemptively anticipating this eventuality.)

His time around the Braves/ingrained Dayton Moore "homespun" honesty thing...

At least nobody claimed Stiever. Not sure that's much of a compliment or not...since he was once perceived to be one of the arms in waiting to get the next starting opportunity in the big league rotation.

Is there really such a thing? Or just in one's self-inflated imagination?

He actually saved the game by going out...as Andrus undoubtedly wouldn't have made the same play that Romy and Burger teamed up on to preserve the lead at 4-3.

Robert vs. Buxton will define both franchise windows...and the Twins' superior farm system depth.

Attention: all fantasy owners now are getting the clear buy sign from Ron on Abreu. Only happens 3-4 times per year...so take advantage of this unprecedented buy low opportunity.

And plus plus outfield arm.

Lol. Fathom can't give up entirely on the Cubs when there's no Sox game to watch. First homer of the season, now at .300 BA. Starting to get interesting with this thread. Also, glad I didn't start an Oneil Cruz one last year. I already have enough of his rookie cards, autographs, etc. Dream deferred on that one. Granted, Fulmer is not the ideal candidate to be closing out games for the Cubs. Wong finally starting to get some hits now. .138 BA.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/attendance Have to feel sorry for the Rays...10-0 and that level of home crowd support, even if it is very vocal. Detroit (unless the current rebuild completely flops), Minnesota, Cleveland (as long as they keep winning), KC...are all in (relatively) decent shape financially. The teams you have to be most worried about are the A's (obviously planning to leave for Vegas), Cincy (with that ownership, although it's really a baseball town through thick and thin, like Colorado), Rays and Miami Marlins.

They're going to end up using another 10+ rookies this season. They have the AA/AAA depth, although I'm sure they don't really relish the idea of losing years of control on all their top pitching prospects. The biggest issues right now are what to do with Rosario (pending FA) and whether or not to extend a somewhat diminished Shane Bieber (compared to his previous Cy Young form of years past.)

That said...other than their bottom out year, with that pitching staff and Correa Buxton they certainly are expected to be competitive this year. They have weathered a long string of prospect injuries like Lewis and Kiriloff but the bulk of their young pitching talent has yet to arrive.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=colas-000osc Basically a bit less than one full season statistically...plus he was also pitching as well at 95ish.

He's definitely not going to get $175-225 milion from JR in his thirties.