caulfield12

Dodgers needed a closer with Jansen to ATL. Kimbrel has been fine, overall. Overpaid, obviously. Pollock has been struggling just to get back to 0.0 fWAR after the horrific start. Also depends on what happens for Sox in LF, 2023 version. Kimbrel 0.5, Pollock -0.1.

Oh for the days of Jeremy Reed, Anthony Webster, Michael Morse, Borchard and CY. Every generation of Sox prospects, a set of outfielders that fail to make an impact in Chicago.

https://www.thebaseballcube.com/content/player/165111/tranx/ Former Sox minor leaguer Zach Thompson would have saved the Sox having to waste money on VV and Keuchel this year…surprised not much discussion about him at all. Became a minor league free agent not unlike Luis Gonzalez.

https://www.cleveland.com/guardians/2022/03/guardians-counting-on-secret-sauce-to-keep-pitching-factory-going-the-week-in-baseball.html Look at their lineup, other than Ramirez. They’re all acquisitions from other teams, primarily the Mets and Padres. It’s certainly nothing system-wide. Their minor league prospect depth is primarily concentrated in the middle infield…which seems more of a flexibility/versatility strategy than a hitting issue. Rosario and Gimenez can all play multiple positions. They did seem to get more out of Kwan, Miller and Naylor offensively than would have been expected by most prognosticators. Recently, Gimenez, a key part of the Lindor deal. And Oscar Gonzalez, kind of a no-name Mr. Obscurity prospect. Could be something simple like the hitting background/environment in terms of ball carrying well there in CLE with the prevailing winds?

Gonzalez just went into the Allegheny almost. .300+, 3/22. Rodon will probably have 10+ strikeouts against the lowly Pirates.

Might as well compare ourselves to the Yankees. That said, past Sox teams would have been stripped down for spare parts with all the issues Grandal, Hendriks, Jimenez, Moncada, etc., are experiencing. OFC, there’s just no justification other than a financial one for doing that in the AL Central, though. And White Flagging it would cost the franchise much more in the longer (next 3-5 years) term anyway.

But not as a starter. It’s the same role Hanser Alberto has now, behind Lux. Nearly everyone in baseball would have had interest in first half 2021 Hernandez on that contract. Most believed the power numbers were at least 50% any anomaly, but he has still had more positive value this season than 2/3rd’s of the Sox roster.

“Going into the 2015 season, the D-backs were in a bad spot, but had a chance to make a quick turnaround. They were coming off a 64-98 season, but had a farm system ranked 6th-best in the majors by Baseball America, with half a dozen names listed in the top 100 prospects, and were about to add to it, with the #1 overall pick in the June draft. They had just signed a new TV deal with Fox Sports Arizona, with a total value of $1.5 billion, including an equity stake in the network, which was expected to finance a payroll that would be capable of competing with the Giants and Dodgers. Two years later, the team is barely any better, the farm system has been stripped to the point some now rate it dead-last, without a single D-back in MLB.com’s top 100 prospects. This season, $43.5 million, over 40% of current payroll - which really has not increased, despite the TV deal - is committed to Zack Greinke and Yasmany Tomas, who combined for less than two bWAR last year. The team has been unable to take part in the international market, due to blowing past their limit by signing Yoan Lopez, who looks a bust. And that #1 overall pick was dealt away in a deal for a pitcher who spent so long down in the minors, 2016 basically didn’t count on his contract. I think it’s safe to say: yes, mistakes were made.” https://www.azsnakepit.com/2017/1/30/14442364/arizona-diamondbacks-gaffes-tony-la-russa This all sounds vaguely familiar…

Sure, do whatever you want. It seemed to help the Cubs today.

Then what would you do with Engel and Jimenez? I’m assuming you are DFAing Harrison here as well?

Mullins was an MVP level guy last year so hard to determine fair value. Reynolds is going to cost much more than Jimenez...Pirates would steer away on salary and control alone. Trammel has too much swing and miss. He's like a 2022 offense version of Cameron. Padres have no pressure yet to move on from Grisham with overall offense coming around and questionable defenders on both sides just like Robert. They are looking to add another corner bat. Or put Tatis back out there instead of benching Kim.

Seems more sad and embarrassing than anything that it's come to that. Just one in a long line of notable debacles in franchise history.

Why? He's not dead money for LA...unless you're arguing he pitched like dead money last year? So then there's Pollock this year and next with replacement player value at $10 million essentially. That doesn't even feel all that terrible any more compared to some of the other ones already referenced.

Yay inflation?

They need Wiseman and Kuminga to step up next season.

He's still more handsome than Bojan Marjanovic or whatever his name is...

A bit premature on Grandal and/or Jimenez. Moncada was declared dead less than a week ago...and Lynn in his first outing back. Interesting no Leury mentions.

35-8 run by Warriors... Crazy.

Pretty sure no MLB player has ever had the name Arxy. Possible promotional tie in with Arby's?

Pretty close to the same age as Leury, although Garcia has been playing seemingly forever, since the last massive stock market crash.

Yeah, Burger has the unique power threat whereas Leury and Harrison overlap too much and Leury can play SS in a pinch. That would be playing Pollock everyday in LF, Vaughn in RF and Burger at DH.

Mendick and Engel have their hot streaks, then longer cold ones. We shall see how sustainable it is this time after almost entirely being written off like Engel and Leury so many times.

Minnesota at +9, Guardians at +5 and rapidly closing with the easiest June schedule. Sox at -1 before a really tough week, then Baltimore. CLE with best overall player, Minny with two stars and a deeper lineup when healthy, Guardians with better rotation of the two (Civale the biggest weak link) and clearly the best closer. Guardians with a lot more valuable trade pieces in their system and theoretical financial flexibility compared to having Correa on the books. Arguably the best manager in the division who consistently gets the most out of his underdog/cinderella teams. Both swept Sox early, and Naylor game has to be in their heads a bit…not to mention how tough the Guardians played the Sox for the last decade, but 2020-21 as well.

Chisholm was very solid last year as well...fantasy owners at least know about him. He's 24, under control through 2026 and on pace for a 5.5 fWAR as long as he can stay healthy. If he played a full season last year would have been 2.5-2.75 fWAR and he has the best speed power combination of any young 2B in baseball. Not even close. Plus we all know with Vaughn how difficult debuting was last year after missing most of 2020. I would take him over CJ Abrams for sure because he has more pop.

The same ones who have Trammell and Moore playing nearly everyday in SEA.