caulfield12

For two years, after Crochet departed, Robert was the most valuable remaining trade asset and was worth $22 million (1/4 of payroll approximately) to someone in that ownership group. The closest thing to someone with star qualities. We're not talking the Rule 5 minor league draft selections. "Be Better"? or "I don't care" Pick a path lol.

The main Sox boards have done a better job over the years with dissecting Moncada and now Mune even Kelenic Acuna Pereira and Baldwin...let that one sink in for awhile.

I can guarantee AJ Preller or "prime" Theo Epstein would never farm out info pertaining to a key trade decision or even a back field Intl. player yet to debut in MiLB to some low level underling. With Hahn...only Haber could have been responsible.

Taking advantage of this time to make new and better board friends other than Cali? I can honestly at least admit I was looking forward to see what the attempted spin would be on 'ole Switcheroo Gate. That said, Ray Ray is one of the most well-informed posters SoxTalk posters over these last twenty years or so. Maybe not the easiest personality for some to deal with, but caring what others think or about hurt feelings has never been his style or concern. Which is kind of refreshing in its honesty. Mostly known for calling others ”pal.” But not brah/bruh.

Thanks. Send some more confident McDonald's All Americans to the Hawkeyes' women's team...Addie Deal from your neck of the woods. They also have the #5/6 recruit in the country for next year in Archbishop Mitty's McKenna Woliczko to replace Stuelke. https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/hawkeyes/womens-basketball/2026/02/10/iowa-womens-basketball-mckenna-woliczko-naismith-semifinalist/88607856007/

We're going Up Up Up to 28th (must be sung to "Golden") Ofc the Marlins (30th) have made the playoffs more recently and Cleveland (29th) has a run of 7/10 post season appearances, the Ramirez extension to make him a lifetime Guardian (Sox still sitting on Benintendi's $75 million as biggest contract and only remainingt MLB team below $100) AND a better farm system to boot.

Throwing Barfield under the bus? Carlos Rodriguez? Most likely Keller, the new Intl. scouting executive who came over from the Mets...? On the day when Getz won the offseason Yahoo Sports Al Central off season with a B+, Hahn and Have have to be enjoying his comeuppance just a little bit. https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/article/al-central-offseason-grades-did-the-tigers-and-guardians-get-better-can-the-royals-and-white-sox-surprise-211451083.html "That said, let’s not celebrate this winter of wheeling and dealing too much. This team still projects to be one of the worst in baseball, and no team playing in Chicago should have a payroll that ranks 28th in the sport, no matter where the club is in its competitive window. Still, for the first time in a while, there are things to look forward to with this team, and this offseason featured a more cogent and intentional roster-building strategy. The squad on the South Side is noticeably more compelling because of it."

if the Cards are struggling with pitching development...that will be their toughest fix of all. Or Buehler/Paddack from the bargain bin.

90-95% of the board would be elated with Chris Flexen 2024 numbers... With better availability than M.Perez.

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/dodgers-sign-evan-phillips-one-175431135.html Dodgers sign LHP Evan Phillips to pitch half the season, basically. Raising that payroll, yet again.

Probably not the greatest idea for them to take on the enigma of Dustin May...

When's the last time a young pitcher who was "successful" in the majors was sent down the following year for a majority of the season? Hard to think of many examples. Sox fans wanted to do that with Kopech at various points but it never happened. Brandon McCarthy is one of the ones that comes to mind from back in 2006. Blocked by the Javy V. Experience.

Let's hope so. In a perfect world, it's: Murakami Colson Teel Benintendi/Vargas Baldwin Quero Acuna Meidroth Braden Montgomery (not counting on that in 2026) Roch Cholowsky joking I hope (Oops...already forgot Sosa, who actually led the team for much of the season in homers and finished with 22.) Colson Montgomery SUMMARY 2025 Career bWAR 3.3 AB 255 H 61 HR 21 BA .239

We shall see with Kelenic. Zero pressure or expectations except what he puts on himself mentally. Might be his last shot before Asia. No longer a Top 5-10 MLB prospect with the Mets...no trying to carry a team like in Seattle after that huge trade, he just has to go about his business everyday out of the limelight. Be at least a 1.5-2.0 fWAR type of contributor to hold down a corner outfield spot...and be a positive influence on the younger players, instead of a distraction and "me first" type of teammate. Hopefully he's matured by now and can channel his emotions more productively/positively.

Said that about Murakami lol. Unfortunately don't have the Phillies' WtW ridding the clubhouse of Castellanos distractions.

Nervousness/excitement. Just needs time and continuous practice in MOST cases. For example, the speed/pace of basketball games make Benetti and Jon Sciambi adjust to it...rather than trying too hard to fill airtime and let the game naturally breathe. It makes people feel in a hurry when it's baseball...when it should always be more leisurely natural and calmly paced.

3.2 fWAR seems way too low if his solid fielding at SS continues to hold up...but so does a 760 ops with 29 homers. Hopefully he can pick up his OBP numbers. (For example, look at HaSeong Kim's best SD season, that was 5 or even 6 fWAR or bWAR.)

https://uclabruins.com/sports/baseball/schedule 9 February games scheduled starting on Valentine's Day...

https://www.mlb.com/mets/news/luisangel-acuna-promoted-to-mets?t=mets-pipeline-coverage Francisco Lindor said "the sky's the limit" on Acuna...maybe they'll get this former Top 100 prospect acquisition trend right at some point (jury's still not out on Vargas or Mead-iocre as of yet.)

https://www.soxon35th.com/what-colson-montgomerys-rookie-year-can-teach-us-about-his-future/&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwjwp-2rjNOSAxWVq5UCHRZ5GG4QFnoECAoQAg&usg=AOvVaw249hPFBBEap_HHYbcY8AVB Corey Seager had a 6.2 bWAR while "only" hitting 21 homers compared to his usual 30-33 range. Colson Montgomery at one point projected to well over 50 homers extrapolated pace wise until the end of the season. He's also now the only Sox Top 100 mlb player ranked at #88. An above average SS in a smaller sample size...but not Top 10-12 either. Until someone takes the position away from him, he's the Sox starting SS for at least the next 1 1/2 to 2 seasons. I voted 25-29 but would have predicted 20-24 before 30+.

Castigate lol? You really think Rockies' fans are somehow happy in that Division of Death? Sugano was almost forced back to Japan if not for this offer. They need to let their youngsters like Dollander or Doyle in CF take their lumps.

https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/article/nl-west-offseason-grades-can-the-padres-d-backs-or-giants-challenge-the-dodgers-in-their-quest-to-three-peat-191815837.html Rest of NL West gets C or worse while the Dodgers get an A+. Sounds basically like the AL Central...

What in the holy hell are the Rockies actually trying to accomplish? Be better than Sanzatela? And the aging Sugano as well in COL? Not sure that qualifies yet for Moneyball 2/3.

Luis Robert announcing he's now going to hit left handed as well since the one-handed swing he was forced to play through/adapt to in 2024 by the Sox worked out so well.

Back home...organizationally. Hope it works out, except against the Sox, of course.