caulfield12

If you think it wasn't all about the money (it was), Tatis' presence was cited as the main reason that Machado wanted to sign in SD (versus the lowball offer from the Sox). To me, it always felt like his drive to prove the White Sox wrong for trading him in the first place without even first seeing what he was capable of doing in an MiLB game was a pretty compelling reason for his eventual success. Without that, unless he really had a strong mentor around (like Manny), and I'm not sure it was Abreu (compared to Grandal/Moncada/Eloy)...he much more likely ends up foundering like Luis Robert. Because you already had Anderson at SS, and Moncada at 3b (well, I guess he was thought of more as 2B at the time Tatis was traded, so that would have had to sort itself out. In theory he would have been moved to 2B/3B or the outfield with the Sox. You'd have to imagine a universe where Tatis and Eloy excel and successfully recruit other Dominicans to the Sox.

Cannon and Burke are the two most logical at this point.

Surprised there's no Pete Vukovich State Farm ad attached...

It should be noted that FG had Holliday as a net positive defensive player in 2024. OAA at 64th percentile, speed at 95. While a 2b on the Orioles, or even 3B...he's going to be a SS on about 15-20 other big league teams, roughly. Obviously they have Westburg already as well.

Unless you count Burger as "good." That one will be hotly debated. It's a pretty sad indictment of the system when Sheets is arguably the next noteworthy draftee after the list of first rounders from above. All of them, though, other than Anderson, with limited athleticism and dynamic impact tools in terms of affecting the game defensively or pressuring pitchers on the base paths.

And Zack Wheeler is one of the 3-5 best starting pitchers in baseball now...if not #1 overall. Not to mention he stayed healthy during this time frame, compared to the beginning of his career with the Mets (Harvey and Thor were instead cursed).

And back in it again...bullpen game. That line-up is just relentless when it's clicking on all cylinders. Can't ask for much more than a 6-1 lead at home with your best 2nd half starter on the mound...against Buehler, who has struggled all season long in his return from TJS.

Jose Ruiz still scuffling...

Greg I still wouldn't bet my house but KC on paper at least has the advantage. Will they sell out both games? KC didn't finish that much ahead of the White Sox in attendance after all. It's really a Chiefs town now if it wasn't already. 1/4 or 1/3 of fans will cheer for NY.

Yes, the increased "regionalization" of the sport, versus back in the 1950's and 60's and even early 70's when radio and network tv broadcasts dominated the airwaves. There's just never going to be a comeback for baseball in the James Earle Jones "Field of Dreams" speech sense where its part of the very fabric of America like the NFL has been for the last thirty years or so.

Can't imagine the national t.v. ratings if it was actually the Royals vs. CLE/DET...in some ways, it would prove yet once again that mid and small market teams can still be viable. As long as they get any team from the NL other than SD, I imagine MLB would be satisfied, and even the Padres have enough superstars and the whole one of five teams out there without a World Series title thing to make their story compelling, plus the owner's death and cutting payroll pretty dramatically (especially in the face of how much the Dodgers spent on Yamamoto Ohtani Glasnow Teoscar).

Then Shawon Dunston would have been the best SS in mlb history. Jerry Rice consistently ran 4.55 40s but nobody ever caught him in real game situations.

But he's also hurt...and there are increasing questions about his FB viability. Michael King and Higashioka were the real keys to that trade. SD wouldn't trade King for five Thorpes right now.

Even then...they desperately need 3-5 fWAR caliber players. McCarthy has always been closer to a fourth outfielder than a star. To dramatically alter the downward trajectory of the franchise.

Crazy after Oct heartbreak the previous inning. One too many sliders from Clase...even at 9-94 it must have looked like 84 after 100 mph heat. Jason Benetti couldn't have forecast a scenario like this in his wildest imagination...

How many of those who chart for Baseball Savant are or have been major league scouts? The thing is, for every number on a computer screen...there's an Alex Gordon or Jose Iglesias or Stephen Kwan with the heart and determination to prove that spread sheet wrong. But you have to watch a player in person for weeks or months before you can make that kind of determination. The old school Moneyball eye test. Going by past prospect ratings and not in person scouting intelligence like the Dodgers or Orioles or Padres is what has partially created this entire Sox debacle.

Sure...virtually half the young starting pitchers in baseball from high school through mid 20s that go to those training/performance academies like Driveline.

How many games have you personally scouted him? Royce Clayton and Jose Valentin's can have opposite skills at that spot and grade out quite similarly.

Conversely if you took Eder Nastrini Thorpe Bush and traded that package of all four together...how much is that really worth around mlb? Schultz Smith Taylor Cannon Burke...maybe Iriarte.

There's zero reason to believe he won't stick at SS ... certainly not in Chicago, where nobody would push him off that spot. Who? Amaya? That would be laughable. We have already spent the last year hearing how and why Colson won't stick at SS. The Sox can't even find one hitter at over 700 ops. The bar for hitting the s%*# out of the ball is about as low as it possibly gets right now. 750-775 ops like Burger would feel miraculous.

The strikeout concerns with Moncada started with his first post season in Boston.

https://prospectsworldwide.com/2023/11/28/jackson-holliday-ss-scouting-report-baltimore-orioles/amp/ 60 fielding and 55 arm at SS is far better than anyone the Sox have right now. He just doesn't have a WOW arm. Even if he underwhelmed as much as Madrigal...let's say he would be roughly an average major league SS. Let's not forget that Gunnar Henderson is one of the top 5-7 most valuable young players in all of baseball at the same position. And they have Westburg as well. An embarrassment of riches. PS Look how long it has taken Volpe to come around for NY. And Witt Jr. flashed all the tools but still struggled as a rookie, too. Same with Henderson.

Iguchi or Ray Durham

That rivalry right now is like a powder keg...suddenly got real two seasons ago, and Dodgers' fans must be nervous about suffering the same fate for three consecutive seasons. Still no excuse, though.

How many teams in baseball can even afford to pick up the remaining financial risk on the Robert deal? He's just about the equivalent of Alex Rios when KW claimed him right now. Maybe another 1/2 year of struggles away...if that.