thxfrthmmrs

Ok, that's your experience. I get it. I will just say that it isn't the experience and views shared by others, especially comes to sports and enjoyment of it. Don't be offended when someone don't agree with your generally negative view of it. But I guess you have been around long enough to know it by now.

What was your lesson learned from the bold? Does this apply to your personal view in real life as well? Do you expect failure in everything you do until you don't? Doesn't it hold you back from trying anything at all, in life? This is just one bizarre way of thinking... Imagine a world where everyone thinks they're going to fuck up something before they try it. Imagine Pace before making the Mack trade and tells his boss, "I think I will fuck this up, because we haven't made the playoffs in years, but what the heck!" Do you see how strange that sounds?

Yep, to each their own. Most people don't follow sports because they expect their team to play flawlessly every game, every season. There will be ups and downs throughout your fandom. A few people I know IRL do follow sports religiously so they have something to b**** about, and I do try to avoid debating sports with them IRL.

Harper and MM would cost 50% of that hypothetical $150M. You have 23 other spots to field. This isn't the NBA where you could live and die by your stars. Trying to field a playoff team team with 23 guys at a $75M budget is not realistic. That's why I said it's only sustainable until the young guys get expensive.

Not luxury tax, but maxing out their operating expense. Sox would never approach the luxury tax line.

I think they could if they maximize the cap on their expenditure. However I don't think it's sustainable for a mid-market team like us beyond the first few years, the young guys would get expensive really soon.

Parkman is the type of fan who would rather watch himself play the other team on Madden on Rookie setting and blow every team out 50-0 to get satisfaction from a win. That's what he meant by him "having high standards".

Yes... why the heck not? That's the wet dream of every poster on Soxtalk ? But in reality, they would tell the other they would only sign them if the other falls through, or that the deal is on the table for him until the other signs.

ESPN (Jeff Sullivan) predicts Sox could realistically sign Machado this week. http://www.espn.com/mlb/insider/story/_/id/25484819/mlb-winter-meetings-moves-all-30-teams

Sign Harper then we can talk the walk.

You guys don’t believe an owner is stupid enough show his hand in the most expensive deal in his lifetime, do you? It’s absolutely a decoy to drive up bidding for someone you’re not after to eliminate competitors for guys you’re really after. Why? Owners usually has the last say in handing out a deal, the fact that MacPhail said what he said and did not follow through when he has the finally blessing suggested it was a bait. Look at how it worked out - Nats knew Phillies had interest in Corbin and they went overboard and handed a deal to him no one saw coming - and guess what? They were one of the destinations for Harper and now they might be out of the race. Now Phillies will likely focus their attention on the real targets. On top of that, they could also now use the narrative that Nationals did not believe in Bryce and spent their money on a worse player instead. By signin with Phillies he could win division races against his former team and homer against the said player everytime they play. Harper strikes me as someone who would buy into that.

We don't know the AAV they offered for 5 years, it could well be that Nats outbid them on AAV, or they aren't comfortable going 6 on a pitcher. Between not adding an SP and shredding Santana's salary, Phillies may even be able to add both Manny/Harper, then trade someone like Kingery for an SP. And also let's consider that both Manny and Harper will go to the highest bidder, so if neither Yanks or Phillies committed expenditure on a top tier SP, the agents will likely use their now higher than expected budget to bid against one another, driving up the contracts and eliminating Sox out of the picture. I like your optimism CWS, but I think this is the first and last blow to any chance we had.

The more likely scenario is they have limits set on an SP, so they could go after one of Harper and Machado. If Phillies' plan was to go after an SP and OF/3B, shouldn't losing the top tier SP give them money to still go after the 2nd tier SP and more money for Harper and Machado? Also, if Corbin went for $140 M, you could pretty much bump up any Harper/Machado projection by about 5%-10%. This is bad news for Sox.

Ok, this last play call at least bails Nagy out of that questionable TO earlier

If we do end up signing Harper or Machado, we are competing now. Doesn't make sense to wait 2 years and waste $70 millions of star salary to wait on Robert, who has the biggest variance of ceiling and floor of anyone in our farm. Of course, if we don't sign them it's a moot point.

The word you used is gamble, for as good as Robert's tools are, he's a high risk/high reward type of guy and on top of that he's not been able to stay healthy. Camargo is already a 3-4 WAR switch hitter with above average bat and plus defender at both short and third base, cost controlled for next 5 years. Wilson is a projectable #3 type starter who debuted at 20 years old. You get 2 young players who are ready to contribute now for the upside/risk of Robert. Also if you sign Harper long term you have one less OF spot to worry about.

If Braves are willing to do that trade you run and take it to the bank.

With Camargo relegated to a utility role, now would be good time to check in with the Braves on him. Send LuBob, Yolmer and Nicky D to Braves for Camargo and Bryse Wilson. Sign another Bryce for $375M/10, Pollock $50M/2, and Eovaldi $48M/3 Quite and increase in expenditure, but the lineup is potent and a lot of potential in the rotation as well. 1. CF Pollock 2. 3B Camargo 3. RF Harper 4. 1B/DH Abreu 5. LF Eloy 6. 2B Moncada 7. DH/1B Palka 8. C Castillo 9. SS Anderson Rotation: 1. Rodon 2. Lopez 3. Eovaldi 4. Giolito 5. Wilson Bench: Leury/Rondon/Seby Bullpen: lots of strong young arms, sign a veteran to help stabilize.

If for nothing else, keep the defensive big plays coming cuz I’m loving these moves!

FWIW their rookie sensation Kerryon Johnson is also out, will have to lean on Blount and Riddick. We don't need Chase to be great to win this game. We have won games where Mitch struggled. So hopefully defense along with Howard/Cohen steps up tomorrow. But playing away in Detroit on a short week I could see defense slipping a bit in this one.

I don't have the stats, but from the eye test we're a better team in 1st 3 Q than 4th. More than the play calling, it's a matter of why aren't we executing in the 4th compared to the 1st 3 quarters and find a way to address those issues. Is it because teams toughed up their D and we couldn't score, is it because we aren't as focused as before, is it because players are tired? It may not be something we could address this year itself, but I think it's what separates great teams from being an elite team.

This. Gabriel is actually listed at 5'8, and 5'8 dudes do not win jump balls against NFL defenders, especially into double or triple coverage. If you do throw it, you're basically banking on making a perfect pass, not a risk we should take. I hope Mitch learns from it and it's the last of those attempts he makes.

I hope we pick up a legit deep threat this off season or that Miller becomes one. We should NEVER throw deep to Gabriel unless he clearly has his man beat in single cover. On a side note, do we have any stats of Bears offense in the 4th quarter this season? I think more often than not, we've been playing not to lose than playing to put the other team away, which resulted into quick 3 and outs and more opportunities to the other teams to take shots at our defense. Maybe that's just part of winning football after years of trying to come from behind in the 4th?

We should hire the same personnel Houston does, go after the same player they go after, even though we may or may not already have those types of players. Are we seriously going to have a thread created every time the Astros or Cubs make a move asking why is Hahn sitting on his ass?

We need to stop throwing to Gabriel deep facing double coverage. He could not go and get the ball.