cabiness42

Ancient history won't help you so much in getting back to the top, but it will help you stay there if you can manage to get there, so Tennessee is a much more attractive job than other middle of the pack big conference teams.

If kickoffs are so inherently injury-prone plays that it's not safe to have them anymore, then just eliminate them and give the other team the ball at the 25, or if you still want to keep the onside kick in play then just have kickoffs in the 4th quarter.

That's a tough question to answer, because the Sox are not looking to pick up a 4/5 starter one year away from free agency. There are teams out there for whom Gavin would be a substantial upgrade to their rotation. By himself, he gets you a very good bench/platoon bat, a decent reliever, or a promising prospect. Find a team that also has a need for Thornton and Quintana and then you're talking about an impact player in return.

So Soxtalk has finally reached the point where the reigning Cy Young winner is not good enough for the rotation. That's quite an accomplishment.

In a vacuum, I like Granderson a lot, but he's not a fit on a team that is already high on power and low on OBP. I do see a team that could take on the salary of Floyd and Thornton and has a guy the Sox might like. I believe his first name starts with R and his middle name starts with A.

If this is the guy that's going to get the UTIL spot I'd rather have Lillibridge back.

Ideally Floyd would be packaged with Beckham or Flowers to get a major upgrade at 2B or C, but I don't know how much is available at those positions so the most likely course is to package him with Viciedo or Rios for a top-line corner OF.

If Keppinger can manage a .340 OBP and a .390 SLG while playing average to slightly above average defense, I'll be satisfied. Between DeAza and Dunn is a very good spot in the order for his skill set.

Tennessee has not been on the map in recent history, but they are pretty much the #2 all-time program in the SEC behind Alabama. Tennessee-Alabama was always the biggest game of the year in the SEC. Only in the last 20-30 years have Florida and LSU built their programs up to that level. That's why it was such a blow to Tennessee when Lane Kiffin left to go to USC because historically, Tennesse was among the handful of programs that you didn't leave for another college job.

Or he just wants to start for 2-3 years instead of playing half a season and then becoming a backup.

Fine, then point out the small sample size for UZR, but don't quote overall UZR that covers multiple positions. That's just as if not more misleading than using the UZR for 3B.

There are plenty of good 3B who weren't or likely would not have been good 2B.

He has a season's worth of being a plus defender at 3B, so there is some reason to believe that he might be. He was signed to play 3B, so that is the context of the question but apparently not your answer.

What data supports that claim? Lots of players are much better at one position than others.

I saw your post and I'm not buying it. Being bad for several years at positions he isn't going to play is not more significant than being good for one year at the position he is going to play. If you think his sample size at 3B is too small, that's fine, but then don't quote UZR at all.

Oh, a career row that includes all positions and not just 3B. OK. Well let's just say he'll be bad at playing 3B because he sucks at Monopoly. It's about the same.

It's fair to do if you're trying very had to trash a Rick Hahn signing and can't find any other reason.

Yeah, I looked at his UZR there and didn't see the number -17.7 anywhere.

I would rely more on one season's worth of numbers at the position he's going to play over career numbers at positions he isn't going to play.

Where does that number come from?

This guy almost never strikes out. DA must be excited beyond belief.

I doubt they plan to trade Beckham, but Keppinger's ability to play 2B at least gives them the flexibility to listen to offers.

I would guess it's in the $4-5M range.

An infielder that can hit is exactly what the Sox need, and being a switch-hitter is a major bonus. I'd have to stop calling him Assdribble though . . .

If Alvarez doesn't find anybody available he really likes, any chance he decides to do it for a year and find a replacement next year?