SCCWS

Just kidding.

You forgot the biggest improvement . They replaced Renteria w Maddon. That was probably good for 12 of the 24 games.

I think Eloy will get better. I think Moncada's had a solid year already. My concern is that we have no clue what Cease, Lopez and Gio will give us. All three are in a rollercoaster cycle. WE got outstanding contributions from Gio and McCann first half but we may not see that again. I never say guys will be healthy. Look around baseball. It is normal that teams play with 2-3 regulars out for extended periods. But I think we are at a disadvantage because our 25-35 slots on roster are really not MLB average. I think 2020 is the year we get to 80 wins and 2021 to 90. Hopefully I am a year off.

I agree as long as they don't make any significant trade deadline moves. If they do move Colome, I think they will finish closer to last year than 70. If they stay on pace and win 70, then they would need to win 16-18 more games next year since the WC this year will most likely be low 90's.

You have a short memory....................

Not to excuse RR and his lineup riddles but looking at this lineup, Jay is not the worst hitter. He actually has been getting on base at a pretty good clip.

He will be up to 40 games this weekend at AA and continues to ear it up. I would think he will get bumped up to Charlotte as they will only have about 30 games left so he finishes in AAA.

Putting the Abreu "lovefest" aside, what is happening w McCann? Has anyone noticed our 3 "all-stars's" performance since their trip to Cleveland. Must have been something they ate.

Severson has done wonders w Engel.

Seeme like Lopez and Gio have switched roles since the AS break.

In fairness, they seem to play pretty well against the Central which is certainly down. But these are big games for Minny.

He has been pretty solid since the break. Very encouraging.

PTATC: Will any consideration be given to the weather?. Obviously Chicago in April can be still wintery and Charlotte on average is 15+ degrees warmer. Obviously teams move around but overall will weather(cold) be a consideration?

I think in many of these cases, the GM 's feel for the future comes in to play. In this case, Boston knows Betts is coming up and Bradley is still a seesaw. So what DD thinks will happen w Betts affects keeping Benintendi. There is no talk in New England of Benintendi this week, It is mostly JD Martinez and Betts and whether either one will leave for FA FYI--Boston( I also spend time in Tampa) market has a totally different take. The media/fans rarely ever talk service time or contractual control. They always talk in a very limited view. I was watching a show last night and the host was laughing about a listing of Top 10 farm systems. He said Boston and New York never seem to make the cut but always seem to put winning teams on the field and continue to churn out players. I guess big market vs small market approaches. Some teams just spend big bucks to fill the holes their farm can't patch. Tampa baseball gets less attention than HS sports

I love fan trades. Living in Boston area I heard a fan say yesterday he would trade Benintendi to Chicago for Colome, Eloy, and Cease. Gives you an idea how the other side thinks. I doubt Benintendi is moved for many reasons. They are basically limited to a WC shot so I don't see them purging any top assets till offseason.

Only issue is the future of Eloy. He needs to play everyday. Is he a LF on a contending team or does he have to move to a less vulnerable spot. Would Eloy be as good as Abreu is now at !B? If Hahn feels Eloy has to move, then Abreu may be in the way. I would hope Abreu could go to DH and If Eloy has to move from LF then he go learn 1B.

But I do laugh when you see shots in the stands and you see numerous people looking at their phones instead of the game. I know it is everywhere not just athletic events. They are moving the netting for good cause because several children have been hit by foul balls. With so many looking at their phones instead of the game, I am surprised more adults haven't got hurt as well.

I just hope they find a young lefty to join them.

FWIW---NESN and NY Post have the same rumor. Red Sox chasing either Yates(SD) or Giles(TOR). https://nesn.com/2019/07/mlb-rumors-red-sox-showing-active-interest-in-these-two-star-closers/

The Red Sox are close on the luxury tax. They had to work cash considerations w Orioles to get Kushner. Betts is in the final year of his contract and Bradley's is also coming up. Benintendi being cheap and under control is very valuable to them. I am sure they would listen but I would think it would have to be MLB ready prospects since Benintendi does not free up cap space.

Indoor stadium

I would agree that he has the potential to be a 2. But this year( granted only 60% of season) he has been one of the top pitchers in baseball. I am not sure heaviest fastball determines being an ace. I think the real aces have a combination of control and a variety of pitches. When I think of aces, Lester has been an ace in the past and Verlander still may be. But they wouldn't be found in a list of top 50 hardest throwers although Verlander can hit 100 in some instances. Sale would be in the list and he certainly has control and variety. But when we talk post season, he seems to break down late in the year and is not as effective in October as he is during the season.

This is a big game for TB. They are trailing in WC after the solid start they had.

I don't think they will. They have a few options at IB so they may offer a salary dump but hopefully Hahn doesn't go in that direction.