Timmy U

The Sox actually have a pretty good selection of righty relievers to look at when you consider Taylor, Leasure, Vasil, Alberto, Wikelman, eventually Berroa and possibly a guy like Franklin. Where they suck is from the left side.

Tyler Alexander is off the board!

The guys on the Baseball America podcast were raving about the Sox second pick Alexander Alberto. Said he had the best stuff of anyone chosen. Not much experience, but he throws a 100 mph cutter. So he will at least be interesting in Spting Training.

I guess I’m the only one on this board who believes in accountability.

I think they bring them all to Camelback Ranch and let God sort 'em out. Of those 6 lefties, exactly zero are anything like a sure thing for a high-leverage role.

When I saw that he got released I thought the Sox might put in a claim. They were so bad in the pen from the left side last year that their approach is gonna be volume volume volume.

I guess, but with Reinsdorf refusing to kick in cash, they'll probably get years of control of marginal big leaguers. Not sure if I care about getting a bulk of Tanner Murrays. I just don't want they're payroll to slip below $70 million.

I think I'm in the minority here, but I would prefer to watch Luis Robert steal some bases, play good defense and strike out a ton than to watch a lesser player like Pereira just strike out a ton and Jerry get $20 million. You know that if Luis is traded, the team is just gonna pocket the cash.

My dual questions with Bleday are "Is he really better than Tauchman?" and "Is he really better for any length of time than Braden?" His age and years of control are irrelevant if he's used for 2 months and then Braden sends him to the bench. He's not really a cf, and he's not a consistent mlb hitter, so I can see them signing him, but imho he's not really the answer to anything other than "How do we get through the first 2 months of the season?"

The fact that the Sox have had to get so many guys from the Rule 5 draft may point to problems while Getz was farm director, but it also underlines how low the org was when he took over. He inherited almost zero talent in the majors or minors. This rebuild was always gonna be super painful no matter who they put in charge.

Well, first of all, recent signings are not eligible, so it's how the league views older players. But, yeah, the Sox have a really strong Top 9. After that, it's anyone's guess as to anyone being good. I'm smoking the Hopium for guys like Larson, Hodge, and Christian Gonzalez to make leaps, but 10-50 in the system is pretty thin.

Real Estate in Manhattan is super expensive for a reason. I am fortunate enough to live there now. Pretty great honestly.

Alexander Alberto and Alexander Albertus?! Are they acquiring players alphabetically.

Roch has to be the favorite but Grady Emerson is also a mega-prospect. Lefty swinging shortstop from the Dallas area who does everything well. One scout said the only downside on his card is that Emerson isn't quite as good at the same age as Bobby Witt Jr. So, good year to be picking #1.

I like the concept but Crawford is an outlier ground ball machine who really doesn’t play a good centerfielder. I don’t want him.

That is one of the worst contracts in mlb. I think $66 mil for a guy who’s considered difficult. I bet they want to trade him.

Why in Zeus’s name would the Sox want another R/R corner bat?! He’s in the Amaya, Capra, Palacios tier that makes this team so hard to watch.

Better to get 7 than 6 because of the dumb rules. If they can’t get Roch, Emerson, or Spangler, I might go pitching. I am kinda out on LeBron and Burress. Undersized Righty hitters with contact issues struggle these days with everyone having two fastballs, three kinds of sliders and a seam effects change. Other than Cholowsky, give me the lefty bats.

They would consider Taylor?! Cardinals would say yes before the Sox got to the N in Grant..

Cardinals did okay considering it is a pure salary dump.

Cardinals for either player, let alone both.

Baseball America is always complaining about that but I am not so sure that those leagues are better for development than backfields are. Another case in point is Oppor who used a year at the complex to perfect his delivery and pitch mix.

I actually like what the Sox have done with the Bridge league. Good instruction in a low stress environment. It certainly didn’t hurt Bonemer. Hopefully, Carlson, Fauske, Hodge, and Boughton find similar success.

I think Pereira is most likely a platoon bat in right. Who knows if he’ll hit even a little? Hill is no Michael A. Taylor. .200 is an impossible dream for him. I hope they get a lefty swinger who can play some outfield, otherwise Braden will be up no later than May 1. Personally, I am tired of them stocking the team in April with waiver wire fodder, going double digits under .500 and then playing out the string for 5 months. I would love it if they thought coming into the year that they would play close to .500 in April. I do not believe that will be a priority.

FYI, BA ranks Fajardo #9 on an admittedly depleted Red Sox Top 10.