tray

Doesn't need huge gap range at the Rate, especially with the Panther in CF.

Mazara OUTFIELD Fielding percentage 4 seasons = .989 Castallanos OUTFIELD fielding percentage 4 seasons = .990 Don't mix in Castellanos defensive infield stats. Also, Castellanos got better as he learned to play outfield and when he played in a smaller park. Ask any Cub fan. Most want him back badly. Meanwhile, Nick would be an incredible get for Hahn.

Ray, You are getting ridiculous on this.

Mazara would only be a platoon in RF whether or not the Sox sign Castellanos. Look at his splits.

Mazara could worse in RF than Castellanos. He is a pretty big dude that can pack on some bulk as he ages.

Absolutely right.

Castellanos is better than many OF we have sent out there, like Palks, Tank, etc.. He certainly can be a serviceable outfielder for seven innings. In the 8th, after our 2020 version of the SS Hitmen pound out a few home runs and take the lead, you put Leury or Engle out there as a defensive move. Perhaps in the 8th you can have Leury, Engle and Robert in the outfield for Defense. So, given that strategy, the arguments about defense vs offense are not all they are cracked up to be. Jack some HRs, take the lead, throw in some replacements for Defense in late innings, and close the thing out.

I think Collins is hot garbage based on what he did in the minors for 4 years (large sample size) and what I saw of him last season (small sample size). IMO, Sox should look for a catcher in the first round of the 2020 Draft and send Collins to the minors to start the season (or trade him). Back on topic, a one year / 8 Mil. deal for EE seems to make a lot of sense, especially if Vaughn pans out as a DH/1B.

McCann/Grandal is the ideal RH/LH platoon. at catcher. Collins deserves a chance to be a back-up catcher....on another team. No room for minor league talent like Collins on the 2020 roster.

I'd accept substandard D with Castellanos. It is easy to put a guy like Engle or even Leury in RF in the last two innings in a close game where the Sox are defending a lead.

1.Grandal and McCann make for one of the top L/R catching platoons in the major. The move was made for several reasons including the fact that the Sox realized the Collins could not fill the back-up catcher role. As far as the Sox not being certain how to quantify pitch framing, no team should be because the umpire association has been studying tapes and noting which catchers are getting away with stealing strikes. They don't want to be replaced with a camera. 2. Abreu is not only a "slightly above average 1B/DH". He has value to the team beyond hos stats and may have already caused Moncada to start talking about staying in Chicago long terms. Abreu's numbers might even be better with the new Sox line-up, especially if Madrigal proves to be a better on-base guy and there are thunderous bats following Jose. 3. You are actually complaining about Dallas Keuchel because his extrapolated fWar is 2.6. You actually don't know what Covey, Fulmer, Despaigne, etc gave us last season? He was not signed to be our Ace and his contract was nothing like Stras or Cole. 4. Gio G is 34 years old. SFW? He was signed as a back of rotation starter or possibly as a long reliever if Rodon comes back and a few other guys step up, including Cease, Kopech, ReyLo and Steiver. But go ahead keep b1tching. 5. a reclamation project in RF who has failed for four seasons? He started as a 20 year old and won't be 25 until the end of April 2020 so that may not be a bad guy to try to reclaim. His rakes RH pitching which will be helpful as a DH and platoon RF. Maybe the Sox sign Castellanos or another RH bat and the Mazara deal makes even more sense. I will bet that the off-season moves that Rick, Kenny and Jerry have made will have the Sox in contention for the play-offs in 2020...and they may not be done yet.

Totally agree with that strategy. You have to believe that the Sox anticipate who they need to sign long term - Moncada, Robert and possibly o a few others. The Sox are not just being cheapskates by not blowing their budget on FA contracts this off-season. Given that, if they stand pat as far as mega million dollar FA acquisitions I would be quite happy with Grandal, Mazara and Gio Gonzales, plus re-upping Abreu. Meanwhile, dumpster dive for a few inning-eating pitchers and wait until Spring Training,,,, unless of course some team makes Rick & Kenny an offer they simply can't refuse. Patience is sometimes rewarded in these circumstances.

The decision to add contracts is not only based on the payroll for 2020. The Sox need the financial flexibility moving forward to sign some of their premier talent like Moncada to long terms deals.

Several teams are reportedly in on Ryu and Keuchel including the Angels. Given the current market for premium starting pitchers, and Boras representation, it will probably take a substantial overpay (i.e., 4/80) to land one of them. Then of course there is always the possibility that you make the highest Offer and they Wheeler you.

We are talkin' about another edition of the SS Hitmen in 2020. Perhaps close to100 homers just from Eloy, Robert and Mazara.

From the dinosaur age: Wilbur Wood, Ron Santo, Don Kessinger, Smokey Burgess, and old aches and pains, Luke Appling, although he could still jack one at 75.

There has been a lot said here about Castellanos not being a decent RF in terms of his D, I wonder how Mazara will do for us in RF. Our fans tend to be pretty unforgiving when a player makes a few errors or misplays.

What if Mazara sucks in RF? Engel and Leury and DH him?

AB has played CF. Robert might be better suited as a RF with his arm strength and he might be less prone to injury from diving for balls in the gaps.

They could also leave Eloy in LF, AB in Center , Robert in RF and DH Mazara.

True.

Ostensibly, one of the reasons that the Sox would want Benintendi would be to have a starting RF who plays decent defens, bats LH, .and is under control for 3 more years. That would allow Mazara to DH which would really strengthen the line-up vs RH pitching. Thus: Madrigal (RH) Moncada (LH) Tim Anderson (RH) Abreu (RH) Grandal (LH) Eloy (RH) Mazara (LH) Robert (RH) Benintendi (LH) One argument against acquiring AB seems to be that Mazara is going to be sufficient defensively in RF and at the same time, that Collins can make the roster and be the designated LH DH. I am hopeful that Mazara could be a decent RF but I am less confident that Collins will hit enough or retain enough value to the team to stick as a platoon DH.

It appears that the two sides are not on the same page. The BoSox/Bloom might imagine that Madrigal is the second coming of Dustin Pedroia, and therefore, they consider him as a key to any deal with Hahn/WSox. That's not going to happen. Realistically, Bloom is not negotiating from a position of strength. So no worries, Hahn is not going to bail him out of bad contracts and send him one of our core players.

By the way, I haven't started Christmas shopping yet so take my caveat about panic shopping for FA pitchers with a grain of salt. Yea, maybe start snatchin' em up before they're all gone.

I think the logic used in signing a guy like Eloy was controlling his cost while making him happy, all the while avoiding the uncertainty of the arbitration years. Also, if you think a guy is going to be an absolute stud (like some is think Robert will be) you try to reel him in now while you can.