Dominikk85

Yeah, the question then is if he is done as a starter then or you take the time to send him back. Still young enough even after 2021 but I wonder if the sox would really do it.

I Hope not. However what is if there is no minor league season again or a very shortened one? Do you keep him at the site throwing sim games or do you put him into the pen in the majors? And do you put him back in the minors after two years of consecutive mlb exposure? The situation is really not easy, I hope there will be an milb season where he can work on his starting because if he has to pitch in the majors and is an ace 2WAR closer (essentially a 50 rv but probably more 55 due to leverage) they might just keep him there and give him the closer job.

Outfield is really a disappointment in the sox system after Eloy and robert there were a lot of busts. Obviously not anyone can work out but I thought that at least one of rutherford, basabe, adolfo, gonzalez or walker would turn like into an average right fielder.

Interesting he sees crochet more likely as a reliever. I still hope they try to make him a starter and don't push him as a reliever too much. Needs to work on minors on third pitch, stamina and command

I think that recognition by peers does matter though. Yes helton or abreu are better players than vizquel but if you ask mlb players who played from 1990 to 2010 probably 90% say vizquel is the second best fielder of all time and should be in the hall. Yeah stats don't support that but I doubt mlb players care about jaws or war.

I agree, statistically vizquel is not a HOFer.however most baseball people like players, managers and other baseball lifers do think he is a HOFer and think he is a glove got on paar with ozzie. Stats don't support that but the guys who played with and Against him do see him as a HOFer, especially latin players and coaches.

I think some of the private coaches also overdo the stuff that is presented as modern coaching. For example we now know that good players do use a slight uppercut swing but some coaches overdo this and teach like extreme uppercuts and tell kids strikeouts don't matter as long you hit for power. I think this swing metrics stuff is valuable and I work with some kids using blast sensors and other stuff but I still think the hit tool is very important and needs to be taught before you worry about power. Not talking about teaching slapping grounders but this "I only teach pull side bombs because pulled fly balls statistically do best in mlb" imo is not good, kids need to learn to hit liners to all fields first and after they master that they might work a little more on their pull side power. There still has to be a progression. I also don't teach to hit cage bombs. Some twitter coaches brag with posting rapsodo bombs at 35 degrees in the cage but I prefer to teach to hit high liners about 15-20 degrees (upper back corner of the cage to roof of the cage in its last third of length) be because I feel this gives the most margin for error, if you get on top it is a low liner or hard grounder and slightly under it is a nuke. If you aim for the bomb you might hit too many pop outs but aiming too low (like they used to teach middle of the L screen) it is not great either because in the cage that low ball (into pitchers balls:)) looks like a liner but after 110 feet to the SS that is probably a one hopper. The modern stuff is good but some have just overdone it by interpreting mlb data without context. Teach that modern stuff but don't disregard the hit tool and try to make everyone a mini adam dunn:).

NBA also had the advantage that more than half of the season was over at the time of the lockdown and thus a lot of gate revenue already was in the books. Also as it was said nba has smaller audiences and a larger percentage made on TV. Mlb has the disadvantage that they mostly have local cable deals and local viewership while for example nfl gets watched all over the country in national tv.

I would like that too at 22, maybe they can get another crochet type with ace starter ceiling and closer "floor" (actual floor of course is career ending injury or performance bust, but I'm talking maybe like 40th-50th percentile outcome or so). Either that or a true CF or SS HS prospect.

Yeah it could be negotiation. Maybe the owners will strive for something like first half of the season reduced player salaries to accommodate for the lost money and then when enough people are vaccinated players get full prorated salary for the games with full gate. Players probably won't like that so I can see a compromise like a 120 game season at full prorated salary or so.

Give me an athletic hitter with a real chance to stick up the middle. No more "maybe he can stick at that position but might be a DH guys".

I don't have a problem with keeping vaughn down until summer and make him earn it in the minors but I would not want to spend on a pure DH who might clog the roster after the break.

I also think Vaughn will be ready but I think the alternate site thing gets overrated. Longenhagen said alternate site is pretty useless for hitters because hitters see the same pitchers over and over again and also pitchers would be afraid to throw inside to top prospects (fear of hurting them). It is better than sitting around or just hitting in the cage but not comparable to game experience.

A lefty bat would be good but I would prefer an outfielder because you have vaughn and eloy also can use some days at DH when he is banged up again. So better get an OF who can DH occasionally instead of creating a DH logjam.

I would say their roster is pretty complete except for another good reliever or two. Rotation: Giolito, keuchel, lynn, two of kopech, cease, lopez, stiever ? grandal 1b:jose 2b: madrigal 3b: moncada ss: timmy CF: robert Lf: eloy Rf: eaton Bench: engel, mendick, leury DH: vaughn, Collins, yermin I think they definitely need one more good reliever but other than that the team looks pretty great. Sure the back end of the rotation is still a little thin and getting bauer would be great but it still could be a great rotation if kopech comes back decently.

Great Interview btw, also some insights about sox player dev

Yeah but spending 30 Mil on a Back Up Catcher is pretty steep. Sure grandal could get injured and then having that backup would be nice but the Sox are not the dodgers/yankees and spending that much on a guy who might catch 60 games when you have limited ressources is just not very smart economically.

Good for him. He did improve both defensively and offensively. Still I don't think he is close to being as good as he was last year, his stats were inflated by a high babip and by being protected, i.e put into favorable platoon situations. I expect him to be about a 100 wrc+ hitter if he plays full season, grandal should clearly be better than that. Still a well deserved payday and good for him he got it. In the end this was his one chance to get a payday and a starting gig and he took the chance. Of course catcher will be a bit weaker in chicago next year but with grandal probably catching like 130 games you don't need such a good backup if you have to pay him.

Here is the dalquist interview https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/prospect-interview-andrew-dalquist/id1525225214?i=1000501979117

How about getting him as a reliever. Former top prospect who initially struggled but since 2018 he has a 3.5 Fip/era and last year even 2.9 era, 2.6 fip. Not a k machine but with about a k per inning not bad either. Is only 28 and just got non tendered by the reds. I think he would be a good get for the pen if you can get him at like 2/12 or so. Hendricks probably would be better but bradley wouldn't be bad.

A Lot depends in whether his decline last year was permenant. It was a short sample and many good players had bad seasons but with him his walk rate went down, k rate went up and contact and chase rate also got worse. It could be permanent decline, related to health issues (permanent or resolveable) or maybe a result of bad training due to covid. Health is always a challenge with him but if he can get back to his old good K/bb ratio and hit 12-15 homers with a good obp that would be fine but with him being 32 and having his extensive injury history it could also be the end. With 1 year and a club option the risk for the sox is rather limited and at least doesn't affect long term payroll outlook.

I think yermin probably will be hitting 40 bombs in korea or japan pretty soon:).

He also Said he has an interview coming soon with a sox pitching prospect. I forgot who it was though.

Every GM wants to have more money, no GM would say "nah, don't give me more money, I'm fine with our budget":). Can't blame hahn for the budget, it is what it is especially with covid but still wondering about some moves.

Maybe he just wants to keep his job. But yeah, there is a chance he is on board with this but his presser after the season just sounded very differently.