Dominikk85

I wonder if they are bringing back Mazara. He was really bad but if Hahn thinks it was just a health or mechanics issue he might bring him back and least give him spring and a couple weeks to see if he can bounce back to his 17-18 level

If Ricky gets fired certainly not because of lineups. Edwin actually did sit like twice a week the last 3 weeks of the season and if Hahn wanted him to sit more than that he would have DFAed him because you don't carry a DH only for twice a week as it messes up the roster. I'm sure Hahn asked Ricky to sit EE twice a week and that is what he did the last 3 weeks and 2 of 3 playoff games. Now mazara vs Engel you could argue but projections actually thought Engel was going to be worse than Mazara and got super lucky and Hahn probably was OK with that too. If Hahn gets fired (which he likely won't in 2020) than because of bullpen decisions, there are almost no managers anymore who regularly post line ups the front office and analytics doesn't agree with. Occasionally a manager will go against recommendation, sure but not most of the time.

I'm not writing of Lopez either. He had a bad year but it was also interrupted by injuries so maybe if he is healthy he can make a step forward. He has to earn it though at this point, not like in rebuild years when there is time to learn on the job.

It could always be worse of course, see the cubs and red sox:)

The projection for the team at fangraphs had the team at 31 wins so the team outperformed that by 4 wins. The team has great talent but also big holes, usually a team with only two legit starters doesn't win games at a 94 win clip (might not have happened anyway over 162)

I think the perfect DH is Vaughn:). Sure he is right handed but really good right handers handle RHP. I think Vaughn can produce a 110 wrc+ against righties which is solid (and hopefully mash lefties at a 140 clip). The Sox need a lefty bat but with Jose and Vaughn it needs to be in right field. When the Sox get a healthy moncada and bat X in right field they have two solid options against RHP and I think Vaughn and madrigal will be fine against RHP because they are just good hitters.

I think next year Ricky will be under the microscope. This year hahn can't really fire Ricky because the results were so good (better than the true talent of the team) and if Hahn fires Ricky and then the Sox miss the post season next year hahn would be on the hot seat. To secure his own job hahn needs to wait for a bad period to fire Ricky and with a bad period I'm not talking a 15 game stretch (every WS winner has a bad 2-3 weeks) but a 50-60 game stretch or so. I think if the Sox are under. 500 in mid June next year Ricky is gone

I think the only way Ricky gets fired if superstar manager like maddon becomes suddenly available. If a rookie manager like jirschele was coming it would have happened already. Hahn is Not going to fire a manager of a.580 team for a rookie manager or Promotion because if it goes wrong he will be gone. The only chance RR gets fired now is for an established star manager if he becomes available (maddon, girardi). And i doubt they will take a tainted manager like hinch or cora, no need to take that baggage.

This isn't an age thing really. On average younger coaches are more receptive to modern stuff but some guys stop learning at 50 and some like Jerry Weinstein are still cutting edge well into their 70s because they are still curious.

Stone is an old man yelling at clouds.

The giants are totally in rebuild mode. They were decent but with a roster of 30 year old stopgaps except for bart, and the prospects like bishop, Luciamo, ramos and bailey are still in the minors. Yas is 30 next year and if the sox offer Rutherford, sheets and maybe a lotto ticket pitching prospect the giants might want to do it.

You mixed that up. Rotator cuff is shoulder while TJ is elbow

Of course he can play RF, I can play ST too:). I think Vaughn has the instincts to not embarrass himself in RF but longenhagen says he is a 30 grade runner which is a slow even for a 1b, I.e he likely is slower than Jose and maybe even EE. I think what he could do is play 5 or 6 games a year in RF but you don't want to play him 80 plus games in the OF, especially with eloy in the OF.

Yeah, all year long people said Ricky is not pulling guys fast enough and pitching bad guys (which of course is related to only having 2 starters) and then he does it and brings one of the best relievers and people don't like it either. Had dunning given up a 3 run homer everyone would have blown up. Ricky made mistakes but this game he did everything right: -pulled dunning before he could blow up -followed with a dominant reliever -brought in rodon with bases empty and two out which is the perfect spot as he doesn't have to complete 3 if he makes an out and also doesn't give up immediate runs if he gets hit -pitched all the good relievers Really just a ton of things went wrong as crochet got hurt and lots of usually good guys didn't get it done. The Padres actually used the same strategy and won a shutout.

Yeah no way Jerry takes on the almost 300 mil that are still left on Harper's contract. The sox will spend more but not THAT much more.

Sure but I don't think you can blame a team for what happens 20 years after the draft.

Actually he probably was an above average draft. He was bad but he was a 25th rounder and 95% or so of 25th rounders never make the majors at all.

The game has passend by him. Today you don't want flamboyant managers but guys who keep the players happy and do what the analytics people tell them. Even if people don't believe it ricky likely mostly does what the front office wants

Firing ricky would be risky for Hahn too. Firing a manager is a protective move for a gm that takes the heat of him because it blames somebody else but you can only do that once or twice before you are the one getting canned. That means this is an arrow you don't want to waste prematurely. As I said the sox won games on a 94-95 game pace and there is much more room to get worse than to get better. So let's say hahn fires ricky and hires a different manager who does a good job but then 1 or 2 injuries , one or two underperformers and the sox win 83 games and miss the playoffs and all of a sudden Hahn is on the hot seat. Going by process, not results sounds great in theory but nobody does it because in reality you are measured by results and much can happen out of your control. Thus for Hahn's job security it is much smarter to wait before the sox actually struggle (not two weeks which is nothing but two months plus) to fire ricky so the struggle is on ricky and not on hahn.

I think the ligament never really snaps at once. Of course at some point it will snap but it always was weakened before, an uncompromised UCL won't tear. One theory with the forearm strains that sometimes occur before tj is the ligament kinda gets stretched out or loosened a little and then forearm muscles try to do the job of the ligament and stabilize the elbow which can lead to overload of those muscles when throwing and subsequently muscle strains. Not sure if that is really true though and even if it is not every strain must be related to an ucl problem. Often forearm strains occur before ucl injuries but sometimes they are just forearm strains and the elbow is ok after a couple weeks of rest.

Yeah they have been pretty good with relievers. With Starters they weren't that bad either as dunning, cease, kopech and reylo at least reach the majors. Some big failures too but maybe the problem is more the development at the mlb level where they didn't make that last step or got hurt.

Some positions should get a big upgrade but obviously there also will be some regressions. Catcher: about the same. McCann gone but grandal could become a tiny bit better 1b: some regression, Jose is 34 next year expect more a 120-130 wRC+ than a 160. But still a good spot 2b: about the same, full year of Nick but leury and mendick were great in the beginning, could be again around a 110-115 wrc+ Ss: very slight regression (babip) but also think Tim could take another step forward and produce like a 130 3b: should be much better with a healthy yoan I expect a 120-130 wrc+ Lf: about the same if eloy stays healthy Cf: should be better,I don't expect a first half Robert but second half is not real either and bottom line should be better than 101. Expect more 115-120 range maybe more Rf: should be a big upgrade whoever that it. Can't be like a 75 wrc+ again and should be at least a 105 or so DH: big upgrade as EE is gone and Vaughn could produce a 115-120 wrc+ and whoever does the first month for Vaughns service time won't be that bad either. 1 starter: about the same, maybe a tiny bit of regression 2 starter: keuchel will regress some, expect more a mid to high 3s era but he is still solid 3-5 starter: should be better, not necessarily the ERA but the volume, as you will get guys who can actually go more than 4. Pen: there will be regression unless the sox make some moves. I think heuer and bummer are good but after them there are question marks that need to be addressed. Colome is gone (and won't be that good) and crochet might be out with injury or in the minors. Sox need to get one or two guys to maintain the level.

If you bring in Bauer he essentially becomes the pitching coach too:)

Yeah, he might be willing to stay if you offer him to play 50% of the time but grandal is an elite catcher on both sides of the ball and you want him to play 120+ games and it makes no sense for McCann to stay for 40 games and a few at DH. Don't forget DH could be pretty crowded next year, Vaughn will be up and eloy might also occasionally get a day or two at DH when he is a little banged up. McCann isn't young either and that is the last chance for him to get a starting job somewhere. Obviously the sox will lose some production of catcher next year but if grandal plays 125 games it is ok to have an offensive hole at catcher for 35 games or a defensive one if you use Collins.

I think everyone should get a chance in spring, even reylo and rodon (if he is not non tendered) but they really need to show something there (command, velo, strikeouts) to get a spot.