Problem is that unless the Mets are eating money, the Red Sox probably can't afford both of those players without exceeding the luxury tax. Their pro-rated salaries combined would be about $7.5M and last I heard, the Sox had somewhere in the neighborhood of $6M to play with.I'd think the Mets would love to package Reed with Bruce.
Taking a salary like Young back instead might leave them squeezing under too I guess.Problem is that unless the Mets are eating money, the Red Sox probably can't afford both of those players without exceeding the luxury tax. Their pro-rated salaries combined would be about $7.5M and last I heard, the Sox had somewhere in the neighborhood of $6M to play with.
As in, Mike? The guy they basically traded to get Farrell out of his contract in Toronto?Did I just see that they traded for Aviles?
I can't find anything about it. Hope you just need to put the shrooms down.I saw something on a crawl but wasn't sure I read it correctly. I figured there would be something in this thread or I was hallucinating.
And Mookie is lost.Bogaerts hasn't hit a ball hard in weeks and weeks.
Since he "bruised" his hand on that HBP. Seems to be making better contact the last couple of days but not really any lasersBogaerts hasn't hit a ball hard in weeks and weeks.
And my point is that you greatly exaggerated your point. Yes, Alonso had a big month in May but to say he's pretty much "who he's always been" outside of that month is just false. Prior to this season Alonso's single-season career high in home runs was 9 in 2012. This season he hit 10 home runs in May and has already hit 11 home runs outside of May. So yes, he is probably not the Ruthian slugger he looked like in May but it's also clear that Alonso is a much improved player, and that that improvement has been pretty evident throughout the 2017 season.The point is that May is an extreme outlier and that outside of that, Alonso has more closely resembled the guy he's always been. So unless you think Moreland is not healing and not likely to any time soon, or that he's suddenly and inexplicably become a .384 OPS hitter, going forward Alonso likely doesn't represent a significant upgrade over Moreland. Maybe 5-10% more production relative to league average and probably similar power numbers..
Because you only have 25 roster spots and using 3 of them on 1B/DH only types is a terrible idea. Unless you can DL Moreland, and you can't force him there if he doesn't think he needs to be there, they can't add Alonso to this roster as insurance. That means finding another team to take Moreland, which makes it incredibly unlikely this will happen. The A's have no use for him and aren't going to want to eat his contract unless the Sox up the prospect package going their way, which defeats the purpose if you are looking for a cheap upgrade or insurance policy.My point isn't that Alonso is a superstar, but instead that nobody expects that he will cost much in talent to acquire and he would be an improvement - potentially a dramatic improvement if Moreland doesn't turn it around - at 1st base. If the acquisition cost is low (and judging from the return the Mets got for Duda and the Tigers got for Martinez, it's going to be low) why wouldn't you protect yourself against the possibility that Moreland doesn't bounce back - especially if in doing so you can simultaneously prevent the Yankees (one of the only teams in the league with worst production at 1B and currently the team rumored to have the most interest in Alonso) from bolstering their production at position?
Moreland just had a historically bad month and is currently the worst hitting 1st baseman (by OPS among qualified batters) in the Majors. If he refuses a DL assignment I am perfectly comfortable designating him for assignment.Because you only have 25 roster spots and using 3 of them on 1B/DH only types is a terrible idea. Unless you can DL Moreland, and you can't force him there if he doesn't think he needs to be there, they can't add Alonso to this roster as insurance. That means finding another team to take Moreland, which makes it incredibly unlikely this will happen. The A's have no use for him and aren't going to want to eat his contract unless the Sox up the prospect package going their way, which defeats the purpose if you are looking for a cheap upgrade or insurance policy.
I saw that too and thought the same thing but it was a "this day in Sox history" item.Did I just see that they traded for Aviles?
You might not, the Red Sox probably would, however, as it could impact their ability to attract marginal roster additions in future free agent markets. This isn't fantasy baseball. And all of this is predicated on a belief that this terrible month is establishing a new baseline talent level. It's a shitty month They happen. The Sox are apparently pretty confident that he's likely to improve going forward or they'd have been in on Duda or would be rumored to be in on Alonso.Moreland just had a historically bad month and is currently the worst hitting 1st baseman (by OPS among qualified batters) in the Majors. If he refuses a DL assignment I am perfectly comfortable designating him for assignment.
I'm not sure how to research monthly statistics before 2000 (that's as far back as ESPN allows) but Moreland's .384 OPS for the month of July is the worst monthly OPS for a 1st Baseman since 2000 - and probably much longer than that. For a 1st basemen, months like this -almost literally - never happen.You might not, the Red Sox probably would, however, as it could impact their ability to attract marginal roster additions in future free agent markets. This isn't fantasy baseball. And all of this is predicated on a belief that this terrible month is establishing a new baseline talent level. It's a shitty month They happen. .
Makes sense since Addison Russell plays for the Cubs and Cafardo is actually talking about Addison Reed.Nick Cafardo @nickcafardo 25m25 minutes ago
A Mets official indicated "not much" when asked about if anything was going on concerning Addison Russell and the Red Sox.
Are you arguing that July establishes a new baseline expectation for Moreland going forward?I'm not sure how to research monthly statistics before 2000 (that's as far back as ESPN allows) but Moreland's .384 OPS for the month of July is the worst monthly OPS for a 1st Baseman since 2000 - and probably much longer than that. For a 1st basemen, months like this -almost literally - never happen.
So your suggestion is that a small sample size can actually have some potential of being predictive going forward when the results of the sample are an extreme outlier. This is true, and therefore worrisome. Hopefully he turns it around, or gets healthy, but there's a lot riding on that hope.I'm not sure how to research monthly statistics before 2000 (that's as far back as ESPN allows) but Moreland's .384 OPS for the month of July is the worst monthly OPS for a 1st Baseman since 2000 - and probably much longer than that. For a 1st basemen, months like this -almost literally - never happen.
You've been here a long time and I've read your posts for years. You're smarter than this. Guys sign and get DFA'd all the time.You might not, the Red Sox probably would, however, as it could impact their ability to attract marginal roster additions in future free agent markets. This isn't fantasy baseball.
Price seemingly being such a question mark atm has my thought process on that going either way.Would anyone really be upset if DD did nothing? The team isn't winning anything this year and the idea of trading anything of value for a rental seems incredibly stupid. When added my personal opinion that the Eed Sox scouting department is about two years behind and I say trade only of getting rid of flotsam
I'm not arguing there's no reason to be concerned. I'm pointing out that Alonso isn't the automatic upgrade that some appear to assume he is, and he can't just be traded for without making room for him, so the chances that the Sox go in this direction are very slim.So your suggestion is that a small sample size can actually have some potential of being predictive going forward when the results of the sample are an extreme outlier. This is true, and therefore worrisome. Hopefully he turns it around, or gets healthy, but there's a lot riding on that hope.
Edit: To be clear to Snodgrass, I'm suggesting that it's reasonable to be concerned it was more than an off month. But, then, I thought Ortiz was dead in the water several years ago.
In 2009 Smoltz was worse than Fister has been this year. He had an 8.33 ERA and a 4.95 FIP in Boston. And he was 39 trying to make one last go of it as a major leaguer. That's an awful comp.You've been here a long time and I've read your posts for years. You're smarter than this. Guys sign and get DFA'd all the time.
It's baseball, you get paid no matter what.
You think cutting bait with a high profile sign like Smoltz mid season effected their ability to sign guys one iota?
I sure don't.
The danger is that the young guys are what they are. Their "slumps" have been going on since mid-May. Did we get too excited about them? In any case, I don't see how trading for another bat solves anything without the kids showing that they're the hitters we though they were and for all I know - that doesn't happen until next year.Bogaerts hasn't hit a ball hard in weeks and weeks.
That's the easy narrative but he wasn't driving the ball in April and may, either. He lunges at everything and was slapping and bapipping all over the place. The only pitches he'd hit hard were at n off the plate where he could square up despite clearing out his hips early.Since he "bruised" his hand on that HBP. Seems to be making better contact the last couple of days but not really any lasers
Tony Clark - Sept. 2002I'm not sure how to research monthly statistics before 2000 (that's as far back as ESPN allows) but Moreland's .384 OPS for the month of July is the worst monthly OPS for a 1st Baseman since 2000 - and probably much longer than that. For a 1st basemen, months like this -almost literally - never happen.
XB has a different approach in the warmer weather than cold weatherThat's the easy narrative but he wasn't driving the ball in April and may, either. He lunges at everything and was slapping and bapipping all over the place. The only pitches he'd hit hard were at n off the plate where he could square up despite clearing out his hips early.
The best way to fix this. And mookie. And Hanley. Is to force each of them to stay close and hiteverypitch to RF
Not really imo, unless you are buying in to a notion that DD ever saw Hanley as a returning full time option at first.Ok, question:
Did DDom miss out on JD Martinez? He had to know he was available and seems to have been the best bat anyone got hold of so far.
I don't think so. Their preseason projections were fairly good, but none of them are hitting up to expectations:The danger is that the young guys are what they are. Their "slumps" have been going on since mid-May. Did we get too excited about them?
It's a fluke. I mean, what factor could be impacting the entire team? Chili Davis was the hitting coach last year too, and the year before. Most of the guys are within range of their projections, it's just a case of widespread mild under-performance. Unless there are injuries, I'd bet on most of them over-performing their current numbers from here on out.I don't think so. Their preseason projections were fairly good, but none of them are hitting up to expectations:
Betts: 108 RC+ today vs preseason Steamer 130 RC+ (or ZIPS 120 RC+)
Bradley: 103 vs 109 (or 101)
Bogaerts: 95 vs 108 (or 100)
Benintendi: 94 vs 106 (or 100)
And many of the vets are in the same place:
HanRam: 104 vs 123 (or 112)
Holt: 27 vs 83 (or 87) in SSS
CYoung: 89 vs 105 (or 92)
Pablo: 59 vs 97 (or 81)
Only Pedroia is meeting expecations right now at 109, vs 108 (or 103)
That's telling me it's not something with us overrating the kids -- it's something systemic with the entire team.
What a even-handed and rational take. I tend to agree with it. I don't think there are any bats left on the market that can drastically improve our lineup (JD Martinez) or marginally improve it (Duda). I make non-stop calls to the Mets about Addison Reed and make sure we're on him till the end. Hopefully we close in on him. Get Reed for the 8th so something like yesterday only happens once or twice for the rest of the year. Beyond that, bet on talent exceeding past performance.It's a fluke. I mean, what factor could be impacting the entire team? Chili Davis was the hitting coach last year too, and the year before. Most of the guys are within range of their projections, it's just a case of widespread mild under-performance. Unless there are injuries, I'd bet on most of them over-performing their current numbers from here on out.
Yeah three prospects for a rental seems steep.If it's three prospects I pray they are lower level. Hold on to your butts.
Yup. Although three of even them seems like a lot for a rental. Hoping for Callahan, Buttrey, and someone I've never heard of.Hopefully Rule 5 eligible guys.