Pillar to Rockies for PTBNL, international slot money (UPDATE: Jacob Wallace)

joe dokes

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Who is the new pitcher?
I'm not gonna......but even the wiki is funny:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who's_on_First?
The comedy troupe The Credibility Gap did a rock group variation on this routine involving a promoter, played by Harry Shearer, and a newspaper advertising salesman, played by David L. Lander, confusing the night's acts as proper nouns. The acts were The Who, The Guess Who and Yes.
In The Simpsons episode "Marge Simpson in: "Screaming Yellow Honkers"", Superintendent Chalmers and Principal Skinner attempt to perform the routine, but Chalmers gives up after Skinner explains the joke with his first line: "Not the pronoun, but rather a player with the unlikely name of 'Who' is on first."
 

The Gray Eagle

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I'm not gonna......but even the wiki is funny:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Who's_on_First?
Here's the Credibility Gap sketch:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BmTYpVtICE


As noted above, that's the future Squiggy of "Laverne and Shirley" fame, David L. Lander, as Mr. Hickenlooper. Lander was later hired as a scout by the Mariners:
http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=caple/040519
And also Harry Shearer as the promoter-- the same Harry Shearer who does the voice of Principal Skinner on the Simpsons, who botched the Who's On First routine.

To sort of bring it back to the Red Sox, Shearer is also the voice of Mr. Burns, who hires Wade Boggs and Roger Clemens to play for his softball team in the episode "Homer at the Bat."
 

nighthob

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As noted above, that's the future Squiggy of "Laverne and Shirley" fame, David L. Lander, as Mr. Hickenlooper. Lander was later hired as a scout by the Mariners:
http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=caple/040519
And also Harry Shearer as the promoter-- the same Harry Shearer who does the voice of Principal Skinner on the Simpsons, who botched the Who's On First routine.

To sort of bring it back to the Red Sox, Shearer is also the voice of Mr. Burns, who hires Wade Boggs and Roger Clemens to play for his softball team in the episode "Homer at the Bat."
And Lenny, Squiggy's best friend, went on to become the lead singer of a heavy metal band whose bass player was Harry Shearer.
 

edoug

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And Lenny, Squiggy's best friend, went on to become the lead singer of a heavy metal band whose bass player was Harry Shearer.
What is the name of that band.
I have to get someone to fall for it. ;)
 

E5 Yaz

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What does any of this have to do with Kevin Pillar?

Maybe it's time to lock the thread
 

edoug

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What's the chances the PTBNL is either Who, What or I Don't Know?
 

DeadlySplitter

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jon abbey

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Fangraphs has Wallace as a 40, so he will rank between 8-23 on Boston's prospects list when they update.
 

Rwillh11

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Jacob Wallace, 20 years old from our very own Lawrence, MA. Was at UConn before being drafted in the 3rd round last year by the Rockies.

This SportsNation article is the first one that came up for me: https://www.purplerow.com/2020/1/13/21050490/colorado-rockies-prospects-preseason-2020-no-27-jacob-wallace

He seems to profile as a reliever already, but I'm shocked a month of Pillar brought back slot money AND a recent fairly high draft pick.
This is about as much as we could hope for. Struck a bunch of guys out in 21 innings as a reliever last year (12.8 / 9). Apparently he has a 3 pitch mix, but was exclusively a reliever in college. Definitely some upside there.

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/jacob-wallace/sa3010374/stats?position=P
 

RedOctober3829

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deep inside Guido territory

StuckOnYouk

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Yep, he was filthy for us, throws mid to high 90s with a nasty slider.
There's video out there on Twitter of him striking out 7 straight OK State batters in the college playoffs last year. OK state had a very good luneup.
I suck at pulling up Twitter on here maybe someone else can.
He might have been the first reliever taken in the draft last year, cant recall. Heck of a get for Bloom
 

Jed Zeppelin

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So wouldn't this have to wait until the end of the year then?
I think technically the Rockies could have added him to their player pool to complete the transaction, but it’s unclear.

If they had space I don’t believe there would be harm to it as a paper move since the slot would immediately be freed up.

Seems like a solid get for 30 games of a 1 year signing.
 

SouthernBoSox

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I find this shocking.

It’s become pretty clear very quickly that Bloom is a very talented negotiator and evaluator.

I just can’t believe that he got a legitimate major league prospect for 20 games of Kevin Pillar. All is these deadline moves seem like absolute home runs. It’s so impressive and encouraging.
 

johnlos

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Yep, he was filthy for us, throws mid to high 90s with a nasty slider.
There's video out there on Twitter of him striking out 7 straight OK State batters in the college playoffs last year. OK state had a very good luneup.
I suck at pulling up Twitter on here maybe someone else can.
He might have been the first reliever taken in the draft last year, cant recall. Heck of a get for Bloom
Love twitter haha. Here are the 7 Ks. Couple of nice change-ups in there! Indeed 3 pitches
View: https://twitter.com/UConnHighlights/status/1135546413612486656?s=20
 

BaseballJones

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I find this shocking.

It’s become pretty clear very quickly that Bloom is a very talented negotiator and evaluator.

I just can’t believe that he got a legitimate major league prospect for 20 games of Kevin Pillar. All is these deadline moves seem like absolute home runs. It’s so impressive and encouraging.
I know it’s come at a steep cost, but Bloom has really done a tremendous job bringing in young MLB and prospect talent. I’m super excited for his tenure as GM because while the MLB team stinks right now, there’s real hope moving forward.
 

ElcaballitoMVP

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Nice finish to that game
Really opens to the first base side, which may help with the deception, but the strain on the arm is going to be ugly
Yeah, I thought the same thing but I think the angle might be a little deceptive. Watching him in other videos it appears he starts closed and doesn't finish as far to the 1B side as that video makes it look. Here's one from straight on:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaCnqCHE1NU
 

Jed Zeppelin

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I know it’s come at a steep cost, but Bloom has really done a tremendous job bringing in young MLB and prospect talent. I’m super excited for his tenure as GM because while the MLB team stinks right now, there’s real hope moving forward.
Excited to see him get to work with more flexibility but continuing to find bargains, churn over the back end of the roster, and make simple but savvy moves a la bringing in Pillar knowing the goal is to spin him off.

We’ll see if the players he’s acquired pan out but you have to love the process so far.
 

DJnVa

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I find this shocking.

It’s become pretty clear very quickly that Bloom is a very talented negotiator and evaluator.

I just can’t believe that he got a legitimate major league prospect for 20 games of Kevin Pillar. All is these deadline moves seem like absolute home runs. It’s so impressive and encouraging.
It is--but it's not like Colorado doesn't remember where they drafted this kid. I wonder how Bloom had them thinking they were bidding against.
 

johnlos

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Nice finish to that game
Really opens to the first base side, which may help with the deception, but the strain on the arm is going to be ugly
Something about the video made me immediately think he was throwing too much with his arm. Not that I know anything of what keeps pitchers healthy but maybe related to what you're seeing too

The fact I don't usually notice such things with ML pitchers probably means it's the kind of thing the big league clubs work on fixing so hopefully Sox (or already the Rockies) are on it
 

Max Power

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It is--but it's not like Colorado doesn't remember where they drafted this kid. I wonder how Bloom had them thinking they were bidding against.
Cleveland, for one. They can't hit at all and even Pillar would be an upgrade.

Chaim has done a great job flipping pieces to restock the farm. It's still an open question as to how he'll handle big free agent contracts.
 

Papelbon's Poutine

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Excited to see him get to work with more flexibility but continuing to find bargains, churn over the back end of the roster, and make simple but savvy moves a la bringing in Pillar knowing the goal is to spin him off.

We’ll see if the players he’s acquired pan out but you have to love the process so far.
I'm not trying to pee in the punch bowl because I think he's doing a great job and should get a lot of leash, but I'm not entirely ready to chalk up Pillar to a chess move. He needed an OF and it worked out well when they shit the bed. He signed in February; pre-COVID, pre Sale TJ, pre-ERod issues, etc. This wasn't a Billy Beane move, he backed into it. Damn if he didn't do well on it, but he didn't sign him thinking "I'll flip him later".
 

Max Power

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I'm not trying to pee in the punch bowl because I think he's doing a great job and should get a lot of leash, but I'm not entirely ready to chalk up Pillar to a chess move. He needed an OF and it worked out well when they shit the bed. He signed in February; pre-COVID, pre Sale TJ, pre-ERod issues, etc. This wasn't a Billy Beane move, he backed into it. Damn if he didn't do well on it, but he didn't sign him thinking "I'll flip him later".
No, but he showed he picked the right free agent fourth outfielder. If the team were contending, he'd be a contributor, and when they weren't, he was a valuable trade piece.
 

Papelbon's Poutine

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No, but he showed he picked the right free agent fourth outfielder. If the team were contending, he'd be a contributor, and when they weren't, he was a valuable trade piece.
And I'm not debating that. The post I replied to seemed to be implying a Beane style maneuver with a closer as in "I can get this guy and flip him at deadline, even though we don't need him". That was basically his signature move. This was a fortunate confluence of circumstances, but I'm not ready to chalk it up to him having a crystal ball, so to speak. Again, I'm not trying to knock Bloom I think he's doing a bang up job, I'm just not ready to cast his plaque.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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And I'm not debating that. The post I replied to seemed to be implying a Beane style maneuver with a closer as in "I can get this guy and flip him at deadline, even though we don't need him". That was basically his signature move. This was a fortunate confluence of circumstances, but I'm not ready to chalk it up to him having a crystal ball, so to speak. Again, I'm not trying to knock Bloom I think he's doing a bang up job, I'm just not ready to cast his plaque.
They signed Pillar before they traded Betts. They'd gone the last two seasons without a traditional 4th OF (it was a combo of Martinez and Holt). The case can be made that they didn't *need* Pillar at the time, but he just was too good a value to pass up. Which is, I think, the more classic Billy Beane style move.
 

Lose Remerswaal

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They signed Pillar before they traded Betts. They'd gone the last two seasons without a traditional 4th OF (it was a combo of Martinez and Holt). The case can be made that they didn't *need* Pillar at the time, but he just was too good a value to pass up. Which is, I think, the more classic Billy Beane style move.
in 2019, JD had the 4th most games in the OF followed by Sam Travis, then Brock Holt
in 2018, JD had the 4th most games in the OF followed by Blake Swihart then Gorkys Hernandez, THEN Brock Holt
 
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Red(s)HawksFan

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in 2019, JD had the 4th most games in the OF followed by Sam Travis, then Brock Holt
in 2018, JD had the 4th most games in the OF followed by Blake Swihart then Gorkys Hernandez, THEN Brock Holt
That's what I get for posting before 7am. My point still remains though. Their 4th OF the last two seasons was their regular DH, so it's not as though Pillar was a clear and obvious need when they signed him. At that point, nothing had changed with their primary outfield personnel.