Following Former Red Sox 2024...
- Thread starter YTF
- Start date
The Royals released Sandy Leon per his request. Was signed as depth on a minor league deal.
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/royals-release-sandy-leon.html
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/03/royals-release-sandy-leon.html
Barnes might need a personal injury attorney. I hear these guys are good:
View: https://youtu.be/rfqY0XrVLMo?feature=shared
Mookie’s off to a scalding start OPSing 2.109 with 4 homers through the first 5 games, already accumulating 1 fWAR. Miss that guy.
Verdugo made a game ending sliding catch today. That trade is going to be on Bloom’s tombstone.
He got his 1500th career hit last night at age 31 and has reached base in 23 of his 38 plate appearances this season.
He has a small, probably unlikely but possible shot at 3000 hits for his career.
Barring a catastrophic injury, there doesn't seem to be much argument that he's going to the HoF, is there?
His B-Ref page shows he's right on track for the Hall. Already exceeded Black Ink and Grey Ink scores, and while he hasn't reached them yet he's most of the way to the counting stats usually associated with HoFers. He's only 31.
So? Greg Weissert is on pace for 81 IP with ZERO runs allowed. Mookie can't do that
Kidding aside how has he looked in the infield so far? Havent been able to watch him at all, his counting stats look good...solid range still I assume?
I haven't seen too much yet, only a few plays, but he looks fine.So? Greg Weissert is on pace for 81 IP with ZERO runs allowed. Mookie can't do that
Kidding aside how has he looked in the infield so far? Havent been able to watch him at all, his counting stats look good...solid range still I assume?
Going from a GG RFer to 2nd base to SS is one of the more unlikely defensive evolution I've seen.
Not much makes me sadder these days than seeing the daily "Mookie is Awesome" updates from around the internet
This board would be so much better if it auto-quarantined all Mookie- and Mac-related posts to some sub-forum protected from the New Posts search function.
From a Mod's POV: respectfully, stay out of here if you don't want Mookie updates. That's what this topic is for.
I am interested to see if/when Verdugo wears out his welcome in NY. He always starts out well with his new teams and then in two years they can't wait to unload him.
I suspect that his obvious energy and OF defense will protect him from a backlash for a while.
I have watched a couple of their games, and he has looked spectacular in the field, to my eye.So? Greg Weissert is on pace for 81 IP with ZERO runs allowed. Mookie can't do that
Kidding aside how has he looked in the infield so far? Havent been able to watch him at all, his counting stats look good...solid range still I assume?
See, this is the stuff I actually want in this thread. More Doogie hate, please.
Maybe we could use a following Mookie thread? I like this thread for news on all the hundreds of former sox, not just for daily updates on Mookie's batting line.
We should have a gallery of "Guys We Can't Live Without!"
Christian Vazquez - .598 OPS last year, and ice-cold so far with a .310 OPS.
Xander - .790 OPS last year, .601 this year as a second-baseman.
E-Rod - a convincing 2023 campaign of 26 starts, but yet to take the field this year.
Renfroe - .710 OPS last year (two clubs), and doing nothing (literally) for KCR so far - a .000 OPS in 4 games.
JDM - A good 2023 when healthy which was not even 3/4 of the season (.893 in 113 games). Maybe he'll play some games for the Mets soon.
Eovaldi - in JDM's boat with 25 starts and a 3.63 ERA, but healthy for an excellent post-season. His only start this year was good.
Enrique Hernandez - rebounded in 2023 for LAD, but off to a cold start this year: .413 OPS.
Wacha - A most-of-the-season starter for SD in 2023 (24 starts) his absences did not help the Padre cause. He's off to a rocky start in KCR with a 5.40 ERA.
Guys not in the majors: JBJ, Plawecki, Pham (FA), Arroyo (minors, Brewers, and injured).
Of them all the most surprising to me might be Jose Iglesias. Has his fielding fallen so far off he's not a 26th man for someone? He's doing a second consecutive season in the minors.
Was Iglesias hurt last year? He only played 28 games in AAA.
He's 34 and I suspect his time in the majors is now over.
He's 34 and I suspect his time in the majors is now over.
He was released by the Padres in June after opting out of his minor league contract (twice, he was released and re-signed in May) and didn't hook on anywhere else the rest of the year. I don't think it was injury. I bet he just didn't want to ride the busses all summer.
Kaleb Ort is in AAA for the Orioles. One perfect inning so far with 1 K. Can only hope the O's call him up on 4/9 for that series
Richard "don't call me Rocky" Bleier is across town with the Nats AAA team.
Taylor Scott is in the big leagues with the 'Stros (after a short stint with the A's last year)
Mauricio Llovera is with Seattlle;s Triplle A team, with two clean outings
Justin Garza is in AAA with the Giants, Nick Robertson with the Cards AAA teams,
Neither Kyle BEARCLAW or Ryan Sherriff seem to be with any team
Richard "don't call me Rocky" Bleier is across town with the Nats AAA team.
Taylor Scott is in the big leagues with the 'Stros (after a short stint with the A's last year)
Mauricio Llovera is with Seattlle;s Triplle A team, with two clean outings
Justin Garza is in AAA with the Giants, Nick Robertson with the Cards AAA teams,
Neither Kyle BEARCLAW or Ryan Sherriff seem to be with any team
A gem from Eovaldi today at TB. 7 IP, 4 H, 1 BB, 8 K.
I mean he’s no Mookie Betts. But that’s a high bar as Mookie is the best baseball player on the planet.
As someone who rarely comments on it, seeing Mookie play elsewhere makes me feel sick lol, even after all these years.
Guy is going to go down as an all time great, and he was proven in a place that isn’t always the easiest to play.
Guy is going to go down as an all time great, and he was proven in a place that isn’t always the easiest to play.
If Mookie falls off a cliff in the next year or two, I think you can still say Sox were smart to move on, given they knew they couldn't compete even with him on the team.
If he is still this good in 2026+ and Sox are good again, there's no doubt they goofed.
If he is still this good in 2026+ and Sox are good again, there's no doubt they goofed.
It's funny, I'm one of the ones who has been on the "it's baseball this kind of thing happens, I don't think Mookie really wanted to sign a long term deal here regardless of some of the things he has said since the trade (and definitely wasn't going to take a home town discount)".
But I am actually starting to get more and more angry about it, LOL.
This is a fascinatingly strange thing to post.
Respectfully: its in the books. They goofed. Lol
I did qualify my statement with "can still", most people would say they have already goofed. From the standpoint of trying to compete, I think the jury's still out.
Well Benintendi is off to a terrible start in Chicago this year so maybe that’s one the Sox got right. Looks like the White Sox lit $75 million on fire there.
he's worth 24 WAR in 3.5 years, leading the league in WAR twice, then whatever is happening this year.
They obviously goofed. If he were 80% of the player he is they still goofed.
On a different note, here's some rumored new silliness from the Evil Empire: Yankees crack down on how many chains Alex Verdugo is allowed to wear during games, per report - CBSSports.com
But would that WAR have been valuable to an otherwise garbage team? Tha'ts the crux of the argument.
As far as an appealing product and drawing / alienating fans, it definitely already has been a goof.
Yes. Having good players on your team is always a good thing. It is never bad. You have one, the team is then a better team, and boom there aren't ten million mind-numbing Sosher rationalizations to not go get the other good players and before you know it you're not a garbage team.
I know you're not necessarily making 'the argument' referenced here but this is bordering on Alice in Wonderland territory.
Did you enjoy watching Alex Verdugo fart around in right field for three seasons? Isn’t the point of sports watching the best athletes on your favorite team perform?
Not everything needs to be quantified/analyzed. If Mookie was on the Sox the last few years, you’re right they’d probably be in fourth place at best. Maybe third. But you know what, there would be a guy to really root for. A guy to tune in for. A guy to watch hit or field or throw or run.
Ted Williams didn’t always have a team that finished in first. Neither did Yaz. Or Pedro. Or Ortiz.
No shade here but sometimes I’m truly baffled as to what some posters want from this team.
I don't disagree, I'm torn on it myself.
Which is why I think the Sox FO grossly misevaluated what his peak would look like when electing to not sign him.
Old friend Dinelson Lamet is apparently pitching for the Dodgers. He picked up his first career save tonight, pitching a scoreless inning with two K’s.
Well if nothing else, more people would be buying gear of and going to games of the otherwise garbage team.
I'm of this mindset. Mookie seems legitimately happy in Los Angeles and I think that's where he wanted to end up all along. He's a joy to watch and, yes, it sucks it isn't for the Sox. I'm over the handwringing. It gives me something to watch after most of our games end.
That’s one contract where I immediately laughed when I heard what he got. Good for him. Save that money. But, man, what a bad contract. Sox definitely got that one right at least.
