The team said they were going to try him at 2B and the outfield this spring. That's advanced planning for Casas's eventual call up, but implementing it is also dependent on that call up actually happening. Until it does, whenever that is, yes, Dalbec's job is first base. The "shuffling" as you want to call it may never happen.
Sure. Are you saying you believe without question the idea that the Sox will move one of the worst defensive first basemen in MLB last year up the defensive spectrum and make him a utility man rather than trade him to a team willing to play him at first? Because I don’t think you do, I think you’re being argumentative for sport.
I mean, I know they said that they are going to try and get Dalbec some reps at second/left in ST, but that's not the same as shuffling him between those positions once the season starts. As of today, yes, I would say that first base is 'his job,' at least to the same degree that CF is Kiké's job, etc. (and the Fangraphs depth chart basically agrees, though obviously it isn't set in stone). Again, I hope that Casas forces the issue, but the difference in probability between that and Casas with a .780 OPS in AAA and Dalbec doing about the same in the majors isn't necessarily that big. Again, not the be-all, end-all, but projection systems like ZiPS and PECOTA project Dalbec as getting more PAs this year with slightly better performance, so I just don't think we should treat Casas coming up and stealing the job as anything like a sure thing. Prospects, even great ones, struggle in the high minors or in their first taste of the bigs and get sent back down, etc. I also don't think that the new CBA incentives are likely to come into play much here, given that Casas doesn't have a bunch of AAA games already under his belt, so the service time isn't likely to be offset by ROY placement compared to some more seasoned competition. Obviously, just my thoughts, ymmv.
If when Casas arrives, the choice is move Dalbec around to get his bat in the lineup a few times a week or trade him away, I think you hold on to him as Casas insurance unless or until you can pick up another RHH backup 1B. Which conceivably could be next winter as it is this June.
Signing both Schwarber and Suzuki would increase the payroll by nearly $37 million and take it about $17 million over the luxury tax threshold this year. Next year we have to replace CF, SS, C, and multiple SP and RP. I left DH out because I assume that's where you would slide Schwarber in your example, which may or may not be Bloom's preference for how to best manage that lineup slot. And then this time in two years you'll be continuing to put Bloom on blast because he failed to sign Devers to an extension due to the payroll construction.
Well, I think there are slim pickins at this point and that's a great disappointment - that to me is on Bloom. Story upgrades the roster, but could be disruptive to the team's relationship with Xander, and depending on length of contract, could block arguably our two best prospects.
Sorry - seeing this now, after sending my last post, don't mean to clog up the works.
IMO the $37M was too much for the pair, but moving Martinez would have eased the luxury tax concerns and left Schwarber as the DH with Verdugo, Hernandez and Suzuki as your presumptive starting OF and Bradley as your fourth.
You're kidding, right? He was a complete albatross against our biggest rival, and was consistently injured. He picked fights in the open with living legends on the team. He cost $169m for 10 WAR. His contract was a major reason this team didn't have the financial flexibility to pursue Mookie.
I think you lock him up if you think there's power he's not getting to yet, or if you want to lock in his arb years at a reasonable figure with a club option or two. There's value in having a Max Kepler type asset; not a star, but a cheap league average regular you can pencil in for a number of years. Low risk, medium reward.
(Not a) Dr. Jon is amused by this line, nicely done.
Ooooooo the outrage. First off I said that Price worked out OK, I claimed nothing more. Injuries issues sure, but he also made 35 starts in '16 and 30 in '18. Was he a Yankee killer, nope. The issue with Eck was handled poorly. Price or no Price, Mookie was never getting the contract in Boston that he got in LA. Look at you last sentence and tell me that you actually believe what you wrote. Was the Price contract a good one? Nope. Did I claim that it was? Nope. Did Price play a large part in the 2018 championship? Yep. Is that why they signed him? Yep. IMO he worked out OK, nothing more.
This made me laugh - a lot. and I was - like many - incredibly frustrated by David Price. He seemed unnecessarily difficult and high maintenance, he maybe had 2 good seasons out of 4, and he was maddeningly inconsistent in the playoffs. But he certainly was one of the key reasons the Sox won it all in 2018, and I think if he were less prickly he would have won WS MVP - he should have.
It kinda seems like Bloom is only gonna do that. And there ain't no Schwarber on the team ... maybe some nifty trades are coming? I certainly acknowledge anything is possible. But until or unless Bloom starts shifting his actions, I don't think any of us can really know for certain how things will unfold, or how he wants to operate. He dipped the Sox under the tax, CBT was lifted, and still no increase in spending. So now the goal posts are shifting to 2023 or 2024 - that's when Bloom will start spending.
Excellent post. Everyone dumping on Chaim is losing the forest for the trees. The Dodgers is what he is building here but it cant happen overnight.
It was just after my twenty-sixth post arguing basically the same thing you are that I at last came to understand that’s it’s not “everyone” dumping on Bloom. It’s a couple of Eeyores who keep loudly braying the same thing over and over. They diagnosed Bloom with Tampa Bayitis when he got here. They diagnosed Bloom with Tampa Bayitis at the beginning of last season. They diagnosed Bloom with Tampa Bayitis at the trade deadline. They went quiet after the playoff run, and they stayed that way until, a couple of months later, a few sparkly free agents signed elsewhere. That was proof enough to them of Bloom’s Tampa Bayitis. They’re not interested in arguments about improving farm systems. They’re not interested in ALCS appearances. They want big signings and they want them now. And until they get them, they’re gonna bray.
I tend to agree…but also agree that it’s just the eye test for me. I think some of it was getting more reps, and maybe some was just feeling more confident overall once he started to hit.
In August he was -3 outs above average at first base, second-worst in the league (Guerrero Jr.). In September he was +1 over 16 games.
Chawson, I kind of miss that former avatar of yours with the guy orating or whatever he was doing. What happened?
Kelsey Grammer playing Pangloss in Candide? I’ll bring it back if the Sox clear $200m in payroll.
The only grade you can give them as of today is Incomplete.
Sweet. Dalbec insurance, I expect, for early in the year. He may be approaching break-glass territory, but he'll only be 32 this season, and has hit well in stretches to be a plausible stopgap.
I honestly read this as a recommendation to reread the thread in 57 years. Which is good advice of course, but probably overdoing it.
Where’d you find that?
Yeah, I think their Bogaerts valuation is key here. Devers is a nonstarter. Whatever he wants, you basically have to give it to him. Bogaerts is different. He's older and there are legitimate questions about his ability to stay at SS long-term. He’s the classic guy who you want around but don’t want to overpay. If they could sign Correa and trade Bogaerts for something useful, I would consider that option as well.
Statcast has monthly fielding splits here.
Ah, yes. Forgot about him although I think he's another unlikely to see FA guy given the LAAA's resources and probable mutual desire to remain with the team. But, yes, he's absolutely someone you splurge on, if the opportunity presents itself. Of course, you'd be fighting off the MFY and others. His bat alone is incredibly valuable even if you strip out or reduce the pitching component.
