Your Thoughts on the 2021 Deadline

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

In the deadline thread, it seems that SoSH is all over the map. We have the stay the coursers who a taking the long-term view. We have the people who wanted action at any cost. And we have posters who are in the middle.

What say you, SoSH. Where are you at right now?

 

[ookami7m]

Obviously the big caveat to all of this is we don't know what Bloom had on the table for offers and got outbid on or told no in response to.

But with that in mind, the whole day looked like a sellers market to me. No reason for us to mortgage a ton of the future in a GFIN move at the rates we were seeing there. I'd have loved to see a real 1B come over, but I'm intrigued by Schwarber.

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

I voted reluctant understanding, but really I'm a blend of that and happy/house money. I don't like the mindset that the GM has to go out and get the best available players and not doing so or making a big splash is a failure to be put entirely on his shoulders. No doubt in my mind that Bloom was in on Scherzer and Berrios and Rizzo and Bryant and pretty much every other guy that changed teams in the last 72 hours. Only one team can acquire any one player, and sometimes your best offer isn't going to be enough. Other teams have deeper pockets right now, both in terms of prospect capital and salary flexibility. It can't be helped.

This team is already far and away better than what I expected, and I had relatively high expectations compared to the local media and many posters here. Another championship would be great, but after four in the last 17 years, I'm okay with not pushing all the chips to the middle of the table every time we have a moderately good hand.

 

[E5 Yaz]

None of the above. Grading a trade deadline immediately is the same as grading the NFL Draft immediately

 

[Archer1979]

Reluctant understanding for me as well. That they're even in contention this year is a pleasant surprise... and every time I think I might not want to get my hopes up, they're bopping around in the top three teams in the standings. If they can hold tight against the AL East for the rest of the season, this will be a very successful season.

But... do I think that they have enough to get through three rounds of playoffs even if they did add a league average first baseman... They would have to get hot in October to do it. Looking at the haul some of these teams made off with for prospects, they don't have the surplus in the minors that other teams have. They surely would have been mortgaging their future if they got themselves bidding for Scherzer, Berrios, or even Kimbrel for that matter.

If they win with what they have this year, great. If they don't they're still positioned well for next season and beyond.

 

[vadertime]

Reluctant understanding. Trading a prospect for a guy on the IL with a hamstring injury (which are notoriously troublesome), that if he suffers a setback on could be out for the year is something I wasn't a fan of. I would have rather it been a PTBNL conditional on him being activated and making it back. If he does come back and contribute, I'm OK with Ramirez being the cost.

The two bullpen arms seem like upgrades over Worman and Rios, but I'm not sure you want either one working meaningful innings, and that's not saying much. Chavis needs a change of scenery, and I wish him the best, it just wasn't going to happen here. Scherff was a borderline add to the 40-man in the off-season. Would he have been taken if left off? Hard to say this far out, but getting an arm for the now is what the team needed.

Seemed like a sellers market, and something is better than nothing, and they avoided being reactionary and making a splash to just make a splash. But an overall 'meh' to the moves.

 

[bankshot1]

R/U

I wanted decent fielding 1st a baseman who could also hit, and SP and they really didn't get that, but Schwarber may be a useful bat. Whether he can play 1st or LF, without making us grimce, remains to be seen.

On the other hand they didn't give up anything I suspect that will be missed.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

None of the above. Grading a trade deadline immediately is the same as grading the NFL Draft immediately

Yeah but how do you feel right now. No one is going to hold you to it. I’m frustrated. I get why Bloom did what he did but I still wish he got a first baseman and a starter.

it’s okay to be disappointed, it doesn’t make you a dumb or shitty fan.

 

[Rovin Romine]

R/U. But it's too soon to tell. If Schwarbaseman gets healthy and starts mashing, I'll happily upgrade it.

As I will if Sale and Brasier remain on track.

I expect nothing from the new relievers. Flotsam and Jetsam. It's a 15% move instead of standing entirely pat.

 

[Jimbodandy]

Yeah but how do you feel right now. No one is going to hold you to it. I’m frustrated. I get why Bloom did what he did but I still wish he got a first baseman and a starter.

it’s okay to be disappointed, it doesn’t make you a dumb or shitty fan.

I don't think that we have an outbreak of posters crapping on fans for being disappointed about the shortage of help coming in. Lots of us wish that a big arm and a stud first baseman were under the Christmas tree.

But the "Bloom doesn't know how to operate in a big market" takes are embarrassing, and the implication that Bloom was hoarding prospects rather than helping the parent club is silly.

You're absolutely right--it's totally understandable that we will have differences of opinion on how much to GFIN. But differing from Bloom on this doesn't make Bloom overmatched.

 

[E5 Yaz]

Yeah but how do you feel right now. No one is going to hold you to it. I’m frustrated. I get why Bloom did what he did but I still wish he got a first baseman and a starter.

it’s okay to be disappointed, it doesn’t make you a dumb or shitty fan.

I wish they had picked up a true first baseman. I tend to believe that the rotation additions will be Sale and Houck, so that didn't bother me as much.

But since we'll never know what deals they might have had on the table, or what prospects they were unwilling to move, I guess I'm in the "reluctant understanding" category.

I mean, it's not like I want Bloom to spend the night buried in a snowbank

 

[cantor44]

Reluctant understanding for me, though maybe on the negative side of phrase. I actually think the Schwarber acquisition (if he can get fully healthy) could be very impactful. The dude can rake and would really lengthen the line up. OTOH, it SEEMS Bloom played it too conservatively given the clear and decisive need for more starting pitching.

It's true that IF Sale can come back close to his career par, and IF Houck can sustain what he's been doing in the ML (but somehow has never done in MiLB), and IF the bullpen doesn't fry, and IF ERod can find his old self ... well, then maybe not getting a blue chip arm won't matter. All those things COULD happen -
but that's a lotta ifs ... I would have liked for Bloom to have brought in a proven quality arm as a safeguard against so much uncertainty .... wouldn't have to mortgage the future for that ....

 

[DisgruntledSoxFan77]

“Kind of a disaster” is a bit much but the summation of that option is where I’m at. We needed a first baseman, we traded for a guy who’s never played it but is “excited to try”. How could that go wrong? (A moment of silence please for the testicles of Christian Arroyo). We needed pitching, we got Davis and Robles. I almost rather no pitching were obtained, those two are just completely uninspiring

 

[Wallball Tingle]

While I called myself happy in the deadline thread, I voted R/U.

It would have been fun to blow off the barn doors and stick all the best players in the shopping cart-- the fan in me that likes to watch winning baseball is a bit disappointed that at least a miniature version of that didn't happen.

But the cold scale/judge in my head said and says: "With what capital and at what cost?"

 

[snowmanny]

I am perplexed by the lack of an obvious first base upgrade. That's a big hole in the lineup that seemed as if it would be readily filled. I'd rather have an 800 OPS actual first baseman than a 900 OPS no position player. But maybe I am missing something.

 

[OurF'ingCity]

I’d be fascinated to know if Bloom was at all interested in CJ Cron and, if so, why the two sides couldn’t figure that one out. I thought that was the obvious “solid upgrade without giving up too much” move to make at 1B.

 

[sezwho]

R/U tending to negative: definitely against pillaging but felt 1st base would be the easiest position to upgrade. Perhaps this outside the box solves it.

 

[Red(s)HawksFan]

I’d be fascinated to know if Bloom was at all interested in CJ Cron and, if so, why the two sides couldn’t figure that one out. I thought that was the obvious “solid upgrade without giving up too much” move to make at 1B.

The Rockies didn't really trade anyone, which makes me think the problem was on their end rather than Bloom's.

 

[Harry Hooper]

The Rockies didn't really trade anyone, which makes me think the problem was on their end rather than Bloom's.

The Rockies thought the deadline was the 31st as usual?

I'll go with a merger into understandable disaster given the dynamics in MLB this week. To not upgrade the talent in either the rotation or the pen (either route was fine with me) is a major concern. Sale and Brasier needed in a big way

 

[OCD SS]

I get why Chaim did what he did, but man this deadline has a wiff of 2011 around it.

Realistically, with Devers now out, I think they had a chance to top SF for Bryant, who would realistically be able to cover 3B with Devers out and then slide over to 1B easier than Schwarber, who has basically no experience there.

I suspect this deadline would feel a little better if Scwharber wasn't injured and could actually play right away...

 

[beautokyo]

Voted reluctant as well as did more than half as of this writing. Bloom played it safe and did what he thought was right. Got the big bat and totally agree with OCD SS eval that I'd be a lot happier if he wasn't hurt.