I am okay trading Hembree but might just hold onto Barnes as we don't know yet about Thornburgh. Not sure we can rely on Hanley to play much 1st base next year so if we get a good first baseman and don't resign Moreland, then we would need a backup first baseman and Travis fits that role. Maybe if we get Nunez or an equivalent utility player, the first base role could be filled in that way. I still think Devers position for 2018 remains to be determined. We need his bat but we also need his defense to get much better.
There will be many interesting discussions on where DD will take the team for next year. His judgment has been good so far with the possible exception of the cost and length of contract for Price. Price could well be a god send in the bull pen during the playoffs so he still seems to have a lot of value for the sox. The depletion of our minor league system has been a topic but so far I haven't seen a performance by those we traded that makes me think they would have helped the Sox.
Thornburg has thoracic outlet surgery. See Matt Harvey when you want to see what the outcomes are with that. You cannot count on Thornburg. If he comes back and throws well, good for you. If he doesn't, then that's the natural progression.
Hal sucks
Our post season pen...
Kimbrel
Price
Smith
Reed
Kelly
Barnes
one from: Workman/Maddox/Scott/Fister/Hembree/Abad
Assuming we go with 11 pitchers (4 starters & 7 RP'ers).
4 starters: Sale, Pom, ERod & Porcello
I like the inclusion of Smith, even though he had a rough outing yesterday. He has good stuff and throws strikes at a high rate. Hard to pick the last one but Scott as a lefty might be needed. Price can't pitch just to get one lefty out, he is more of a couple of inning guy.
Several of our RHPs do very well with LHBs:
OPS Against
.333 Smith (just 6 PAs) -.582 in 2015
.572 Kimbrel
.675 Reed
.690 Kelly
.720 Maddox
I'm not worried.
We could also go with 12 pitchers, even with 2 days off in the 5 game series, since I don't see us PH'ing much anyways.
JF tried Workman and Abad in relief today and they both gave up runs. That may be a signal they will not be on the playoff roster . I didn't think either would make it so it makes sense to me.
In the town where I was born
Lived a man who sailed to sea
And he told us of his life
In the land of submarines
So we sailed up to the sun
'Til we found a sea of green
And we lived beneath the waves
In our yellow submarine
"Hating the Yankees like it's a religion since 94'" RIP Mike.
"It's also a simple and indisputable fact that WAR isn't the be-all end-all in valuations, especially in real life. Wanna know why? Because an ace in run-prevention for 120 innings means more often than not, a sub-standard pitcher covering for the rest of the IP that pitcher fails to provide. You can't see value in a vacuum when a player does not provide full-time production."
Locks:
Kimbrel, Price, Kelly, Reed
Likely:
Barnes
2 or 3 from:
Smith, Workman, Maddox, Scott, Fister/Porcello
Long shots or impossibles:
Abad, Hembree