A Realistic View at 2018: Part I

[moonslav59]

So I'm reading all the speculation and wishlist filling in the thread and wondering if everyone forgot the thread's title?

Well, with DD as the GM, one can imagine almost anything.

[moonslav59]

MLBTR on the Sox managerial hunt...

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/...al-search.html

[Jasonbay44]

Zito and Gagne were "dominant", too.

Zito had a very up and down career, with one ridiculous season, a few good ones and bunch of mediocre/bad ones. Webb was an elite starter his whole career before an injury ruined it. If a guy like Webb who was elite for 6 year stretch winning a cy young is considered a fluke, you could argue almost any Cy Young award winner was a fluke.

[Northern Star]

Well, with DD as the GM, one can imagine almost anything.

Expect the unexpected!

[except then, it's not unexpected any more]

[notin]

Anybody here see Devers play 1st base. Saw him this year 4 times, went to park early, Double AA never saw him practice there. Everytime he was at 3rd base. Wonder why Posters here, who probably never saw him play think he's a 1st baseman? Makes absolutely makes no sense, that if he couldn't handle 3rd in the Minors they would keep him there. Learning new positions in the Majors is stupid, unless your team has no chance of making the Play-offs. Then OK. Your team is going for WS and your telling a kid at 20 to learn a new Position in the Majors, is ridiculous. Nice to dream though. Leave him at third and be happy you got a slugger there at last.

The move from third to first is hardly a huge leap. It's not like taking a catcher and making him play left field.

Every team has players who change position, and I'm not talking about moving right fielders to left field, either.

What's ridiculous is limiting your options at 1B to the "meh" available options out there because you don't want some kid who has never played first to play there before. If Bogaerts can be switched from short to third for the post-season, why is Devers so entrenched at third base?

[notin]

How many teams have a Cy Young winner whose win was a total fluke?

A fluke Cy Young winner still get s the award.

Why are you holding his best season against him?

[Bellhorn04]

A fluke Cy Young winner still get s the award.

Why are you holding his best season against him?

No one should hold Porcello's 2016 season against him. But his 2015 and 2017 seasons were certainly big disappointments.

[moonslav59]

Expect the unexpected!

[except then, it's not unexpected any more]

My head is spinning!

[moonslav59]

The move from third to first is hardly a huge leap. It's not like taking a catcher and making him play left field.

Every team has players who change position, and I'm not talking about moving right fielders to left field, either.

What's ridiculous is limiting your options at 1B to the "meh" available options out there because you don't want some kid who has never played first to play there before. If Bogaerts can be switched from short to third for the post-season, why is Devers so entrenched at third base?

Especially since he was on a pace for 45 errors per 160 games.

He made 30 errors in 118 games between AA, AAA and MLB. 6 errors in 17 games last winter. That's 36 in 135 games since the end of last season.

[moonslav59]

No one should hold Porcello's 2016 season against him. But his 2015 and 2017 seasons were certainly big disappointments.

His 2014 season was pretty good, so maybe it's an even year thing.

[moonslav59]

This from soxprospects.com

---The Red Sox became the first team to sign a prospect from Tibet, bringing on a 16-year-old catcher who played for the Chinese national team. The only debate as of now is what to call him. His birth name is Qiang Ba Ren Zeng. He is listed on the Instructional League roster as Renzeng Qiangba. But according to MLB.com, he likes to go by Justin Qiang.

---Blake Swihart will play winter ball in the Dominican Republic and will focus on catching, according to Christopher Smith of Masslive.com

[Northern Star]

This from soxprospects.com

---The Red Sox became the first team to sign a prospect from Tibet, bringing on a 16-year-old catcher who played for the Chinese national team. The only debate as of now is what to call him. His birth name is Qiang Ba Ren Zeng. He is listed on the Instructional League roster as Renzeng Qiangba. But according to MLB.com, he likes to go by Justin Qiang.

---Blake Swihart will play winter ball in the Dominican Republic and will focus on catching, according to Christopher Smith of Masslive.com

Certain international signings lie about their age. This kid lies about his name.

[Northern Star]

A fluke Cy Young winner still get s the award.

Why are you holding his best season against him?

Because it's in sharp contrast to the rest. He laid an egg this year. Ergo, he is what he is, and last season was lightning in a bottle.

[moonslav59]

Certain international signings lie about their age. This kid lies about his name.

I'm guessing this is sarcasm.

[moonslav59]

Because it's in sharp contrast to the rest. He laid an egg this year. Ergo, he is what he is, and last season was lightning in a bottle.

Porcello's best ERA- seasons:

72 2016

87 2009
89 2014

102 2017
107 2013

110 2012
114 2011
117 2010
118 2015

Not so surprising that 3 of his best 4 seasons have been in the last 4 years (his prime years).

Then again, other numbers tell another story:

FIP-

81 2016

89 2013
94 2012
96 2014
97 2017

100 2011
103 2010
104 2015
107 2017
107 2009

Still, 3 of his best 5 seasons have been in the last 4 seasons.