You need an ace to compete and contend. Trading Sale would further diminish the Sox chances at either. Prospects are just prospects.
Players on Hall of Fame paths like Betts and Sale are the cornerstones contenders are built around. If the Red Sox trade their ace, they'll just be searching, and if history shows -- overspending -- trying to replace him with someone else. Just like they're probably going to with Mookie...
The White Sox become the team to beat in 2020 with the signing of Gorkys Hernandez.
Moncada auditioned at 3B for a reason. We had Pedey under contract through 2021 season.
Our baseball people further determined that Devers was better 3B.
It took Kopech and Devers to get an ace with very reasonable cost.
Let's not conflate Sale's new contract extension with the contract we inherited.
It was a great trade.
Just ask Freakin' Moon.
Thus, Devers and Kopech is not part of 'decimating' the farm conversation. We got a great player for two prospects.
Last edited by Nick; 02-17-2020 at 05:41 PM.
I changed Devers to Moncada.
I'm still very happy we traded for Sale and resigned him. I am very confident he will return to form.
That being said, trading Moncada and Kopech were part of decimating the farm. I think it was a worthy part of the whole decimation, but they were part of it.
When Sale returns to form, we should not trade him. He is a big part of the rebuild plan. He's part of the core we build around- Sale, Bogey & Devers.
We all await the glorious return of...
Chris Freakin' Sale!
Sox 4 Ever
Well, they are. That's like saying that if you deplete your bank account to buy your dream home, it really isn't depleted because it's, well, your dream home.
It's a good thing when you decimate the farm and are happy with the return. but that doesn't make the famr any better. And the Sox have reached a point where the big contracts have prohibited MLB acquisitions and the farm can do very little or them.
Also, I think you meant Moncada...
Agreed, and if you take each major DD trade made, here's what I thought of them at the time of the deal:
Kimbrel: hated it due to too many prospects given and CK not being a financial bargain
Pomeranz: disliked the trade not Pom. Thought a bigger package with maybe some from the CK trade could have gotten us better.
Sale: loved it and still do.
Thornburg: liked it
Nunez, Kinsler, Eovaldi & Reed: liked them.
We likely could have won without Pom, Thornburg, Kinsler and Reed, but taking back just those trades (in hindsight) would not greatly improve our farm or future outlook all that much.
Winning without Kimbrel and or Sale is another issue.
Sox 4 Ever
The problem with the Pomeranz trade was the whole medical file switcheroo pulled by Preller, and the Sox did nothing about it. They knowingly accepted damaged goods, and he pitched like it the remainder of the year. A healthy Pomeranz was a deserving All Star that season and normally well worth the A ball prospect. I consider it charma that Espinoza has barely thrown a pitch since that trade.
The Kimbrel trade was a massive overpay IMO.
Sale costs was about right. But that doesn't mean it didn't deplete the farm and that the prospects dealt away had no potential future in Boston. It was the cost of doing business. But there was a hidden cost the Sox are paying now. Now Sale's extension raised some questions. The fact that he signed a deal that cheap for that short of a period absolutely raised questions about his health, at least to me. But he certainly showed elite talent last year when healthy after a slow Cora-induced start...
Eovaldi was a good trade but a stupid extension...
Now as for Bloom
I at least understand why the Mookie trade was made.
But his lack of low level activity is disheartening. Get some guys on MiLB contracts!!
So far, Aaron Loup, Trevor Rosenthal, Dan Otero, Blake Parker, Nick Vincent, Luis Avilan, Greg Bird, Matt Adams, Derek Dietrich, Joe Panik, Jared Hughes, Chad Bettis, Tommy Milone, AJ Cole, Brad Boxberger, Juan Minaya, Yimi Garcia, Jacob Burnes, Yolmer Sanchez, Derek Law, Dylan Covey, Nick Tropeano, Jared Eickoff, Justin Bour, Kyle Barraclaugh, Zack Godley, and Greg Holland and others have signed MiLB contracts, none of them with Boston.
I'm sure the Sox could have used at least one of these guys, most likely more. If for no other reason than depth...
DD traded these top prospects (soxprospects.com highest ranking):
1 Y Moncada
3 A Espinoza
3 M Margot
5 D Marrero
6 J Guerra
5 M Kopech
5 J Beeks
7 L Basabe
9 M Dubon
11 S Anderson
13 L Allen
16 B Taylor
17 T Buttrey
17 W Jerez
18 L Basabe
20 C Asuaje
20 S Nogosek
Sox 4 Ever