A Realistic View at 2020: Part I

[kenmeister]

If I believed this was true, I'd probably feel more urgency to move Mookie for whatever we can get, but -- silly homer that I am -- I don't. A gimpy rotation and thin bullpen may prove to be our downfall, but I see no reason to think that a team with a $200+ million payroll and a lineup anchored by Betts (assuming he stays put), Martinez, Bogaerts, and Devers should not be going for it.

Our lineup last season was 4th in runs, 5th in OPS, and 4th in total bases in MLB. That's pretty good, but the pitching undermined it. 19th in ERA, 16th in batting average against, and 21st in WHIP. So yeah, we're just not a balanced team. But I don't think you can "go for it" just because of the batting. If they'd signed Gerrit Cole we'd be having a different conversation.

[Slasher9]

not sure we can go for it with just batting without #coragate?

[mvp 78]

We don't know that.

Apparently Bloom was asking for 'the moon and stars' anyway.

We don't know that.

[mvp 78]

when the other clubs knew for certain JH wanted to reset; Red Sox lost all the leverage on any negotiations.

That's like thinking that telling a car salesman that your car just broke down ruins any of your negotiation power.

[moonslav59]

The Red Sox are the team with the best chance to win with Mookie in 2020, because no one else will be acquiring him (unless they're willing to give up what he is worth to Bloom and Co.).

And the Red Sox chances would be way worse without their best player.

Cheer up, fans. Boston has solid players in their primes in six out of eight positions on the field, the best DH, a couple of headliners in the starting rotation, and an industry innovator about to stamp his bullpen brilliance all over the Nation.

If the Dodgers get Betts, they will have a better chance to win than us. They have a better chance even without him.

"Way worse" than bad is not all that bad.

Trading Betts and Price would set us up nicely for 2021 and beyond, both in terms of the added prospect(s) and the budget spade created.

Then, sign Betts or a bunch of other FAs this coming winter.

[Slasher9]

That's like thinking that telling a car salesman that your car just broke down ruins any of your negotiation power.

i dont approve of this analogy.

[mvp 78]

i dont approve of this analogy.

It's the argument you were making though.

[jacksonianmarch]

If the Dodgers get Betts, they will have a better chance to win than us. They have a better chance even without him.

"Way worse" than bad is not all that bad.

Trading Betts and Price would set us up nicely for 2021 and beyond, both in terms of the added prospect(s) and the budget spade created.

Then, sign Betts or a bunch of other FAs this coming winter.

Then you spend yourself into another cliff. Right now, the sox have the talent to make the playoffs, but the health questions and depth issues that likely put them outside the playoffs. Being a team that misses the POs by 4 games is worse than missing by 20 games, especially when you have a dead farm system. Being far out of the POs gives you a bigger draft pool and better draft position. Being close to the POs puts you in the middle ground and outside the coveted top 6-7 where you can get a truly elite talent. This also depends on the penalties that could be coming in this cheating scandal. If the sox lose their top 2 picks in the 2020 and 2021 draft, then fuck it, see how far you can go. But if they don't, the higher draft pick in 2021 could really be a big thing for the sox going forward.

Bloom needs to create lux tax room to appease Henry, although it doesn't alter the product. Bloom needs to deal off some talent to replenish the farm system, and that will downgrade the middling product in the short term but immensely help the product on the field in the long term. Doing what is best for the team involves getting the most talent back. Bloom will change his tune eventually, especially if the sox have a poor start to the season and find themselves down 9 games by mid May

[Slasher9]

It's the argument you were making though.

i wasnt making an argument. i was stating a fact. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[moonslav59]

Then you spend yourself into another cliff. Right now, the sox have the talent to make the playoffs, but the health questions and depth issues that likely put them outside the playoffs. Being a team that misses the POs by 4 games is worse than missing by 20 games, especially when you have a dead farm system. Being far out of the POs gives you a bigger draft pool and better draft position. Being close to the POs puts you in the middle ground and outside the coveted top 6-7 where you can get a truly elite talent. This also depends on the penalties that could be coming in this cheating scandal. If the sox lose their top 2 picks in the 2020 and 2021 draft, then fuck it, see how far you can go. But if they don't, the higher draft pick in 2021 could really be a big thing for the sox going forward.

Bloom needs to create lux tax room to appease Henry, although it doesn't alter the product. Bloom needs to deal off some talent to replenish the farm system, and that will downgrade the middling product in the short term but immensely help the product on the field in the long term. Doing what is best for the team involves getting the most talent back. Bloom will change his tune eventually, especially if the sox have a poor start to the season and find themselves down 9 games by mid May

Wrong, the reset greatly alters the product going forward (not for the good in 2020).

Regardless of what the penalties are, we'll be better off, going forward, with 2 prospects and a reset budget.

It's funny how you've been bashing the Sox for months and now say they have the talent to make the playoffs. Which is it?

[S5Dewey]

when the other clubs knew for certain JH wanted to reset; Red Sox lost all the leverage on any negotiations.

As has been said before many times, "Nothing is sometimes a good thing to do and more often a good thing to say."

[Bellhorn04]

when the other clubs knew for certain JH wanted to reset; Red Sox lost all the leverage on any negotiations.

I don't see what 'leverage' they would have lost.

When you fire DD, hire Chaim Bloom, make David Price/Mookie Betts available, and you're in the third year of tax penalties, could it be much more obvious what the plan is?

[Bellhorn04]

We don't know that.

At least we have a pretty solid rumor to go on.

[kenmeister]

Then, sign Betts or a bunch of other FAs this coming winter.

I love Mookie but my priority is finding young talented pitching, both starters & relievers.

[5GoldGloves:OF,75]

Wrong, the reset greatly alters the product going forward (not for the good in 2020).

Regardless of what the penalties are, we'll be better off, going forward, with 2 prospects and a reset budget.

It's funny how you've been bashing the Sox for months and now say they have the talent to make the playoffs. Which is it?

He has and they do...

With impending draft pick penalties, there are two ways to approach 2020: 1. Crank instead of Tank; and in the process finish as high as possible, so losing a pick beyond the Top-20 won't hurt as much; 2. Crank, but if by July it Stank... then make trades to replenish the farm. Just don't expect Bloom to gut the roster and swap dollars for nickels; the Red Sox may renovate but they'll never rebuild.