SoxBlanco

I don’t agree with your descriptions of Snell and Keuchel. You’re either overrating Snell or underrating Keuchel. If Snell didn’t have that one phenomenal year, people would not think as highly of him. And I’m not trying to take that year away from him. It absolutely counts and he deserves credit for it, but it’s not like he’s come close to repeating that year ever.

I’d still take Vaughn over Abrams.

These numbers are pretty damn good, aren’t they?

Is something like Stiever and Beard enough to get it done?

He was charged the day before the hire, right? It’s not like he drove drunk back in February and then they came knocking on his door in November and said, “We finally cracked the case! It was YOU, Tony! Hands behind your back. You’re going to the slammer!”

That’s an excellent point!

Yeah, the probably is 1/6 but the odds are 1:5 (sorry, that’s my math nerd side coming out). But yeah, not worth quibbling about. He did just put up a 6.8 WAR in his last full season. I guess the only place that I disagree with you is that I don’t think Bauer is that much more likely to have a 5+ WAR season.

I was actually just basing it off of the 5-1 odds you gave with the die analogy.

Agreed. That’s why I said I see your point. Lynn isn’t quite at the age where I’m worried about his age, but I can certainly understand it if you are concerned. I’d be happy to take a bet where I’d lose $100 if Lynn’s WAR is under 5 and I’d win $500 if his WAR is over 5.

I see your point, but that’s not exactly true. Felix was terrible at the end of his career, so at this moment in time, it is not true that he has been solid his entire career.

Since it appears to be bothering some people, would you be willing to make an effort to cut back on it a little?

What did Hendriks say about the Sox after game 3?

Maybe the way Stevie Ray Vaughan is spelled is messing with people’s minds.

I think the idea is that if you're going to slowly work up to 6 innings with Kopech, you can't do that with the major league team. You're not going to have him making 2 or 3 innings starts early in the year and have that affect your major league bullpen. That has to happen in AAA.

Will that plan allow him to finish out the year with the Sox as a starter without limitations? I'm not really sure what his innings limit will be.

These topics are somewhat being discussed in other threads, but what should the plan be for these two guys next year? Kopech will surely start in the minors. Will they begin by having him make 2/3 inning starts? How many innings can he pitch next year? If all goes perfect, is the goal to have him part of a playoff rotation? And how about Crochet? Is he a bullpen guy all next year? Will he be stretched out in the minors as a starter and then become a bullpen option in the playoffs? I'd like to hear what you guys think. @Y2Jimmy0?

I don't think stats from 50 games during somebody's draft season should ever be referenced. Vaughn is one of the best college hitters in the last 10 years...and that's not hyperbole. I'm not too worried about him.

It'll definitely be interesting. I'm excited to see how Kopech pitches. It's also probably too early to start guessing who will be starting playoff games. At this time last year, would anybody have guessed Dunning would be starting a win-or-go-home playoff game in the first round? Kopech could be lights out as a starter for us at the end of the year (similar to Crochet this year, only as a starter) and get a chance to start one of the first three games of a playoff series. Or he could struggle as a starter and be used in the bullpen.

I'm pretty sure it was Dombrowski who turned it down three times.

Good stuff. Thanks for posting that. It makes sense that if you have a great offense and a great bullpen, you're going to give yourself a great chance. In games where it's 5-5 in the 5th inning, your great bullpen takes over and your great offense continues to score runs (I know it's not that simplistic, but the point remains). I have no problem with adding to the bullpen, signing one more Quintana-like SP, and rolling into the season ready to go. We can always evaluate starting pitching at the trade deadline, as well. We'll have a better idea of where we stand with Cease and Kopech at that point.

BB, you think we end up landing Hendriks?

That’s exactly the point Balta was making.

Sounds like the Beefanator read the Passan blurb and changed the wording a little bit.

I think you just missed the top paragraph of my quote. They were definitely listed as the top suitor in my quote.

I've wondered about this too, but I don't think it'll be a rude awakening. Comparing 2021 to 2020, I expect the schedule to be harder but the team to be better. I expect improvements from Moncada, Robert, RF, and DH. Our rotation will also be stronger. Sure, Abreu is likely to decline a little. But overall, I expect the team to be better.