SoxBlanco

Sorry to quote myself here, but I just realized that 2017 was the year he only played 23 games. So throw out the two seasons where he played only 23 and 41 games, and you've got a pretty consistent stretch there. I'm officially on board! It took several hours, but it feels good. Now let's lock up Hendriks and another starter.

Is that graphic really showing a guy "falling off a cliff" as much as it appears? If you take out 2020, it looks like he was pretty consistent from 2014 to 2019, with a very good 2017 making it look more like a cliff dive.

I know about Frazier and I’ve heard Ozzie’s comments, but who else spoke out about not liking Eaton? I’m not asking this to argue a point. I’m genuinely curious.

It’s a valid concern. Although I guess most free agents have some concerns attached to them. Let’s say Springer and Bauer didn’t exist. Who would you want the Sox to sign?

How does Brantley’s defense compare to Eloy’s?

I think there are two sides to everything. I’m sure Eaton can be a dick, but he’s also a winner (like AJ). I’ve played sports with guys like that. I love having them on my team. Other guys on my team hated it. But if you’re winning, none of that really matters. Here’s an example of somebody who said he’s one of the best teammates he’s ever had: “When I was playing against him, he’s that guy that rubs you wrong a little bit,” veteran infielder Howie Kendrick told NBC Sports Chicago. “But once you get on a team with him, he’s probably one of the best teammates, if not the best teammate that I’ve ever had.” “On that (World Series) team, he was one of the biggest pieces for us because of the way he went about the game and his ability to play all facets of the game, whether it’s moving runners, bunting, speed and obviously his defense,” Kendrick explained. “You go back and watch those tapes and it definitely shows. “As far as clubhouses go, you need guys like Adam to be around, especially if there’s young players. He’s not afraid to talk to guys. He’s not afraid to be who he is. I think that he rubs off on other people, the way he plays the game. He lent information to the young guys (Juan Soto and Víctor Robles) about approaching situations in the outfield, whether it was throwing to bases or certain situations during the game, those guys would always talk.”

Sounds like AJ. Personally, I like both guys and would want to play with both guys. I just hope Eaton's offense doesn't continue to decline. I don't care much about the "bad guy" talk.

Who is the third one besides Collins and Anderson?

If Lynn has had only 1 good season, then how many has Bauer had?

If JR would just suck it up and pay Bauer (which we know won't happen), are we the instant favorites in the AL? How about favorites to win it all?

When did this "carrying water" phrase become such a huge part of the SoxTalk vocabulary? I think I've read that phrase more times in the last couple weeks than I have in my entire lifetime up until now. A couple years ago, the popular phrase around here was describing something as "a non-zero chance" of happening. Glad that finally stopped.

I'm an optimist at heart, and I can usually talk myself into liking a move that I originally didn't like (like the Lynn trade). But I'm struggling with this one. Can somebody help me out? Anything to like about this? Is there a small chance he gets some of his old production back?

Yeah, I'm leaning toward this stance now. A day or two ago I said I wouldn't give up Dunning straight up for Lynn, but I'm coming around on it. Lynn is a bulldog. And hopefully he can help the younger guys as a veteran presence. There are two ways to look at this trade: 1. If we don't win the World Series this year, then we basically gave up Dunning for nothing. Dumb trade. 2. This move makes us better in 2021, and there's no question about that. Could Lynn be gone in a year? Sure, but we have guys like Kopech and Crochet who could be a part of the rotation in 2022 or 2023. We'll be fine in the long run, and this move certainly gives us a better chance this year. If we continually think like option 1, we could be stuck in a land of good enough to make the playoffs, but not quite good enough to win it all unless we get lucky in the postseason.

This is hilarious! ???

It's pretty funny to read this thread where half the people think the rumor is Dunning for Heyward and the other half think we'd be getting Darvish and Heyward for Dunning. (Seemed obvious to me that we'd be getting both Darvish and Heyward in the supposed deal, but what do I know about a rumor?)

Your point about Machado is spot on. However, with Wheeler, we were absolutely prepared to pay that contract.

Adding Lynn, Joc, and Quintana would easily make us favorites in the Central and would give us a team that could make a World Series run.

Thank for the article, James. What are your thoughts on what Joc/Engel could put up next year numbers wise compared to Springer? I think Joc/Engel could put up something around an .850 OPS, with Springer being around .900.

Quick question on WAR: How much does playing RF vs CF affect a player's WAR? If a guy puts up a 5 WAR season playing CF all year, what would his WAR be (approximately) playing RF with the same offensive numbers?

I agree with you there, for sure. Look, I want Springer as much as anybody. I just don't think Joc/Engel is as bad of an option as you are making it seem. I think it's very possible they put up something in the 3 WAR range. And if that gives us flexibility to add a pitcher at the deadline or next offseason, then it's not the worst option out there. Yes, we should just be going after Bauer. I want them to stop avoiding the big contracts just like you. It sucks.

When you say "Theres zero chance, barring injury, that springer could be bad as Joc and engel could be", do you just mean that the floor is definitely lower for Joc/Engel? Or are you saying there's zero chance that a Joc/Engel platoon could put up a better season than Springer?

Ok, so 5 WAR for Springer and 2.5 WAR for an Engel/Joc platoon? And they aren’t demands. They were simple requests based on our discussion.

Why do you keep avoiding the question? I don’t want an over/under prediction based on my comparison. I want you to tell me what you honestly think their numbers will be. Feel free to use WAR or OPS.

Can you be more specific for Joc and Engel?

Alright, why don’t you tell me what you expect from Springer next year. Then tell me what you expect from a Joc/Engel platoon.