GreenSox

I have little doubt about that.

Law has the Sox #22, last in the AL Central. 3 ALC teams in the top 10. Really disappointing since all of the high draft picks are included in that #22 or have been flameouts.

Both the early 80s and early/mid 90s editions had a lot of young quality starting pitchers, and JR wouldn't/didn't extend any of those guys. He's relented the last 15 years with Sale, Q, MB and Danks so hopefully they can get Giolito done. So far, to me, he's the best player in this rebuild; he's the 2nd (or perhaps 3rd) best young starter of this century and top 5 young starter in JR's 40+ years of ownership.

Well, they don't have a DH (last year, they did - McCann - although they didn't use him as such with regularity) and have questions in RF and perhaps 2B. Questions at SP #4 and #5 (lots of hitting may be required in those starts). During the rebuild, the Sox auditioned a dozen or more young players who hadn't done much, and McCann was the rare find who blossomed once here. Maybe that's the comparison with Lucroy...among the seeming dozens of declining veterans that the Sox have signed over the years, maybe he'll be the rare one that reverses, instead of accelerates, the decline.

Aside from my general weariness of insiders, has he ever scouted or evaluated talent? My understanding is that he's a contracts guy, like Hahn.

Even if Lucroy can catch decently (which is not a certainty), the Sox really can't afford his dead bat in the lineup.

Better Getz than Haber (if the Sox must stay inside).

Annoying that the Cards get Arenado for this price, the Mets get Lindor and 3 years of Carrasco for, from what I can tell, not much more than what the Sox gave up for 1 year of Lance Lynn.

Given that they weren't going to spend a pile, I think they did pretty well. The top 3 starters are really good, the bullpen is great and pretty deep- should se up well for post season (if they can get there). Rodon signing surprised me; not that I'm against it, just surprised, as I had inferred from what I read and heard that they weren't 100% on his work ethic.

That would help a lot; and they could have a great pen as currently constructed, although I'm a little concerned with the back end (meaning the 5th and 6th inning guys) should the Sox 4th and 5th starters really struggle. Hopefully another young guy or 2 pops up in the Spring. Not a huge issue, but I'd like to see Eaton recover some of his RF defensive prowess.

The team should be good; I'd be surprised if they're great, but we'll see. A lot of assets to rebuild with + A reluctant owner + a mediocre GM = a good team.

That's because we had Sale, Eaton and Quintana to trade, the latter 2 of whom we (fortunately) traded at the peak of their value. I think it's amazing how thin the Sox are considering all of the trade capital; heck they had to trade a pitcher in the rotation to get a 1 year upgrade and they apparently can't come up with the 2nd tier prospects to get one of these mid-rotation starters.

This nudges toward the Sale price range. He shouldn't be anywhere near that price.

Heresy!

Yes. The SOS of both Centrals was weak (obviously since they only played themselves and each other and were scorched in the playoffs). Trading Madrigal to get Grey - that's just clowning. As for Grey using his secondaries and all of that, fine. Got out and find a guy who is using the secondaries inefficiently and fix him; that way you don't pay a premium price on a pitcher who relies on secondaries.

The NL central is so winnable, why would the Brewers or Reds want to trade their good pitchers? And if they do, I suspect the price will be premium. And in the Hahn era, these trades for vets have bitten the Sox in the rear more of than not, and on both sides of the trade. Get this bullpen squared away, sign another starter and save the young pitching - they'll need it, just like they did last year. As for the Rangers asking for Vaughn and talking them down off of that - well, that's how you overpay: thinking you've accomplished something by reducing some patently ridiculous demand. Heck, in those leaked emails, the astros were asking for a top prospect for Lucas Harrel.

I really hope that the Sox don't emulate the Padres in trading for starting pitchers. But if they go down this road, it appears that the window will shrink from the 5-10 year frame to a window that fits LaRussa. Gray's a good pitcher, but an ace he is not. Trading away young pitching creates more trading away of young pitching, as you have traded away in house options to fill holes. It's a bad cycle. Resist!

Maybe in preschool as a student; no way would he be allowed to teach it.

His salary is 34% of what they paid Jay. Bargain.

Yea. A.J. Burnett was like that too. I've seen him pitch a fair amount and always liked him, but when you step back and look, the results just aren't there. He's an average pitcher, and you just can't trade much more than average prospects for average players if you want to stay ahead.

I thought Davies was basically a throw-in in lieu of the Cubs taking back some salary and to give the Cubs someone competent in the rotation. Certainly not a Cubs target. Davies could probably be had for cheap, although likely more than I'd like the Sox to pay. And I think the Sox need someone better.

That could be true, with an emphasis on "relatively speaking" ... i.e. relative to his production level.

I tell myself that that's implicit in this trade: that the Sox think that they can hold onto Lynn for 3 years so they are giving up 6/3 not 6/1. But I've heard that story before. It worked out with Freddie Garcia (although I think they pretty much knew they could sign him when they made the trade) : he pitched well and was extended. Hopefully it happens again. Although I thought the Sox gave up too much for a rent, I prefer Lynn to Darvish.

It's not a matter of the Sox FO being unwilling to make trades to help the team now; heck they did it a few weeks ago for a 1 year player. The problem is their inability to develop a rich and deep farm system that allows the team to make these trades. To get 1 year of Lynn, they had to trade a pitcher out of their rotation.

Madrigal or any top young player for Musgrove is a joke. Not to mention you close one hole and open another. The Lynn package would have been reasonable.