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By the way Seby got that double in the magical 9 spot for the Sox where I said they should try Grandal.

Moncada missed the tag

I dont think any Sox catcher or even catchers in general are that good at it. Too many variables to judge something like that. It looks bad when u don't catch it but lots of reasons why they get by especially on very close plays.

That's what we can't get from Grandal so far !

Ok fine and that's what I told you . You only got the price part right and teams are going to start that high naturally and that's why he hasn't been moved yet. There are no guys in RF who are going to be moved to use all your system resources on when you consider Reynolds probably not going anywhere and there's a possibility Soto doesn't too. Name some real sluggers who can play defense in RF . Or anyone availble who is a slugger LH and just be passable in RF. Schwarber ? Haven't heard any rumors about him either.

LOL I didnt say it would was easy. But when you say zero reason to trade him. The reason is because Kim Ng said it was possible.

He can play RF or LF for that matter for a month until the Sox find out if Colas is a viable option for Sept. in RF. If he is Happ can go back to LF .He got more HR's than most of the Sox team and the lack of HR because of the ball or whatever has been offset by a career high in doubles. It's obvious he just decided to be a better overall hitter. That looks like the right call since he can play every day and hits RHP and LHP well. Pollock,SHeets, Leury, Eloy 4 guys who play the OF all with negative War. I have no idea how you can call him a terrible fit with real terrible fits like Pollock, Sheets, Eloy and Leury still getting OF starts and Happ with 2.3 fWar.Only the asking the world part actually fits your narrative.

But Kim Ng said everyone was open for discussion except their ace pitcher.

Eh I think 2nd base days are over for him. Besides you got a guy like Sosa who might be ready and some other guys too that they could give up for Joey Wendle who can play a decent 2nd base and has a mutual option for next year. He hits RH pitching pretty well for this year and next which would put Harrison against LH and whoever next year against LHP. Or the Sox can try to go after Jazz Chisholm while he's injured this year but might return in Sept. But again not enough pieces for him.

I know I wanted him, even during the rebuild because I figured he was one guy who they could get a quality minor leaguer for .They didn't do enough signing guys who they could trade for more minor league talent during the rebuild . That's one of the reason why the minors are a mess ,among many. Instead they did what they usally do spent around the margins with ALonso, John Jay a bunch of scrap heap guys instead of one decent free agent every year signing they could trade later.

Probably too much. Too much competition for pretty much any SP who's been decent this year. Pittsburgh hasnt let him face teams the 3rd time through the order and it's worked well. Thats why i figured he could be paired up with Kopech . Ideally you want the opposite handed guys pitching when you do that. Maybe Sosa plus another guy . I'm not good at figuring out who wants what. Have to be too much of an expert on too many things and there's no way to know what Pittsburgh is thinking.

Well you saw how much Haseley was used and AZ isn't trading their young LH Ofers. DOn't have the bullets for them any way. Hahn tried unsuccessfully thinking Pollock could play RF in the whole Kimbrel mess. It's so sad they couldn't find a team with even a AAA LH good D type OF talent for RF for Kimbrel . But they let one walk with Luis Gonzalez. Maybe data and analytics did something with him the Sox couldnt. That's what happened to Martin Perez when he went back to Tx. What a fucking mess this off season was.

Unfortunately LHH who can play D in RF and hit are in very short supply. Even Naquin, Peralta and Benintendi (Naquin being the only RF) went off the board quickly just because they are LH OF . Happ is a LF too.

It's the most obvious need but Happ is going to cost a lot having that extra year which is why I said forget him and see if Colas is ready in Sept.If someone wants Vaughn or Eloy then maybe the Sox cant get someone they need but no one really wants to trade Eloy or Vaughn . If some of those pitchers the Sox are rumored in on are actually serious considerations then Happ should also be a serious consideration. SHould be interesting to see what happens but I'd be shocked if they get anyone of consequence. And if they do, wooo, it'll be a madhouse around here.

How much is standing pat going to help , this year or in future years ? Unless you think the Sox are going to fire TLR, Hahn and the whole coaching staff and all the strength and conditioning coaches for the 2nd year in a row you're still stuck with hoping the same guys make better moves in the off season.

Moncada has to be in there every day until it's crystal clear that his bat is no help. In the meantime grab Joey Wendle .

Peralta strictly LF and if the Sox are going to play Pollock , Eloy or Vaughn it should be in LF, Naquin is a not a good defender. Better than Sheets in RF and better offensively and on the bases. K's more than SHeets , walks less. He wouldve been OK but marginally.

Santander isnt bad. HR power, SH ,strong arm in RF but see no reason for Orioles to give him up and he'd cost more than Happ who they also can't afford with our minors.

That's why I said they might not get a SP particular anyone with multiple years because they won't manage to do that without giving up Montgomery Colas or both of them. Q is the only starter who may not cost those guys. Syndergaard might need innings management too so maybe him. Martin Perez loves Tx and Tx would be fools not to move him since he can return to them next year if he really likes it there, but they want an impact player too, because he's been spectacular, almost as good as Cease.

Depends on the Starting pitcher acquired but as I said I don't think they acquire one. We are hearing rumors on Q. With Lynn and Gio not pitching particularly well lately and the Kopech situation you really never know, especially if the Sox make the playoffs. His velocity has been down and it's still iffy how long he could last despite Katz assuring us that his innings won't have to being managed all that much. It's only a slightly better situation than managing Rodon's innings last year and they didn't do so hot keeping his innings down. Q could be a guy to pair with Kopech with Kopech going 4 or 5 innings and Q pitching after him or vice versa. Also insurance in case Gio, Lynn or any other starter gets injured.

Yep the Sox need 1 starting pitcher, 1 relief pitcher and at least 1 LH bat. Anyone who isn't a rental is pretty much off the table if you want to be able to acquire the other 2. Realistically even Quitana is probably off the table. Too much competition for starting pitching. So knowing the Sox they end up with 2 rental relievers who cost the least. Hard to see them addressing the LH hitting need at all unless they can get Joey Wendle who has a mutual option for 2023.The only other serious option is hoping Colas can continue to hit in AA ,get a fast promotion to AAA , hits there and becomes an option for a Sept. call up.

Abreu is still the best hitter in the lineup and on the field every day. Need more guys like him but younger. The core are the ones who suck and that can't be pinned on Abreu. This year its all about bad production and injuries from Eloy, Moncada and Grandal that have killed the lineup. Menechino and TLR must go along with the coaching staff. These guys need more Latin leaders as coaches. Eloy and Moncada did better under Renteria.

This is basically all true. Wendle and Nat Moore are realistic LH platoon bat and LHRP pitcher options. You go much deeper than that for rentals you're looking at Quintana, Gallo Martin Perez. Teams always grab LH hitters and with Happ having the extra year he'll be too expensive. Martin Perez is likely to be expensive also but at least he's a rental> He also doesn't have a track record of success. Really good article from fangraphs about his career and why the difference for this year. Basically a lot of data and technology went a long way to unlocking him. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/a-second-act-in-texas-has-made-martin-perez-a-first-time-all-star/ He wants to stay in Tx. and the Rangers want to keep him and won't move him unless it's for a difference maker. He likes it in Tx and has also mentored the young pitching staff. I don't know who the Rangers would consider a difference maker or at what level they prefer the difference maker to be at but Vera, Lenyn Sosa, Cespedes or Popeye Rodriquez may not qualify.

With a win today the Sox can finish July 15-11 . Need to do better in August. Much better. Let's see if we are getting any help . My priorities 2 LH bats . Sox could've won a lot more games with a few more runs and HR's. However, never can have enough pitching. Going all Jay Cuda on you here. In games where the Sox and their opponent scores 5 or less runs, ( What I call Hockey score games) the Sox are 30-17 . There obviously can't be any 5-5 ties so all scores are of the 5-4, 4-3 ,3-1, 4-0 ( you get the picture) nature. Home Record in these games is 14-10, Road Record 16-7 , so even with the crap defense and crap hitting the Sox are at their best winning low scoring games. That means the pitching is carrying them to wins despite what we are seeing from Lucas, Lynn, the departed Keuchel and the up and down BP In any game where the Sox or the opponent score 6+ runs the Sox are 20-33 . This is where the Sox lose a lot of run differential and games. So the hitting and pitching is good enough to win low scoring games but when the pitching is bad the Sox don't have nearly enough offense to make up for it. Higher scoring games the Sox lose often. Basically means the Sox need more offense and more pitching but we all feel better scoring more runs keeping games close, balancing the line up and hitting more bombs. If Gavin Sheets and Jake Burger are you leading HR's hitters at home you are in big trouble. You have offensive problems at home and also means Sheets and Burger have hit no home runs on the road yet our home record sucks and our road record is OK. Losing at home is basically all on the cores inability to hit at home especially HR's. Before I did all this I have been insisting the Sox get 2 more LH bats, 1 starter and 1 more reliever and the core has to do better. Tall order for a team that probably doesn't have enough pieces to get 4 decent players and you would think if getting 4 pieces was going to happen they would have got at least 1 of them by now. If they want to improve this year they have to play the rental market. They can't afford anyone with an extra year. Maybe you can do without an Ian Happ but only if the Sox can get Joey Wendle , Martin Perez and a good LH BP piece like Matt Moore and better hitting from the core. Then just hang in there long enough to see if Colas can give the Sox better defense and more LH pop especially at home if he can continue to produce in the minors and come up Sept. 12. Happ and Perez would cost the most. Eliminate Happ. If the Sox are going to make a trade for starting pitching Castillo is gone and Perez is the best available SP the Sox can realistically afford. It won't be Rodon, Montas, Mahle or Syndergaard because they don't have the pieces to get them and Perez has been better than all those guys along with pitching great against the Astros, Rays and Mariners. No starts against the Yankees. It would also prevent Minnesota from possibly trading for him. Perez also instantly becomes your #2 starter behind Cease. Despite what anyone thinks of his career before this year he's been almost as good as Cease has been this year, 2.52 ERA and 3.07 FIP. Snagging him as a rental could hurt. With the upcoming 3 game suspension Wendle can fill in at SS .Otherwise he would be the strong side of a platoon with Harrison . This also take away AB's from Leury.

No the problem came from the failure of the front office to get a real LH power hitter for the OF.