CaliSoxFanViaSWside

The trade deadline is on Aug. 2 . which is the 2nd game of the KC series at home. I would suspect a revitalized team if the Sox pull off some trades that gives the impression to the players that the front office cares. These games should put the Sox over .500 permanently for the season. So much as I don't know what will happen I'll say 13-6. I should add the caveat that without Robert we are doomed.He needs to be back on the field as soon as the IL stint is over with whatever his problem is, solved.

Thank you for the in depth analysis and it's something I've been saying for quite a while. There is one more thing you kind of brought up but but not specifically about how power doesn't translate going the opposite way. This is especially true in at home. GRate is not a doubles or triple hitter's park. It has a small OF and small gaps and often with our RHH the OF defense is shifted toward the line so our slower guys can't even get a double out of a hit down the RF line. While the Oppo field approach has boosted batting averages of Vaughn, Robert, ABreu and Tim it does nothing to increase double triples and HR's in our park. Only pulling the ball does that . Extra base hits are what gets you big innings . As you said it's hard to string a bunch of singles together when guys like Abreu, Vaughn, Tim and Eloy are just as likely to hit into a DP and kill a rally.

Ok brother you're right. Even though I never said anything about Robert but go ahead put words in my mouth.Guess we will just have to see how successful Crochet is as a starting pitcher in 3 years. If you don't think a certified physical therapist who used to work in MLB can't teach u anything about what lies ahead for Crochet we'll just chalk that up to you thinking you have all the answers. As i said it has less to do with the Tommy John surgery and more to do with the lack of previous starting experience on his arm already but I guess you just ignored that part. Yes, I also agree the Sox need another starting pitcher . But if you don't think the total lack of good fielding + good LHH OF isn't a big problem too, nothing I can say will change your mind. Vaughn is a 1st Baseman, Sheets is a 1st baseman, Engel doesn't have the bat and he's RH, Pollock is RH and he hasn't hit RHP at all. Eloy can't even play the field. Even if you could combine the 1 LHH OF we have with Sheets bat and the best fielding OF we have in Engel it still wouldn't be a player as good as Happ and that's the problem . The Sox have a bunch of half outfielders who either can't hit or can't field or are injury prone. Happ plays every day he can play the OF well and he's a switch hitter who can hit LHP and RHP. It would be really nice to get one guy even if he isn't a superstar who can hit both righties and lefties who can also field and play every day. Instead of 5 OF's, none who can stay on the field, hit and play defense. It's really not asking for much to have just 1 guy (besides Robert) who can do anything, everywhere all at once. Oh and btw Robert is missing in action yet again and if it's serious it makes the situation even worse in the OF !

Ok first off Happ isn't a superstar but he is head and shoulders above what the Sox have in the OF. Secondly Crochet is an injured reliever period. He has no body of work as a starting pitcher even when he was in college. His arm will take 2 if not 3 years to become a full time starter in MLB and that's if he isn't injured again trying to handle the workoad of a starter. As of right now he says he wants to start but there are very very few who view him as as potential high quality starting pitcher. Ask @ptatc or any other experts on how to view Crochet's road to becoming a quality starting pitcher.

Well i wouldn't characterize it as out of control. I mean yea people are saying don't trade Montgomery , Colas and Vera for anyone but I don't believe that myself. I do love Colas and Montgomery though. Colas is hard to read because he hasn't been playing much baseball the last few years and how well he's doing now is pretty impressive considering he wasn't getting much hype like draft picks get because scouts see those guys all the time. The only thing we had to go on was his very limited time in Japanese baseball 3 yrs ago when he was 20 and made it to their major leagues. It was probably a little unsettling for Colas to start so low in the minors but maybe now in AA he's happier . The fact that he's not yet in the Top 100 prospects is only reflective of how little those doing the evaluating have seen him. I think anyone scouting him now has to be very impressed.

I think you can get him for Montgomery and Colas ++ whoever the pluses might be. Those 2 are a pretty damn strong package and a lot of Sox fans would go nuts against including Colas and Montgomery . I wouldn't love it but gotta give to get and the need for a LHH and decent enough fielder of Reynolds quality is nearly impossible to find.

That's a tough one. The Sox window is rapidly closing and you have to weigh how good the Sox might be next year without Cueto and Lynn another year older. Also have to figure the window will be closed by the time Montgomery gets here. Allin all Colas and Montgomery although both look great right not are still in their Sox infancy in the minors . Either could fizzle out although most don't think that will happen. I think if the Sox can pry away Martin Perez from the Rangers who will undoubtedly get a decent amount of good offers for his rental services and still have decent enough pieces to get Reynolds I'd consider one of Colas and Montgomery and try to include Lenyn Sosa but unfortunately he's struggling a bit in AAA after destroying AA. If it can be done giving up Montgomery and Colas I might say yes but the other pieces would have to be in the bottom half of the Sox Top 30 prospects not named Davis Martin. Sheets, Crochet and Burger should also be tradable if the Pirates have any interest in them.

Stats don't lie my friend there's nothing wrong with Happs career OPS and OBP no matter what your friends say. But yea u don't give the Cubs Montgomery or Colas. Crochet we can part with because he's just technically a reliever whose chances at becoming a starter are still 2 years down the road if ever. Cubs would want more for 2 years of Happ than just Crochet even if they did want him.

No not even close. Jared Kelley is the one young pitcher that looks like he's emerging as decent among the Sox crop of HS pitchers they got. Pirate would probably insist of both Montgomery and Colas and if the Sox agreed it would hurt no matter who else they threw in.

You're wrong about Happ. Yes, this is a career year but he had a good rookie season and a good short season in 2020. He has a career .805 OPS which is pretty good and .343 OBP which is also good. Eloy's career OPS is .809 and OBP is just .312. plus Happ plays all the time and is a much better fielder and a switch hitter who can hit lefties and righties.

That's what I said don't trade Colas for Happ but consider it for Reynolds. Colas is looking like a beast right now after that game last night.

HA I'm not against getting both but Reynolds plus Martin Perez from the Rangers I'd like more since there still might be a potential matchup against the Astros and they are just so good now and Perez has snuffed them cold in both his starts against them this year. But you'd probably have to trade Eloy or Vaughn to empty out the OF a bit if you got Happ and Reynolds. Sheets also traded or sent back to the minors.

If Eloy's healthy Laureano wouldnt take PT away from him except as a defensive replacement. Pollock being so bad against RHP is a mystery and he could bounce back in the 2nd half but not counting on it. I'm not against Laureano as a decent fit on the Sox just not at the trade deadline. We do need a difference maker from the left side who can also field and that pretty much leaves us with Happ and Reynolds, Soto can't field but that's likely not happening any way. Only other possibility is Colas as a super duper long shot. The only reason I bring him up is because he did have a cup of coffee with the JBL Softbank Hawks and he did pretty good in 2019 in a small sample . That is their major leagues so if Colas was upset about not being promoted earlier it might be because he was still in the low minors when he had made it to the Japan Major Leagues when he was 20 years old and 8 yrs younger than league average. It's now 3 years later and earlier in A+ he was adjusting to yet another new culture and shaking off the rust from a couple years of no baseball. Laureano as a piece in a 3 way trade wouldn't be a terrible idea though.

Happ isn't bad but you're right, Reynolds should be the target but the Pirates may not want to move him yet. Happ is above average against RHP offensively but he is better against LHP at least this year. In his career he's been better against RHP but this is his a career year for him so who knows what he did to reverse his career splits.

You mean "helps against RHP" being since that's where the Sox are having problems and LHH would help that. Guys like Happ or Reynolds aren't great fielders. Happ is probably the better fielder but hasn't played that much RF with the Cubs because of Heyward and Suzuki. Reynolds looks below average in CF but was above average in RF in 2019 which was the last time he played RF and it was only 241 innings but he did has a positive OAA +2 so i think those 2 are fine for RF. Laureano has a wRC+ of 95 so a bit below average against RHP and his batting average OBP and slugging aren't so hot. Reynolds is a switch hitter 132 wRC+ against RHP. 114 vs LHP Happ also a switch hitter is 115 wRC+ against RHP and 159 vs. LHP . So Happ doesn't really fit the bill that well against RHP even though he is 15% above league average which is better than what we have.. Problem is Reynolds would be hard to pry away from the Pirates.

And Quintana too ! We're getting the Band back together !!

It's just 24 AB's but he is 11 for 24 (.458 ) with 3 HR's and 2 Doubles and and OPS of 1.417. A bit too early for an MLB call up but then again the bar for fielding and hitting is pretty low in the Sox OF. It's pretty easy even now to imagine his LHB and fielding ahead of Sheets, Pollock and Engel. I'd hate to see him traded unless it was for a big upgrade and that doesn't mean Happ.

Yea you're right plus they probably have to throw in Montgomery too and more. But damn I keep thinking Colas can make an impact on the Sox next year. He's got such a quick bat.

I keep saying if he keeps it up there's a chance to get him a months worth of AB's in Charlotte this year and a legit shot for an early call up next year. Would hate to see him traded for Happ.Reynolds yes but not Happ. Happ is having a better year but it's a break out year. Reynolds has been more consistent and could have a good 2nd half. Plus Reynolds has 2 more years of eligibility than Happ does.

I like Laureano . Love the speed ,the defense but he's no help at all against RHP unfortunately, just more of the same.

Nope . I've said all along Happ should be the target if they can't pry Reynolds away from the Pirates.

Happ is basically a LF hasn't played much RF in his career (none this year and a little last year) but he's the only one logistically who could play RF since he's played CF a tiny bit this year and 56 games in 2021.

And we are running out of road.

You know the Sox identify a need and go after it 100% with relief pitching , right handed hitters and, injured players and old guys .

Not me. If the Sox offered Robert for Soto and just Robert, the Nats would be all over that and the Sox once again would be the laughingstock of baseball. Anyway it's not going to happen even if Robert was healthy.