MiddleCoastBias

Isn't IncarceratedBob the know-nothing blowhard that cubs fans absolutely swear by? Probably sharing another person just throwing stuff at the wall, but that's what the off-season is until he actually signs somewhere.

Wasn't there a marketing slogan to that effect in the mid '90s or around the "good guys wear black" era, or am I making that up? Feel like there's definitely an opportunity to brand this as a young & fun team, in line with MLB's "let the kids play"

Brb, I'm going to go lurk in the Wheeler thread refreshing every minute and wait for Tony's eye emojis there too

Yeah, but is a friend of Machado? /gn Let's goooo! Hopefully the first of many and a great signal to the rest of the FA class that we mean business

Our seat at the table might be the upgraded to the adults table this year!

Yesterday Rosenthal had an article suggesting we might be able to get Benintendi if we take on Price or Eovaldi's contract with it.

With a trade, what value does Yolmer have? I'm not sure how his contract situation works with a trade - would we have to tender him a contract first before we trade him, or can we trade him first and let the other team pay the arb price? Does he even have value as a trade piece (not as a headliner but a sweetener)?

Honestly, does this really mean he's staying in Boston? Maybe the conversation he had with the new GM was about waiving or reducing his no trade clause? He's guaranteed his contract now and not risking a market paying him less, and the Red Sox can still try to move him and can actually get something in return in a trade. I don't think him opting in means he's staying in Boston at all. This is still a situation to track, for better or worse.

If the industry doesn't like him, and the industry are the ones giving out the contract offers, doesn't that mean we can get a player we like for less than expected because others won't be spending "stupid money" on him? Any discount for a good/great all-around player that meets multiple Sox needs means more that can be allocated to fix our other needs ie pitching and RF. I'm a supporter of signing JDM but I also want to be smart about what else we can target.

Yeah, is this real? They're just showing the Players Weekend jerseys. I can't imagine they would continue to trot those out as they were roundly panned. If it's just the script/font used and it's added to a white jersey, sure, I guess, whatever. Still don't buy it.

I'd honestly rather see Yonder just try to squeeze bunt at this point. One out is less than his errands GIDP two, jfc

Which section? I'm in my Peavy jersey (always gets compliments out here, they still love the guy) and Barons hat in Grandstand 17

I snuck out of work early today to catch this game - great day to be at the park. ReyLo has been erratic but the battle with JD in his second AB was an impressive piece of work. Stadium gun had him touching 97 (not sure what the Sox/tv gun had). It just seems like a mix of youth - competitive battles where he seems locked in and focused, and then other times where he doesn't cover home on the passed ball. Fwiw, the Boston fans around me are really impressed with him and think he's got their hitters fooled.

I'll be in attendance tonight and for the Wednesday day game. I feel blessed to witness Jay's first game as a Sox - history in the making, boys! ? Hopefully Giolito is on his game tonight and keeps the Boston bats quiet.

No mention of the number of MLB.tv subscription cancellations on February 19th? That's a shame.

I keep reading all of the names out there and I can't help but be excited about just about everyone we're connected to - we have a real opportunity to improve our club tonight. Going to be a fun night, folks

I feel like teams are going to wait until after Kimbrel signs (and thus after the draft) to read for Colome. Whoever loses out on the Kimbrel sweepstakes will have to pony up a prospect for Colome. I imagine contenders' priorities likely lay in spending money without giving up a player first, and then trade prospects for Colome as a consolation prize.

Finally, a topic (and thread) to be excited about! We're going to take our lumps this season, but I'm excited to watch the draft boards as we get closer to the picks. Great write-up, sounds like we've got some exciting players to choose from in what should be an easy decision to make when it gets to our pick.

I don't care - give the people what they want, bring back Cody Asche!

So who was starting that GoFundMe to put a billboard up on the highway by the stadium, again....?

100%. It also shows other free agents in the coming years that we intend to be serious. This will help is attract a pitcher when it's time to contend, get our version of when the Cubs signed Lester right before their run. We'll likely need a competitive and proven vet pitcher to cap off our rotation and this signing would help move the needle in that direction.

I feel like he can take a look at Ian Desmond's offer from the Nationals a few years ago and that what he eventually had to settle for as a good example of why NOT to wait for free agency.

It's a fair question, and I think the FO is set up in a lose-lose situation after making such a vocal and visible push for Machado and failing so publicly. Half of the fan base would be pissed that we failed again, and the other half would be pissed if we said he didn't try.

Because they're paid professionals with influence and Shack is... not?

Why do people keep asking this same rhetorical question, get the same answer from people that choose to believe the Sox might be in it, and then reply "no, we were never in it." You ask for an answer - some people value different things differently and we don't know how they arrive at their valuation. Just because they wouldn't pay X for Y doesn't mean they won't pay Q for R. Harper may have a different value to them (marketability etc etc) that they didn't see with Machado. This isn't reversing course - we don't KNOW their course.(obligatory retort: "but do they even know?")