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Totally random subject here but many of you reside in Illinois so maybe someone else noticed this. I recently renewed my driver's license and noticed a change. Toward the top, right under the red "DRIVER'S lICENSE" banner are the words: Federal Limits Apply. Anyone have an explanation for this new phrase added to our licenses?

Me too. The dude carries a high draft pick pedigree and he looks very athletic even though the stats don't scream out at you. Could he figure it out late (26) in life? Maybe. I'd guess he's the best Charlotte outfielder and first one up if we lose a corner outfielder.

I'm right there with you brother. Just forget about the service time issue. He's clearly not ready to face MLB hitters. Look at his spring stats. He never did pitch a clean inning and he usually gave up a run or two. What's the harm in sending him down to Charlotte and using him as an opener until he gets his command back. Just seems like an idiotic use of resources at this time.

Also, a second round pick of the Rangers in 2012. I saw him play yesterday (?). He looks pretty athletic. A Boras Corp. client who'll make $900K if he makes the squad.

I'm with you on this. Using Kopech as your long man out of Spring Training is idiotic. He's been a starter his whole life and now you want to use him as a reliever? Send him to Charlotte and use him as a regular starter until Cease or Rodon fails or he's just so good you can't not use him on the ML team. As for Crochet, same as you stated (travesty) if you really want to get him young starter's innings this year. Why would you stick him in the bullpen out of Spring Training if you think he's a starter on next year's team. In my head, Kopech and Crochet are next year's Lynn and Rodon. Injuries or ineffective starters could dictate otherwise but why not get these two some tandem starts in Charlotte while you've got so many off days in April and May and before the double headers start piling up. You utilize Lopez and Flores as your R/L long men until they fail to get the job done. I just don't see that many long man innings you need to cover for the first six weeks of the season.

I certainly wouldn't let the player's union dictate my roster/service time strategy and so would not advance either of these young pitchers to the active roster coming out of Spring Training. It's not like you're going to get a union concession because you did. I'd send them to Charlotte with instructions to use them together as a tandem starting pitcher until they were comfortable in that roll. Lopez and Flores can serve as your long men until the young starters are ready or you need a fifth starter. The Sox seem hellbent on bringing them north but no one knows if or how much they'll be needed during April and early May or if they can handle it. Why would you burn service time on such a high risk strategy. I don't get it.

Steve Adams just speculated that teams will need 10 to 15 starters to get through 2021. Yikes!!

Good point. Try to keep them fresh for late summer. Maybe the plan is to use Crochet as an opener to Rodon (or more likely the other way around) for a few of those fifth starter starts as it seems the Sox are hell bent on putting Crochet in the pen this year.

I can't figure out why this FO hasn''t addressed this. We are going to need innings even when Kopech is ready. I know I've been hammering on this but Mike Leake is still out there. He'd cost minimal money, has no injury history, makes all of his scheduled starts, and might keep Matt Tomshaw in the minors where he belongs.

I'd skip the 5th spot when there's an off-day too. Looks like you'll need that 5th guy three times in April unless the weather comes into play. If you want to get him (Rodon?) some work just use him in a long man fashion as that'll lessen the need to use Lopez.

Right or wrong I think the Sox are committed to going to ST with their current roster. I have noted however that they have not announced their non-roster invitees and maybe that's where they are currently shopping. Here's my theory: the Sox know they are going to need more arms, especially multi-inning arms, to get through the early part of 2021 yet they don't want to block their young guys. There's still some pitchers available that might soon sign for a minors contract. I like Peacock, McHugh, and Leake for this excercise. Pitchers and Catchers report in 8 days. What say you? Also for those not trusting Eaton's health holding up, what would be the harm in signing Mazara to a minors deal?

I too like Flowers as my main backup C even though I've gone on record as saying we need to find out if Collins can be a MLB catcher. Sign Flowers and cut Seby for the 40 man then use him to back up Grandal and mentor Collins. Give Collins those innings in out of reach games or maybe one game a week as starter. As for the rotation, I can't imagine not needing 7 or 8 starters this year. I'd go get one that I can stash in Charlotte until needed. I have Flores and Lopez as my long men so they could make a start or two and that would leave us with Kopech, Stiever, and maybe Lambert as depth. We need another arm that won't push Cease or Rodon out of the early season rotation until someone fails or gets hurt. All of this assumes no Bauer which would obviously be my first choice on a 3 or 4 year contract.

Yup, 26 man active rosters and Jimmy does have one more option. I find it curious that everywhere shows Crochet as a reliever yet the Sox have said starter from the end of last season. I have Flores as a long man in my opening day roster as well as the Rodon/Lopez non-starter. Anyone have any inside on Crochet's landing spot?

I'd go Mike Leake and Ty Flowers and call it a wrap.

Yeah. They lump all pre-arbs at $9.1. I was only counting the 26 guys I anticipate making the "active" roster.

Me too. I'd offer some kind of base plus incentives that if maxed out could get him near last year's arb number. Would have to be a minors contract with invite sort of deal. Or maybe a split contract.

I've got the current 26 man at $126M before filling the remaining 3 holes (SP, C, & DH). My preference would be to use the remaining $14M budget to select the best remaining FA SP. You then use Collins as backup C as we still need to find out what he can be. The DH would preferably be a LH and be capable of playing LF. That's your full active roster at ~$140M.

I assume that no settlement on Giolito means they are working on a longer contract. Good

With this Hendriks signing I think the Bauer plan is off the table. Payroll is currently at $126M (with Giolito and Lopez at $4 & $2) and if the Sox are capped at $140M then you only have $11M or so to add another SP (from the bargain bin) and a backup catcher or LH DH/LF. Taking on another team's high salary guy is gone too. IMO.

I get it. We brought in Lynn but lost Dunning to do it so you still only have 3 solid starters. If they max out the payroll at $140M and Hendriks puts you at $129 (116+13) then you only have 11 left to fill starter and back up catcher/lefty dh. The Sox are pretty good at finding relievers. Use the money on your 4th starter first, then fill bullpen, hefty bat, and catcher in that order. I think you can do most of that with $24M unless you spend half on the closer position. I was actually ok with Hendriks at $13M until the bidding moved to 4 years.

Why lose games earlier in the year playing with a crappy rotation because you blew all your money on an expensive closer. Maybe Bummer can do the job. or Yates/Rosenthal/Colome for half the money. Relievers are so fickle I hate to spend so much on them that you short change other areas of need or delay locking up Giolito. Use the remaining money on all 3 current needs. Starter, Closer, and Lefty DH. Boom!

You'd have $7=10M for a SP (Quintana?) and then have to roll with Collins as your backup C and a rotation for your DH. Not ideal but could be done. I wouldn't allocate that much for a closer. Especially over a 4 year term.

I was only counting the guys on the 26 man roster not all 40 in my $116M.

Seems to be some different takes on current payroll. I have them at $116M (Gio @ 4, Lopez @ 2, DH filled by Collins, Mercedes, or Vaughn @ .6 , all pre-arbs at .6 and 2 for dead money. If the final is $140 then you have $24M left for SP, CL, and a better C or DH. Should be doable unless you want to keep some dry powder for the trade deadline.

I never said he's dead money. He remains a good bat if you can keep him playing 2nd or 3rd base. At 32 years and 225 pounds I question how agile he is to remain at these key defensive positions longer term. And your not just paying $14 in 2021, you are committing to pay him $52 million over the next 3 years. With Abreu and Eloy needing to transition to DH over the same 3 year term, it is essential that Moose stay at 2nd or 3rd base defensively. It's a salary dump by Cincy and It's an avenue for the Sox to add to their rotation without cleaning out their farm. You just cannot keep adding expensive DHs to this team. Maybe if you're lucky you can get an acceptable 2021 at 2nd base out of him and then move him to another team before it becomes obvious that he's a DH but the Sox usually never get that lucky. There are teams that need starting pitching and a 2nd baseman, but do they have the payroll to fit Castillo and Moustakas on it? m