Replacement Level Poster

All excellent points. I doubt the tank seasons can go on for a few more years. The offseason plan should be the same as it was before except now they need to add another SP. If they thought they were going to add some this offseason I think they still will and should. There’s just too many potential risks and unknowns which are uncontrollable with service time and player injuries as you stated. Eloy is coming up as soon as the extra year is secured. Why not try to surround him if he is truly a transcendent talent. You have an athletic homegrown SS who has shown growth, the former consensus top prospect in baseball in Yoan, an emerging ace who was the consensus best SP prospect the year he was drafted in Rodon. There are also some interesting trinkets like Palka, and Frye. I’m not trying to minimize the Kopech injury. It sucks for him and the fan base right when it seemed the rebuild was picking up steam. At a minimum they will have to find another option for those 180 odd innings in 2019. I hope the organization is not going to waste some of Eloys best and cheapest years.

I think they just wanted the best volume of high upside prospects at the time the December 16 deals were made regardless of position because the system had been so barren for years at that point. It just so happened the Nationals were prospect heavy with pitching and wanted to add Eaton. They did get 2 position prospects in the Sale trade.

This is quite an emotional punch to the gut. I guess I can trick myself mentally. I mean he was only going to impact about 30 games next year anyway. I hope this means they add a SP in the offseason. With all the injuries internally delaying guys like Dunning what else can they do? Another year of Shields and Covey? At least I have the Bears to distract me from this.

I trust the process rebuilding as current is an effective program to build a competitive window of say 5 years, but not the KW/RH brain trust running it. Recent evidence has indicated they can’t assemble a winning team. I don’t hand wring about them though because as long as JR has the team they’ll be in their positions. While all prospect development is not linear, accumulating trading cost controlled elite talent one looking like a Hall Of Famer(sale) and developing the acquired talent into productive MLB players is an entirely different organizational skill. A great deal of the trust in the process is some semblance of steady development by Moncada, Giolito, Reylo, TA. I would probably say it’s been mixed so far this year. Better yet calling up a guy next April Eloy who is immediately a star rookie of the year candidate would also go toward building some of the trust and credibility toward the rebuild. I know it’s apples and oranges but I recall as soon as the Sox called up Frank Thomas he was the best player in the lineup and an immediate all star. I’m hoping Eloy has a similar impact. Just imagine the rebuild angst if he struggles badly next year.

Ump blew that call. Timmy had good angle and saw the ball was caught on fly.

Even the outs are loud

Colon has elite command though, he can take the frosting off a cake with his fastball. Reylo not so much yet.

I’d go for that

Was living and working out of state in eastern time zone with no access to local Chicago radio. I had a long commute home think 1 hour plus, but planned on catching the last few innings while I finished my work day from home office. I had MLB package at time as I lived out of state. I tried to tune in but game was not on. I got the game not available prompt for those familiar with MLB Extra Innings. I thought rain out? I checked online for shits and giggles and saw Buehrle threw a perfect game. I was really both pissed and excited at the same time. They whole game was played by the time I left my office and got home and settled. Time of game 2hrs 3mimutes. FWIW Josh Field also hit a grand slam in the game. The sox finished the day tied in 1st place with Detroit.

I hope this works out for the kid. This is probably unofficially his last shot to stick in the organization’s future plans provided he can perform consistently. At this point I’m not confident enough he can throw enough strikes to be a high leverage bullpen piece though.

This is one of the more creative tank losses thus far.

Wow bad play Matty

Yea Volstad is ok for mop up duty, but you need a stuff guy for this high leverage situation.

Good Call

Your probably right.

You know wouldn’t be surprised if he’s let go at end of the year. While wins and losses may not be priority development at the ML level is. Ultimately it comes how has Moncada and the other guys developed this year. Hopefully RH and KW know it too.

The way this years gone with the prospect injuries I hope your right

Don’t say that yet

Reds have some pretty nice offensive numbers

This does suck. He has missed basically a whole year of development. Even time in the AFL won’t equal the almost full year of lost professional state side baseball.

I don’t see it either. It seems like the front office is not going to rush see this through. if the Sox wanted they could pull off a trade for just about anybody at the deadline of the offseason. That being said is never hurts to listen and offer if for nothing but to gain intelligence on how your guys are valued in the industry.

This article brings up some interesting thoughts. I think there’re is about a dozen odd years remaining on the current park lease with the ISFA. That will be an interesting side show as well. You don’t really know about state finances that far out but this is Illinois so probably not good. Im not a JR hater and I don’t wish him ill will, but he’ll be in his 90s at that point if nothing happens to him. JR has the longest ownership tenure in MLB at this point I believe since the passing of George Steinbrenner. I would wager for the majority of soxtalk posters, JR is the only owner of the sox they have ever known. The Sox have made some serious mistakes to the point where they are mostly irrelevant outside of their local fan base. Obviously a consistent winning team would do wonders, but the Sox have failed to place back to back teams in the playoffs in JRs tenure. Unfortunately they also have lost public perception on the ball park. This is exacerbated in this market because Wrigley is the supposed cool park, and the Rate is an afterthought. The rate is actually a nice place to watch a game after the improvements. But at this point the perception has been set in people’s minds. There is also losing Harry Carray to the Cubs, JR being a labor hawk in 94, and a few more self inflicted wounds. Inevitably given JRs age and if something does happen and the family sells, I hope the new owners put a strong emphasis at rebuilding the Sox brand as well. In someways I really feel the Sox are an undervalued franchise if not monetarily at this point, but as a brand going forward. Of course a Giants type run of multiple world titles in a competitive window changes the whole dynamic.

Nice shot leury

It does suck for Dunning. I feel bad for the kid. He seemed to have both plus stuff and pitchability, which is something rare at the top level of the organization after watchingKopech, Fulmer and Giolito’s struggles. He should probably be back in 2020. You almost have to account for a TJS in a young pitchers development cycle. The procedure is so prevalent in modern pitcher development.