Timmy U

Woof. They're gonna try Vargas in LF. He's not great out there, but neither is Benintendi, so maybe he can be early Eloy out there? Senzel taking ABs is really weird to me.

I think the grade really depends on how you value Vargas. If you think he is R/R Michael Busch, you could give it a C. I don’t like the player at all, so I’m in the D/F range. I hope I’m wrong and either he does have a defensive position OR can hit a fastball. I see a below average DH. I think the Dodgers felt the same way eventually. Check out the haul they got for Busch vs. Edman, Kopech, and a DSL pitcher.

Coincidentally, his projected deduct as a high school player? 2030

And if you asked how much Mike Trout was worth on the day of his birth, people would have said nothing. So what? Fedde outpitched those people’s perceived value. No one believes the Sox got fair value for him except the Sox FO.

And that is why everyone is so bummed out. On talent, next year’s team could reasonably be worse. (And still have a slightly better record.) The Sox needed a game changer for anyone to start feeling good. Something dramatic in either the draft or the TDL. Instead, they got a draft fronted by a pitcher, and a weird deadline deal that literally no one, including you, likes. Feelings of despair and ongoing doom are not unreasonable. Just cuz you don’t share them doesn’t make them irrational. Betting the under on this current FO team would have been one of the safest bets in world history. You can feel confident in the direction of this franchise. I do not share that feeling.

Kuhl serves a purpose: backstop to absorb punishment in blowouts. Berroa, Eder, Burke, and Nastrini simply cannot throw strikes. The risk you run bringing them up is that you sour on them after a small mlb exposure. See Cronin, Declan. Better to fix them before you bring them up. I certainly think that Coffey, AHT, Cousin, Mason Adams, and maybe even Dalquist could get a look and survive the experience. Position player wise, sure bring up Colas, Ramos, maybe Montgomery. I would keep Quero down just for 40 man reasons, but not a lot of reasons for optimism there based on AAA performances.

The farm system is not top tier. This year’s draft did not yield a highly thought of bat. The trade deadline did not yield a high impact bat, nor did it demonstrate competence by this FO group. There is absolutely no reason to be optimistic about the near to mid-range future of this team. I don’t think delaying these trades lowered the value of these players, but how Getz et al did at the TDL certainly lowered my expectations on what they will get for those players. I can never remember a Sox outlook this bleak. Bonemer and Wolkow basically both have to be stars for them to get out of this. Unlikely.

I want to see mlb force Reinsdorf to sell for the best interests of baseball.

With Eloy gone, DH seems like the natural position.

Oooo, I have seen Sweeney play in person. Not a huge fan.

Seems like a glove-first guy, but for Tanner Banks, not a bad return. I wish Banks nothing but success. A great story and was always a class act for the Sox.

Get it. It is sad however. Loved Eloy. He actually looked better last night. Got the ball up. Now we know what position Vargas is playing.

I want to defend Wolkow and Grant Taylor, but I will admit that Gonzalez is not trending towards being an mlb contributor. So, if that’s the metric of a bad draft, I feel ya. i wanted a bat, but I would be shocked if Smith wasn’t really good.

Why? Have you heard anything? He didn’t play there all year in AAA. He is exceptionally bad at 2b. I hope to Odin that they’re not that stupid.

Any word yet on what defensive position they’re going line Vargas up at?

Fire him FAST.

After yesterday, holding on to your reasonably priced ace who can be an example to other, younger pitchers is not a terrible outcome. Manage the innings and get him ready for Spring.

Based on the quotes outside the org. Vargas is not viewed that way. Clearly, the Sox value him like that. We’ll see who’s right.

Holy fudge! That is waaaaay more than Sox got for Fedde. Lotta strikeouts between those two, but they are legit second division regulars.

Did they just get more for Trevor Rogers than Getz got for Fedde?! Two R/R hitters who are defensive liabilities wherever you put them. Vargas controls the zone better, Norby has more impact and has been better in mlb. It’s close.

BA has the two prospects the Sox acquired out of their top 500. So... Lotto tickets.

Or a 3 team deal where the Sox end up with James Outman and 2 DSL pitchers, but give up Crochet, Brebbia, and throw in Mason Adams for some reason.

Good lord. I knew it had to be something like this. This means the Sox continue to listen to Tosar even though they have built a historically bad offense. This might mean they are not going to clean house in the hitting side this winter. That thought terrifies me.

Would love to know how much $$$ the Sox saved in total from this. It’s the only factor that makes any sense at all. Vargas is a R/R DH. To ever amass 4.6 WAR, he’ll have to be Frank Thomas/Dick Allen.

That list doesn’t have draftees on it yet. Smith and Bonemer will be higher for sure. So middle of the pack. Not awful, just not Quero from last year.