Will Hahn be more active this deadline?

[Tony]

5 hours ago, FriendlyNorthsider said:

The Sox window 2021-2024 IMO as the core becomes more expensive or is leaving in 2024. There isnt a single minor leaguer at this point that I wouldn't be okay trading if it made sense for the big league club. None of the minor leaguers are, at this point, top 100 guys. Jose Rodriguez is probably the best Sox prospect at this point (beyond the Cubans and maybe Kelley), and he isnt untouchable. 

The Sox have two Cy young candidates entering free-agency next year, making this year a good year to push some more chips in. Until we see the Sox play some more quality competition, I think we wont fully understand what their needs are until they play teams that are better than DET, BAL, KC, etc.. If they run through Tampa Bay and the Astros, then maybe you're right and there is no reason to mortgage any part of the future. But I worry that at some point, theyre going to need another impact bat and another impact arm in the pen as insurance for a Crotchet injury or having to use Kopech as an opener due to injuries. 

After the deadline the Sox have a run of 3 @ CHC, 3 @MIN, 3 v NYY, 3 v OAK, 3 @TB, 4 @ TOR, and 3 v CHC. I'd rather be over-prepared for the test than under prepared.The Sox are by far the best team in the AL Central and personally, I think they'll run away with it. I'm more worried about an ALCS against NYY where they made some big moves at the deadline. 

That gives them time to fully assess what they need and how badly they need it. Winning a World Series is incredibly difficult and may require some sacrifice in the long term. I always go back to my Cubs, but there isnt a Cub fan out there that regrets Gleyber for Chapman. The Cubs had a glaring need at the deadline and made a deal that put them over the edge. Quintana for Cease + Eloy or even Wade Davis for Soler were different. Those trades were anticipatory and ended up backfiring. 

The Dunning for Lynn trade was largely panned here as paying too much for a rental, but look at how its panning out. The Sox realized in 2020 that they needed top of the rotation pitching to win in the playoffs, and they struck gold.

Anything the Sox can do to win in 2021-2024 should be on the table. If the Sox arent going to trade Kade Mclure or Jake frickin Burger to make them even stronger for the playoffs, then they should just trade Rodon and Lynn for a king's ransom and get back a couple of high school juniors like the Cubs did for Yu.

Hahn has done a great job of turning Eaton, Quintana, Sale, and years of good draft picks into Giolito, Moncada, Kopech, Lynn, Vaughn, Eloy, Cease, Rodon, TA, Madrigal, etc. Give him the keys to put them over the top. Just my opinion

Solid write-up. Post more. 

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

14 minutes ago, maloney.adam said:

I think the Sox will trade for atleast a reliever and one quality bat. They need someone that can hit for power. 

Not just someone , someone who hits RHP well. The Sox record against RHP is still around .500. Considering the majority of games are against RHP , once you face stronger teams that record against RHP will become worse and there's no way to make it to the World Series unless they hit RHP  better. Remember that's a .500 against RHP with a lot of our games against weaker opponents and a strong starting pitching staff.

[NWINFan]

Hahn and the FO have to decide if they are satisfied with a division title or do they want to do something really historic this season. The rebuild is over. There is no reason to wait if a reasonable deal can be made even if that deal has a price tag to it. The goal should be the World Series. 2005 sometimes seems like yesterday. It wasn't. It was 16 years ago and we are still counting.

[Lillian]

1 hour ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

Not just someone , someone who hits RHP well. The Sox record against RHP is still around .500. Considering the majority of games are against RHP , once you face stronger teams that record against RHP will become worse and there's no way to make it to the World Series unless they hit RHP  better. Remember that's a .500 against RHP with a lot of our games against weaker opponents and a strong starting pitching staff.

Exactly. I wish more fans would remember that. 

[Kyyle23]

2 hours ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

Not just someone , someone who hits RHP well. The Sox record against RHP is still around .500. Considering the majority of games are against RHP , once you face stronger teams that record against RHP will become worse and there's no way to make it to the World Series unless they hit RHP  better. Remember that's a .500 against RHP with a lot of our games against weaker opponents and a strong starting pitching staff.

Seems like they are more than competitive against RHP 

https://www.espn.com/mlb/team/splits/_/name/chw

The Rays are batting .222 and .236 against LHP and RHP

Oakland .246 and .230

Phillies .250 and .236

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

I would post all of the top teams numbers but I don't think I have the storage available to do it, but you can check for yourself.  Sox are doing better or right on par with the rest 

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

39 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said:

Seems like they are more than competitive against RHP 

https://www.espn.com/mlb/team/splits/_/name/chw

The Rays are batting .222 and .236 against LHP and RHP

Oakland .246 and .230

Phillies .250 and .236

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

I would post all of the top teams numbers but I don't think I have the storage available to do it, but you can check for yourself.  Sox are doing better or right on par with the rest 

I'm just going by their record. Wins and losses is the true indicator to me. Without more power I'd expect it to stay the same against RHP. Now Eloy and Robert may help of course especially when you consider our starting pitching but we need them at full strength . Another strong LH bat would be a big help.

 I also did mention that most of the stats about how the Sox hit RHP  is against weaker Central division pitching except the Indians. Good teams with good RHP , the kind you face in the playoffs I don't think it will be enough with a primarily RH lineup.

Edited June 14, 2021 by CaliSoxFanViaSWside

[Tony]

39 minutes ago, Kyyle23 said:

Seems like they are more than competitive against RHP 

https://www.espn.com/mlb/team/splits/_/name/chw

The Rays are batting .222 and .236 against LHP and RHP

Oakland .246 and .230

Phillies .250 and .236

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

I would post all of the top teams numbers but I don't think I have the storage available to do it, but you can check for yourself.  Sox are doing better or right on par with the rest 

You're 100% correct, but his general point is still true that if/when the Sox acquire a bat....ideally it's someone that bats LH and can really knock around RHP, because the splits show us they are in fact better against LHP and some balance would be nice. 

[Whisox05]

 

[ron883]

2 minutes ago, aeichhor said:

 

Can't go wrong with that approach!

"Don't expect any specific rumors from me, but the Sox are indeed trying to make moves!"

[Dick Allen]

3 minutes ago, aeichhor said:

 

So there won't be leaks, it is totally a stealth operation, but this clown knows all about it. OK..

[wegner]

Rick Hahn is looking to improve the club?  You don't say.  Great Scoop by notSteve there.

[Kyyle23]

17 minutes ago, aeichhor said:

 

Fuck that guy 

[maloney.adam]

35 minutes ago, aeichhor said:

 

So a temporary fill in for Madrigal? If you believe this garbage that means you can eliminate Frazier, and Marte and possibly Escobar from the Diamondbacks. Those are the names that have been thrown around quite a bit recently. Unless you move Frazier to right field next year. NSC is just throwing anything at the wall hoping it sticks. 

Edited June 14, 2021 by maloney.adam

[southsider2k5]

1 hour ago, aeichhor said:

 

Translation:  I don't really know anything, but I want it to appear that I do, so I will cover as many bases as possible to appear knowledgeable.

[Lillian]

38 minutes ago, maloney.adam said:

So a temporary fill in for Madrigal? If you believe this garbage that means you can eliminate Frazier, and Marte and possibly Escobar from the Diamondbacks. Those are the names that have been thrown around quite a bit recently. Unless you move Frazier to right field next year. NSC is just throwing anything at the wall hoping it sticks. 

Escobar will be a free agent and is therefore strictly a rental.

[maloney.adam]

9 minutes ago, Lillian said:

Escobar will be a free agent and is therefore strictly a rental.

Your right. Maybe that’s the route the Sox will take with this.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

57 minutes ago, maloney.adam said:

So a temporary fill in for Madrigal? If you believe this garbage that means you can eliminate Frazier, and Marte and possibly Escobar from the Diamondbacks. Those are the names that have been thrown around quite a bit recently. Unless you move Frazier to right field next year. NSC is just throwing anything at the wall hoping it sticks. 

 Starling Marte for the Of and Escobar for 2nd base would be temporary since they will be Free Agents at the end of 2021. I don't expect to get both but one of them, probably Escobar, is attainable.

Edited June 14, 2021 by CaliSoxFanViaSWside

[YourWhatHurts]

I'm happy with Mendick as the starting 2B.

I like Eduardo Escobar as a more versatile Lamb replacement, who can spot-start in several places and add pop off of the bench.

[YourWhatHurts]

Everyone knows there is no way the Marlins are making the QO to Marte.  If fact, we really don't even know if there will be a QO in the next CBA.  Everyone knows that the the price will be 2+ pieces and the headliner will have to be BPA from an open bidding process, but the headliner will not have to have his value compared to that of a late first rounder or sandwich pick. 

First off, who are the bidders besides us?  I'm not sure which contender needs Marte bad enough or wants him bad enough to give up a quality piece for him.  He's probably the best guy out there however from an offense + defense standpoint.  He's definitely a difference maker.

The Marlins will only get 1 headliner here most likely.  Maybe they will weigh quality of depth a bit if it is close, but probably they are just looking at one headlining piece.  Typically the gamble is do you want the potentially higher upside of a guy who is farther away and still has a chance to show he's better than you think he is, or the player who is closer and is more of a finished product?

For us, I think the best we have of the clearly MLB-ready types who could potentially be available are: Engel, Mendick, Heuer in a RP package deal, Collins maybe even, Ruiz, Fry

And the best of the near-MLB ready / MLB ready in the minors types; Lambert, Stiever, Burger, Burdi

And the best of the far away upside guys: Kelly, Thompson, Dalquist, Vera, Yoelqui, maybe Rodriguez

Maybe I'm missing someone (I don't think I'm missing Rutherford, Luis Gonzalez or Sheets) but I think we'll have to probably have to pull at least 1 if not 2 pieces from that group.  I think Heuer is the only RP who could be a headliner but the others could work as 2nd pieces.

For what I believe is realistic, I hope the centerpiece is Burger.  Not that I want to give him away, but I think the Marlins have so much SP that they wouldn't want to talk about our guys as a centerpiece unless they want to buy low on our younger SPs.  

I could also see something like Engel + Heuer for Marte + RP as more of a step back / win next year kind of move.  I wouldn't be surprised if they love Engel actually.  It's Jeter's team and it seems like almost all of their young OFers have shit the bed.

I think realistically, if we want to get Marte out of a bidding war, it will be hard to do without overpaying in some capacity.  I'm not sure there's a single player we can offer or would offer s a headliner given the sparseness of our farm depth which some other team in greater need wouldn't be willing to beat.

If the Marlins need us to offer too much we should give up more for Haniger IMO.  At least he's a championship-level stopgap through 2022 and has a realistic chance of becoming a QO candidate if there is a QO in the next CBA after his control expires, and that could potentially yield us a shot at a 1-year contract for the player or draft compensation in 2023.  

I'm not sure who else is out there.  I don't think Peralta is the kind of championship-level player we should be looking for.  I'd rather just roll with the depth we have than give up substance for Peralta.

[tray]

Mendick has made game saving plays and is hitting good pitching.  I'd stick with him .

We need bullpen help and some guys that can hit and hit for power in the middle of the line-up.

Mercedes and Vaughn are on thin ice right now.

[maloney.adam]

7 minutes ago, tray said:

Mendick has made game saving plays and is hitting good pitching.  I'd stick with him .

We need bullpen help and some guys that can hit and hit for power in the middle of the line-up.

Mercedes and Vaughn are on thin ice right now.

I agree. If both continue to struggle one of them should be traded and the other one should be sent down. The rebuild is over with, we got to act like a World Series contending team. 

Edited June 15, 2021 by maloney.adam

[caulfield12]

20 minutes ago, maloney.adam said:

I agree. If both continue to struggle one of them should be traded and the other one should be sent down. The rebuild is over with, we got to act like a World Series contending team. 

The problem is...replace Vaughn with who/whom?  Lamb?  Hamilton?   Hopefully the answer is not Leury, as it seems to be for nearly every roster question.

We have Mercedes and Eaton with a ton of issues as well.   It's crazy that Mendick for Madrigal is the fourth biggest concern at the moment.

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

12 hours ago, Lillian said:

Exactly. I wish more fans would remember that. 

Perfect example was tonight game against TB . LaRussa elected not to play Lamb and Collins against RHP and the predominantly RH BP of TB while TB over loaded it's lineup with LHH against Lynn. TLR couldn't even be bothered to pinch hit for any one.

Result: 2 LHP power hitters hit HR's for Tampa Bay and the Sox middle of the lineup (hitters 3 through 7) went 0 for 18.

[caulfield12]

2 hours ago, maloney.adam said:

I agree. If both continue to struggle one of them should be traded and the other one should be sent down. The rebuild is over with, we got to act like a World Series contending team. 

Mercedes has negligible trade value.

Vaughn MIGHT need to go to AAA, but trading him right now as a corner outfielder instead of 1B with pedestrian stats would be borderline idiotic.

 

The Bieber injury gives them another 2-3 weeks before they need to start making some tough/er decisions.

[Lillian]

17 hours ago, YourWhatHurts said:

I'm happy with Mendick as the starting 2B.

I like Eduardo Escobar as a more versatile Lamb replacement, who can spot-start in several places and add pop off of the bench.

If Hahn acquires Escobar, he won't be "spot starting, off of the bench". He, and his 15 home runs, will be in the lineup, daily. Without Eloy and Robert, this team is severely challenged, in the power department. Moncada has not provided the power, that most everyone anticipated. I think most expected him to hit 25 to 30 homers. There are too many guys in the lineup who just don't profile as run producers.

Mendick is fine, and if everyone else were healthy and producing, he would be a more than adequate temporary replacement for Madrigal.  Unfortunately, that's not the case. Escobar would provide a much needed boost to this "power outage".  The various parts and pieces of the lineup are fungible. Normally, second base is not where one looks for power and run production. However, with our weak hitting current outfield, and an opening at the keystone spot, Escobar could be a big addition and he's a switch hitter. 

As has been pointed out, by several posters, including myself. he shouldn't cost that much, being a rental. I almost wish that he were making more money, which would help motivate the DBacks to unload his contract. The remainder of his $7.5 million is not much of an issue. Nevertheless, I don't think that it will take top prospects, to acquire him. 

Edited June 15, 2021 by Lillian