Is This a Playoff Team in 2015?

[Jose Abreu]

Next, future "franchise star" Carlos Quentin never was the same after that self-inflicted hamate injury in 2008. He went from MVP to a near non-tender candidate and marginal trade return.

Sure, because hitting 71 homers with 220 RBIs after the injury (09-11 w/ Sox) isn't good.

[2nd_city_saint787]

Has anyone heard anything about Despaigne coming over next year? Not left handed, but that's not THAT big a deal (Abreu hits lefties and righties about the same). I'd "blow a load" if he does and the Sox were able to grab him.

 

Eaton-Avi-Gillaspie-Abreu-Despaigne-Dunn-Ramirez-Johnson-Catcher

 

 

[Balta1701]

I agree that the GM should be evaluated based on the players under performance. However, I disagree that it's a reasonable conclusion that injuries should be held against them, if there is no injury history. That is an impossibility to predict. Especially, when the deals were team favorable at the time.

 

the only deal that was really a calculated risk that failed was Rios.

 

when doing evaluations you are really assigning praise for good things and fault for the bad things. If you say bad things happened but did not assign them the fault, then it isn't their fault and the evaluation of the GM would have to be positive.

You cannot possibly tell me that Jake Peavy had no injury history prior to the Sox acquiring him.

[southsider2k5]

There are plenty of players to drop for the 40 for both of them. Nestor Molina, Paulino, Frank De Los Santos, Taylor Thompson all can be dropped.

 

Isn't Paulino on the 60 day DL and already off of the 40 man?

[ptatc]

You cannot possibly tell me that Jake Peavy had no injury history prior to the Sox acquiring him.

I don't believe he had any shoulder or arm issues. I could be wrong but the only one I remember is when they acquired him and he had an ankle issue that was resolved in an appropriate time. One injury not to his arm, that was resolved in an appropriate time is not a history of injury.

[fathom]

I don't believe he had any shoulder or arm issues. I could be wrong but the only one I remember is when they acquired him and he had an ankle issue that was resolved in an appropriate time. One injury not to his arm, that was resolved in an appropriate time is not a history of injury.

 

He missed a month in 2008 with a sore elbow

[ptatc]

He missed a month in 2008 with a sore elbow

Ok. That would be a caution. However, it doesn't seem to have caused any issues down the road as I don't think he has missed any other time because of his elbow.

[fathom]

Ok. That would be a caution. However, it doesn't seem to have caused any issues down the road as I don't think he has missed any other time because of his elbow.

 

Agreed, but IIRC, some thought he was a ticking time bomb due to all the sliders he was throwing.

[Balta1701]

Agreed, but IIRC, some thought he was a ticking time bomb due to all the sliders he was throwing.

If Jake Peavy was the only ticking time bomb we acquired that blew up, then we'd be in good shape. We wound up with a lot that exploded simultaneously.

[GreenSox]

Just from a macro perspective, if this team is really improving and can seriously contend, I certainly would expect to see some sparks - some good play late in the season. I certainly don't want to see the patented Ventura September swoon.

 

I realize that Sale and Quintana are losing their edge - kind of hard to to pitch 100% focused with this team of mostly stiffs behind you - and they are pitching against 100% focused teams like the Orioles.

Still, I would expect to see lot more out of this club if they really are close to contending.

[LDF]

Has anyone heard anything about Despaigne coming over next year? Not left handed, but that's not THAT big a deal (Abreu hits lefties and righties about the same). I'd "blow a load" if he does and the Sox were able to grab him.

 

Eaton-Avi-Gillaspie-Abreu-Despaigne-Dunn-Ramirez-Johnson-Catcher

 

 

I have been watching several Cuban players and Asian players for the past several months. with re to

Alfredo Despaigne, he was playing in mexico with a fake passport, waiting to get some time in so he can

petition mlb. however, mlb powers investigated and forced mexico to banned him for life. he then went

back home to cuba. here it is discovered that he does not want to give up his citizenship to cuba b/c of

some family ties to the gov or something. long story, he is now in japan playing,

 

he is 1 or 3 or 4 players I would love to the sox to get. oh well.

[ptatc]

If Jake Peavy was the only ticking time bomb we acquired that blew up, then we'd be in good shape. We wound up with a lot that exploded simultaneously.

Probably, but the trade really didn't cost much either. It was worth the price.

 

The Sox did have a lot explode. however, it regards to the GM, they really any that you even have a hint of occurring, so during his evaluation I really wouldn't say they were bad moves.

[LDF]

Just from a macro perspective, if this team is really improving and can seriously contend, I certainly would expect to see some sparks - some good play late in the season. I certainly don't want to see the patented Ventura September swoon.

 

I realize that Sale and Quintana are losing their edge - kind of hard to to pitch 100% focused with this team of mostly stiffs behind you - and they are pitching against 100% focused teams like the Orioles.

Still, I would expect to see lot more out of this club if they really are close to contending.

 

I agree with you. I was planning to writing this over the weekend, but what the hoot. here goes.

 

this team coming to a close on the 2014 mlb campaign shows a great potential that the sox fans sees and

I am sure the sox brass does as well. my take is the window of opportunity is NOW!!!. the sox

have a great group to build around and have the salary spread out where the sox can continue to add thru

attrition.

 

c- flowers

1b. - Jose

2b. - Gordo / traded ???

ss. - Alexei

3b, - conor

lf. - DV

cf. - Eaton

rf. - Avisial

dh. - ????

 

sp - Sale

- JQ

- Danks

- Noesi

- Carroll

 

 

pen I am not good here.

 

here is the one weak point. if we wait for the young but some talented prospects to develop

and be ready for the majors. the sox may miss the train. I would like JR to invest in the fa's and

get the final pieces needed and sign them according. something like 3-5 yrs and still keep the

contract stagger so when their contract is up, hopefully the some prospects will be ready to step

in.

 

I am not talking about prospects that may step in, in the beginning of the 2015 season, I mean

to undoubtablly step in.

 

the sox need help in

cat

sp - #1 or 2 the sox need a very good pitcher to help in case of injury or trade. I really would

hate the sox to be unprepared as they were this yr.

pen / this you guys can anw

dh - here is the tricky part. with what is avail thru fa. do the sox go for a dh or of and move DV to dh.

my other scenario needs to play out so I will not say nothing now.

Oh btw the 1 part I forgot, the fa's should not cost the team a comp pick. forget that s***.

 

I really think that this club can contend, crap they almost contended this yr and this was to be a rebuilding

yr.

[Vance Law]

kind of hard to to pitch 100% focused with this team of mostly stiffs behind you

 

Mostly stiffs are the 9th best offense in MLB.

[GreenSox]

Mostly stiffs are the 9th best offense in MLB.

You seriously believe that this offense is the 9th best in baseball?

 

What about defense? You think this is a talented defensive team playing behind Quintana and Sale?

 

 

This team is tanking - now a season low point of 9 below .500.

It is a bad team, with a few really good players.

And the front office has shown an absurd lack of aggressiveness in moving players.

 

 

[Vance Law]

You seriously believe that this offense is the 9th best in baseball?

 

Do you believe that they have scored the 9th most runs?

Edited August 21, 2014 by Vance Law

[greg775]

I think that next year the team finishes .500 or around .500. I think that Hahn is going to make some more moves to improve the team like last offseason. He has to bolster the bullpen up, improve the catching position and get a left handed bat in the middle of the line up. I would also like to see 2 RHP in the starting rotation but that is a want, not a need.

 

I fully expect the Sox to finish below Minnesota which means last place 2 years in a row. That is unacceptable. If the Sox finish last again next year, I'd clean house. No more Kenny. No more Hahn. And beg Jerry to sell. You can't tell me the Sox should be finishing fricking last 3 straight years. And what's more, nobody is the front office is calling it a rebuild, right? They are denying we are rebuilding.

Last place must be a thing of the past starting next year!

[sammy esposito]

I fully expect the Sox to finish below Minnesota which means last place 2 years in a row. That is unacceptable. If the Sox finish last again next year, I'd clean house. No more Kenny. No more Hahn. And beg Jerry to sell. You can't tell me the Sox should be finishing fricking last 3 straight years. And what's more, nobody is the front office is calling it a rebuild, right? They are denying we are rebuilding.

Last place must be a thing of the past starting next year!

If you sell off the expensive contracts then that is the time to sell the whole team and stadium

[caulfield12]

I fully expect the Sox to finish below Minnesota which means last place 2 years in a row. That is unacceptable. If the Sox finish last again next year, I'd clean house. No more Kenny. No more Hahn. And beg Jerry to sell. You can't tell me the Sox should be finishing fricking last 3 straight years. And what's more, nobody is the front office is calling it a rebuild, right? They are denying we are rebuilding.

Last place must be a thing of the past starting next year!

 

 

Williams is the one who really scouted Abreu hard and pushed for his signing.

[chitownsportsfan]

Just doing a quick rundown of the expected 2014 lineup with no changes

 

Star:

 

Abreu

Eaton (assume for argument sake he plays 140 games next year)

Garcia (assume he takes next step forward. He looks good. Projection systems and scouts really love him, I think there is a reason why. He can makes the game look easy at times, eg that sliding play tonight and hr)

 

Solid Starter:

Conor (needs a platoon partner but mashes 2/3 of the starters in MLB, aka righties)

Ramirez (aging, but still solid, obviously is trade bait)

 

Adequate starter:

Flowers (hey, the bar at catcher is low, the defensive metrics like him and so do Cooper and Hahn, that's enough for me)

De Aza (is going to finish around 1 fWAR although is trending downhill, again, trade bait)

 

Gaping Holes:

Beckham (his wRC+ is currently 62. He'd have to be Ozzie Smith to carry that bat, and he ain't even half that. There are other players (Marcus Semian hello) cheaper and probably better on the 40 man)

Viciedo (his time in Chicago is numbered, clearly out of favor against RHP when team is healthy the only way he comes back is as a part time platoon DH/OF and even then he's a marginal roster spot at median case)

Dunn/DH (should be easy to fill but DH has dogged the Sox for awhile now.)

 

 

I trust the Sox to find better pitching assuming they spend some money. As for the position players they are going to need some luck and some positive influxes from home grown youth in order to fill out the every day lineup. The good news is that a lot of surplus value stars like Jose, Q, Sale and Eaton are already on the team. They have the stars. Now they need some scrubs, and better ones than Beckham and Carroll and pretty much anyone everyone in the pen.

[caulfield12]

Flowers is slipping from that "adequate starter" category again...you might want to rethink that one.

 

DeAza would be an adequate starter ONLY one of the bottom 5-10 teams in the majors.

 

And Conor also has to be categorized as adequate bordering on barely adequate because of his subpar fielding, lack of HR power at USCF and difficulties with LHP.

Edited August 21, 2014 by caulfield12

[witesoxfan]

I fully expect the Sox to finish below Minnesota which means last place 2 years in a row. That is unacceptable. If the Sox finish last again next year, I'd clean house. No more Kenny. No more Hahn. And beg Jerry to sell. You can't tell me the Sox should be finishing fricking last 3 straight years. And what's more, nobody is the front office is calling it a rebuild, right? They are denying we are rebuilding.

Last place must be a thing of the past starting next year!

 

oh hey look guys, greg's overreacting again while looking at things in a vacuum

 

Williams is the one who really scouted Abreu hard and pushed for his signing.

 

As I recall, Reinsdorf is the one who really pushed the envelope in signing Abreu. Seems to me Williams really didn't want to go above like $45-50 million, and Jerry said "if this guy is as good as you say, we may as well spend as much as we have to [sic]"

[bmags]

As I recall, Reinsdorf is the one who really pushed the envelope in signing Abreu. Seems to me Williams really didn't want to go above like $45-50 million, and Jerry said "if this guy is as good as you say, we may as well spend as much as we have to [sic]"

 

I disagree. From what it sounded like, Williams gave the pre-bidding numbers, and when it started it became clear it would be more, and Reinsdorf trusted their judgement.

[Eminor3rd]

If Red Sox want Alexei, I'm asking for Boegarts.

 

lol

[Kyyle23]

oh hey look guys, greg's overreacting again while looking at things in a vacuum