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Post by voiceofreason on Jan 31, 2022 8:15:08 GMT -5
Given the lack of offseason topic discussion because of the stoppage along with the abundance of talent in the infield I thought it could be a good topic to look at the possible future makeup of the Sox infield. I know these guys have a long way to go before reaching the majors but as usual I am optimistic that the likes of Mayer, Casas, Yorke, Dalbec and Jordan will get there. Making this an interesting topic is the presence of two guys, Xander and Raffy, who are great players who have warts and need to be signed to big contracts soon. So that is 7 guys for 4 positions over the next 3 years that have big ramifications on the makeup of the team and the salary cap situation.
How does Chaim look at the future is a big part of it. Does he want to allocate 50 million towards the 2 star vets who aren't exactly good defensively? That is a big question along with where they could be moved to in the future. Dalbec is both a very good trade piece but also a very good cost controlled player with the versatility to play 2 positions along with DHing. A platoon of Dalbec and Casas seems to be the perfect scenario in the short run at least but those 2 for short money for a few years is also a very interesting possibility.
Then you have Mayer, Yorke and Jordan coming up over the next 3 years. It looks like Mayer and Yorke will stick at SS and 2nd, is Jordan a good enough athlete to get some reps in the OF? Will Xander be playing LF at the same point in the future?
So many options, given the optimism yes, for the Sox to consider. Sure it seems like these are decisions that won't really be happening too soon but the thoughts of the FO will be revealed in how they approach extending Raffy and Xander this coming year.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Jan 31, 2022 8:39:59 GMT -5
Sinkerball pitcher, catcher, outfielder, 6 infielders. Problem solved.
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Post by ancientsoxfogey on Jan 31, 2022 22:12:14 GMT -5
Given the lack of offseason topic discussion because of the stoppage along with the abundance of talent in the infield I thought it could be a good topic to look at the possible future makeup of the Sox infield. I know these guys have a long way to go before reaching the majors but as usual I am optimistic that the likes of Mayer, Casas, Yorke, Dalbec and Jordan will get there. Making this an interesting topic is the presence of two guys, Xander and Raffy, who are great players who have warts and need to be signed to big contracts soon. So that is 7 guys for 4 positions over the next 3 years that have big ramifications on the makeup of the team and the salary cap situation. How does Chaim look at the future is a big part of it. Does he want to allocate 50 million towards the 2 star vets who aren't exactly good defensively? That is a big question along with where they could be moved to in the future. Dalbec is both a very good trade piece but also a very good cost controlled player with the versatility to play 2 positions along with DHing. A platoon of Dalbec and Casas seems to be the perfect scenario in the short run at least but those 2 for short money for a few years is also a very interesting possibility. Then you have Mayer, Yorke and Jordan coming up over the next 3 years. It looks like Mayer and Yorke will stick at SS and 2nd, is Jordan a good enough athlete to get some reps in the OF? Will Xander be playing LF at the same point in the future? So many options, given the optimism yes, for the Sox to consider. Sure it seems like these are decisions that won't really be happening too soon but the thoughts of the FO will be revealed in how they approach extending Raffy and Xander this coming year. Even given the promising trajectories that all the prospects are on, the expected number of players among Mayer/Casas/Yorke/Dalbec/Jordan who really impact the infield situation over the next few years is probably 3 or fewer. There will probably be at least one performance disappointment and one injury setback. Add that to the distinct possibility that one of Xander/Devers is not here in a few years, and the possibility of a prospect trade. So although you envision an infield/position glut, the odds are actually very long against it happening. In fact, I'd say the odds are better that by 2025/2026 at least one infield position will be manned by someone not among the names you mentioned, even if (or maybe especially if) someone moves to LF, say. |
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Post by voiceofreason on Feb 1, 2022 7:20:57 GMT -5
Given the lack of offseason topic discussion because of the stoppage along with the abundance of talent in the infield I thought it could be a good topic to look at the possible future makeup of the Sox infield. I know these guys have a long way to go before reaching the majors but as usual I am optimistic that the likes of Mayer, Casas, Yorke, Dalbec and Jordan will get there. Making this an interesting topic is the presence of two guys, Xander and Raffy, who are great players who have warts and need to be signed to big contracts soon. So that is 7 guys for 4 positions over the next 3 years that have big ramifications on the makeup of the team and the salary cap situation. How does Chaim look at the future is a big part of it. Does he want to allocate 50 million towards the 2 star vets who aren't exactly good defensively? That is a big question along with where they could be moved to in the future. Dalbec is both a very good trade piece but also a very good cost controlled player with the versatility to play 2 positions along with DHing. A platoon of Dalbec and Casas seems to be the perfect scenario in the short run at least but those 2 for short money for a few years is also a very interesting possibility. Then you have Mayer, Yorke and Jordan coming up over the next 3 years. It looks like Mayer and Yorke will stick at SS and 2nd, is Jordan a good enough athlete to get some reps in the OF? Will Xander be playing LF at the same point in the future? So many options, given the optimism yes, for the Sox to consider. Sure it seems like these are decisions that won't really be happening too soon but the thoughts of the FO will be revealed in how they approach extending Raffy and Xander this coming year. Even given the promising trajectories that all the prospects are on, the expected number of players among Mayer/Casas/Yorke/Dalbec/Jordan who really impact the infield situation over the next few years is probably 3 or fewer. There will probably be at least one performance disappointment and one injury setback. Add that to the distinct possibility that one of Xander/Devers is not here in a few years, and the possibility of a prospect trade. So although you envision an infield/position glut, the odds are actually very long against it happening. In fact, I'd say the odds are better that by 2025/2026 at least one infield position will be manned by someone not among the names you mentioned, even if (or maybe especially if) someone moves to LF, say. What you are saying is exactly the backdrop of the thread. I am just trying to get a conversation going on what seems like the biggest strength in the Sox system. I figured since people would be interested in projecting what the infield would look like in the future, guess I was wrong. |
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Post by ancientsoxfogey on Feb 1, 2022 20:58:15 GMT -5
Yeah, VoR, I'm old. I'm crotchety. I've seen so many generations of players and prospects come and go. It just seems to me that there are so many pitfalls in the way of the best-laid plans, that roster and playing decisions usually seem to get forced by circumstances before it ever comes down to human choice, even when it looks as though there is a glut on the horizon..
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Post by notstarboard on Feb 2, 2022 9:41:00 GMT -5
One of my pet strategies is not signing a dedicated DH and instead rotating position players, especially the older and weaker-fielding ones, through DH. I think that could work pretty well in the Boston infield. Like, I'm not sure this is realistic, but for the fun of it let's imagine Bloom somehow retains both Devers and Bogaerts and most of the prospects pan out. A few years down the line, we could have an infield resembling Devers, Mayer, Yorke, Casas, Jordan, and Bogaerts. Mayer would start at SS most days, Casas would start at 1B most days, Yorke would be 2B/DH, Xander would play 2B/SS/DH (basically rotating through the middle infield to spell Yorke and Mayer while keeping his bat in the lineup, with some DH mixed in to keep him fresh; more 2B than SS), Devers would be mostly 3B/DH, and Jordan would be 1B/3B/DH. If any of these guys showed even the least bit of OF promise we could sprinkle in some LF for them too on days where we want all 6 in the lineup.
Keeping 5/6 of these guys on the field every day seems like a great scenario, especially given how frequent little injuries are that might sideline them for a few days/weeks and give the rest some more playing time. I see the division of labor depending mostly on performance. Like, is Yorke a disaster at 2B or is he average enough? Can Jordan actually play 3B? Will Bogaerts shine at 2B given his sure hands, or will he just keep slowing down with age to the point where Yorke is as good or better? Can Devers cut down on the errors on routine plays? I feel pretty good about Mayer being able to lock down SS and Casas being able to lock down 1B, though.
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Post by notstarboard on Feb 2, 2022 9:43:18 GMT -5
Yeah, VoR, I'm old. I'm crotchety. I've seen so many generations of players and prospects come and go. It just seems to me that there are so many pitfalls in the way of the best-laid plans, that roster and playing decisions usually seem to get forced by circumstances before it ever comes down to human choice, even when it looks as though there is a glut on the horizon.. Some might even say... ancient  |
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Post by Underwater Johnson on Feb 2, 2022 17:56:23 GMT -5
1) Extend Xander and Devers to Arenado-esque deals the day after the lockout ends. 2) Phase in a defensive alignment in 2022 in which Devers DHs and Xander moves to 3B in favor of a slick-fielding SS (e.g. Iglesias) when JDM plays LF (or is hurt) and for late-game substitutions. 3) Iglesias also competes for 2B job with Arroyo and later Downs in '22. 4) Depending on how Iglesias plays in '22, make him full-time SS or replace him in '23 or '24, with Xander moved to 3B and Raffy to DH full-time; Mayer hopefully ready for SS by '25 (age 22). 5) Fitzgerald as reserve SS/UT in Worcester in '22; Hamilton competes for UT/PR in '23, '24. (Sorry, Jonny Arauz...) 6) Iggy, Arroyo, Fitzgerald, Hamilton, McDonough compete for the 2B job 2022-24; if any grab it by the throat, great. 7) 2022 should show us a lot about whether Yorke can stick at 2B, as he moves up to Portland in the summer. 8) Sign Brad Miller to compete with Dalbec at 1B; Miller can also play almost every other position (including OF & SS in a pinch). 9) Hope Casas hits the ground running in BOS in late 2022 and doesn't look back. 10) Can Jordan or Binelas compete for 1B with Casas in 2024? Can they play OF? (edit)
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Post by freddysthefuture2003 on Feb 3, 2022 8:27:31 GMT -5
1) Extend Xander and Devers to Arenado-esque deals the day after the lockout ends. 2) Phase in a defensive alignment in 2022 in which Devers DHs and Xander moves to 3B in favor of a slick-fielding SS (e.g. Iglesias) when JDM plays LF (or is hurt) and for late-game substitutions. 3) Iglesias also competes for 2B job with Arroyo and later Downs in '22. 4) Depending on how Iglesias plays in '22, make him full-time SS or replace him in '23 or '24, with Xander moved to 3B and Raffy to DH full-time; Mayer hopefully ready for SS by '25 (age 22). 5) Fitzgerald as reserve SS/UT in Worcester in '22; Hamilton competes for UT/PR in '23, '24. (Sorry, Jonny Arauz...) 6) Iggy, Arroyo, Fitzgerald, Hamilton, McDonough compete for the 2B job 2022-24; if any grab it by the throat, great. 7) 2022 should show us a lot about whether Yorke can stick at 2B, as he moves up to Portland in the summer. 8) Sign Brad Miller to compete with Dalbec at 1B; Miller can also play almost every other position (including OF & SS in a pinch). 9) Hope Casas hits the ground running in BOS in late 2022 and doesn't look back. 10) Can Jordan or Binelas compete for 1B with Casas in 2024? Can they play OF? (edit)
Spending $520 million on 2 guys, just to move them to less valuable positions is a bold move. |
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Post by Underwater Johnson on Feb 3, 2022 13:19:30 GMT -5
1) Extend Xander and Devers to Arenado-esque deals the day after the lockout ends. 2) Phase in a defensive alignment in 2022 in which Devers DHs and Xander moves to 3B in favor of a slick-fielding SS (e.g. Iglesias) when JDM plays LF (or is hurt) and for late-game substitutions. 3) Iglesias also competes for 2B job with Arroyo and later Downs in '22. 4) Depending on how Iglesias plays in '22, make him full-time SS or replace him in '23 or '24, with Xander moved to 3B and Raffy to DH full-time; Mayer hopefully ready for SS by '25 (age 22). 5) Fitzgerald as reserve SS/UT in Worcester in '22; Hamilton competes for UT/PR in '23, '24. (Sorry, Jonny Arauz...) 6) Iggy, Arroyo, Fitzgerald, Hamilton, McDonough compete for the 2B job 2022-24; if any grab it by the throat, great. 7) 2022 should show us a lot about whether Yorke can stick at 2B, as he moves up to Portland in the summer. 8) Sign Brad Miller to compete with Dalbec at 1B; Miller can also play almost every other position (including OF & SS in a pinch). 9) Hope Casas hits the ground running in BOS in late 2022 and doesn't look back. 10) Can Jordan or Binelas compete for 1B with Casas in 2024? Can they play OF? (edit)
Spending $520 million on 2 guys, just to move them to less valuable positions is a bold move. Well, if they could play defense like Arenado or Correa, they'd get a lot more than the Arenado deal. You might be able to shave a bit off that number if you do it now, which is one season (of possible injury/poor performance) before Xander can opt out and two seasons before Raffy's due date.
Raffy has already produced similar WAR to Arenado despite the gulf between their defensive values (although Raffy has only had two monster years thus far compared to 4 for Arenado when he got paid).
Xander has also produced similar WAR to Arenado and seems unlikely to command a Lindor type of deal (of course, it only takes one team to offer that but there is a limited number of teams that can afford it, particularly for a SS turning 30 in Oct).
The idea is to lock up their bats and improve defense at their (soon to be former) positions by leaving Raffy's glove in his locker, moving X down the defensive scale, and putting a better fielder at SS.
Before posting that, I asked myself who in MLB I would rather give that kind of contract and decided that those two are at the top of my list for many reasons, not least character, chemistry, and durability (and obviously talent).
In general, you get better value for money with younger players than with free-market-value contracts but considering intangibles, I would feel fine paying those two homegrown superstars. Not sure what your plan would be if you let them walk.
Or maybe you'd rather trade them?
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Post by bosoxnation on Jul 4, 2022 16:32:21 GMT -5
I know this is completely random but if I'm Bloom I'm asking X if he would move to 1st during the extension talks. I think X at 1st would seal any deal of 8-10 years for me. Also makes Casas a great trade piece.
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Post by bellhorndingers21 on Jul 4, 2022 16:49:44 GMT -5
I know this is completely random but if I'm Bloom I'm asking X if he would move to 1st during the extension talks. I think X at 1st would seal any deal of 8-10 years for me. Also makes Casas a great trade piece. I think we're all sentimental about Xander but signing him up for 25+ over 8 years to be a 1B runs against everything Bloom operates. Take CJ Cron as an example. Xander and him are close in the OPS department. Cron is making just under 8 million this year. Why would Bloom want that kind of production, locked up long term, for an extra 20 million and flip the league minimum option he currently holds? |
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Post by bosoxnation on Jul 4, 2022 16:57:49 GMT -5
I know this is completely random but if I'm Bloom I'm asking X if he would move to 1st during the extension talks. I think X at 1st would seal any deal of 8-10 years for me. Also makes Casas a great trade piece. I think we're all sentimental about Xander but signing him up for 25+ over 8 years to be a 1B runs against everything Bloom operates. Take CJ Cron as an example. Xander and him are close in the OPS department. Cron is making just under 8 million this year. Why would Bloom want that kind of production, locked up long term, for an extra 20 million and flip the league minimum option he currently holds? Because he knows what he’s going to get with X. We’re also paying a DH big money. X belongs on the Sox long term. Also what if we can flip Casas and a few prospects for someone like Bednar. Minimum guy under control for years. At the end of the day you have to take proven production over an unknown prospect. |
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Post by incandenza on Jul 4, 2022 17:19:29 GMT -5
I think we're all sentimental about Xander but signing him up for 25+ over 8 years to be a 1B runs against everything Bloom operates. Take CJ Cron as an example. Xander and him are close in the OPS department. Cron is making just under 8 million this year. Why would Bloom want that kind of production, locked up long term, for an extra 20 million and flip the league minimum option he currently holds? Because he knows what he’s going to get with X. We’re also paying a DH big money. X belongs on the Sox long term. Also what if we can flip Casas and a few prospects for someone like Bednar. Minimum guy under control for years. At the end of the day you have to take proven production over an unknown prospect. If Bloom flips Casas (and a few prospects!!) for a reliever, I will riot.
And Bednar, no less! He has about 100 good innings under his belt, was never a very highly regarded prospect, and is already 27. That is exactly the sort of "proven reliever" who can turn into a pumpkin at any moment.
Fortunately Bloom is sane, so this is not going to happen.
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Post by bosoxnation on Jul 4, 2022 17:53:51 GMT -5
Because he knows what he’s going to get with X. We’re also paying a DH big money. X belongs on the Sox long term. Also what if we can flip Casas and a few prospects for someone like Bednar. Minimum guy under control for years. At the end of the day you have to take proven production over an unknown prospect. If Bloom flips Casas (and a few prospects!!) for a reliever, I will riot.
And Bednar, no less! He has about 100 good innings under his belt, was never a very highly regarded prospect, and is already 27. That is exactly the sort of "proven reliever" who can turn into a pumpkin at any moment.
Fortunately Bloom is sane, so this is not going to happen.
Bednar is a great closer and is under control for years at almost free price. I understand your logic but you can flip Casas for someone valueable. I'm just personally desperate for a CL. 27 is old now? |
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Post by Guidas on Jul 4, 2022 19:11:50 GMT -5
Given the lack of offseason topic discussion because of the stoppage along with the abundance of talent in the infield I thought it could be a good topic to look at the possible future makeup of the Sox infield. I know these guys have a long way to go before reaching the majors but as usual I am optimistic that the likes of Mayer, Casas, Yorke, Dalbec and Jordan will get there. Making this an interesting topic is the presence of two guys, Xander and Raffy, who are great players who have warts and need to be signed to big contracts soon. So that is 7 guys for 4 positions over the next 3 years that have big ramifications on the makeup of the team and the salary cap situation. How does Chaim look at the future is a big part of it. Does he want to allocate 50 million towards the 2 star vets who aren't exactly good defensively? That is a big question along with where they could be moved to in the future. Dalbec is both a very good trade piece but also a very good cost controlled player with the versatility to play 2 positions along with DHing. A platoon of Dalbec and Casas seems to be the perfect scenario in the short run at least but those 2 for short money for a few years is also a very interesting possibility. Then you have Mayer, Yorke and Jordan coming up over the next 3 years. It looks like Mayer and Yorke will stick at SS and 2nd, is Jordan a good enough athlete to get some reps in the OF? Will Xander be playing LF at the same point in the future? So many options, given the optimism yes, for the Sox to consider. Sure it seems like these are decisions that won't really be happening too soon but the thoughts of the FO will be revealed in how they approach extending Raffy and Xander this coming year. I really would yellow light anyone but Mayer as good as they look in the minors. We’ve seen too many sure things - and not just in the Red Sox system - fade out just before or just after getting to MLB. In my recent memory, “sure things” Lars Anderson, Ryan Kalish, Blake Swihart, Henry Owens and Garin Checcini come to mind. We all have our faves. |
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Post by redsox43 on Jul 4, 2022 19:48:23 GMT -5
If Bloom flips Casas (and a few prospects!!) for a reliever, I will riot.
And Bednar, no less! He has about 100 good innings under his belt, was never a very highly regarded prospect, and is already 27. That is exactly the sort of "proven reliever" who can turn into a pumpkin at any moment.
Fortunately Bloom is sane, so this is not going to happen.
Bednar is a great closer and is under control for years at almost free price. I understand your logic but you can flip Casas for someone valueable. I'm just personally desperate for a CL. 27 is old now? I'm pretty sure Andrew Bailey was under control for 3 years and was 28 when the Sox traded Josh Reddick for him. This is the kind of example Incandeza is talking about. |
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Jul 4, 2022 20:31:23 GMT -5
Bednar is a great closer and is under control for years at almost free price. I understand your logic but you can flip Casas for someone valueable. I'm just personally desperate for a CL. 27 is old now? I'm pretty sure Andrew Bailey was under control for 3 years and was 28 when the Sox traded Josh Reddick for him. This is the kind of example Incandeza is talking about. Yeah, no way I deal a guy who has a good chance of being a middle of the order masher, playing at a position of need at a very affordable price under team control for a closer, one that is pitching very well, but is hardly the next Billy Wagner. When the Sox got Bailey and Carson Smith, and Tyler Thornburg, they were coming off strong performances and they disappointed. I'm all for getting a reliable closer, and I do value closers, but there's no way in hell I trade a prospect the caliber of Casas for a reliever. They have guys they can trade to get a closer, but you dont trade upper tier prospects. You just don't. |
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Post by bosoxnation on Jul 4, 2022 20:43:12 GMT -5
Given the lack of offseason topic discussion because of the stoppage along with the abundance of talent in the infield I thought it could be a good topic to look at the possible future makeup of the Sox infield. I know these guys have a long way to go before reaching the majors but as usual I am optimistic that the likes of Mayer, Casas, Yorke, Dalbec and Jordan will get there. Making this an interesting topic is the presence of two guys, Xander and Raffy, who are great players who have warts and need to be signed to big contracts soon. So that is 7 guys for 4 positions over the next 3 years that have big ramifications on the makeup of the team and the salary cap situation. How does Chaim look at the future is a big part of it. Does he want to allocate 50 million towards the 2 star vets who aren't exactly good defensively? That is a big question along with where they could be moved to in the future. Dalbec is both a very good trade piece but also a very good cost controlled player with the versatility to play 2 positions along with DHing. A platoon of Dalbec and Casas seems to be the perfect scenario in the short run at least but those 2 for short money for a few years is also a very interesting possibility. Then you have Mayer, Yorke and Jordan coming up over the next 3 years. It looks like Mayer and Yorke will stick at SS and 2nd, is Jordan a good enough athlete to get some reps in the OF? Will Xander be playing LF at the same point in the future? So many options, given the optimism yes, for the Sox to consider. Sure it seems like these are decisions that won't really be happening too soon but the thoughts of the FO will be revealed in how they approach extending Raffy and Xander this coming year. I really would yellow light anyone but Mayer as good as they look in the minors. We’ve seen too many sure things - and not just in the Red Sox system - fade out just before or just after getting to MLB. In my recent memory, “sure things” Lars Anderson, Ryan Kalish, Blake Swihart, Henry Owens and Garin Checcini come to mind. We all have our faves. I 100% agree with this but I would add Bello to that. I really don't see Casas as a sure thing which is why I would prefer to trade him in the right deal but at the same time that happens to be a position of need but I would be ok with Franchy being full time 1st baseman or even Franchy/Arroyo if we got the right value for Casas. From what I remember Casas is doing exactly what Bobby did in AAA and right now it seems Bobby needs more AAA at bats. |
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Post by widewordofsport on Jul 4, 2022 20:43:58 GMT -5
Somewhat on topic... personally Id get Dalbec and Downs off the 40 man as soon as possible.
When you have Casas, Story->Meyer, Devers, it seems like the obvious answer will be let X go, sign a 2B and if Yorke becomes such a great prospect you have too many good hitters in the IF, so be it. Hard to see Xander being a part of this team going forward, as much of a shame as that is.
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Post by bosoxnation on Jul 5, 2022 1:38:14 GMT -5
Somewhat on topic... personally Id get Dalbec and Downs off the 40 man as soon as possible. When you have Casas, Story->Meyer, Devers, it seems like the obvious answer will be let X go, sign a 2B and if Yorke becomes such a great prospect you have too many good hitters in the IF, so be it. Hard to see Xander being a part of this team going forward, as much of a shame as that is. Unless we trade Story and kept Bogaerts which would be amazing! haha |
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Post by jimed14 on Jul 5, 2022 14:25:27 GMT -5
Given the lack of offseason topic discussion because of the stoppage along with the abundance of talent in the infield I thought it could be a good topic to look at the possible future makeup of the Sox infield. I know these guys have a long way to go before reaching the majors but as usual I am optimistic that the likes of Mayer, Casas, Yorke, Dalbec and Jordan will get there. Making this an interesting topic is the presence of two guys, Xander and Raffy, who are great players who have warts and need to be signed to big contracts soon. So that is 7 guys for 4 positions over the next 3 years that have big ramifications on the makeup of the team and the salary cap situation. How does Chaim look at the future is a big part of it. Does he want to allocate 50 million towards the 2 star vets who aren't exactly good defensively? That is a big question along with where they could be moved to in the future. Dalbec is both a very good trade piece but also a very good cost controlled player with the versatility to play 2 positions along with DHing. A platoon of Dalbec and Casas seems to be the perfect scenario in the short run at least but those 2 for short money for a few years is also a very interesting possibility. Then you have Mayer, Yorke and Jordan coming up over the next 3 years. It looks like Mayer and Yorke will stick at SS and 2nd, is Jordan a good enough athlete to get some reps in the OF? Will Xander be playing LF at the same point in the future? So many options, given the optimism yes, for the Sox to consider. Sure it seems like these are decisions that won't really be happening too soon but the thoughts of the FO will be revealed in how they approach extending Raffy and Xander this coming year. I really would yellow light anyone but Mayer as good as they look in the minors. We’ve seen too many sure things - and not just in the Red Sox system - fade out just before or just after getting to MLB. In my recent memory, “sure things” Lars Anderson, Ryan Kalish, Blake Swihart, Henry Owens and Garin Checcini come to mind. We all have our faves. We've also traded for "sure things" such as Kimbrel (who was really good for 1 out of 3 years) , Hanrahan, Bailey, Thornburg, Melancon, and Carson Smith in the last decade. It works both ways. Predicting who was going to bust is easy when you see the past, but it's not without hindsight. Imagine if they traded Betts and Bogaerts for Cliff Lee because Andrerson and Kalish were busts. |
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Post by redsox43 on Jul 5, 2022 14:41:07 GMT -5
I exclude the Carson Smith, Hanrahan, Kimbrel, Thornburg deals when talking about potential infield prospects for relievers.
Kimbrel was under a major league deal and was completely different when it came to salaries (which in retrospect made the deal worse). Smith and Thornburg weren't true prospect for reliever deals. The best prospect dealt at the time was Dubon, who wasn't really ever missed and was easily replaced with depth.
The Sox got the best player in the Hanrahan deal in Brock Holt (surprisingly).
That Bailey deal was the one that's comparable if you're talking prospect for reliever deals. Probably the deal that hurt the most, too. Josh Reddick was probably the best player traded out of all these reliever deals.
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