The 2022 Trades

[MongoLikeSox]

The MLB network guys are laughing and wondering how the Padres pulled off that trade.

[Sea Dog 23]

The MLB network guys are laughing and wondering how the Padres pulled off that trade.

Looks like it was down to numbers.  Groome was on the 40 man, had one option left. After TJ his FB was sitting at 87-88. The Sox have some hard decisions in off season who to put on 40 man, who goes on Rule 5.

[Sea Dog 23]

Mongo, they found out that Padres are indeed picking up all of Hosmer’s $44mil contract through 2025.  That might explain the two young, questionable kids for Groome.  A way of Pads saying,  that will help our image with San Diego fans after the Soto part of the deal turned out great.  Baseball exec’s are really strange people.

[MongoLikeSox]

Oh, good. That makes it much easier to swallow, and gives us an insurance policy if Casas doesn't work out. I am so much gonna like having another professional hitter on the team, not to mention the obvious defense upgrade.

I hope I'm wrong on Pham.

They sent Franchy down! My goodness, that was something else.

Groome's certainly been an injury issue. Hopefully it turns for him.

[Sea Dog 23]

Oh, good. That makes it much easier to swallow, and gives us an insurance policy if Casas doesn't work out. I am so much gonna like having another professional hitter on the team, not to mention the obvious defense upgrade.

I hope I'm wrong on Pham.

They sent Franchy down! My goodness, that was something else.

Groome's certainly been an injury issue. Hopefully it turns for him.

The Franchy reference is just speculation on how Sox handle the new additions with the old roster.  Not official.

[MongoLikeSox]

Oh, good. That makes it much easier to swallow, and gives us an insurance policy if Casas doesn't work out. I am so much gonna like having another professional hitter on the team, not to mention the obvious defense upgrade.

I hope I'm wrong on Pham.

They sent Franchy down! My goodness, that was something else.

Groome's certainly been an injury issue. Hopefully it turns for him.

The Franchy reference is just speculation on how Sox handle the new additions with the old roster.  Not official.

That was their first official transaction yesterday listed on the MLB site. "Boston Red Sox optioned CF Franchy Cordero to Worcester Red Sox."

[MongoLikeSox]

So, we had 4 trades.
Vasquez for 2 upper level top-30 prospects having breakthrough years.
Diekman for a weak hitting Catcher with a caught steeling rate near Vasquez's.
Hosmer (paid in full???) and 2 top-30 prospects(really? Not too sure) for Jay Groome(Our #11)
Pham for a PTBNL and/or Cash

We had 4 7 8 pressing needs.
1B
RF offensive production
CF offensive production and defense
back end bullpen*
The healing powers of mythical springs.
Big League ready depth in the OF/IF and Bull pen. One could argue starting pitching.
Strike throwing bull pen
Roster Crisis looming

We had some strengths and Advantages
The injured has started to filter back in
Strong Catcher, SS and 3B(at least offensively) and DH
Upper level minor league starting pitching

So how did we do?

[longgame]

I think they did okay.  It didn't make sense to go all in, as much as it didn't make sense to have a fire sale.  They got much needed help at 1B with no impact.  Groome was a question mark since returning from injury.  Still not sure what the Vaz deal got them. Pham isn't a game changer but what an upgrade over Franchy. 

The main thing is they didn't hurt the team, they still don't have much of a postseason chance this year but they can address their real needs in the offseason when there are more options and less to give up. 

[elktonnick]

I am still trying to make sense of the Vaz trade.  In general, I think it was a mistake but confess I do not know enough of the two prospects he got.

I do not like the McGuire acquisition regardless of his worth as a player.  Nearly twenty years ago Henry got rid of a couple good ball players because of their alleged moral turpitude.  Why he tolerated this acquisition is beyond me unless he was not aware of his  record.

Like most I  do not believe Bloom.has a well thought out strategic direction.  Like it was said Bloom still has a small market mentality.  I believed he would have dumped Bogaerts and JDM if it weren't for the backlash he was getting. I suspect but do not know that Henry seeing the clamor vetoed any such move at least for the time being.

[Sea Dog 23]

My 2 cents, the McGuire thing was more a deep backup move, sorta like Cubs  dealing for old friend Sandy Leon in case they lost Contreras.  Did I read Vaz shot his mouth off and got punished?  I really think Bloom is just as interested in WhiteSox ptbnl than McGuire in that deal, another lottery ticket.

Anyways Ive seen Sox will look for another catcher in the hotstove, Contreres or maybe Vaz again? Plawicki, Ronaldo Hernandez or Wong do not look like your everyday catcher.  And they sign another OF better than Pham, Kike' again? Mancini?  One opinion I saw was going after Dansby Swanson if Bogey cleans out his locker.

[MongoLikeSox]

For a moment, let's say that Vasquez was a dissenting ring-leader. Just for discussion. That being the case, it's not an uncommon move in the least in the real world to pick off a highly visible and audible target. The rest scurry back into some form of behavior.  I'm not convinced that falls entirely into this bucket, though.

I don't doubt that there was something related to that notion, either.

You don't give up your #1 catcher - BY FAR - if you are serious about contending. Not without replacing him with an upscale or popular known option. He knows these pitchers and they know him. Not unless he is the problem behind the pitching struggles. If we can assume he is not the problem, then the risk of pitching getting even worse exists. Every pitcher on the team as to re-establish a comfort level with the catchers. It's too big of a risk. The wrong position to unload for 2023-2024 prospects. 

So yes, I'm still struggling with the Vasquez deal. I think I will like the return, though.

[Sea Dog 23]

For a moment, let's say that Vasquez was a dissenting ring-leader. Just for discussion. That being the case, it's not an uncommon move in the least in the real world to pick off a highly visible and audible target. The rest scurry back into some form of behavior.  I'm not convinced that falls entirely into this bucket, though.

I don't doubt that there was something related to that notion, either.

You don't give up your #1 catcher - BY FAR - if you are serious about contending. Not without replacing him with an upscale or popular known option. He knows these pitchers and they know him. Not unless he is the problem behind the pitching struggles. If we can assume he is not the problem, then the risk of pitching getting even worse exists. Every pitcher on the team as to re-establish a comfort level with the catchers. It's too big of a risk. The wrong position to unload for 2023-2024 prospects. 

So yes, I'm still struggling with the Vasquez deal. I think I will like the return, though.

To get into an old arguement, I recall a couple of the pitchers preferred Leon catching over Vaz, Porcello for one.  For whatever reason, the pitchers ERA is 1.5 in last two games in a complicated equation!

Over at AAA the Valdez prize, Enmanuel Valdez starts today playing 2B and batting cleanup. Maybe gets a stolen base if nothing else.

[longgame]

He basically questioned if Bloom was committed to winning, clearly said in frustration. 

"Do you think Chaim (Bloom) believes in the team?" he was asked, a reference to the chief baseball officer who appears ready to shed any number of pending free agents, Vazquez included.

"I don't know," he said.

To me the bigger deal is this is another good homegrown player that got dumped.  Does it matter if we build a good farm system if we just trade them away when they mature into complete players?

[longgame]

For a moment, let's say that Vasquez was a dissenting ring-leader. Just for discussion. That being the case, it's not an uncommon move in the least in the real world to pick off a highly visible and audible target. The rest scurry back into some form of behavior.  I'm not convinced that falls entirely into this bucket, though.

I don't doubt that there was something related to that notion, either.

You don't give up your #1 catcher - BY FAR - if you are serious about contending. Not without replacing him with an upscale or popular known option. He knows these pitchers and they know him. Not unless he is the problem behind the pitching struggles. If we can assume he is not the problem, then the risk of pitching getting even worse exists. Every pitcher on the team as to re-establish a comfort level with the catchers. It's too big of a risk. The wrong position to unload for 2023-2024 prospects. 

So yes, I'm still struggling with the Vasquez deal. I think I will like the return, though.

To get into an old arguement, I recall a couple of the pitchers preferred Leon catching over Vaz, Porcello for one.  For whatever reason, the pitchers ERA is 1.5 in last two games in a complicated equation!

Over at AAA the Valdez prize, Enmanuel Valdez starts today playing 2B and batting cleanup. Maybe gets a stolen base if nothing else.

The interesting thing will be if the pitching settles down will the Sox leak out that they didn't like how Vaz called games?  I've been joking that dumping him launched a winning streak, and there's been plenty of talk about Sox pitchers' pitch selections, but I'd hate to see him get trashed by the team as they like to do. 

[MongoLikeSox]

Indeed, I remember that argument. Porcello called him the heart and soul of the pitching staff in 2018.

The up in the zone pitching was part of the problem. Anyone happen to flashback to last year's playoffs when Alvarez hit a waist-high, outer-thirds fast one off the wall last night? I can go the whole rest of the year without seeing that tried again.