MLB Daily Thread: 07-19-17: top 3 in the AL East win as Yanks make big trade

[DirtDirtDirt]

I call it like I see it.

I agree that the difference between the Red Sox last year and the Red Sox this year is not close to this idea of last year being a juggernaut and then being eminently beatable. Their offense is significantly worse and their pitching is significantly better. Pretty simple. Now, last year the offense went cold in the playoffs and the pitching wasn't good enough to make up for it. So it didn't matter that they had the best offense in the league. So who knows what will happen this year in the playoffs. Red Sox are also in a better position standings-wise at this point than they were last year.

Assuming they have the division wrapped up could be a mistake

Im not just hating, last year at this time, i knew the Sox/Jays and O's were better than the Yankees

Of course Sale in the postseason will be a huge factor

But I do think its possible that everyday lineup can contribute big time to whether or not they win this division

 

[soxfan1468927]

9-21 i believe in one run games?

Something that was supposed to be a strength of theirs?

They rank 2nd or 3rd in baseball offensively, and were probably in the high teens last season

Tanaka was better last season, but not sure the starting staff as a whole was much better


Cant emphasize enough how much this years team has been impacted by heartbreaking brutal losses by the Bullpen.....Cashman realized correctly that if they address the BP, this could be a pretty good contender, now lets see how it pans out

Bingo. They were only 2 games better last season while having a run differential of minus-36. This year they are at +101. Difference is, they were 15-8 in one-run games at this point last year, this year they are 9-21 as you said.

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

Bingo. They were only 2 games better last season while having a run differential of minus-36. This year they are at +101. Difference is, they were 15-8 in one-run games at this point last year, this year they are 9-21 as you said.

Yup, run differential has never been something ive humped, but i continue to hear a lot of the "experts" hump it as an indicator of how good a team is or isnt

The Twins are like -50 and still in the race now, something like that

 

[soxfan1468927]

They traded the #36 prospect in baseball for a couple of relievers.

Rutherford is ranked higher than Clint Frazier. A year ago, most Yankee fans were over the moon with getting Clint Frazier.

A year later they're over the moon that the did the exact opposite.

No different than Patriots fans who thought trading Logan Mankins for Tim Wright was a good thing.

Dude the Patriots won that trade.

 

[soxfan1468927]

Assuming they have the division wrapped up could be a mistake

Im not just hating, last year at this time, i knew the Sox/Jays and O's were better than the Yankees

Of course Sale in the postseason will be a huge factor

But I do think its possible that everyday lineup can contribute big time to whether or not they win this division

I don't assume they have the division wrapped up

 

[AlpacaWine]

Please dude, if Yankee fans were here singing the praises of Blake Rutherford, youd be telling us "He's a Single A player Yankee fans expect to be a superstar".......Now youre a big Blake Rutherford fan......I have no idea what rankings you look at that has him rated higher than Frazier, but Frazier is still a Yankee, so of course you need to minimize how good he is....If they traded Frazier last night, youd be telling us how shitty Rutherford will be, and round and round

And LOL at "a couple of relievers" as if BP strength isnt just winning World Series like almost every season now

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/2017-midseason-top-100-prospects-july-7/#uszp7axzIES0jh5q.97


This has nothing to do with what I'm saying about either player, because I'm not saying anything about either player.

It has to do with

1 year ago "Yankee fans trade elite relievers for top 40 prospects, Yankee fans happy"
today "Yankee fans trade top 40 prospects for pretty good relievers, Yankee fans happy"

I haven't offered an opinion one way or another about any of the players involved. So feel free not to put words into my mouth.

I'm just pointing out how this indicates that the Yankees don't know what direction they're trying to move. And judging by you not saying you were against what they did last year. You don't have any idea what direction you want them to move either. You will just be happy no matter what they do.

Which is fine. So long as you understand that you are doing exactly what you accused Celtics fans of a week or two ago.

 

[AlpacaWine]

Dude the Patriots won that trade.

I detect sarcasm

 

[AlpacaWine]

They also scored 4, 0 and 3 runs in that series, and the offense has looked significantly worse

If you can't win playoff games where your team scores 3 or 4 runs, you're not long for the playoffs.

Give Chris Sale 4 runs in game one and the Red Sox are leading the series 1-0.

 

[Rock Strongo]

After a great deal of speculation and legions of rumors connecting the Red Sox to Todd Frazier, the now-former White Sox third baseman instead went to the division-rival Yankees in a huge seven-player trade last night. Boston was linked to Frazier right up until the end, but they’ll now look elsewhere as they seek an upgrade at the hot corner. Here’s the latest out of Boston…

• The Red Sox have been connected to multiple other third basemen, and FanRag’s Jon Heyman adds Wilmer Flores of the Mets to the pile (Twitter link). Heyman notes that the Sox have scouted Flores, Asdrubal Cabrera and T.J. Riverarecently, which meshes with a recent report from the Boston Herald’s Michael Silverman. The 25-year-old Flores (26 next month) and his modest $2.2MM salary wouldn’t put the BoSox in danger of crossing the luxury tax threshold, and he’s versatile enough to slide into a utility role if/when the Red Sox ultimately give Rafael Devers the reins at third base. Flores is hitting .280/.310/.445 with seven homers and a dozen doubles this season, and he’s controllable through 2019.
• Speaking of Devers, it may come as little surprise, but MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand hears that the 20-year-old top prospect isn’t available in any trade, as far as the Red Sox are concerned (Twitter link). Devers was recently moved up to Triple-A Pawtucket, and while it’s not known exactly how long he’ll remain there — Boston’s pursuit of third basemen in trades suggests that he’s not viewed as an immediate option — he’s believed to be their third baseman of the future. Devers recently landed within the game’s top six prospects on the midseason rankings of Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus and ESPN’s Keith Law.
• Looking to another of Boston’s now-former top prospects, Blake Swihart is still unable to catch regularly following last year’s ankle injury and is beginning to work out at first base and third base, manager John Farrell told reporters (Twitter linkvia ESPN’s Scott Lauber). Once one of the very best prospects in all of baseball, Swihart’s stock is now seemingly at a low point with another experiment at a new defensive home and a lack of production in Pawtucket to this point in the season. Through 163 plate appearances there, he’s hitting .213/.265/.327 with three homers, six doubles and a triple.
• Evan Drellich of CSN New England offers some praise for Red Sox president of baseball ops Dave Dombrowski for exhibiting restraint by not pulling out all the stops to bring Frazier to Boston. Dombrowski has spoken publicly about retaining some of the team’s prospect depth after several significant trades, Drellich writes, and he stuck to that last night. However, Drellich continues by noting that last night also serves as a reminder of the “harsher reality” that following the acquisitions of Chris Sale, Drew Pomeranz, Craig Kimbrel and Tyler Thornburg, the Sox have a lack of power in the current trade market. Most of those deals have paid dividends, of course (Sale, in particular), but a deal that significantly upgrades the team’s offense doesn’t look especially likely this year.

 

[soxfan1468927]

I detect sarcasm

No sarcasm at all. Pats won that trade

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/2017-midseason-top-100-prospects-july-7/#uszp7axzIES0jh5q.97


This has nothing to do with what I'm saying about either player, because I'm not saying anything about either player.

It has to do with

1 year ago "Yankee fans trade elite relievers for top 40 prospects, Yankee fans happy"
today "Yankee fans trade top 40 prospects for pretty good relievers, Yankee fans happy"

I haven't offered an opinion one way or another about any of the players involved. So feel free not to put words into my mouth.

I'm just pointing out how this indicates that the Yankees don't know what direction they're trying to move. And judging by you not saying you were against what they did last year. You don't have any idea what direction you want them to move either. You will just be happy no matter what they do.

Which is fine. So long as you understand that you are doing exactly what you accused Celtics fans of a week or two ago.

Yeah, none of that makes sense, they correctly recognized this season that they are a legit threat to win the division and play playoff baseball, and correctly recognized last season they were not.

It really is that simple, and youre the first person ive talked to or heard, that doesnt see it that way

They dealt from a strength, the system is still loaded, Rutherford may have never manned the OF in the Bronx with or without this deal

 

[black francis]

"legit rumor" in KC has Moose Tacos to Boston

 

[soxfan1468927]

Yeah, none of that makes sense, they correctly recognize this season that they are a legit threat to win the division and play playoff baseball, and correctly recognized last season they were not.

It really is that simple, and youre the first person ive talked to or heard, that doesnt see it that way

They dealt from a strength, the system is still loaded, Rutherford may have never manned the OF in the Bronx with or without this deal

I think the only real second guess that you can do here is, could the Yankees have used Rutherford in a package to get something more valuable.

 

[soxfan1468927]

"legit rumor" in KC has Moose Tacos to Boston

Source

 

[$500 Million]

So to me, the optimum Yankee lineup now is:

Gardner CF
C Frazier LF
Judge RF
Sanchez C
Holiday DH
Castro 2B
Didi SS
T Frazier 1B
Headley 3B

Not too shaby

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

After a great deal of speculation and legions of rumors connecting the Red Sox to Todd Frazier, the now-former White Sox third baseman instead went to the division-rival Yankees in a huge seven-player trade last night. Boston was linked to Frazier right up until the end, but they’ll now look elsewhere as they seek an upgrade at the hot corner. Here’s the latest out of Boston…

• The Red Sox have been connected to multiple other third basemen, and FanRag’s Jon Heyman adds Wilmer Flores of the Mets to the pile (Twitter link). Heyman notes that the Sox have scouted Flores, Asdrubal Cabrera and T.J. Riverarecently, which meshes with a recent report from the Boston Herald’s Michael Silverman. The 25-year-old Flores (26 next month) and his modest $2.2MM salary wouldn’t put the BoSox in danger of crossing the luxury tax threshold, and he’s versatile enough to slide into a utility role if/when the Red Sox ultimately give Rafael Devers the reins at third base. Flores is hitting .280/.310/.445 with seven homers and a dozen doubles this season, and he’s controllable through 2019.
• Speaking of Devers, it may come as little surprise, but MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand hears that the 20-year-old top prospect isn’t available in any trade, as far as the Red Sox are concerned (Twitter link). Devers was recently moved up to Triple-A Pawtucket, and while it’s not known exactly how long he’ll remain there — Boston’s pursuit of third basemen in trades suggests that he’s not viewed as an immediate option — he’s believed to be their third baseman of the future. Devers recently landed within the game’s top six prospects on the midseason rankings of Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus and ESPN’s Keith Law.
• Looking to another of Boston’s now-former top prospects, Blake Swihart is still unable to catch regularly following last year’s ankle injury and is beginning to work out at first base and third base, manager John Farrell told reporters (Twitter linkvia ESPN’s Scott Lauber). Once one of the very best prospects in all of baseball, Swihart’s stock is now seemingly at a low point with another experiment at a new defensive home and a lack of production in Pawtucket to this point in the season. Through 163 plate appearances there, he’s hitting .213/.265/.327 with three homers, six doubles and a triple.
• Evan Drellich of CSN New England offers some praise for Red Sox president of baseball ops Dave Dombrowski for exhibiting restraint by not pulling out all the stops to bring Frazier to Boston. Dombrowski has spoken publicly about retaining some of the team’s prospect depth after several significant trades, Drellich writes, and he stuck to that last night. However, Drellich continues by noting that last night also serves as a reminder of the “harsher reality” that following the acquisitions of Chris Sale, Drew Pomeranz, Craig Kimbrel and Tyler Thornburg, the Sox have a lack of power in the current trade market. Most of those deals have paid dividends, of course (Sale, in particular), but a deal that significantly upgrades the team’s offense doesn’t look especially likely this year.

Flores would be a good get, hes' better than people think

 

[$500 Million]

I think the only real second guess that you can do here is, could the Yankees have used Rutherford in a package to get something more valuable.

In two years, maybe.

Key with Rutherford is power output. 2 home runs in 71 games this year. Repeats that in 2018 and value drops significantly as a corner OF.

Why wait and gamble when you can make a run this year and get these kids some October experience?

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

So to me, the optimum Yankee lineup now is:

Gardner CF
C Frazier LF
Judge RF
Sanchez C
Holiday DH
Castro 2B
Didi SS
T Frazier 1B
Headley 3B

Not too shaby

I like, and wouldnt mind seeing that little Mexican Taco Torryes getting as much time as Headley

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

Source

Think that would have to be Devers

 

[AlpacaWine]

No sarcasm at all. Pats won that trade

Finding good value with the 4th round pick doesn't mean they won the trade.

Give me Logan Mankins vs the Broncos in the 2015 AFCCG and I refuse to believe the offensive line gets treated like a turnstile all night.

Don't get me started on that.

I like Trey Flowers as much as the next guy. But that was one of the worst moves of Belichick's career in New England.