BTS

I thought they did alright with the bargain deals. Shoemaker was a great signing, and Buchholz showed enough last year to make him interesting at the price they paid.

Hernandez would not be blocked by Brantley. A fictional toolsy OF who is not currently in the org is who would be ‘blocked’ by Brantley. You’re saying you’d rather have literally nothing than have Brantley, because that nothing is a roster spot that could be filled by a bad replacement level player who suddenly becomes good. Let’s say Houston calls and offers Brantley for Brito on the condition that you roster Brantley all year. You say no because you don’t want the roster spot taken?

We're already cycling through a dozen replacement-level players. The idea that adding 3 good players in the offseason would have been bad because we'd have 3 fewer spots to devote to replacement level players doesn't make much sense to me. If Charlie Morton is here instead of Clay Buchholz and the team sees an intriguing arm on the waiver they want to look at, they just option Pannone. Or option Mayza. Or DFA Law. Intriguing OF hits the wire and Brantley is here instead of Brito? Option McKinney or Hernandez.

I just disagree with the premise that anything is sacrificed by adding a few decent vets. If the team had signed, say, Brantley and Morton and kept Pillar, what's the downside? We'd have seen niether of Brito and Hanson, and probably not signed Buchholz.

If everything we've seen this year holds (with, I'm assuming, Jansen and Vlad turning it around), next year's team should look something like: C - Jansen 1B - Smoak 2B - Biggio 3B - Vlad SS - Galvis CF - Grichuk LF - ??? RF - ??? DH - Tellez Bench - Maile, Gurriel SP - Stroman SP - SP - SP - Thornton SP - Shoemaker With a loaded farm, and tons of payroll space, that's a team you add to, and not with Clayton Richards and Socrates Britos. See if Bumgarner, Cole, Keuchel or Strasburg will take your money. Take a look at Puig, Ozuna, And JDM for the OF. Even it's only a 0.500 team in 2020, you still have an army of prospects knocking on the door, with guys like Bichette and Pearson maybe ready to help in 2020 and waves coming after them.

I realize I'm ranting at this point, but I really hate everyone who whines in March that vets are making the team because 'they just want to watch the kids play'. You know who, by and large, have made this team completely unwatchable? The kids. Some of the most entertaining players to watch? Giles, Stro, Shoemaker, Smoak, Galvis, and Sogard. There is absolutely nothing entertaining about watching a team of bad young players get overmatched at the MLB level as the losses pile up.

Assuming Vlad is mashing, I'll be annoyed if they're not 0.500 in 2020 and legit good in 2021. I'll also be annoyed if they end up selling Smoak, Stroman, and Giles at the deadline, because I think that pretty much means they're punting 2020. We're seeing this year what it looks like when you make no effort to roster decent vets, and it isn't pretty: SRF - sucks Pannone - looked good for awhile, but actually still really sucks Luciano - expected to suck, and sucks Drury - shows potential, but in the present still sucks Hernandez - sucks McKinney - sucks to the extent that he somehow has zero redeeming qualities Gurriel - sucked, got demoted because he went full Russ Adams Alford - didn't make the team, and really sucks so it's a good thing Of the 10 or so kids who we wanted to see play, it's just been Tellez (who looks like a 1-win DH) and Thornton (looks like a legit mid-rotation SP) who have been enjoyable to watch. I don't buy in to the idea that you need to go scorched earth on the MLB squad to rebuild. There will always be chances for talented kids in AAA to earn a spot on the MLB roster. Trading all of the good vets and entering 2020 with a $75M team of Vlad, Biggio, and 15 Billy McKinneys and Teoscar Hernandezs with the odd vet thrown in would be a disaster.

I don't think it's any of that so much as the fact that you can pay $130 or whatever for MLB.tv and sit on your couch and flip though literally any game on the MLB schedule that interests you an watch it in HD on your 55 inch TV. Fighting traffic, paying $30 for parking and $15 for a beer is pretty unappealing in comparison.

You enjoy BBBB posts but not King posts?

Yup. Paddack is currently a top-5 entertaining pitcher to watch

roasted cashews and a banana

I still can’t believe how much whining there was over a 25-year old replacement level reliever.

A bit surprised to see the Rays flip Font to the Mets for cash or PTBNL. He's been pretty good this year, and projects as a useful arm.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-unstoppable-matt-shoemaker/ Pretty good article about Matt Shoemaker. Would be really nice to see him stay on the field for a full season in 2020 after everything he's been through.

I just acquired him in BORED an hour or so ago.

I would like to purchase a mid-rotation SP.

^ Man who just wants to watch the world burn.

The Booze Hounds are insane. Could be the year they finally take it.

Pick 23 to The Drunks for Spencer Turnbull. If he ends up being bad I'm going to be very upset with P2F.

Michael Brantley with a 155 wRC+ and worth something like 1.4 fWAR so far. Indians outfielders have combined for -0.2 fWAR. WHat a pathetic org. Championship caliber core, and they couldn't give a long-time star player 2/32 at their biggest position of need.

Yeah. I meant to take a close look at the player, but haven;t gotten around to it. I'll probably watch him today then look at some stuff and get back to you tonight.

Forgot about that. I rescind my criticism.

Was Edwin offered 3/60? I don't remember how it played out. If they offered it to him, then signed Morales when he declined, that it's less of a flub.