So I keep seeing this "Why didn't we sell?" thing - Who on this team would have been a good fit based on what was actually moved at the deadline. Keep in mind that Bloom would still want to have a team next year that would be competitive:
- Vazquez has looked cooked
- Plawecki is a backup catcher
- Arauz has no trade value
- Xander - sure, but big hit if trying to be competitive next year + face of the team right now
- Dalbec - We all hate him so others must as well
- Raffy - As close to non tradable as it gets right now
- Marwin - see Dalbec
- Francy - see Dalbec
- Duran - See Raffy
- Kike - Possbily would have been worth something
- Renfroe - same
- JDM - Rizzo type deal?
That's just the hitters on the 25 right now. So other than Devers and Duran, you've got 3 or 4 possible peices at best and none of them would be world shaking.
FTR - I don't think they should have sold. I wanted Bloom to add pieces, and think with the right additions, and a bit of luck the 2021 Red Sox COULD have won a WS.
I simply think if you believe - as several have suggested in these discussions - that:
A. The Sox don't have the prospects to make significant team improving trades and
B. The 2021 roster isn't good enough to win a WS so a couple of additions wouldn't make a difference anyway
and also admit that
C. The farm won't be THAT much better in one year
then
D. Might as well tear down the ship now. Why wait?
If the ML team is not good enough and the farm a few years from being really strong (flush enough to make the kind of deadline deals allegedly not possible now), what the hell are we doing this year and next? Let's go and till the fucking soil already.
Who could be possibly be traded:
Barnes, Ottavino, Sawamura, JD (could have gotten quite a lot), Renfroe, Vazquez
Clearly you don't wanna trade high quality young guys: Raffy, Whitlock, Houck, Duran. And I think from a PR/Organizational good standing perspective, you should hang on to Xander - face of the franchise and a glorious player (though I think with his opt out coming after 2022, and he should not be off limits at next year's deadline if they aren't GFIN) ....
BUT - let me reiterate: I wanted Bloom to be more aggressive this year.
I'm just extending the logic of A and B above.
the WORST thing to do, in my mind, is to kind of sit in neutral, or go into first gear only, as Bloom did. Almost nothing is gained that way. The 2021 team doesn't benefit, and neither does the strength of the farm/future ....