On the heels of a bounceback 2017 season in which he posted a strong .305/.384/.417 slash line and finished as a finalist in AL Gold Glove voting, Joe Mauer tells MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger that he believes he can continue playing beyond the 2018 season — the final year on his eight-year, $184MM contract. Mauer adds that he cannot envision himself donning a uniform other than that of his hometown Twins, with whom he’s spent his entire professional career since being the No. 1 overall pick back in the 2001 draft.
“As long as I’m contributing and having fun and physically able to do that, I want to go as long as I can,” says Mauer. “Sometimes, that decision is made for you, but if it’s up to me, I’d like to play as long as I can because I enjoy to go out and compete.” The former AL MVP says his future with the team isn’t something he’s focusing on with the season approaching. Mauer went through a rough patch as concussions and lingering effects of back surgery dampened his production for a few years, but both OPS+ and wRC+ pegged his bat at 16 percent better than the league average in 2017 to go along with solid defense.
Elsewhere in the AL Central…
- Another former No. 1 overall pick, right-hander Luke Hochevar, is eyeing a big league comeback after sitting out the 2017 season following thoracic outlet surgery, writes Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. The recovery rate from TOS has been spotty in recent years, though, and agent Scott Boras tells Dodd that Hochevar had some complications in his rehab that leave his timeline back to the mound somewhat murky. Medical experts have told Boras and Hochevar that they believe the right-hander will eventually be able to make a recovery and return to pitching, but Boras says the nerve issues his client has faced are “extended” relative to other pitchers that have gone through the TOS process. The now-34-year-old Hochevar posted a 2.96 ERA with 9.7 K/9 against 2.4 BB/9 in three seasons out of the Kansas City bullpen after converting to a reliever when his career had stalled out as a starter. He hasn’t appeared in the Majors since July 24, 2016.
- The Indians will face decisions on a trio of out-of-options players this spring, writes Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and southpaw Ryan Merritt figures to face the toughest path of them all. While Erik Gonzalez and Giovanny Urshela are both out of options as well, they’re vying for a presently vacant utility infield job; Merritt, on the other hand, is faced with a full rotation and a bullpen that, at best, has one open spot. While it’s certainly possible that an injury creates a more obvious spot for Merritt to break camp with the big league club, there’s also the possibility that he’s exposed to waivers or traded at some point, given the overall strength of the Indians’ pitching staff. The 26-year-old Merritt etched his place in Cleveland sports lore when he blanked the Blue Jays over 4 1/3 innings in a spot start during the 2016 ALCS, and he has a 1.71 ERA in 31 2/3 MLB innings in his career. But, he’s also struck out just 13 hitters in the Majors and averages just 87 mph on his fastball. Merritt has a career 3.48 ERA with 6.0 K/9 against 1.7 BB/9 in 289 1/3 Triple-A frames.
- White Sox GM Rick Hahn spoke with the media at the team’s Spring Training facility today (links via The Athletic’s James Fegan and the Sun-Times’ Daryl Van Schouwen) and downplayed the possibility of adding a player to the 25-man roster. Hahn acknowledged having conversations with all 29 other clubs as teams still try to set their rosters in a slow-moving offseason, but said that the Sox are “preparing right now [to] choose the 25 from the group that’s in camp.” Asked about the potential of bringing in a designated hitter option (e.g. Corey Dickerson), Hahn spoke of the trickle-down effect such a move would make in evaluating longer-term assets. “[W]hat does that do to Matt Davidson or Nicky Delmonico or Daniel Palka or Casey Gillaspie or guys who conceivably might be picking up at-bats if we stay with the current roster?” Hahn asked rhetorically. “We’re at a stage right now when we talk about development over the course of this year, it’s important for us to know what we have in these guys at the end of this season.”
Mauer…should sign for a dollar to reward Minnesota for giving him such a ridiculous comtract.
What’s a comtract and how do I get one?
I hear they’re available at the bamk.
I’m glad you duckheads can recognize a typo.
Can’t
What a mess!
Well, which ome is it, the first or secomd ome?
That was pretty good, but I think it went over their heads
If you read the article over his career fangraphs says the twins would actually owe him money on a pay for performance basis.
That doesn’t count merch or tickets sold.
He may not be what we all wanted (aka a catcher), but he’s made people twins fans, and is never a wasted bat in the line up. Also he was robbed from the gold glove last year… but that’s only statistically since the people selecting probably only saw a twins game when they were playing the Yankees or Red Sox.
Its contract. You really could not figure out what he meant? Or just being cool
You’re right. The Twins had no idea that a long term contract for literally any player was a risk and they should be compensated. It’s not like it’s the first or tenth or hundredth time a team has signed a player and didn’t get their money’s worth. They should get Mauer to play for them as long as they want for a dollar a year. In fact when he’s done playing, he has to coach for them for only a quarter a year.
Get. Over. It. Besides that, I remember over a decade ago when most MLB fans were arguing if Mauer would end up in Boston or New York and Twins fans thought they were set for the next decade when Mauer signed an extension.
If you go off the WAR converter at FanGraphs, he’s actually been worth about the value of his contract. But let’s not let facts get in the way.
I’m all for tempering Mauer-bashing with facts but the word “facts” is a bit of a stretch when we’re talking about $$$-WAR figures… abstractions layered over abstractions like mama’s lasagna.
Twins had plenty of ill-conceived moves that led to them falling out of contention the past half decade… Mauer’s contract was certainly among them, but hardly alone.
Don’t you know that once it becomes a number it becomes a fact?! /s
Mauer’s contract made it absolutely impossible to compensate for the organization’s other failures, not the least of which being a minor league famine that followed Denard Span coming up.
Don’t you know that if you can’t comprehend a number you should attack it?
Mauer signed for less than he would have got on the open market first of all. And second no one could foresee the injury he sustained. Get real.
Wow if Boras says there’s a problem, there must REALLY be a problem. Doubt he’s coming back in any shape with that note.
Ugueth Urtain Urbina may be the only player in the history of the MLB to have the initials “UUU” but idk, I don’t think that constitutes that kind of money especially on a backloaded deal at his age. Not sure what kind of output he will provide but it’ll be interesting to see what he can bring to the clubhouse in terms of veteran leadership.
I’d like to see Mauer back but, not for $23 a year.
I think he would be as good a candidate as anyone for a hometown discount. I would think something like 2 or 3 years at $5-10 million per year is in the cards.
Yup. They need to extend Dozier and Hughes has to go.
Hmmm, wouldn’t Yandy Diaz also be in the mix for the Indians utility infield job, considering Kipnis is supposed to be at 2B and Ramirez back at 3B?
Yeah but he isn’t out of options like Gonzalez and Urshela.
Ryan Merritt for Jurickson Profar?
dont see the benefit here for the Indians
The only real upside is that Profar probably has a higher upside than Urshela or Gonzalez and it’s better than losing Merritt for nothing
Profar is a perfect example of what can happen when teams get completely enamored with tools and pay little attention to performance
I remember running into Mauer back in 2009 after a game. I had taken a client to diner at a fancy hotel restaurant and in came Mauer….apparently he wasn’t in a good mood, I said “hey, any chance I can get an autograph?” ….. he gave me a smirk look, said “not a chance” and walked off. I can’t say I liked the guy too much after that.
Would you want to be bothered by you while trying to grab a bite to eat? He wasn’t in a bad mood you’re just an unlikable character.
This guy litterally posts made up nonsense on every single comment he makes
“Friend of Boras” lmao, idk weather to believe it or not….I mean I could see Boras actually being friends with a guy like this.
I can’t see Boras having any friends
All I did was share a little story about when I seen Mauer. What a bunch of pansies.
Boras is friends with Washington, Hamilton, $$$$$$$$$$
I really don’t think Boras would stoop to associating with Washington
I heard he had an affair with Jefferson too!
Yea, he had some crazy story about Chris Stewart when he signed with The Braves, even though everyone in The Pirates clubhouse, and Pittsburgh baseball community loved him as a person.
First off I doubt this ever happened. Second, you sound like a jerk. 3rd, asking someone for an autograph at a restaurant is about the least classy way to get an autograph.
I don’t think it’s rude to ask for an autograph as hrs walking in. Maybe if it was him with his wife and kids while eating. However, he still didn’t have to respond like that. He’s a public figure and he knows it comes with the territory.
You mean being an escort the client took you to dinner at a fancy restaurant.
You might’ve caught him at a bad time, Mauer is one of the nicest and wholesome MLB players out there. Off the field he’s great with what he does in communities in MN and he’s always nice at the stadium from everything I’ve seen when I’ve been there
For what it’s worth, during or just after his rookie season, he was signing autographs at a convention I was at. He was at a booth and he had his glasses on and no name saying it was him. He looked like a 15 year old kid but I approached him and he was very nice and since no one was around I asked a few questions and he happily answered. I was very impressed.
Fake news. I had a different experience, because joe was happy to sign a baseball after a day in ft. Myers. He is a more shy guy seemingly, but he understands fans.
Also if this somehow was real. Don’t walk up to strangers in restaurants and ask them to do something for you. It’s impolite and a normal person would ask the manager to do something about it. I don’t care if they are a celebrity or your child’s fifth grade teacher, don’t ambush them with demands and then trash them because they wanted a quite dinner.
You’re just lucky you never asked Reggie Jackson for an autograph at a restaurant during his playing days…yeeesh
Mauer… hall of fame off of his catching years? Or just hall of very good off of his whole body of work?
Hall of good
At this point not a HOFer. But, he does have a plausible shot at 3000, and I don’t think he even necessarily has to get all the way there to be better than some comparables already in the HOF.
How many more years would he have to play to get 3000 hits? He has 1986 hits and he will be 35 years old in April.. Also, he’s a man without a position – i.e. a singles-hitting first baseman. No other team would sign him as an every day first baseman going forward. I’m not sure the Twins should either.
He could get that fancy new loft swing going and play for the Rockies for the rest of his career
Thinking that it’s not entirely outside the realm of possibility for a guy to string together six late career 160 hit seasons isn’t any dumber than calling a dude with 36 doubles and an 800 OPS a singles hitter.
3000? seriously? maybe he’ll get to 2500 unless he pulls some Julio Franco marathon man magic. He’s a terrific player, but not HOF caliber
Apparently somewhere along the way someone changed the definition of “plausible” to “absolute certainty” and no one told me.
Twins Hall of Fame…MLB, not so much
hall of not to shabby
Rick, you are starting Leury Garcia & Adam Engel in 2 of 3 OF spots it’s foolish not to add a Corey Dickerson for under $6 mil. Leury is a solid 4th OF option & Engel couldnt hit water if he fell out of a boat. If Detroit doesn’t claim Corey, you cant not scoop up an young All-star OFer that Tampa Bay discarded like a gum wrapper. The idea is only to bring in highly touted prospects not young MLB ready talent huh silly
Except Leury and Engel aren’t both starting… They split time in CF most of last year and will probably do the same this year. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, they’re going into the year starting Delmonico-Leury-Avi, just like they finished last year…
Nicky’s ceiling is Nick Markakis. More than likely gonna be a far less productive contact RBI guy than Markakis. Bringing in Dickerson to spell Delmonico, Avi, Davidson & add depth does nothing but make Sox a better team. Nicky had a nice run last year but if he looks pedestrian this year & Avi regresses you will have the worst OF in baseball. & You aren’t interested in getting a 2017 AllStar Dickerson for a bag of balls?
If Delmonico turns into Nick Markakis, everyone should be thrilled. Markakis has been a big leaguer for 12 years and has averaged ~2.5 bWAR/yr, including a season with over 7 bWAR. Just because he’s mediocre now doesn’t mean he always has been. Through his first 7 years, he slashed .295/.365/.455 and averaged over 3 bWAR/season. I’d take that over 2017 Corey Dickerson every single day of the week.
Edit – For that ’06-’12 stretch, Markakis had the 19th highest fWAR amongst ALL outfielders. Yah, I’d happily take that from Delmonico.
To all the knuckleheads that cant understand why it would benefit the Sox to add a Souza, Dickerson, LoMo type hitter for next to nothing, i cant help youse. They wouldn’t block any prospect in 2018. Lefty OF/DH to platoon/spell with Delmonico, Avi, Abreu & Davidson then flip or keep depending on how Sox FO values them.
Why bring in Dickerson to secure pointless victories and move down a spot or two in the draft?
Hopefully the White Sox primary starting outfield will consist of Nicky Delmonico in LF, Avisail Garcia in RF and Charlie Tilson in CF. Tilson offers better defense in CF than Leury Garcia and a much better bat than Adam Engel. Of course, Tilson has missed most of the last 1-1/2 seasons due to an assortment of leg injuries so it will probably take the better part of spring training or more to determine not only his health but his ability to regain his prior hitting form. The best case scenario on both ends could give the White Sox their best bet as a bona fide leadoff hitter in 2018.
Both L. Garcia and Engel profile more as bench players. The former could have value as a super sub type with his ability to play all three OF positions along with 2B, ss and 3B in the infield. The amount of starting time he gets would be predicated on his continued growth as a hitter. Engel has Gold Glove capability in CF but hasn’t shown much ability to hit consistently at any level in his professional career. Despite 80 grade speed and some surprising pop he just can’t reach base enough to justify a starting role. His current value would be that of a defensive OF reserve who could start against a tough lefty if Tilson does manage to win the regular CF job while also provide a base stealing threat off the bench.
An addition like Corey Dickerson, aside from being the primary DH, would also provide some additional OF depth. If the White Sox chose to go with Logan Morrison he would assume the primary DH role and provide backup at 1B for Jose Abreu as well as a part time option in LF.
I hope Tilson does take the starting job; that’d be fantastic. As of now though, it’s most likely Leury’s to lose.
It’s a little disconcerting reading Rick Hahn’s comments here. It’s apparent to all White Sox fans that the club could use a left-handed power bat to help the middle of their batting order. To suggest that it’s more important to gauge the development of the players mentioned is somewhat baffling. Three of those four players also bat left-handed but two of them, Daniel Palka and Casey Gillaspie haven’t even proven they can hit consistently yet at the AAA level let alone in the big leagues. Their development to begin the 2018 season should start at AAA Charlotte and not on the White Sox 25-man active roster. The other lefty is Nicky Delmonico who earned a legitimate shot with the White Sox after his pleasantly surprising debut last summer. The LF position should be Delmonico’s to lose this spring, at least as the primary starter when a RHP begins the game.
That still leaves the DH position open for the addition of a more proven veteran bat. Available ones such as recently DFA’d Corey Dickerson or free agent Logan Morrison would be logical choices to fill that need and shouldn’t impede the development of Delmonico.
The one other player referred to in the article was right-handed hitter Matt Davidson. He could stand to lose some PA’s as a DH but despite his 26 HR’s last season he hasn’t shown a whole lot of other positives at the dish. His BA/OBP of .220/.260 is pedestrian and was even worse versus RHP, to say nothing of his 165 SO’s in 443 PA’s. Davidson has earned the right to compete for a roster spot but he hardly deserves full time duty as a DH. If the White Sox were to acquire either Dickerson or Morrison to become their primary DH, Davidson would be the logical choice to complement them versus LHP. He can also garner some PA’s at 3B which is his natural position.
If the White Sox were content on “tanking” for one more season why did they bother to sign veteran catcher Wellington Castillo to be their primary starting catcher. They could have easily continued with last season’s tandem of Omar Narvaez and Kevan Smith in order to gauge their “development over the course of this year”.
I agree with all of that with the lone exception of signing Wellington Castillo. I think it’s a good thing they signed a better catcher in order to help develop the young pitching.
Clearly I was in favor of the White Sox signing Wellington Castillo, for the reason you stated in addition to adding his bat to the White Sox lineup. He’s inclusion in my comment was to solidify the point of it.
Surely the addition of a more proven veteran left-handed power bat on a similar short term contract to Castillo’s would also help the White Sox in many ways. It would serve to help their pitching staff by providing more offense. It could help the production of both Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia by having either as a bridge in the middle of the batting order. This could potentially elevate their trade value although my preference remains that Abreu gets a contract extension and remains an important core piece beyond 2019. As short term contract to either lefty bat could also provide the White Sox with an additional trade chip over the next two seasons in which to secure more young talent, just as Castillo might eventually do.
Last I checked, the White Sox are somewhat lacking in the left-handed power department in their minor league system with only OF Blake Rutherford, C Zack Collins, 1B Gavin Sheets and the aforementioned Casey Gillaspie receiving 55 scouting grades in that department. Only Gillaspie has a reasonable chance of seeing the White Sox 25-man roster prior to the 2020 season.
My preference is for the White Sox to jump on Dickerson who is nearly two years younger than Morrison at 28 and also has produced superior BA/SLG numbers with his .280/.505 line compared to the latter’s .245/.433 metric as MLB hitters.
Matt Davidson isn’t going to be around long. He has one tool. He can hit bombs. Maybe he could turn into a Pinch hitter in the NL. Though that’s going the way of the dinosaur too. The guy can’t make enough contact to ever play regularly.
To the Novelist,
You don’t speak for all Sox fans.
They have 3 DH’s to cycle through and Delmonico if they all flop. Year 2 of a rebuild is the perfect time to do that.
Novelist lol…good one
There are plenty of “novelists” on this site. Sometimes it’s necessary to elaborate when making a point. At least this one can write a proper sentence, use paragraphs and generally utilize good grammar. The limited edit time on this negatively impacts some of this as well.
I also happen to be older than most and enjoy writing. I didn’t grow up in the age of texting and twitter where concise writing and excessive use of abbreviations are often necessary.
PLAYER DEVELOPMENT is more important than filling hole’s with mediocre veteran players.
I don’t concur that Corey Dickerson is a mediocre veteran. At 28 he has proven to be a legitimate left-handed hitting power bat in his three full MLB seasons and like Avisail Garcia has two more years of arb-control left. He has put up better numbers than Garcia in a career in which both players are within 10 PA’s of each other since they made their MLB debuts. Dickerson has a .280/.325/.504 triple slash in 2102 PA’s while Garcia metric is .277/.329/.417. over 2112 PA’s. Garcia’s breakout 2017 season saw him basically match Dickerson’s .504 career SLG with his own .506 number. Garcia’s great 2017 season fueled his career numbers while Dickerson has been far more consistent even with his own first All-Star nod last year.
Again, the White Sox are R-E-B-U-I-L-D-I-N-G. That means the need at-bats and open positions for their prospects. Signing Dickerson to play everyday on a NON-CONTENDING club would be counterproductive right now. Now, adding a superstar talent like Machado in the offseason is a distinct possibility, and worth talking about.
It really is amazing how so many people want to change the plan after just 1 year. If all goes according to plan, next year is the year to make a big move, not this year. BE PATIENT.
ChiSoxCity: Funny you would mention Manny Machado, the same impending FA that was reportedly pursued by the R-E-B-U-I-L-D-I-N-G White Sox who also purportedly offered the Orioles their best trade package earlier this same offseason. The same R-E-B-U-I-L-D-I-N-G White Sox who also signed veteran catcher Wellington Castillo to a two year contract.
There are many different ways to rebuild and I was on board with the Castillo signing but not with the pursuit of a one year rental like Machado who would have stood a snow ball’s chance in hell of agreeing to a contract extension with any team let alone the R-E-B-U-I-L-D-I-N-G White Sox.
In my opinion adding a proven 28-year old power bat like Corey Dickerson would have been more akin to the Castillo signing and not have blocked any worthwhile young player or prospect over the next two seasons. Dickerson could have filled a glaring White Sox need in 2018 and 2019 and, much like Avisail Garcia or Jose Abreu, been a potential core piece himself beyond that time frame. He could also have become yet another fine trade chip for the White Sox to cash in before 2019, just like Abreu, Garcia and Castillo might eventually be.
Machado will be wearing Yankee pinstripes in 2019.
Grebek7: Yes, and Bryce Harper will be a “flub” lol
If that’s the case, the White Sox might have less options next offseason unless they want to pony up for ex “flub” first round draft pick Josh Donaldson at 3B who will be 33-years old to begin the 2019 season.
Since they passed on a younger Corey Dickerson they might as well consider 30-year old Logan Morrison to fill their need for a left-handed power bat for the next couple of seasons provided he is amenable to a 2-year contract. Morrison can become the primary DH and back up Jose Abreu at first base. If Casey Gillaspie can build his case at AAA to fill that role within two years the White Sox could always flip Morrison. Otherwise I don’t see another lefty power bat ready to do so until at least 2020 when 1B Gavin Sheets might be ready for prime time.
this is a tl;dr if I’ve ever seen one
As my wife once ironically quipped, “There’s a lot to be said for being succinct.”
To summarize for those who don’t want to read all that: Palka and Gillaspie don’t deserve spots yet, Delmonico does. Dickerson or Logan Morrison would be good pickups, could platoon DH with Davidson. Sox aren’t looking to tank as evidenced by signing of Castillo.
HAHAHA!
Signing a 30+ year old LoMo makes absolutely no sense this year. I don’t (and nobody should) care about what their lineup “needs” this year. If all goes extremely well with player development, they should be looking to compete in 2019 at the earliest.
Dickerson does make some sense though. He’s only 28, and if he puts up big numbers to start the year, they can either sign him longish-term or try to ship him out for some more prospects. He’s young enough to make sense at least.
Logan had a 130 rc+ last year supposedly due to his new hit more fly balls approach. Dickerson was only 115 rc+. if Morrison can do it again, for half a season, I think he would have more trade value at the time made deadline than Dickerson.
Dickerson would be the best hitter in our OF. I’m a huge Avisail fan but i’d like to see him elevate some of these frozen ropes. Corey would hit 30-35 HR’s at the Rate
Dickerson would be an upgrade offensively period. Ideally he becomes the primary DH versus RHP and an occasional backup in the OF. He offers the White Sox a legitimate left-handed power bat to bridge that of Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia. The three of them all have two more years of arbitration eligible control with Dickerson splitting their age difference at 28. All three provide short term legitimacy to the White Sox batting order through 2019 with the added possibility of becoming core pieces beyond that. Each could also provide additional young talent as trade chips before their control expires and none are blocking any of the elite White Sox prospects who figure to debut in the next two seasons.
The Tigers are in the Central.
Well played Mauer…
I have always liked Mauer, but isn’t he simply a James Loney type clone?
Good defense, high batting average, low power.
Should the Twins stand pat with him at 1B or start transitioning him to the bench? Or, does the fact that he is a long time hometown icon prevent this?
Mauer OBP’ed .384 (which would’ve been a career-high for Loney) last season and had a 116 OPS+ / wRC+. They’re not moving him to the bench.
Mauer in the playoffs horrible
em650r writing comments horrible.
The twins playoffs were horrible
Considering I don’t see Davidson or Delmonico being an every day player in the future, I would sign Dickerson If I were Hahn.
I think you’re discarding Delmonico WAY too quickly.
Say what you want about Mauer, but as a Tribe fan I always hate seeing him in the box against us.
Daniel Palka isn’t ready yet. If I was Hahn, I”m going for Corey Dickerson and letting Palka get consistent AB’s in AAA. He’ll be good to go come July- by then injuries or trades will have opened a spot for him.
Don’t think the Sox need Dickerson. Avi will regress, but probably not to how he was before last year. Eloy has been a stud and should, barring injuries, make his debut this year. Delmonico can hold down the last spot until another prospect proves more worthy of it. Bullpen is going to be a much bigger need.
I’m very disappointed to hear Rick Hahn’s comments about adding players. I’d like to see the Sox in on Cory Dickerson and Mike Moustakas. Both of those guys are still young, fill specific Sox needs and have a higher ceiling than other Sox prospects such as Davidson and Delmonico.
This is the offseason to add help. The market is extremely soft and I doubt this opportunity will be here next season. The Sox are wasting a great opportunity. It’s not like adding the Alomar brothers.
None of that made any sense whatsover. The White Sox don’t need Moustakas.
Curious as to why you say that. Do you think Yolmer Sanchez or Matt Davidson is the answer at third?
With few apparent suitors this late in the offseason one would think that the White Sox would be all over Mike Moustakas as a 3B option. Unfortunately he has the stigma of a qualifying offer attached to him and I’m not sure the White Sox are willing to punt their high second round draft pick this June. Then again for the right deal….
As for adding Corey Dickerson’s bat that should be a no-brainer. Like Jose Abreu and Avisail Garcia he still has two years of arbitration eligible control available to him. At 28, he splits their age difference and potentially could become a core piece beyond 2019 depending on his production as well as the development of prospects like Casey Gillaspie and Gavin Sheets. The White Sox liked Dickerson a couple of years ago when the Rockies had an over-abundance of left-handed hitting OF’s. They should still like him two years later, especially after his 2017 season with the Rays.
Dude, everything you ramble on about regarding free agents the Sox should be rushing to sign undermined their current strategy. I guess you like seeing the Sox go .500 every year with poorly constructed teams and a joke for a farm system. Either that, or you’re not actually a Sox fan at all. Read the tea leaves man.
I agree with the novelist except the part about Moose his OBP is too low he’d be like Todd Frazier 2.0 with a slightly better avg. We can put the Dickerson dream to rest as he is now a Pirate. Eloy won’t sniff the bigs until 2nd half of 2018, Robert won’t be up until 2019, who knows if Delmonico, Adolfo, Dunning, Basabe will become above avg big-leaguers. Hahn not being interested in adding a bat to the OF like Corey’s for pennies on the dollar with 2 yrs of control is disturbing. He wouldn’t be taking AB’s away from anybody whose part of the long term plans in the next 2 yrs. Pirates scooped him up for a hot mess 4.55 ERA reliever, 13th round prospect & 1 mil. Cmon Genghis Hahn don’t make me give you a much less intimidating moniker
The Twins are lucky that Brian Dozier hits like a slugging 1B. If he didn’t, then that paltry .112 ISO from Joe Mauer would be a real albatross at $23 million.