While I know pitching pretty well, I won't pretend to watch enough MLB to have a meaningful opinion on Walker.  But just from stat cruising, I'm pretty lukewarm at best on his addition.  I feel like that's a lot of money for someone whose starts will probably be earmarked as bullpen games in the playoffs.

I think the real comparison here is our own Zach Eflin (hilariously the most expensive FA in Ray's history).  Eflin for 3 years $40m vs. 4 years $72m.

3 years is better than 4 in that we sure as hell don't want either one of them in our rotation 4 years from now.  Eflin is a regular season back of the rotation starter and postseason middle relief guy.  Walker is exactly that on a team with a better staff and is a one level upgrade (regular season mid rotation and your post-season bullpen game starter) on a team without a deep rotation (aka us).  

14 hours ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

Walker not having a QO helps. He’s actually a solid 3-4 starter. I’m surprised they went in on a 4 year deal for him. They must likely him more cause i was expecting maybe a 1-2 year deal with a 3rd year option. They went four. He’s right in his prime at 30. So must have felt comfortable with the 4 years. 

Solid 1-4.  Keep in mind we also have Andrew Painter - if he continues to shine - could be a mid-late season call up. 

15 hours ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

Walker not having a QO helps. He’s actually a solid 3-4 starter. I’m surprised they went in on a 4 year deal for him. They must likely him more cause i was expecting maybe a 1-2 year deal with a 3rd year option. They went four. He’s right in his prime at 30. So must have felt comfortable with the 4 years. 

I figured the 4 years was necessary to get him to sign.  I would have preferred an annually more expensive 2 year deal to a better, older vet that gives us better performance for the next 2 years with an easier opening for the big 3 pitching prospects in 2 years.

But the reality is that no quality pitcher (or position player) over 30 in this market is going to be willing to sign a 2 year deal.  

10 minutes ago, Ace Nova said:

Solid 1-4.  Keep in mind we also have Andrew Painter - if he continues to shine - could be a mid-late season call up. 

The Rob Thomson interview I posted yesterday he specifically talked about Painter winning the #5 spot and breaking camp with the Phillies - said they won't hold him back if he is ready and that his is way more polished and ahead of Abel and McGarry, even though he is the youngest out of them.   

Every report I hear about him makes it sound like he is the total package - Big frame (6'8") hard thrower (99mph) 2 plus breaking pitches, command, fields well, keeps runners in check, high baseball IQ.

 

15 minutes ago, iladelphxx said:

The Rob Thomson interview I posted yesterday he specifically talked about Painter winning the #5 spot and breaking camp with the Phillies - said they won't hold him back if he is ready and that his is way more polished and ahead of Abel and McGarry, even though he is the youngest out of them.   

Every report I hear about him makes it sound like he is the total package - Big frame (6'8") hard thrower (99mph) 2 plus breaking pitches, command, fields well, keeps runners in check, high baseball IQ.

 

I’ve seen him pitch here and there and he looks like the real deal from the little I’ve seen.  

2 hours ago, iladelphxx said:

The Rob Thomson interview I posted yesterday he specifically talked about Painter winning the #5 spot and breaking camp with the Phillies - said they won't hold him back if he is ready and that his is way more polished and ahead of Abel and McGarry, even though he is the youngest out of them.   

Every report I hear about him makes it sound like he is the total package - Big frame (6'8") hard thrower (99mph) 2 plus breaking pitches, command, fields well, keeps runners in check, high baseball IQ.

 

My only concern is how little Painter has pitched so far in his professional career. 109 innings total in two years, 103 which came last year. 

Doesn't look like they lost anyone 

 

 

 

Lots of Red Sox prospect watchers say Song could be a major steal and was one of Boston's top pitching prospects before he joined the Navy. 

Dombrowski drafted him, so hopefully he knows something 

 

 

Career Notes: Was regarded as a potential late-first/early-second-round talent but for his service requirement as a pending graduate of the Naval Academy. Red Sox drafted him in the fourth round anyway and signed him to a well-below-slot bonus. Following his graduation and being commissioned as an officer, played for Lowell while on temporary assignment duty at the Academy. Impressed in Lowell, showing an expectedly good fastball and slider and an unexpectedly good changeup after having barely thrown it in college. Returned to the Naval Academy for a month before pitching in relief for Team USA during the 2019 Premier12 Tournament, where he was considered by some to be the most impressive pitcher on a talented, generally much older squad. Submitted a waiver request to transfer his service commitment to the Navy Reserve in October 2019 in order to continue his baseball career, but the request was Chief Naval Officer at the Naval Academy did not endorse his request because Song had graduated during a short window during which the Department of Defense ended the program allowing graduates of the service academies to delay or alter their service commitments in order to pursue careers in professional sports. After several months in limbo (perhaps due in part to the application being made during a period of numerous changes at the Departments of Defense and the Navy), altered his request in April 2020, requesting to begin flight school. Was ultimately ordered to report to flight school in June 2020. Lieutenant Junior Grade Song graduated from flight school and received his wings as a Naval Flight Officer on April 28, 2022, after which he submitted another request for a service waiver to resume his baseball career. The waiver request is currently pending before the Secretary of the Navy. Song has begun a new training block at the Naval Air Station in Jacksonville in the meantime.

Summation: Has the potential to develop into a number three or four starter. Canceled 2020 minor league season, plus clarity with regards to his situation with the Navy, give him a better chance of reaching his potential relative to his peers. However, there is still a non-zero chance he either never returns to baseball or returns with diminished stuff having not pitched in so long, and therefore his floor is much lower and risk far higher than that of a typical prospect with his talent. Strong pitchability, already showing the makings of a four-pitch mix, with three showing above-average potential. Outstanding makeup, strong work ethic. Type of person every organization strives to have. If he returns from his Naval service with the same stuff he showed in Lowell in 2019, he could move quickly as long as he can build up his stamina.

   

 

 

Someone write on Biden's note card to sign this form because your favorite team needs a pitcher. 

 

 

Red Socks wanted Yoshida giving him 90 million over five years.

https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2022/12/red-sox-sign-japanese-outfielder-masataka-yoshida-to-5-year-90m-deal.html

Boegarts to the Padres 

5 minutes ago, iladelphxx said:

Boegarts to the Padres 

 

I am concerned about putting a 20 year old flame thrower in the regular April rotation and then asking him to make starts in October.

It makes me worry about the quality of those October starts and his TJ risk.

May be controversial, but I’d start his year a couple months late, get him a few starts in Lehigh, and then bring him up to the big club comfortably after the All Star break.  Then, come playoff time, you’ve got a kid with elite stuff that hitters haven’t seen.

14 hours ago, iladelphxx said:

 

 

One of my Nuke A School roommates got a  tryout then minor league contract toward the end of that program and they let him out of his enlistment fairly easily. Granted, that was 1990, but he never went anywhere beyond that and the Navy had no problem letting him go.

3 hours ago, The_Omega said:

One of my Nuke A School roommates got a  tryout then minor league contract toward the end of that program and they let him out of his enlistment fairly easily. Granted, that was 1990, but he never went anywhere beyond that and the Navy had no problem letting him go.

This guy is a Naval Academy grad and a pilot.  Lots of time, money and effort went into his training and education. 

I'm guessing an enlisted man would have a much easier time than an officer, especially an aviator. 

I’d make him leadoff and the schwarber 2 hole. That way if he gets on schwarber might hit 2 run homers instead of solo 

Future stars in the building with harper and turner’s kids 

 

 

 

 

16 minutes ago, e-a-g-l-e-s eagles! said:

 

Seems like a lot for Robertson