1984Echoes

Who says the team is being torn down? And more to the point: PROVE that the team is being torn down. Because otherwise... just Pure Hyperbole.

Overstatement. Who won't be available at this trade deadline (for various reasons) to be traded: Mize/ Manning/ E-Rod (just a guess on my part), Turnbull, Wentz, Olson, Faedo, Jobe, Madden, Brieske (maybe/ maybe not, dunno...), Baez, Torkelson, Greene, Baddoo, Carpenter, Dingler, Perez... Everyone acting like the team is going to be stripped down to nothing these last two pages is WAY overstating things. We already have a rotation. That needs to be put together next year mostly on the health end. This team is not bereft of talent. It's all just mostly hurt or in the high minors this year or trying to figure out MLB (never easy for anyone in a rookie year). Sucks, but this is the hard part... waiting for all the youngsters to sort themselves out and show themselves either playoff capable or not. Thinking the rebuild was over this year is premature. Whoever fell for that is the sucker. The rebuild is not over until we make the playoffs. Everything prior to that is still building/ rebuilding. If Avila can get a great package for Skubal, go for it. If not, keep him. I'm not advocating a trade... but I see no reason to whine over the possibility that he might get traded. Depends on the return.

Same here.

PS: It's a direct push against inflation. Which is the KEY ISSUE in America today. But you think this is stupid? Nope. BRILLIANT BIDEN!!!

It's BRILLIANT politics. If we're making a MAJOR move to EV's and other major limitations in the need for oil and gas in our energy supply... why do we even need a Strategic Reserve? Biden is doing EXACTLY what he SHOULD be doing with the Reserve. Using it. To protect Americans from International shenanigans. And if you read everything on the matter, you'll see that they've already placed purchase orders on oil futures (after 2023, when we will hopefully be done with Russia's stupid play) for 60 million barrels. Making your comments moot. BRILLIANT move by Biden & his administration!!!!

One other point: There are problems with grain distribution out of Russia and Ukraine, that feed the world's population, and hence creates possible death and starvation of 10's of millions in Africa (and SE Asia for that matter). To your point. This problem is CAUSED by RUSSIA ATTACKING Ukraine. So here's a simple solution: Russia: STOP ATTACKING Ukraine. See? That's a very simple solution. And we don't have to throw European security into the trash bin because you want to appease Putin.

Ukraine has chosen to remain free and independent. I support that, yes. Your assertion of "all costs and all deaths/ recession and the starvation of millions" is irrelevant. Of course they are not acceptable. But what part of FREE and INDEPENDENT and willing to FIGHT for their FREEDOM do you not understand? This is not your choice or my choice, it is THEIR choice. And it is THEIR choice how and when to stop fighting for their freedom. It is not yours or my choice to FORCE them to stop fighting. That MOOTS almost everything else you've stated or queried on the nuke issue. THEY decide when to stop fighting for their freedom. Not a side nuke deal with Russia; which they have NO CONTROL over anyways. Which brings up my next point: Putin will NOT RESPECT any nuclear deal. He'll continue fighting or disrupting anyways. This also MOOTS your argument in its entirety. Which is why of course you are not answering this point. Please... answer. Putin could care less about your appeasement. He will continue doing as he pleases regardless of your desire to pull nukes out of Europe, and that will actually make him MORE dangerous. Yes, he's that great of a threat. Appeasing him will NOT resolve world starvation because he will still impede Ukrainian grain and fertilizer from getting to market. Which defeats your concern. It's a stupid move. Do you want to address that? I never said Ukraine "must win this war". I think they are capable of pushing Russians back to the 2014 borders. I think Russia overstepped militarily, in the face of US/ Ukrainian/ EU/ NATO resolve. And again, they deserve to fight for their freedom. I support that. And yes, I think an attempt to retake Crimea will result in Putin using nuclear weapons. Was I unclear on that?

HAH!!! That's funny!!!

Dingler's a big dude... Gives me Lance Parrish vibes...

The aim is to stop Putin/ Russia from ever doing this again. It takes all forms of deterrence. Including nukes. Which Russia is boatloaded with. And perfectly willing to use as a matter of military doctrine. I'm surprised they haven't already used them given the sorry state of this war effort from them. But if Ukraine attempts to retake Crimea, all bets are off. I predict Putin WILL use nukes if the Ukrainians make that attempt.

If they had their way they would have already taken Odessa by now, and would be invading Moldova, a free country but not part of NATO, to steal their Transdniestra region. Putin would also be invading a portion of Poland and Lithuania (not the whole country of either, but mostly the border area between the two... to establish a land corridor to their Kaliningrad territory on the Baltic sea. Those two countries cut off his access to Kaliningrad, going through Byelorussia of course. He's also threatened the Baltic States (Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, all NATO), NATO-Romania, Non-NATO-Khazakstan, NATO-Poland, etc., etc... He wants to be Peter the Great and restore under Russian control ALL the former lands of the Soviet Union. He has said so. BTW: Did you know that Russia once ruled over Finland and 1/3 of Sweden (1809-1917)? So yes... he has also threatened those two countries. The only thing stopping him is Western resolve to use every tool possible, at their disposal, to deter him. The Ukrainians have turned out to be a major road block to Putin's War of Conquering Territory quest. But this also includes NATO, heavy sanctions, cutting off the EU from Russia's oil and gas teet. And nukes. Giving up nukes is a Hitler-level appeasement ("Oh here you go Adolph, you can take the Sudetenland if you want. Will you now stop your plans to attack other countries?" "Sure thing. Absolute guarantee no future invasions from Nazi Germany."). Putin could give a fuck what we give up. Whatever we give up is an absolute sign of weakness to him and as a Predator, is just an invite to commit more war crimes/ violence/ territorial theft.

Yes. That it's time to force your DH to retire and start looking for different options.

He's their "least worst" hitter?

To all you Tom Petty fans... I'm a bit old school about him... I hope you've listened to his album "You're Going to Get It". It sounds like Damn The Torpedoes before DTT sounds like DTT (which would be obvious since it was the album that came out just prior to DTT). Great album!!! Sounds just as damn good as Damn the Torpedoes, only just a tad more raw. Old school.

There are no current negotiations, and no current possibility of settlement. And I don't blame Ukraine one freaking bit for that position. Obviously... Putin can go F himself. Idi Na'HU'ee.

My sentiment exactly. How about we give him a few losses instead? A lost economy, a loss of European markets, lost land (once Ukraine takes back all of their territory all the way to the Russian border), vast losses in military men & equipment, lost international prestige/ respect/ cooperation, and how about he loses his control of Russia period too?

I don't care. IMO: DFA the non-producers who are not the future and start sifting through the kids. Period. Now. Start sifting.

Yes, exactly. This is not emotional. Not if every person on here (for the most part) has been asking for a Grossman DFA for at least 3 weeks, or more (just WAG'ing that...). To Casimir's point: somebody has to play the games... Sure. No issue there. So... Grossman (and Barnhart, and I really want to move on from Schoop) aren't playing well enough to deserve a roster spot. Throw Baddoo out there and let him work through his issues. Call up Kerry Carpenter and give him a shot. It doesn't matter if they are horrendous.... So is Grossman. But we should be trying to find out if they can keep their head above water, or make adjustments, or (gasp!!!) even survive relatively well against MLB pitching (and shifts...). If they struggle so bad that they have to be sent back down to AAA, I'm not stressed about that. You can try someone else from the 40... or even pick up a scrap heap MLB OF'er to fill in for the rest of the season (Hah! Grossman would obviously (wink-wink) still be available so you could always re-sign him for a month or two to finiosh the season...). But also: Clemens can play the OF. The Castrei can play out there. Haase can play out there. Short can be called up if needed (for the IF, if Clemens & Castrei are all over the place including the OF...). On Schoop: I don't care about the defense any more. He's not the answer for this team. I have no interest whatsoever waiting him out to see if he can find his bat again just because he plays pretty good defense. Short also plays pretty good defense and his bat is not worse than Schoop's (this year). Give the job to Clemens on a permanent basis. Let's see what he's got. Again, if he falters, Short can be called up as a glove for 2B, and at least Harold can play there (I am NOT going to mention the other Castrei) as well. It's time to start sifting through players who are the future and quit hanging onto vastly subpar players who are clearly the past and NOT the future. Start sifting.

How is dumping Grossman and his .592 OPS silly? I'd drop him right this very F'ing second if I was GM. But you think dumping a .592 OPS is silly...?

I don't disagree on Grossman though. When can we dump him please? I wanna call up Carpenter just to see what he can do given a chance...

Baddoo is still struggling though... 0 for last 18, 2-22 in July since his call-up. All RH'ers too I believe... so not even his LH'd-pitcher-bugaboo.

No. It starts with sending back a catcher, and adding in pitching. I think that is what it takes. And also an attractive enough package can be put together without resorting to a ridiculous overpay. Torkelson for MJ Melendez? Ridiculous.

WHICH Cy Young is pitching against us today? Since EVERY SINGLE pitcher we face is a Cy Young on the day they face us... I'm losing track...

On second thought... If Ilitch/ Avila "really" want this rebuild to be over... make that BIG pitch for Stephenson. Dingler, Jobe, who else gets that done? That would REALLY stabilize the catching spot for the next 5 years...

PS: On Stephenson, I don't mean that he's "Available" available, or has been made available... just that a deal could possibly be pitched for a rebuilding team that might make sense. But now you're talking Dingler, maybe Olson or even Jobe?, etc....