The Red Sox Are Arenado’s ”Last Chance To Get Dealt”

It is concerning that the Arenado may be in his declining years.  Then, the displacement of Devers will create several negative consequences. First, he has expressed reluctance to accept the role. Secondly, attempting to move him to first base would necessitate trading a promising and talented younger player under the team’s financial control for several years. (It is uncertain whether Devers would even be an adequate first baseman.) Third, if Devers is instead to be the designated hitter, the team would be burdened with the responsibility of trading Yoshida and finding a team willing to assume his salary. These factors create a complex and uncertain situation for minimal gain.

Is hang’em Chaim clogging up this potential trade by refusing to expend the trade to include Helsley or is he asking for too much for helsley????

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

My guess is BOS is insisting on including Yoshida and the money exchange is the issue. STL is looking to save serious money, so taking Yoshida and some cash may not be saving them enough.

The more I've thought about Arenado, the less I want him. His bat looks to be ready to drop off a cliff, and we'd be stuck with two Yoshidas. At least Arenado's D is good, but I'd say no without Yoshida. We may think about adding someone, other than Helsley, who is owed a lot, but we don't need Mikolas ($17.7M x 1 and $18.6 lux tax cost) or Matz ($12.5M and $11M tax cost.) Although Willson Contreras is not very good on D, he's better than Wong. He's a damn good RHB. The problem is, he's owed what Yoshida is owed ($18M x 3 and $17.5M on lux tax line.)

Arenado + Contreras costs $45M in '25, $40M in '26 and $33M in '28 (counting COL's $5M payments over the first 2 years. The AAV would be: $43>$43>43. If we got Contreras included, I would not pay anything off Yoshida's deal, so in a sense, STL saves the full Arenado contract. Maybe we give them Rafaela, who is the only guy we can spare who is owed any large amount of money ($48M/7 remaining.) They may want Fitts or Priester or maybe even more, along with Rafaela, but I'm not sure how much they'd want or how much I'd give. Is Contreras really a major upgrade over Wong- projected over the next 3 years? (Wong had 4 years left- 3 as arbs.)

Yoshida + Rafaela cost: $19M in '25, then $20>22M, then no Yoshida w Rafaela owed $40M/4 w option. The net cost of Yoshida+ Rafaela for Arenado + Contreras: -$26M in '25, $20M in '26 and $11M in '27, then we go plus by not paying Rafaela and Wong, but we are without a catcher and OF'er.

So, does anyone like this trade?

Yoshida, Rafaela and Cespedes for Contreras & Arenado with no cash involved.

1. L Duran LF/CF

2. R Contreras C

3. L Casas 1B/DH

4. L Devers 1B/DH

5. R Story SS

6. L Abreu RF/ R Refsnyder LF

7. R Campbell 2B

8. L Anthony  CF/RF

9. R Arenado 3B

Bench: Wong, Abreu/Refsnyder, DHam and Grissom/Romy

 

to me a deal like this is what the sox need to do to fill in, balance the team, and eliminate their biggest holes. Then maybe pick up 1 more short relief pitcherand they are set without the long term commitments they hate atm.