2008 Red Sox Discussion

[example1]

It's never too early to start looking ahead. I'd be willing to bet the Sox FO has tentative chart listing their projected lineups/rosters up through 2010, so 2008 isn't too early to discuss, is it?

 

So here it goes:

 

First, a list of FA's available for next year, provided by Cot's:

http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2000/04/2007-free-agents.html

 

Starting Pitching:

I think it is safe to assume that this team will stay largely intact for next year. I am hopeful that they can replace Curt Schilling with Clay Buchholz, and keep the rest of the pitching staff largely intact. I don't see any FA's that would be way better than Schilling, and certainly none worth signing to long-term deals. The only cavaet to losing Schilling is if the Sox win it all this year and Wakefield decides to hang it up, AND Schilling's asking price for a final season is reasonable (say, 9m):

 

Beckett

Matsuzaka

Wakefield/Schilling

Lester

Buchholz

 

Relief Pitching:

This group may have some players coming and going. The Sox threw out a wide net this past off-season, acquiring guys like Donnelly, Romero, Okajima and Pineiro. Most of them have not panned out, but I think it is understandable why they made the attempt. The current pen of Snyder, Tavarez, Timlin, Delcarmen, Gagne, Okajima, and Papelbon has been solid, but I think that Snyder, Tavarez, Timlin and Gagne are question-marks for next year. It is possible the Sox would make a strong move to resign Gagne, given that he may come at a reasonable price and may yet have some positive results. Chances are, however, that he will want to close and will look elsewhere (Cleveland, perhaps?).

 

So that leaves 3 pretty big holes in the pen. I expect Craig Hansen to fill one of those holes (he's 2-0, with a 1.62 ERA in his last ten appearances--16.2 IP--and has 21 K's in that time. He's also worked hard to bring his gastly ERA down to a reasonable 4.30 and has nearly a K/IP on the season overall). Otherwise, I'm unsure where they will go for relief help. Scott Linebrink would be a great addition, but he's sure to be looking for either a closer position or closer money. I'd be fine with closer money for Linebrink and letting Gagne walk, but the 'pen is always a crapshoot.

 

I expect another wide net in terms of looking for RP help.

 

Offense: I think there are two directions this team can go offensively. Either they will keep a team very similar to what they had this year (possibly exactly the same), or they will make drastic changes to help the team move forward. I consider the following positions to be locks to remain the same next season: C, 2B, SS, CF, RF, DH. That leaves questions of:

 

3B--Lowell

LF--Manny

1B--Youkilis

 

Looking at the available players, I don't see any who are upgrades for any of these guys. At the same time, the recent move for Carter--and a lot of the sentiment around here--leans toward doing something differently. If this Sox team had the offense of the past few years with this pitching staff, they would win more than 100 games, hands down. They aren't going to get back to the 900+ runs of a few years ago no matter what they do, given that they won't add a player like Teixeira to a lineup already possessing Ortiz and Ramirez.

 

So, this begs the question, is the lineup we see currently the same as next year's lineup? I have a very hard time believing that they will make a serious run at Alex Rodriguez, who will demand 30+ million and is unlikely to want to play in Boston. An addition of a guy like Adam Dunn might be nice, but he would need to play the OF or DH, and there doesn't appear to be space, assuming the Sox are sticking with Drew (who I assume will have a better looking year next year) and Ramirez. I'm open to the idea of moving Manny, given that he has only one year left and is valuable to other teams. I'm also open to the idea of keeping him.

 

Remarkably, even though they have struggled to score runs the 2007 Red Sox are actually FOURTH in all of baseball in runs scored. I found that staggering, and wondered if the stats were watching the same team that I've seen lately. But it is apparently true.

 

So does the offense need an upgrade, and if so, where? CF seems locked between Crisp and Ellsbury. RF is locked and LF appears to be locked. Lowell is a FA and may prefer playing somewhere else, in which case a guy like Carter is pretty valuable. In fact, given the FA class at 1B he already appears valuable.

 

Overall, I don't forsee a whole lot of changes to this team for next year, and that seems kind of hard to swallow. Although they have had a great year, I find them to be an overall clumsy and offensively boring team with little pop, aside from Ortiz and Lowell. Probably a little too harsh for a team in first place and looking strong, but I don't think my feelings are unique around here. They are a great team, but they should be destroying other teams with their coaching, philosophy, approach and--of course--payroll. Instead they are 'merely' winning... hmmm, perhaps I need to re-evaluate...

 

I would be interested in getting Fukudome from Japan next year, and perhaps also in moving Coco Crisp for a decent reliever or as a bigger package for a really good player. I would love for them to blow other teams out of the water for an offer on Miguel Cabrera, such as Crisp, Bowden, Masterson and Moss plus a ton of money... that doesn't blow teams out of the water, but you catch my drift. Aside from a move like that, however, I just don't see a whole lot of changes...

 

What do other people think?

[KeepTheFaith1229]

Good evaluation. I do think there is one flaw though. Adam Dunn could play first base, if needed. There would be room for him if the Sox wanted to go in that direction. They could sign Dunn to play first, dump Lowell and slot Youk at 3B. He hasn't played first much, but they could make it work.

 

I think Crisp is moved for a reliever and Ellsbury is handed the CF job.

 

I would not be surprised to see Chris Carter as the every-day first baseman in 2008, if he does well when the rosters expand. As much as I like Lowell, I don't really see him back with the team.

 

Schilling is history IMO. I don't think Wake hangs 'em up either so with one more year of Wake, hopefully Masterson/Bowden will be ready by '09. I also think Kottaras is called up midseason to handle backup catching duties and spell Varitek before becoming the full time catcher in '09.

 

My tentative '08 opening day defense+rotation (bench and bullpen will probably change too much to predict)

:

 

C Varitek

1B Carter

2B Pedroia

SS Lugo

3B Youkilis

LF Ramirez

CF Ellsbury

RF Drew

DH Ortiz

 

1. Beckett

2. Matsuzaka

3. Buchholz

4. Wakefield

5. Lester

 

What I HOPE it is:

 

C Varitek

1B Youkilis

2B Pedroia

3B A-Rod

SS Lugo

LF Manny

CF Ellsbury

RF Drew

DH Ortiz

 

Same rotation.

 

It's going to be a very similar team. But, hopefully, with guys like Pedroia, Matsuzaka, Buchholz and Lester improving and guys like Lugo and Drew having inevitably better seasons, it will be better.

[elsrbueno]

A couple of thoughts:

 

1. If the Red Sox go hard after A-Rod in the offseason, I think that would spell the end of the Manny era in Boston. I doubt they'd keep both guys on the payroll with their penny pinching ways. IF the Sox can obtain A-Rod (which I see as a long shot) I would be fine with playing Coco Crisp in left and bringing up Ellsbury to play center. This gives the team a bit more speed but they keep the 1-2 punch of Ortiz+slugger. If A-Rod signs elsewhere, they need to keep Manny.

 

2. I'm not a big fan of Youkilis. I know I've supported him in the past but he just seems like an overrated player because of his ability to draw walks and his strikeouts and lack of power (especially for a first baseman) concern me. I would not be opposed to packaging him in the offseason for upgrades elsewhere. Seems to me like his value is high right now because he's cheap and an on base machine which is in style these days.

 

While I hate Drew with a passion, we're stuck with him. That in mind, I'd love to see the Red Sox offense shake out like this:

C Varitek

1B Carter/Hinske

2B Pedroia

3B A-Rod

SS Lugo

LF Crisp

CF Ellsbury

RF Drew

DH Ortiz

 

I would be fine with substituting Lowell for A-Rod if Manny stays. I'd prefer A-Rod to Manny (more power, more speed, better defense at a more premium position) but that comes with serious risk.

 

The bottom line is that I think Ellsbury has reached the point where he has nothing left to prove in AAA. He needs playing time at the major league level and I seriously hope the Red Sox give it to him.

 

Tim

[example1]

I love the idea of having Crisp and Ellsbury in the same outfield. I guess I would prefer to see if Drew can man LF, as he is slower and has a pretty good arm to keep players from scoring when the Monster is behind him. They would obviously need to add power to the lineup in the form of an A-Rod type player, and I'm less convinced that is possible. At this point I have a really hard time seeing them sign A-Rod... then again, I have a hard time imagining ANYONE signing him for 30m a season. I think that's simply too much for any player, even A-Rod.

 

We're in a win-win situation with Youkilis. If he sticks around we have plus defensive corner man, who gets on base at a remarkable rate and who is still young and pretty cost effective. If we end up dealing him then everyone here would happily predict that he would be part of a pretty significant move. He wouldn't net us just Chris Carter, that's for sure.

 

Ellsbury should be leading off for the Big Red Sox for sure. He's going to put up at least a .350 OBP, but probably higher given his track record. He'll score a ton of runs and finally, FINALLY solidify the top of that lineup:

 

Ellsbury

Pedroia

Ortiz

Manny

etc..,

[das11209]

I know that Youk is a fan favourite and popular in this board and he is cost controlled - but he is becoming more or more a defensive first baseman and it's not like his defense is as stellar as Monkeybitch. I think we do expect more power and OBP at 1b. Youk always had a problem of strike outs , never had enough power( how many times he has been caught at the warning track) or enough speed. For a month or so in this season - it looked like he has corrected that problems and I still believe that was the right time to trade him. Anybody thinks that we should have better options at 1B? Is Adam Dunn really gonna suck at 1B?

 

If the sox do get A-Rod by some miracle - I will say that Lugo should be moved( may be he/Youk will play 1B/3B?) for A-Rod. Short-stop is a very important defensive position and A-Rod is just so better than Lugo.

 

Two people that must go are Cora and Hinske. May be Mirabelli if we have a solution to who would catch Wake. Also how about signing Posada for a short term deal? Does not look like Tek is holding up the fort and we have a great replacement lines up for him. It will also be nice to piss the Yankees off.

[jacksonianmarch]

Couple things I think might happen

 

1. The sox will resign Mike Lowell to a 2 yr extension at 11 mil per. He'll take the hometown discount cause he loves it in Boston

 

2. Schilling will leave and go to Chicago where he will try to break another curse

 

3. ARod will stay in NY because he knows the yankees will be the only team to offer him 30+ mil a season until he is 40.

 

4. Youkilis will enter the 08 season in a dogfight for 1b with Chris Carter and may be shipped out for a veteran pitcher to fill the spot left open by Schilling. Dont be surprised if Adam Dunn is under the sox Christmas tree.

 

5. Buchholz will take Wakefield's spot and Wake will become a coach in the sox system

 

6. Mirabelli will catch on with a west coast team, burn out and be out of baseball by 09.

[Mr Crunchy]

youk once again has struggled to maintain his 1st half performance and everyone here has written this teams mvp,mike lowell,off.

lowell was at .315 with 22-80? i think

not bad....not bad at all and he does play a goldglove level 3rd base despite his horrid april and may start with the glove..

the pitching assessments are a sign of how deep our minor leagues have been made

we have a ton of options as far as pitchers go and that is so huge in developing guys properly,this makes us competetive without pissing away millions on the matt clements of the world,this is a big advantage over the rest of the league...

 

why did we get this carter guy so cheap and a better question is why wasnt he playing in arizona with those guady #s he put up in the minors?

lots of minor leaguers put up huge#s but dont have the mlb swing to succeed

roberto pettagine comes to mind immedietly

i havent seen the guy play at all but the fact that hes playing behind tony clarke indicates theres more to this picture than meets the eye

 

im too entwined with this summer

1 week left in august and we have the best record in baseball with everyone nearly 100% healthy

next summer is a lifetime away unless you're getting paid to build next years team

[redsoxrules]

if we dont get Arod or cabrera , lowell needs to be resigned( who some people said he would tail off in the second half ) , i also think wake will pitch another year, youk has been awfull since the break like he did last year, i say we go after Dunn to play first .

 

starting pitching will be a big ? but i think it will look like this

 

beckett

dice k

buchholz

wake

lester

 

not worried to much for the bulpen as we will still have Oki and paps

 

 

oh and wich i hope would happen but wont would be to pick up Arod and bonds

[Mr Crunchy]

with dice becks and wake on the books and buck lester and other assorted arms in the minors who already have had success at the big boy level,our staff is as solid as its ever been.

[das11209]

This is a fun discussions - let me speculate a bit.

 

Anyone thinks if Gagne puts his s*** together and resigns / or sox gets Todd Jones or Mo( chance is slim) by free agency - Paps might be moved to rotation? This is assuming Curt is leaving and Lester/Wake combo remains inconsistant.

[BoSox21]

Couple things I think might happen

 

1. The sox will resign Mike Lowell to a 2 yr extension at 11 mil per. He'll take the hometown discount cause he loves it in Boston

 

2. Schilling will leave and go to Chicago where he will try to break another curse

 

3. ARod will stay in NY because he knows the yankees will be the only team to offer him 30+ mil a season until he is 40.

 

4. Youkilis will enter the 08 season in a dogfight for 1b with Chris Carter and may be shipped out for a veteran pitcher to fill the spot left open by Schilling. Dont be surprised if Adam Dunn is under the sox Christmas tree.

 

5. Buchholz will take Wakefield's spot and Wake will become a coach in the sox system

 

6. Mirabelli will catch on with a west coast team, burn out and be out of baseball by 09.

 

1. That sounds reasonable.

 

2. That also sounds reasonable.

 

3. A-Rod will opt out and under your scenario, Cashman would have to go back on his word of not persuing A-Rod at all should he decide to opt out.

 

4. That ties in with whatever happens with Lowell. Youk could end up being needed at 3rd.

 

5. Wakefield will stay. At 4 mil a year for as long as Sox want him, he remains one of the best bargains in baseball and would be, at worst, the 5th starter next year.

 

6. I couldn't care less what Mirabelli does.

[redsoxrules]

This is a fun discussions - let me speculate a bit.

 

Anyone thinks if Gagne puts his s*** together and resigns / or sox gets Todd Jones or Mo( chance is slim) by free agency - Paps might be moved to rotation? This is assuming Curt is leaving and Lester/Wake combo remains inconsistant.

 

i like the idea of having paps as the starter

 

beckett

dicek

paps

buchholz

wake/lester

 

what a rotation that would be

 

if we do that id take my chances with gagne ( i know he's been sucking since he's been here but he's just in a slump and getting used to his new catcher ). todd jones is a no no and Mo's is almost done

[example1]

I know that Youk is a fan favourite and popular in this board and he is cost controlled - but he is becoming more or more a defensive first baseman and it's not like his defense is as stellar as Monkeybitch. I think we do expect more power and OBP at 1b. Youk always had a problem of strike outs ' date=' never had enough power( how many times he has been caught at the warning track) or enough speed. For a month or so in this season - it looked like he has corrected that problems and I still believe that was the right time to trade him. Anybody thinks that we should have better options at 1B? Is Adam Dunn really gonna suck at 1B? [/quote']

 

Youk doesn't have to go anywhere. However, if they are going to have 'average' (i.e., AL East Average) players at SS, CF, and RF, then it is likely that either 3B or 1B need to move. Lowell has been well above average offensively.

 

Adam Dunn may be okay at 1B, but I don't think he's played an out there this season and I don't know how much he's played it in the past. He would be a nice #5 hitter though.

 

Ellsbury

Pedroia

Ortiz

Manny

Dunn

Lowell

Drew

Varitek

Lugo

 

If the sox do get A-Rod by some miracle - I will say that Lugo should be moved( may be he/Youk will play 1B/3B?) for A-Rod. Short-stop is a very important defensive position and A-Rod is just so better than Lugo.

 

Nothing profound there. Except that nobody will take Lugo's contract and the revolving door would just continue. A-Rod likely isn't coming here, but if he does Lugo has played 3B before and he could also function as next year's Alex Cora (for a boatload more $$).

 

Two people that must go are Cora and Hinske. May be Mirabelli if we have a solution to who would catch Wake. Also how about signing Posada for a short term deal? Does not look like Tek is holding up the fort and we have a great replacement lines up for him. It will also be nice to piss the Yankees off.

 

We don't have a great replacement waiting for Tek, but there is no way, NO WAY that Posada becomes a Red Sox. None. Stop even thinking about it. It is Varitek's job, he's not going to come in and replace the captain, and he's not going to come in and sit on the bench.

[das11209]

 

 

We don't have a great replacement waiting for Tek, but there is no way, NO WAY that Posada becomes a Red Sox. None. Stop even thinking about it. It is Varitek's job, he's not going to come in and replace the captain, and he's not going to come in and sit on the bench.

 

I know Damon said he will never play for the Yankees - never heard Posada said that he will not play for the Red Sox. Posada's offence this year has been unreal - and I have no reason to believe that he will fall of the cliff. I agree that the chances that he will become a Red Sox is not great but stranger things have happened in baseball. I don't think I can take another year of Tek. And what is this captain thing - is that not way overrated? Baseball is not like football and performers only can become leaders. If leadership is so important then we should have kept Kevin Millar. I feel the same way about Jeter - I think his leadership/being captain is so overrated now that he is not really backing it with his usual performance.

 

Also - I do not think Mo is done. He is not what he is used to be though.

[Khan]

I'm still wrapped up in this summer with our first place team. Still, it is good to dream, so a couple of quick thoughts. Matt Clemment comes off @ 9.5, Curt comes off @ 13 (I see Clay taking his spot), Mike Lowell is a question @ 9. I would love to see him back, he has been a good fit bringing offense and generally solid defense. So here is my dream:

 

RS take a run at and land A-Rod, somehow move Lugo then resign Lowel.

 

Manny stays. Then again, maybe he is packaged with say Youk in another blockbuster.

 

3 Ortiz

4 Manny

5 Arod

6 Lowell

 

I'll get real when the season is over, the money just does not add up.

[CrespoBlows]

3. A-Rod will opt out and under your scenario, Cashman would have to go back on his word of not persuing A-Rod at all should he decide to opt out.

 

 

Why would he opt out?

[BSN07]

Why would he opt out?

 

Because he stands to make s*** load more money if he does, sure he can get 25-30M or whatever it is for the next 3 yrs or he could get a 6 yr 170M+ contract by hitting the Market.

 

If he does OPT out the Cashman will have to re-nig on his "We won't resign him if he opts out", which is BS, hes going to OPT out, this was the only leverage that Cashman had, he used it and I don't think anyone is buying it, I'm not, The GM of the Fing NYY threatning not sign someone because the money will be too hi........ I can smell the BS from Holland. When he opts out they will try to sign him, if they do, thats anyones guess but they won't let him walk out of town with out atleast talking to him, that would be the dumbest thing ever.

 

If he walks and goes to Boston, there might be a lynch mob for Cashman, AROD has come along way since last season with the fans, proved that hes the best player in the game and carried NY's sorry old ass's for the better part of the first half if not the whole season.

[DUSTINMOHR4LIFE]

Couple things I think might happen

 

4. Youkilis will enter the 08 season in a dogfight for 1b with Chris Carter and may be shipped out for a veteran pitcher to fill the spot left open by Schilling. Dont be surprised if Adam Dunn is under the sox Christmas tree.

 

 

I don't agree with the Youk part because if we do indeed get Dunn, Youk's skill set would be a tremendous asset to our offense when he has a .550 SLGer hitting behind him. Also, I would love to see JD Drew go and slot Ellsbury/Crisp in RF, but it'll never happen.

[CrespoBlows]

Because he stands to make s*** load more money if he does' date=' sure he can get 25-30M or whatever it is for the next 3 yrs or he could get a 6 yr 170M+ contract by hitting the Market.[/quote']

 

The team that can pay him the most, will lose $30,000,000 of their spending power if Rodriguez opts out. They'll be able to put that toward Rodriguez, and create a monster deal that no one will come close to matching.

 

If Rodriguez wants to the most money, he won't opt out.

[BoSox21]

replace Schilling with Buchholz, Crisp with Ellsbury and A-Rod's salary looks a lot easier for the Sox to take on

[redsoxrules]

replace Schilling with Buchholz' date=' Crisp with Ellsbury and A-Rod's salary looks a lot easier for the Sox to take on[/quote']

 

we also finnaly get rid of clement , so theres another 9.5 million

[RobZombie]

Lets talk about the pitching. I am not comfortable with both Lester and Bucholtz in the rotation, so I think they need another veteran guy in there. All of the possible SP free agents suck and are going to be overpriced so the guy I'd go for would be Koji Uehara.

 

Uehara is one of the best pitchers of his generation. He's not Matsusaka, but is certainly a solid veteran guy and will probably cost less than Carlos Silva. At 33 he'd be a perfect replacement for Schilling and would be a way to slowly break in the Lester Buchholtz combo.

 

In the pen they are going to have Paps, MDC, Okie, Breslow, Lopez. I'm not a Kyle Snyder fan and they may have the opportunity to sell high on him. I think they need another veteran arm in there. At one year for $3.85 Tavarez is going to look damn good in that spot considering all the money all of the other dreck out there is going to make.

[Soxfan1]

A couple of thoughts:

 

1. If the Red Sox go hard after A-Rod in the offseason, I think that would spell the end of the Manny era in Boston. I doubt they'd keep both guys on the payroll with their penny pinching ways. IF the Sox can obtain A-Rod (which I see as a long shot) I would be fine with playing Coco Crisp in left and bringing up Ellsbury to play center. This gives the team a bit more speed but they keep the 1-2 punch of Ortiz+slugger. If A-Rod signs elsewhere, they need to keep Manny.

 

2. I'm not a big fan of Youkilis. I know I've supported him in the past but he just seems like an overrated player because of his ability to draw walks and his strikeouts and lack of power (especially for a first baseman) concern me. I would not be opposed to packaging him in the offseason for upgrades elsewhere. Seems to me like his value is high right now because he's cheap and an on base machine which is in style these days.

 

While I hate Drew with a passion, we're stuck with him. That in mind, I'd love to see the Red Sox offense shake out like this:

C Varitek

1B Carter/Hinske

2B Pedroia

3B A-Rod

SS Lugo

LF Crisp

CF Ellsbury

RF Drew

DH Ortiz

 

I would be fine with substituting Lowell for A-Rod if Manny stays. I'd prefer A-Rod to Manny (more power, more speed, better defense at a more premium position) but that comes with serious risk.

 

The bottom line is that I think Ellsbury has reached the point where he has nothing left to prove in AAA. He needs playing time at the major league level and I seriously hope the Red Sox give it to him.

 

Tim

 

If Drew and Lugo have the same years as they have this year and Carter and Hinske are platooning at 1st, this team will offensively significantly. A-Rod Ortiz combo is great, but not enough.

[riverside sluggers]

Why would the Sox have a platoon of 2 lefty 1st baseman? If Carter and Hinske are indeed on board, it should be Carter's everyday job

 

elsrbueno, if trades/waivers have failed in the past, why think positively that he will be moved this coming offseason? 2008 will be his last season as a Red Sox, regardless if Arod signs on board. Yes theyll have to deal with both Manny and Arod on the books but its just for 1 damn year. A 3-4-5 of Arod/Ortiz/Manny yes please

 

I know Damon said he will never play for the Yankees - never heard Posada said that he will not play for the Red Sox. Posada's offence this year has been unreal - and I have no reason to believe that he will fall of the cliff. I agree that the chances that he will become a Red Sox is not great but stranger things have happened in baseball. I don't think I can take another year of Tek. And what is this captain thing - is that not way overrated? Baseball is not like football and performers only can become leaders. If leadership is so important then we should have kept Kevin Millar. I feel the same way about Jeter - I think his leadership/being captain is so overrated now that he is not really backing it with his usual performance.

 

Also - I do not think Mo is done. He is not what he is used to be though.

 

Sox will not, I repeat not, sign Posada (age 36) to a contract when they already have Varitek on the books. It would cause serious disruption in the clubhouse, Varitek is a much respected catcher for handling this pitching staff. So Posada becomes the starter, Varitek is the backup catcher with Wakefield possibly still on the staff next year... ooh Im getting giddy now

[SCM33]

I dont see this team changing very much at all next season.

 

1B Youkilis, ugly looking ballplayer....but somehow produces although its not pretty.

2B Pedroia..average may drop a little....but expect around .300 and better production.

SS Lugo..Lets face it, I doubt they bring in ANOTHER opening day SS, and he has played a lot better in the second half. Hes also been pretty good defensively.

3B Lowell..if the Sox can seriously bring in you know who....then im all for it, but at worst we will stick with a guy who is proven and loves playing baseball in this city.

LF Ramirez..hes not going anywhere, I dont understand why people think another team will take him after 6 seasons of balking at him on the waivers, and they wont eat 18+M just because other contracts are running out.

CF Crisp..He has really grown on me. I like the way he plays. I hope they dont get rid of the guy. He finally looks comfortable.

RF Drew..Damn you JD Drew and your contract. Hopefully year 2 is a complete turnaround. Anything he does next year HAS to be better than year 1.

C Tek..Another year, another season of his grittiness behind the plate.

DH Ortiz..Expect a HR/RBI rebound when he is healthy next year.

 

Bench:

Cora INF

Kielty OF/1B..I expect him to put on the 1B glove again during spring training next season.

Ellsbury...depending on JD Drew, he could see significant AB's.....even in RF (I know he has a weak arm...but if Manny and Crisp are here...where else will he play?) If nobody else is dealt, Ellsbury will be on the bench, or in AAA.....as much as we dont want to see that happen.

Backup C..I have doubts its going to be Mirabelli, especially since Cash has shown us that there are other catchers who are capable of catching the knuckle. Theo has to find one early in the offseason instead of just assuming that a guy can come in and learn it during spring training.

Carter/Hinske..whoever has the better spring will stick, Carter goes to AAA if he loses out, Hinske gets the boot if he loses out.

 

Rotation:

1. Beckett

2. Dice-K

3. Wakefield

4. Bucholz

5. Not really sure....not totally convinced it will be Lester.

 

Bullpen:

CL: Paps

RP: Oki

RP: Delcarmen

RP: Tavarez...I think he will be back.

RP: Another reliever...Timlin wont be back, Lopez is a possibility, Gagne wont be back, Snyder is also a possibility, but Tavarez will pitch in a similar role.

 

There is my 25 man breakdown....not many changes. I think a lot of major things need to be tweeked in order to bring in a big name player like Arod, or allow room for Ellsbury, and Im not sure that will happen....Most of the changes will occur depending on the outcome of the season.

[example1]

All this Mets coverage is making me wonder, any chance that a Manny to NYM could finally happen this offseason? Minaya could land a big-ticket player to bolster the middle of an even more formidable lineup which could put them over the top. Their young pitchers should mature a bit, but Manny would be a pretty quick and obvious upgrade over Moises Alou.

 

Reyes-SS

Castillo-2B

Beltran-CF

Manny-LF

Wright-3B

Delgado-1B

Milledge-RF

LoDuca-C

Pitcher

 

The Mets have just the combination of young arms, the money, the motive and the GM to make it happen. A high impact but low-level prospect, plus something else could get it done. Part of me feels like the Sox could be successful with an outfield of Crisp, Ellsbury and Drew, making a strong run at Alex Rodriguez and having Mike Lowell as a fall back. Defensively that outfield would be tremendous, and if Drew can come back to 90% of his career averages this team's offense will benefit.

 

Also, I think we have all seen that Ellsbury will add some production to the lineup just by leading off and playing every day. In his short time with the Sox (and his entire collegiate and minor league career) he has scored a ton of runs and kept the OBP high. I would bet that a full season of Ellsbury would produce a VORP somewhere between that of Pedroia (35.5) and Youkilis (32.1). That may be optimistic, so let's say it is closer to Youkilis. That 32.1 VORP compares pretty favorably to Manny's injury-plagued 34.1, and I imagine some value will come from the defensive upgrade. :dunno:

[jacksonianmarch]

stop dreaming example. The Mets had a great offense. Their problem was pitching. And with Lastings Milledge taking a step forward this season, I highly doubt they would send over anything of value for Manny. They need their young pitchers cause their pitching sucks, and they dont need to add offense. If you want to speculate, you could speculate that Curt could be pitching in NY for the Mutts next yr. I see that as a very real possibility.

[jacksonianmarch]

I have a feeling your OF will be Manny-Ellsbury-Drew with Crisp being pawned off for a middle reliever.

[Cocos Disciples]

I agree that Crisp likely does not stay.

[example1]

stop dreaming example. The Mets had a great offense. Their problem was pitching. And with Lastings Milledge taking a step forward this season' date=' I highly doubt they would send over anything of value for Manny. They need their young pitchers cause their pitching sucks, and they dont need to add offense. If you want to speculate, you could speculate that Curt could be pitching in NY for the Mutts next yr. I see that as a very real possibility.[/quote']

 

I could speculate that Curt could pitch for the Mets next year, but that's not what I asked about. I asked about Manny.

 

Perhaps Schilling is the answer that would put the mets over the top. Personally, I think the Mets answers are going to come from within and a healthy Pedro. Their offense may be good, but it's not better than the Phillies offense, which is in the same division and is very young itself. A player like Manny could definitely put the Mets over the top in an offensive minded division like that.

 

The Mets pitching had basically the same ERA as the Angels and the Yankees, gave up fewer runs than the Angels, had the 5th best BAA, the 8th best OPS against, and had a better WHIP than the Yankees, Angels and Detroit. Obviously, the AL factor counts for something, but I think it is a myth that the pitching alone was this teams problem. There was a personnel issue and a leadership vacuum in the clubhouse. When things are going well the Mets are great, but they didn't step up when they needed to.