Sign These Free Agents?

[Sox Fan]

STATS as of 8-18-08

1B

• Kevin Millar

• Avg .247

• HR 18

• RBI 65

• Runs 66

• SB –

I would Sign Millar just because of his History with the Sox. He deserves to end his career in a Sox Uniform.

 

2B

• Mark Loretta

• Avg .274

• HR 4

• RBI 34

• Runs 23

• SB -

Loretta can help any team. Can Play any Infield Position. Him and Cora off the bench would be dirty. I would do my best to Trade Lugo for 4th outfielder/ Bullpen/Catcher. He is a Bum.

 

RF

• Vladimir Guerrero

• Avg .287

• HR 22

• RBI 74

• Runs 70

• SB 4

Sign Guerrero put him in Right. Trade COCO and Drew . I honestly think we shoudl trade Drew while his stock is up. Like we should have done with Clement. With an Outfield of Bay Guerrero Ellsbury it would be awesome. In the Trades Coco for Bullpen/Catcher Trade Drew for 4th outfielder/Bullpen/Catcher

 

There is only 4 starters I would offer a deal to. I would sign derek lowe but for bullpen depth. He throws 2-3 strong innings a game than he is done. Than there is Ryan Dempster Ben Sheets or CC Sabathia. If we were to Trade Lugo Drew and Coco we could use the money we save from them and Manny to Sign Guerrero and CC. But if CC ends up in Pinestripes. We should choose between Sheets and Dempster both Quality Pitchers. I see the Cubs Resigning Dempster so that leaves us with Sheets.

SP

• Ryan Dempster

• W-L 14-5

• ERA 2.92

• K 149

• Walks 64

• WHIP 1.16

 

• Derek Lowe

• W-L 9-10

• ERA 3.99

• K 113

• Walks 35

• WHIP 1.23

 

• CC Sabathia

• W-L 14-8

• ERA 2.99

• K 192

• Walks 49

• WHIP 1.16

 

• Ben Sheets

• W-L 11-6

• ERA 3.00

• K 133

• Walks 37

• WHIP 1.15

[BoSox21]

Millar: I don't mind him but I'd try and re-sign Casey although I think he'd wanna go somewhere where he'd get more ABs.

 

Loretta: I don't see how we'll get rid of Lugo meaning he'll be the utility in-fielder next year leaving no room for Loretta.

 

Guerrero: LA has a team option on him which I think they'll be happy to excercise.

 

Dempster: See Vlady.

 

Lowe: FO won't want anything to do with him and someone will overpay for him.

 

Sabathia/Sheets: Obviously any Sox fan would want these guys but keep in mind Beckett is in line for a massive raise after next year.

[The Dustball]

No to everyone except Sabathia/Sheets.

As Bosox already said, there is no chance you get Guerrero or Dempter due to the team options and Millar and Loretta are way past their prime. Lowe is just a headcase. I don't want to see any of them in a Sox uniform.

 

Welcome to the board by the way!

[BoSox21]

Sabathia/Sheets are interesting options though cause all the positional players are pretty much set as is for '09 (with the possible exception of catcher) so then you take the Manny/Schilling (and maybe Lugo) money to make a serious run at one of the two Brewers

 

imagine an '09 rotation of:

Beckett

Sabathia/Sheets

Lester

Dice-K

Buchholz/Wakefield

[jacksonianmarch]

Sabathia is getting 20+ mil a yr from someone. I have a feeling that the sox may try and negotiate with Beckett before they set a team precedent for what Beckett should exceed.

[Thumper]

I'll take Vlad if the Angels don't sign him. But most likely they will.

 

Wouldn't want Millar unless we traded Lowell and moved Youk to 3rd. Casey deserves more ABs somewhere else.

 

Sabathia/Sheets, yes please.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

I'd prefer Sheets to Sabathia.

[Youk Of The Nation]

Oh yeah, lets sign Millar!

 

Oh wait, we got rid of him because he sucked.

[Mr Crunchy]

kevin millar??stop it,i had a 3 day party after he left town

loretta wouldve been prudent 2 years ago but they annointed pedroia the gig and let loretta walk

i think hed like to be somewhere else

will we sign an elite pitcher like sabbathia or sheets to a long term deal with all the young arms we still have?

becks lester dice buckholz bowden paps delcarmen and masterson are all under 30

becks lester dice and paps are allstars or will be allstars

do we need a 125M contract wrapped around or necks for 7 years to grab one of these guys?

i dont see it happening

[riverside sluggers]

The Yankees will hand off blank checks to Mark Teixeira and C.C. Sabathia. Right now I dont see the Sox making big splashes (free agent wise, but ya never know).

 

Onto another subject the Red Sox have 7 potential free agents: Jason Varitek, Sean Casey, Alex Cora, Bartolo Colon, Paul Byrd, Mike Timlin, Curt Schilling. Even with Boras being tek's agent and his offensive decline, I believe the Sox will still sign him. Of those 7, he is the only player I see returning

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Varitek has to be re-signed.

[redsoxrules]

Varitek has to be re-signed.

 

no he dosent

[Dojji]

Varitek has to be re-signed.

 

Uhh, no. He can be re-signed inexpensively without driving me nuts, but this team will need to move on from Tek at some point anyway, and that point's looking nowish considering his offensive woes.

[Mr Crunchy]

if not tek next year then who?

i kept saying we can hide his bat but with manny gone,ortiz having an off year,lowell struggling a bit and ellsbury and crisp not having the years we'd like i see a different offense next year,an offense that will run and sacrifice more and an offense that will need the little things from pretty much the entire roster.how tek fits in with this i dont know but 10M per is not going to happen ,so how do we move on while insulting the team captain? catchers are rarer than women who dont rip your balls from the scrotum when you get home from your honeymoon...we need an upgrade or a legitimate candidate for the future,the farm hasnt produced in this area with the exception of josh bard who was run out of town cause he couldnt catch a knuckleball and even he isnt a full time catcher in sandiego or wasnt last i looked

[rician blast]

1B

• Kevin Millar

• I would Sign Millar just because of his History with the Sox. He deserves to end his career in a Sox Uniform.

 

Nah. 37 yrs old and declining.

 

2B

• Mark Loretta

Loretta can help any team. Can Play any Infield Position. Him and Cora off the bench would be dirty. I would do my best to Trade Lugo for 4th outfielder/ Bullpen/Catcher. He is a Bum.

 

Still a player with some value, but there are likely options with equal or better talent who are 10 yrs younger than the 37 yr old Loretta.

 

RF

• Vladimir Guerrero

• Sign Guerrero put him in Right. Trade COCO and Drew . I honestly think we shoudl trade Drew while his stock is up. Like we should have done with Clement. With an Outfield of Bay Guerrero Ellsbury it would be awesome. In the Trades Coco for Bullpen/Catcher Trade Drew for 4th outfielder/Bullpen/Catcher

 

Intriguing player, no doubt, but every time I watch him play he reminds me of a wounded water buffalo being chased by a lion...all gangly and looking like he'll fall apart at any moment. I have this sinking feeling that Vlad is going to enter an era of injury and decline...just based on what I see of him.

 

 

 

SP

• Ryan Dempster

• Derek Lowe

• CC Sabathia

• Ben Sheets

•

 

No to DLowe.

Dempster - team option

Sabathia-me thinks he's in pinstripes next year

 

Sheets - He's the only guy here I can see as a potential FA acquisition, but like someone said earlier, the plethora of young arms in the Sox organization might preclude the Sox from going after him. That combined with Beckett's looming FA and I think it becomes even less likely.

 

Santana costs approx $17m per year for 8 years...if Sabathia or Sheets gets a contract that long, I think it'll be less per year than Santana's...but if the best they can do is get a 5 or 6-yr deal, they'll be up in that annual salary range (maybe $17m for Sabathia, $15m for Sheets). And if Beckett commands $13-$14m, it'll be awfully tough to justify that much payroll, even though pitching wins.

[Rdsxmbnt]

How about Bill Mueller and Lou Merloni

[KeepTheFaith1229]

Teixeira pl0x. Seriously, we NEED Teixeira, the rest of our offense is getting old and maybe starting to decline, Tex would be a breath of fresh air.

[ORS]

It won't be that tough to justify the payroll, IMO.

 

C: I see Tek coming back, but for less money = +3M

1B: Youk's 2nd arb year = -3M

2B: Dustin still @ minimum

SS: Jed @ min

3B: Lowell @ same

RF: JD @ same

CF: JE @ min

LF: Manny - Bay = +11M

 

BN: Cash @ min replaced by Brown / Kottaras @ min

BN: Lugo @ same, so long Cora = +2M (this is how good you have to be to make $2M?)

BN: Corner IF, maybe Casey, maybe other, let's call it a wash

BN: Coco @ same

 

SP: Beckett @ same

SP: Lester @ min

SP: Matsuzaka @ same

SP: Wake @ same

SP: ______________ fill in blank, see below

 

RP: Papelbon's first arb = -3M

RP: Okajima @ club option = -0.5M

RP: MDC @ min

RP: Aardsma @ min

 

Curt Schilling = +8M

 

Add up all the +/- and they have $17.5M to reach this year's level, with only a need for "fill in the blank" and another reliever or two. Also, keep in mind that the soft cap (the salary penalty level) moves out to approx $165M this year).

 

How do we fill in the blank? Internal options will be Masterson, Buchholz, or Bowden. There is a case to start all 3 in AAA, there is a case for each to earn a spot in ST, there is a case to have all start in AAA as depth and bring in a Ben Sheets. Given the money freeing up and the fact that I think all 3 pitchers could use a little more time to develop, I think I chose the latter option.

 

EDIT: That number may come down some. Lester and Pedroia are likely to qualify as a "Super-Two" and earn arb next year.

[TheKilo]

What if we traded Bowden for one of the TEX or SF catching prospects?

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Uhh' date=' no. He can be re-signed inexpensively without driving me nuts, but this team will need to move on from Tek at some point anyway, and that point's looking nowish considering his offensive woes.[/quote']

 

I don't care about his bat. What makes him important is the way he handles the pitching staff. He's probably the best in the majors in that category. Yes we will need to move on from the Tek era at some point, but not prematurely for the reason I just stated.

[ORS]

What if we traded Bowden for one of the TEX or SF catching prospects?

How about Suchholz instead?

[BoSox21]

Teixeira pl0x. Seriously' date=' we NEED Teixeira, the rest of our offense is getting old and maybe starting to decline, Tex would be a breath of fresh air.[/quote']

 

yea, Youkilis, Bay, Pedroia, Ellsbury and Lowrie are really getting on in years...

 

besides, where the hell do you put Tex anyway?

[TheKilo]

I don't care about his bat. What makes him important is the way he handles the pitching staff. He's probably the best in the majors in that category. Yes we will need to move on from the Tek era at some point' date=' but not prematurely for the reason I just stated.[/quote']

 

How much money are you willing to give Varitek?

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

What's his current deal (that isn't my answer I just don't know what the $$$ is on his current contract)?

[Cocos Disciples]

4/40 is what we signed him in 2005 I believe.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

I'd give him 2 or 3 years at $7 mil a year.

[TheKilo]

There's no way he takes that unless he signs a discount. Boras is his agent.

 

I'd take him at 2/14 too, it just won't happen.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Forgot about Boras. Damn...

[Rdsxmbnt]

What's the market for 37 year old catchers hitting .218? Call any Boras bluff, no one is giving him 7 mil.

[Jacoby_Ellsbury]

Because the average is worth far more than the way he handles our pitching staff and his effectiveness behind the plate. Right?