Damage control....How can the Sox move foward this offseason?

[jacksonianmarch]

He's going to find out that unless he wants to play for the Royals or some other s*** team, he's not going to get a starting gig. There's just too many corner outfielders on the market right now.

 

But I hear what your saying, and I think he'll probably sign somewhere else. It would be nice to have him in our lineup though.

 

Bobby Abreu isnt getting a starting gig? Are you crazy or stupid?

[MNSoxChief102]

Bobby Abreu isnt getting a starting gig? Are you crazy or stupid?

 

Spoken like a true Yankees fan. Seriously, look at the amount of talented corner outfielders on the market right now. Unless he signs with a weak team, he won't get a starting job.

[Dipre]

Spoken like a true Yankees fan. Seriously' date=' look at the amount of talented corner outfielders on the market right now. Unless he signs with a weak team, he won't get a starting job.[/quote']

 

It pains me to do it.......

 

But i have to agree with the Yankee fan.......

 

The Mets and Cubs both could use a LHH, high OBP type OF, so Abreu kinda fits their mold.

 

He'll have a starting gig, and even worse for your argument, probably for a serious contender.

[jacksonianmarch]

So you are saying that a perennial 20/20 OFer with 100+RBI for 5 straight yrs and a perennial .370-.400OBP will get a 4th OFer job? Are you really serious? There are a plethora of good teams with high budgets who would love to have Bobby. LAA, NYM, LAD just to name a few. He will land a starting job. He will get a 3 yr, big money deal. You really dont get how the offseason usually goes do you? Once the big money pitcher signs, then the rest of the pitching dominoes fall. Once the big money offensive player signs, the rest of the offensive dominoes fall. You are going to see a flurry of signings after the new yr.

 

Going by your logic, I assume Pat Burrell should be looking for a minor league contract?

[Cocos Disciples]

Jacko is right. Really it's not even a debate, Abreu starts wherever he goes.

[riverside sluggers]

Peavy may not require him, but to make two trades...for a TEX catcher AND PEavy w/o giving him up may be out of the question.

I dont think the door is closed on Lowe, lets see how the market goes.

 

What else is garbage? signing 2 bats for the bench, one of which is a hometown guy, another one who fits the mold of a typical redsox versatile player? Signing a catcher who might put up better numbers than Varitek for less money, and possibly less of a commitment?

 

I bet Jeff Bailey or Chris Carter would be solid backups for 1st base. And they would just cost the Sox the min salary

[BoSox21]

lol @ 20/100 with .296/.371 and 22 SBs wont get a starting job

[riverside sluggers]

all I gotta say is that the sox off season plans have taken a major blow. Now, it is up to Papi's wrist to heal and for a scary #4 hitter to emerge behind him. It is also now up to the sox rotation to get by on last yrs holdovers rather than a new, flame throwing pitcher. The sox two highest priority objects are in pinstripes.

 

In terms of what they are gonna do. Hmm, well they are kinda f***ed. The C market is pathetic. Kottaras may get a shot, and why the hell not. He is a better hitter than Vtek right now. Maybe you sign Vtek and then let him know that he signed on part time. In terms of the rest of the offense, Lowell and Papi now get no help and need to return to form, or the sox are stuck. AND, now they get to deal with a pissed off Lowell who took less yrs and money to stay in Boston and was one day away from packing his things. I see the sox kicking the tires on Sheets, but someone will be willing to go to 3 yrs with him and I dont think that will be the sox. I could see them in on Smoltz too, but a 41 yr old guy coming off reconstructive shoulder surgery is not the best option. Especially since he has never played in the AL. Lowe looks to be signing with the Mets right now. And after that, you get the Oliver Perez's, Randy Wolf's, and Paul Byrd's of the league. Slim pickings and they will all be pricey.

 

That being said, the sox will be a good team next yr. But I could see them taking the 2008 yankees path. Build from within, hope an older, injured team can return to form and see if the holes can be filled internally. Only in the sox case, I still see them in the playoffs ( I expect a Ray hangover this yr).

 

Did you forget that Bay is a threat to have 30 Hrs/100 RBIs? Youk is also a solid part of the lineup. While he had a breakout year, he needs to prove that 08 wasnt just a career year. I imagine the lineup would look like this

 

Ellsbury

Pedroia

Ortiz

Youkilis

Drew

Bay

Lowell

catcher

Jed Lowrie/Julio Lugo

[TheKilo]

3rd best team

[Dipre]

3rd best team

 

Dude, seriously, you need to calm down..........

[TheKilo]

I'll calm down when this FO shows me they're committed to winning instead of lining their pockets.

 

They've rested on their laurels long enough. Improve the team.

[BoSox21]

I'll calm down when this FO shows me they're committed to winning instead of lining their pockets.

 

They've rested on their laurels long enough. Improve the team.

 

Word.

[riverside sluggers]

Roughly $60 million came off the books. The best move theyve done this offseason was sign Pedroia to an extension

 

Their other moves

claiming off waivers- Virgil Vazquez (DET), Dewon Day (CWS)

picking up options for Okajima and Wakefield

traded Coco Crisp to KC for Ramon Ramirez

traded prospect Beau Vaughn to Texas for Wes Littleton

signed Tazawa to a 3 year/$3 million contract (begins 09 in Portland)

 

It does leave a bad taste in my mouth that they were outbid by just $10 million for their main target of the offseason

[Rdsxmbnt]

Color me extremely disappointed. We didn't do anything last season, which was fine, there wasn't really any huge needs to fill or can't-miss opportunities. But this season we shed a ton of salary and with a FA class that comes along maybe once or twice in a decade it seemed like the Sox would make a move. A player of Teixiera's value rarely hits the FA market and considering he would have been a perfect fit, getting outbid by 10mil (spread out over 10 years) is quite frankly, ridiculous.

 

Now if the Sox go ahead and spend some money on Sheets or make a trade for Peavy then I'll change tunes but right now it looks like the tens of millions of dollars we shed are just going to be pocketed...

[jacksonianmarch]

Did you forget that Bay is a threat to have 30 Hrs/100 RBIs? Youk is also a solid part of the lineup. While he had a breakout year, he needs to prove that 08 wasnt just a career year. I imagine the lineup would look like this

 

Ellsbury

Pedroia

Ortiz

Youkilis

Drew

Bay

Lowell

catcher

Jed Lowrie/Julio Lugo

 

 

I like the sox lineup. That being said, there is a potential for 3 gaping holes and the potential for 2 other underachievers.

 

1. Ellsbury- His April and May were great from an OBP standpoint. He walked 27 times in 2 months. But he walked only 14 times from June to the end of the yr. If he does not regain the eye he had at the beginning of the yr, he will be out of the leadoff spot quickly. He cannot steal first base. And if he puts up another .330 or less OBP, then he's a pretty big hole since he delivers next to nothing in terms of power.

 

2. Pedroia, the MVP. Great player, wish he was on my team. That being said, I doubt he puts up similar power numbers. 73EBH from a guy 5'9 is not going to be the standard with him. That being said, another .320 season with an OPS in the .800+ range should be expected at this point.

 

3. David Ortiz. If Ortiz reverts to his 1.000OPS+ form, then this lineup will rock. But I think everyone and their mother could see that something was wrong at the end of the yr. His bat looked ridiculously slow. Was it the wrist? The knee? Rust? Age? Weight? Who knows. If he comes back healthy and rips, then he could very well be a potent force again. If he doesnt, then I think this lineup could be in trouble.

 

4. Kevin Youkilis. Will the real Kevin Youkilis please stand up? After never putting up a .500+ SLG in any full minor or major league season, Youks comes in and puts up a .569. His high prior to that in the bigs was .453 in 07. Is it a fluke? If it isnt, then he adequately protects Papi and makes this lineup solid. If it was a fluke and he comes back to his hig OBP but mid range SLG baseline, then he isnt a #4 hitter and will cause some serious concern in RSN.

 

5. JD Drew. Solid .880+ OPS player when he plays. Missed a lot of time last yr due to various ailments. If he plays 140 games, the sox should get a solid line with good SLG and OBP out of him

 

6. Jason Bay. Solid pickup. Subtracting out one bad yr, he is a perennial .370+ OBP and .890+ OPS kind of guy. Assuming he has a good contract yr, he should hit .280 with 30+ homers and 100+ RBI, while reaching base 38-40% of the time.

 

7. Mike Lowell. Is he healthy? If he is, then he could be a .290/25/100 kind of guy. If he isnt or if father time starts wearing away, he could be a liability.

 

8. Lugo or Lowrie, either one's are offensive liabilities

 

9. Catcher- HOLE

 

If everything breaks right, and Ortiz plays well, Youks continues his out of character power surge, Pedroia continues to hit for power, Ellsbury learns to walk, Drew stays healthy and Lowell resurges, then this is a dominant lineup, capable of hanging with the yankees. If not, then this lineup will still be a top 10 in the game, but it wont be as much of an advantage than it has been in the past

[BSN07]

Color me extremely disappointed. We didn't do anything last season, which was fine, there wasn't really any huge needs to fill or can't-miss opportunities. But this season we shed a ton of salary and with a FA class that comes along maybe once or twice in a decade it seemed like the Sox would make a move. A player of Teixiera's value rarely hits the FA market and considering he would have been a perfect fit, getting outbid by 10mil (spread out over 10 years) is quite frankly, ridiculous.

 

Now if the Sox go ahead and spend some money on Sheets or make a trade for Peavy then I'll change tunes but right now it looks like the tens of millions of dollars we shed are just going to be pocketed...

 

Doesn't matter really how much the Sox where outbid by. Teixeira preffered the Yankees. The Sox would have to take in the stink eye for him to have come to Boston. And the FO decided against anal rape.

[a700hitter]

Doesn't matter really how much the Sox where outbid by. Teixeira preffered the Yankees. The Sox would have to take in the stink eye for him to have come to Boston. And the FO decided against anal rape.

Speculation and spin. The Yankees got him the Red Sox didn't. The Sox FO tried hard to get him, but couldn't get it done. That's all that matters.

[Dipre]

Speculation and spin. The Yankees got him the Red Sox didn't. The Sox FO tried hard to get him' date=' but couldn't get it done. That's all that matters.[/quote']

 

Black and white analysis is never correct, sir.

 

No one here is fully aware of how the negotiations broke down, so your "couldn't get it done" argument borders on being a knucklehead statement......no offense meant, by the way.

[BSN07]

Black and white analysis is never correct, sir.

 

No one here is fully aware of how the negotiations broke down, so your "couldn't get it done" argument borders on being a knucklehead statement......no offense meant, by the way.

 

It's just A700 style.

[a700hitter]

Black and white analysis is never correct, sir.

 

No one here is fully aware of how the negotiations broke down, so your "couldn't get it done" argument borders on being a knucklehead statement......no offense meant, by the way.

The Red Sox were a party to the negotiation. They wanted Tex, but they didn't get him. From that you conclude ... success? That's a knucklehead idea.

[MNSoxChief102]

So you are saying that a perennial 20/20 OFer with 100+RBI for 5 straight yrs and a perennial .370-.400OBP will get a 4th OFer job? Are you really serious? There are a plethora of good teams with high budgets who would love to have Bobby. LAA, NYM, LAD just to name a few. He will land a starting job. He will get a 3 yr, big money deal. You really dont get how the offseason usually goes do you? Once the big money pitcher signs, then the rest of the pitching dominoes fall. Once the big money offensive player signs, the rest of the offensive dominoes fall. You are going to see a flurry of signings after the new yr.

 

Going by your logic, I assume Pat Burrell should be looking for a minor league contract?

 

Not at all. Look, I'm not saying it's impossible that he'll get a starting job. He very well might get just that if the Cubs, Angels, or Rays are really serious about signing him. But there are a ton of guys out there right now that will end up platooning in the outfield and while I think Abreu is the best on the market, I think he's also finding out that teams are not willing to dump a big contract on him right now. All of that is subject to change at a moment's notice though, if a team gets it in their head that he's the difference maker for their team and are willing to pay for his services.

 

For the record, I do understand the off-season. I just see things differently then you do. That's the beauty of a message board last I checked. We all have different opinions and get to argue about them without ever having to worry about things becoming personal.

[Cocos Disciples]

Not at all. Look, I'm not saying it's impossible that he'll get a starting job. He very well might get just that if the Cubs, Angels, or Rays are really serious about signing him. But there are a ton of guys out there right now that will end up platooning in the outfield and while I think Abreu is the best on the market, I think he's also finding out that teams are not willing to dump a big contract on him right now. All of that is subject to change at a moment's notice though, if a team gets it in their head that he's the difference maker for their team and are willing to pay for his services.

 

For the record, I do understand the off-season. I just see things differently then you do. That's the beauty of a message board last I checked. We all have different opinions and get to argue about them without ever having to worry about things becoming personal.

 

Okay, but what team gives Bobby Abreu 12-14 mil/year and doesn't have him in their lineup? Also, why would Abreu agree to that? It's never going to happen.

[MNSoxChief102]

Okay' date=' but what team gives Bobby Abreu 12-14 mil/year and doesn't have him in their lineup? Also, why would Abreu agree to that? It's never going to happen.[/quote']

 

Exactly. If a team is willing to pay him 12-14 a year, then hell yeah, he'll be their starter. But there are a lot of factors that could limit his salary right now, so you never know.

[Cocos Disciples]

Exactly. If a team is willing to pay him 12-14 a year' date=' then hell yeah, he'll be their starter. But there are a lot of factors that could limit his salary right now, so you never know.[/quote']

 

Somebody will be willing to take him. There's no way Abreu settles for lesser salary and a bench role. Come on.

[BSN07]

Less salary yes, but he will have a starting gig.

 

I'd say the mets have a good shot, I guess it depends if Dunn signs first.

 

I think Dunn ends up in CHC or LA.

[MNSoxChief102]

Somebody will be willing to take him. There's no way Abreu settles for lesser salary and a bench role. Come on.

 

I never said he'd be happy about it or even take it for that matter. I just said that there will be a lot of teams that would love to have him in that capacity, and if the few teams that have the ability to give him starter cash and playing time go in a different direction, he could be left with a tough decision. That is all.

[Cocos Disciples]

Free agent corner outfielders who are absolutely guaranteed a starting gig in 2009: Manny Ramirez, Pat Burrell, Adam Dunn, Milton Bradley, Bobby Abreu. That's five guys. You're telling me that of these five guys, there won't be enough teams who are interested?

[MNSoxChief102]

Free agent corner outfielders who are absolutely guaranteed a starting gig in 2009: Manny Ramirez' date=' Pat Burrell, Adam Dunn, Milton Bradley, Bobby Abreu. That's five guys. You're telling me that of these five guys, there won't be enough teams who are interested?[/quote']

 

Of course there's enough teams that will be interested but the question is whether there's enough money/playing time to go around for all five.

 

Seriously, I won't be surprised if a team does end up paying him big time cash and guarantee him a starting gig. I'm just saying that it's plausible that the opposite might occur as well.

[Cocos Disciples]

I honestly do not think that is plausible. Whatever.

[example1]

Boras invited them to come to Texas, ostensibly to seal the deal. Then he tried to get them to raise their price, what, $20m, telling them there was a 200m offer? Jesus, only one team ended up paying what he wanted and it was the f***ing Yankees.

 

I agree with Kilos sentiment that they need to make some improvements, but honestly I think the security of the pitching staff would be a fine way to improve. Flex some of that big money for Sheets and Smoltz and add two veterans to the rotation for one year, two if certain IPs are reached. Sheets put up nearly 200IP last year and Smoltz is still a very good pitcher when healthy. I would feel better knowing that those guys were on the bump every 5th day than dealing with Wakefield, etc.,

 

I acknowledge that if the Sox aren't going to maxamize their positions in every spot (1B and 3B, for instance) they have to take advantage of the weaker spots and I think the old 200IP for a slightly better than 500 pitcher line should be dropped. Thanks Wake, it was nice, time for a higher upside pitcher. s***, pay wake to sit on his ass and pitch when he is needed.