2011-2012 Offseason Thread

[Meh]

Benny Boy is still at the breakfast buffet.

 

With Street gone this opens money for the Rockies to bid on Kuroda now. Rockies are also hot after hometown boy Lidge.

[a700hitter]

It looks like Buehrle and Pujols will sign very soon.

[FredLynn]

It looks like Buehrle and Pujols will sign very soon.

 

Yeah, but WE got Andrew Miller.

[NativeBostonian]

Yeah' date=' but WE got Andrew Miller.[/quote']

 

What a signing, huh? Seriously though. What the hell were the Sox thinking. He is a waste of a roster spot.

[a700hitter]

What a signing' date=' huh? Seriously though. What the hell were the Sox thinking. He is a waste of a roster spot.[/quote']Was this a major league contract? He has no minor league options if it is a major league contract, so he would have to stay on the major league roster.

[sleepyhollow]

Maybe they'll Miller in a trade????

[FredLynn]

Was this a major league contract? He has no minor league options if it is a major league contract' date=' so he would have to stay on the major league roster.[/quote']

 

He was signed, so if he has no options left, its a ML contract. The fact of the matter is that the owners are not going to go significantly over the luxury tax threshold and if Ortiz accepts arbitration, as is likely since no one is going to pay him what HE thinks he is worth, there will be just $5M left to spend for all of our needs. Therefore, bums like Andrew Miller and Tim Wakefield are likely to find their way on to our roster this year, and guys like Cuddyer and Buerhle will not. This is why I can't see us competing for a ring for a few years.

[FredLynn]

Maybe they'll Miller in a trade????

 

What do you think we can get for Miller? Honestly, he is a worthless bum.

[a700hitter]

Pirates To Sign Erik Bedard

By Tim Dierkes [December 7 at 12:49pm CST]

 

The Pirates have agreed to sign lefty Erik Bedard, MLBTR has confirmed. Canadian journalist Marc Brassard first tweeted news of an impending $4.5MM deal.

 

Bedard, 32, is coming off his healthiest season since 2007. This year for the Mariners and Red Sox he posted a 3.62 ERA, 8.7 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, 0.97 HR/9, and 42% groundball rate in 129 1/3 innings. He missed time with knee and lat sprains, which wasn't too bad after shoulder surgeries limited him to 164 innings for 2008-09. The signing has upside for the Pirates, who needed some depth after losing Paul Maholm to free agency. Additionally, Charlie Morton had hip surgery in October and could miss the start of the season.

[VA Sox Fan]

 

:thumbsup:

[NativeBostonian]

He was signed' date=' so if he has no options left, its a ML contract. The fact of the matter is that the owners are not going to go significantly over the luxury tax threshold and if Ortiz accepts arbitration, as is likely since no one is going to pay him what HE thinks he is worth, there will be just $5M left to spend for all of our needs. Therefore, bums like Andrew Miller and Tim Wakefield are likely to find their way on to our roster this year, and guys like Cuddyer and Buerhle will not. This is why I can't see us competing for a ring for a few years.[/quote']

 

If Tim Wakefield gets signed by the Red Sox, I think I am going to be sick to my stomach. He doesn't bring anything to the table anymore. He wouldn't even be valuable as a one inning guy in the bullpen. That's because he can't even last an inning. That and if they sign him, and not Varitek, then they are the stupidest bunch of guys I've ever seen. At least Varitek brings something to the table (being able to manage the pitchers). Although, I think he has lost all credibility when it comes to him being a caption. He should have helped put a stop to that mess last year, when they collapsed. He, as a caption, should have been the leader they needed.

[redsoxrules]

GM Ben Cherington's comments today suggest the Red Sox won't be bringing back Tim Wakefield and Jason Varitek, says Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe

[SoxSport]

Mazz' article today echoes what a few of us have said here: Ortiz' money is better spent on pitching.

 

http://www.boston.com/sports/columnists/massarotti/2011/12/red_sox_have_done_little_to_im.html

[SoxSport]

What a signing' date=' huh? Seriously though. What the hell were the Sox thinking. He is a waste of a roster spot.[/quote']

 

You never know. He might be the next closer.

[a700hitter]

Red Sox, Rangers Discussing Trades

By Tim Dierkes [December 7 at 1:38pm CST]

 

The Rangers met with the Red Sox this morning, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan. The Sox have interest in Rangers relievers Koji Uehara and Mark Lowe, while the Rangers like infielder Jed Lowrie. Uehara and Lowe are both eligible for free agency after the 2012 season, while Lowrie is under team control through 2014.

 

The Orioles and other teams are interested in Uehara as well, but the Rangers still hold him in high regard despite his struggles late in the year for them.

It seems like Benji is off in too many directions with no focused plan.

[Meh]

Sox and Rangers talking about Lowe and/or Uehara. While Uehara could be your closer Lowe... eh I think Bard might be better than him. Lowe for Lowrie might make sense for both teams tho.

[SoxSport]

Benji better come out of this meeting with a closer, or there will be heat from the Globe and Herald.

[SoxSport]

Heyman says he thinks the Red Sox will get either Bailey or Madson. Stark is saying Street is still in play

with another team--the Padres deal isn't done. The suspense is mounting....

[jung]

I don't know...we keep thinking the best about these boneheads and we keep analyzing player moves based on them having their heads screwed on straight and they keep proving they have no clue.

 

Ortiz arbitration was a huge mistake....possibly being caught off guard on Sergio Santos is another big mistake if they don't want Bard to close. They did not even seen to know that Santos was available.

[a700hitter]

Padres Designate Jeremy Hermida For Assignment

By Tim Dierkes [December 7 at 2:18pm CST]

 

The Padres designated outfielder Jeremy Hermida for assignment, announced the team. Hermida, a 27-year-old former top prospect, hit .319/.400/.524 in 450 Triple-A plate appearances this year.

Hopefully, Theo signs this loser before Benji finishes Happy Hour tonight.

[redsoxrules]

CJ Wilson now has an offer from the Marlins.

Looks more likely that Pujols will re-sign with the Cardinals.

[jung]

Hopefully, Theo signs this loser before Benji finishes Happy Hour tonight.

 

Why wouldn't the Sox want Hermida. Lets get more bats and more bats...hell maybe we can lose game 15-10 instead of 12-8.

 

Actually I now thing I have discovered the Red Sox strategy. They are planning on numerous high scoring games that go well into 4:30 hours in length giving us fans value for our entertainment $. In addition they will collect more bear and food revenue for our extended stays. We won't be getting quality for our entertainment $ though...just quantity. We will be a series of lousy sitcoms instead of one solid oscar candidate movie.

[a700hitter]

White Sox, Red Sox Meeting On Danks, Floyd

By Tim Dierkes [December 7 at 2:28pm CST]

 

The White Sox and Red Sox are meeting to discuss Chicago starters John Danks and Gavin Floyd, tweets ESPNBoston's Gordon Edes.

And Benji is off yet in another direction.

[a700hitter]

The Sox are said to be in active pursuit of Eric Gunderson and Heathcliff Slocumb. Just kidding. I hope.

[jung]

The Sox are talking with this team and that team about this guy and that guy. They are talking with this agent and that agent.

 

Fly on wall listening in to those "discussions". "Hey" says BC, "do ya' think your guy will take a pay cut and play for half the money he played for last year to come and play in Boston, obviously the center of the universe?"

 

Agent: "Ah actually I don't think so".

 

BC: "OK....thanks for stoppin in."

[a700hitter]

The Sox are talking with this team and that team about this guy and that guy. They are talking with this agent and that agent.

 

Fly on wall listening in to those "discussions". "Hey" says BC, "do ya' think your guy will take a pay cut and play for half the money he played for last year to come and play in Boston, obviously the center of the universe?"

 

Agent: "Ah actually I don't think so".

 

BC: "OK....thanks for stoppin in."

You are probably not too far off. I got suspicious when Benji said that they would be looking for bargains. Some posters were all enthusiastic about that as if our guys have some innate ability to spot bargains better that the other 29 GMs. Please ... what arrogance. The advantage of the Red Sox is financial resources. They could blow through the cap if they wanted. it's their only chance of filing their holes. Our scouting department is no great shakes, neither is our talent development or our coaches. We have one clear advantage, but they are indicating that they will not use it.

[a700hitter]

Angels Closer To Adding Bullpen Depth

By Tim Dierkes [December 7, 2011 at 2:40pm CST]

 

The Angels are "getting closer to solving some of our desire to get deeper in the bullpen," if anything, GM Jerry Dipoto told reporters including MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez.

[a700hitter]

This just in. Benny Boy is taking a nap before Happy Hour. Those long plane flights really hit you on the 2nd or 3rd day.

[jung]

If my recent posts appear somewhat caustic it is because I am in a caustic mood.

 

We who are not paid to do any of this stuff have been talking about this LT cap subject for months now. I have to plead guilty to having gotten the 2010 numbers wrong. I did not go back and actually check the final numbers for that season and went with numbers posted by several media guys that were having pretty detailed discussions about the LT caps and teams above and below. That said apparently in 2010 they did not stay below the cap busting it by a stinking lousy $1.5M. I would have done everything in my power to have avoided doing that because it is not the tax on $1.5M that matters. What matters is that you now have a 1st year over the cap and each year in succession over the cap costs you more and more money in tax rate. So I would done whatever it took to whip that $1.5M off my books. As a Sox exec would you have had to have precisely accounted for your payroll to have done that. Sure, but that should be in part what they are paid to do. Considering how oblivious they are today, I suspect that the Sox did not even consider what they were doing at that time.

 

Multiple analysts also had the Sox below the threshold for 2011. I am no longer sure they stayed under for 2011. Although they moved AGons 1st year money to the following year by not signing him until his money would only count against the year following. That certainly made sense if it meant they could stay below the threshold for 2011. However it was overly complicated and hardly worth raising the player's eyebrows if in fact they were over for 2011 anyway. If it did in fact keep them below the cap for 2011 then it goes from not worthwhile to worthwhile.

 

It is becoming more and more obvious that these guys are just not that bright...none of them...certainly none of them left after Theo's departure. What they have done since Theo has left looks painfully like what they were trying to do before he left....Ortiz arbitration being Exhibit 1. I wonder if Peter Chiarelli and Cam Neely have any spare time to come over from the Bruins and clean up the Sox mess. They don't know anything about baseball but why should that matter. I don't think the current FO does either.

 

If I had to rate them as business people I would rate them far higher than I would rate them as baseball people.

 

By the way, I tend to agree that JH is not really long for ownership of this team. He will cash out taking a huge financial payoff as a result. The very first indication that he was not long for this could be found in Sox management continual improvements to Fenway as opposed to building new. That was literally a stroke of genius for a guy with an exit strategy and senseless for a guy really in for the long haul ala' the Steinbrunner's in NY and a number of other MLB owners.

[win red sox]

in reference to ortiz accepting arb, does this mean signing varitek to back up salty? I don't see Lavernaway catching once every 4-5 days and since there is no DH ab's his hitting and catching development will be stalled. Back to AAA or a trade chip.