2011-2012 Offseason Thread

[Meh]

Jim Bowden speculates on a Red Sox/A's trade involving Gio Gonzalez

 

 

 

WMB, Ranaudo, AND Kalish?!?! Yikes. I don't know if I'm good with that. First off, I would hate to have to give up WMB in any trade. Second, I would hate to have to giev up Kalish in any trade. And I would absolutely not dish Kalish AND WMB for one player.

 

If I had to make the deal, I'd go WMB, Ranaudo, and maybe Reddick.

 

What do you think WMB is? Check out his BABIP.

 

2008: Lowell--------59g 226pa .380babip 32.3k% .254/.298/.368

2009: Greenville--103g 427pa .372babip 28.8k% .265/.349/.404

2010: Salem------114g 481pa .348babip 25.2k% .275/.328/.438

2011: Portland-----96g 397pa .363babip 23.9k% .302/.345/.520

 

Someone over at SP called him a Brandon Inge clone with more power. Also Ranaudo kind of got reviews similar to Matt Stone in BASEketball. Kalish is always hurt as well, check out the kind of trade value Jed Lowrie had today and he was proven he could hit major league hitting, what do you think Kalish's value is?

[WhiskeyBreath]

WTH ? Nick Punto for 3.5 MIL .

 

FFS Ben

 

$3MM for 2 years is pretty decent value considering what he can give this team off the bench with what should be above average D at multiple positions.

[redsoxrules]

The Red Sox did not bid on Darvish, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe

 

Good

[redsoxrules]

Three MLB executives speculated that the Blue Jays and Rangers are candidates to win the bidding for Darvish, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney

[SoxSport]

Gio has some salary protection, doesn't he? He would be worth a couple of top prospects-- a LHd starter near the top of the rotation. It apparently will take Middlebrook. They would have to do some fast shuffling about Youks successor.

 

Now if Epstein had re-signed Beltre, they wouldn't have this dilemma...And Theo would not be in Chicago.

 

What they should do is trade CC for Gio, and pay half of CC's salary--about what he is worth.

[iortiz]

The Red Sox did not bid on Darvish' date=' according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe [/b']

 

Good

 

Maybe they are close on somebody else, I guess.

[redsoxrules]

Gio has some salary protection, doesn't he? He would be worth a couple of top prospects-- a LHd starter near the top of the rotation. It apparently will take Middlebrook. They would have to do some fast shuffling about Youks successor.

 

Now if Epstein had re-signed Beltre, they wouldn't have this dilemma...And Theo would not be in Chicago.

 

What they should do is trade CC for Gio, and pay half of CC's salary--about what he is worth.

 

After the year he had , it would take more than that

[SoxSport]

Maybe they are close on somebody else' date=' I guess.[/quote']

 

Henry found out Darvish couldn't play soccer. That sealed it.

[iortiz]

Henry found out Darvish couldn't play soccer. That sealed it.

 

Well, he found out that some players that landed to Boston lately couldn't play ball either, the little problem my friend is that when he found it out he already paid them tons of money.

[seabeachfred]

Shaping up 700? Shaping up as what. I don't exactly get all warm and fuzzy with the likes of Jenks, Melancon, Albers and Morales. Sure, they may end up a pretty good foursome but nothing in their recent past makes me want to do headstands. The closer's job looks like it could end up a closer-by-committee, that is if the Red Sox didn't learn from that 2003 debacle that cost us many early season games and the AL East that year.

 

Melancon did well for Houston but that was Houston and the AL East is a whole different ballgame. Jenks was nothing more than a overstuffed porker last season, Albers faded fast in clutch time and Morales was always worth a trip to the bathroom. I will say we are deeper now than before but I still would like to see Bard and Aceves out there in the pen and us going for a good starting pitcher. Maybe put Aceves in the rotation if that means we could avoid signing Wakefield again. I want to make that clear....No Wakefield.

[redsoxrules]

It dosen't look good for Darvish to get the money he wants.

I think he'll be staying in Japan cause I doubt the Rangers or the Blue Jays will give up

100M for him .

[mvp 78]

I am glad that we finally have something to discuss. He should be a solid bullpen arm. I'm not sure if he is closer material. So far our pen is shaping up as:

 

Malancon

Jenks

Albers

Morales

 

Aceves should be slotted in there too. I don't buy him as a starter. Morales also pitched well down the stretch. He's decent for a middle reliever. With better conditioning and a more even workload, Albers could pitch well for a full season. I'm not counting on Jenks for anything, but stranger things have happened.

[Palodios]

Wow.

 

I am not impressed by this move at all.

 

Hopefully this means the Sox are saving their chips for Gio because Bailey was costing too much.

 

Mark Melancon. Awesome. I'd rather have kept Lowrie (who crushes LHP) and Weiland (who probably will end up being as good as or better than Melancon).

 

Despite my love for Lowrie, I'm going to argue you on this one. They got a guy who was closing in 2011 for five cost controlled years. Consider how little payroll flexibility that this team had. To get a quality setup guy for little to no extra salary costs will end up being clutch. Melancon had an ERA of half a point LOWER than Bard last year, and NL closers almost never throw to pitchers.

 

Weiland is 25 years old and had a 7.86 ERA last year. Even if he did turn it around, could you see him being anything better than a #5/6 starter? Or could you see Lowrie stay healthy for a full season?

[a700hitter]

It dosen't look good for Darvish to get the money he wants.

I think he'll be staying in Japan cause I doubt the Rangers or the Blue Jays will give up

100M for him .

They can pay Darvish more than Dice K got and spend less money overall than the Sox paid for Dice K if they avoid the stupidity of posting a ridiculously high bid like the Sox did.

[Palodios]

Jim Bowden speculates on a Red Sox/A's trade involving Gio Gonzalez

 

WMB, Ranaudo, AND Kalish?!?! Yikes. I don't know if I'm good with that. First off, I would hate to have to give up WMB in any trade. Second, I would hate to have to giev up Kalish in any trade. And I would absolutely not dish Kalish AND WMB for one player.

 

If I had to make the deal, I'd go WMB, Ranaudo, and maybe Reddick.

 

I would bet that any deal for a high quality major league player will start with Lavarnway.

[redsoxrules]

They can pay Darvish more than Dice K got and spend less money overall than the Sox paid for Dice K if they avoid the stupidity of posting a ridiculously high bid like the Sox did.

 

According to reports, the winning bid is sky high

[Palodios]

Is there any penalty for not signing Darvish? What if the Blue Jays bid high solely so they could prevent the Sox/Yanks from getting him, and then didn't offer him much of a contract?

[a700hitter]

Is there any penalty for not signing Darvish? What if the Blue Jays bid high solely so they could prevent the Sox/Yanks from getting him' date=' and then didn't offer him much of a contract?[/quote']i'm not sure if they lose the posting fee.

[Bellhorn04]

You keep the posting fee if you don't sign the player. That was made clear in the Dice-K proceedings which Boras dragged out until the final hour.

[Meh]

Is there any penalty for not signing Darvish? What if the Blue Jays bid high solely so they could prevent the Sox/Yanks from getting him' date=' and then didn't offer him much of a contract?[/quote']

 

the claim would be awarded to the next highest bidder, so who ever was second highest.

[Palodios]

the claim would be awarded to the next highest bidder' date=' so who ever was second highest.[/quote']

 

I don't think it works like that. The rights to the player go back to his team and he will need to post again in later years, according to Wiki.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_system#Process

[Palodios]

i'm not sure if they lose the posting fee.

 

They only pay the posting fee if they get the player. Otherwise, what would stop Darvish from posting, rejecting the offer and letting his team reap the benefits of the posting fee to make his team better?

[a700hitter]

He really rips the Punto signing and asks why would the Sox continue to hold onto Aviles if he can't be trusted as the backup at the middle IF and 3B spots. It's a good question.

 

When did the Red Sox get all thrifty?

 

Matthew Pouliot

 

Dec 14, 2011, 6:04 PM EST

 

Nick Punto? A closer making the minimum? Nick Punto? NICK PUNTO?!?

 

And no Yu Darvish, in case you were wondering.

 

Now we know why the Red Sox were ticked off the White Sox sent Sergio Santos to the Blue Jays without ever shopping him around first.

 

Picking up Mark Melancon from the Astros in return for Jed Lowrie and Kyle Weiland did make sense for Boston. Lowrie may yet turn into a fine regular at second base, but his glove doesn’t quite cut it at shortstop and his injury history is truly worrisome. The Astros will play him at short for now, but they may end up putting him at third base for the long haul. Weiland profiles better as a reliever than as a starter, though he may turn into a quality setup man in time.

 

I’m a believer in Melancon, having had him projected for a 3.13 ERA and a 62/22 K/BB ratio in 69 innings next season. Anyone pointing to his walk rate as a reason to be nervous should take note that six of the 26 walks he issued in his 74 1/3 innings last season were intentional. Melancon will never be Jonathan Papelbon, but he should be a nice asset, particularly while he’s making the minimum these next two years.

 

The Punto signing, on the other hand, is pretty gruesome. Punto is a lot more likely to revert to 2010 form (.238/.313/.302) than he is to match the 2011 line (.278/.388/.421) that he acheived in limited action for St. Louis (133 at-bats). His signing makes one wonder just why the Red Sox are holding on to Mike Aviles. Aviles has some offensive ability, but if he’s not going to be trusted to backup the infield spots, there’s not much sense to keeping him around. If it’s going to be Punto, not Aviles and certainly now not Lowrie, getting the call at third base when Kevin Youkilis is banged up next season, the Red Sox will be taking a big hit at the bottom of the lineup.

 

But then the Red Sox are starting to get used to taking big hits

[iortiz]

He really rips the Punto signing and asks why would the Sox continue to hold onto Aviles if he can't be trusted as the backup at the middle IF and 3B spots. It's a good question.

 

.... mmmm what I read from this is that Aviles/Scutaro plus some other top prospects like Lav and maybe Kalish/Reddick OR Youk plus a middle caliber prospect go to Oakland/Chicago.

[a700hitter]

.... mmmm what I read from this is that Aviles/Scutaro plus some other top prospects like Lav and maybe Kalish/Reddick OR Youk plus a middle caliber prospect go to Oakland/Chicago.

Something else must be brewing.

[iortiz]

Something else must be brewing.

 

I have a feeling that Beltran will land if Reddick and mostly Kalish walks. I'm not sure if they are seeing Kalish or Redick with a full time job.

[a700hitter]

I have a feeling that Beltran will land if Reddick and mostly Kalish walks. I'm not sure if they are prepare to give Kalish or Redick a full time job.

I'd really like Beltran to join the Sox, but I think the Cards will land him.

[iortiz]

I'd really like Beltran to join the Sox' date=' but I think the Cards will land him.[/quote']

 

True. What other options are out there?

[a700hitter]

True. What other options are out there?

Quentin? I don't want him. Cuddyer? It doesn't seem like we are in the running for him. I don't know who might be under the radar.

[iortiz]

Quentin? I don't want him. Cuddyer? It doesn't seem like we are in the running for him. I don't know who might be under the radar.

 

Well, If Youk walks and we don't make an upgrade in our offense, I'm not sure if we can live all the season, let's say with Reddick/Kalish and probably Aviles in 3rd base, regardless Salty and Scutaro don't scare anybody.

 

We'll see.