2011-2012 Offseason Thread

[jung]

What do we think the Sox are actually doing with Padilla.....using discussions with him to earn some insurance against missing out on either Kuroda or Oswalt? I can't see the Sox taking Padilla unless they miss one of those two guys. Maybe stash Padilla in the minors?

[User Name]

What do we think the Sox are actually doing with Padilla.....using discussions with him to earn some insurance against missing out on either Kuroda or Oswalt? I can't see the Sox taking Padilla unless they miss one of those two guys. Maybe stash Padilla in the minors?

 

It's supposedly a split Minor/Major league contract, a la Cook.

[iortiz]

What do we think the Sox are actually doing with Padilla.....using discussions with him to earn some insurance against missing out on either Kuroda or Oswalt? I can't see the Sox taking Padilla unless they miss one of those two guys. Maybe stash Padilla in the minors?

 

Call me crazy but if mind-healthy, he could be a good depth arm.

[ForeverYoung]

Morales is not a starting pitcher though. It's more likely that Doubront and Padilla (if signed) will take some of the spot starts.

 

Morales started when he was in Colorado's system, I would feel better putting Morales in to suck up innings than a proven BP arm like Bard in the rotation. Granted, Morales has never pitched more than 46 innings in a season, but I would rather burn him out than Bard honestly. Bard is an investment, a strong setup/closer that has never started, and Morales is a career middle reliever with the potential to start in spots.

 

I could see Padilla, its a descent patchwork signing to eat innings.

 

Lester is not a proven Ace, Beckett is at the end of his usability, Buchy as good as he is doesn't have the reliability and durability to be our future. Pure and simple we need to go out and get a distinctive arm, and that is not going to be this year.

[User Name]

From MLBTR:

 

The Sox offered Tek an MILB deal. (Makes no sense).

 

Kuroda is sending signals to the Yanks and Sox signifying his desire to sign with either team.

 

As an earlier report mentioned, the asking price for Kuroda, Oswalt and Jackson is dropping rapidly.

[RedSoxNC84]

From MLBTR:

 

The Sox offered Tek an MILB deal. (Makes no sense).

 

Kuroda is sending signals to the Yanks and Sox signifying his desire to sign with either team.

 

As an earlier report mentioned, the asking price for Kuroda, Oswalt and Jackson is dropping rapidly.

 

They just can't give Tek the boot. I wouldn't be surprised to see Wakefield on a minors contract with a spring training invite as well.

[iortiz]

From MLBTR:

 

The Sox offered Tek an MILB deal. (Makes no sense).

 

Kuroda is sending signals to the Yanks and Sox signifying his desire to sign with either team.

 

As an earlier report mentioned, the asking price for Kuroda, Oswalt and Jackson is dropping rapidly.

 

Ben, time to pull the trigger!

[a700hitter]

Call me crazy but if mind-healthy' date=' he could be a good depth arm.[/quote']He's always had a good arm, but unlike a physical injury, crazy rarely heals.

[iortiz]

He's always had a good arm' date=' but unlike a physical injury, crazy rarely heals.[/quote']

Well, maybe some BV's therapies could help him a bit.

 

BTW Some of our current roster should attend those sessions as well.

[jacksonianmarch]

Padilla's teammates hate him. He's an ******* and he intentionally hits other batters causing his players to get smoked. He'd be a great fit on the sox, especially with how harmonious their season ended

[a700hitter]

I might be unrealistic on Dice-K's recovery, I will give you that.

 

I have my Starting Rotation looking like this:

1. Lester

2. Beckett

3. Buchohlz

4. Aceves

5. Silva

 

Cook will be in AAA and will be the spot/ injury pitcher, and Morales, Dubrount will earn some starts during the season.

Like I have said before, I think this is a band-aid year. We patch things up and try and hope our offense carries us into the post-season, than we get real serious next Free Agent class.

I don't think it is a very good situation when you have to start the season with your depth starters in the rotation. That would put an early strain on the bullpen, especially coupled with the fact that it would be unrealistic to expect Aceves to work deep into games. It is possible that Doubront steps up and wins a rotation spot, but other than that the others are just not very good options.

[User Name]

Padilla's teammates hate him. He's an ******* and he intentionally hits other batters causing his players to get smoked. He'd be a great fit on the sox' date=' especially with how harmonious their season ended[/quote']

 

I'm sold. Sign him up if he's going to hit Yankee batters.

[a700hitter]

They just can't give Tek the boot. I wouldn't be surprised to see Wakefield on a minors contract with a spring training invite as well.

Just what we need Tek and Wakefield in the Fort Myers clubhouse throwing banana peels in the path of the pitchers and catchers.

 

Some poster(s) excoriated another poster (I think Fred) for his fear that the Sox would look to bring back these over the hill bums. I think his fear has just been justified.

[User Name]

Conjecture. Wakefield hasn't even been mentioned anywhere.

[Elktonnick]

From MLBTR:

 

The Sox offered Tek an MILB deal. (Makes no sense).

 

Kuroda is sending signals to the Yanks and Sox signifying his desire to sign with either team.

 

As an earlier report mentioned, the asking price for Kuroda, Oswalt and Jackson is dropping rapidly.

 

When will this stop. If Varitek has no chance of making the team unless Salty or Shop get injured ( as was also reported on CSNE) why do this? I think it is unfair to everyone to prolong this agony. The humane thing to evryone is to end this false sense of hope.

[User Name]

When will this stop. If Varitek has no chance of making the team unless Salty or Shop get injured ( as was also reported on CSNE) why do this? I think it is unfair to everyone to prolong this agony. The humane thing to evryone is to end this false sense of hope.

 

I'm just glad Wakefield isn't being mentioned anywhere.

[jung]

When will this stop. If Varitek has no chance of making the team unless Salty or Shop get injured ( as was also reported on CSNE) why do this? I think it is unfair to everyone to prolong this agony. The humane thing to evryone is to end this false sense of hope.

 

I am not sure anybody other than Tek is even hoping any longer.

[Elktonnick]

I am not sure anybody other than Tek is even hoping any longer.

 

Moreover how does this move help unite the team and bring closure to the 2011 season, so everone can move on.

[italstallianion]

I'm sold. Sign him up if he's going to hit Yankee batters.

 

 

We just need to swing a trade for Zambrano, sign Farnsworth with Padilla and pick up Jonny Gomes and we'll have the toughest team with baseball. The Yankees and Rays will take at bats from someplace safe like the dugout.

[jacksonianmarch]

When will this stop. If Varitek has no chance of making the team unless Salty or Shop get injured ( as was also reported on CSNE) why do this? I think it is unfair to everyone to prolong this agony. The humane thing to evryone is to end this false sense of hope.

 

This is exactly what the Yanks did with Bernie. Brought him back after his contract ended for a 1 yr deal at short money then effectively offered him an MiLB deal with no chance of making the squad. Its a hint from management that you're done, but it also isnt conveyed as giving up completely on a former focal point of the team

[italstallianion]

It looks like Oswalt's price has dropped to $8 million. I'm surprised he hasn't been signed yet. I'd be really pissed off if he goes to a team like the Yankees for $8 million. I'd rather spend $8 million on Oswalt than save the money and start Bard/Aceves/Padilla/Cook/insert 5+ AAAA players here) Not to mention the benefits of him being a very good pitcher, it being a 1 year deal, and it's only $8 million.

 

Granted, it'd technically cost more with the luxury tax, but those wins are worth it especially since we were 1 win away from going to the playoffs and our rotation was the main reason. To me that's worth the extra money, especially since he's cheaper (and in my opinion a better player) than Kuroda.

[italstallianion]

Hell I'd personally start a collection bucket for Red Sox Nation to chip in on the money it'd take to get Oswalt. It'd only take a couple dollars a piece from the Sox fans.

[jung]

What is interesting to me about the recent announcements of cost reductions for both Kuroda and Oswalt is that those announcements would not have come from the teams involved. There is no benefit to the teams in announcing these cost reductions even covertly. The benefit is to the players and their agents in turning up the wick on the teams to cover the difference between what they have offered to date and $8M.

 

If this still drags on for awhile it probably says that the offers on the table are quite a bit lower than $8M as hard as that might be to imagine. I don't believe it is possible that those two guys do not have some offer or offers in front of them right now.

 

So we shall see. Having made the announcements I don't think the players will capitulate quickly for a number lower than $7.5M or $7M although I guess I could see the players capitulating at some point. This is a really interesting situation to watch develop.

[a700hitter]

We just need to swing a trade for Zambrano' date=' sign Farnsworth with Padilla and pick up Jonny Gomes and we'll have the toughest team with baseball. The Yankees and Rays will take at bats from someplace safe like the dugout.[/quote']I don't even think those guys shower. We can save on the water bill too.

 

Seriously though, what do you think of Gomes as part of a righty/lefty platoon? He's always had good splits against lefties.

[a700hitter]

Hell I'd personally start a collection bucket for Red Sox Nation to chip in on the money it'd take to get Oswalt. It'd only take a couple dollars a piece from the Sox fans.

I think we have enough fans on this forum to make a difference if we took up a collection.

[RedSoxNC84]

I don't even think those guys shower. We can save on the water bill too.

 

Seriously though, what do you think of Gomes as part of a righty/lefty platoon? He's always had good splits against lefties.

 

 

I for one like the idea of Gomes platooning in right. Much better than the McDonald option.

 

As long as they don't have McDonald pitch another game though, I'll be happy.

[seabeachfred]

I don't believe depth signings are all we're going to see for the remainder of the offseason, I think they are trying to brew something up with Oswalt or Kuroda. Jackson in my opinion is far too expensive for what the Sox are looking for currently. I think they could get Oswalt on a reasonable one year deal, or possibly Kuroda on the same type of deal. After that, I wouldn't be surprised to see a couple more bullpen signings as well as the dumpster diver depth guys will be competing for the roles of who-gets-called-up-first-in-case-of-injury.

 

Basically I think they are trying to wait out the Yankees, see which one of the two the Yanks sign first, then grab the other one.

 

I wish I shared your optimism on that one RS84 but with each passing day it seems to become clearer that if the prices don't go down Prune Face Henry is not going to up the ante and allocate more money for anything and will make due with what we have.....a very bad idea if I'm right. Let's hope you're right on that one because we've been dumpster dumping all winter save for Bailey and Melancon, two good acquisitons.

[seabeachfred]

And when you come to Boston I would really enjoy meeting you as well. And guess what? Boston has several really' date=' really good Mexican restaurants. One of them is within a ten minute walk from Fenway "Sol Azteca". My friend owns the joint.[/quote']

 

I come to Boston two or three times a year so I will let you know Spudboy, and thank you for the invite. It would be a change of pace for me because to me Boston culinary delights mean the North End, the best Italian section in the whole country. Man alive, what Italian food there, and this Dago feasts when he gets there. Still, Sol Azteca sounds pretty good from where I sit and I only hope they have chicken enchiladas and tacos WITHOUT ONIONS. Thanks again.

[jung]

I would not be waiting for the Yanks or somebody to take one of the two pitchers we have been talking about so that the Sox could take the other. Once one goes the other will not have much incentive to lower his price any longer and the burden will fall more on the team that still does not have a pitcher to up their offer and make sure to get the one pitcher remaining.

[italstallianion]

I could also see the price of one of the other options increasing as soon as the first one of Oswalt/Kuroda signs, especially if the first one doesn't sign with the Yankees or Red Sox.