2011-2012 Offseason Thread

[FredLynn]

Ellsbury and Sweeney.

 

And McDonald and Aviles.

[FredLynn]

They have to sign someone unless it's a minor procedure.

 

No, they don't.

This is a rebuilding year and the main focus should be to stay under the cap and rebuild. That has to be the strategy IMO. The final record this year does not matter one bit to me as long as they remain under the cap and fix the clubhouse. Thats enough to do for one season.

[FredLynn]

 

Damn...missed out on Saunders. One more bum Cherington failed to sign.

[a700hitter]

And McDonald and Aviles.

McDonald is a minor league hack and Aviles is an infielder. Sweeney stinks, but at least he is an outfielder. We have 2 major league outfielders. That's it. I wonder how J.D. is feeling these days. I wonder if his iddy biddy pinkie has healed.

[jung]

Are we a little surprised that after such a rotten season Crawford must have shut it down completely until the last couple of days? This is probably the process he has gone through every offseason and every preseason but after the year he barfed up last year....just picked up the bat now???? I would have thought he would have been a little more aggresive than that.

[SoxSport]

He is... I said my 2013 rotation would be CC' date=' Hamels, Pineda, Nova and Banuelos.[/quote']

 

 

Exclude Hamels and Banuelos. The Yankee rotation this year is deeper than the Red Sox rotation after getting Pineda and Kuroda, but the Red Sox have a better top 3 in Beckett, Lester and Buchholz. The trouble last year was Buchholz was hurt half the year, and Lester started and finished slowly. But the top 3 quality is better in Boston--as long as they stay healthy. Kuroda is 37, Pineda trailed off the 2nd half and Sabathia has been a machine the past few years. He's bound to have a setback eventually with his body and the number of innings he's pitched.

 

The Red Sox should recognize their top 3 is better, and back it up with another quality starter in case one of the top 3 goes down.

[a700hitter]

Exclude Hamels and Banuelos. The Yankee rotation this year is deeper than the Red Sox rotation after getting Pineda and Kuroda' date=' but the Red Sox have a better top 3 in Beckett, Lester and Buchholz. The trouble last year was Buchholz was hurt half the year, and Lester started and finished slowly. But the top 3 quality is better in Boston--as long as they stay healthy. Kuroda is 37, Pineda trailed off the 2nd half and [b']Sabathia has been a machine the past few years. He's bound to have a setback eventually with his body and the number of innings he's pitched.[/b]

 

The Red Sox should recognize their top 3 is better, and back it up with another quality starter in case one of the top 3 goes down.

It's a red flag to me when we get into hopes like above. I am not above wishing a Yankee get injured, but when we go into a season hoping that Bard and Aceves can successfully convert to starting, that Aviles can play the OF, that Darnell McDonald can become a solid major leaguer in his 30's, that Bailey stays healthy and throws more than 40 innings, that Melancon can be as successful in the ALE as he was for the Stros last year, that none of our top 3 miss any starts, that Arod is in decline, that Jeter and Mo start to decline, and that CC's body breaks down, we are probably in for a very rocky season.

[jung]

Actually the article on the Crawford surgery says that Crawford did experience soreness in the wrist at the end of last season but the decision at the time was to wait through the offseason and see how it felt whenever he cranked it up again for the 2012 season. How the heck does that decision make any sense? The guy is a big part of your payroll and you are projecting him to be a bi part of your season and you just let him walk out the door until the start of the next season.

 

Then I also don't wonder if Crawford not making himself available when V was trying to contact him was really Crawford telling the Sox that during the offseason he does not talk to anybody from management, not his new manager not anybody....Go F off in other words. Maybe...maybe not.

[jung]

Ells agreed to $8M today to avoid Arbitration.

 

Really don't think Ortiz is going to agree to anything. I think he goes to arbitration.

[ORS]

Actually the article on the Crawford surgery says that Crawford did experience soreness in the wrist at the end of last season but the decision at the time was to wait through the offseason and see how it felt whenever he cranked it up again for the 2012 season. How the heck does that decision make any sense? The guy is a big part of your payroll and you are projecting him to be a bi part of your season and you just let him walk out the door until the start of the next season.

 

Then I also don't wonder if Crawford not making himself available when V was trying to contact him was really Crawford telling the Sox that during the offseason he does not talk to anybody from management, not his new manager not anybody....Go F off in other words. Maybe...maybe not.

Did the article mention whether or not this was reported to the medical staff at the end of last year?

 

Not that it would have necessarily mattered, I guess. You know how crack the medical staff has been the last few years.

 

"What's that, your wrist is sore? Take 2 Tylenol and see how it feels in 3 months."

[jung]

Did the article mention whether or not this was reported to the medical staff at the end of last year?

 

Did not say anything about the medical staff but it did make it sound vary much like it was a decision taken with management involvement. Ya' gotta believe that Management would not have made a decision like that unilaterally and it would not have involved itself in such a decision without some input from Medical.

 

The player has some input and some control over what happens to him as well. It surely sounds like another one of those instances where an MRI done at the time would have shown them the same thing the MRI done now must have shown. I don't know why there seems such reluctance to just go get the damned MRI done. They would have known and very likely would have gotten this done at the end of last season.

[Meh]

Exclude Hamels and Banuelos. The Yankee rotation this year is deeper than the Red Sox rotation after getting Pineda and Kuroda, but the Red Sox have a better top 3 in Beckett, Lester and Buchholz. The trouble last year was Buchholz was hurt half the year, and Lester started and finished slowly. But the top 3 quality is better in Boston--as long as they stay healthy. Kuroda is 37, Pineda trailed off the 2nd half and Sabathia has been a machine the past few years. He's bound to have a setback eventually with his body and the number of innings he's pitched.

 

The Red Sox should recognize their top 3 is better, and back it up with another quality starter in case one of the top 3 goes down.

 

I agree the yankees rotation isn't as good as the red sox, red sox should just sit back and relax.

[ORS]

I agree the yankees rotation isn't as good as the red sox' date=' red sox should just sit back and relax.[/quote']

That whole "reading for content" part must have been a real doozy for you in school.

[jung]

Gammons thinks the Rangers will sign Darvish on Wednesday.

[iortiz]

This Crawford news is disastrous. We are down to 2 outfielders.

 

Dammit .....The injury phantom refuses to leave Boston. We better sign the SP.

[Palodios]

Why is it that Red Sox players opt for surgery several months after they actually need it? We've seen it with Lowell, Lackey, Buchholz, Lowrie, Delcarmen, and now Crawford all in the past three years, and those are the only ones I can remember. I think the Red Sox need to add an addendum to all contracts from now on that if a player conceals an injury, it gives them the right to null a contract, because this is happening far more often than it should.

[jung]

Ya but it does not sound like Crawford hid this at all. This sounds like a mutual decision between Medical, Management and the player. I don't understand why they did not insist that Crawford have an MRI last year as it appears that would have exposed exactly what they were up against. This is the part that really kills me because this is at least the second time we have had the team deciding against an MRI early enough in the process to make a difference. I don't get that at all.

[Palodios]

Ya but it does not sound like Crawford hid this at all. This sounds like a mutual decision between Medical' date=' Management and the player. I don't understand why they did not insist that Crawford have an MRI last year as it appears that would have exposed exactly what they were up against. This is the part that really kills me because this is at least the second time we have had the team deciding against an MRI early enough in the process to make a difference. I don't get that at all.[/quote']

 

He hasn't answered BV's calls in months, what makes you think medical or management had any idea what was going on with Crawford's health and training?

[jung]

Because the report today is that Management knew about it at the end of last season. Again this is not the player hiding the injury. According to Gammons tonight, Crawford even took a few shots in the wrist late last season to numb it up. This was either fully a Management decision with the support of Medical or Management, Medical and the player deciding to forgo an MRI at the end of last season and wait to see what happened with a couple of months of rest. I strongly suspect that if they had done the MRI at the end of last season, they would have seen the same damage that prompted them to scope the wrist now.

[a700hitter]

Because the report today is that Management knew about it at the end of last season. Again this is not the player hiding the injury. According to Gammons tonight' date=' Crawford even took a few shots in the wrist late last season to numb it up. This was either fully a Management decision with the support of Medical or Management, Medical and the player deciding to forgo an MRI at the end of last season and wait to see what happened with a couple of months of rest. I strongly suspect that if they had done the MRI at the end of last season, they would have seen the same damage that prompted them to scope the wrist now.[/quote']Another organizational screw up. If anyone on the Sox medical or training staff knew about this issue at the end of last season, it should have been something monitored closely in the offseason.

[Palodios]

Because the report today is that Management knew about it at the end of last season. Again this is not the player hiding the injury. According to Gammons tonight' date=' Crawford even took a few shots in the wrist late last season to numb it up. This was either fully a Management decision with the support of Medical or Management, Medical and the player deciding to forgo an MRI at the end of last season and wait to see what happened with a couple of months of rest. I strongly suspect that if they had done the MRI at the end of last season, they would have seen the same damage that prompted them to scope the wrist now.[/quote']

 

Key words "At the end of last season". They probably just assumed that since he hadn't said anything that it was all healed and ready to go.

[Muggah]

Why is it that Red Sox players opt for surgery several months after they actually need it? We've seen it with Lowell' date=' Lackey, Buchholz, Lowrie, Delcarmen, and now Crawford all in the past three years, and those are the only ones I can remember. I think the Red Sox need to add an addendum to all contracts from now on that if a player conceals an injury, it gives them the right to null a contract, because this is happening far more often than it should.[/quote']

 

It goes hand in hand with the country club atmosphere they've created. At no point in time does any player feel responsible for answering to anyone about anything. Granted, it appears they're aware of it now, but changing deeply entrenched behavior isn't like flipping a light switch from off to on. It will take at least the greater part of this year, perhaps even part of next year, too, to get it under control.

[a700hitter]

I don't know how others feel about this news. I have been trying to get myself prepared for the disappointment of not getting a starting pitcher and starting the season with pitching that is too thin. This was completely unexpected and it was like kick in the balls. Yes, I am a ridiculous emotional fan.

[Palodios]

I don't know how others feel about this news. I have been trying to get myself prepared for the disappointment of not getting a starting pitcher and starting the season with pitching that is too thin. This was completely unexpected and it was like kick in the balls. Yes' date=' I am a ridiculous emotional fan.[/quote']

 

This is very bad news.

 

Even if he comes back in late April, early May, he's going to be less of a player because of it. He needed to have a healthy offseason, shake off the shame, rebuild his confidence and hit the ground running. Now he has a chip on his shoulder, and is coming into the season with an injury that will nagg him, and he'll have far less time to prepare for the season than other players.

[SoxSport]

Damn...missed out on Saunders. One more bum Cherington failed to sign.

 

Or is that one less bum.

[SoxSport]

The Crawford timing is incredible. It suggests a lack of communication in the organization.

They've pissed away a lot of opportunities to get another outfielder during the free agent season because Henry has suddenly got stingy. And now they find they won't have a left fielder for a couple of months for an injury they were aware of and should have checked out. Now they're thin in outfielders as well as starting pitching. The fans deserve better than this, Mr Henry. How about it. Sell a few of those hedge funds.

[iortiz]

This is very bad news.

 

Even if he comes back in late April, early May, he's going to be less of a player because of it. He needed to have a healthy offseason, shake off the shame, rebuild his confidence and hit the ground running. Now he has a chip on his shoulder, and is coming into the season with an injury that will nagg him, and he'll have far less time to prepare for the season than other players.

 

This is a the BL of this issue.

 

This was totally unexpected to me. Hell, suddenly our depth in the OF got short. Reddick is gone. Crawford is likely gone a couple of months. Only God knows when Kalish is coming back. McDonald is a piece of s***. Aviles is not a natural OF...

 

Our hopes rest on the kid that just arrived from Oakland who BTW doesn't scare nobody and is prone to injuries.

 

On the other hand a lot have already said about our pitching. A lot of "ifs" and "?", regardless NY, LAA, TEX, DET and if you rush me the Rays are above us at this point.

 

A700, You have solid reasons to feel this way.

[iortiz]

The Crawford timing is incredible. It suggests a lack of communication in the organization.

They've pissed away a lot of opportunities to get another outfielder during the free agent season because Henry has suddenly got stingy. And now they find they won't have a left fielder for a couple of months for an injury they were aware of and should have checked out. Now they're thin in outfielders as well as starting pitching. The fans deserve better than this, Mr Henry. How about it. Sell a few of those hedge funds.

 

I do not have "los pelos de la burra en la mano". But let me tell you something SS, If this confirmed, Our medical staff + ? were even more horrible than I could have possibly thought, this is simply unacceptable. :thumbdown

[a700hitter]

Here's what were looking at for the start of the season unless Cherrington makes some moves. This may not be the order, but this is how I would do it:

 

1. Scutaro -SS

2. Pedroia - 2B

3. Ellsbury -CF

4. AGon - 1B

5. Youkilis - 3B

6. Ortiz - DH

7. Salty - C

8. Sweeney - RF

9. Aviles - LF

 

Bench- Punto, D Mac, Shoppach

 

If AL pitchers give Ortiz anything to hit, they are idiots. I expect that he will have a down year. The bench is horrible and thin. Of course, there may be some additions.

 

Pitching

 

Beckett

Lester

Bucholz

Bard

Doubront

 

Bullpen

 

Bailey - CL

Melancon - SU

Aceves - Swingman

Morales - Late inning lefty

Albers -7th inning

Miller - Gabage time

Atchinson

[Meh]

They've pissed away a lot of opportunities to get another outfielder during the free agent season because Henry has suddenly got stingy.

 

What in the world? Your payroll is going to be over 180 million this year... it's up from last year. What do you want? Do you want to have a higher payroll than the Yankees? It's crazy how red sox fans are getting worse than some of these Yankee fans I see on message boards. Just stop man... the red sox will have the second highest payroll unless the angels or phillies sign Fielder, which they won't. Stop complaining, you could be a Royals fan, you could be an A's fan.