2011-2012 Offseason Thread

[iortiz]

I think the players' agents just keep throwing our name out there trying to drive up the price for other teams. I think we are just getting used. Have there been any reports of Ben and LL meeting with either of these pitchers? If you want these guys' date=' you sit down with them and try to get their name on a contract. I don't think the Sox want either of them. They are not acting like they are interested, unless this stuff has been top secret. Nolan Ryan met with Oswalt and Oswalt's wife. That's what happens when a team is interested.[/quote']

 

Totally agree.

[NativeBostonian]

The red sox are screwed if we don't get one of these guys. They need to atop dicking around and spend some money.

[iortiz]

Roy Oswalt Rumors: Wednesday

By Tim Dierkes [February 1 at 5:58pm CST]

Free agent righty Roy Oswalt, his wife Nicole, and his agent Bob Garber met with Rangers GM Jon Daniels and CEO and president Nolan Ryan for an exploratory lunch meeting in Arlington yesterday, reported Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com. *The latest on Oswalt:

 

Red Sox GM Ben Cherington won't rule out adding a starter before Spring Training, but he says it's unlikely at this point,*Alex Speier of WEEI.com tweets. "I wouldn't expect any major changes between now and the report date," the GM said.

The Red Sox are still talking to free agent pitchers, including Oswalt and Edwin Jackson, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports.

The Red Sox appear to be waiting for Jackson or Oswalt to say yes to the offers they've extended, ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets.

The Red Sox still have a great chance of signing Oswalt, a Major League source tells Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. *However, this is the same source that told Edes on Friday that Oswalt would sign with the Cardinals soon, and that did not materialize.

The Cardinals have not made Oswalt a financial offer anywhere close to what he considers sufficient, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. *Rosenthal reiterates that Oswalt seeks a one-year, $10MM deal. *Rosenthal questions Oswalt's leverage, if he remains adamant about pitching for two teams with full rotations in the Cardinals and Rangers.*

[iortiz]

Still talking in with FA pitchers including Oswalt/Jackson?, who are these FA pitches?

[iortiz]

The red sox are screwed if we don't get one of these guys. They need to atop dicking around and spend some money.

 

Almost everybody in this board agrees with this, the problem is that our FO seems that doesn't see this way. They feel comfortable with our current "rotation?" and "depth".

[jacksonianmarch]

The sox were turned down by him and now that he's getting a 1 yr $5 mil offer from two teams with full rotations, he's turning back to Ben. Ben has to know this is a ploy to extract more cash out of StL and TEX. There is next to no chance that Oswalt actually comes to New England. It'd be career suicide

[Palodios]

I agree' date=' but it does show that the team is interested. The Sox are acting like they are just making a blind bid.[/quote']

 

If a team is interested, they go to the player, not the other way around. Oswalt seems to have limited his market to either St Louis or Texas, but neither of them have openings in their rotation, and both of them have already spent significant money this offseason.

[User Name]

Almost everybody in this board agrees with this' date=' the problem is that our FO seems that doesn't sees this way. They feel comfortable with our current "rotation?" and "depth".[/quote']

 

So if they get turned down by the pitchers they want they're going to go on record saying the team sucks? Of course they won't.

 

Actions speak louder than words. They know they need a pitcher.

[FredLynn]

Almost everybody in this board agrees with this' date=' the problem is that our FO seems that doesn't sees this way. They feel comfortable with our current "rotation?" and "depth".[/quote']

 

I don't think that even our FO is that stupid. They KNOW what we need, just as much as everyone here knows what we need. They just don't want to spend the money to get it, thats all.

[FredLynn]

If a team is interested' date=' they go to the player, not the other way around. Oswalt seems to have limited his market to either St Louis or Texas, but neither of them have openings in their rotation, and both of them have already spent significant money this offseason.[/quote']

 

You can take this to the bank:

 

If Oswalt somehow ends up on the Red Sox he will state that he is delighted to be here and that we were always his first choice. Just like Teixeira did when he signed with the Yankees after we blew those negotiations.

[User Name]

You can take this to the bank:

 

If Oswalt somehow ends up on the Red Sox he will state that he is delighted to be here and that we were always his first choice. Just like Teixeira did when he signed with the Yankees after we blew those negotiations.

 

Of course he will. And of course the Red Sox say they're "content" with their team as is even though they're desperately looking for a pitcher as per multiple reports.

[iortiz]

I don't think that even our FO is that stupid. They KNOW what we need' date=' just as much as everyone here knows what we need. They just don't want to spend the money to get it, thats all.[/quote']

 

I agree. I just said what BC and Bv said. BC said that he feels comfortable with our current pitching staff. BV said that the SP is not a top priority. They must be kidding.

 

Maybe this is just a "bid-strategy" or a "smoke screen". All I know is what they said, though.

[iortiz]

Btw, does anybody know what happened with Garza? The last thing I heard was that he had one foot in Detroit, didn't he?

[Palodios]

Report just came out from WEEI a few minutes ago:

 

“We wouldn’t rule out adding a starter, but I think it’s unlikely at this point,” said Cherington. “I think we’re going to keep looking for ways to improve the team, including the pitching staff, but I wouldn’t expect any major changes between now and the [spring training] report date.”

 

This is not good. Not good at all.

[iortiz]

Nope, this doesn't sound good at all.

[User Name]

Posturing?

 

Another report says they're waiting for one of the pitchers to accept their offer. Kind of like what the Yankees did with Kuroda.

[iortiz]

If you check out the last MLBRT post, the last news is what Pal posted.

 

I don't know what to think at this point, though.

[User Name]

Yeah but then before that one they're close on Oswalt,then they're out on Jackson, then they're just waiting for one of them to sign, then Ben says he's not expecting to sign anyone.

[iortiz]

yeah, this is becoming a complete joke.

 

Hell, Horoscopes project better than this media guys.

[User Name]

You're a Scorpio amirite?

[iortiz]

I'm Sagittarius. , you?

[User Name]

Still a better guess than the media guys.

[iortiz]

Definitely... This offseason has had a lot of debate but very few moves yet. Paradoxical.

[Spitball]

Yet, last season the Red Sox were acquiring Gonzalez, Crawford, Wheeler, et al. We felt very confident. When the Phillies signed Lee, and the two teams were picked by about everyone to be in the World Series. I doubt many were picking the Cardinals. The Rangers were losing their ace, and the Rays were written off by absolutely everyone.

 

It is very hard to predict success based on off season acquisitions and loses.

[NativeBostonian]

Definitely... This offseason has had a lot of debate but very few moves yet. Paradoxical.

I don't see why the Red Sox traded Scutaro if they aren't going to make a legitimate offer to a top pitcher. We got worse with this trade if they don't sign a big name pitcher.

[iortiz]

I don't see why the Red Sox traded Scutaro if they aren't going to make a legitimate offer to a top pitcher. We got worse with this trade if they don't sign a big name pitcher.

 

It's what almost everybody can't explain Native. I really won't understand this move and Ortiz case if we go like this (without a legit 4-5 SP)

[jung]

I do wonder what the heck the Cards actually told Oswalt. Hard to believe that they would not let him compete for the 5th spot in the rotation and hard to believe that Oswalt would be shortsighted enough to think that at least one if not more of the five guys that start the season in the rotation don't end up going down to injury or fail to meet expectations at some point.

 

When push comes to shove if I had to bet, I would bet that Oswalt does finally end up with the Cards based on the premise that he competes for the 5 spot and wins it or is the first option if somebody falls from the rotation due to injury or over some other issue.

 

That might make Jackson the more likely candidate to come to Boston. He may be the most likely candidate between the two of them anyway regardless of whether we like Oswalt better or Jackson better. At least Jackson does not appear to have a vested interest in staying away from the AL East.

[seabeachfred]

Well, the last I saw of him was in 2010 and he looked as though he was a functional MLB arm. It was my understanding that he was going down to Pawtucket to be stretched out. That is to say to allow him to become accustomed to throwing more pitches / innings. I wish I knew the nature of his arm problems. If he is healthy, I think, as User has pointed out, that he should be able to fill the roll of mid-relief and spot starting. He was able to go at least 4, maybe 5 innings before.

 

As for the nuptials, yes, I am a two time loser. I have one really nice ex-wife, and one sociopathic C-word on my dossier. Number three is a wonderful young woman and as a few member here know, a smokeshow. I hope to tie the knot within 4 months.

 

OK Spud, the third time is the real charm. Best of Luck. Speaking of luck we could sure as hell use some with our pitching staff this coming season and if Doubrant could step up on the left side for us either as a reliever or starter it would make things better for us. I really don't have much confidence in the big bag of shits Cherington signed with the possible exception of Padilla and he's liable to off his rocker at any moment.

[jung]

I would not be so fast to call what the Sox FO announces as posturing this year. They have so far stayed pretty close to what their stated intensions have been I think.

 

I would say that on balance they seem to have been penny wise (Scuts for a salary dump) and pound foolish (Ortiz Arbitration).

 

I think their pronouncements of being content with the current roster is more an indication that they are not going to get into bidding wars for pitchers or anybody else for that matter. Whatever they have been offering these guys is likely as far as they are willing to go. That may at the end of the day be what governs their ability to sign Oswalt or Jackson. Hard to imagine they have active offers for both Oswalt and Jackson. Much easier to see them concentrating on one of the other.

[a700hitter]

Cherington thinks landing a pitcher unlikely

Permalink|Comments (2) Posted by Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff February 1, 2012 08:17 PM

 

WORCESTER -- Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington told NESN.com tonight that the chances of landing a pitcher like Roy Oswalt and/or Edwin Jackson are unlikely prior to spring training.

 

Cherington, speaking to reporters before the Red Sox-NESN Town Hall at Worcester Technical High School, said, "We wouldn't rule out adding a starter, but I think it's unlikely at this point. "We're going to keep looking for ways to improve the team, including the pitching staff, I wouldn't expect any major changes."

 

Oswalt and Jackson remain the two best starting pitchers on the market, but both pitchers may have to settle for a one-year deal.

 

Cherington has commented that the Yankees and Rays probably look deeper on paper with their rotation, but Cherington has maintained a consistent approach to the offseason. Both Oswalt and Jackson have been made one-year offers, but they do not appear near the $8-$10 million either pitcher would be seeking.

 

Cherington reiterated that he felt comfortable with the roster as is.

 

"There's elements of it we feel really good about and elements of it that we'd like to be stronger just like any year," Cherington said. "We think the lineup is pretty balanced and I think we have some options in the bullpen and that can be a strength. We like the front of the rotation. We're going to find out more about the end of the rotation in spring training and see if guys step up."