Red Sox 2012/2013 Offseason Thread

[a700hitter]

Red Sox To Sign Koji Uehara

By Tim Dierkes [December 6 at 11:44am CST]

The Red Sox agreed to a one-year deal with reliever Koji Uehara, according to Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News.

I like this move. He's a good reliable late inning arm.

[BSN07]

The Red Sox agreed to a one-year deal with reliever Koji Uehara, according to Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News. Uehara, 38 in April, posted a 1.75 ERA, 10.8 K/9, 0.8 BB/9, 1.00 HR/9, and 32.5% groundball rate in 36 innings this year.

 

Must have been what Cherries alluded to when he said not teed up just yet. Good 7-8 inning guy. Great K rate.

[mvp 78]

I like this move. He's a good reliable late inning arm.

 

Sounds good to me too.

[dupree]

I like this move. He's a good reliable late inning arm.

 

I like the 1 year deal

 

Had my hopes up for a bigger splash that this tho

[jacksonianmarch]

He's probably your closer. It's a good move

[Bellhorn04]

I like the 1 year deal

 

Had my hopes up for a bigger splash that this tho

 

Yes and yes.

[redsoxfan3]

Good pick up with Uehara. If we can add Brian Wilaon and have a late inning combo of Wilson, Uehara, Tazawa, and Bailey, then that would be solid. We would also have the flexibilty to trade Bailey. Our pen could be very solid. We still have Melancon, Bard, and Aceves who we do not know what kind of production we are going to get.

[a700hitter]

Cherries made moves in 3 of the 4 days of the Winter Meetings. These were helpful moves that help with the foundation of the 2013 team, but I would say that it is still about 30 -40% unfinished. Most of the unfinished business involves starting pitching. Will there be a trade or a FA signing? Lots of names have come of the boards already. We still need someone to share 1B with Napoli. Will that be Swisher who can also share LF with Gomes? I don't think there is enough PT available for Swisher. Plus, he will cost a draft choice. Maybe it will be Berkman, who is a part-time player at this point. He could share 1B and LF. He is a nice stick when healthy.

 

Will there be a big splash? Hamilton possibly? If so, I hope that it does not come at the expense of pitching.

 

Finally, what would it do to our payroll budget to take Johan and the remainder of his salary for a middling prospect and someone from the major league roster?

[MNSoxChief102]

Found this bit of info over at MLB Trade Rumors earlier... made me chuckle

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/12/latest-on-Guardians-rangers-d-backs-trade-talks.html

 

"The Rangers, D'Backs, and Rays are still at the Winter Meetings, working on an Upton blockbuster according to Rosenthal. A friend of Rays top exec Andrew Friedman says that while Friedman has never done a three-way trade, he's determined to get one done."

 

Seems that a threesome is a lifelong ambition for Friedman...

[SoxSport]

This guy is a step up from the retreads he signed last year.

[SoxSport]

Good pick up with Uehara. If we can add Brian Wilaon and have a late inning combo of Wilson, Uehara, Tazawa, and Bailey, then that would be solid. We would also have the flexibilty to trade Bailey. Our pen could be very solid. We still have Melancon, Bard, and Aceves who we do not know what kind of production we are going to get.

 

Wilson will want to close, period. Not sure there's a match.

[SoxSport]

Pretty sure the Sox front office has access to just as much information on players they're interested in, if not a hell of a lot more than we do as fans. If we've noticed a problematic statistical trend, you can bet Bill James and Co. have been on it for months in advance.

 

I think James is in on all these deals. He's there to make sure they don't screw up like last year.

[SoxSport]

Cherries made moves in 3 of the 4 days of the Winter Meetings. These were helpful moves that help with the foundation of the 2013 team, but I would say that it is still about 30 -40% unfinished. Most of the unfinished business involves starting pitching. Will there be a trade or a FA signing? Lots of names have come of the boards already. We still need someone to share 1B with Napoli. Will that be Swisher who can also share LF with Gomes? I don't think there is enough PT available for Swisher. Plus, he will cost a draft choice. Maybe it will be Berkman, who is a part-time player at this point. He could share 1B and LF. He is a nice stick when healthy.

 

Will there be a big splash? Hamilton possibly? If so, I hope that it does not come at the expense of pitching.

 

Finally, what would it do to our payroll budget to take Johan and the remainder of his salary for a middling prospect and someone from the major league roster?

 

Berkman might be a fit--he's a part-time player at this point.

[BSN07]

Cherries made moves in 3 of the 4 days of the Winter Meetings. These were helpful moves that help with the foundation of the 2013 team, but I would say that it is still about 30 -40% unfinished. Most of the unfinished business involves starting pitching. Will there be a trade or a FA signing? Lots of names have come of the boards already. We still need someone to share 1B with Napoli. Will that be Swisher who can also share LF with Gomes? I don't think there is enough PT available for Swisher. Plus, he will cost a draft choice. Maybe it will be Berkman, who is a part-time player at this point. He could share 1B and LF. He is a nice stick when healthy.

 

Will there be a big splash? Hamilton possibly? If so, I hope that it does not come at the expense of pitching.

 

Finally, what would it do to our payroll budget to take Johan and the remainder of his salary for a middling prospect and someone from the major league roster?

 

Sox have roughly 40M to the LT. So they could theoretically fit him in. He is signed for 13:$25.5M, 14:$25M club option ($5.5M buyout). I proposed before the Mets kick in 11M. Makes '13 salary for Sox 20m and cover the '14 buy out.The Sox can buy him out and make him a qualifying offer and either save 7M and bring him back or get a pick.

[MNSoxChief102]

Sox have roughly 40M to the LT. So they could theoretically fit him in. He is signed for 13:$25.5M, 14:$25M club option ($5.5M buyout). I proposed before the Mets kick in 11M. Makes '13 salary for Sox 20m and cover the '14 buy out.The Sox can buy him out and make him a qualifying offer and either save 7M and bring him back or get a pick.

 

I'd be fine with that. Can't imagine it would cost a ton in terms of talent to get a Santana deal done.

[Orange Juiced]

I like this move. He's a good reliable late inning arm.

 

Absolutely. Terrific pitcher. Good move.

 

Of course, he'll probably implode and need TJ surgery in May.

[seabeachfred]

Your selling on him too quick fred. That and if the Sox add another bat they can hide him at #9. They will get elite SS defense for a pitching staff that needs as many breaks as possible.

 

He may never be an elite hitter. But league average is not out of the question. If you consider his age, transition to America from Cuba, the level he started at and the speed which he was promoted on defense alone to the upper minors it's not surprising his offense is lagging behind.

 

IMO He will get his shot like Pedroia did. They will stick with him because of his defense no matter how he's hitting. Then after a full season they may re-evaluate. It's possible he's just keeping the seat warm for Bogaerts. And if he is just a filler, then having an elite defender hit 9th isn't too bad for a couple seasons.

 

BSN, I take it you're talking about Iglesias and not Gonzales. I don't want Gonzales back here under any circustances. He's flopped twice with us. Let him go somewhere else. As for Iggy, he does have to show that he can hit some and right now that doesn't seem a possibility. I just hope they keep Bogaerts at shortstop and not move him anywhere else. I love the idea of a power hitting SS and with our pitching staff questionable for possibly another couple of years I want every bat I can get in that lineup. To me it would be totally foolhardly to move Bogie to another spot and supplant what might be a good hitter in the OF or infield and keep a totally inept bat in the lineup.

[seabeachfred]

Ok so far the rumors this morning are Grienke to Texas, then Texas trades for Upton.

 

Seattle was thought to be next in line but comments from their front office say nothing is remotely close. So Hamilton is still available with his top suitor out of the picture. This could be a situation where we see a team swoop in and grab Hamilton.

 

Any time a Red Sox fan or Red Sox front office official hears the term "swoop in and grab", be damn sure you're thinking about the Yankees. Twice within this decade Lucchino, Henry and Company have been taken with their pants down when the Yanks "swooped" in and took Damon and then Teixeira away from us. I keep hearing the Red Sox are still interested in Hamilton. If so they better keep their pants on and offer him a top notch contract and ink him. If they're not interested in him they better understand this is the perfect storm for the Yankees and it is how they have operated the last decade.

[BSN07]

Seattle rumored to be offering 3 years deals ranging from 20-25M in AAV.

[jopete19]

If you guys ever have a bad day just watch this...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NhimRlyqpE

[Palodios]

Seattle rumored to be offering 3 years deals ranging from 20-25M in AAV.

 

If Ben pays Victorino 3/40 and Seattle gets Hamilton for 3/60 that would be sad

[SoxFanForsyth]

Seattle rumored to be offering 3 years deals ranging from 20-25M in AAV.

 

Sox will top that no prob. They'll give him 3/80-84.

 

I think they are keeping the significance of their interest in him under wraps. As soon as Greinke signs w Texas, the Sox will be allllll over Hamilton, just watch.

[jung]

Yah 3/60 for Hamilton would make 3/37.5 for Victorino look kinda' bad. But Hamilton would never take 3/60.

 

It does give us another way to look at the Victorino deal though. Would we think 3/75 an overpay for Hamilton? Would we think Hamilton is twice the player Victorino is if we are measuring in $$. I would think so.

[SeanJohn93]

It would be hard to fathom the Red Sox not signing JH due to all the work BC has done. JH would turn this club into a contender. After we hopefully sign him, we need to focus on pitching. Signig Uhera was a good step in the right direction.

[example1]

Just keep in mind that the Sox are likely to take the same approach they took with Napoli and Victorino with the best pitchers available on the market toward the end of the off season. They will overpay for shorter years to get through the next year or two. We might even like the pitcher(s) they get, but they will need to keep some money around to make that possible.

 

If they sign Hamilton to some ungodly contract their ability to sign those guys will be reduced. I would be okay with Hamilton, but their money isn't endless.

[example1]

Signig Uhera was a good step in the right direction.

 

Their bullpen is actually looking pretty damn nice right now, in my opinion. They have some good arms and a decent R/L mix.

[User Name]

It would be hard to fathom the Red Sox not signing JH due to all the work BC has done. JH would turn this club into a contender. After we hopefully sign him, we need to focus on pitching. Signig Uhera was a good step in the right direction.

 

I think you have it backwards.

 

Better pitching would turn this team into a contender. JH is very much an expensive offensive luxury for a team that can score runs but can't prevent them.

[DocHolliday]

Just keep in mind that the Sox are likely to take the same approach they took with Napoli and Victorino with the best pitchers available on the market toward the end of the off season. They will overpay for shorter years to get through the next year or two. We might even like the pitcher(s) they get, but they will need to keep some money around to make that possible.

 

If they sign Hamilton to some ungodly contract their ability to sign those guys will be reduced. I would be okay with Hamilton, but their money isn't endless.

 

Not only is their money not endless, Hamilton will cost a draft pick as well- a fact that seems to be ignored in many circles. Yes, the Rangers won't receive the 1st round pick since its protected, but its pretty easy to see that the Sox, along with many teams, are far more successful in the long run with player development and draft picks than free agency. The new CBA has made draft picks more valuable than they have ever been.

 

I'm sure the Sox recognize this and will be hesitant to sign Hamilton even if given the option of limiting years.

[SoxSport]

Heyman says Red Sox "unlikely" for Hamilton. But the same Heyman said AdGon wouldn't re-sign with the Sox after they traded for him. So you don't know about Jon, a former Yankee beat writer in NY.

 

The Sox apparently are continuing to talk to Hamilton. Keeping their cards close, waiting to see what Texas does. They aren't as desperate for him as Seattle, and could go either way. I do think Lucchino wants him--to sell tickets. He does remind some people of Ted Williams--that will sell tickets.

[DocHolliday]

I'd be fine with that. Can't imagine it would cost a ton in terms of talent to get a Santana deal done.

 

Would probably cost less than similar pitchers, certainly less than what it would cost to get a Felix Hernandez type.

 

Problem would be finding a match - the Sox seem to be very reluctant (IMO, rightfully so) to part with higher end prospects.

 

Another issue - how would the rotation fare in Fenway Park with 3 lefties who aren't exactly Cliff Lee level performers (Lester & Doubront as the other 2)?