Red Sox 2012/2013 Offseason Thread

[SoxFanForsyth]

Ross has had a pretty decent career before ever walking into Fenway Park. So I don't think teams will not express interest in him and he was not making that much money in Boston. Will I think the bidding will get ridiculous for him....no....Do I think the Sox could have had him for much less than they are going to end up paying for him if they had just made a contract offer before FA....yes. Could it be enough of a dif for them to pass....no doubt. It's not harder than that. So he may end up back in Boston but I just don't understand why the Sox didn't get something done on him before FA.....other than the same reasons we have been discussing generally with regard to this FO.

 

Probably because the Sox are going after him with Willingham's contract (2/14 with an option), and he's refuting that with probably a 4/60 deal.

 

I'm sure they're not close. if he hits the market, he'll get 3/30 probably. Not sure the Sox would go that high (or long) on him. If he goes, he goes. He wasn't a superstar by any means.

 

I'd just as soon see Hunter or Melky Cabrera out there.

[jacksonianmarch]

I think Hunter is ending up in the Bronx

[Palodios]

I never have a problem with the Yankees's roster replacing its players with older player with slightly worse stats.

[jung]

The Yanks are in the unenviable position of thinking they are only a player or two away from going all the way.....That is a tough place to make decisions from....we have not faired well from that spot either I think. Ichiro surely worked out for them but that was a trade deadline find.

[SCM33]

Id also take a flier on Soria.

 

But I am pretty pissed off that we will throw significant money at guys like Soria or Soriano........when we could have just gave Papelbon his money and kept Bard in the pen.....I dont know, maybe its only me, but that seemed like it was working pretty well.

 

Instead, players like Crawford/Lackey and Gonzalez get their money from the FO.....yeah, that makes sense.

[jung]

Well Crawford and Gonzalez were mistakes that were corrected. Soriano is not going to get the money Boras is whispering in his ear about from anybody much less the Sox. Soria is a low cost, risk/reward kind of deal that could work out pretty good or be a bust. He is going to cost way less than Soriano regardless of what Soriano gets.

 

I don't think we are going to see big money thrown at closers not named MO, not with the Paps example staring everybody right in the face. It is simply to easy to see that you can be made to look pretty silly spending 4/$44 for a closer when you did not end up having enough team for a 9th inning guy to pay off anyway.

 

As solid as the Phillies looked they ended up 3rd beating out the pitiful Mets. The "big money for closers" argument certainly did not get any help there. If Boras tries to throw the Paps/Phillies deal around in an effort to get Soriano a big pay day he will likely be laughed out of the room. While Paps is proven at some level, there is and I think will likely only be one MO. Soriano is not even proven at a Paps level.

[bubbakeg52]

Youk's not my first choice iortiz but I would take him in a second over James Loney. Good God, I hope we don't ask that bum back. He is close to worthless. But do you think Kevin would really want back in Boston?

 

Youker wants to go to Cincy...lil monking bird can nest up in the virgina mts for all i care.... he f***ing bitches at every foul ball he can't get a hold off and no longer draws walks at the rate he use to... time to move on and stop worrying about Mike Stanley..I do like the guy as a ball player but these new prospects that are really good are becoming younger and younger by the day..

[SoxSport]

It would be a mistake for the Yankees to sign Hunter. They need to get younger.

 

Somebody is going to get Hamilton. He should be the target for the Red Sox. They can afford to pay him $30 mil ----more than the Yankees can--at this point.

 

Signing Hamilton would bring some excitement to Boston.

[jung]

Man...talk about some age in the lineup...Imagine the Yanks starting Ichiro, Grandy and Hunter in the OF......Arod, Jeter, Cano and Tex around the horn, Martin catching with Raul in the DH spot. Bring on the Geritol commercials.

[SoxFanForsyth]

Free Agency has officially started.

 

Wonder if the Angels exercised Haren's option and traded him, exercised and kept to work out a deal later, or let him walk?

[SoxFanForsyth]

I have thought about it for a bit, and I think I would call the Twins on Mauer, and see what they want and how much they'd eat.

 

Looking at his numbers, he's got a .399 OBP over the last 3 years and a .416 OBP in 2012.

 

His power numbers got crushed by Target field and while he'll never be a 28 HR guy again, he can certainly be a 18-20 HR guy with his opposite field swing. Add that to a .400+ OBP and his versatility, and he's exactly the type of player that the Sox are looking for.

 

If the Twins will eat his salary down to around a $17mm AAV, I'd check into him certainly.

[SCM33]

Please kick the tires on Michael Bourn and explore trade possibilities for Ellsbury....

[SoxFanForsyth]

meh. not sold on Bourn. He's looking for a $100mm+ contract, and he's only had an OBP over .350 once in his career.

 

Career .339 OBP, .702 OPS. I'm just not that sold on him.

[Palodios]

I don't touch Upton or Bourne with a ten foot pole. Crawford majorly f***ed up the market for speedy outfielders. I'm still very much sold on Shane Victorino however.

[Station 13]

Please kick the tires on Michael Bourn and explore trade possibilities for Ellsbury....

 

Would be just another Crawford bad signing. Same agent as Ellsbury. Looking for $80-100M for his client.

[rjortiz]

1 Jon Lester

2 Clay Buchholz

3 Dan Haren

4 John Lackey

5 Felix Doubront/Francisco Liriano

 

 

CF Jacoby Ellsbury

2B Dustin Pedroia

3B Will Middlebrooks

DH David Ortiz

1B Kevin Youkilis

RF Cody Ross

LF Delmon Young

C Ryan Lavarnway/Salty

SS Stephen Drew

 

Playoff team if Lester, Buchholz, Lackey, return to career norms and the lineup stays healthy.

 

Delmon Young? Why?

[Meh]

It would be a mistake for the Yankees to sign Hunter. They need to get younger.

 

No. They're no free agents who are 26 or younger. The Yankees outfielders are at least a year away in the minors. Hunter would be a perfect fit. Assuming he'll take a one year deal. He's the kind of hitter that lineup needs. Not a 30+ homerun hitter in every spot.

[SoxFanForsyth]

No. They're no free agents who are 26 or younger. The Yankees outfielders are at least a year away in the minors. Hunter would be a perfect fit. Assuming he'll take a one year deal. He's the kind of hitter that lineup needs. Not a 30+ homerun hitter in every spot.

 

Hunter will almost certainly get 2+ years on his deal.

[Trillz808]

I don't touch Upton or Bourne with a ten foot pole. Crawford majorly f***ed up the market for speedy outfielders. I'm still very much sold on Shane Victorino however.

 

Sorry everyone havent been able to get online in some time and tried to read through most of the last few pages but has anyone heard anything on Victorino as a potential OF... Might be a a little bias cuz hes from Hawaii, and id love to see a Hawaii boy in a Sox uniform but he would do real good in Boston.

[SCM33]

meh. not sold on Bourn. He's looking for a $100mm+ contract, and he's only had an OBP over .350 once in his career.

 

Career .339 OBP, .702 OPS. I'm just not that sold on him.

 

I don't touch Upton or Bourne with a ten foot pole. Crawford majorly f***ed up the market for speedy outfielders. I'm still very much sold on Shane Victorino however.

 

Would be just another Crawford bad signing. Same agent as Ellsbury. Looking for $80-100M for his client.

 

Didn't realize he was looking for that type of deal.....I was against the Crawford signing, so yeah....this wouldn't make sense for big money.

[RedSoxNC84]

Cody Ross says the Sox never came close to a deal with him, and that it makes sense for him to listen to other teams now

[Plumpamania]

Ross wants a Josh Willingham contract, and he's simply not worth it.

[jung]

This seems an odd kind of year for player/team negotiations. The last few years it has seemed like the teams have been pushing the salaries higher....a bunch of drunken sailers at the same party with the gals looking better after each shot.

 

This seems like it might be the year that the players and their agents are looking for money that is just not going to happen for the most part. If the player is in a key position (catchers for example are of late always in demand) or a key position with a particular team (maybe Ortiz falls into that category as a marketing vehicle for the Sox) I think teams are going to be hauling in on the reins this year.

 

Ross wants Willingham money.....pllllleeeeaase!!!!

[Bellhorn04]

Ross pulled off the Triple Crown of Big Splits this year.

 

1.010 OPS vs. lefties

.729 OPS vs. righties

 

.921 at home

.684 on road

 

.915 first half

.738 second half

 

If you want a guy who murders lefties at home, especially in the first half of the season, he's your guy.

[BSN07]

Hamilton is not what this team needs. He's too much of a risk. And don't get me wrong, I'm a Hamilton supporter. But NY and Boston are not places this guy should try and continue his career in. This team is rebuilding. There is no sense in spending 100M+ on one player when there are many holes to plug.

 

And I think that is what the team is doing, they know they are rebuilding and they aren't going to commit big money to anything other then young elite talent for more then 2 years. It's my guess that they offered Ross 1(with an option) or 2 years at a lesser AAV and stuck to it, to which Ross responded to them as "not getting close on a deal" and now he's on the open Market. And to be honest with a rebuilding team there was no reason to commit to a good not great player for more then 1 or two seasons. I'm sure Ross felt he would get a longer deal 3 possibly 4 years from some desperate team, which he might very well be right. We will see.

 

 

I was all for Haren, but the fact that Marmol was willing to waive his NTC and Chicago pulled the deal back and the Angels could find not taker for what at minimum is a solid back end of the rotation innings eater on a 1 year deal as extremely peculiar. There is more to this story then I think we all know. It just doesn't add up. The only reasons could be somethings wrong or worrying physically with Haren or Theo was in it because Boston was in it. he was jacking up the price and when it came down to his deal being the one the Angels wanted he backed out.

 

 

Rumors are that Ellsbury is being shopped. I think this is the right move. They shouldn't give him away but if they wait for Hamilton to sign there could be some teams willing to part with something of value. I sa w a Ellsbury for Andrus if Hamilton leaves Texas floating around. I don't see the point in it unless Andrus gets flipped elsewhere. If it was just Andrus it would be the same situation as now. One year, not likely to sign, fill SS hole, make a hole in CF. The Sox already have to young SS options in Iglesisas and maybe eventually Bogaerts. So even trading and trying to extend seems unlikely. Maybe a 3 team deal including Toronto where Ellsbury goes to Texas, Andrus to Toronto and JP to Boston? I'm literally just throwing stuff out there so no one get to offended

 

Personally I'd package Ellsbury and Aceves together and see what offers come in.

[Station 13]

Delmon Young? Why?

 

Where is EEMZ to tell us how bad Delmon Young is?

[Plumpamania]

I wish ZenMasterFlash was still around...

[SoxSport]

Ross pulled off the Triple Crown of Big Splits this year.

 

1.010 OPS vs. lefties

.729 OPS vs. righties

 

.921 at home

.684 on road

 

.915 first half

.738 second half

 

If you want a guy who murders lefties at home, especially in the first half of the season, he's your guy.

 

If they want a guy who hits well at home, bad on the road, they can always sign Youkilis--for cheaper and for playing 1B, a position of more need than the OF. That could be their thinking. Another posssibility is they are saving their money for Hamilton, who wants 7/175. Josh will have to have some clauses in his contract to get that much change.

[redsoxfan3]

Ross pulled off the Triple Crown of Big Splits this year.

 

1.010 OPS vs. lefties

.729 OPS vs. righties

 

.921 at home

.684 on road

 

.915 first half

.738 second half

 

If you want a guy who murders lefties at home, especially in the first half of the season, he's your guy.

 

I am glad that we did not offer Ross a qualifying offer. I talked to someone that was extremely surprised by that. I just don't think that Ross is worth 13.3 million a year. I do want Ross back next year, but not for an AAV of 13.3 million.

 

If they want a guy who hits well at home, bad on the road, they can always sign Youkilis--for cheaper and for playing 1B, a position of more need than the OF. That could be their thinking. Another posssibility is they are saving their money for Hamilton, who wants 7/175. Josh will have to have some clauses in his contract to get that much change.

 

I think 1B is just as much of a need as the OF. Right now, Ellsbury is the only OF that we have signed that should be a starter on a MLB roster. If we resign Ross, then we only have LF to fill. I do not want Podsednik, Kalish, Sweeney, or Nava as a starter. Kalish still needs some work in AAA to improve. Sweeney, Nava, and Podsednik are not bad options as a 4th or 5th OF, but I do not want any of those guys starting. If I had the choice, I would do what I could to trade Nava and Sweeney.

 

jung also mentioned that Ross is looking for Willingham money. Willingham is only making 7 million a year. If Ross is not worth 7 million a year, how much do you think he is worth? He is sure as hell worth more than 3 million a year. He proved that this past year. I know his splits were not that great, but at least he gave us some power.

[jung]

Contracts are always a combination of time and money. 3/$21 makes no sense for a player of Ross calibre. I am not sure I would want to be committed to Ross for 3 years unless the money per was really light. He signed a 1 year deal in Boston and proved to be really what you would have expected....a guy that can make hay outta' the Monster but is really not much more than that and also happens to be a real game of chance defensively. I would not put him in RF unless I had no options there. LF is about the only place he should play out there defensively.

 

I would say 2/$10 makes some sense.....maybe 3/$13.5M if it has to be 3 years.

 

As I said earlier I think we are going to end up with a lotta' disappointed agents and players this year.