2014 Roster Projections

[SoxFanForsyth]

This article is post-deal, just like I said.

 

I'm not saying it wasn't well known that Theo wanted Gonzalez because it was, but Theo and the Sox FO never came out and said it before the deal was struck

[jung]

Who does ever come out and say it before hand. How does not having said it beforehand mean anything?

[User Name]

This article is post-deal, just like I said.

 

I'm not saying it wasn't well known that Theo wanted Gonzalez because it was, but Theo and the Sox FO never came out and said it before the deal was struck

 

That doesn't mean the quote is pre-article. The point is that what's "reported" in this case doesn't mean jack. What means jack is what we can safely project the FO to do, which in this case, is not emptying the farm for a corner OF who the Marlins may not trade anyway.

[User Name]

Who does ever come out and say it before hand. How does not having said it beforehand mean anything?

 

A) The Yankees.

 

B ) Read the thread for context.

[iortiz]

One thing is for sure, thanks God they are cleaning Theo's FA mess. Poor Cubbies.

[jung]

Talking publicly about wanting to sign a player that is under contract to another team would be tampering. GM's can't come out and say "we are pursuing so and so" or even say we want or desire so and so when so and so is under contract to another team. AGons was traded from the Marlins to the Rangers and from the Rangers to the Padres. During his ML career, AGons has never made it to Free Agency. When he was traded from Texas to San Diego he signed a four year deal with the Padres and then was traded to the Sox. So there was never a period in his ML career where the Sox could have come out and publicly voiced a desire to sign the player.

 

They cannot even come out and say we will be pursuing said player when he becomes available if the player is under contract. I agree that Theo wanted AGones. But the only people outside of the the Sox organization Theo could have discussed his desire to have Agones with would have been representatives of the San Diego Padres, as the Padres were the team that had his contract. Theo certainly would not have been in a position to have statements about wanted AGons attributed to him.

 

While a team can talk publicly about wanting a player that is a FA that is pretty rare. Usually it is the player's agent through a friendly media guy that talks some about teams wanting his player because in some cases the agent wants the world to know how much his guy is in demand. The team generally does not want to talk about wanting a particular FA because if they do not land the guy, they end up with egg on their faces, having to answer a bunch of questions about why they could not get it done. But I do not see where there would have been an opportunity for Theo to have talked publicly about wanting Agons because AGons was never without a contract.

 

Sometimes at the eleventh hour of trades in progress, both teams by mutual agreement might announce that they are right on the cusp of a deal....again something that is very rare.

[sk7326]

One thing is for sure, thanks God they are cleaning Theo's FA mess. Poor Cubbies.

 

Those 2 titles and 5 playoff spots in 9 years ruined my day many a time. A reign so bad that all his former assistant GM had to do was rehire a bunch of guys who were in organization before 2011 to win a title again.

Edited November 9, 2013 by sk7326

[Spitball]

I am sorry to change the subject, but I would like to talk catching. If Saltalamachia is gone, I like the Reds' Ryan Hanigan as a cheap replacement. He is the best defensive catcher in baseball and has very decent on-base ability despite an injury marred year in 2013. He is an asset to a pitching staff with his pitch-framing abilities. http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/63855/qa-ryan-hanigan-on-the-art-of-pitch-framing

 

The Reds have former first round pick Devin Mesorco and recently signed Branyan Pena...so someone has to go. Coupled with the acquisition of Pena and a down offensive season, Hanigan could be a cheap but valuable acquisition. He is basically a younger David Ross.

Edited November 9, 2013 by Spitball

[redsoxfan3]

I am sorry to change the subject, but I would like to talk catching. If Saltalamachia is gone, I like the Reds' Ryan Hanigan as a cheap replacement. He is the best defensive catcher in baseball and has very decent on-base ability despite an injury marred year in 2013. He is an asset to a pitching staff with his pitch-framing abilities. http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/63855/qa-ryan-hanigan-on-the-art-of-pitch-framing

 

The Reds have former first round pick devin Mesorco and recently signed Branyan Pena...so someone has to go. Coupled with the acquisition of Pena and a down offensive season, Hanigan could be a cheap but valuable acquisition. He is basically a young David Ross.

 

That is the problem that I see here. We already have David Ross. We do not need two of him. I am all for a good defensive catcher, but we don't need to platoon two backup catchers. Ross and Hanigan can both be considered more than an average backup or as a platoon catcher, but in my mind, I don't like having both on the same team, especially since both are RH and hit lefties better. I am not too comfortable with that platoon at all.

 

Salty is better against righties and Ross is better against lefties, therefore we had a pretty effective platoon last season. Brian McCann is better against righties as well, that is why a platoon with Ross and McCann could be effective, just like it was in Atlanta.

[Dojji]

It tends to be 50/50. We saw it with Cody Ross and Beltre, but not so much with Agon/Napoli.

 

That's because of WHAT Fenway boosts -- and what it absolutely, definitely doesn't.

 

Fenway boosts two things. Batting average and doubles. It does not boost HR power at all, ever, and never did. In fact it depresses HR power. Fenway Park is a below average park to hit home runs at. heck of a park for a line drive/doubles hitter, or a complete professional hitter like Manny who can control the at bat. If they're an all or nothing guy, Fenway isn't going to help them -- in fact it weakens their greatest strength without adding enough AVG/doubles to make up for it.

[Spitball]

That is the problem that I see here. We already have David Ross. We do not need two of him. I am all for a good defensive catcher, but we don't need to platoon two backup catchers. Ross and Hanigan can both be considered more than an average backup or as a platoon catcher, but in my mind, I don't like having both on the same team, especially since both are RH and hit lefties better. I am not too comfortable with that platoon at all.

 

Salty is better against righties and Ross is better against lefties, therefore we had a pretty effective platoon last season. Brian McCann is better against righties as well, that is why a platoon with Ross and McCann could be effective, just like it was in Atlanta.

 

McCann would be nice but very expensive. This is not Theo Epstein's era. Cherington won using a different formula. Hanigan has a .349 OBP versus right-handed pitchers for his career. Hanigan's OPS is better if we throw out last season's injury marred season. He is the type of batter and defensive player the Sox employed this past season to win the World Series. Btw, David Ross has a .321 OPS versus right-handed pitchers in his career and a .325 versus lefties.

[seabeachfred]

Drew is becoming much more attractive to Sox fans now that he might be going to another team. Like the song 'Only know that you love her when you let her go' Sometimes no action is the right action. Without Drew Bogaerts can get mentally ready to assume the role of the Short Stop and Middlebrooks can get psyched to be the starting 3B. JBJ will be prepared to take over in Center. The team gets a lot younger but still has the leadership of Peddey, Papi, Koji, and Lester. Plus from everything that I have seen so far both Bogaerts and JBJ are a delight to be around.

 

Right Mark----and stay away from the greybeards and hanger-ons. We went through that the past few years with Casey, Cameron, Hermida, Jenks, Gathright and Valencia just to name a few. We can get younger and better and it is time to start putting some of our talented youth in the lineup and letting them play. If they are a good as the Red Sox front office thinks they are we should be in very good shape. And we still have our leaders as you say so long as Napoli is resigned as well.

[seabeachfred]

I think the AL waters are a little muddier. But I was only discussing the NL in the case of the Cards.

 

I think the Pirates will regularly peter out and not get there at the end and I refuse to trust a Dodgers team with Crawford and Agons and the master of disaster, Mr. Beckett. Those guys will decide to fail at just the right moment and sink the Dodgers.

 

I am sure we have noticed that the LA crowd has been trying to recover some ground on "the trade" with some trying to argue that it really was more even steven than initial comments suggested. Can't wait for that BS to come home to roost. Crawford's a-holeness and ability to fail is always just resting under the surface. Ultimately, the travel or playing on Sunday or God only know what will catch up to Agons just at the wrong moment. He is not a "big moment" kind of player. I am so glad he was not on the 2013 team. I would bet real money he would have turned out to be a Prince Fielder sort of big moment player...ugh!!! If one of those two guys don't fail at the wrong moment, you can always depend on Mr. Beckett to just drag the whole clubhouse through the mud at the wrong time. The Master of Disaster can kill a whole season on you if you are not careful. There is of course an ace in the hole. If one of those three clowns don't end up screwing it up for the Dodgers Little Nicky will just let one go right through the wickets.

 

As for the AL, there are so many teams that have been spending large and asking Santa for a championship, Rangers, Tigers, Angels and some up and comers to boot.....I think there is more of a log jam at the top in the AL. The Sox have picked up so much ground on everybody else though. We may really not want to admit it but the foundation for the 2013 championship was in fact "the trade" which is one of the things that make the LA crowd and their efforts regarding the trade so comical. We got a championship out of it. What did you guys get? I think BC is too smart to give up all that ground gained in the trade, certainly not quickly. The Sox are in such great shape right now that I think Jacko will be packing his belongings for the duration of the decade at least. Where is Jacko....packing....Where is Jacko....still packing......where is Jacko.....STILL PACKING.....:D

 

I wouldn't worry about Beckett. I think he is still looking for that rat he said turned him in for the crud he was.

[mvp 78]

Valencia was only 27. That's a greybeard?

 

Bringing in Ross (greybeard) seemed like a good move to me.

[User Name]

Talking publicly about wanting to sign a player that is under contract to another team would be tampering. GM's can't come out and say "we are pursuing so and so" or even say we want or desire so and so when so and so is under contract to another team. AGons was traded from the Marlins to the Rangers and from the Rangers to the Padres. During his ML career, AGons has never made it to Free Agency. When he was traded from Texas to San Diego he signed a four year deal with the Padres and then was traded to the Sox. So there was never a period in his ML career where the Sox could have come out and publicly voiced a desire to sign the player.

 

They cannot even come out and say we will be pursuing said player when he becomes available if the player is under contract. I agree that Theo wanted AGones. But the only people outside of the the Sox organization Theo could have discussed his desire to have Agones with would have been representatives of the San Diego Padres, as the Padres were the team that had his contract. Theo certainly would not have been in a position to have statements about wanted AGons attributed to him.

 

While a team can talk publicly about wanting a player that is a FA that is pretty rare. Usually it is the player's agent through a friendly media guy that talks some about teams wanting his player because in some cases the agent wants the world to know how much his guy is in demand. The team generally does not want to talk about wanting a particular FA because if they do not land the guy, they end up with egg on their faces, having to answer a bunch of questions about why they could not get it done. But I do not see where there would have been an opportunity for Theo to have talked publicly about wanting Agons because AGons was never without a contract.

 

Sometimes at the eleventh hour of trades in progress, both teams by mutual agreement might announce that they are right on the cusp of a deal....again something that is very rare.

 

How could you turn a secondary subject regarding the Stanton discussion into a thesis about the merits of announcing interest in a player? Seriously.

[User Name]

Those 2 titles and 5 playoff spots in 9 years ruined my day many a time. A reign so bad that all his former assistant GM had to do was rehire a bunch of guys who were in organization before 2011 to win a title again.

 

Well said.

[seabeachfred]

I'd trade Webster or Rubby.

 

So would I Ted. I've predicted all along that these two aren't going to make much of an impact. Both throw straight fast balls and both get hit hard. That won't change in my opinion. Besides, they came from the Dodgers, overhyped as all their "prospect suspects" are. Now Owens and Renaudo are a different kettle of fish.

[User Name]

That's because of WHAT Fenway boosts -- and what it absolutely, definitely doesn't.

 

Fenway boosts two things. Batting average and doubles. It does not boost HR power at all, ever, and never did. In fact it depresses HR power. Fenway Park is a below average park to hit home runs at. heck of a park for a line drive/doubles hitter, or a complete professional hitter like Manny who can control the at bat. If they're an all or nothing guy, Fenway isn't going to help them -- in fact it weakens their greatest strength without adding enough AVG/doubles to make up for it.

 

This is an incorrect statement you keep repeating, and have been corrected on many a time, sometimes hilariously. Fenway boosts RH double and HR power, and lefty doubles power while suppressing HR power. The data has been presented so many times i'm not even going to bother bringing it up.

 

Saying an incorrect idea ad nauseum does not make it correct.

[User Name]

McCann would be nice but very expensive. This is not Theo Epstein's era. Cherington won using a different formula. Hanigan has a .349 OBP versus right-handed pitchers for his career. Hanigan's OPS is better if we throw out last season's injury marred season. He is the type of batter and defensive player the Sox employed this past season to win the World Series. Btw, David Ross has a .321 OPS versus right-handed pitchers in his career and a .325 versus lefties.

 

You mean Epstein didn't win titles in 2004 and 2007 by picking up undervalued assets in decent-termed deals (Millar, Mueller) making mid-season trades from positions of strength to improve the team (O-Cab, Mient, Gagne even though that blew up in his face)?

[seabeachfred]

I would avoid Kemp. He had a big contract season, then has had injury problems since then. Pass.

 

I would also avoid Beltran--the Cardinals were lucky with him. 37yo with no knees.

 

One problem the Red Sox have is they have so much money to spend they sometimes go looking for excuses to spend it. The result is they often block young players, with the excuse that "they aren't ready."

 

What they should do is throw money at their NEEDS. That means maybe McCann--a guy who can catch as well as hit. Perfect compliment to Ross. Then you have to ask how Lav fits in the picture. I don't know. But with those veteran pitchers, a good game caller and pitch framer (watch Ross work behind the plate--a master) is needed. Epstein missed the boat not signing Martin instead of Salty several years ago. Martin much better defensively and timely hitter like Ross.

 

Nap fits a need, and should be re-signed as a priority. They have the inside track on him. Ells and Drew both block young players. I say no, at Boras' inflated prices. Bogaerts can play SS, JBJ or Vic in the OF. An OF of Vic,Gomes,Nava,Carp,JBJ looks OK. Beltran would add depth, but at what price? Giving up on Middlebrooks and switching Bogie to 3B so early in his career would be foolish. They can lock up the left side of their IF for 10 years.

 

Well said SoxSport. We don't need any more greybeards. We've never had much success with those types. Give these kids a chance to play and it will pay off big IMHO over the next decade. No good young player for us should be blocked any more.

[User Name]

Well said SoxSport. We don't need any more greybeards. We've never had much success with those types. Give these kids a chance to play and it will pay off big IMHO over the next decade. No good young player for us should be blocked any more.

 

How is it "well said"? That is retarded. The Red Sox are one of the teams to feature more home-grown talent throughout the league. Blocking prospects was never the problem. Stupid contracts was the problem.

[seabeachfred]

Talking about Webster. Upon 2nd thought you are correct. He will improve his control and go on to have a great career with Boston so we can really rub it in to the Dodgers fans.

 

As I said Mark, I have some real doubts about Webster but he does has an upside and to see him succeed would be nice if for no other reason but to rub the Dodgers' noses in the dirt. I hope those other guys are right about him though.

[mvp 78]

So would I Ted. I've predicted all along that these two aren't going to make much of an impact. Both throw straight fast balls and both get hit hard. That won't change in my opinion. Besides, they came from the Dodgers, overhyped as all their "prospect suspects" are. Now Owens and Renaudo are a different kettle of fish.

 

Ryan "the Real Deal" Lavarnway

[Spitball]

 

Salty is better against righties.

 

Btw, Salty has an career OPS of .327 versus righties, Ross has a .321, and Hanigan has a career .349 OPS versus right-handers. I see the OPS and defense as the type of player that the Sox have employed to win this past season.

[User Name]

Btw, Salty has an career OPS of .327 versus righties, Ross has a .321, and Hanigan has a career .349 OPS versus right-handers. I see the OPS and defense as the type of player that the Sox have employed to win this past season.

 

Do you mean OBP or wOBA?

[seabeachfred]

Oh, so you mean the Red Sox DO give opportunities to the young guys? Go figure.

 

Also, did Dempster beat up your kid at school or something?

 

I know you enjoy getting on Sox Sports case but don't get ridiculous about Dempster. He is excess filling and we need to send him packing if for no other reason is that he is meat to the American League hitters, not to mention that he IS blocking a younger pitcher from getting a chance with the Red Sox.

[User Name]

I know you enjoy getting on Sox Sports case but don't get ridiculous about Dempster. He is excess filling and we need to send him packing if for no other reason is that he is meat to the American League hitters, not to mention that he IS blocking a younger pitcher from getting a chance with the Red Sox.

 

I didn't say i don't wanna see him traded. I'm saying SS won't shut the f*** up about him. We get it, SoxSport wants Dempster gone, mark wants Tanaka,, and SFF wants Stanton. Now can we please move along?

[mvp 78]

I know you enjoy getting on Sox Sports case but don't get ridiculous about Dempster. He is excess filling and we need to send him packing if for no other reason is that he is meat to the American League hitters, not to mention that he IS blocking a younger pitcher from getting a chance with the Red Sox.

 

You mean Webster and RDLR, right?

[seabeachfred]

Valencia was only 27. That's a greybeard?

 

Bringing in Ross (greybeard) seemed like a good move to me.

 

Typing error mvp. I meant Repko. Thanks for the correction.

[seabeachfred]

How is it "well said"? That is retarded. The Red Sox are one of the teams to feature more home-grown talent throughout the league. Blocking prospects was never the problem. Stupid contracts was the problem.

 

It is not retarded and it is well said. Stupid contracts do block young players. It kept Kalish in the minors for an over-the-hill injury prone JD Drew and it cost us a good young player. Crisp held back Ellsbury in 2008 despite Jacoby's stellar 2007 season when he was called up. That matter wasn't resolved until Coco was traded to KC after the 2008 season, so Jacoby was also temporarily blocked. And right now a couple of young pitchers might be blocked because of people like Dempster and Bailey are still around. Stupid contracts do lead to players being blocked and I would like to see both items become a thing of the past from here on in.