The Jon Lester contract situation

[SoxFanForsyth]

The Civil War was long ago. No need to refer to it like you fought in it.

 

Calm down it was a joke on your post. I've still not seen where Lackey "demanded" a trade.

 

[seabeachfred]

The Civil War was long ago. No need to refer to it like you fought in it.

 

Calm down it was a joke on your post. I've still not seen where Lackey "demanded" a trade.

 

It was also a joke on my part IO. Didn't you see the LOL and smiley? Sorry you took it the wrong way. Reports are that John did ask for a trade because when the subject comes up Cherington doesn't deny it. He just doesn't admit it. Either way, we need two top quality pitchers for next season and I don't know if I believe what Jacko wrote about his friend. That sounds too good to be true. And for the record, I now hold the South in high esteem.....they are the ones who give my party the best chance of success nowadays.

[a700hitter]

It was also a joke on my part IO. Didn't you see the LOL and smiley? Sorry you took it the wrong way. Reports are that John did ask for a trade because when the subject comes up Cherington doesn't deny it. He just doesn't admit it. Either way, we need two top quality pitchers for next season and I don't know if I believe what Jacko wrote about his friend. That sounds too good to be true. And for the record, I now hold the South in high esteem.....they are the ones who give my party the best chance of success nowadays.

The rumor about the trade demand was certainly out there. Neither side will confirm that information, so if people are looking for proof they will not get it. But as you have said before, where there is smoke there is fire. Here, there was a lot of both. He got traded.

[InfernoOrangeSS]

It was also a joke on my part IO. Didn't you see the LOL and smiley? Sorry you took it the wrong way. Reports are that John did ask for a trade because when the subject comes up Cherington doesn't deny it. He just doesn't admit it. Either way, we need two top quality pitchers for next season and I don't know if I believe what Jacko wrote about his friend. That sounds too good to be true. And for the record, I now hold the South in high esteem.....they are the ones who give my party the best chance of success nowadays.

I took it as such, SBF.

I try not to take message boards too seriously, and sometimes come off the wrong way.

Edited August 12, 2014 by InfernoOrangeSS

[seabeachfred]

I took it as such, SBF.

I try not to take message boards too seriously, and sometimes come off the wrong way.

 

Glad we got that settled IO. Besides, does it really matter now if Lester asked out or not? We have much bigger fish to fry as in getting our pitching semi-ready for next season because this one is shot to hell. I say semi-ready because I still insist we need an ace and a solid No. 2 man. I was very encouraged from what I saw of Rubby on Sunday and even Webster surprised me Friday night-----ooooppppsssss----shocked the hell out of me. Those two plus Ranaudo have pitched some good ball for us and I hope it translates into at least two of them along with Owens emerge as a new "BigThree" by 2016 if we fail to get those pitchers I'm screaming for them to get.

[InfernoOrangeSS]

I feel pretty certain the FO gets us a #1 & #2 starter. I am pretty hopeful for next year. Whether that turns out to be, is another question. For now, though, I am hopeful.

[SoxFanForsyth]

http://bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox_mlb/boston_red_sox/2014/08/color_of_money_won_t_determine_jon_lester_s_future

 

So, so, so many good quotes in there. You can't read that article and not think he's coming back to Boston.

 

Sign Lester, trade for Hamels. You heard it here first.

[a700hitter]

http://bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox_mlb/boston_red_sox/2014/08/color_of_money_won_t_determine_jon_lester_s_future

 

So, so, so many good quotes in there. You can't read that article and not think he's coming back to Boston.

 

Sign Lester, trade for Hamels. You heard it here first.

I think we all want this to happen. If not exactly this, something comparable needs to get done. In addition to adding 2 top of the rotation guys, they can't break camp with 2 or 3 roolkies in the rotation. That will just not work.

[Palodios]

I think we all want this to happen. If not exactly this, something comparable needs to get done. In addition to adding 2 top of the rotation guys, they can't break camp with 2 or 3 roolkies in the rotation. That will just not work.

 

With two new starters, we're looking at the remaining 3 to be Kelly, Rubby and one of Workman/Webster/Ranaudo. That's a solid backend, assuming the top two are solid.

[Spudboy]

That was a nice article. It leave Sox fans with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

 

Ultimately it will come down to how much the Sox offer. Olney reported that the Sox offered 6/100 on June 28 ( not mentioned in this article ). I guess ( that is all that any of us can do ) that the Sox will have to offer 6/120 -6/132 to get Lester back.

 

Will the Sox do it? And if they are able to get Lester back, does anyone actually believe that they will spend another $100. mil. to get Hammels? I doubt that but who knows? They did something similar to secure Gonzalez and Crawford.

[SoxFanForsyth]

That was a nice article. It leave Sox fans with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

 

Ultimately it will come down to how much the Sox offer. Olney reported that the Sox offered 6/100 on June 28 ( not mentioned in this article ). I guess ( that is all that any of us can do ) that the Sox will have to offer 6/120 -6/132 to get Lester back.

 

Will the Sox do it? And if they are able to get Lester back, does anyone actually believe that they will spend another $100. mil. to get Hammels? I doubt that but who knows? They did something similar to secure Gonzalez and Crawford.

 

Good eye on the Olney thing - I didn't see that.

 

That only confirms my belief that the Sox will get Lester back. The one thing I was worried about was the years. But if they already were willing to go 6 years, then it's basically a done deal. I could see them going 5/120 ($24mm AAV) with a $20mm option for a 6th year to make it 6/140 and I think Lester signs that in an instant. That's where I think this ends up. That's still a hometown discount, given that Cliff Lee virtually signed that same deal 5 years ago.

 

As for the Hamels part - I do think the Sox would pay for Hamels and Lester. They've got $75mm to spend this offseason, and that's only bumping into the luxury tax threshold. They may well be willing to go over it since they haven't gone over in a couple years, and the penalties really stack up once you go over.

 

Also - If the Phillies want prospects (which they do), I'm sure they'll eat around $5mm annually of Hamels contract, so that sets him down to a more reasonable price.

 

Finally - in 2016, the Sox only have $22mm committed. So even if they get close to the lux tax threshold in 2015, they've got plenty of room in 2016.

[Palodios]

Will the Sox do it? And if they are able to get Lester back, does anyone actually believe that they will spend another $100. mil. to get Hammels? I doubt that but who knows? They did something similar to secure Gonzalez and Crawford.

 

The Red Sox pride themselves in making smart decisions, and getting value through youth and dollars. They're almost arrogant about it. Cole Hamels is everything the team wants.

 

He will cost a lot of prospects, but the contract will prevent many small market teams from pursuing him.

He's signed for 4 more years at ages 31-34. He wouldn't pitch a day as a 35 year old for the Sox, unless they pick up his option for the 5th year, which gives them even more flexibility.

He's a playoff stud that would pair well with Lester in October.

 

If they can get Hamels without moving the top 5 prospects in the system, they'll do it.

[SoxFanForsyth]

The Red Sox pride themselves in making smart decisions, and getting value through youth and dollars. They're almost arrogant about it. Cole Hamels is everything the team wants.

 

He will cost a lot of prospects, but the contract will prevent many small market teams from pursuing him.

He's signed for 4 more years at ages 31-34. He wouldn't pitch a day as a 35 year old for the Sox, unless they pick up his option for the 5th year, which gives them even more flexibility.

He's a playoff stud that would pair well with Lester in October.

 

If they can get Hamels without moving the top 5 prospects in the system, they'll do it.

 

The deal that will get Hamels will be:

 

1 of Betts/Owens

+

1 of Ranaudo/Webster/Barnes

+

Middlebrooks

 

I would rather give up Owens than Betts unless the Sox sign Rusney Castillo, who would be the CF of the future.

[a700hitter]

With two new starters, we're looking at the remaining 3 to be Kelly, Rubby and one of Workman/Webster/Ranaudo. That's a solid backend, assuming the top two are solid.

I think we might be able to get by with that only because Rubby is getting some good experience this year, and I believe that he no longer has rookie status. If one of those guys goes down and we have 2 rookies in the rotation for an extended time, that would be hard to weather.

[SoxFanForsyth]

With two new starters, we're looking at the remaining 3 to be Kelly, Rubby and one of Workman/Webster/Ranaudo. That's a solid backend, assuming the top two are solid.

 

So what are we doing with Buchholz again?

[Bellhorn04]

So what are we doing with Buchholz again?

 

Depends if we see Good Clay or Bad Clay the rest of the way. He's auditioning too.

 

Actually, unless he sucks, I'm sure he'll be back. They obviously like the guy a lot. Not a single bad word about him through all his ups and downs.

[Palodios]

So what are we doing with Buchholz again?

 

DFA, trade, bullet to the head. I'm okay with any of those options.

[seabeachfred]

DFA, trade, bullet to the head. I'm okay with any of those options.

 

Cigarette and a blindfold. Let him go out with some honor.

[Behindenemylines]

That was a nice article. It leave Sox fans with a warm and fuzzy feeling.

 

Ultimately it will come down to how much the Sox offer. Olney reported that the Sox offered 6/100 on June 28 ( not mentioned in this article ). I guess ( that is all that any of us can do ) that the Sox will have to offer 6/120 -6/132 to get Lester back.

 

Will the Sox do it? And if they are able to get Lester back, does anyone actually believe that they will spend another $100. mil. to get Hammels? I doubt that but who knows? They did something similar to secure Gonzalez and Crawford.

 

I think Plan A is to make a run at Lester. They have an amount and years that will be below what the max is, but if it is still enough I can see Lester taking a little less to come back to Boston. If it isn't enough they will move on to Plan B. A lot of buzz about the Phillies so that means Hammels.