2014 Offseason Thread

[BSN07]

That is the dumbest thing i've ever heard. They "sent Kalish down to get injured?" What the f*** bro?

 

lol smh...

[User Name]

Also, Lavaranway didn't suck because they "moved him between C and 1B", Lavarnway sucked because he was a subpar catcher who couldn't hit MLB pitching. Stop making s***** excuses when the players you like don't pan out. You can't blame the FO for everything people, and even more so if you're unwilling to give them credit when they make the correct moves.

[jd98]

And how was AGon a worthless piece of garbage? His power wasn't what was expected, but he was still pretty good. In his one full season, he finished 7th in MVP voting, had a .957 OPS, led the league in hits, and won a gold glove. His partial season wasn't as good, but still hit .300 with .812 OPS

[BSN07]

Also, Lavaranway didn't suck because they "moved him between C and 1B", Lavarnway sucked because he was a subpar catcher who couldn't hit MLB pitching. Stop making s***** excuses when the players you like don't pan out. You can't blame the FO for everything people, and even more so if you're unwilling to give them credit when they make the correct moves.

 

I say, what is this madness?

[seabeachfred]

That is the dumbest thing i've ever heard. They "sent Kalish down to get injured?" What the f*** bro?

 

Only because you're a little short of grey matter Mr. Disappearance. Kalish did very well for part of the 2010 season he was with us. He hit ok and fielded very well. When it came to 2011 they decided to go with the last year of overpriced and injury prone JD Drew who promptly got injured and injured again and was of no use to the team. Meanwhile Kalish was sent down to Pawtucket and injured himself diving for a ball. If he had been in Boston the odds are he wouldn't have hurt himself at Pawtucket. Or maybe you had pulled one of your yearly disappearing acts as you did t his year and in 2012 and wasn't aware of what happened. Hard to keep up with you bugging out when your predictions and opinions become so much crap. Probably starting another new business heh??? Great belief in Stephen Drew last year User. You'll never live that one down.

[seabeachfred]

Also, Lavaranway didn't suck because they "moved him between C and 1B", Lavarnway sucked because he was a subpar catcher who couldn't hit MLB pitching. Stop making s***** excuses when the players you like don't pan out. You can't blame the FO for everything people, and even more so if you're unwilling to give them credit when they make the correct moves.

 

Your problem is that you are so close to the front office and back up everything they claim that when they stop short you wind up halfway up their rear ends. As for Lavarnway he was a solid power hitter in our system who I believe was misused and suffered because of it. If you hadn't been on one of your disappearing acts you might have known they tried to de-emphasize Ryan's hitting so he could concentrate on his catching with the result that he suffered in both areas. Please know what the hell you're talking about before mouthing off, and g et that picture of that loser Nixon off your board. It might help you from being a quitter when things go wrong. BTW, how is Stephen Drew doing?

[BSN07]

Only because you're a little short of grey matter Mr. Disappearance. Kalish did very well for part of the 2010 season he was with us. He hit ok and fielded very well. When it came to 2011 they decided to go with the last year of overpriced and injury prone JD Drew who promptly got injured and injured again and was of no use to the team. Meanwhile Kalish was sent down to Pawtucket and injured himself diving for a ball. If he had been in Boston the odds are he wouldn't have hurt himself at Pawtucket. Or maybe you had pulled one of your yearly disappearing acts as you did t his year and in 2012 and wasn't aware of what happened. Hard to keep up with you bugging out when your predictions and opinions become so much crap. Probably starting another new business heh??? Great belief in Stephen Drew last year User. You'll never live that one down.

 

Or he could have hurt himself diving for a ball at Fenway.. Just sayin

[jd98]

What is everyone's ideal lineup? (I am going to assume Cespedes gets traded for an arm)

 

Betts CF

Castillo LF/RF

Ortiz DH

Hanley 3B

Napoli 1B

Vic/Nava RF/LF

Pedroia 2B

Xander SS

Vazquez C

 

Panda fails physical and contract is voided and money used for pitching.

If Pedroia hits or Castillo doesn't then switch those two.

[User Name]

Fred's posts are, as asual, highly ironic.

 

Moving on from the controversy, JD, i find it highly unlikely that Panda fails his physical.

[jd98]

Fred's posts are, as asual, highly ironic.

 

Moving on from the controversy, JD, i find it highly unlikely that Panda fails his physical.

 

I agree. That was my ideal scenario, not what I expect to happen.

[MJantomaso]

Betts CF

Castillo LF/RF

Ortiz DH

Hanley 3B

Napoli 1B

Vic/Nava RF/LF

Pedroia 2B

Xander SS

Vazquez C

 

Panda fails physical and contract is voided and money used for pitching.

If Pedroia hits or Castillo doesn't then switch those two.

 

They still have money for pitching and trade pieces to get MORE pitching. I don't get the hate for signing Sandoval. The organization filled a hole that needed to be filled. This is the Boston Redsox we are talking about here, not the Tampa Bay Rays. We are able to fork out a little more money for talent.

[Spudboy]

Also, Lavaranway didn't suck because they "moved him between C and 1B", Lavarnway sucked because he was a subpar catcher who couldn't hit MLB pitching. Stop making s***** excuses when the players you like don't pan out. You can't blame the FO for everything people, and even more so if you're unwilling to give them credit when they make the correct moves.

 

I guess that this is true. However, I do not believe that he was given a sustained chance to prove otherwise. Certainly not the latitude that Bradley and XB were afforded.

 

It's interesting that about 4 years ago many on this board were wondering when both Lavanway and Middlebrooks were being touted as the can't miss young power hitters in the Sox system and when they would be given a shot at a starting gig. Now both are likely gone having done almost nothing to demonstrate the faith we had in them.

 

Of concern to me is that the Sox are now very thin at catcher. Butler is at best a AAA or maybe AAAA reserve catcher. Swilhart is about one solid year of AAA at bats before he is ready.

 

What do the Sox do? Trade for Navaro or Jaso? Sign Ross to a one year deal????

[sk7326]

Your problem is that you are so close to the front office and back up everything they claim that when they stop short you wind up halfway up their rear ends. As for Lavarnway he was a solid power hitter in our system who I believe was misused and suffered because of it. If you hadn't been on one of your disappearing acts you might have known they tried to de-emphasize Ryan's hitting so he could concentrate on his catching with the result that he suffered in both areas. Please know what the hell you're talking about before mouthing off, and g et that picture of that loser Nixon off your board. It might help you from being a quitter when things go wrong. BTW, how is Stephen Drew doing?

 

He might have been able to hit well enough to play as a catcher - but he was a poor catcher. And not a good enough hitter to play anywhere else. If his bat were Jose Abreu like, they could have found a spot for him - but it wasn't.

[sk7326]

I guess that this is true. However, I do not believe that he was given a sustained chance to prove otherwise. Certainly not the latitude that Bradley and XB were afforded.

 

It's interesting that about 4 years ago many on this board were wondering when both Lavanway and Middlebrooks were being touted as the can't miss young power hitters in the Sox system and when they would be given a shot at a starting gig. Now both are likely gone having done almost nothing to demonstrate the faith we had in them.

 

Of concern to me is that the Sox are now very thin at catcher. Butler is at best a AAA or maybe AAAA reserve catcher. Swilhart is about one solid year of AAA at bats before he is ready.

 

What do the Sox do? Trade for Navaro or Jaso? Sign Ross to a one year deal????

 

I'd say sign Ross and live with it. If they want a starting caliber guy (not a true excellent backup like Ross), Geovany Soto is there and a guy who might be up for a 1-year "rebuild value" sort of deal.

[sk7326]

It's still $19.5m AAV for next 5 years. I'd give him something like 4/$60 at most, and after signing Hanley, I'd offer 0/$0. If he can revert to 4-7 years ago, then it's not bad at all, but it seems more likely for someone to be closer to their last 3 years performance than 4-7 years ago

 

If you look at the last 3 years, he was MVP caliber in 2013 (over just 86 games!) and good last year. The salary looks bad but given the surrounding economics it's fine. It's just money that would go in John Henry's pockets or somebody at Liverpool.

[sk7326]

One thing Jacko is conveniently ignoring (and again, i don't love the move) is that BMS (Big Man Syndrome) usually sets in for position players right around their mid-30's, which is just before Panda's contract runs out. He's also viable to put much better offensive numbers out of the craphole for offense that is the NL West.

 

Don't love the move, but not nearly as bad as our resident annoying Yankees fan is trying to make it out as, per his M.O.

 

What is interesting about Sandoval when you watch him is that:

 

1. He is a good athlete. He is tubby, but the feet are nimble and the hands are good. He is a legitimately above average 3B.

2. He obviously lacks the patience Wade Boggs has. But what he does have is the same sort of plate coverage and willingness to use the whole field, at the expense of maximizing his natural power. He is not a huge HR guy, but as much of it has to do with his approach than anything. He could make a killing peppering the Monster.

[jd98]

If you look at the last 3 years, he was MVP caliber in 2013 (over just 86 games!) and good last year. The salary looks bad but given the surrounding economics it's fine. It's just money that would go in John Henry's pockets or somebody at Liverpool.

 

We were talking about Sandoval's contract. You're talking about Hanley. I don't mind the Hanley deal because he's got more upside and has done it more recently. He likely would have been MVP in 2013 if he had played a full season. Of course that's one downside, he's had his share of injuries.

[Spudboy]

If you look at the last 3 years, he was MVP caliber in 2013 (over just 86 games!) and good last year. The salary looks bad but given the surrounding economics it's fine. It's just money that would go in John Henry's pockets or somebody at Liverpool.

 

Lol.

 

I have little doubt that Sandoval will perform well enough for the first two or so years of his deal to keep everyone silent. Who cares that the Sox spent so much on a player that gets it done now? It's later in the deal that I am concerned about. I don't see him becoming a better player and producing more. If anything he may just sustain a level of performance and production consistent with what he has done the past 4 or so years.

 

Will that be enough to justify 5/100? Maybe given the prevailing baseball economics five years from now but I don't see it happening in the context of what had to be spent to get a functional 3rd baseman for the now.

 

I really wonder how Hanley will do in Boston. Of course he has that near insane natural baseball ability. But will he use it to extend himself in learning a new position and help building another winning team?

 

Hey. Maybe so. Maybe he can be the Ortiz successor at DH.

[sk7326]

Cafardo seems to think the Red Sox have 40 million left under the luxury tax.

 

The key thing here also is that when guys like Fred or whomever worry about the budget - the luxury tax is a choice. The Red Sox have room under the tax, but they can also go over - and for the Red Sox, the market forces make it very desirable to do so if the right guy is there.

 

I hate the $/WAR argument since each franchise has its own values for that thing. But no doubt the Sox and Yanks $/WAR is very high, enough to make bold moves (not stupid ones obviously).

[sk7326]

We were talking about Sandoval's contract. You're talking about Hanley. I don't mind the Hanley deal because he's got more upside and has done it more recently. He likely would have been MVP in 2013 if he had played a full season. Of course that's one downside, he's had his share of injuries.

 

The Sandoval contract is ok too - consistency is there, the youngest premium FA available (so there is at least improvement possible). Do I wish he hit more homers? A bit, although some of that is choice. He could be a Monster-hitting machine.

[Palodios]

Also, Lavaranway didn't suck because they "moved him between C and 1B", Lavarnway sucked because he was a subpar catcher who couldn't hit MLB pitching. Stop making s***** excuses when the players you like don't pan out. You can't blame the FO for everything people, and even more so if you're unwilling to give them credit when they make the correct moves.

 

Something happened to him. Maybe pitchers finally caught up to him, but after 2011, there is a sharp downward trend, even in the minors. I'm not blaming the actual position change for his issues, I'm blaming the wear and tear of catching for his power failure. After 2011, his SLG drops from .600ish to .400ish.

 

2010 A-AA: .889 OPS

2011 AA: .869 OPS

2011 AAA: 1.002 OPS

2012 AAA: .815

2013 AAA: .696

2014 AAA: .759

[alphilip77]

David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com reports that the Cubs have offered free agent left-hander Jon Lester a six-year deal worth "north of" $135 million. Let's hope the bit about the Sox being open to negotiating with Lester is true, because that 110-120 contract offer ain't gonna cut the mustard.

[dupree]

The Sox are gonna have to go to the 140 range and get it done quick. Lester is supposed to go to San Fran and meet with them next week. This if you are in I'll meet with ya and keep everyone else waiting to drive the price up is nerve wrenching. He might as well have Borax as his agent as well.

 

Brain Cashman is probably having Thanksgiving dinner at the Lester Household this year.

The longer it goes and more and more teams get in the more I think we are gonna get outbid. I just hope if we lose the bidding for Lester we get Scherzer no matter what.

[Palodios]

David Kaplan of CSNChicago.com reports that the Cubs have offered free agent left-hander Jon Lester a six-year deal worth "north of" $135 million. Let's hope the bit about the Sox being open to negotiating with Lester is true, because that 110-120 contract offer ain't gonna cut the mustard.

 

The current report is 130. I think Lester would eat the extra dollars to stay here.

[Divinity]

The current report is 130. I think Lester would eat the extra dollars to stay here.

 

Lester is meeting with the Giants next week though, they'll probably offer more than 130.

[soxfan74]

Man I get the Cespedes trade for a pitcher thing. Imagine the lineup possibilities

if we could keep him.

[SCM33]

Lavarnway seems like exactly the kind of player that will disappear into another organization for a few years, and turn into the next Vmart. He absolutely mashed in the minors for a few years there, but juggling catching and first base messed with his development.

 

He will be 28 this summer.

 

He is J.A.G

[SCM33]

The offseason should have started with Jon Lester.

 

This team will be another clownshow if Laptop and Kelly are 1 and 2.

[Bellhorn04]

This team will be another clownshow if Laptop and Kelly are 1 and 2.

 

No way in hell does that happen.

[Bellhorn04]

Latest rumors on Lester:

 

Cubs offer is 6 years 144 million

Red Sox offer is 6 years 138 million