2014 Offseason Thread

[RedSoxNC84]

Cole casually mentioned that he wanted to be traded to a contender.

 

" Hamels notes that he would be “all ears” to the possibility of waiving his no-trade protection were the Red Sox to work out an agreement to acquire him."

[dupree]

Amaro has to be wanting a ton of top tier talent to add to the Swihart deal for Hamels. If Swihart is the only snag I think the Sox FO is wrong on not pulling the trigger. Slow playing this situation and saying they are happy with the current rotation is BS and will come back to bite them when he gets traded and he is off the market and they are stuck with the mediocre to slightly above average rotation they have currently.

[Bellhorn04]

Amaro has to be wanting a ton of top tier talent to add to the Swihart deal for Hamels. If Swihart is the only snag I think the Sox FO is wrong on not pulling the trigger. Slow playing this situation and saying they are happy with the current rotation is BS and will come back to bite them when he gets traded and he is off the market and they are stuck with the mediocre to slightly above average rotation they have currently.

 

I think the Sox FO is concerned about how well Hamels will fit in Boston and that's why they're reluctant to pay too much in prospects.

[Kimmi]

Amaro has to be wanting a ton of top tier talent to add to the Swihart deal for Hamels. If Swihart is the only snag I think the Sox FO is wrong on not pulling the trigger. Slow playing this situation and saying they are happy with the current rotation is BS and will come back to bite them when he gets traded and he is off the market and they are stuck with the mediocre to slightly above average rotation they have currently.

 

 

I don't think it's BS. I think they would absolutely like to add a top starter, but they are in a situation where they can add another pitcher on their own terms. No, our rotation is not going to blow anyone away, but with our offense and defense, they should be good enough that the FO can wait.

[User Name]

Amaro has to be wanting a ton of top tier talent to add to the Swihart deal for Hamels. If Swihart is the only snag I think the Sox FO is wrong on not pulling the trigger. Slow playing this situation and saying they are happy with the current rotation is BS and will come back to bite them when he gets traded and he is off the market and they are stuck with the mediocre to slightly above average rotation they have currently.

 

I could literally not disagree with you more. Maybe for a younger, cheaper pitcher.

[Spitball]

If the Sox are truly in on Hamels, I believe they are in a position to play hardball with the Phillies. The Phillies need to move him more than the Sox need to acquire him at this point. The Sox have a rotation that can compete with the others in the AL East. The Phillies have to hope he doesn't get hurt or has a slow start in front of a bad team. The Phillies also have to hope that potential contenders with aces like the Reds (with Cueto) are not out of contention come July and will be in competition for the top prospects.

 

Personally, I would rather have Cueto if it comes down to the July deadline even if he is a free agent to be.

[User Name]

Hamels is exiting his prime, is really expensive, and has a terrible track record against the AL.

[cp176]

If the Sox are truly in on Hamels, I believe they are in a position to play hardball with the Phillies. The Phillies need to move him more than the Sox need to acquire him at this point. The Sox have a rotation that can compete with the others in the AL East. The Phillies have to hope he doesn't get hurt or has a slow start in front of a bad team. The Phillies also have to hope that potential contenders with aces like the Reds (with Cueto) are not out of contention come July and will be in competition for the top prospects.

 

Personally, I would rather have Cueto if it comes down to the July deadline even if he is a free agent to be.

 

I agree with you here on Cueto. I would prefer him certainly to Hamels.

[Palodios]

The Red Sox gained a lot of leverage after the Shields contract. If Shields is only worth 75 million, is Hamels really worth 110? Teams seem to have hit their salary limits early this year, judging by the number of high end relievers left available, so Cole may have fewer suitors that Amaro expected. Edited February 19, 2015 by Palodios

[Ogden]

Just off the few times I've seen him and his contract situation, I'd rather have Hamels than Lester but I have no idea what his mental makeup is. Although after playing in Philly, the fans and press may not be much different than Boston. But if they didn't really want to pay Lester big money, maybe they don't want to pay the same kind of money to Hamels, albeit for 2 less years.

 

From Peter Gammons...

 

Could the Red Sox eventually trade for Hamels, pick up his option to waive his no-trade and make it a $110M five year contract? Maybe. If one of their five presumed starters goes down and Rodriguez, Henry Owens or Brian Johnson needs at least half a year? Yes. It won’t involve Mookie Betts, it won’t involve Blake Swihart, but as Peter Abraham has pointed out, given the Phillies needs and the Boston system, they can talk (theoretically) an Owens and a Manuel Margot and see how much money the Phillies will pick up to buy prospects, because Boston is not going to take on all of Hamels’ $23M.

Edited February 19, 2015 by Ogden

[seabeachfred]

The Polo Grounds because I saw the Mets play there when I was a wee lad - the short porches in LF and RF, the cutout in CF with the stairs up to the clubhouse, the walk down along Riverside Drive and descending to the park, the catwalks out to the second deck. Just awesome Although from what I've seen of Ebbets Field, it was probably the coolest ballpark I would have loved to have gone to. I assume that's what you are leading to. My mother was born in Flatbush and my grandfather used to play semi-pro ball in Ebbets Field so I'm well aware of what it meant to have a park in the neighborhood and have players living all around the area.

 

Fenway reminds me so much of Ebbets Field---small ballpark, neighborhood field, thousands of fans milling around before the game, rabid fans, and a hangout for hours after the game. You could get there by the subway. However, I like Fenway better.

[sk7326]

Fenway reminds me so much of Ebbets Field---small ballpark, neighborhood field, thousands of fans milling around before the game, rabid fans, and a hangout for hours after the game. You could get there by the subway. However, I like Fenway better.

 

Did the Dodgers fans have pink hats?

[seabeachfred]

Did the Dodgers fans have pink hats?

 

In LA that's what mostly what they have. In Brooklyn, not at all. As far as Red Sox fans are concerned, yes, we have some pink hats because it has become fashionable for some people to root for the Red Sox. This started after we won the WS in 2004. Unfortunately some of these pinkos have money and or connections and they now can get seats in Fenway, but there is still a helluva lot more ardent and passionate Red Sox fans than the other kind and we can be thankful for that. We have the most rabid fans in baseball and I would argue that with anybody.

[mvp 78]

@PeteAbe: Pablo Sandoval just hit a ball over the batting cages in right field. Haven't seen that happen before.

[User Name]

Just let him be fat.

[mvp 78]

Just let him be fat.

 

Weight aint nuthin but a number.

 

Fat panda is best panda.

[Spudboy]

In LA that's what mostly what they have. In Brooklyn, not at all. As far as Red Sox fans are concerned, yes, we have some pink hats because it has become fashionable for some people to root for the Red Sox. This started after we won the WS in 2004. Unfortunately some of these pinkos have money and or connections and they now can get seats in Fenway, but there is still a helluva lot more ardent and passionate Red Sox fans than the other kind and we can be thankful for that. We have the most rabid fans in baseball and I would argue that with anybody.

 

The Boston area has had Pink Hats since before 2004. Maybe not in such abundance, but they were there.

[mvp 78]

The Boston area has had Pink Hats since before 2004. Maybe not in such abundance, but they were there.

 

Yup, lots of pink hats after 99 bandwagon. Sox were nuclear hot around here from late 99-04.

[mvp 78]

Anyone chanting Yankees Suck was a pink hat imo.

[Spudboy]

Anyone chanting Yankees Suck was a pink hat imo.

 

I don't remember the year. I do remember Mickey Rivers getting pelted with beer bottles in right field at Fenway.

 

To me, that was the start of the modern Yankee hate here in the Boston area.

 

Not a shining moment in Sox fan history.

[mvp 78]

Racist 1970's Sox fans were the original pink hats.

[sk7326]

Racist 1970's Sox fans were the original pink hats.

 

Tom Yawkey wore a pink hat? I know, I know - it was sitting there ...

[mvp 78]

Tom Yawkey wore a pink hat? I know, I know - it was sitting there ...

 

Shhhh... He was a great man according to some people around here!

[a700hitter]

Anyone chanting Yankees Suck was a pink hat imo.

The Yankee fans started "Boston Sucks" thing in 1976. I think it started the night of the brawl involving Bill Lee and that prick Nettles. Some guys from my high school claimed responsibility for starting that trend. Sox fans didn't go straight into the gutter with retaliation. That first year there were some shirts and bumper stickers that was a parody of NY's "I Love NY" travel advertisement. The stickers and shirts said "I love NY. It's the Yankees I hate."

[Palodios]

I think we should all consider Joe Kelly to be the cheap version of Ryan Dempster, and it will make us much happier. He's not going to win any awards, but he plays hard, stays healthy, and keeps the entire team in good spirits. He's also 12.5 million cheaper than Dempster.

[cp176]

I think we should all consider Joe Kelly to be the cheap version of Ryan Dempster, and it will make us much happier. He's not going to win any awards, but he plays hard, stays healthy, and keeps the entire team in good spirits. He's also 12.5 million cheaper than Dempster.

 

come on Pal - he said he was going to win a Cy Young!

[Palodios]

come on Pal - he said he was going to win a Cy Young!

 

Dempster came in 6th for a CY Young once.

[Spudboy]

I think we should all consider Joe Kelly to be the cheap version of Ryan Dempster, and it will make us much happier. He's not going to win any awards, but he plays hard, stays healthy, and keeps the entire team in good spirits. He's also 12.5 million cheaper than Dempster.

 

I always liked Dempster even though he was not exactly lights out.

 

I am very interested in seeing how Kelly develops. He has upside.

 

Unlike Clay Doltholtz who can exhibit mind bending "stuff", Kelly appears to have a brain and a heart.

 

Two attributes laptop will never have.

[Spudboy]

come on Pal - he said he was going to win a Cy Young!

 

Would you prefer he say "I'm going to suck ass all year"?

 

I want the players on my team to be confident. No one takes his remark seriously. Not even himself, I assume.

[cp176]

Would you prefer he say "I'm going to suck ass all year"?

 

I want the players on my team to be confident. No one takes his remark seriously. Not even himself, I assume.

 

 

No - I am actually glad he had the nuts to say it whether he truly believes it or not and he might mean it. On their current pitching staff, if it doesn't become overly political, I could see him getting the start on opening day. i like him.

 

and Pal - I also like Dempster - great mental toughness.