2014 Offseason Thread

[wyo-sox]

Boy I'd hate to see Victorino go. I'd love to see him around for a few more years. I'm sure that's not likely as they have a surplus of young and upcoming outfield talent... but I'd like to at least one more year of him in a Sox uniform. He plays the game so hard. He really lays it all out and does every little thing he can to help his team win. I think he has added value given the young talent the Sox have- as an example and mentor for them.

[cp176]

Boy I'd hate to see Victorino go. I'd love to see him around for a few more years. I'm sure that's not likely as they have a surplus of young and upcoming outfield talent... but I'd like to at least one more year of him in a Sox uniform. He plays the game so hard. He really lays it all out and does every little thing he can to help his team win. I think he has added value given the young talent the Sox have- as an example and mentor for them.

 

I don't think that they can do better than a healthy Victorino in right field.

[iortiz]

MLBTR has some chatter about the Sox being interested in Lee and the Phillies being interested in Victorino.

 

If Lee is healthy and shows that in ST, I see a lot of teams interested in him. If so... Money is not the only thing that is going to be attached to him.

[User Name]

If Lee is healthy and shows that in ST, I see a lot of teams interested in him. If so... Money is not the only thing that is going to be attached to him.

 

Name the teams that can absorb the 37.5 million price tag attached to him AND have the need. I'll wait.

[iortiz]

Name the teams that can absorb the 37.5 million price tag attached to him AND have the need. I'll wait.

 

Probably the same teams that are interested in Hamels.

Edited February 25, 2015 by iortiz

[User Name]

Probably the same teams that interested in Hamels.

 

That's a cop-out, for one, and two, the other teams interested in Hamels have mostly addressed their pitching concerns, mainly the Padres, who signed Shields. Texas got Gallardo. , and probably wouldn't have had the financial flexibility either ways. Casually, if you read the headlines mentioning Lee to Boston, the other two teams who kicked the tires on Lee were precisely the Padres and Rangers, who have both addressed their pitching concerns.

[iortiz]

That's a cop-out, for one, and two, the other teams interested in Hamels have mostly addressed their pitching concerns, mainly the Padres, who signed Shields. Texas got Gallardo. , and probably wouldn't have had the financial flexibility either ways. Casually, if you read the headlines mentioning Lee to Boston, the other two teams who kicked the tires on Lee were precisely the Padres and Rangers, who have both addressed their pitching concerns.

Cop-out? Haha nahhh

So what you are saying is that we are the only team who is pushing for Hamels right now?. You can guess, but you do not have facts. As I said, if Lee is healthy I see at least the teams that are interested in Hamels pushing for Lee.

[mvp 78]

If other teams were interested, MLBTR would be talkung about it in order to get more eyeballs on their site from other fan bases. The fact that they aren't listing any other teams says all you need to know.

[User Name]

Cop-out? Haha nahhh

So what you are saying is that we are the only team who is pushing for Hamels right now?. You can guess, but you do not have facts. As I said, if Lee is healthy I see at least the teams that are interested in Hamels pushing for Lee.

 

No, that's not what I'm saying at all and for the life of me I cannot understand how that's you conclusion after my post.

 

What I'm saying is to put some thought and coherence into what you're saying. You're saying you think a lot of teams are interested, so I asked what teams? "Well the same one interested in Hamels!" Wat?

 

I'm asking you a common sense question, and providing evidence to back up the idea that while there may be a couple teams interested in Lee/Hamels, because of the prohibitive cost the number has to be fairly small, and that puts the Sox in an advantageous position. Saying "I think a lot of teams are after Lee" but failing to substantiate the idea is prime material for being called out on making s*** up.

[iortiz]

MLBTR would not be my source to confirm my assumption. All I'm doing is guessing just as everyone else. Aside Amaro and the teams involved, Nobody knows what is going on with Hamels status these days. As I said if Lee is healthy I think more teams will emerge and try to sign him.

[iortiz]

No, that's not what I'm saying at all and for the life of me I cannot understand how that's you conclusion after my post.

 

What I'm saying is to put some thought and coherence into what you're saying. You're saying you think a lot of teams are interested, so I asked what teams? "Well the same one interested in Hamels!" Wat?

 

I'm asking you a common sense question, and providing evidence to back up the idea that while there may be a couple teams interested in Lee/Hamels, because of the prohibitive cost the number has to be fairly small, and that puts the Sox in an advantageous position. Saying "I think a lot of teams are after Lee" but failing to substantiate the idea is prime material for being called out on making s*** up.

Wait, wait...You cannot understand how that's my conclusion after your post.? Tell me, Which teams do you think are still interested in Hamels?

[Spudboy]

I'd be okay in a one for one swap. I'd hate to see Victorino go but dems da breaks.

 

I see no need to send other players along to Philly in the deal. Philly needs to dump money. The Sox would be assuming the entire $37.5 mil of the Lees deal and sending a $13. mil. player back.

 

Philly gets salary relief and Boston gets a legit starting pitcher with a huge price tag.

 

I'd say that is "even".

 

Not really, but close enough. If anything Philly should sweeten the deal.

[User Name]

I'd be okay in a one for one swap. I'd hate to see Victorino go but dems da breaks.

 

I see no need to send other players along to Philly in the deal. Philly needs to dump money. The Sox would be assuming the entire $37.5 mil of the Lees deal and sending a $13. mil. player back.

 

Philly gets salary relief and Boston gets a legit starting pitcher with a huge price tag.

 

I'd say that is "even".

 

Not really, but close enough. If anything Philly should sweeten the deal.

 

So you don't think there are "many" teams that could absorb a 37.5 million price tag and have the need for a pitcher like Leee? I am shocked and appalled, shocked and appalled, i tell you!

[Spudboy]

So you don't think there are "many" teams that could absorb a 37.5 million price tag and have the need for a pitcher like Leee? I am shocked and appalled, shocked and appalled, i tell you!

 

Amaro has waited the market out to the point that it has contracted on Hamels.

 

On Lee, there are presently no clear suitors for his services. Only a few teams could ever gamble $37.5 on any player for one year. The Sox are in an exclusive club here.

 

They just spent $31.5 mil on a 19 year old that has not even sniffed the bigs, let alone be a dominant and productive player for many years. I say the gamble on Lee for one year is acceptable.

 

AND I HATE BIG $ DEALS!!!

[Bellhorn04]

Amaro has waited the market out to the point that it has contracted on Hamels.

 

On Lee, there are presently no clear suitors for his services. Only a few teams could ever gamble $37.5 on any player for one year. The Sox are in an exclusive club here.

 

They just spent $31.5 mil on a 19 year old that has not even sniffed the bigs, let alone be a dominant and productive player for many years. I say the gamble on Lee for one year is acceptable.

 

AND I HATE BIG $ DEALS!!!

 

Actually they spent $63 mil on Moncada.

[Spudboy]

Actually they spent $63 mil on Moncada.

 

Yes, I stand corrected!

[Kimmi]

I'd be okay in a one for one swap. I'd hate to see Victorino go but dems da breaks.

 

I see no need to send other players along to Philly in the deal. Philly needs to dump money. The Sox would be assuming the entire $37.5 mil of the Lees deal and sending a $13. mil. player back.

 

Philly gets salary relief and Boston gets a legit starting pitcher with a huge price tag.

 

I'd say that is "even".

 

Not really, but close enough. If anything Philly should sweeten the deal.

 

 

I'm thinking one on one swap with Philly kicking in a little cash. I know it's only a one year risk, but $37.5 mil is a lot for one year, especially if Lee flat out stinks or gets injured again. Maybe Lee would agree to waive the buyout in order to be traded to a contending team? Then a one on one swap would seem fair to me.

[sk7326]

I'm thinking one on one swap with Philly kicking in a little cash. I know it's only a one year risk, but $37.5 mil is a lot for one year, especially if Lee flat out stinks or gets injured again. Maybe Lee would agree to waive the buyout in order to be traded to a contending team? Then a one on one swap would seem fair to me.

 

I think the agreement you'd see might be him waiving the buyout in exchange for guaranteeing the option. (which even at his age is not terrible) - turns it into 2 years $52.5M

Edited February 25, 2015 by sk7326

[Kimmi]

I think the agreement you'd see might be him waiving the buyout in exchange for guaranteeing the option. (which even at his age is not terrible) - turns it into 2 years $52.5M

 

 

I'm not sure how guaranteeing the option benefits the Sox though. It's a team option, so if Lee is pitching well, the Sox would pick it anyway. If Lee is injured or he stinks, the buyout would be the cheaper route. Unless they see something that leads them to believe that Lee could bounce back that second year. Otherwise, it just seems like an additional $15 mil that they lose out on.

[sk7326]

I'm not sure how guaranteeing the option benefits the Sox though. It's a team option, so if Lee is pitching well, the Sox would pick it anyway. If Lee is injured or he stinks, the buyout would be the cheaper route. Unless they see something that leads them to believe that Lee could bounce back that second year. Otherwise, it just seems like an additional $15 mil that they lose out on.

 

It's a vesting option - it would just mean getting rid of the vest part. Now a key thing here is that Lee would be waiving a no-trade clause to go to Boston too ... and that normally costs money. Basically the Sox would be paying $15M to waive his no-trade.

[seabeachfred]

That's a cop-out, for one, and two, the other teams interested in Hamels have mostly addressed their pitching concerns, mainly the Padres, who signed Shields. Texas got Gallardo. , and probably wouldn't have had the financial flexibility either ways. Casually, if you read the headlines mentioning Lee to Boston, the other two teams who kicked the tires on Lee were precisely the Padres and Rangers, who have both addressed their pitching concerns.

 

How about the Yankees? They say they have some worries about the health of their rotation. Lee to the Bronx is not out of the realm of possibility for me since that team has been relatively quiet all off season.

[User Name]

How about the Yankees? They say they have some worries about the health of their rotation. Lee to the Bronx is not out of the realm of possibility for me since that team has been relatively quiet all off season.

 

Then why didn't they just sign Lester?

[seabeachfred]

Then why didn't they just sign Lester?

 

I've asked myself that same question all winter. That was one of the two teams I was sure Lester might go to. The other one was the one he did sign with.

[User Name]

I've asked myself that same question all winter. That was one of the two teams I was sure Lester might go to. The other one was the one he did sign with.

 

They're reigning in their spending. They want to go young and are going to test the waters with what they have, unless Hal suddenly has a change of heart.

[Kimmi]

It's a vesting option - it would just mean getting rid of the vest part. Now a key thing here is that Lee would be waiving a no-trade clause to go to Boston too ... and that normally costs money. Basically the Sox would be paying $15M to waive his no-trade.

 

That still doesn't make sense to me. It's a club option that becomes guaranteed under certain conditions. So, unless Lee is healthy and good enough for the option to vest, the Sox have control over whether to pick it up or not. If he's bad, they would be better off buying him out. I don't see any benefit to the Sox in guaranteeing the option.

[Kimmi]

They're reigning in their spending. They want to go young and are going to test the waters with what they have, unless Hal suddenly has a change of heart.

 

They will do this until they hit panic mode. If they stink again, and especially if the Sox win another WS, they will spend again next offseason. They don't have the patience. It's just like when they spent the 2012 offseason insisting that they were gearing towards getting under the luxury tax, then did a complete 180 in the 2013 offseason.

[BSN07]

Generally, Steinbrenner indicated that he has every expectation of competing this year. “It would be horrible not to make the playoffs three years in a row,” he said. “We’d be embarrassed. So anything [as far as firings or restructuring] would be on the table, yes.

 

If they miss the playoffs 3 straight seasons, all hell is gonna break loose in Yankee-land.

[alphilip77]

Even though they're divisional rivals, it would be wise for the Sox to at least see what Toronto would be willing to give for one of our extra OFers (ideally Victorino or Craig). Saunders tore his meniscus and will be out until the ASB, and they're pretty desperate for a replacement (to the point they've discussed putting Danny Valenica in left).

[Spudboy]

Even though they're divisional rivals, it would be wise for the Sox to at least see what Toronto would be willing to give for one of our extra OFers (ideally Victorino or Craig). Saunders tore his meniscus and will be out until the ASB, and they're pretty desperate for a replacement (to the point they've discussed putting Danny Valenica in left).

 

It sounds logical and all but I doubt that the Sox do anything that could help strengthen a division opponent this close to the season.

 

That could backfire in some way.

 

Unless they offer Marcus Strohman!!!!!!!

 

I think Vic and hopefully Graig will be gone. But not to within the AL East.

[Kimmi]

It sounds logical and all but I doubt that the Sox do anything that could help strengthen a division opponent this close to the season.

 

That could backfire in some way.

 

Unless they offer Marcus Strohman!!!!!!!

 

I think Vic and hopefully Graig will be gone. But not to within the AL East.

 

 

What do you have against Craig? You don't think he can rebound?