2016 Red Sox Hot Stove Discussion Thread

[a700hitter]

Oh Cool.

 

Now we can debate another dead horse subject.

I held a mirror to its nose and it fogged up. It should not take more than a couple of posts to beat it to dust.

[cp176]

How is that evidence of folly? They're similar pitchers, and received similar contracts.

 

St Louis is a great fit for Leake. It is somewhat close to his home in Arizona. The Cardinals are arguably the best run organization in baseball, they have a NL pitcher park. Low income tax. Better weather.

 

It also takes more money to sign a player to a 60 win team than it does to sign a player to a 100 win team.

 

I thought that I was the only one on here that felt that the Sox tend to show a "who gives a crap" attitude when it comes to actually budgeting. We do Ok but I would like to have the difference in these two contracts mailed in one lump sum to me. It might not seem like much but I could make do.

[Kimmi]

Take it up with Mr Palmer who repeated the criticism over several broadcasts. I confess I too was skeptical until I saw how often Farrell burned relievers by warming them up and then not using them. Another possibility is the team is collecting the stats and Farrell is simply disregarding the data.

 

There has to be some failure on Farrell's part since except for 2013 he consistently is a sub 500 manager over 5 seasons. While I am not the biggest user of all the sabermetric measures Farrell's BMAR is below major league average.

 

I am more inclined to believe that Farrell is disregarding the data than I am to believe that the Sox are not collecting it. However, I don't think his disregard of the data is something that he was doing in a negligent manner, but rather out of necessity. Farrell's strength is as a pitching coach. I don't believe he would warm up relievers unnecessarily if his hands weren't more or less tied.

 

I questioned Farrell's ability as a manager last year. I am not defending him as one of the greatest managers ever. I am just willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on whether he's a terrible manager or not until after this year.

[Kimmi]

That's faint praise. He can't be any worse now can he?

 

No, he really can't be any worse. And that is the reason why I don't blame a certain unnamed GM for the way the team played last year. No one would have expected Sandoval to go from being a 3.1 WAR player to being a -2 WAR player, even considering normal decline.

 

I think he will be about a 2.5 WAR player this year.

[Kimmi]

Great so now he walks into Fenway at a slim & trim 300lbs. He also gains weigh during the season always has and probably always will. Josh Hamilton had a guy going around with him so he didn't get wasted and do a line of cocaine off a strippers tits, why can't we have a guy go around with Pablo and make sure he don't eat pizza, KFC, & Taco Bell all day everyday.

 

Pablo has always been fat, yet he has always been a good 3rd baseman, both offensively and defensively. Last year was way, way out of the norm for him. At least he has taken Dombrowski's advice to heart and is conditioning hard this offseason. Keeping the weight off during the season is a problem that he's had, and it's something he is going to have to work hard on throughout the season.

[Kimmi]

Cardinals To Sign Mike Leake --Leake’s deal is for five years and worth $80MM, per Ken Rosenthal of FOX

 

Further evidence of the folly of the 4 year Extension of Porcello for $82.5 million.

 

No folly whatsoever. In the season leading up to Porcello's extension, his WAR was 2.8. His WAR for the 3 year period leading up to the extension was 8.5.

 

Mike Leake's WAR last season was 1.7. His 3 season WAR was 6. He is also 2 years older than Porcello at the time of their respective contracts.

 

Porcello was the better pitcher.

 

Put another way, Leake received his contract after posting a 1.7 WAR. Porcello posted a 1.6 WAR this season. Porcello would be right in line for the contract that he received, even after pitching poorly last year. Imagine what he would be getting this offseason if he had pitched well.

[Kimmi]

Leake had a better year than Porcello. They are about the same age. On the open market, the Cards got an extra year for less total dollars than we will pay Porcello (under the rushed deal to wrap him up before he hit the open market). Leake gets $16 million/yr and Porcello gets $20.6 million/yr. Porcello would not have gotten as much as Leake on the open market.

 

Good weather doesn't add up to a 22% discount.

 

Leake had a better year by 0.1 of a win. Leading up to their contracts, Porcello was the better pitcher. Also, Leake is projected (by Steamer) to have a 2.0 WAR next season while Porcello is projected to have a 2.8 WAR.

[Kimmi]

@ SoxnCycles - Your signature about Dombrowski being fired by the Tigers brings up a very good and valid point.

 

Thank you for that.

[Northern Star]

Pablo has always been fat, yet he has always been a good 3rd baseman, both offensively and defensively. Last year was way, way out of the norm for him. At least he has taken Dombrowski's advice to heart and is conditioning hard this offseason. Keeping the weight off during the season is a problem that he's had, and it's something he is going to have to work hard on throughout the season.

 

Is it just a coincidence that last year was the first with no weight/conditioning clause in his contract?

[Northern Star]

If the choice is Porcello or Leake, I'm taking a Leake. Wait...

[Kimmi]

If the choice is Porcello or Leake, I'm taking a Leake. Wait...

 

Why? Just because you hate Porcello?

[Kimmi]

Is it just a coincidence that last year was the first with no weight/conditioning clause in his contract?

 

It is probably not a coincidence. I think Pablo realizes now that even though he's always been overweight, there has to be some degree of diet and conditioning for him to be a good baseball player.

[Spudboy]

Why? Just because you hate Porcello?

 

I don't hate Porcello. I have always liked him since he threw Youk to the ground! I was the one who predicted that the Sox would end up with Porcello ( and Masterson ). But he did have a suck season for the Sox. I expect better in 2016.

 

I have never seen Leake pitch, I believe. I'd rather have the guy I know than have another questionable comp from the National League.

[Northern Star]

Why? Just because you hate Porcello?

 

No, so I could make a pee joke.

[Northern Star]

It is probably not a coincidence. I think Pablo realizes now that even though he's always been overweight, there has to be some degree of diet and conditioning for him to be a good baseball player.

 

Why would he give a f*** any more at this point with all that lovely guaranteed loot he's going to get?

[Elktonnick]

I am more inclined to believe that Farrell is disregarding the data than I am to believe that the Sox are not collecting it. However, I don't think his disregard of the data is something that he was doing in a negligent manner, but rather out of necessity. Farrell's strength is as a pitching coach. I don't believe he would warm up relievers unnecessarily if his hands weren't more or less tied.

 

I questioned Farrell's ability as a manager last year. I am not defending him as one of the greatest managers ever. I am just willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on whether he's a terrible manager or not until after this year.

 

You can give him all the benefit you want but I don't either the fans nor Dombrowski will. I believe Farrell was criticized up in Toronto for the his handling of the bullpen up there as well. If the Sox falter I don't think Dombrowski will hesitate from giving him the boot. In one sense Farrell is in a tough spot with Lovullo sitting there just waiting.

[Elktonnick]

Pablo has always been fat, yet he has always been a good 3rd baseman, both offensively and defensively. Last year was way, way out of the norm for him. At least he has taken Dombrowski's advice to heart and is conditioning hard this offseason. Keeping the weight off during the season is a problem that he's had, and it's something he is going to have to work hard on throughout the season.

 

I am going to Fort Myers for the entire month of March so I'll have a chance to see for myself just how much in shape Sandoval really is. I just don't have any confidence in either him or Ramirez. The Sox would be better off without both of them.

[Elktonnick]

@ SoxnCycles - Your signature about Dombrowski being fired by the Tigers brings up a very good and valid point.

 

Thank you for that.

 

But unlike some else we know he got rehired pretty quickly now didn't he.

[Dojji]

And his teams were usually good bets to make deep playoff runs for most of Dombrowski's VERY long career in Detroit.

[a700hitter]

I am going to Fort Myers for the entire month of March so I'll have a chance to see for myself just how much in shape Sandoval really is. I just don't have any confidence in either him or Ramirez. The Sox would be better off without both of them.

 

I' ll be down there the first week of March.

[a700hitter]

@ SoxnCycles - Your signature about Dombrowski being fired by the Tigers brings up a very good and valid point.

 

Thank you for that.

 

Yes, thank you for that information @ s*** for Brains.

[cp176]

I' ll be down there the first week of March.

 

I'm hoping to be down there as well. The question being how easy is it to get in to see a game.

[Elktonnick]

I'm hoping to be down there as well. The question being how easy is it to get in to see a game.

 

I went on the Red Sox website 20 minutes after it opened and the Yankees Mets and Cardinals seats were all gone. You couldn't get two seats together. Generally you may get into a game if you go that morning to see what tickets are returned. But it is a crap shoot.

[cp176]

I went on the Red Sox website 20 minutes after it opened and the Yankees Mets and Cardinals seats were all gone. You couldn't get two seats together. Generally you may get into a game if you go that morning to see what tickets are returned. But it is a crap shoot.

 

That is pretty much what I thought.

[a700hitter]

That is pretty much what I thought.

Call the Box Office at JetBlue Park. They will tell you when the visiting players tickets get turned in and what time to line up at the Box Office. In past years, I heard that it is not difficult to get tickets in this way.

[Elktonnick]

Call the Box Office at JetBlue Park. They will tell you when the visiting players tickets get turned in and what time to line up at the Box Office. In past years, I heard that it is not difficult to get tickets in this way.

 

if you can get some one to answer the phone,

Edited December 23, 2015 by Elktonnick

[cp176]

Call the Box Office at JetBlue Park. They will tell you when the visiting players tickets get turned in and what time to line up at the Box Office. In past years, I heard that it is not difficult to get tickets in this way.

 

ty - It would be worth a try.

[cp176]

if you can some one to answer the phone,

 

 

It sounds pretty much what it is like when somebody tries to call my house.

[Kimmi]

I don't hate Porcello. I have always liked him since he threw Youk to the ground! I was the one who predicted that the Sox would end up with Porcello ( and Masterson ). But he did have a suck season for the Sox. I expect better in 2016.

 

I have never seen Leake pitch, I believe. I'd rather have the guy I know than have another questionable comp from the National League.

 

I'm glad that you don't hate Porcello. There is no reason to.

 

I am encouraged by the way he pitched at the end of last season, and I expect him to be more the guy the Sox thought they were getting when they traded for him.

[Kimmi]

No, so I could make a pee joke.

 

OK, my bad. I completely missed that joke.