2016 Red Sox Hot Stove Discussion Thread

[Kimmi]

- was caught in the clubhouse on his smartphone trying too hook up with some baseball groupie during a game he was still playing in , poorly as usual. That story if taken to its worst conclusions would give you nightmarish, upchuck visuals!

 

I was just reading an article about how when things are going bad for a team, the media tries to jump on every little "clubhouse turmoil" story and run with it. They tried to do so with the Pablo smartphone story, but that really went nowhere. You also didn't hear anything besides a couple of speculative whispers about Hanley being a clubhouse cancer or about how he is such a lazy person. None of those stories went anywhere.

 

Why? Because it isn't true.

[Kimmi]

By the way, what do folks think about Farrell more than suggesting that JBJ is going to be the CFer in 2016. Frankly, I can only buy that one if JBJ were to remain in RF in Fenway switching places with Mookie in parks where that is warranted. If Farrell mean's full time, he is out of his mind.

 

From what I understand, JBJ is the everyday CF both on the road and at home. I think Farrell stated that pretty directly.

 

Personally, I prefer JBJ in RF and Mookie in CF, but I will defer to Farrell's ability, knowledge, and experience over mine.

[a700hitter]

From what I understand, JBJ is the everyday CF both on the road and at home. I think Farrell stated that pretty directly.

 

Personally, I prefer JBJ in RF and Mookie in CF, but I will defer to Farrell's ability, knowledge, and experience over mine.

 

The better arm should be in RF in Fenway. Bradley's arm is a weapon in RF. Betts arm in RF is just barely adequate.

[a700hitter]

Shaun Marcum announced his retirement. Arm problems derailed what looked to be a very promising career.

[User Name]

Betts might have the better arm, but JBJ might just be the defensive OF in all of baseball. He should play CF.

[cp176]

I was just reading an article about how when things are going bad for a team, the media tries to jump on every little "clubhouse turmoil" story and run with it. They tried to do so with the Pablo smartphone story, but that really went nowhere. You also didn't hear anything besides a couple of speculative whispers about Hanley being a clubhouse cancer or about how he is such a lazy person. None of those stories went anywhere.

 

Why? Because it isn't true.

 

I agree with much of what you have said. But, if you know for a fact that Hanley Ramirez causes no clubhouse problems and is not lazy, I would like to know where you get your information. Normally where there is smoke there is fire. I hope that you are right about him. If you have some inside info about this one, I think that we would all be happy. I guess rumors have just followed Hanley for most of his career.

[mvp 78]

Growing up watching Dewey play RF showed me that your best defensive OF has got to play RF in Fenway.

 

Having Betts in CF and JBJ in RF is like having Lynn and Dewey again (defensively).

[a700hitter]

Growing up watching Dewey play RF showed me that your best defensive OF has got to play RF in Fenway.

 

Having Betts in CF and JBJ in RF is like having Lynn and Dewey again (defensively).

 

In 2013, Victorino played RF and he was the better OFer than Ellsbury. Victorino didn't have a Dewey quality arm, but he does have a strong arm.

[User Name]

Growing up watching Dewey play RF showed me that your best defensive OF has got to play RF in Fenway.

 

Having Betts in CF and JBJ in RF is like having Lynn and Dewey again (defensively).

 

Agree to disagree on this one.

[cp176]

In 2013, Victorino played RF and he was the better OFer than Ellsbury. Victorino didn't have a Dewey quality arm, but he does have a strong arm.

 

This is a tough one. In general, I agree - all things being fairly equal - best arm in right at Fenway. Lynn covered a tremendous amount of ground in cf and Evans was just one of the best I have ever seen. I would be very happy with Betts in center and JBJ in right but in all honesty I think that I am happier with JBJ as the everyday center fielder I think. Great problem to have.

[a700hitter]

Upton, Miggy, Kinsler, VMart and JD Martinez. Not a bad batting order.

Tigers To Sign Justin Upton

By Steve Adams | January 18, 2016 at

 

CST8:37pm: The Tigers and outfielder Justin Upton are in agreement on a six-year contract, pending a physical, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports. Jon Heyman first tweeted that Upton was getting a long-term deal from the Tigers. Ken Rosenthal tweeted that the two sides were in talks and was the first to mention the six-year term (Twitter link). The 28-year-old Upton is a client of Reynolds Sports Management.

 

"

 

Upton will join what was an already imposing middle-of-the-order grouping in Detroit, adding another right-handed bat to join the likes of Miguel Cabrera, J.D. Martinez, Ian Kinsler and the switch-hitting Victor Martinez. That quintet should give opposing left-handed pitcher fits, though each is plenty formidable against right-handed pitching as well. Across the past three seasons, which he’s split between the Braves and Padres, Upton has batted .262/.344/.470 and averaged 27 home runs per season. While he’s not a standout defensive player in the outfield, he’s a solid enough defender in left. His addition should lead to either a Cameron Maybin/Anthony Gose platoon in center field or an outfield alignment of Upton-Maybin-Martinez (J.D., that is), with Gose serving as a fourth outfielder. His signing and the presence of Martinez on the other corner have effectively blocked prospects Tyler Collins and Steven Moya for the foreseeable future.

 

By signing Upton, the Tigers will surrender their second draft pick of the offseason. Detroit’s No. 9 overall selection is protected under the collective bargaining agreement, but the team already parted with its second-round pick to add right-hander Jordan Zimmermann to the rotation, so they’ll forfeit their third-round pick — currently projected to be the 84th in the draft, per Baseball America — to sign Upton. The Padres, who extended a qualifying offer to Upton that was ultimately rejected, will receive a compensatory pick between at the end of the first round of the 2016 draft.

 

Of course, the addition of Upton is not without long-term payroll ramifications. While there’s every possibility that Upton will opt out of the contract in two years’ time (assuming that he is healthy and productive from 2016-17), there’s also the risk that his production declines or injuries lead to him opting into the remaining four years. Considering the fact that the Tigers owe Cabrera $218MM through 2023, Verlander $112MM through 2019, Zimmermann $110MM through 2020 and Victor Martinez $54MM through 2018, Upton’s contract adds another risk-laden deal to the ledger in the name of present-day winning. Those payroll concerns are likely a large part of the reason that GM Al Avila said earlier this offseason that further outfield additions (and, in fact, significant additions in general) were largely unlikely. However, owner Mike Ilitch has long been one of baseball’s freest spenders, and he candidly told the media earlier this offseason that he “doesn’t care” about spending money. It’s quite possible — especially considering the potential luxury tax ramifications it carries — that this contract is more of an ownership decision than one from the club’s top baseball operations decision-makers.

 

By my crude calculations, the Upton signing will push the Tigers to just shy of $176MM worth of luxury-tax considerations in terms of only the team’s guaranteed contracts. With arbitration-eligible players not even factored into that equation, it seems quite likely that Detroit will incur penalties, which, as Ken Rosenthal notes (on Twitter), would mean a 17.5 percent tax on every dollar over $189MM as a first-time offender of the luxury tax penalty.

 

Risk aside, the Tigers’ lineup is now among baseball’s most formidable collections of hitters, though it’s admittedly a right-leaning bunch. Upton is a lifetime .271/.352/.473 hitter, and while he has yet to develop into the consistent superstar-level performer that many forecast in his prospect days, he’s a consistent three- to four-win player, depending on one’s preferred version of the metric and arguably has some upside remaining in the tank. Upton, after all, posted an enormous .289/.369/.529 batting line with 31 home runs back in 2011, and while that season did come in Arizona’s hitter-friendly Chase Field, he’s still young enough that it’s not out of the question for Upton to replicate that level of production. Even if his production is more commensurate with his career batting line or his post-2011 production, however, Upton’s age makes him a likely candidate to maintain his status as a well-above-average bat in his new environs.

 

The Upton contract figures to be the final significant piece for the Tigers this offseason. Added to the signings of Zimmermann (five years, $110MM), Mike Pelfrey (two years, $16MM), Mark Lowe (two years, $11MM), Mike Aviles (one year, $2MM) and Jarrod Saltalamacchia ($507.5K), that makes a total of $270.26MM spent on free agents alone, to say nothing of the guaranteed payroll added in trades to acquire Francisco Rodriguez ($9.5MM), Justin Wilson ($1.525MM) and Maybin ($5.5MM). All told, the Tigers have spent a staggering $288.78MM on upgrades to their roster this season.

 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Edited January 19, 2016 by a700hitter

[Bellhorn04]

So: does it make any sense for the Sox to deploy Betts in center and JBJ in right at home, and JBJ in center and Betts in right on the road?

 

And out of curiosity, have any other teams ever utilized home/road shifts like this?

[jung]

Not many places are like Fenway Park.

 

On balance, JBJ IS IMO a better CF than Mookie. But Mookie's talents are far better matched to Fenway CF than to Fenway RF. In the short span of games he played in RF last year I saw Mookie rainbow two throws from mid-depth RF that would have required 20' tall cut off men...just total rainbows trying to get the ball to 3rd and that was just from mid-depth RF and he only played there in a couple of games last year.

 

I would recommend it in the main because I think the worry voiced about moving Mookie around last year is last year's news. I marginally agreed with it last year. Mookie is now a competent OFer IMO. He should not have any issues moving from Fenway CF to RF other places.....like that shoe box NY has the gall to call a stadium. I think the only concern will be that in CF, Mookie is playing the OF position where you get the best reads of the ball off the bat. RF might expose a bit of a flaw there. But again.....no harm no foul. Keep him out of Fenway RF and if that is an issue, how much harm can it cause?

 

JBJ for his part has already proven that it does not matter whether he is in one of the corners or CF...his positioning is excellent, his reads are ridiculously good.....his first step is terrific and best of all....he never takes a wasted step....his paths to the baseball are as pure as I have seen in decades.

 

As for whether the Panda story is true or not...PANDA apologized for it. My God are people just blind?

[Kimmi]

The better arm should be in RF in Fenway. Bradley's arm is a weapon in RF. Betts arm in RF is just barely adequate.

 

I agree, and as I said, I prefer Bradley in RF. That said, I can see the rationale for putting Bradley in CF.

 

The good news is, I think we're in pretty good shape either way.

[Kimmi]

I agree with much of what you have said. But, if you know for a fact that Hanley Ramirez causes no clubhouse problems and is not lazy, I would like to know where you get your information. Normally where there is smoke there is fire. I hope that you are right about him. If you have some inside info about this one, I think that we would all be happy. I guess rumors have just followed Hanley for most of his career.

 

No, I don't know for a fact. But when a team is going as bad as the Sox did last year, every little incident is blown out of proportion and twisted into a "bad clubhouse" story. We really didn't hear anything along those lines last season. That leads me to believe that there was nothing to hear.

[Kimmi]

As for whether the Panda story is true or not...PANDA apologized for it. My God are people just blind?

 

Yes, I know this happened. I'm not saying it didn't happen. What I'm saying is that it was a non-issue. Some people were and still are trying to turn this into a character assassination of how bad a teammate Pablo is. That's what I'm saying is not true. The guy made a mistake. He owned up to it and apologized. End of story.

 

I am willing to bet that players are regularly on their smartphones when they go into the clubhouse during a game.

[cp176]

No, I don't know for a fact. But when a team is going as bad as the Sox did last year, every little incident is blown out of proportion and twisted into a "bad clubhouse" story. We really didn't hear anything along those lines last season. That leads me to believe that there was nothing to hear.

 

And the good thing about it is that we get to believe what we want to believe. I have not heard anything at all about Sandoval being a bad teammate. A fat slob in decline yes but not a bad teammate. As for Hanley, everywhere he has been there have been "rumors". Once again, I will say that this is a huge year for Hanley Ramirez. Obviously there is a lot of negative sentiment out there about him still being in Boston. He is talented enough for sure. If he views this year as an opportunity as opposed to a negative situation that he has gotten himself into, things could go well. The Red Sox will be fine whether he is there or not. Sadly I think there is as much potential for him to hurt us this year as there is for him to help us.

[jacksonianmarch]

Kimmi, his giants teammates basically character assassinated him out the door saying he was all about him and he was a horrid teammate. Doesn't take much to infer when it's told by the guys in the locker room with him

[Bellhorn04]

Kimmi, his giants teammates basically character assassinated him out the door saying he was all about him and he was a horrid teammate. Doesn't take much to infer when it's told by the guys in the locker room with him

 

I think the only guy who went on record was former player Aubrey Huff. But he ripped Pablo pretty good.

 

Pablo certainly didn't do himself any favors ripping his former team like that.

 

He needs to get his act together, that's for sure.

[jung]

It is rare for players to cut into each other at all. So "only one" player is actually quite something. The truth is, the unis they wear are for the most part laundry. They play for the PA. The PA is their lord and master. People need to pay more attention to how players talk to each other before succumbing to the quaint but outdated notion that they actually care all that much about the "team". They pull together more going into a post season run but even that is not much more but a collective mutuality of purpose.

 

That is in part also why players like Hanley are popular with other players. The Hanley's of the world do a fantastic job of raising the overall level of player salaries without doing very much to earn them. Those guys are heros to the PA and its rank and file. Baseball fans need to grow up....I assure you the players have.

 

That Panda ripped the Giants out the door tells much more about Panda than it did about the Giants organization. Panda really opened his mouth about much including some of the specifics of the deal the Giants wanted to make with him....Says much for Panda's view of the world, his place in it, the whole issue of his weight and any efforts to do anything about it. I suspect his act was growing old in SF where there were some strong personalities in the form of players that likely kept Panda from turning into a Macy's Holiday Parade float in a town packed with great restaurants.

 

I suspect his act did get old after awhile. But that is only an opinion. I doubt that means he was a day in day out disaster of a teammate. But years of keeping some aspect of a fellow player's personality or character trait under control for the good of all involved just wears guys out eventually. Since the guys doing the heavy lifting are usually some of the team's better players, eventually everybody resents the player that is the object of all this attention. Just sucks too much energy out of the entire effort. I doubt you will get any of those players to talk though. They are often just relieved to not have to deal with it any longer and are not the sort of player that mouths off to the press anyway. I think only one Giant commented when Panda could no longer even switch hit because he had outgrown the right side of the batters box.

[Kimmi]

And the good thing about it is that we get to believe what we want to believe. I have not heard anything at all about Sandoval being a bad teammate. A fat slob in decline yes but not a bad teammate. As for Hanley, everywhere he has been there have been "rumors". Once again, I will say that this is a huge year for Hanley Ramirez. Obviously there is a lot of negative sentiment out there about him still being in Boston. He is talented enough for sure. If he views this year as an opportunity as opposed to a negative situation that he has gotten himself into, things could go well. The Red Sox will be fine whether he is there or not. Sadly I think there is as much potential for him to hurt us this year as there is for him to help us.

 

There have been "rumors" about Hanley everywhere he has been. Seriously though, what have you heard about him as far as being a clubhouse cancer or being lazy since he came back to Boston? Not much.

 

He agreed to learn a new position in order to come to Boston. Left field didn't work out, and he is again agreeing to learn a new position. I haven't heard any negative comments from him about 1. staying in LF when the FO was supposedly committed to him at that position, then 2. switching to a new position when Dombrowski came on board and decided that was the better option.

 

He wanted to play winter ball to help get ready for the upcoming season. The FO said no. He agreeably accepted their decision.

[Kimmi]

I think the only guy who went on record was former player Aubrey Huff. But he ripped Pablo pretty good.

 

Pablo certainly didn't do himself any favors ripping his former team like that.

 

He needs to get his act together, that's for sure.

 

This is a fair point in regards to Pablo ripping his former team. He should not have made those comments.

[cp176]

There have been "rumors" about Hanley everywhere he has been. Seriously though, what have you heard about him as far as being a clubhouse cancer or being lazy since he came back to Boston? Not much.

 

He agreed to learn a new position in order to come to Boston. Left field didn't work out, and he is again agreeing to learn a new position. I haven't heard any negative comments from him about 1. staying in LF when the FO was supposedly committed to him at that position, then 2. switching to a new position when Dombrowski came on board and decided that was the better option.

 

He wanted to play winter ball to help get ready for the upcoming season. The FO said no. He agreeably accepted their decision.

 

I hear you here and I think that we all should stay optimistic. Realistic perhaps just a maybe but optimistic yes. Wherever he has been rumors about his attitude and work ethic have come out. My opinion is that we would be better off without him. I hope that he can prove all of his detractors wrong. It is pretty much up to him I think.

[a700hitter]

A much needed lefty arm for the Mets bullpen.

Mets To Sign Antonio Bastardo

 

By Steve Adams | January 20, 2016 at 6:27pm CST

 

The Mets and left-hander Antonio Bastardo are in agreement on a contract, reports Jon Heyman (Twitter link). It’s a two-year, $12MM contract, according to Baseball Essential’s Robert Murray (on Twitter). Bastardo is represented by the Legacy Agency.

 

Antonio Bastardo

 

Murray reported yesterday that things were picking up in the Bastardo market, though the three-year deal mentioned in that report ultimately wasn’t attained. The two-year pact represents a departure from the Mets’ previously reported plans, as the team was said earlier this month to be seeking relief help on a one-year deal. In that regard, the agreement between the two parties represents a compromise, as Bastardo was said to be seeking a three-year deal in the $18MM range (similar to the one Tony Sipp landed with Houston earlier this year).

 

Bastardo, 30, has turned in generally strong results across the past three seasons between the Phillies and Pirates, working to a 3.18 ERA with 10.5 K/9, 4.4 BB/9 and a 30.8 percent ground-ball rate in 164 innings of work. He’s dominated left-handed opponents in that stretch, holding same-handed batters to a paltry .167/.273/.295 triple-slash. However, Bastardo is more than a specialist, as he’s also been plenty effective against right-handed batters, limiting such opponents to a .204/.310/.314 line. As such, he can be deployed as a setup man, regardless of matchup, alongside Addison Reed and Jenrry Mejia. That trio, of course, will help bridge the gap from the club’s excellent young rotation to breakout closer Jeurys Familia, who saved 43 games for the Mets in 2015.

 

With Bastardo in the fold, the Mets will now have a wealth of quality left-handed options for manager Terry Collins to utilize. The team re-signed Jerry Blevins this offseason, and he’ll look for better health after twice fracturing his forearm in a pair of fluky accidents in 2015. Sean Gilmartin, whom the Mets selected in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft, enjoyed a brilliant season with New York, recording a 2.67 ERA in 57 1/3 innings in his Major League debut. And southpaw Josh Edgin, who missed the 2015 campaign in the wake of Tommy John surgery, will likely be ready to return to a big league mound at some point during the 2016 season as well.

 

Bastardo drew interest from a number of teams, including the Orioles, Dodgers, Blue Jays and Twins, per various reports this offseason. With his departure from the open market, teams could turn to one-year deal candidates such as Neal Cotts, Franklin Morales and Matt Thornton as they look to supplement their bullpens with left-handed relievers.

 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

[mvp 78]

pgammo: "Ryan Kalish HR, single, 2 BB for Caguas Wed., .333 in playoffs, after 2 yrs. injuries, deserves spring non-roster look"

 

[Bellhorn04]

pgammo: "Ryan Kalish HR, single, 2 BB for Caguas Wed., .333 in playoffs, after 2 yrs. injuries, deserves spring non-roster look"

 

 

It'd be a nice story if he makes it back to MLB.

[Bellhorn04]

Don't just buy into preseason Red Sox hype

Michael Silverman January 20, 2016

 

Red Sox fans, there’s a lesson tucked away in this winter storm on the way for the weekend.

 

Depending on which forecast you believe in for what will happen Saturday — it’s another snowmageddon or a dusting, take your pick — you’re either already at Market Basket staring at empty bread shelves or you’ve got your fingers crossed that as long as you have some chips and beer for Sunday’s Patriots game, you’re all set.

 

The fact is, nobody knows nothing — yet.

 

The storm’s still too far away, and meteorology still is not exact enough to pinpoint much. There are too many variables in play, too much data has yet to be collected and digested before the widely varying models converge and the storm’s course, size, strength and total dump can be determined before it comes and goes.

 

So remember all that before placing too much stock into any and all baseball projections — especially those focused on teams rather than individual players — that are starting to pop up with more and more frequency this month.

 

Many, if not all of them, are going to be quite bullish on the 2016 Red Sox.

 

The first major projection came out last week from FanGraphs, which has the Red Sox with 92 wins, most in the American League and second in the majors behind the Chicago Cubs (95).

 

Before we all swipe right on the Sox, let’s all take a moment to stand down.

 

There are certainly many good reasons to be bullish on the Red Sox, and there’s fun to be had, especially while wearing sweaters in the house and staring at the snow outside, trying to understand why the projections on the team will be so rosy.

 

Just don’t let yourself fall into the trap of believing that mid-January projections will bear a strong resemblance to what the standings will look like on the last day of the season.

 

The storm’s not even on the near horizon.

 

“When looking at pre-season team projections, it’s probably best to look at them as being something like +/- 10 wins,” David Cameron, managing editor of FanGraphs, wrote in an email yesterday. “An 85-win team should win somewhere between 75-95. That’s obviously a huge spread, but neither 75 nor 95 wins would be all that unusual historically for a team with an 85-win projection. The error bars on these things are very large.”

 

Cameron and the crew at FanGraphs just report the numbers their formulae spit out. They don’t take them as gospel.

 

As Cameron wrote when the projections were released, “It’s hard not to see (the Red Sox) as likely to be a bit better, though I’d take the under on the idea that they’re the second-best team in baseball at the moment.”

 

Cameron expects skepticism about this year’s Red Sox outlook, considering how far off FanGraphs and others were with 2015 preseason projections. They had the Red Sox with 87 wins and a first-place finish in the AL East, with the Royals finishing third in the AL Central with 78 wins. The Red Sox finished in last place with 78 wins, within the 10-win margin of error, while the Royals won 95 games and the World Series.

 

Baseball Prospectus, which has not yet published its highly anticipated 2016 team projections, also had the Red Sox in first place in the AL East with 88 wins last year and the Royals with 73 and fourth in the AL Central.

[mvp 78]

I feel very confident that the Sox will be within a 10 win margin of error at 85 wins (as will most teams).

 

If nobody knows nothing, I guess we all must know something!

[Bellhorn04]

Pablo is losing it! Some of it anyway...

 

http://www.csnne.com/boston-red-sox/boston-red-sox-manager-john-farrell-says-pablo-sandoval-has-lost-20-pounds

[cp176]

I feel very confident that the Sox will be within a 10 win margin of error at 85 wins (as will most teams).

 

If nobody knows nothing, I guess we all must know something!

 

My factorin might not be that good, but they way I got it figured there is a 20 game margin of error there. Fairly safe bet!