A Realistic View at 2017 Part I

[moonslav59]

Unreal. Sale and Thornburg in one day.

 

I expected they'd want Moncada, and I hate to give up Kopech, but we still have JBJ, Devers and ERod- others rumored to be part of the package.

[moonslav59]

Since we traded no ML starter, I wonder if Buch is now on the market.

 

By my calculations, Thornburg may cost $2.5M in arb and Sale is only at $6.5M for luxury tax purposes, so we're just under the luxury limit.

 

Is it worth having Buch at $13.5M to be our 7th starter and pen force, or get something for him and then use the money for a Lh'd DH.

[sk7326]

Since we traded no ML starter, I wonder if Buch is now on the market.

 

By my calculations, Thornburg may cost $2.5M in arb and Sale is only at $6.5M for luxury tax purposes, so we're just under the luxury limit.

 

Is it worth having Buch at $13.5M to be our 7th starter and pen force, or get something for him and then use the money for a Lh'd DH.

 

I think they will look - but Buchholz could be immensely valuable as a swingman ... you hate paying 13M for it, but it would not be a ripoff either.

[moonslav59]

As we stand right now, I can't see any of our out-of-options RP'ers making the 25 man roster. Time to make another trade?

 

SP: Sale, Porcello, Price, ERod, Wright

LR: Buch & Pom

SR: Kimbrel, Thornburg, Kelly, Ross, Barnes

 

When Smith comes back, there's not even room for one of these guys!

 

Hembree, Abad and Elias should be traded, unless we trade someone from above.

[moonslav59]

I think they will look - but Buchholz could be immensely valuable as a swingman ... you hate paying 13M for it, but it would not be a ripoff either.

 

I suggested he be our closer before the Kimbrel deal last year. He could be the next Andrew Miller.

[moonslav59]

So, is that it for trading prospects?

 

Moncada

Espinoza

Margot

Kopech

Basabe

Guerra

Allen

Wilkerson

Diaz

Rijo

Acosta

Basabe (the other one)

Almonte

 

Did I miss anyone?

[moonslav59]

We gotta be co-faves with the Cubs now.

 

We gave up no ML talent for two quality pitchers and are still under the spending limit.

 

Brilliant moves by DD!

[Hugh2]

Kimbrel and Thornburg, but who else?

 

Off the top of my head i can't recall another Sox one, although I'm sure I could find one if I look hard enough. It's not so much the Red Sox as that type of trade with ANYONE. But as I said, that's what I didn't like about it, because the Sox normally do get that other prospect coming back in the trade.

[Hugh2]

As I posted elsewhere, I think that many teams are going to have to come to Jesus (Jesus Alou, that is ) regarding their spending habits. Going over the LT limit now is a double whammy in that not only does a team have to pay the LT they also don't get revenue sharing starting this year. That's a SERIOUS penalty.

 

So yeah, this may be the year.

 

True, but prospects are a numbers game. One reason why the Patriots are so great at drafting is because they always stock pile picks. The same could be said of prospects. The more you have the better chance at producing MLbers you have. Getting that second guy back in a trade as a throw in has paid dividends before.

 

I'm ok with this trade, I like it. I'm just pointing out the one thing I didn't like about it, which doesn't really mean anything at all because I'm happy with the overall trade.

[Emp9]

THis is fantastic! It's what we needed to do.

[southpaw777]

Since we traded no ML starter, I wonder if Buch is now on the market.

 

By my calculations, Thornburg may cost $2.5M in arb and Sale is only at $6.5M for luxury tax purposes, so we're just under the luxury limit.

 

Is it worth having Buch at $13.5M to be our 7th starter and pen force, or get something for him and then use the money for a Lh'd DH.

 

Heres a thought. Buchs 13m would be nice. Are you ok with having four LHP in our rotation with 81 games in Fenway? Sorry, Im not. Another scinario is trading ERod or Pom for someone. Maybe even ERod and someone else for prospects to replenish the system a little and to not be a so LH heavy rotation

[sk7326]

Heres a thought. Buchs 13m would be nice. Are you ok with having four LHP in our rotation with 81 games in Fenway? Sorry, Im not. Another scinario is trading ERod or Pom for someone. Maybe even ERod and someone else for prospects to replenish the system a little and to not be a so LH heavy rotation

 

Rodriguez IS replenishing the system - the guy at the end of the season showed star potential

[sk7326]

I suggested he be our closer before the Kimbrel deal last year. He could be the next Andrew Miller.

 

Right profile - starter with wipeout stuff who for whatever reason had trouble finding consistency in the rotation. (Miller's slider command is not good enough to start, but terrific if you don't have more than one look at it) Buchholz is better than your Miller or Wade Davis as a starter, but the idea is sound.

[sk7326]

We gotta be co-faves with the Cubs now.

 

We gave up no ML talent for two quality pitchers and are still under the spending limit.

 

Brilliant moves by DD!

 

It's baseball ... postseason is such a roll of the dice ... but barring health, would be very surprising for the Sox not to make it back to October

[a700hitter]

As we stand right now, I can't see any of our out-of-options RP'ers making the 25 man roster. Time to make another trade?

 

SP: Sale, Porcello, Price, ERod, Wright

LR: Buch & Pom

SR: Kimbrel, Thornburg, Kelly, Ross, Barnes

 

When Smith comes back, there's not even room for one of these guys!

 

Hembree, Abad and Elias should be traded, unless we trade someone from above.

Now, would you trade Buch?

[Dojji]

Soxprospects forum is wearing black to a man and bitterly lamenting this day. But even they can see the potential behind the moves DD just pulled off.

[moonslav59]

Heres a thought. Buchs 13m would be nice. Are you ok with having four LHP in our rotation with 81 games in Fenway? Sorry, Im not. Another scinario is trading ERod or Pom for someone. Maybe even ERod and someone else for prospects to replenish the system a little and to not be a so LH heavy rotation

 

I'm fine with 5 LH'd starters in my rotation, as long as they can get righties out better than our righty can!

 

Sale can!

 

I'm fine with trading Buch or Pom but not ERod.

 

Buch would clear up more budget space for this year- Pom for years to come.

[moonslav59]

Okay, I've had more time to process this shocking move, and here's how I feel about the whole situation:

 

1) As most of you know, I hated the Kimbrel deal and thought signing Price was too much money but we needed an ace. My main beef was that we spent big money and gave up prospects for a significant improvement to our team, but not really enough to go over the top.

 

2) I liked the idea of the 2012 purge, because we were losing these guys to free agency anyways. I disliked the players we got back, for the mosyt part, because I felt we were "playing it half way"- not rebuilding but not going all out for 2013 either. We ended up winning in 2013, so it just goes to show how GMs deserve a longer look before one should criticize them to the point of calling for their removal.

 

3) I disliked the Espi-Pom trade, because I saw enormous upside potential in Espi and didn't think Pom was enough to get us over the top. Again, playing it halfway.

 

4) Now that we have Sale and Thornburg, the Kimbrel trade and Price signing makes more sense to me. I may even stop bitching about the Kimbrel deal, so that should be a relief to some of you. I'm still scratching my head about Pom, but DD didn't know Sale was going to fall out of the sky and land in his lap. (I will add that trading Moncada, Espi, Basabe and Diaz for Sale and not Kopech, instead of Pom would make our future a little brighter, but we'll never know if that was a possibility.)

 

5) I went from disliking most of DD's moves but willing to keep an open mind- like I did with Ben- to thinking he's done a good job. We still have JBJ, Bogey and Betts. We still have Beni, Devers and Groome. We gained an ace, a top set-up man and are still under the luxury tax limit.

[a700hitter]

Soxprospects forum is wearing black to a man and bitterly lamenting this day. But even they can see the potential behind the moves DD just pulled off.

They revel being in last place but swimming in prospects.

[moonslav59]

More huge news!!!!

 

WEEI's Rob Bradford reported that Rusney Castillo will begin playing in the Puerto Rican Winter League beginning on December 8.

[mvp 78]

Soxprospects forum is wearing black to a man and bitterly lamenting this day. But even they can see the potential behind the moves DD just pulled off.

 

They should stop sniffing their own farts.

[moonslav59]

They should stop sniffing their own farts.

 

1, 5, 7, 9, 21 and 27 traded away. I guess that leaves this:

 

1) Beni

2) Devers

3) Groome

4) Travis

5) Johnson (ouch!)

6) Hernandez

7) Dalbec

8) Chatham

9) Ockimey

10) Chavis

11) Longhi

12) Raudes

13) TBall

14) Ysla

15) Shawaryn

16) Martin

17) Lakins

18) Anderson

19) Cosart

20) Shepherd

 

 

1)

[moonslav59]

2018, we lose Buch and Young and maybe add Devers and Travis.

 

Sale, Porcello, Price, ERod, Wright Pom

Kimbrel, Thornburg, Smith, Kelly,Ross, Barnes

 

C Leon-Vaz-Swihart

1B/DH HanRam

1B Travis

2B Pedey-Holt

SS Bogey-Hernandez

3B Devers

DH/3B Sandoval

LF Beni (Swihart?)

CF JBJ

RF Betts

[Spudboy]

More huge news!!!!

 

WEEI's Rob Bradford reported that Rusney Castillo will begin playing in the Puerto Rican Winter League beginning on December 8.

 

I think I just jizzed in my pants.

[Spudboy]

They should stop sniffing their own farts.

 

lulz

[S5Dewey]

True, but prospects are a numbers game. One reason why the Patriots are so great at drafting is because they always stock pile picks. The same could be said of prospects. The more you have the better chance at producing MLbers you have. Getting that second guy back in a trade as a throw in has paid dividends before.

 

I'm ok with this trade, I like it. I'm just pointing out the one thing I didn't like about it, which doesn't really mean anything at all because I'm happy with the overall trade.

 

Of course the greatest thing about this trade is that we not only got the players we wanted/needed we also avoid the LT penalty as well as kept our eligibility for Revenue Sharing. That's a 3-way win!

[Kimmi]

We gotta be co-faves with the Cubs now.

 

We gave up no ML talent for two quality pitchers and are still under the spending limit.

 

Brilliant moves by DD!

 

Everyone's favorite projection system, Fangraphs, has us as early best record AL favorites, just one game behind the Cubs.

 

Brilliant short term moves.

 

I am wearing black along with my Sox Prospects brethren.

[jacksonianmarch]

There are no excuses now. The sox are the prohibitive favorites in the AL with Cleveland right behind them. I don't believe in Texas or Toronto long term. NYY is in the midst of a rebuild. You guys may have a 2-3 yr run of being the top dogs in the AL before we reload

[a700hitter]

Everyone's favorite projection system, Fangraphs, has us as early best record AL favorites, just one game behind the Cubs.

 

Brilliant short term moves.

 

I am wearing black along with my Sox Prospects brethren.

Projected best AL records and wearing black. Confusing.

[jacksonianmarch]

It was so damn obvious that DD was about to empty the coffers. I said so in the forum post mortem after Cleveland handed you guys your lunch. Everyone has a window. Teams with money can extend that window, but eventually the spending catches up with teams and youth needs to shine through. You have 4 starters that are 26 or younger who are your best players. They are all cheap. NOW is the time to strike. If you wait longer, they become expensive and difficult to keep. I expected DD to deal away non MLB guys and for the most part, he did. Shaw was awful at the end of the yr and he was probably ticketed for a reserve role. To be honest with you, I wouldn't be surprised if the sox snagged Ramos and really finished this thing