2016 Winter Meetings

[moonslav59]

FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets that Chicago asked Boston for Andrew Benintendi, but Boston strongly prefers to keep him. Chicago does like Jackie Bradley as well as a number of other young Boston pieces, though Bradley comes with four years of club control as opposed to Benintendi’s six.

[Jasonbay44]

Pomeranz or Buchholz likely to be traded for a bat. Too much starting pitching now, with no guy having options, really. Sale, Price, Porcello, Rodriguez, Pomeranz, Clay, Wright. You can put Pomeranz in the bullpen, which might be helpful, but you gotta deal one of those starters.

You can never have too much starting pitching. A couple injuries and Sean O'Sullivan is making starts in July

[moonslav59]

You can never have too much starting pitching. A couple injuries and Sean O'Sullivan is making starts in July

 

He was 10th on our opening day depth chart and ended up starting in early May. We got a great half season from our 6th starter, Wright, and we still ended up having to trade for a Pom Pom.

[Spudboy]

Red Sox fans are a strange breed. We land the on of the top 5 starters in baseball with an extremely favorable contract for a guy that has no position next season on the Red Sox and a pitcher that is a few years away and people are worried. LOL!!

 

I'm okay with this deal. As long as Sale's arm does not go kaput.

 

I'm in the minority here but I have never been very high on Moncada. Just another glimmering prospect that stands a decent chance of being a huge dud.

 

Will the Sox now go for a 3rd baseman like Turner? Will they move one of Buch, Pom, or ERod?

 

DD is not done by any stretch in my opinion.

[Dojji]

I was jury-out on Moncada, wasn't in love, wasn't averse. All in favor of this trade. We basically gave away potential, but got multiple years of team control back. That's a move that DD seems to like when he can get it. Gives him time to expand his playoff window before the ride ends and he has to go find another team to try and put over the top.

[a700hitter]

I'm okay with this deal. As long as Sale's arm does not go kaput.

 

I'm in the minority here but I have never been very high on Moncada. Just another glimmering prospect that stands a decent chance of being a huge dud.

 

Will the Sox now go for a 3rd baseman like Turner? Will they move one of Buch, Pom, or ERod?

 

DD is not done by any stretch in my opinion.

I still think that he goes for Encarnacion, who badly wants to come to Boston.

[OH FOY]

You had to make this deal, did not give up Betts, Bogaerts, Bradley, and you got Sale, with those kids. Cant even believe Benintendi wasn't included.

Your Farm is in the Majors.

[Spudboy]

I still think that he goes for Encarnacion, who badly wants to come to Boston.

 

I'm down with it.

 

Although Abraham just FB live a news conference with DD and JF. He said that they are not looking to make a long term deal for a DH type guy. Does that mean EE is not in the picture or is it just chaff?

 

He also said that he had been having discussions with Koji and while the Sox did want him back that they had something in the works and then when it happened it meant that Koji is not going to be resigned.

 

Kind of sad in a way. Koji was our guy and I have nothing bad to say about him. Still the best 1/2-1 season of dominant relief work I have seen for the Sox and a world tittle that would never have happened without him. Plus, he was just fun to watch, even when he was getting clobbered sometimes.

 

The Sox are all in. So it will be really interesting to see if they acquire another bat.

[cp176]

I still think that he goes for Encarnacion, who badly wants to come to Boston.

 

iw would not surprise me all either. The guy is an old horse trader. He is at the top of the food chain clearly when it comes to GMs. We are lucky to have him. We gave up a lot of young talent in this deal that could become very good. Like the moves or not - They make sense. They all have so far. I will miss Moncada simply because I wanted to see how he develops. As Spud said he could be a dud - so could any prospect. There are no guarantees. I like a GM who makes moves that I can understand regardless of whether or not I personally think that they are great moves.

[harmony]

In light of the looming luxury tax threshold, Boston GM Dave Dombrowski deserves high marks for acquiring Chris Sale and Tyler Thornburg while adding only a projected $8.7 million to the payroll for luxury tax purposes.

[Hugh2]

I bet the Sox don't go after Encarnation

[Hugh2]

Remember when the Sox had to give up Bogaerts for a pitcher, then it was Betts, then it was they held onto JBJ and others for too long? I've always been a build from within kind of guy who has stuck with the concept of developing your youth.

 

But the time is now, those guys are up and in their prime. You pretty much have C/SS/2B/LF/CF/RF locked up for the next 4 years. Now was the time to build around those guys and Moncada/Basabe had no place on this team. Sure, if they are as good as we think they are you could easily find a place for them but you didn't have to and you got SALE for them.

 

As big of a prospect homer as I am the minor league does provide different avenues to serve your team: Building from within, and trading to fill team needs. It made more sense in the past several years to be more patient with the farm system and to hoard the prospects. But now that we have a playoff caliber team, it made sense to cash in some chips and build around our young talent.

 

I love this deal.

[OH FOY]

You can never have too much starting pitching. A couple injuries and Sean O'Sullivan is making starts in July

 

Not this year, he signed with the Nippon Ham Fighters, but the Nagaski Beef Jerky's were in on him also.

[harmony]

A Mariner beat reporter tweets that Seattle is likely to look into Clay Buchholz or Drew Pomeranz:

 

[Spudboy]

iw would not surprise me all either. The guy is an old horse trader. He is at the top of the food chain clearly when it comes to GMs. We are lucky to have him. We gave up a lot of young talent in this deal that could become very good. Like the moves or not - They make sense. They all have so far. I will miss Moncada simply because I wanted to see how he develops. As Spud said he could be a dud - so could any prospect. There are no guarantees. I like a GM who makes moves that I can understand regardless of whether or not I personally think that they are great moves.

 

This sentence could only have been written by you!

[a700hitter]

I'm down with it.

 

Although Abraham just FB live a news conference with DD and JF. He said that they are not looking to make a long term deal for a DH type guy. Does that mean EE is not in the picture or is it just chaff?

 

He also said that he had been having discussions with Koji and while the Sox did want him back that they had something in the works and then when it happened it meant that Koji is not going to be resigned.

 

Kind of sad in a way. Koji was our guy and I have nothing bad to say about him. Still the best 1/2-1 season of dominant relief work I have seen for the Sox and a world tittle that would never have happened without him. Plus, he was just fun to watch, even when he was getting clobbered sometimes.

 

The Sox are all in. So it will be really interesting to see if they acquire another bat.

DD is not the type to show his hand to the Press. If Koji stays unsigned and the price is right, I would not be surprised if DD signed Koji again.

[Spudboy]

A Mariner beat reporter tweets that Seattle is likely to look into Clay Buchholz or Drew Pomeranz:

 

 

Some of the comments on that twitter feed were funny.

[cp176]

This sentence could only have been written by you!

 

You might be one of the two people here who get get where I come from.

1. DD might be the best Gm in baseball - not something new

2. Cherington was in over his head

3. God bless Theo and ty but too many splashy moves for me that people wanted to blame on Lucchino because Theo looks better in a suit.

4. DD has done it before - pretty good pitching staff up there in Detroit - I'm just guessing of course but I think he has won most of his trades. He f***ing well knows what he is doing.

[Kimmi]

You might be one of the two people here who get get where I come from.

1. DD might be the best Gm in baseball - not something new

2. Cherington was in over his head

3. God bless Theo and ty but too many splashy moves for me that people wanted to blame on Lucchino because Theo looks better in a suit.

4. DD has done it before - pretty good pitching staff up there in Detroit - I'm just guessing of course but I think he has won most of his trades. He f***ing well knows what he is doing.

 

Ha.

[Spudboy]

Ha.

 

Troll!

[a700hitter]

You might be one of the two people here who get get where I come from.

1. DD might be the best Gm in baseball - not something new

2. Cherington was in over his head

3. God bless Theo and ty but too many splashy moves for me that people wanted to blame on Lucchino because Theo looks better in a suit.

4. DD has done it before - pretty good pitching staff up there in Detroit - I'm just guessing of course but I think he has won most of his trades. He f***ing well knows what he is doing.

DD gets it done. He doesn't pussy foot around. He gets top shelf guys for us to watch, and people complain. I guess they prefer running out to the mound the Mileys, Kellys, Mastersons, Dubronts, Dempsters, and Aaron Cooks to Price and Sale. This is the best 1-2 punch since Pedro and Schilling in 2004, and with Porcello, it is the best 1-2-3 punch in my long memory. And people are unhappy about 2020?

[cp176]

Troll!

 

She's there - she's always there

[sk7326]

Ha.

 

The moves are helpful - and if you are going all in, do it for a stud on a great contract in his prime. His delivery screams TJS, but his results don't - and so you have to give Sale the benefit here.

 

Now the risk is obvious - you are prospect poorer and less equipped to handle some level of deus ex machina. Fortunately the core of the team is young and athletic - and so there should not be the same risks of growing old overnight that there have been in Detroit. It is also interesting that the Red Sox may have moved to a post-development machine era the same season where that approach saved the Cubs. Homegrown, cost controlled stuff is still the right way to build a core - and normally the preference is to keep the guys you think will be stars. (and to be fair to Dombrowski, identifying Devers as a superior option to Moncada is a completely reasonable assessment) Moreover - this will also be a test of how bad the brain drain at Yawkey has been. Are enough of the guys who have built this roster of young talent still around to Dombrowski still has currency to trade, and still has stars to promote.

 

Hard to dislike the Sale trade even with the significant price. Like the Thornburg trade quite a bit also. The Moreland signing probably won't do much one way or the other.

[iortiz]

You might be one of the two people here who get get where I come from.

1. DD might be the best Gm in baseball - not something new

2. Cherington was in over his head

3. God bless Theo and ty but too many splashy moves for me that people wanted to blame on Lucchino because Theo looks better in a suit.

4. DD has done it before - pretty good pitching staff up there in Detroit - I'm just guessing of course but I think he has won most of his trades. He f***ing well knows what he is doing.

I've just watched DD's press conference after CS sign. We are in good hands my friend, that's for sure.

[cp176]

I've just watched DD's press conference after CS sign. We are in good hands my friend, that's for sure.

 

Hey - Where have you been? Good to have you back. DD has a rumpled look to him. Maybe that is why I like hm.

[jacksonianmarch]

DD is the guy you hand a team with a stocked farm system over to and watch him turn it into a contender. He is not a GM for a rebuild project. Detroit was turned into a winner under his watch by taking a really strong farm system (due to years of suck) and turning it into a juggernaut that just couldn't close the deal. The only downside of a guy like DD is a guarantee that your window is finite and a rebuild is closer to the horizon. He will turn your team into a juggernaut, but not a dynasty

[jacksonianmarch]

But for the next three years,who gives a s***. You're set up for dominance in a weak AL

[S5Dewey]

But for the next three years,who gives a s***. You're set up for dominance in a weak AL

 

You're sounding like our old pal Harmony now with your qualifier of "a weak AL".

 

This team is pretty darn good right now with a solid pitching staff, arguably the best defensive OF in baseball (assuming Beni plays as predicted) and a team that outscored everyone by 100 runs last year and only lost one major contributor.

[jacksonianmarch]

Your offense won't be as good. Losing Ortiz' ridiculous production hurts. But you just replaced Clay Suchholz in your rotation with a top 5 guy in all of baseball. That should offset it. And everyone is forgetting about Carson Smith. He'll be back mid season. He may. It be his vintage self til 2018, but as a reliever might get back to his stuff by playoff time. That's one hard throwing pen

[Bellhorn04]

DD is the guy you hand a team with a stocked farm system over to and watch him turn it into a contender. He is not a GM for a rebuild project. Detroit was turned into a winner under his watch by taking a really strong farm system (due to years of suck) and turning it into a juggernaut that just couldn't close the deal. The only downside of a guy like DD is a guarantee that your window is finite and a rebuild is closer to the horizon. He will turn your team into a juggernaut, but not a dynasty

 

There are no more dynasties in baseball anyway. Your team was the last repeat winner in 2000. 16 straight one-and-done since then.