Pablo is no more

[moonslav59]

Why would you want a guy you despise to stay in the system and poison everyone around him?

 

He did us a favor by saying no.

 

I can't blame him for refusing to go into limbo like Craig & Castillo did. He might actually have a chance to make some team's roster at minimum wage.

[a700hitter]

 

Do I still blame Ben & Co for the awful signing? Hell, YES, but even with them, I feel no anger. It's more frustration and dismay.

I have no anger at Ben. He is responsible for Pablo and several other terrible signings, and he paid for it by losing his job. I feel no anger toward Ben. He was trying his Best.

 

Pablo, on the other hand, did not put forth any effort IMO. He got himself into baseball shape after 2 seasons and 1 belt were shot, and even then he didn't work to improve his fielding. He is deserving of resentment.

[a700hitter]

Why would you want a guy you despise to stay in the system and poison everyone around him?

 

He did us a favor by saying no.

 

I can't blame him for refusing to go into limbo like Craig & Castillo did. He might actually have a chance to make some team's roster at minimum wage.

I don't think he was poisoning anyone around him. I think if he had character he would have worked his butt off in Pawtucket trying to win back his spot and get back with his team mates.

[SoxHop]

That's easy.

It's a chance for some people to feel superior to someone that has made more money, playing a game, than they'll ever see in their lifetimes.

A chance like that doesn't come around very often, you know.

 

That is so wrong I fell out of my chair......

 

Most people here are rooting for these guys to succeed. And if they give proper effort, even if they do fail they are saluted.

 

Pablo showed up to work on his first day 20 to 30 to 40 pounds overweight and let his conditioning coach go......that's like someone signing the best contract of their life to the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and not touching their violin the 5 months before the first day on the job........

[Jasonbay44]

That is so wrong I fell out of my chair......

 

Most people here are rooting for these guys to succeed. And if they give proper effort, even if they do fail they are saluted.

 

Pablo showed up to work on his first day 20 to 30 to 40 pounds overweight and let his conditioning coach go......that's like someone signing the best contract of their life to the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and not touching their violin the 5 months before the first day on the job........

This x100. I wish we had a like button for this...

 

Pablo and Crawford were both awful contracts but at least no one can say Crawford didn't care or put in the effort. He definitely cared and he did work his ass off, he just couldn't handle Boston for whatever reason, some people can't. If Pablo didn't have so many excuses and ******** and didn't show up overweight, I'm sure no one would have this much hate for him.

 

Its a joke people think these athletes cant be criticized. Pablo made millions, didn't care, gained weight and was a horrible player.

[Spudboy]

Is it okay to attack Pablow's character now?

[Jasonbay44]

Is it okay to attack Pablow's character now?

 

No. Apparently unless you're a millionaire you can't criticize millionaires and it'll also stop future players from coming to Boston....

[Bellhorn04]

I don't think it's unreasonable for fans to criticize players that they strongly feel have not given it their best effort.

 

In Pablo's case, I think enough has been said and we should just leave the whole thing behind us now. Just my opinion.

[oldtimer]

I don't think it's unreasonable for fans to criticize players that they strongly feel have not given it their best effort.

 

In Pablo's case, I think enough has been said and we should just leave the whole thing behind us now. Just my opinion.

 

I totally agree. What needs to be remembered from this is to avoid long term expensive contracts with field players the likes of Sandoval, Craig, Castillo and to some extent Rameriz. If you take a chance on a guy, it shouldn't be for big bucks and long term contracts.If a guy performs for the Sox, then you can reward him. That we have had success with guys like Ortiz indicates you still can find a gem, but have to do it with care.

[S5Dewey]

I totally agree. What needs to be remembered from this is to avoid long term expensive contracts with field players the likes of Sandoval, Craig, Castillo and to some extent Rameriz. If you take a chance on a guy, it shouldn't be for big bucks and long term contracts.If a guy performs for the Sox, then you can reward him. That we have had success with guys like Ortiz indicates you still can find a gem, but have to do it with care.

 

I don't disagree with this post at all but I'd also like to add a few caveats for a GM looking for a player.

 

1) Never sign a (position) player with physical issues (like WEIGHT!) to a long term contract regardless of how well he's played in the past. Being a professional athlete means performing at the highest level and as we all know, wear and tear on the body is like age. Sooner or later it will catch up with you and there's a very good chance it will happen during the duration of that contract.

 

2) Do not sign a player just because his playoff stats are significantly higher than is regular season stats. Playoff stats are a notoriously SSS. And even if you believe in 'clutch' always remember that this player has to help get you to the playoffs. [As an aside, I'd rather have a player like David Price who can get you to the playoffs but has a history of failing there than a player like Sandoval who is mediocre in the regular season but has a history of good playoff stats. But maybe that's just me.]

 

3) Look at trends. With the exception of a one year anomaly, Sandoval's OPS had been in decline ever since 2009 and had leveled out in the mid .700's. That's nice, but it's not BIG MONEY nice.

 

This signing had "Bad Idea" written all over it right from the beginning.

[TedWilliams101]

I don't disagree with this post at all but I'd also like to add a few caveats for a GM looking for a player.

 

1) Never sign a (position) player with physical issues (like WEIGHT!) to a long term contract regardless of how well he's played in the past. Being a professional athlete means performing at the highest level and as we all know, wear and tear on the body is like age. Sooner or later it will catch up with you and there's a very good chance it will happen during the duration of that contract.

 

2) Do not sign a player just because his playoff stats are significantly higher than is regular season stats. Playoff stats are a notoriously SSS. And even if you believe in 'clutch' always remember that this player has to help get you to the playoffs. [As an aside, I'd rather have a player like David Price who can get you to the playoffs but has a history of failing there than a player like Sandoval who is mediocre in the regular season but has a history of good playoff stats. But maybe that's just me.]

 

3) Look at trends. With the exception of a one year anomaly, Sandoval's OPS had been in decline ever since 2009 and had leveled out in the mid .700's. That's nice, but it's not BIG MONEY nice.

 

This signing had "Bad Idea" written all over it right from the beginning.

 

This x100. You just don't take chances with huge contracts.

[Bellhorn04]

Every big contract is risky. Pablo certainly goes down as one of the oddest free agent signings in team history. I do tend to think there was more box office than baseball ops thinking involved in the decision.

[Station 13]

Every big contract is risky. Pablo certainly goes down as one of the oddest free agent signings in team history. I do tend to think there was more box office than baseball ops thinking involved in the decision.

 

Yeah, Pablito shtick as the Kung Fu Panda is worthy of a 200 ticket each night to see botch plays, belt buckle. He's a spectacle alright.

[Kimmi]

Every big contract is risky. Pablo certainly goes down as one of the oddest free agent signings in team history. I do tend to think there was more box office than baseball ops thinking involved in the decision.

 

I can say with almost 100% certainty that sabermetric baseball ops people are not going to be swayed by post season heroics, that they are fully aware of any trends in performance, and that they are aware of the caveats that go along with an overweight player.

 

All that said, I understood the rationale behind signing him. He should not have been that bad in his first 3 years of the contract.

[sk7326]

Sandoval was the youngest of the big FAs that year with a pretty good Fenway swing and excellent contact skills - and a very good athlete (if you weren't you would not be able to be a starting 3B with his suboptimal conditioning). I did not love the signing but understood the case - but this was on the extreme left of the bell curve of outcomes for him.

[Kimmi]

I don't think it's unreasonable for fans to criticize players that they strongly feel have not given it their best effort.

 

In Pablo's case, I think enough has been said and we should just leave the whole thing behind us now. Just my opinion.

 

Except when the people who are actually working with Pablo state otherwise.

 

At any rate, the guy is gone. As you said, there is no need for the continued vitriol.

[Kimmi]

Sandoval was the youngest of the big FAs that year with a pretty good Fenway swing and excellent contact skills. I did not love the signing but understood the case - nobody could have predicted a disaster of this level. This was on the extreme left of the bell curve of outcomes for him.

 

Thank you.

[TedWilliams101]

Every big contract is risky. Pablo certainly goes down as one of the oddest free agent signings in team history. I do tend to think there was more box office than baseball ops thinking involved in the decision.

 

Yes, there is risk in Every big contract, but those risks should be as minimal as possible (ie, injury, decline, etc). You back up the brink truck for guys who have proven consistency and who don't have red flags. Guys like Arenado, Longoria, Machado (looking at 3B). Pablo has the 2nd? biggest contract at 3B behind Longoria, but was way more in average annual salary. That's just stupid. I wouldn't have put Panda in the top 10 at 3B (prior to the deal). Giving him #1 money is just insane.

 

Way overspending just because you need a quick fix and it is all that is available is just not a good strategy. This isn't football where you can just a guy if he doesn't turn out. The flip side is the Albert Pujols kind of contracts. You pay for consistency and projected production, not for past performance. Pujol's contract destroyed the Angels and it will keep them in hell for years to come.

[sk7326]

Yes, there is risk in Every big contract, but those risks should be as minimal as possible (ie, injury, decline, etc). You back up the brink truck for guys who have proven consistency and who don't have red flags. Guys like Arenado, Longoria, Machado (looking at 3B). Pablo has the 2nd? biggest contract at 3B behind Longoria, but was way more in average annual salary. That's just stupid. I wouldn't have put Panda in the top 10 at 3B (prior to the deal). Giving him #1 money is just insane.

 

Way overspending just because you need a quick fix and it is all that is available is just not a good strategy. This isn't football where you can just a guy if he doesn't turn out. The flip side is the Albert Pujols kind of contracts. You pay for consistency and projected production, not for past performance. Pujol's contract destroyed the Angels and it will keep them in hell for years to come.

 

This is not a meritocracy - just how markets work. The Rays never let Longoria get to free agency and signed him when he had less leverage ... hooray The industry is drowning in cash - beats John Henry buying another yacht or plane

[Bellhorn04]

Except when the people who are actually working with Pablo state otherwise.

 

I don't think the team was pleased with how Pablo looked in the spring of 2016. I thought it was very telling that they started giving Shaw a lot of playing time fairly early on in spring games.

[a700hitter]

Except when the people who are actually working with Pablo state otherwise.

 

At any rate, the guy is gone. As you said, there is no need for the continued vitriol.

No one in the Red Sox organization made any positive statements about his effort in 2015 or 2016.

[SoxHop]

No one in the Red Sox organization made any positive statements about his effort in 2015 or 2016.

 

Yes they did. 17% body fat

[a700hitter]

Yes they did. 17% body fat

That was a lie to refute the stories swirling about how fat he had gotten. They tried to tell us that he was big-boned. LOL!! They said nothing about him working hard or his effort until this year. I think he tried this year, but it was too little too late. He had a few injuries, and he admitted that he didn't work on his fielding which needed lots of work. Then when he was told that they wouldn't be bringing him back to the 25 man roster when his rehab ended, he quit.

[SoxHop]

That was a lie to refute the stories swirling about how fat he had gotten. They tried to tell us that he was big-boned. LOL!! They said nothing about him working hard or his effort until this year. I think he tried this year, but it was too little too late. He had a few injuries, and he admitted that he didn't work on his fielding which needed lots of work. Then when he was told that they wouldn't be bringing him back to the 25 man roster when his rehab ended, he quit.

 

Yea, I know. I just like to throw that quote out there as I think it's the funniest s*** I've heard from a FO.

[a700hitter]

Yea, I know. I just like to throw that quote out there as I think it's the funniest s*** I've heard from a FO.

It was a ridiculous statement that opened them up to a lot of jokes.

[Jack Flap]

I don't think it's unreasonable for fans to criticize players that they strongly feel have not given it their best effort.

 

In Pablo's case, I think enough has been said and we should just leave the whole thing behind us now. Just my opinion.

 

Agree.

[Kimmi]

I don't think the team was pleased with how Pablo looked in the spring of 2016. I thought it was very telling that they started giving Shaw a lot of playing time fairly early on in spring games.

 

No, they weren't. Pablo took the benching and the injury to heart, and he worked hard to atone for not being in better condition that year. It's not like he didn't care or didn't try.

[Behindenemylines]

There was no way that he was ever going to live up to his contract even if he had an average year for him. He got this contract based on what he had done in October for the Giants. Big boned! Give me a break.

[Spudboy]

I wonder if any of the Sox players resented the fact that Pablow was making so much money (2nd only to Hanley among positions players, I believe ) and was producing so little?

 

In the real world when one employee makes significantly more money but does less to contribute than employees that make less yet do their job and do it every day such feelings do exist.

 

Maybe it's just a rich boys club and they all cheer him.

 

I kind of doubt it.

[Kimmi]

There was no way that he was ever going to live up to his contract even if he had an average year for him. He got this contract based on what he had done in October for the Giants. Big boned! Give me a break.

 

No, he was likely never going to live up to the contract, but he should have been decent in his first 2-3 years of the contract. He has always been 'big-boned' and has managed to play pretty well until he came Boston.