2017/18 Hot Stove Thread

[notin]

There was rampant speculation here that the Sox would have nothing to do with Wright in the future because of this incident. When I posted that I was thinking more of the Red Sox when I said "All is forgiven".

 

They'll presumably let the league handle it, but they were required to go through the arbitration process (or agreement) since they offered it to him. This means nothing about his punishment status.

[moonslav59]

You’re seeing it as a “demand” Boras is framing it as “hey he likes to play the OF so he’s not JUST a DH.”

 

It's not about the semantics. Demand, posture, floater, whatever you call it, the point remains the same....

 

How is saying JD prefers to play a position he's always played added any incentive for any team that already knows he plays OF to now make a bid after not previously making one?

 

I'm asking for the reason you think this ploy or whatever you want to call it adds bidders.

Edited January 10, 2018 by moonslav59

[moonslav59]

To me, it’s just Boras posturing. Not a big deal.

 

I know BorA$$ is not an idiot, but what is this "posture" doing to add bidders?

 

Is he waking teams up to the idea that maybe the price is lower than some teams might have originally thought, and maybe JD can be had for less money than previously believed, if you promise him an OF position over a DH one?

[notin]

It's not about the semantic. How is saying JD prefers to play a position he's always played added any incentive for any team that already knows he plays OF to now make a bid after not previously making one?

 

I'm asking for the reason you think this ploy or whatever you want to call it adds bidders.

 

Maybe it's not so much an incentive for bidders as it is a preference from Martinez himself...

[Larry Cook]

We just have to be ubber patient and let this unfold. Dave is waiting out Boras and I respect that, we should have Martinez signed in about six weeks.

[moonslav59]

Maybe it's not so much an incentive for bidders as it is a preference from Martinez himself...

 

I get that, but I'm wondering how some posters think it's a ploy to add bidders or possibly drive his price up.

 

To me, the price only goes up, if the Sox start bidding against themselves or start changing their plans by trading JBJ just to accommodate JD (if, indeed, that is a change),

[harmony]

I get that, but I'm wondering how some posters think it's a ploy to add bidders or possibly drive his price up.

 

To me, the price only goes up, if the Sox start bidding against themselves or start changing their plans by trading JBJ just to accommodate JD (if, indeed, that is a change),

Do the Red Sox even have the current best offer for J.D. Martinez?

 

What if another team has the current best offer and Martinez is waiting for the Red Sox (or another club) to top it?

[moonslav59]

Do the Red Sox even have the current best offer for J.D. Martinez?

 

What if another team has the current best offer and Martinez is waiting for the Red Sox (or another club) to top it?

 

If another team is a serious bidder right now, it's been a very kept secret, but of course there could be someone else.

 

For argument's sake, let's assume the Sox have offered $125M/5 and SF has offered $127.5M/5. How would coming out and saying JD wants to play OF and not DH add incentive to the Sox to increase their offer and try to top SF?

 

If we planned on trading JBJ after signing JD anyway, then I assume the statement makes little difference, but does BoarA$$ know this?

[moonslav59]

Do the Red Sox even have the current best offer for J.D. Martinez?

 

When your agent's beginning point is $210M/7, I would not be surprised to find out that at this point, we are the only team making a serious offer as opposed to maybe some other teams kicking the tires with just talks.

[harmony]

If another team is a serious bidder right now, it's been a very kept secret, but of course there could be someone else.

 

For argument's sake, let's assume the Sox have offered $125M/5 and SF has offered $127.5M/5. How would coming out and saying JD wants to play OF and not DH add incentive to the Sox to increase their offer and try to top SF?

 

If we planned on trading JBJ after signing JD anyway, then I assume the statement makes little difference, but does BoarA$$ know this?

I'm not convinced that anyone said J.D. Martinez wants to play outfield and not designated hitter. The MLB Trade Rumors aggregate story on December 15 provided mixed signals:

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/12/j-d-martinez-rumors-wednesday.html

 

... and I can no longer access the archived Boston Herald column that suggested Martinez "is informing potential suitors that he would prefer to sign as an outfielder." I suspect the bidding did not stop after that report three weeks ago. Just last Friday Jon Heyman reported (without attribution) that Martinez has other five-year offers:

 

https://www.fanragsports.com/inside-baseball-where-top-10-mlb-free-agents-stand-in-slow-market/

 

Bids are secret in that a vast majority are withheld from the media and public. The Hot Stove may be slow but it will interesting to see how the offseason plays out.

[harmony]

When your agent's beginning point is $210M/7, I would not be surprised to find out that at this point, we are the only team making a serious offer as opposed to maybe some other teams kicking the tires with just talks.

Perhaps the Red Sox have walked away after J.D. Martinez rejected their best offer. The bidding may be down to two or more clubs that don't include the Red Sox.

 

Or not.

[notin]

 

The Hot Stove may be slow but it will interesting to see how the offseason plays out.

 

I think this off-season could linger into the post-season..

[moonslav59]

Perhaps the Red Sox have walked away after J.D. Martinez rejected their best offer. The bidding may be down to two or more clubs that don't include the Red Sox.

 

Now, that is a possible scenario, where saying he wants to play OF might actually be a clue to other GMs that he does not want to sign with the Sox as a DH. My guess is, then, that he might be willing to take less money, and that's why they want to bring more teams into the picture.

 

JD can easily get 30-40 games in LF with the Sox without any injuries to anyone. Maybe, that's not enough.

[Kimmi]

Worth noting that this piece was written on Dec. 15.

 

Yes, but I haven't heard anything since that to indicate otherwise.

[Kimmi]

That article does make it sound like he prefers playing the field over a DH job.

 

If both Boston and, say, San Francisco come in with equal offers , he could easily go to the Giants instead...

 

I do agree that if JD has two equal offers, he would prefer the one that allows him to be an everyday outfielder over being a DH. In that case, I think the Red Sox would have to increase their offer by a little bit. But I don't think JD would take a significantly lesser offer just to be able to play outfield.

[a700hitter]

I would prefer to move on from JD and take a shot at one year of Machado and go after Harper or Machado next season. I just don’t trust a long term deal with a guy who has played 1 full season— every other year he tops out at 120 games. $30 million a year for a guy playing 120 games a year is like paying $37.5 million for a guy that plays 150 games.

[Kimmi]

Again, how does adding a further demand increase bidders?

 

What am I missing?

 

I agree with you. If Boras wants more bidders, he should be saying that JD is willing to play wherever a team needs him, including DH. That not only increases his attractiveness in terms of on the field matters, but also in off the field matters. He's a good team player, good clubhouse guy, etc.

 

The only reason I can think of for Boras to make a statement that JD does not want to DH is to try to get Dombrowski to bid against himself, which would imply that there are no other competitive offers.

[Kimmi]

For argument's sake, let's assume the Sox have offered $125M/5 and SF has offered $127.5M/5. How would coming out and saying JD wants to play OF and not DH add incentive to the Sox to increase their offer and try to top SF?

 

I don't agree with what you're saying here. IMO, Boras would make a statement like this in order to get the Sox to increase its offer.

[Kimmi]

I would prefer to move on from JD and take a shot at one year of Machado and go after Harper or Machado next season. I just don’t trust a long term deal with a guy who has played 1 full season— every other year he tops out at 120 games. $30 million a year for a guy playing 120 games a year is like paying $37.5 million for a guy that plays 150 games.

 

It's an overpay, but it's a better option (at 5 years) than trading away valuable prospects for a one year rental. If JD won't sign for 5 years, then status quo becomes the better option.

[harmony]

I'm not a betting person but in the J.D. Martinez sweepstakes I might bet on the field over the Red Sox signing the reputed top free agent hitter.

 

Thoughts?

[a700hitter]

It's an overpay, but it's a better option (at 5 years) than trading away valuable prospects for a one year rental. If JD won't sign for 5 years, then status quo becomes the better option.

As you know, I consider it to be irrational to go status quo during a window before a cliff.

[mvp 78]

Yes, but I haven't heard anything since that to indicate otherwise.

 

And everything else has just been speculation during a slow offseason.

[mvp 78]

I would prefer to move on from JD and take a shot at one year of Machado and go after Harper or Machado next season. I just don’t trust a long term deal with a guy who has played 1 full season— every other year he tops out at 120 games. $30 million a year for a guy playing 120 games a year is like paying $37.5 million for a guy that plays 150 games.

 

Make him a DH and there is a higher chance he stays healthy.

[mvp 78]

I'm not a betting person but in the J.D. Martinez sweepstakes I might bet on the field over the Red Sox signing the reputed top free agent hitter.

 

Thoughts?

 

Why? What brings you to this conclusion? Over and over again we're being told that the Sox are the highest bidder. Boras has a history of waiting until the end of January for his big FA's.

[Kimmi]

I'm not a betting person but in the J.D. Martinez sweepstakes I might bet on the field over the Red Sox signing the reputed top free agent hitter.

 

Thoughts?

 

I'm not a betting person either, but I'd bed on JD signing with the Sox.

[Kimmi]

As you know, I consider it to be irrational to go status quo during a window before a cliff.

 

But which is more irrational?

 

Going status quo when the team is already a contender, or handing out a bad contract to avoid going status quo?

 

I'll wait for your response that does not answer my question.

[Bellhorn04]

I would prefer to move on from JD and take a shot at one year of Machado and go after Harper or Machado next season. I just don’t trust a long term deal with a guy who has played 1 full season— every other year he tops out at 120 games. $30 million a year for a guy playing 120 games a year is like paying $37.5 million for a guy that plays 150 games.

 

JD's missed games are a concern, no question.

 

But I'm surprised you would want to go for Machado over JD.

 

Last year JD hit 303/376/690

Machado hit 259/310/471

 

Huge differences.

 

Machado is obviously the better all-around player, but it you really want to give the offense a boost, JD is the guy.

[Bellhorn04]

But which is more irrational?

 

Going status quo when the team is already a contender, or handing out a bad contract to avoid going status quo?

 

I'll wait for your response that does not answer my question.

 

If I can jump in here, there are degrees of bad contracts, so I think you sort of have to be a little more specific. Some are a little bad and some are monster albatrosses.

 

JD for 5/130 would probably be a little bad.

JD for 7/210 would be albatross bad.

[Hitch]

As you know, I consider it to be irrational to go status quo during a window before a cliff.

 

So there is a cliff?

[a700hitter]

But which is more irrational?

 

Going status quo when the team is already a contender, or handing out a bad contract to avoid going status quo?

 

I'll wait for your response that does not answer my question.

Again with the false choice. The team was not Championship quality last year and status quo will not convert them into one. They need a big bat.