Pedroia undergoes microfracture surgery

[notin]

Bryce Harper is a guy I definitely wouldn't trust to live up to his next contract.

 

It does depend what he gets. As JD Martinez learned, you don't always get the contract you expect...

[Kimmi]

But then you can't have Pedros or Mannys.

 

You have to develop the Pedros and Mannys. Yes, I'm aware of our struggles with developing starting pitching, but that should be an area of focus. Or, if you can't develop the Pedros, you still build a strong farm and trade for them, similar to how we traded for Sale. Yes, I know I criticized Dombrowski for trading away all of our prospects, but that has more to do with the magnitude of what he traded away in such a short time than with any one particular trade.

 

The point is, it starts with a strong farm system. You fill in the holes with the Mitch Moreland types and avoid the long term contracts for the most part.

[Bellhorn04]

You have to develop the Pedros and Mannys. Yes, I'm aware of our struggles with developing starting pitching, but that should be an area of focus. Or, if you can't develop the Pedros, you still build a strong farm and trade for them, similar to how we traded for Sale. Yes, I know I criticized Dombrowski for trading away all of our prospects, but that has more to do with the magnitude of what he traded away in such a short time than with any one particular trade.

 

The point is, it starts with a strong farm system. You fill in the holes with the Mitch Moreland types and avoid the long term contracts for the most part.

 

And when your farm system produces a potential HOFer like Mookie, you let him walk when he reaches free agency?

 

That would kind of make us like the Montreal Expos of the 1990's.

 

I'm partially kidding there, but it is a real question.

[notin]

And when your farm system produces a potential HOFer like Mookie, you let him walk when he reaches free agency?

 

That would kind of make us like the Montreal Expos of the 1990's.

 

I'm partially kidding there, but it is a real question.

 

If the player is intent on reaching free agency, what options do you have?

 

One thing in the Sox favor is that if last year is any indication, free agent prices are dropping while arbitration prices appear to be escalating. This could mean free agency is no longer the primary financial goal of players and agents.

 

But then if the superstars still get paid, Mookie will still benefit. But retaining quality complimentary players like Bradley might be easier than it was 2 or 3 years ago...

[oldtimer]

You have to develop the Pedros and Mannys. Yes, I'm aware of our struggles with developing starting pitching, but that should be an area of focus. Or, if you can't develop the Pedros, you still build a strong farm and trade for them, similar to how we traded for Sale. Yes, I know I criticized Dombrowski for trading away all of our prospects, but that has more to do with the magnitude of what he traded away in such a short time than with any one particular trade.

 

The point is, it starts with a strong farm system. You fill in the holes with the Mitch Moreland types and avoid the long term contracts for the most part.

 

I am not a fan of long term contracts for players 30 and over and that is especially true for starting pitchers, who tend to be fragile. The going market rate for quality starters is very high and so are their contract expectations. We have tended to be a good performing team, at least the last couple of years and find it hard to draft quality pitching prospects and have been unlucky with Groome along the way. We have had to trade for the starters and to some extent our relievers as well.

 

I have really disliked certain contracts, not necessarily because the guy involved is/was low quality, but because the guy involved isn't likely to produce enough to warrant his contract over the length of it.

 

Price is the poster boy for insane contracts. Seven years at over $30 million a year. We could have done much better with the resources.

Dustin Pedroia's contract is also hard to understand. Giving an older and injured player a longer term contract was driven by emotion, not by expectations of production.

The contracts for Rameriz, Craig, Sandoval and Castillo have also been limiting to the team and show ineptness in the front office. They are continuing to hurt us and will until they all clear.

 

We have developed some very good field players and need to keep that core moving forward if that is possible. We have to be judicious giving large long term contracts, but in Mookie's case, the market will determine what we have to pay or lose him. We have essentially gutted our minor leagues trading for assets that have put us in a win now situation. There have been some injuries to relievers coming in and that is either bad medical staff homework or just plain bad luck.

 

Looking at what both the Yankees and Astro's have, it appears they have the advantage on us now and no doubt will use their assets to get even stronger this year, while we will be forced to tread water or trade a high paid asset to clear some cap room. We have to hope our starters will continue to do a decent job, while field players like Devers and JBJ give us an improved second half.

 

The message should be loud and clear. Don't repeat the mistakes of the past by bringing in aging players on long term contracts. Don't let emotion get in the way of letting reasonable contracts. Accept what we can do with our limitations. Those will be with us for a few more years, but for heaven sake, don't repeat them.

[Spudboy]

Yup.

[moonslav59]

I am not a fan of long term contracts for players 30 and over and that is especially true for starting pitchers, who tend to be fragile. The going market rate for quality starters is very high and so are their contract expectations. We have tended to be a good performing team, at least the last couple of years and find it hard to draft quality pitching prospects and have been unlucky with Groome along the way. We have had to trade for the starters and to some extent our relievers as well.

 

I have really disliked certain contracts, not necessarily because the guy involved is/was low quality, but because the guy involved isn't likely to produce enough to warrant his contract over the length of it.

 

Price is the poster boy for insane contracts. Seven years at over $30 million a year. We could have done much better with the resources.

Dustin Pedroia's contract is also hard to understand. Giving an older and injured player a longer term contract was driven by emotion, not by expectations of production.

The contracts for Rameriz, Craig, Sandoval and Castillo have also been limiting to the team and show ineptness in the front office. They are continuing to hurt us and will until they all clear.

 

We have developed some very good field players and need to keep that core moving forward if that is possible. We have to be judicious giving large long term contracts, but in Mookie's case, the market will determine what we have to pay or lose him. We have essentially gutted our minor leagues trading for assets that have put us in a win now situation. There have been some injuries to relievers coming in and that is either bad medical staff homework or just plain bad luck.

 

Looking at what both the Yankees and Astro's have, it appears they have the advantage on us now and no doubt will use their assets to get even stronger this year, while we will be forced to tread water or trade a high paid asset to clear some cap room. We have to hope our starters will continue to do a decent job, while field players like Devers and JBJ give us an improved second half.

 

The message should be loud and clear. Don't repeat the mistakes of the past by bringing in aging players on long term contracts. Don't let emotion get in the way of letting reasonable contracts. Accept what we can do with our limitations. Those will be with us for a few more years, but for heaven sake, don't repeat them.

 

Well said, but I'm not really sure what "better options" were out there than Price. We needed an ace. Remember, this was pre-Sale era.

 

I doubt many posters would have been happy had we spent Price's money on 5 Moreland types, including a couple SP'ers at $6M a pop. How often do you strike gold on those type of signings, and we needed GOLD at the top of the rotation not bronze or even silver.

[oldtimer]

Well said, but I'm not really sure what "better options" were out there than Price. We needed an ace. Remember, this was pre-Sale era.

 

I doubt many posters would have been happy had we spent Price's money on 5 Moreland types, including a couple SP'ers at $6M a pop. How often do you strike gold on those type of signings, and we needed GOLD at the top of the rotation not bronze or even silver.

 

Do you think we got an Ace in Price? In my view, he is a #3 starter at best and didn't really help us much until recently.

[Bellhorn04]

Do you think we got an Ace in Price? In my view, he is a #3 starter at best and didn't really help us much until recently.

 

He pitched like a solid #2 in 2016 - 17 wins, 3.99 ERA, 230 innings. He's pitching like a solid #2 this year.

 

He's been a disappointment, but not exactly a bust.

 

The great Theo signed Yu Darvish to a 6 year, 126 million deal this offseason. Darvish has 1 win, a 4.95 ERA and is currently on the DL.

 

These deals are always risky, especially with pitchers.

[Kimmi]

And when your farm system produces a potential HOFer like Mookie, you let him walk when he reaches free agency?

 

That would kind of make us like the Montreal Expos of the 1990's.

 

I'm partially kidding there, but it is a real question.

 

You do the best you can at retaining him, hopefully before he reaches free agency. But, it takes two to tango. If Mookie is not willing to sign for a slightly shorter term, then yes, you have to let him walk.

 

I have said before that I prefer to give a higher dollar amount per year if that allows us to sign for fewer years. That's the route I would go.

[Kimmi]

I am not a fan of long term contracts for players 30 and over and that is especially true for starting pitchers, who tend to be fragile. The going market rate for quality starters is very high and so are their contract expectations. We have tended to be a good performing team, at least the last couple of years and find it hard to draft quality pitching prospects and have been unlucky with Groome along the way. We have had to trade for the starters and to some extent our relievers as well.

 

I have really disliked certain contracts, not necessarily because the guy involved is/was low quality, but because the guy involved isn't likely to produce enough to warrant his contract over the length of it.

 

Price is the poster boy for insane contracts. Seven years at over $30 million a year. We could have done much better with the resources.

Dustin Pedroia's contract is also hard to understand. Giving an older and injured player a longer term contract was driven by emotion, not by expectations of production.

The contracts for Rameriz, Craig, Sandoval and Castillo have also been limiting to the team and show ineptness in the front office. They are continuing to hurt us and will until they all clear.

 

We have developed some very good field players and need to keep that core moving forward if that is possible. We have to be judicious giving large long term contracts, but in Mookie's case, the market will determine what we have to pay or lose him. We have essentially gutted our minor leagues trading for assets that have put us in a win now situation. There have been some injuries to relievers coming in and that is either bad medical staff homework or just plain bad luck.

 

Looking at what both the Yankees and Astro's have, it appears they have the advantage on us now and no doubt will use their assets to get even stronger this year, while we will be forced to tread water or trade a high paid asset to clear some cap room. We have to hope our starters will continue to do a decent job, while field players like Devers and JBJ give us an improved second half.

 

The message should be loud and clear. Don't repeat the mistakes of the past by bringing in aging players on long term contracts. Don't let emotion get in the way of letting reasonable contracts. Accept what we can do with our limitations. Those will be with us for a few more years, but for heaven sake, don't repeat them.

 

Solid post Oldtimer.

 

I was completely on board with Pedroia's extension. I thought it was a very good deal for both sides at the time that it occurred. I still expect Pedroia to come back and contribute, but even if he does, he has lost a lot of time to injury already. If he doesn't, then that's just more dead money that the Sox have to deal with.

 

Of course we all want Mookie to remain with the Sox. I just can't fathom giving him or any player an insane contract.

[Kimmi]

He pitched like a solid #2 in 2016 - 17 wins, 3.99 ERA, 230 innings. He's pitching like a solid #2 this year.

 

He's been a disappointment, but not exactly a bust.

 

The great Theo signed Yu Darvish to a 6 year, 126 million deal this offseason. Darvish has 1 win, a 4.95 ERA and is currently on the DL.

 

These deals are always risky, especially with pitchers.

 

He has been a little disappointing because he has not been the ace that we thought we were getting, but I agree with you that he has not been a bust. He has been very good, outside of a couple of starts and outside of the DL time.

[cp176]

Do you think we got an Ace in Price? In my view, he is a #3 starter at best and didn't really help us much until recently.

 

David Price does not deserve the crap he gets from the news media as well as some fans. People can believe what they want I guess with respect to what he has done or not done but by all accounts he is an excellent teammate and when he is on the mound he is a pro. whether he is worth what he is being paid, i would simply say that are any of these guys really worth what they are being paid? If the man writing the checks is content then it works for me.

[mvp 78]

@jcmccaffrey

 

Pedroia will head back to his home in Arizona to continue physical therapy at the place he rehabbed this winter. Cora still expects him back this year but not anytime soon. No timetable to return. Want him to focus on strengthening muscles supporting knee—glute, hamstring, core

[a700hitter]

@jcmccaffrey

 

Pedroia will head back to his home in Arizona to continue physical therapy at the place he rehabbed this winter. Cora still expects him back this year but not anytime soon. No timetable to return. Want him to focus on strengthening muscles supporting knee—glute, hamstring, core

That doesn't sound hopeful for his return.

[mvp 78]

That doesn't sound hopeful for his return.

 

If it was only some other team's problem to figure out! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Carbo-Diem]

If it was only some other team's problem to figure out! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

So much for that "team friendly" contract he signed. On the bright side there is only 48 million left which is nothing compared to what we got for Castillo's 72 million, Sandoval's 81 million for 2016-2019 (plus buyout) or the 127 million left on "King Fortnite's" contract.

[jacksonianmarch]

Pedroia had another surgery in July and is out for the season.

[redsoxrules]

Not shocking news. Was pretty much expected

[Kimmi]

Bummer for Pedroia. I was really hopeful earlier in the season that he would contribute to this team.

 

There's always next year, Pedey.

[oldtimer]

Pedroia had another surgery in July and is out for the season.

 

Funny how this is the first we heard about the July surgery. Maybe next year. Maybe we try to keep Kinsler and/or Phillips and let them share with Pedey. Doubt any of them can go 162 games.