If you'd been GM since mid-2013 ...

[kenmeister]

We all like to play GM, and criticize or praise moves when they occur, so here's my honest assessment of what the Red Sox would look like now, if I'd been GM since the middle of the 2013 season.

 

Starting rotation

SP Chris Sale - I thought this trade was genius, and I can only hope I would have thought to make it as well.

SP Max Scherzer - I wanted the Sox to go hard after him when he hit free agency.

SP Jon Lester - I would have never let him go.

SP Brian Johnson

SP Rich Hill - I would have held onto him as well.

SP Hector Velazquez (depth)

SP Steven Wright (DL)

SP Jalen Beeks (AAA, depth)

 

Note that I never traded Lester, so I never acquired Cespedes and I never flipped him for Porcello. I didn't need to sign Price because I already had Scherzer.

 

Outfield

LF JD Martinez - Another great signing I fully supported!

CF Andrew Benitendi

RF Nelson Cruz - The same offseason as Scherzer I would have signed him

CF JBJ (depth)

 

Infield

3B Xander Bogaerts - I'm pretty sure I would have kept him at 3rd like he was in 2013.

SS Jose Iglesias - I never moved him to Detroit.

2B Mookie Betts - I kept Mookie a second baseman.

1B Travis Shaw - I kept Travis Shaw as a first baseman.

Utility Brock Holt

Utility Marco Hernandez

 

Catcher/DH

C - Blake Swihart

C - Christian Vazquez

DH - Dustin Pedroia (to preserve his knees; maybe he wouldn't be on the DL now?)

 

Note that Cruz or JD play DH when JBJ plays center.

 

Relief pitching I won't go into, except that I kept Andrew Miller and praised the trade for Craig Kimbrel.

 

I think it's a comparable team to what they have now, but we'll never know

 

Okay, your turn!

Edited July 30, 2018 by kenmeister

[Jasonbay44]

Damn, so basically you would've never made a bad move, built a super team and been best GM of all time? I don't get how numerous MLB teams haven't contacted you.

[Youk Of The Nation]

In this alternate universe, you are the General Manager equivalent of Leonardo Da Vinci, while the other 29 teams are headed by lobotomized frat boys whom you can distract by jangling your car keys.

[harmony]

We all like to play GM, and criticize or praise moves when they occur, so here's my honest assessment of what the Red Sox would look like now, if I'd been GM since the middle of the 2013 season.

 

Starting rotation

SP Chris Sale - I thought this trade was genius, and I can only hope I would have thought to make it as well.

SP Max Scherzer - I wanted the Sox to go hard after him when he hit free agency.

SP Jon Lester - I would have never let him go.

SP Brian Johnson

SP Rich Hill - I would have held onto him as well.

SP Hector Velazquez (depth)

SP Steven Wright (DL)

SP Jalen Beeks (AAA, depth)

 

Note that I never traded Lester, so I never acquired Cespedes and I never flipped him for Porcello. I didn't need to sign Price because I already had Scherzer.

 

Outfield

LF JD Martinez - Another great signing I fully supported!

CF Andrew Benitendi

RF Nelson Cruz - The same offseason as Scherzer I would have signed him

CF JBJ (depth)

 

Infield

3B Xander Bogaerts - I'm pretty sure I would have kept him at 3rd like he was in 2013.

SS Jose Iglesias - I never moved him to Detroit.

2B Mookie Betts - I kept Mookie a second baseman.

1B Travis Shaw - I kept Travis Shaw as a first baseman.

Utility Brock Holt

Utility Marco Hernandez

 

Catcher/DH

C - Blake Swihart

C - Christian Vazquez

DH - Dustin Pedroia (to preserve his knees; maybe he wouldn't be on the DL now?)

 

Note that Cruz or JD play DH when JBJ plays center.

 

Relief pitching I won't go into, except that I kept Andrew Miller and praised the trade for Craig Kimbrel.

 

I think it's a comparable team to what they have now, but we'll never know

 

Okay, your turn!

Why didn't you share this plan in 2013?

[moonslav59]

in this alternate universe, you are the general manager equivalent of leonardo da vinci, while the other 29 teams are headed by lobotomized frat boys whom you can distract by jangling your car keys.

 

lmao!

 

 

[mvp 78]

Damn, so basically you would've never made a bad move, built a super team and been best GM of all time? I don't get how numerous MLB teams haven't contacted you.

 

I would like to see what moves he'll make for the next 5 years before I declare him a boob.

[bkzwhitestrican]

What no Mike Trout???

[kenmeister]

Damn, so basically you would've never made a bad move, built a super team and been best GM of all time? I don't get how numerous MLB teams haven't contacted you.

 

In this alternate universe, you are the General Manager equivalent of Leonardo Da Vinci, while the other 29 teams are headed by lobotomized frat boys whom you can distract by jangling your car keys.

 

I actually wasn't sure this would be the reception. I was expecting, "Mookie Betts at second are you kidding? Blake Swihart your top catcher? If you don't trade Iglesias, do you win the World Series in 2013?"

 

There really isn't any genius in the above. I just like to hold onto my guys. I would make very few free agent acquisitions. So, I never would have traded Lester, Miller, or Lackey. The off-season that the Sox acquired Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez I was in disbelief because Scherzer and Cruz really didn't get that much attention. Now maybe I couldn't have resigned Lester and gotten Scherzer for fiscal reasons.

 

Chris Sale I certainly would have made inquiries on, and I thought for what we gave up, it was a great trade, so I'd like to think I would have done it too. JDM I think everyone on Talk Sox would have acquired too. Perfect fit.

 

Rich Hill I thought was a great pickup, and I was definitely in favor of dropping Buchholz and keeping Hill. I probably would have held onto him longer than I should have.

 

Pedroia would have moved into the DH spot - with part-time appearances in the field - after Ortiz retired. Maybe not the best use of DH, but he's signed and a good bat when healthy.

 

Betts at second - yes! It's so hard to find a good-hitting second baseman. Good hitting outfielders are easier.

 

Otherwise pretty much everyone else came out of Cherington's farm system. Betts, Bogaerts, Shaw, Swihart, Iglesias, Johnson, I just let them develop here.

[kenmeister]

I would like to see what moves he'll make for the next 5 years before I declare him a boob.

 

The Sox are in a tough spot with trying to keep this team together. JDM has an opt-out clause, and he will opt-out, and we need him. Does somebody have a schedule of when everybody's contracts are coming due over the next 5 years?

 

From now to the end of the season: No more moves. We'll have a difficult enough time making cuts when/if E-Rod and Wright come back. I would however, immediately send Pomeranz to AAA and reinstate Johnson into the rotation.

 

I also wouldn't have traded for Eovaldi, putting Velazquez into the rotation instead. And Eovaldi actually looks super, so what do I know?

[moonslav59]

Luxury tax dollars

 

After 2018

$22M HRam

$13M Kimbrel

$8.5M Pom

$3.8M Kelly

$???? Pearce

 

After $2019

$20.6M Porcello

$18.5M Pablo

$_____ Bogaerts

$13.5M Sale

$6.5M Moreland

$___ Holt

$___ Thornburg

 

After 2020

$___ Betts

$___ JBJ

$___ Wright

$___ Smith

$___ Leon

 

Edited July 30, 2018 by moonslav59

[notin]

The Sox are in a tough spot with trying to keep this team together. JDM has an opt-out clause, and he will opt-out, and we need him. Does somebody have a schedule of when everybody's contracts are coming due over the next 5 year

 

 

Soxprospects.com on the page with the 40 man roster...

[kenmeister]

Soxprospects.com on the page with the 40 man roster...

 

Ah very helpful!

 

Pedroia is making $16 million this year, $15 million next year, $13 million the year after that, and $12 million the year after that.

Price is making $30 million this year, $31 million next year, $32 million the year after that and many years to come.

 

Those two right there make it tough. I honestly didn't realize Price made so much!

 

I see Nathan Eovaldi says "min" for 2019-2021. I thought he was a free agent at the end of the year?

[mvp 78]

Ah very helpful!

 

Pedroia is making $16 million this year, $15 million next year, $13 million the year after that, and $12 million the year after that.

Price is making $30 million this year, $31 million next year, $32 million the year after that and many years to come.

 

Those two right there make it tough. I honestly didn't realize Price made so much!

 

I see Nathan Eovaldi says "min" for 2019-2021. I thought he was a free agent at the end of the year?

 

Eovaldi is a FA after this year. Maybe it's a typo?

[kenmeister]

Eovaldi is a FA after this year. Maybe it's a typo?

 

Assuming Eovaldi is in fact a free agent, signed through next year we already have as potential starting pitchers:

 

Sale

Porcello

Price

Johnson

Velazquez

Wright

Rodriguez

 

Eovaldi would have to really impress down the stretch to make the case for extending him. But he just might! Pomeranz, at this point, barring a miracle, is off to free agency.

[kenmeister]

Oh also, my manager would be Terry Lovullo, who I was really impressed with when he became the interim manager. I can't say it's easy to kick out Farrell when he returned from cancer treatment, but the change in the team was obvious and losing Lovullo stung.

[Kimmi]

I can't say for sure who would be on my team besides our home grown players, including Lester, but I know I would still have a farm system.

[kenmeister]

I can't say for sure who would be on my team besides our home grown players, including Lester, but I know I would still have a farm system.

 

Yes an all-farm system team would be impressive, although I think we're better with Sale, Kimbrel, and JDM. Just make sure you decided not to keep Ellsbury. The Yankees were out of their minds paying him that kind of money. Know when to walk away My general principle is to walk away from players who get injured often. So I wouldn't resign Pedroia, E-Rod, Pomeranz, or Wright when they hit free agency.

[Hitch]

What no Mike Trout???

 

Hahaa!!

[Hitch]

One thing I will say is - I was DESPERATE for us to sign Scherzer over Price. That one still stings. Get him and keep Lester...oof!

[Kimmi]

Yes an all-farm system team would be impressive, although I think we're better with Sale, Kimbrel, and JDM. Just make sure you decided not to keep Ellsbury. The Yankees were out of their minds paying him that kind of money. Know when to walk away My general principle is to walk away from players who get injured often. So I wouldn't resign Pedroia, E-Rod, Pomeranz, or Wright when they hit free agency.

 

An all home grown team, while we can dream, is unrealistic. Some of the positions have to be filled through FA or trade. I would tend to sign the 2nd tier, Mitch Moreland types to shorter deals rather than the big name FAs like Price. Trades are okay too, but not one like Kimbrel trade.

[Kimmi]

One thing I will say is - I was DESPERATE for us to sign Scherzer over Price. That one still stings. Get him and keep Lester...oof!

 

I wasn't really big on signing Scherzer, but losing Lester hurts. That said, I would not have tried to outbid the Cubs for him. But if that situation had been handled correctly, it never would have gotten to that point.

[Hitch]

I wasn't really big on signing Scherzer, but losing Lester hurts. That said, I would not have tried to outbid the Cubs for him. But if that situation had been handled correctly, it never would have gotten to that point.

 

Yeah, I always think if we'd said to Lester, "Look lets come to an agreement now, but we are going nowhere this year, how about we trade you to a contender, you get to play playoff baseball and we get a great piece back. Then we sign you in the summer to the pre-agreed deal and we have a good go at it next year." he'd have been okay with it. We would have come out a winner in multiple ways.

 

Next year, we get Cespedes and Lester. Or Lester and Procello.

 

We really did shoot both our feet off and half our left leg with the way we handled it.

[notin]

I have no idea what I would have done because I don’t know what kind of trade offers Cherington and Dombrowski have received in the past 5 years...

[sk7326]

The Sox are in a tough spot with trying to keep this team together. JDM has an opt-out clause, and he will opt-out, and we need him. Does somebody have a schedule of when everybody's contracts are coming due over the next 5 years?

 

From now to the end of the season: No more moves. We'll have a difficult enough time making cuts when/if E-Rod and Wright come back. I would however, immediately send Pomeranz to AAA and reinstate Johnson into the rotation.

 

I also wouldn't have traded for Eovaldi, putting Velazquez into the rotation instead. And Eovaldi actually looks super, so what do I know?

 

No they're not. They are rich - now there will be some decisions ... but nobody is being let go because the Red Sox CAN'T do something. Henry has to spend money - sad! But the draft pick penalty is barely punitive (if the team you are buying is in fact actually good).

[Nick]

Is Lester really having a better season than Price? I don't know how to adjust for NL/AL differences. Their WHIP and AVG looked pretty comparable.

[Spudboy]

Is Lester really having a better season than Price? I don't know how to adjust for NL/AL differences. Their WHIP and AVG looked pretty comparable.

 

Just using ERA in the past I have always generalized that you can subtract approximately 1/2 a run per game for NL Pitchers as apposed to AL pitchers.

[Jack Flap]

By ERA+ (which adjusts for league and park differences), Lester is at 140 for the year vs. Price at 111. Lester's FIP and other metrics aren't so pretty, though.

[Kimmi]

No they're not. They are rich - now there will be some decisions ... but nobody is being let go because the Red Sox CAN'T do something. Henry has to spend money - sad! But the draft pick penalty is barely punitive (if the team you are buying is in fact actually good).

 

The penalties for one year, even at the highest level, aren't too bad, (though let me be on record as saying that I'm not happy that we went over the limit without going bigger). However, when you start getting into consecutive years of being over the tax limits, the penalties become steeper and steeper, which I know you are aware of.

 

Sure, Henry can afford to sign JDM and our young core to long term contracts. Will he be able to do so and also reset the tax penalty at some point in the next 2 years ?

[Kimmi]

Is Lester really having a better season than Price? I don't know how to adjust for NL/AL differences. Their WHIP and AVG looked pretty comparable.

 

It's not just a simple matter of who is having a better season this year. There are several other factors to consider in terms of which move would have been better.

[Bellhorn04]

The penalties for one year, even at the highest level, aren't too bad, (though let me be on record as saying that I'm not happy that we went over the limit without going bigger).

 

This statement needs a little elaboration. When you say 'bigger', what do you mean?