And the off season begins (2018-19)

[Station 13]

Kimbrel

Eovaldi

Pomeranz

 

All free agents. I think we keep 1 of them, maybe 2 if Kimbrel stock drops with his post season hiccups.

I do not want Eovaldi walked. He was the Sox post season hero.

[Thunder]

Let Pmeranz go. Keep the others

[moonslav59]

Kimbrel

Eovaldi

Pomeranz

 

All free agents. I think we keep 1 of them, maybe 2 if Kimbrel stock drops with his post season hiccups.

I do not want Eovaldi walked. He was the Sox post season hero.

 

You forgot about Pearce (and Kelly & Kinsler).

[Tedballgame]

Don't forget Pearce, Kinsler and Kelly. I would like to see the Sox bring back Kelly, Pearce and Eovaldi. Kinsler is gone for sure with Pedey coming back. Pomeranz is gone for sure. I would like Kimbrel back but he will want too much money and too many years. I think Leon gets traded and Swihart is the full time platoon with Vazquez. I think this season showed that its not who you start the season with, its who you have when the season ends. Dave Dombrowski and his staff deserve a tremendous amount of credit for what they did. I don't hear anyone complaining about DD gutting the Sox farm system now. He made the moves he had to make to get a championship. The cost was well worth it. Great job. Go Sox!

[Thunder]

Don't forget Pearce, Kinsler and Kelly. I would like to see the Sox bring back Kelly, Pearce and Eovaldi. Kinsler is gone for sure with Pedey coming back. Pomeranz is gone for sure. I would like Kimbrel back but he will want too much money and too many years. I think Leon gets traded and Swihart is the full time platoon with Vazquez. I think this season showed that its not who you start the season with, its who you have when the season ends. Dave Dombrowski and his staff deserve a tremendous amount of credit for what they did. I don't hear anyone complaining about DD gutting the Sox farm system now. He made the moves he had to make to get a championship. The cost was well worth it. Great job. Go Sox!

 

I agree with all of this except the part about Leon and Swihart. I think Swihart is the one that gets the boot, but I'm biased because I love Leon too much

[Tedballgame]

I remember a poster earlier this year saying the Sox gave up too much (Beeks) for Eovaldi and that they gave up a too good of a prospect for Pearce. LOL!

[Tedballgame]

I agree with all of this except the part about Leon and Swihart. I think Swihart is the one that gets the boot, but I'm biased because I love Leon too much

Vazquez proved in the series that he should be the starting catcher. Leon can't hit at all. Swihart has too much offensive potential to give up on him. If they would be able to get something good for Swihart is the only reason to move on from him.

[Thunder]

Vazquez proved in the series that he should be the starting catcher. Leon can't hit at all. Swihart has too much offensive potential to give up on him. If they would be able to get something good for Swihart is the only reason to move on from him.

 

The pitchers on this team, particularly Sale, value Leon's ability to call a game

[mvp 78]

Swihart, Pomeranz, Eovaldi and Pearce go. Kelly is re-signed. Kimbel is given a QO.

[Hitch]

Re-sign Evoaldi, Pearce and Kelly.

Offer QQ to Kimbrel.

Let Pomeranz and Kinsler walk

Keep Swilhart he offers valuable depth at a few positions.

[SoxnCycles]

Re-sign Evoaldi, Pearce and Kelly.

Offer QQ to Kimbrel.

Let Pomeranz and Kinsler walk

Keep Swilhart he offers valuable depth at a few positions.

 

This ^

[notin]

Vazquez proved in the series that he should be the starting catcher. Leon can't hit at all. Swihart has too much offensive potential to give up on him. If they would be able to get something good for Swihart is the only reason to move on from him.

 

The entire point of a trade is to get something good, i.e. something you need. The Sox are much more likely to get a better player for Swihart than they are for Leon...

[moonslav59]

Since we went over the luxury tax, I believe all we get for a QO offer denial (Kimbrel) is a 4th round pick.

 

I think we bring back Pearce & Kelly.

 

We try to replace Kimbrel with Kelly, Barnes or Brasier (Thornburg & Smith are long shots), but we also sign a cheaper closer to add to the mix.

 

We give Wright, Johnson, Velazquez and Shawaryn a long look-see, and like this year, if we run short of starter depth, we'll look for the next gem like Eovaldi, in July.

 

We also will wait out 2B to see if anyone jumps up to grab the job FT.

 

[moonslav59]

The entire point of a trade is to get something good, i.e. something you need. The Sox are much more likely to get a better player for Swihart than they are for Leon...

 

More likely, we won't get much for Leon or Swihart, so we might keep all 3 again, but have Swihart work out at 1B and 3B in the off season.

 

We also have rule 5 guys to trade or make room for on the 25 man roster:

 

Victor Acosta

Christopher Acosta

Yoan Aybar

Roldani Baldwin

Trey Ball

Juan Barriento

Edilson Batista

Eduard Bazardo

Jordan Betts

Marino Campana

Rusney Castillo

Michael Chavis

Luis Colmenares

Eduard Conde

Harrison Cooney

Jake Cosart

Ricardo Cubillan

Enmanuel De Jesus

Chad De La Guerra

Jhonathan Diaz

Jerry Downs

Nick Duron

Junior Espinoza

Willis Figueroa

Devon Fisher

Austin Glorius

Daniel Gonzalez

Juan Hernandez

Darwinzon Hernandez

Oscar Hernandez

Tyler Hill

Dedgar Jimenez

Trevor Kelley

Trenton Kemp

Matt Kent

Travis Lakins

Marcos Lantigua

Adam Lau

Deiner Lopez

Isaias Lucena

Chris Madera

Danny Mars

Algenis Martinez

Tate Matheny

Kevin McAvoy

Daniel McGrath

Samuel Miranda

Joseph Monge

Mark Montgomery

Jhon Nunez

Josh Ockimey

Angel Padron

Yorvin Pantoja

Yankory Pimentel

Roniel Raudes

Austin Rei

Hildemaro Requena

Denyi Reyes

Eddy Reynoso

Jeremy Rivera

Jake Romanski

Teddy Stankiewicz

Kevin Steen

Cole Sturgeon

Josh Taylor

Luke Tendler

Josh Tobias

Carlos Tovar

Kyri Washington

Jantzen Witte

Kyle Wren

 

.

[Nick]

Henry/DD will only "keep it going" (ie spend money) with one though in mind. Win back to back World Series.

 

1 Sign Eovaldi. This is a hedge against losing both Sale and Porcello after 2019. It's a smart move. Goal is to win the world series, not jut to sign a fifth starter. Assuming E Rod continues to improve, our starting pitching will be loaded and gives us more options for 2019 playoff run.

 

2 Wait and see at 2B. We have enough hitting elsewhere. If Pedey has to 'retire', then trade for 2B in July.

 

3. I'd look for cost controlled closer in a trade. We may have to give up some young talent again but the goal is to win it all.

[notin]

Re-sign Evoaldi, Pearce and Kelly.

Offer QQ to Kimbrel.

Let Pomeranz and Kinsler walk

Keep Swilhart he offers valuable depth at a few positions.

 

Pearce is an interesting one. WS hero and Sox fan, 35 years old and not likely to get a long term deal anywhere. The only issue is, do the Sox need a RH 1b option? If money is an issue, they might save a little by going with Travis and eventually Chavis.

 

Pomeranz does seem like a no-brainer to let walk. But if he returns to form, he also might be the bargain on this free agent class. This guy was a stud as recently as 2017.

 

With Holt and Nunez on this team, the depth Swihart provides might make him more valuable as a trade chip. And unless he becomes the RH 1b option, there may not be enough room to keep him on a 4 man bench. The Sox might already have that entire bench filled with Holt, Nunez, Leon, and Pearce/Travis/Chavis...

[moonslav59]

I doubt Chavis and Ockimey both make the 25 man roster, even if we let Pearce walk. I suppose, if we trade Swihart, we could keep both, but my guess is we trade one or two from Chavis, Ockimey & Swihart. Maybe they will be part of a bigger package for a quality, low-cost closer, but who else can we trade without opening a big gap somewhere else.

 

If we keep Eovaldi or sign another solid SP'er, we could maybe trade Johnson, Chavis and Swihart for a closer.

 

I'd like to keep Pearce, and I said this before his WS MVP. He's shown he can hit righties pretty well, too, so he's a hedge against another Moreland injury.

 

We could try to roll the dice and put off anything major until July, and go with this for our opening day 25 man roster:

 

C: Vaz & Leon (Swihart traded)

1B: Moreland & Ockimey (rule 5)

2B: Holt & Nunez

3B: Devers & Chavis (rule 5)

SS: Bogey

LF: Beni

CF: JBJ

RF: Betts

DH: JD

 

SP: Sale, Price, Porcello, ERod, Wright, Johnson, Velazquez

RP: Kelly, Brasier, Barnes, Hembree, Workman, Lakins (rule 5)

 

Bubble:

Swihart (no options)

Travis (1 option)

Marco Hernandez (2 options)

Quiroz

T-W Lin (1 option)

Poyner

Thornburg (1 option) & Smith (2 options)

Scott (1 option)

Walden

Feltman (not rule 5)

D Hernandez (rule 5)

Shawaryn (not rule 5)

Shepherd

Haley

 

[notin]

More likely, we won't get much for Leon or Swihart, so we might keep all 3 again, but have Swihart work out at 1B and 3B in the off season.

 

We also have rule 5 guys to trade or make room for on the 25 man roster:

 

Victor Acosta

Christopher Acosta

Yoan Aybar

Roldani Baldwin

Trey Ball

Juan Barriento

Edilson Batista

Eduard Bazardo

Jordan Betts

Marino Campana

Rusney Castillo

Michael Chavis

Luis Colmenares

Eduard Conde

Harrison Cooney

Jake Cosart

Ricardo Cubillan

Enmanuel De Jesus

Chad De La Guerra

Jhonathan Diaz

Jerry Downs

Nick Duron

Junior Espinoza

Willis Figueroa

Devon Fisher

Austin Glorius

Daniel Gonzalez

Juan Hernandez

Darwinzon Hernandez

Oscar Hernandez

Tyler Hill

Dedgar Jimenez

Trevor Kelley

Trenton Kemp

Matt Kent

Travis Lakins

Marcos Lantigua

Adam Lau

Deiner Lopez

Isaias Lucena

Chris Madera

Danny Mars

Algenis Martinez

Tate Matheny

Kevin McAvoy

Daniel McGrath

Samuel Miranda

Joseph Monge

Mark Montgomery

Jhon Nunez

Josh Ockimey

Angel Padron

Yorvin Pantoja

Yankory Pimentel

Roniel Raudes

Austin Rei

Hildemaro Requena

Denyi Reyes

Eddy Reynoso

Jeremy Rivera

Jake Romanski

Teddy Stankiewicz

Kevin Steen

Cole Sturgeon

Josh Taylor

Luke Tendler

Josh Tobias

Carlos Tovar

Kyri Washington

Jantzen Witte

Kyle Wren

 

.

 

If the Sox do keep all three, then Pearce doesn’t come back and Chavis and Ockimey are gone as well...

[moonslav59]

Pearce is an interesting one. WS hero and Sox fan, 35 years old and not likely to get a long term deal anywhere. The only issue is, do the Sox need a RH 1b option? If money is an issue, they might save a little by going with Travis and eventually Chavis.

 

Pomeranz does seem like a no-brainer to let walk. But if he returns to form, he also might be the bargain on this free agent class. This guy was a stud as recently as 2017.

 

With Holt and Nunez on this team, the depth Swihart provides might make him more valuable as a trade chip. And unless he becomes the RH 1b option, there may not be enough room to keep him on a 4 man bench. The Sox might already have that entire bench filled with Holt, Nunez, Leon, and Pearce/Travis/Chavis...

 

Chavis is rule 5, so I think travis is toast.

 

Ockimey is rule 5, so he or Chavis will likely be traded, especially if we keep Pearce.

 

Lakins is rule 5, so he will squeeze the limited pen slots.

 

D Hernandez is an interesting rule 5 guy. We can't let him go, so he either gets traded or we make room for him by dealing someone else.

 

Feltman and Shawaryn are NOT rule 5, so I doubt they start the season on the 40 man roster.

[mvp 78]

Ockimey is gone or left unprotected. I think some guys off the 40 man will be moved to make room for Lakins and Hernandez.

[sk7326]

It is uncomfortable talking about this so quickly - we just witnessed an all-time great team mow down arugably the toughest road a playoff team has ever had to go. That said:

 

1. QO Kimbrel - If somebody bites, thanks for 2016-2018

2. Offer Kelly 3 years at something like $25M.

3. Offer Pomeranz a 2-year prove-it sort of contract. If he gets more guarantees elsewhere, thanks for 2017.

4. Go 1-year at a time with Pearce. Puts him on the same timeline as Moreland - it should still be a useful first base combination

5. Let Kinsler go. If Brock Holt is healthy, he and whatever we get from Pedroia is perfectly fine at 2B

6. See what is out there for Bogaerts. Obviously I like him a lot, and would be happy with him returning for us - and if they want to re-sign him, awesome. However, quality free agents of his age do not make it to market that often. If the Red Sox are not prepared to pay $25M+ a year for Bogaerts, now is the best time to deal him for significant value.

7. Swihart probably is the odd man out at catcher. That said, I'd be inclined to keep Vasquez and Swihart over Leon myself. But Leon has certainly been a terrific receiver. My preferences here are pretty weak.

 

As far as the farm goes - Dalbec has a ton of variance but is clearly the most interesting prospect of the guys who could make a 2019 impact. (and if Dombrowski sees it - that he is not at AAA is not a detriment)

[mvp 78]

Dalbec is not close enough to make an impact in 2019. We won't see him until 2020 at the earliest. He has too much swing and miss right now. If anyone makes an impact it will be a reliever or two. Chavis might get a cup of coffee next September.

[Hitch]

Pearce is an interesting one. WS hero and Sox fan, 35 years old and not likely to get a long term deal anywhere. The only issue is, do the Sox need a RH 1b option? If money is an issue, they might save a little by going with Travis and eventually Chavis.

 

Pomeranz does seem like a no-brainer to let walk. But if he returns to form, he also might be the bargain on this free agent class. This guy was a stud as recently as 2017.

 

With Holt and Nunez on this team, the depth Swihart provides might make him more valuable as a trade chip. And unless he becomes the RH 1b option, there may not be enough room to keep him on a 4 man bench. The Sox might already have that entire bench filled with Holt, Nunez, Leon, and Pearce/Travis/Chavis...

 

I think the 1st base platoon worked so well for us it just makes sense. I don't think he will cost much either, despite his heroics.

 

I would definitely be okay with Pomeranz coming back on a very cheap contract to try and re-establish himself. But it would have to be very cheap.

 

I just don't trade Swilhart. If we get an offer we can't say no to, then that's different but I think he;s so valuable and a very good option for 3rd catcher. I am very high on the kid, though. I can't help but root for him.

 

It's going to be a very interesting Off-Season. We should be in very good shape to repeat next year, if we keep the majority together.

[sk7326]

Dalbec is not close enough to make an impact in 2019. We won't see him until 2020 at the earliest. He has too much swing and miss right now. If anyone makes an impact it will be a reliever or two. Chavis might get a cup of coffee next September.

 

You are right about the present day - and the likeliest outcome. Dalbec will start in Portland next year - by definition that is close enough to have a 2019 impact. That will involve a leap on his part. I find he has the most interesting tools and upside of the position players.

 

A name that is interesting and a bit of a dark horse for 2019 impact is Tanner Houck. He started getting swings and misses again once he went back to his old delivery etc. It would not surprise me if he were pegged as a bullpen option by the 2nd half of the season and moved quickly.

[mvp 78]

You are right about the present day - and the likeliest outcome. Dalbec will start in Portland next year - by definition that is close enough to have a 2019 impact. That will involve a leap on his part. I find he has the most interesting tools and upside of the position players.

 

A name that is interesting and a bit of a dark horse for 2019 impact is Tanner Houck. He started getting swings and misses again once he went back to his old delivery etc. It would not surprise me if he were pegged as a bullpen option by the 2nd half of the season and moved quickly.

 

I really like Dalbec too. I think he has the highest ceiling of anyone in the system today. If he can cut down on the k's or at least show that he can continue to make substantial contact at higher levels, he could be an All Star type bat from day one.

 

I think Darwinzon Hernadez could be lights out in the pen. http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/org.jsp?id=bos 16 k's in 8 IP in the AFL.

 

I forgot about Quiroz. If Pedey is still injured in April, Quiroz could make the opening day roster. I think Nunez is going to have offseason surgery and may be out for a while.

[notin]

I think the 1st base platoon worked so well for us it just makes sense. I don't think he will cost much either, despite his heroics.

 

I would definitely be okay with Pomeranz coming back on a very cheap contract to try and re-establish himself. But it would have to be very cheap.

 

I just don't trade Swilhart. If we get an offer we can't say no to, then that's different but I think he;s so valuable and a very good option for 3rd catcher. I am very high on the kid, though. I can't help but root for him.

 

It's going to be a very interesting Off-Season. We should be in very good shape to repeat next year, if we keep the majority together.

 

 

If the Sox bring back Pearce, or if they use another RHH 1b platoon player like Travis or Chavis or possibly Dalbec at some point, there may be no room on the 25 man roster for Swihart.

 

And if they let Kimbrel walk, they will very likely look for another closer. If DD continues his Trader Dave ways, Swihart might be part of a package that gets shipped out for a potentially key pen piece.

 

Think they can get a good closer for a package built around Johnson and Swihart? It’s not like the farm has a lot of MLB-ready attractive trade chips.

 

And Leon offers next to nothing in trade value. Catchers like Leon are readily available every year for very little money....

[sk7326]

I really like Dalbec too. I think he has the highest ceiling of anyone in the system today. If he can cut down on the k's or at least show that he can continue to make substantial contact at higher levels, he could be an All Star type bat from day one.

 

I think Darwinzon Hernadez could be lights out in the pen. http://mlb.mlb.com/milb/stats/org.jsp?id=bos 16 k's in 8 IP in the AFL.

 

I forgot about Quiroz. If Pedey is still injured in April, Quiroz could make the opening day roster. I think Nunez is going to have offseason surgery and may be out for a while.

 

He seems to have a good batting eye - and has the athleticism to be a good 3B who can stay there. Can he make enough contact to have a Napoli-like sort of major league profile? I think there is clearly a high chance that is no - but yes is certainly not out of the realm of possibility.

[mvp 78]

Blake OPS'd 613 last year. 707 from 8/22 on. That's just not good enough to keep around as he isn't a great defender anywhere on the field. If he's an adequate C, you suck it up. I'm just not sure he'll hit the ceiling that some people dream about on here.

[moonslav59]

Dalbec is not close enough to make an impact in 2019. We won't see him until 2020 at the earliest. He has too much swing and miss right now. If anyone makes an impact it will be a reliever or two. Chavis might get a cup of coffee next September.

 

Chavis is rule 5. He either starts the season on the 25 man roster or traded. He will not pass through the rule 5 draft untaken.

 

Dalbec is NOT rule 5. He may make the 40 man roster mid season, but he will not on opening day, even with a stellar spring.

 

[S5Dewey]

Blake OPS'd 613 last year. 707 from 8/22 on. That's just not good enough to keep around as he isn't a great defender anywhere on the field. If he's an adequate C, you suck it up. I'm just not sure he'll hit the ceiling that some people dream about on here.

 

If Swihart is going to stick on the team they have to find a place for him. Unlike the WS a team cannot carry the 25th player on the team just so they can pinch hit for the catcher. He's got to have another spot and I don't see where that spot would be.