And the off season begins (2018-19)

[mvp 78]

Harvey signs with the Angels for $11M /1 year with $3M in possible incentives.

 

Yuck. He's going to get hit around in the AL.

[kenmeister]

I think the Sox also understood the theory of diminishing returns as players age.

 

If there is one area the Sox have excelled in, it seems to be knowing when to let their best players walk. They've swung and missed on a few, for sure, like Lester, DLowe and Beltre, but by and large, we've done an excellent job knowing when enough is enough and not overpaying our aging stars for past value. Even the Damon departure made sense, as he could only DH or play LF for us in his latter years, and we had those slots filled up.

 

I hated seeing Pedro go, but we knew his arm was held together by a thread.

 

We paid Schilling $8M to not play his last year.

 

The Manny trade worked.

 

Dumping Beckett and CC brought us the 2013 ring. (Even trading AGon worked as Napoli did better.)

 

A walking Ellsbury was a godsend.

 

Trading Nomar in the nick of time. He sucked afterwards and cabrera brought us a ring in 2004, and his comp picks were Ellsbury & Lowrie!

 

Bill Mueller walked and played just one more year.

 

Jason Bay quickly imploded after we let him walk.

 

Papelbon had some good years after leaving but turned into trouble.

 

 

 

The sentimentalist in me likes to see our stars retire in our uniform. I wouldn't want to see Pedroia go play anywhere else for instance. I was that way with Boggs. I was fully aware he hit .250 something in his last year here. I also recall he got laser eye surgery and improved the next year because of it. It was just when I started watching the Sox so I didn't care, but I have friends upset that Dwight Evans played his last year somewhere else (Orioles I think).

 

Nomar, however, is an idiot for not taking that $60 million extension.

 

Of course it is up to the player to decide they want to end their career here too. I agree letting Pedro go to the Mets and Ellsbury to the Yankees were the proper decisions. And Jason Bay, good point! His skills evaporated the moment he left.

[moonslav59]

The sentimentalist in me likes to see our stars retire in our uniform. I wouldn't want to see Pedroia go play anywhere else for instance. I was that way with Boggs. I was fully aware he hit .250 something in his last year here. I also recall he got laser eye surgery and improved the next year because of it. It was just when I started watching the Sox so I didn't care, but I have friends upset that Dwight Evans played his last year somewhere else (Orioles I think).

 

Nomar, however, is an idiot for not taking that $60 million extension.

 

Of course it is up to the player to decide they want to end their career here too. I agree letting Pedro go to the Mets and Ellsbury to the Yankees were the proper decisions. And Jason Bay, good point! His skills evaporated the moment he left.

 

I understand your feelings, and I hope Betts retires in a Sox uniform.

 

I don't think it should be an automatic decision to match any offer made to our aging stars, however.\\

 

I was glad to see Nomar go and predicted the trade would bring us a ring based on a massive improvement to our SS defense.

[moonslav59]

Brantley to Astros for $32M/2.

[dgalehouse]

Baseball is a business. No room for loyalty or sentimentality. Can't blame any player for taking the money . When your skills start to decline , the team will dump you in a minute. And the " loyal" fans will turn on you even quicker than that.

[moonslav59]

Baseball is a business. No room for loyalty or sentimentality. Can't blame any player for taking the money . When your skills start to decline , the team will dump you in a minute. And the " loyal" fans will turn on you even quicker than that.

 

Got that right!

[kenmeister]

 

I was glad to see Nomar go and predicted the trade would bring us a ring based on a massive improvement to our SS defense.

 

I don't even remember what Nomar was so upset about.

[mvp 78]

I don't even remember what Nomar was so upset about.

 

It's because he was in trade talks over the previous winter for Ordonez in the ARod fiasco. Nomar had the achilles injury he was dealing and he was just poopy in ST towards the media. He basically wrote his ticket out of town.

[kenmeister]

It's because he was in trade talks over the previous winter for Ordonez in the ARod fiasco. Nomar had the achilles injury he was dealing and he was just poopy in ST towards the media. He basically wrote his ticket out of town.

 

I remember that now, and I can sympathize.

 

That said, I'll never understand what happened in 2003 to Nomar. He was an MVP candidate up until about August 1st, then he just sucked. He was really struggling in the playoffs. Luckily we had Todd Walker to pick up the slack. Speaking of which, there's another guy I was upset left and didn't return. Now I'm trying to remember who played 2nd base in 2004. I'm tempted to look it up....

[Bellhorn04]

I remember that now, and I can sympathize.

 

That said, I'll never understand what happened in 2003 to Nomar. He was an MVP candidate up until about August 1st, then he just sucked. He was really struggling in the playoffs. Luckily we had Todd Walker to pick up the slack. Speaking of which, there's another guy I was upset left and didn't return. Now I'm trying to remember who played 2nd base in 2004. I'm tempted to look it up....

 

2004 second baseman = my screen name.

[moonslav59]

I don't even remember what Nomar was so upset about.

 

He got injured, apparently in a non-baseball way, and the Sox did not pursue getting out of paying him, or something like that. I know we offered him a big deal, and he turned it down. Some thought he was pouting and feigning injury.

 

I never liked his defense and thought he was all flash and not a plus defender, but man he could hit up until we traded him.

 

Again, fantastic timing on the trade.

[Bellhorn04]

He got injured, apparently in a non-baseball way, and the Sox did not pursue getting out of paying him, or something like that. I know we offered him a big deal, and he turned it down. Some thought he was pouting and feigning injury.

 

I never liked his defense and thought he was all flash and not a plus defender, but man he could hit up until we traded him.

 

Again, fantastic timing on the trade.

 

One of Theo's finest moments, if not the finest, pulling the trigger on that trade as a rookie GM.

[moonslav59]

One of Theo's finest moments, if not the finest, pulling the trigger on that trade as a rookie GM.

 

Was Theo the GM, when they offered that contract to Nomar?

[Bellhorn04]

Was Theo the GM, when they offered that contract to Nomar?

 

Yes. He was hired as GM before the 2003 season.

[notin]

One of Theo's finest moments, if not the finest, pulling the trigger on that trade as a rookie GM.

 

Actually he was a second year GM.

 

And his finest moment was signing a DH who had been released by the Minnesota Twins...

[mvp 78]

Actually he was a second year GM.

 

And his finest moment was signing a DH who had been released by the Minnesota Twins...

 

Thanks to a big assist from Pedro.

[kenmeister]

He got injured, apparently in a non-baseball way, and the Sox did not pursue getting out of paying him, or something like that. I know we offered him a big deal, and he turned it down. Some thought he was pouting and feigning injury.

 

I never liked his defense and thought he was all flash and not a plus defender, but man he could hit up until we traded him.

 

Again, fantastic timing on the trade.

 

Ah, I see the whole picture now. The Sox offered Nomar a 4 year, $15 million per year extension and he turned it down. Then got injured. So the Sox looked into trying to trade him away and bring in A-Rod, which hurt his feelings, and his play suffered for it. Yeah, apparently good timing indeed on the trade. I disagree that he could hit up until the trade, because my memory is that from Aug 1 2003 onwards, he stopped hitting.

[moonslav59]

Ah, I see the whole picture now. The Sox offered Nomar a 4 year, $15 million per year extension and he turned it down. Then got injured. So the Sox looked into trying to trade him away and bring in A-Rod, which hurt his feelings, and his play suffered for it. Yeah, apparently good timing indeed on the trade. I disagree that he could hit up until the trade, because my memory is that from Aug 1 2003 onwards, he stopped hitting.

 

Okay, he hit well for another couple years or so, but was never a FT'er and ended up below .793 with the CWS and LADs. Not bad, but not the Nomar we knew.

[Bellhorn04]

Ah, I see the whole picture now. The Sox offered Nomar a 4 year, $15 million per year extension and he turned it down. Then got injured. So the Sox looked into trying to trade him away and bring in A-Rod, which hurt his feelings, and his play suffered for it. Yeah, apparently good timing indeed on the trade. I disagree that he could hit up until the trade, because my memory is that from Aug 1 2003 onwards, he stopped hitting.

 

Not exactly.

 

In 38 games for us in 2004:

 

321/367/500

5 HR

21 RBI

[cp176]

I loved Nomar as did most Red Sox fans but I never thought he was the type of player who handled the routine play - the ones that need to be made every time - very well. You have to have those types of players especially up the middle. It isn't about the spectacular plays so much as just being very consistent.

[kenmeister]

Not exactly.

 

In 38 games for us in 2004:

 

321/367/500

5 HR

21 RBI

 

Oh I see. All I recalled from him in 2004 was mostly sitting out injured.

[kenmeister]

Okay, he hit well for another couple years or so, but was never a FT'er and ended up below .793 with the CWS and LADs. Not bad, but not the Nomar we knew.

 

Probably best he didn't sign that $15 million per year extension.

[moonslav59]

I loved Nomar as did most Red Sox fans but I never thought he was the type of player who handled the routine play - the ones that need to be made every time - very well. You have to have those types of players especially up the middle. It isn't about the spectacular plays so much as just being very consistent.

 

I agree, but I also think he made some marginal plays look harder than they were by doing his jumping, twisting twirl throw, when others would have simply planted their foot and throw the guy out easily. For that, I feel, some thought he was a better defend er than he actually was.

 

Man, they guy could hit! Except for his 2001 injury season, he hit over .867 for all 7 years, including being over .946 for 3 straight seasons.

[cp176]

I agree with you on this but my favorite kind of ice cream is vanilla - no nuts, no swirls, no nothing.

[mvp 78]

I agree with you on this but my favorite kind of ice cream is vanilla - no nuts, no swirls, no nothing.

 

Serial killer alert folks!

[notin]

Thanks to a big assist from Pedro.

 

 

And considering the amount of times it’s repeated, a very overblown assist.

 

Players recommend friends/acquaintances/former teammates and opponents all the time to GMs. The ultimate decision to act on these recommendations lies solely with the GM...

[notin]

Serial killer alert folks!

 

Because he likes the most popular ice cream flavor in the world? That doesn’t make him a serial killer.

 

Now the mounting number of drifters buried in his crawl space is another matter...

[mvp 78]

Because he likes the most popular ice cream flavor in the world? That doesn’t make him a serial killer.

 

Now the mounting number of drifters buried in his crawl space is another matter...

 

The most popular is chocolate. Vanilla is fine, but not if you refuse to put anything on it. That's when it turns into serial killer territory.

[moonslav59]

Talenti (Brand) Sicilian Pistachio- Try it!

[mvp 78]

Talenti (Brand) Sicilian Pistachio- Try it!

 

If it doesn't go well on a fresh baked chocolate chip cookie with whipped cream and hot fudge, I'm not into it.