A Realistic View at 2020: Part I

[mvp 78]

JH should not have said what he said, but most fans knew we were going frugal in 2020. The only question was to what extreme?

 

Most fans don't care about the salary cap. The only people who care are massively online people like us and we only have like 20 regular posters here. The vast majority of fans only pay attention on the periphery and will only see the big offseason headlines.

[notin]

Sign Bird and Buchholz and we're good to go.

 

 

How about this:

 

1. Trade Jackie Bradley for Jake Lamb

2. Sign Yasiel Puig and move Mookie to CF

3. Sign Jeremy Hellickson to a MiLB contract.

 

Puig is crazy, but the man can flat out play. After this off-season, if the Sox want to compete, maybe they need to roll the dice on the highest upside player still in the market...

[mvp 78]

How about this:

 

1. Trade Jackie Bradley for Jake Lamb

2. Sign Yasiel Puig and move Mookie to CF

3. Sign Jeremy Hellickson to a MiLB contract.

 

Puig is crazy, but the man can flat out play. After this off-season, if the Sox want to compete, maybe they need to roll the dice on the highest upside player still in the market...

 

You're pulling my leg with this one? Because I really dig those moves for real.

[notin]

You're pulling my leg with this one? Because I really dig those moves for real.

 

 

It’s clearly fake. Bloom first sign right-handed pitchers. You know that.

 

But if he made those moves and added some bullpen depth, I’d be good with it. I am starting to have some doubts about Bloom, mostly because Ryan Weber is still in this team despite his being a 30yo AAAA pitcher with no options left. How do you DFA Lakins and keep Weber?

[mvp 78]

It’s clearly fake. Bloom first sign right-handed pitchers. You know that.

 

But if he made those moves and added some bullpen depth, I’d be good with it. I am starting to have some doubts about Bloom, mostly because Ryan Weber is still in this team despite his being a 30yo AAAA pitcher with no options left. How do you DFA Lakins and keep Weber?

 

Weber used to play for the Rays. Maybe Bloom has always liked him? Maybe he just thought Lakins had a better chance of sneaking through waivers? Remember, he's playing chess, not checkers.

[notin]

Weber used to play for the Rays. Maybe Bloom has always liked him? Maybe he just thought Lakins had a better chance of sneaking through waivers? Remember, he's playing chess, not checkers.

 

Sometimes I think he’s playing solitaire...

[notin]

Weber used to play for the Rays. Maybe Bloom has always liked him? Maybe he just thought Lakins had a better chance of sneaking through waivers? Remember, he's playing chess, not checkers.

He might like Weber - heck, he clearly does- but the chances of a 30 year old career minor leaguer with no options left passing through waivers unclaimed are somewhere between 99% and 101% ...

[moonslav59]

Most fans don't care about the salary cap. The only people who care are massively online people like us and we only have like 20 regular posters here. The vast majority of fans only pay attention on the periphery and will only see the big offseason headlines.

 

Agreed, and that's why he should NOT have said what he said.

 

Regardless, he ain't spending, this year.

[moonslav59]

How about this:

 

1. Trade Jackie Bradley for Jake Lamb

2. Sign Yasiel Puig and move Mookie to CF

3. Sign Jeremy Hellickson to a MiLB contract.

 

Puig is crazy, but the man can flat out play. After this off-season, if the Sox want to compete, maybe they need to roll the dice on the highest upside player still in the market...

 

I have always been against signing Puig, but in this context, and in the interest of selling tickets and appearing competitive, I'm okay with this plan.

 

We still need to dump Eovaldi or Price to reset.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

What's been ridiculous -- all offseason -- by writers everywhere, are the trade proposals for the second-best player in baseball.

 

b-WAR 2014-2019: 1. Trout 52.5; 2. Betts 42; 3. Donaldson 35.9 Bloom better be asking the world for his all-world player.

 

What I'll always consider ridiculous is how anyone can value unproven prospects over established stars; if your goal is to win the World Series this year, I've got the top rightfielder in the majors right here... if your goal is sustained contention now and in the future, my guy is 27 and about to begin his prime... if you want a quality All-Star you have to at least give up a quantity of maybes... (and then your team just got way better, while mine got way worse -- but if some of those prospects develop, wahoo -- we might improve again... someday)

 

What's likely is that some teams that would love to make a splash and add Mookie know they can't afford to sign him in a year, so it's not worth it to trade anything good. The same probably goes for teams that can afford him and plan on bidding in a year; why trade anything now, when they can just use cash later?

 

So the team with the best chance to win with Mookie in 2020 already has him.

[moonslav59]

What's been ridiculous -- all offseason -- by writers everywhere, are the trade proposals for the second-best player in baseball.

 

b-WAR 2014-2019: 1. Trout 52.5; 2. Betts 42; 3. Donaldson 35.9 Bloom better be asking the world for his all-world player.

 

What I'll always consider ridiculous is how anyone can value unproven prospects over established stars; if your goal is to win the World Series this year, I've got the top rightfielder in the majors right here... if your goal is sustained contention now and in the future, my guy is 27 and about to begin his prime... if you want a quality All-Star you have to at least give up a quantity of maybes... (and then your team just got way better, while mine got way worse -- but if some of those prospects develop, wahoo -- we might improve again... someday)

 

What's likely is that some teams that would love to make a splash and add Mookie know they can't afford to sign him in a year, so it's not worth it to trade anything good. The same probably goes for teams that can afford him and plan on bidding in a year; why trade anything now, when they can just use cash later?

 

So the team with the best chance to win with Mookie in 2020 already has him.

 

Teams often give up a lot for a just two month rentals of great players. Of course, they will give up a lot for 6+ months, but the team must be in "win it all now" mode. That's just a limited amount of teams, so Bloom does not have a lot of options.

 

If we can't reset by trading some combination of JBJ, Eovaldi & Price, or the cash wanted with them is too high to be worth it, then trading Betts makes a ton of sense, especially, if we can unload Price or Eovaldi with him.

 

This has nothing to do with not wanting Betts. I want him as much or more than just about anyone on this site. Trade him and then re-sign him, if the offer is not too outlandish. (Notice the word "too." I'm all for offering him more than what seems fair.)

 

We cannot afford to get nothing back for Betts. Our farm is too weak for that.

 

Our team is a mess right now. Sure, we could put it all together for one last hurrah, but the chances are so low, that I'm for looking to shorten the cliff to just 2019-2020 and go for broke in 2021 or maybe 2022.

 

The Sox are NOT the team with the "best chance to win with Mookie in 2020." It's not even close.

 

Clinging to hopes for 2020 will damage our chances for several years afterwards.

[moonslav59]

Bye bye Pedey....

 

Dustin Pedroia Suffers “Significant Setback”

By Jeff Todd | January 21, 2020 at 9:27am CDT

 

It’s unpleasant to read about even if it isn’t entirely surprising: veteran Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia has suffered a “significant setback” in his efforts to return to the field of play, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). Details are scarce as yet, but it seems that Pedroia’s oft-repaired left knee is again to blame.

 

According to Abraham, Pedroia is now considered “questionable” at best to participate in Spring Training. That seems like a mild summation if indeed there’s a truly significant new problem with Pedroia’s long-problematic joint. He’s said to be weighing his future at the moment.

[mvp 78]

Bye bye Pedey....

 

Dustin Pedroia Suffers “Significant Setback”

By Jeff Todd | January 21, 2020 at 9:27am CDT

 

It’s unpleasant to read about even if it isn’t entirely surprising: veteran Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia has suffered a “significant setback” in his efforts to return to the field of play, according to Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). Details are scarce as yet, but it seems that Pedroia’s oft-repaired left knee is again to blame.

 

According to Abraham, Pedroia is now considered “questionable” at best to participate in Spring Training. That seems like a mild summation if indeed there’s a truly significant new problem with Pedroia’s long-problematic joint. He’s said to be weighing his future at the moment.

 

Retire bitch.

[Bellhorn04]

Agreed, and that's why he should NOT have said what he said.

 

Why, what did it impact?

[moonslav59]

Why, what did it impact?

 

Ticket sales & NESN subscriptions, maybe.

[mvp 78]

Why, what did it impact?

 

Fan interest in 2020 maybe?

[Bellhorn04]

Fan interest in 2020 maybe?

 

So if Henry said they weren't cutting payroll, but then the team spent no money, there would be no issues?

[notin]

So if Henry said they weren't cutting payroll, but then the team spent no money, there would be no issues?

 

Were there any in 2019? That was the exact off-season plan...

[mvp 78]

So if Henry said they weren't cutting payroll, but then the team spent no money, there would be no issues?

 

I didn't say that.

[Bellhorn04]

I didn't say that.

 

OK, but I'm not seeing what Henry should have done differently. If he said there were no plans to cut payroll he would have been lying, and it would have been evident soon enough.

[Slasher9]

Retire bitch.

 

#gritty!

[Bellhorn04]

Were there any in 2019? That was the exact off-season plan...

 

Not sure what you mean.

[Slasher9]

Why, what did it impact?

 

trade value

[Bellhorn04]

trade value

 

We don't know that.

 

Apparently Bloom was asking for 'the moon and stars' anyway.

[Jack Flap]

Then you burn your best trade chip in a season that’s looking like it’s gonna be lost

 

If I believed this was true, I'd probably feel more urgency to move Mookie for whatever we can get, but -- silly homer that I am -- I don't. A gimpy rotation and thin bullpen may prove to be our downfall, but I see no reason to think that a team with a $200+ million payroll and a lineup anchored by Betts (assuming he stays put), Martinez, Bogaerts, and Devers should not be going for it.

[notin]

Not sure what you mean.

 

You asked if there would be any issue if Henry didn’t announce the cut in payroll, but just didn’t spend. That was pretty much last off-season in a nutshell, right? Do you think (or know) if their lack of action had an impact?

[Bellhorn04]

You asked if there would be any issue if Henry didn’t announce the cut in payroll, but just didn’t spend. That was pretty much last off-season in a nutshell, right? Do you think (or know) if their lack of action had an impact?

 

They didn't spend much last offseason but they did sign Eovaldi for 68 mill, plus WS MVP Pearce. The lack of bullpen was a mystery, but I think most Sox fans were feeling pretty good entering the season.

[Slasher9]

We don't know that.

 

Apparently Bloom was asking for 'the moon and stars' anyway.

 

when the other clubs knew for certain JH wanted to reset; Red Sox lost all the leverage on any negotiations.

[moonslav59]

Not doing much to get better after breaking the record for team wins is one thing. Not doing much to even keep a losing team intact is another.

 

It's obvious we are not trying to get better in 2020, and not better than 2019 is pretty bad.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

The Red Sox are the team with the best chance to win with Mookie in 2020, because no one else will be acquiring him (unless they're willing to give up what he is worth to Bloom and Co.).

 

And the Red Sox chances would be way worse without their best player.

 

Cheer up, fans. Boston has solid players in their primes in six out of eight positions on the field, the best DH, a couple of headliners in the starting rotation, and an industry innovator about to stamp his bullpen brilliance all over the Nation.