Why not Eric Thames after we Dump Price ?

[Swiharts Ghost]

Eric maybe a 245 hitter but he goes to all fields with big pop .The Lefty Power bat is sorely needed .The guy is one hell of a story .Hes easy to pull for .Price seems to be a pure salary Dump .How Much Would 3 years of Eric cost John Henry ? I’m thinking 6 million a year for three gets it done ? Guy would kill the Yankees and that short porch . Edited December 30, 2019 by Swiharts Ghost

[harmony]

Eric maybe a 245 hitter but he goes to all fields with big pop .The Lefty Power bat is sorely needed .The guy is one hell of a story .Hes easy to pull for .Price seems to be a pure salary Dump .How Much Would 3 years of Eric cost John Henry ? I’m thinking 6 million a year for three gets it done ? Guy would kill the Yankees and that short porch .

The Red Sox need to shed salary before they can add a three-year, $18 million contract for a player whose last team paid a $1 million buyout instead of exercising a 2020 team option for $7.5 million.

[notin]

Mostly because we couldn’t afford Travis Shaw. If the Sox add a LHH 1b, it might wind up being Greg Bird (ugh)...

[mvp 78]

Mostly because we couldn’t afford Travis Shaw. If the Sox add a LHH 1b, it might wind up being Greg Bird (ugh)...

 

Or Josh Ockimey.

 

Probably one of LoMo, Duda or Mitch.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

They're going low budget, so Chavis or Dalbec and maybe Moreland on a one-year to platoon and then mentor Casas when they bring him up. The latter will only be 20, but I won't be surprised if we see him sooner than later because Bloom likes youngsters at big league minimums and recognizes the testing era as a young man's game.

 

Devers made the majors at 20, after hitting 20 HRs in the minors. Casas hit 20 bombs at age 19...

[mvp 78]

They're going low budget, so Chavis or Dalbec and maybe Moreland on a one-year to platoon and then mentor Casas when they bring him up. The latter will only be 20, but I won't be surprised if we see him sooner than later because Bloom likes youngsters at big league minimums and recognizes the testing era as a young man's game.

 

Devers made the majors at 20, after hitting 20 HRs in the minors. Casas hit 20 bombs at age 19...

 

Devers had over 1500 PA's in A ball or above before coming up. Casas has about 500. Devers OPS'd 940 in AA and 1047 in AAA before being promoted in 2017. Casas OPS'd 820 last year at age 19 in A ball. Casas just isn't there right now. If he followed Devers' path, he'd be up late 2021.

[jacksonianmarch]

Devers banged down the door. Casas would need to do the same to alter his timeline. If he goes 1-2 levels per year, you’re looking at a 2022 debut

[Bellhorn04]

Or Josh Ockimey.

 

Probably one of LoMo, Duda or Mitch.

 

Bring back Mitch!

[mvp 78]

Bring back Mitch!

 

I'm down for it. Plus, with the guaranteed 2 months on the IL, you'd be able to give some younger players like Ockimey a little run. If it works, great. If it doesn't, send them back to AAA and release them in the offseason.

[harmony]

Bring back Mitch!

Wil Myers could probably match Mitch Moreland’s production (although as a righthanded first baseman without Moreland’s pronounced platoon splits).

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Devers had over 1500 PA's in A ball or above before coming up. Casas has about 500. Devers OPS'd 940 in AA and 1047 in AAA before being promoted in 2017. Casas OPS'd 820 last year at age 19 in A ball. Casas just isn't there right now. If he followed Devers' path, he'd be up late 2021.

 

Not saying Casas is or ever will be the hitter that Devers is -- but Rafie proves that the Red Sox, even before Bloom, will promote a 20-year-old if they think he's ready or see a need (for example, of a big lefthanded bopper). Casas, after all, is our number one prospect; if he makes it up to Portland next summer, he's right at the doorstep.

[mvp 78]

Not saying Casas is or ever will be the hitter that Devers is -- but Rafie proves that the Red Sox, even before Bloom, will promote a 20-year-old if they think he's ready or see a need (for example, of a big lefthanded bopper). Casas, after all, is our number one prospect; if he makes it up to Portland next summer, he's right at the doorstep.

 

Sure, but there is a huge difference between playing well in AA and knocking the door down like Devers and Beni did.

[notin]

Not saying Casas is or ever will be the hitter that Devers is -- but Rafie proves that the Red Sox, even before Bloom, will promote a 20-year-old if they think he's ready or see a need (for example, of a big lefthanded bopper). Casas, after all, is our number one prospect; if he makes it up to Portland next summer, he's right at the doorstep.

 

Casas was in high school 2 years ago. Can he get that first at bat in Portland before we start referring to him as being on the doorstep?

[a700hitter]

Or Josh Ockimey.

 

Probably one of LoMo, Duda or Mitch.

Okay, so you are trolling me with Duda. I think he has retired.

[mvp 78]

Okay, so you are trolling me with Duda. I think he has retired.

 

Not officially.

 

Just Pearce, Kinsler, CC, McCann, Freese, Olt, Saunders.

 

If Shaw is due for a comeback, why not Duda!

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Casas was in high school 2 years ago. Can he get that first at bat in Portland before we start referring to him as being on the doorstep?

 

I know, I'd rather talk about more rational topics, like a billion-dollar franchise that's not sure it can sign its best player or why it might break up the MLB's best outfield this century or why it might not be able to trade everyone's favorite pitcher who just tweeted his latest gripe about peeing in a cup.

[a700hitter]

Not officially.

 

Just Pearce, Kinsler, CC, McCann, Freese, Olt, Saunders.

 

If Shaw is due for a comeback, why not Duda!

He should retire. He stinks.

[notin]

I know, I'd rather talk about more rational topics, like a billion-dollar franchise that's not sure it can sign its best player or why it might break up the MLB's best outfield this century or why it might not be able to trade everyone's favorite pitcher who just tweeted his latest gripe about peeing in a cup.

 

 

If the organization is heading in the direction for all the things you mentioned, I’m not so sure those topics are all that irrational for us to discuss...

[Bellhorn04]

Interestingly enough, Price doesn't seem to have said a word about the prospect of being traded.

[Bellhorn04]

What the hell, I say let's sign both Greg Bird and Clay Buchholz. Gotta have some sort of amusement. Like imagining Bird launching a few at Yankee Stadium for us.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

If the organization is heading in the direction for all the things you mentioned, I’m not so sure those topics are all that irrational for us to discuss...

 

We're not irrational, but the professional sport we love is, if current structures in place cause one of its bellwether franchises to lose some of their best players. It's one thing to have checks and balances so big markets won't buy all the free agents, but it's another when a rich company gets penalized for wanting to pay its own employees the most money.

 

The 2018 Red Sox may have had the highest salary of any champion, but the nine that clinched the Series in LA had zero free agents on the field, and only two overall that made a difference vs. the Dodgers... trivia hint: one was an All-Star in '18. All others were either homegrown or acquisitions that we already paid a price for in prospects. Many were soon rewarded for their heroics with new contracts, but Boston didn't pursue or sign a single new MLB free agent from another team the past year.

 

It's sad when small market teams can't afford to keep their own players. But there's something seriously wrong with a tax system that prevents even large market teams from keeping its fan favorites together as a unit.

 

I'm bitter, but don't call me entitled; remember, I lived through ownership that couldn't afford to pay Fisk, Lynn and Burleson. These owners could, but then they'd lose draft picks and international signing funds?

Edited December 31, 2019 by 5GoldGloves:OF,75

[moonslav59]

The Yanks and Dodgers have reset recently. The Sox are trying to. The Giants and Cubs are looking to cut salary.

 

The system was designed to limit top spenders from continuously spending. That part worked, to some extent.

 

Now, they need to make the system force the low spenders to spend more.

[S5Dewey]

 

The system was designed to limit top spenders from continuously spending. That part worked, to some extent.

 

Now, they need to make the system force the low spenders to spend more.

 

That's true, but 5GG makes a good point when he talks about teams being unable to keep their homegrown fan-favorite players. An exemption from LT salary for those players who were drafted by the parent club would make it possible for those players to remain where they might want to stay and at the same time it wouldn't prevent the club from trading a player whose salary exceeds his production.

[Bellhorn04]

That's true, but 5GG makes a good point when he talks about teams being unable to keep their homegrown fan-favorite players. An exemption from LT salary for those players who were drafted by the parent club would make it possible for those players to remain where they might want to stay and at the same time it wouldn't prevent the club from trading a player whose salary exceeds his production.

 

But that exemption would only benefit the rich teams like us that have issues with the tax because we spend so much.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I'm all for spreading the wealth -- if the smaller markets use it to retain their homegrown favorites; that would be best for fans everywhere and the good of the game. But I don't know how something like that can be enforced, since owners in a free world can choose whatever they want to do with their own money.

 

I'm also not that spoiled that I don't realize that a lot of Boston's trade acquisitions were the result of a partner not being able to afford a player's impending market rate; Pedro says hi, Schilling too... and Beckett, and Sale, etc. (starting pitching).

 

But I can't feel bad for those teams who once thought they needed to ship out their stars, and then years later Arizona throws money at Greinke, Miami at Stanton, and Chicago at Abreu, Grandal, Keuchel and Edwing...

[notin]

I'm all for spreading the wealth -- if the smaller markets use it to retain their homegrown favorites; that would be best for fans everywhere and the good of the game. But I don't know how something like that can be enforced, since owners in a free world can choose whatever they want to do with their own money...

 

Not only can it not be enforced, Curt Flood specifically fought against it...

[moonslav59]

Not only can it not be enforced, Curt Flood specifically fought against it...

 

If they created a minimum team player salary budget line, that would force some of the cheap owners to pay more in salary, and in theory, keep some of their stars or sign others to replace those that leave.

 

If I was the player's union, I'd push hard for this, and make sure that minimum line goes up significantly every year. That and double the minimum salary year one of the deal and triple by year 3. I'd also start the arb process 2 years earlier and end it one year earlier. They have to close the gap between the top earners and lowest ones and the top spending teams and lowest ones.

 

Just my opinion. Call me a Socialist, but this would be for the overall good of the game by making it more competitive and fair.

[bertha]

Mostly because we couldn’t afford Travis Shaw. If the Sox add a LHH 1b, it might wind up being Greg Bird (ugh)...

 

Totally agree

[jad]

I'm all for spreading the wealth -- if the smaller markets use it to retain their homegrown favorites; that would be best for fans everywhere and the good of the game. But I don't know how something like that can be enforced, since owners in a free world can choose whatever they want to do with their own money.

...

 

No they cannot, blessedly. As a friend has repeatedly pointed out to me, owning a franchise does not mean you own the players or those who work for you.