2020-2021 Offseason Thread

[jacksonianmarch]

Can the Braves give Marcell Ozuna a qualifyng offer after Ozuna turned down the Cardinals' qualifying offer a year ago?

 

No, they cannot

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Ozuna would be sweet. But the premise was finding the underrated free agents, which is what I suspect will be at least part of the plan. Why sign Ozuna when Springer is right there, too? And is just a little bit older, a lot better, local, has connections with the team (former college teammate of Matt Barnes) and grew up as a Red Sox fan?

 

Last year was Ozuna's one year "prove it" deal where he tried to bounce back offensively and destroy a ruined defensive reputation. Unlikely he settles for another one year deal, and no idea what type of years he wants. Pederson is actually a good (not great) defensive outfielder if not in CF. Ozuna was a better outfielder using defensive metrics early in his career, but he had some issues in St. Louis in his last year there. And then there is also the legitimate concern with Ozuna is whether or not he gets a Qualifying Offer. Right now, the theory is Bloom won't be signing anyone with one. It doesn't matter whether or not any of us think it should be a factor. There is the very real possibility that it is with the only person whose opinion counts.

 

Of course, the most likely LF in Boston next year is still Benintendi. While Boston will need to add an OF, the obvious need is a CF. Ozuna has played there, but not regularly since 2016 and not at all since 2017. While Pederson has played CF more recently, he is not very good at it.

 

Springer, on the other hand, is the best CF of the bunch, and by a lot. Of course, despite his being a perfect fit for multiple reasons mentioned above, I think neither he nor Ozuna are not going to happen...

 

I'm not in favor of adding any position players who can't play baseball -- on offensive and defense -- but if I had to make a choice, I'll take the glove. First of all, crappy teams can't afford more crappy defense. Secondly, defense wins titles; which is the ultimate goal. Ozuna is a DH, as is Pederson (he was brutal in the field in the '18 World Series).

 

I happen to think Benintendi is a good outfielder and that Bradley is even better -- and that doesn't always means they make great plays, but that they make a lot of plays look easier than they are. It may be hard to tell, unless you play a lot of outfield yourself or until you see a guy like JD struggle with chances that usually look routine for the Thriller Bs circa 2016-2019 (... dangyo, that trio wasn't even together four full seasons).

 

I've also seen pro scribes and posters on other message boards that expect JBJ to sign for a lot more than a few posters here are convinced he's worth.

[Larry Cook]

I am hoping we pass on springer and ozuna!

[Larry Cook]

Wish we had a player like Margot playing for us..,. Oh wait. Thanks desperate Dave!!!

[notin]

No, they cannot

 

That does help his case for the Sox...

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I am hoping we pass on springer and ozuna!

 

Either or both would make the Red Sox more fun to watch... but they'll still be unwatchable unless they add major league pitching.

 

An overlooked area of concern is the defense, which is average at best at most positions, below-average at second and third, and about to get worse when they lose their best glove in center.

[Bellhorn04]

Wish we had a player like Margot playing for us..,. Oh wait. Thanks desperate Dave!!!

 

Larry, Margot has a career OPS of .693. He had 1 HR and 11 RBI in 47 games this year. But you see him hit a HR in a playoff game and you get all excited about him.

[Nick]

Larry, Margot has a career OPS of .693. He had 1 HR and 11 RBI in 47 games this year. But you see him hit a HR in a playoff game and you get all excited about him.

 

Bingo....

[mvp 78]

Larry, Margot has a career OPS of .693. He had 1 HR and 11 RBI in 47 games this year. But you see him hit a HR in a playoff game and you get all excited about him.

 

He would have been the 5th OFer behind Pillar this year.

[notin]

Larry, Margot has a career OPS of .693. He had 1 HR and 11 RBI in 47 games this year. But you see him hit a HR in a playoff game and you get all excited about him.

 

To be fair, he is hardly the first person to get excited about a player based on post-season performances. (Also, you're understating Margot this post season, as he has a 1.218 OPS and 2 HRs, including yesterday's insane line drive that cleared the CF wall at Petco, of all parks.)

[notin]

He would have been the 5th OFer behind Pillar this year.

 

Or starting LF over the .442 OPS the Sox threw out there for the first quarter of the season...

[mvp 78]

To be fair, he is hardly the first person to get excited about a player based on post-season performances. (Also, you're understating Margot this post season, as he has a 1.218 OPS and 2 HRs, including yesterday's insane line drive that cleared the CF wall at Petco, of all parks.)

 

Career .140 ISO, .500 ISO over 4 game stretch... Goes from hitting a HR 2% of the time to 15% in 4 games. Don't care...

[mvp 78]

Or starting LF over the .442 OPS the Sox threw out there for the first quarter of the season...

 

Would Margot have started on day 1 ahead of Beni?

[mvp 78]

2017 - 2020 fWAR for OFers:

Beni: 32nd

JBJ: 33rd

Pillar: 46th

Margot: 60th

 

Why can't we get players like Margot?!??!?

[notin]

Would Margot have started on day 1 ahead of Beni?

 

On August 10, Benintendi had accumulated 2 hits for the season. the same number that DFA candidate Tzu-Wei Lin had by that date.

 

There is no wrong answer for when it would have been a good time to make that substitution...

[mvp 78]

On August 10, Benintendi had accumulated 2 hits for the season. the same number that DFA candidate Tzu-Wei Lin had by that date.

 

There is no wrong answer for when it would have been a good time to make that substitution...

 

And he still had a .314 OBP for the season (182 BABIP), where Margot's was .327 (317 BABIP). I would be donuts to dollars that Beni is the better player going forward.

[notin]

And he still had a .314 OBP for the season (182 BABIP), where Margot's was .327 (317 BABIP). I would be donuts to dollars that Beni is the better player going forward.

 

I would expect Benintendi to be better going forward, But Margot was clearly better in 2020, which was the premise.

 

Really, what Margot represetnted for the Sox was the minimum wage guy the Sox could have used in CF if they wanted to help keep their more expensive players on board. That was his role regardless of OPS...

[Bellhorn04]

2017 - 2020 fWAR for OFers:

Beni: 32nd

JBJ: 33rd

Pillar: 46th

Margot: 60th

 

Why can't we get players like Margot?!??!?

 

Thank you.

[Bellhorn04]

I would expect Benintendi to be better going forward, But Margot was clearly better in 2020, which was the premise.

 

Really, what Margot represetnted for the Sox was the minimum wage guy the Sox could have used in CF if they wanted to help keep their more expensive players on board. That was his role regardless of OPS...

 

Margot's salary was 2.475 million this year, Pillar's 4.25 million.

[Bellhorn04]

Pillar may come at half the cost and maybe 1 yr vs 2 yrs.

 

And I'd definitely sign up for that.

[notin]

Margot's salary was 2.475 million this year, Pillar's 4.25 million.

 

Thinking more likely to replace the $30mill spent on Bradley the past few seasons. At some point, we have to start thinking of $30 mill as real money...

[Bellhorn04]

Thinking more likely to replace the $30mill spent on Bradley the past few seasons. At some point, we have to start thinking of $30 mill as real money...

 

Sure, but that's looking backwards. And Bradley contributed to a title. The mystery was why they decided to pay him the $11 million this year.

[notin]

Sure, but that's looking backwards. And Bradley contributed to a title. The mystery was why they decided to pay him the $11 million this year.

 

Why the mystery? What other options did they have for CF?

[Nick]

Boston would forfeit its second-highest pick and $500,000 in international signing bonus pool money.

 

The Red Sox will draft fourth overall in 2021 if MLB decides to use 2020 win-loss records to determine draft order, as expected. The Red Sox also would have the fourth pick in the second round. Would they want to give up a second-round draft pick that high?

 

Springer and Bauer have qualifying offer attached to them.......I think Bloom values his 5th pick in the second round...what do you think?

 

He made Rays competitive without paying premium money on a player....I don't think its in his DNA to do it while rebuilding the farm system.

[mvp 78]

I would expect Benintendi to be better going forward, But Margot was clearly better in 2020, which was the premise.

 

Really, what Margot represetnted for the Sox was the minimum wage guy the Sox could have used in CF if they wanted to help keep their more expensive players on board. That was his role regardless of OPS...

 

What he represented in this post was "why can't the Sox keep their good players?" He was sold at his highest value. Beni and JBJ are better.

[mvp 78]

Margot's salary was 2.475 million this year, Pillar's 4.25 million.

 

Margot is still ARB eligible and getting paid less because his production is less.

[mvp 78]

Thinking more likely to replace the $30mill spent on Bradley the past few seasons. At some point, we have to start thinking of $30 mill as real money...

 

Yes, he should have been nontendered. We've gone over this. He's still much better than Margot.

[mvp 78]

Why the mystery? What other options did they have for CF?

 

Kevin Pillar.

[mvp 78]

Boston would forfeit its second-highest pick and $500,000 in international signing bonus pool money.

 

The Red Sox will draft fourth overall in 2021 if MLB decides to use 2020 win-loss records to determine draft order, as expected. The Red Sox also would have the fourth pick in the second round. Would they want to give up a second-round draft pick that high?

 

Springer and Bauer have qualifying offer attached to them.......I think Bloom values his 5th pick in the second round...what do you think?

 

He made Rays competitive without paying premium money on a player....I don't think its in his DNA to do it while rebuilding the farm system.

 

He doesn't go for either.

[Bellhorn04]

Why the mystery? What other options did they have for CF?

 

Pillar, or any of the other guys we keep hearing of to replace JBJ for much less money.