2020-2021 Offseason Thread

[notin]

a) Only one team can win it all. You also spend to entertain the fans a bit, no? They pay the bills, after all.

Charlie Morton got $15 million, arguably an overpay by current standards. If we signed him and traded him at the deadline he would cost us about $10 million, putting us over the tax threshold. And what if he flops.

 

Also, he DID ACQUIRE one year guys. Richard, Perez, Ottavino. Just because he did not acquire them all doesn’t mean he didn’t do it.

 

And was 38yo Charlie Morton really going to sign with a rebuilding team?

[dgalehouse]

In fact, the Red Sox took a bigger step down (.148 point drop on winning pct.) from 2018 to 2019 than they did from 2019 to 2020 (.119 point drop in winning percentage)...

 

That is really an unfair comparison. 108 wins gives you a lot more room to fall than 84 wins does. The drop in winning percentage is not a good way to look at it. However , I am by no means defending Dombrowski's inertia during the 2018 - 2019 off season. That was the beginning of the decline.

[notin]

That is really an unfair comparison. 108 wins gives you a lot more room to fall than 84 wins does. The drop in winning percentage is not a good way to look at it. However , I am by no means defending Dombrowski's inertia during the 2018 - 2019 off season. That was the beginning of the decline.

 

That was the point. That the decline started before Bloom even got here...

[Sox75]

https://www.overthemonster.com/2021/2/27/22305054/boston-red-sox-chicago-cubs-trade-zach-bryant-josh-osich

 

Sounds good!

[mvp 78]

The Red Sox outrighted Marcus Walden to Triple-A after the right-hander cleared waivers, and Walden is remaining in Boston’s big league spring camp.

[moonslav59]

The Red Sox outrighted Marcus Walden to Triple-A after the right-hander cleared waivers, and Walden is remaining in Boston’s big league spring camp.

 

Big surprise!

 

(Sarcasm alert)

[Bellhorn04]

The Red Sox outrighted Marcus Walden to Triple-A after the right-hander cleared waivers, and Walden is remaining in Boston’s big league spring camp.

 

Gotta keep some of The Fungibles around.

[mvp 78]

Gotta keep some of The Fungibles around.

 

I'd keep all those AAAA guys around. Especially a guy like Walden who did have a pretty decent stretch at one point. Maybe he just flames out and his career ends in WOO this season? Maybe he become serviceable and gets another shot?

[notin]

Gotta keep some of The Fungibles around.

 

He will only help out more there by artificially inflating the statistics of opposing prospects...

[Bellhorn04]

He will only help out more there by artificially inflating the statistics of opposing prospects...

 

My guess is he sees action for us at some point this year.

[moonslav59]

He's nice AAAA depth.

 

He put up decent numbers over 2 seasons, so we know he can get it done.

[mvp 78]

He's nice AAAA depth.

 

He put up decent numbers over 2 seasons, so we know he can get it done.

 

He lost velo last year. If it doesn't come back, he's toast.

[notin]

My guess is he sees action for us at some point this year.

 

Yes, he very likely will. As will a few other AAAA arms. The actual prospects who se time will come from a very limited set that includes (but is not necessarily limited to) Houck, Mata, Seabold, Bazardo, and Feltman...

[notin]

He lost velo last year. If it doesn't come back, he's toast.

 

A lot of pitchers lost velo last year, which might have been a result of a truncated spring training with limited work followed by regular season with limited appearances...

[mvp 78]

A lot of pitchers lost velo last year, which might have been a result of a truncated spring training with limited work followed by regular season with limited appearances...

 

I agree. It's why it's good that he's still around. Decent chance for a bounce back. However, he's on the wrong side of 30 and won't be getting any better here on out.

[Swiharts Ghost]

I agree. It's why it's good that he's still around. Decent chance for a bounce back. However, he's on the wrong side of 30 and won't be getting any better here on out.

 

Don’t mean to derail this but anyone have opinion of Thad Wards raw stuff ?

[moonslav59]

Don’t mean to derail this but anyone have opinion of Thad Wards raw stuff ?

 

I was super high on Ward, a while back. I've lost a bit of the optimism, but yes, he has some serious "stuff," but needs to build on his control. He may make it to AAA, this year, solet's see what's he's got at the higher levels.

[Swiharts Ghost]

I was super high on Ward, a while back. I've lost a bit of the optimism, but yes, he has some serious "stuff," but needs to build on his control. He may make it to AAA, this year, solet's see what's he's got at the higher levels.

 

I’m in a similar boat after this outing .I watched Ward here in NC and he really looked great but dotted a guy also .I have high hopes for him but it’s a huge year for Ward he’s already 24 and I’m getting nervous he missed out last year in developing.Disgusting stuff though fingers crossed .

[mvp 78]

I’m in a similar boat after this outing .I watched Ward here in NC and he really looked great but dotted a guy also .I have high hopes for him but it’s a huge year for Ward he’s already 24 and I’m getting nervous he missed out last year in developing.Disgusting stuff though fingers crossed .

 

He doesn’t have ace upside. Don’t worry about his age or years of control. He’s a good pitcher, but don’t get carried away.

[harmony]

The Red Sox reportedly are "in the mix" for utility player Danny Santana:

 

[a700hitter]

The Red Sox reportedly are "in the mix" for utility player Danny Santana:

 

Why not sign a 3rd utility player.

[a700hitter]

Santana signed to a MILB contract.

[jad]

If Henry had given a GM the charge "Here's your money: I want you to destroy whatever it is that has made fans look forward to a new season and has listened faithfully to a majority of games for the last ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty or more years." Had he done that, Bloom could not possibly have done a better job.

 

So I have a question for Bloom apologists (who probably are better represented on sports boards, of course, than in the general population). Find me one fan (not in Bloom's immediate family) who says "Damn, I HATED those years when they had Betts, Beni, and JBJ. Never watched them. Never listened. Never went to a game. But NOW that we've gotten rid of all those guys, I can't wait for the season to start, and I just put in my order for season tickets."

[Bellhorn04]

If Henry had given a GM the charge "Here's your money: I want you to destroy whatever it is that has made fans look forward to a new season and has listened faithfully to a majority of games for the last ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty or more years." Had he done that, Bloom could not possibly have done a better job.

 

So I have a question for Bloom apologists (who probably are better represented on sports boards, of course, than in the general population). Find me one fan (not in Bloom's immediate family) who says "Damn, I HATED those years when they had Betts, Beni, and JBJ. Never watched them. Never listened. Never went to a game. But NOW that we've gotten rid of all those guys, I can't wait for the season to start, and I just put in my order for season tickets."

 

Reality check: both Beni and JBJ took a lot of flak from fans for their ups and downs.

 

The only guy that most people care about losing is Betts.

[mvp 78]

Reality check: both Beni and JBJ took a lot of flak from fans for their ups and downs.

 

The only guy that most people care about losing is Betts.

 

My Christian name: "most people"

[mvp 78]

If Henry had given a GM the charge "Here's your money: I want you to destroy whatever it is that has made fans look forward to a new season and has listened faithfully to a majority of games for the last ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty or more years." Had he done that, Bloom could not possibly have done a better job.

 

So I have a question for Bloom apologists (who probably are better represented on sports boards, of course, than in the general population). Find me one fan (not in Bloom's immediate family) who says "Damn, I HATED those years when they had Betts, Beni, and JBJ. Never watched them. Never listened. Never went to a game. But NOW that we've gotten rid of all those guys, I can't wait for the season to start, and I just put in my order for season tickets."

 

The Beni and JBJ wing of the OF trifecta were just marketing. They are fine players, but I'd rather keep Xander and Devers around. Both of them had waning production. Aside from winxdancexrepeat, those two guys are very replaceable.

[mvp 78]

Why not sign a 3rd utility player.

 

Not a whole lot left:

 

Matt Adams DH / 1B

Jorge Bonifacio LF

Ryan Braun DH / RF

Zack Cozart 3B

Daniel Descalso 2B

Tyler Flowers C

Logan Forsythe 2B

Maikel Franco 3B

Jedd Gyorko 1B / 3B

Nick Markakis LF / RF

Logan Morrison DH / 1B

Yasiel Puig RF

Josh Reddick RF

Addison Russell 2B / SS

Danny Santana CF / 1B

Neil Walker 2B

Matt Wieters C

[dgalehouse]

The main way to achieve sustained excellence is to pay what it takes to sign and retain the excellent players. We know that from history. When you shy away from doing that , it is very difficult to field an outstanding team. The idea of achieving sustained excellence by building a farm that produces bumper crops every year is mostly a pipe dream.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

The main way to achieve sustained excellence is to pay what it takes to sign and retain the excellent players. We know that from history. When you shy away from doing that , it is very difficult to field an outstanding team. The idea of achieving sustained excellence by building a farm that produces bumper crops every year is mostly a pipe dream.

 

We may recall that Epstein and Co. thrived in the farm industry -- but a huge part of that was back when not just ownership, but the MLB, allowed limitless spending, especially world-wide...

[mvp 78]

@JonHeyman

Danny Santana Red Sox deal: $1.75M base, $1M incentives plus 100k bonus if he starts in AAA to finish getting ready. Plus opt out.