2020-2021 Offseason Thread

[Bellhorn04]

I think it was the opening in their rotation that did the trick.

 

Their offer of $2.5 million might have been the highest too.

[mvp 78]

Their offer of $2.5 million might have been the highest too.

 

He could either be a big bargain or just a guy who never makes it out of Spring Training. He's averaged 15 starts the past 6 years and only 84 innings. If anyone is a low risk/high reward guy, it might be him.

[moonslav59]

He could either be a big bargain or just a guy who never makes it out of Spring Training. He's averaged 15 starts the past 6 years and only 84 innings. If anyone is a low risk/high reward guy, it might be him.

 

Agreed, and even if he gives only 80 IP, $2.5M might be a bargain.

[mvp 78]

Agreed, and even if he gives only 80 IP, $2.5M might be a bargain.

 

Yeah, I typically don't believe in the term "low risk/high reward" but this might be one of the rare cases.

[a700hitter]

Is Bradley going to be this season’s Kimbrel — signing after the season begins?

[Elktonnick]

Is Bradley going to be this season’s Kimbrel — signing after the season begins?

 

JP Morosi said today that Cora and the Red Sox expect that this could be Duran's breakout year. Duran played winter ball in Puerto Rico and impressed Cora. Morosi said Sox are comparing Duran to Jacoby Ellsbury. If what Morosi said is true and accurately describes the Red Sox and Cora's opinion what does that mean for JBJ?

[dgalehouse]

JP Morosi said today that Cora and the Red Sox expect that this could be Duran's breakout year. Duran played winter ball in Puerto Rico and impressed Cora. Morosi said Sox are comparing Duran to Jacoby Ellsbury. If what Morosi said is true and accurately describes the Red Sox and Cora's opinion what does that mean for JBJ?

 

Duran may well be the centerfielder of the future , but I don't know about right now. JBJ has the best , albeit most despised , agent in the business. I think he will wind up with a decent deal . I don't know what Bloom is planning other than " building the farm." Give JBJ a fair two year offer , Chaim. Try to keep at least some semblance of the good times.

[moonslav59]

JP Morosi said today that Cora and the Red Sox expect that this could be Duran's breakout year. Duran played winter ball in Puerto Rico and impressed Cora. Morosi said Sox are comparing Duran to Jacoby Ellsbury. If what Morosi said is true and accurately describes the Red Sox and Cora's opinion what does that mean for JBJ?

 

Might be just talk to boost the kid's confidence, but if they meant what they said, I hope they are right.

 

Cordero as the "fall back" is pretty sketchy.

[harmony]

Duran may well be the centerfielder of the future , but I don't know about right now. JBJ has the best , albeit most despised , agent in the business. I think he will wind up with a decent deal . I don't know what Bloom is planning other than " building the farm." Give JBJ a fair two year offer , Chaim. Try to keep at least some semblance of the good times.

Three years ago today Scott Boras client J.D. Martinez signed a five-year, $110 contract with the Red Sox.

 

MLB Trade Rumors had predicted Martinez with a six-year, $150 million contract:

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/11/2017-18-top-50-mlb-free-agents-with-predictions.html

[Elktonnick]

Duran may well be the centerfielder of the future , but I don't know about right now. JBJ has the best , albeit most despised , agent in the business. I think he will wind up with a decent deal . I don't know what Bloom is planning other than " building the farm." Give JBJ a fair two year offer , Chaim. Try to keep at least some semblance of the good times.

Why sign JBJ at all if Bloom and Cora actually believe that Duran is to have a break out year. According to Morosi Cora saw Duran in the PR winter league. So presumely he is in the best situation to determine whether Duran is ML ready. Of course this all depends on Morosi accurately reporting Cora's opinion.

[moonslav59]

Three years ago today Scott Boras client J.D. Martinez signed a five-year, $110 contract with the Red Sox.

 

MLB Trade Rumors had predicted Martinez with a six-year, $150 million contract:

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/11/2017-18-top-50-mlb-free-agents-with-predictions.html

 

They sure got Moose wrong.

[dgalehouse]

With all due respect to Cora , I don't think a few games in the P.R. Winter League is a good test for being the Red Sox centerfielder. I will repeat it again. We went from being the best team ever assembled in 2018 to the A.L. East basement two years later. So , I am not yet confident in Bloom and his plan. Why not sign JBJ and let Duran show what he can do in AAA ? We have already gotten rid of too many from the championship team.

[oldtimer]

Might be just talk to boost the kid's confidence, but if they meant what they said, I hope they are right.

 

Cordero as the "fall back" is pretty sketchy.

 

I've been hoping Duran will pan out better than some defense only CF in his declining years. We shall soon see whether he becomes the regular CF coming out of ST.

[Elktonnick]

With all due respect to Cora , I don't think a few games in the P.R. Winter League is a good test for being the Red Sox centerfielder. I will repeat it again. We went from being the best team ever assembled in 2018 to the A.L. East basement two years later. So , I am not yet confident in Bloom and his plan. Why not sign JBJ and let Duran show what he can do in AAA ? We have already gotten rid of too many from the championship team.

 

I think the only question is if Morosi is accurately reporting Cora and the Red Sox's opinion. JBJ is not the future. JBJ in center field will not substantially change the Red Sox's playoff possibilities. But, a young ballplayer having a true breakout season in center field while not guaranteeing a playoff run will increase the chance of that happening. Moreover I know what we are going to get with JBJ. If I have to suffer through a 500 season I want to see a young player who has potential to thrill with the possibility of having that breakout season that Morosi says the Red Sox believe is a possibility.

[notin]

I think the only question is if Morosi is accurately reporting Cora and the Red Sox's opinion. JBJ is not the future. JBJ in center field will not substantially change the Red Sox's playoff possibilities. But, a young ballplayer having a true breakout season in center field while not guaranteeing a playoff run will increase the chance of that happening. Moreover I know what we are going to get with JBJ. If I have to suffer through a 500 season I want to see a young player who has potential to thrill with the possibility of having that breakout season that Morosi says the Red Sox believe is a possibility.

 

There is no truth that a younger untried player increases the Sox chances of making the post-season more than adding Bradley does. Even if said younger player, whom I presume is Duran, has a true breakout season, which is the strawman portion of the point...

[Elktonnick]

There is no truth that a younger untried player increases the Sox chances of making the post-season more than adding Bradley does. Even if said younger player, whom I presume is Duran, has a true breakout season, which is the strawman portion of the point...

 

Actually there is the following truth. As the saying goes if you always do what you always did you always get what you always got. Let's never try the untried. If we believed that we would never try anything new. I am glad Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Henry Ford et al didn't subscribe to that philosophy.

[moonslav59]

Actually there is the following truth. As the saying goes if you always do what you always did you always get what you always got. Let's never try the untried. If we believed that we would never try anything new. I am glad Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Henry Ford et al didn't subscribe to that philosophy.

 

So, keep doing what we've been doing, and a ring is just around the corner.

[moonslav59]

There is no truth that a younger untried player increases the Sox chances of making the post-season more than adding Bradley does. Even if said younger player, whom I presume is Duran, has a true breakout season, which is the strawman portion of the point...

 

We could sign JBJ and both JBJ and Duran help us get somewhere exciting, this fall.

[oldtimer]

We could sign JBJ and both JBJ and Duran help us get somewhere exciting, this fall.

 

I doubt we sign JBJ strictly based on the cost. JBJ would be a nice asset but I don't see the Sox taking on a multi-year commitment while rebuilding.

[Bellhorn04]

With all due respect to Cora , I don't think a few games in the P.R. Winter League is a good test for being the Red Sox centerfielder. I will repeat it again. We went from being the best team ever assembled in 2018 to the A.L. East basement two years later. So , I am not yet confident in Bloom and his plan.

 

Denny, we went from being the best team ever assembled in 2018 to 84-78 and third place in 2019, before hiring Bloom.

[Bellhorn04]

Actually there is the following truth. As the saying goes if you always do what you always did you always get what you always got.

 

That is kind of a dopey saying. What if what you always got was really good? In that case should you keep doing what you were always doing?

[notin]

Actually there is the following truth. As the saying goes if you always do what you always did you always get what you always got. Let's never try the untried. If we believed that we would never try anything new. I am glad Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Henry Ford et al didn't subscribe to that philosophy.

 

It still doesn’t mean the Sox have a better chance at the postseason with Duran over Bradley.

 

Duran might be the more likely player at this point, but that’s only because he’s already here...

[notin]

Denny, we went from being the best team ever assembled in 2018 to 84-78 and third place in 2019, before hiring Bloom.

 

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)...

Edited February 27, 2021 by notin

[Bellhorn04]

In fact, the Red Sox took a bigger step down (.148 point drop on winning pct.) from 2018 to 2019 than they did from 2018 to 2029 (.119 point drop in winning percentage)...

 

And it's equally absurd to put all the blame on DD for 2019's plummet or on CB for 2020's plummet.

[notin]

And it's equally absurd to put all the blame on DD for 2019's plummet or on CB for 2020's plummet.

 

Well, we don’t really know what DD was allowed to spend after 2018, but I do think he did some unwise spending (Eovaldi). Bloom it appears was not allowed any increase in net spending and was charged with reducing payroll...

[Bellhorn04]

Well, we don’t really know what DD was allowed to spend after 2018, but I do think he did some unwise spending (Eovaldi). Bloom it appears was not allowed any increase in net spending and was charged with reducing payroll...

 

Bloom's hands were tied, agreed.

 

DD didn't have a stellar 2018-2019 offseason, but I don't think that accounts for the 2019 tumble either. It was a whole package of bad things.

[moonslav59]

Bloom's hands were tied, agreed.

 

DD didn't have a stellar 2018-2019 offseason, but I don't think that accounts for the 2019 tumble either. It was a whole package of bad things.

 

It's not like DD didn't spend his last winter here. I could be wrong, but I think he spent more than Bloom the next winter- mostly on re-signing Eovaldi and Pearce and extensions.

[Bellhorn04]

It's not like DD didn't spend his last winter here. I could be wrong, but I think he spent more than Bloom the next winter- mostly on re-signing Eovaldi and Pearce and extensions.

 

DD certainly spent. The Sale and Bogey extensions, of course, were spending in the name of keeping star players around.

 

Bloom has spent very lightly to date, that's for sure.

[jacksonianmarch]

Bloom has been realistic to date. You don’t spend to end up a middle of the road team. You spend to win it all. The one thing I’m surprised about is that he didn’t sign Justin Wilson or Charlie Morton or other 1 year guys who could bring back serious hauls at the deadline

[Bellhorn04]

Bloom has been realistic to date. You don’t spend to end up a middle of the road team. You spend to win it all. The one thing I’m surprised about is that he didn’t sign Justin Wilson or Charlie Morton or other 1 year guys who could bring back serious hauls at the deadline

 

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.