The 2021-2022 Offseason Thread

[moonslav59]

Rusney did turn out to be a bust, but it really would have been nice to see him stay healthy and play an actual season. The guy was credited with 17 DRS in just 793 innings. For some perspective, last year’s MLB leaders (Michael Taylor and Adam Duvall) were credited with 19 DRS in over 1100 innings. A healthy Rusney could easily have been one of the best defensive outfielders in MLB…

 

Had he not had the lux tax issue, he might have gotten a chance to play more in Boston.

[Bellhorn04]

Had he not had the lux tax issue, he might have gotten a chance to play more in Boston.

 

There's absolutely no doubt about that.

[moonslav59]

There's absolutely no doubt about that.

 

Kinda sad.

 

Wonder how often he thinks, "Coulda ___/ Shoulda ____?"

[Bellhorn04]

Kinda sad.

 

Wonder how often he thinks, "Coulda ___/ Shoulda ____?"

 

Yes, he got rich in the minors but was unfortunate career-wise.

[moonslav59]

Yes, he got rich in the minors but was unfortunate career-wise.

 

I think most would choose riches over a slim chance he might have found fame had he played more often.

 

He never showed all that much in the minors, but maybe he was deflated.

[Bellhorn04]

I think most would choose riches over a slim chance he might have found fame had he played more often.

 

He never showed all that much in the minors, but maybe he was deflated.

 

And if he played awesome in the minors I believe they would have called him up, tax hit or not. So he did have a chance.

[notin]

And if he played awesome in the minors I believe they would have called him up, tax hit or not. So he did have a chance.

 

 

Is that true?

 

 

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-2019-ken-phelps-all-star-team-position-players-part-1/

[moonslav59]

Is that true?

 

 

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-2019-ken-phelps-all-star-team-position-players-part-1/

 

His best chance at playing in the bigs might have been if we traded him to a team that had no lux tax issues.

Edited January 21, 2022 by moonslav59

[Bellhorn04]

His best chance at playing in the bigs might have been if we traded him to a team that had no lux tax issues.

 

Right. If he was playing at a level that projected to a 2-3 WAR major leaguer, another team would have been willing to take on his $12 mill AAV.

[Bellhorn04]

Is that true?

 

 

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-2019-ken-phelps-all-star-team-position-players-part-1/

 

What do you think, the Red Sox were keeping him in AAA to punish him or something?

 

It seems pretty obvious they calculated that promoting him was too much of a risk because of the tax hit. And they couldn't get any other teams interested in trading for him.

[mvp 78]

I think most would choose riches over a slim chance he might have found fame had he played more often.

 

He never showed all that much in the minors, but maybe he was deflated.

 

He OPS'd 818 in the Japanese Eastern League (their minors), but only hit 558 after being called up. I don't think he was ever good enough to find "fame." He would have just been a 4th or 5th OFer.

[Bellhorn04]

He OPS'd 818 in the Japanese Eastern League (their minors), but only hit 558 after being called up. I don't think he was ever good enough to find "fame." He would have just been a 4th or 5th OFer.

 

Just as Dombrowski reportedly assessed him.

[mvp 78]

Is that true?

 

 

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-2019-ken-phelps-all-star-team-position-players-part-1/

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lanceri01.shtml

[mvp 78]

Just as Dombrowski reportedly assessed him.

 

Good talent evaluator. Horrible bullpen arm acquirer.

[Bellhorn04]

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lanceri01.shtml

 

What the...

[moonslav59]

He OPS'd 818 in the Japanese Eastern League (their minors), but only hit 558 after being called up. I don't think he was ever good enough to find "fame." He would have just been a 4th or 5th OFer.

 

Agreed, and that's why I called a "slim chance" at finding fame.

[mvp 78]

What the...

 

He held the career MiLB home run record at some point. I love my late 80's PAWSOX.

[S5Dewey]

 

The best thing is not to pay too much attention to what the brass says. They're not obligated to broadcast their plans to anyone.

 

How often have you heard the FO say about a manager, "We have the utmost faith in ___________ to right this ship" and then see that same manager fired within a month?

 

That's why I don't believe anything coming out of the RS office. It would be ridiculous for any executive of any business to reveal their commitments. It's detrimental to their own business and a boon to the competing businesses.

[notin]

What do you think, the Red Sox were keeping him in AAA to punish him or something?

 

It seems pretty obvious they calculated that promoting him was too much of a risk because of the tax hit. And they couldn't get any other teams interested in trading for him.

 

 

They kept him down because they had an elite outfield with Benintendi, Bradley and Betts and did not want to pay that much for a fourth outfielder for tax reasons. It probably didn’t help that Dombrowski was never a fan of Castillo.

 

His salary was a huge factor in keeping him down, but he was good enough to play in MLB…

[moonslav59]

They kept him down because they had an elite outfield with Benintendi, Bradley and Betts and did not want to pay that much for a fourth outfielder for tax reasons. It probably didn’t help that Dombrowski was never a fan of Castillo.

 

His salary was a huge factor in keeping him down, but he was good enough to play in MLB…

 

I never understood why they did not trade him. Was it because of the salary? If they paid part of it, and that player was on another team's MLB roster, would our portion be counted on our Lux Tax line? Was that it?

[jad]

I never understood why they did not trade him. Was it because of the salary? If they paid part of it, and that player was on another team's MLB roster, would our portion be counted on our Lux Tax line? Was that it?

 

As I understand it, yes. The RS were on the hook for tax on that salary if he made an MLB roster. So it must have come down to a calculation of what that hit would be in relation to the lux. tax limit, vs. what little they might save by releasing or trading him (no one was going to take on much of his salary).

[Bellhorn04]

I never understood why they did not trade him. Was it because of the salary? If they paid part of it, and that player was on another team's MLB roster, would our portion be counted on our Lux Tax line? Was that it?

 

Yes, the question is what "part of it" the Red Sox would have had to pay. If another team paid half, the other half of about 6 mill would be on the Red Sox books for tax purposes.

[mvp 78]

I bet they tried to trade him, but the return was never great enough to take the lux tax hit.

[Bellhorn04]

I bet they tried to trade him, but the return was never great enough to take the lux tax hit.

 

I bet you're right.

[notin]

I bet they tried to trade him, but the return was never great enough to take the lux tax hit.

 

Either the other team wanted the Sox to pay a huge chunk or take a bad (possibly worse) contract back…

[Nick]

My recollection was Sox over reacted to coming in second place to the White Sox in Jose Abreu sweepstake. I read somewhere Sox was NOT going to come in second place for two years in a row. Rest is history.

 

Also we are on the hook for a portion of last year of Price's contract, $16M. Of course it has to count against our luxury tax. Otherwise we'd trade away bad contracts to get it off our books. Surprised we're discussing that...

Edited January 21, 2022 by Nick

[Bellhorn04]

My recollection was Sox over reacted to coming in second place to the White Sox in Jose Abreu sweepstake. I read somewhere Sox was NOT going to come in second place for two years in a row. Rest is history.

 

Also we are on the hook for a portion of last year of Price's contract, $16M. Of course it has to count against our luxury tax. Otherwise we'd trade away bad contracts to get it off our books. Surprised we're discussing that...

 

Castillo's situation was a little more confusing than most.

[moonslav59]

I bet they tried to trade him, but the return was never great enough to take the lux tax hit.

 

...and nobody wanted him at his full cost.

 

The best type of trade might have been to take on another team's player salary we thought was worth it.

[moonslav59]

My recollection was Sox over reacted to coming in second place to the White Sox in Jose Abreu sweepstake. I read somewhere Sox was NOT going to come in second place for two years in a row. Rest is history.

 

We weren't the only team that liked Castillo, but yes, I do think we went into his negotiations thinking about Abreu.

 

At the time, it looked to me, like a good gamble.

[moonslav59]

Castillo's situation was a little more confusing than most.

 

...and with Price we had to "throw in" Betts.