Red Sox: Off Season '23-'24

[mvp 78]

If that's what this is about, I'd say it's harmless.

 

Some people don't like that. I like guys that play with emotion.

[moonslav59]

Zero chance the Sox sign all three, but collectively they still might be cheaper than Yamamoto…

 

I agree. I have said we will NOT sign 3 SP'ers, but that does not change how I feel about the need for 3.

 

Assuming we add two and Bello is the 2 or 3. That leaves 2 slots for tweeners or injury prone starters:

 

Sale

Pivetta

Houck

Crawford

Whitlock

 

We are asking for the same trouble we've seen for 4 years. Even if the top 3 pitchers give us 31+ starts, which is unlikely, we'll still be relying on too many question marks to expect success.

 

Any one or two of those 5 on my list could do the job well enough for us to have a good season, but the problem is we don't know which two, until we cycle through a few of them to settle on the right two. We might get lucky, and the first two chosen do well, all year, but that is doubtful, at best.

 

Look at Pivetta. He started 2023 in the rotation and really sucked. Later, after cycling through several more options, we went back to him, and it worked. It's a crapshoot.

[moonslav59]

Some people don't like that. I like guys that play with emotion.

 

I do, too, but I like the calm and collected types, as well.

 

I'm not big on those who smash things after a K or a bad ump call, but it's not a disqualifying actor for me.

[mvp 78]

I do, too, but I like the calm and collected types, as well.

 

I'm not big on those who smash things after a K or a bad ump call, but it's not a disqualifying actor for me.

 

I think that's a little different from what Stroman does. I don't think he's smashing the phone off the wall like Ortiz.

[notin]

I don't think Stroman had that backstory as to what was going on with the tweet when he liked it.

 

His entire evil backstory could be inadvertently liking an antisemitic Kyrie Irving tweet when he was actually trying to close Twitter altogether…

[notin]

I think that's a little different from what Stroman does. I don't think he's smashing the phone off the wall like Ortiz.

 

The problem they all have is Armando Galarraga completely destroyed the bar for bad ump call reactions…

[moonslav59]

I think that's a little different from what Stroman does. I don't think he's smashing the phone off the wall like Ortiz.

 

Agreed.

 

To me, Youk was the worst. (But, I'm glad we had him.)

 

I liked Nixon, but he walked the line, IMO.

[Randy Red Sox]

name a couple incidents.

 

like notin said he hasn't been a BJ for 5 years so i can't recall specifics

[Randy Red Sox]

IMO Stroman is at best a #3 and doesn't do enough to move the needle.

[moonslav59]

IMO Stroman is at best a #3 and doesn't do enough to move the needle.

 

If we add Yamo, Burnes or maybe Snell or Monty, I'd be okay with Stroman as the second best SP addition, but he's not high on my lsit.

[mvp 78]

@jonmorosi

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is one of the Red Sox' top priorities at the @MLB Winter Meetings.

 

Yamamoto is expected to sign *after* Shohei Ohtani and before the end of the month.

[dgalehouse]

I have no doubt that Breslow is focused in on Yamamoto. He wants to make a splash . And that is the biggest fish out there. It's just about how much John Henry is willing to spring for.

[moonslav59]

I have no doubt that Breslow is focused in on Yamamoto. He wants to make a splash . And that is the biggest fish out there. It's just about how much John Henry is willing to spring for.

 

Brez should know what the limit is for JH, by now, so if we are still in the hunt, that should mean JH is okay with a mega deal for a SP'er- finally.

[mvp 78]

@redsoxstats

From Cora: Story is hosting a camp in January for Sox infielders, including Casas. Winc is likely to be used as more of a multi-inning guy. Pitching philosophies and structure are obviously changed going forward, and feedback from free agents pitchers on that has been positive.

[notin]

I have no doubt that Breslow is focused in on Yamamoto. He wants to make a splash . And that is the biggest fish out there. It's just about how much John Henry is willing to spring for.

 

 

Oh there is definitely one bigger fish…

[dgalehouse]

Oh there is definitely one bigger fish…

 

I think the Sox indicated that they are out on Ohtani.

[notin]

I think the Sox indicated that they are out on Ohtani.

 

Almost everyone is. He’s going to make more money than Poland…

[Bellhorn04]

Almost everyone is. He’s going to make more money than Poland…

 

And he might be playing in another frigid country - Canada.

[mvp 78]

BREAKING: The New York Yankees are acquiring outfielder Alex Verdugo in a trade with the Boston Red Sox for right-handeres Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.

[notin]

BREAKING: The New York Yankees are acquiring outfielder Alex Verdugo in a trade with the Boston Red Sox for right-handeres Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/12/yankees-to-acquire-alex-verdugo.html

[Old Red]

BREAKING: The New York Yankees are acquiring outfielder Alex Verdugo in a trade with the Boston Red Sox for right-handeres Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.

 

Wow! 3 suspects.

[moonslav59]

BREAKING: The New York Yankees are acquiring outfielder Alex Verdugo in a trade with the Boston Red Sox for right-handeres Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.

 

Wow!

 

We didn't even get a LH'd RP'er.

 

I'll admit, I know nothing about the 3 returning players/prospects, so I'll reserve judgment, for now. Maybe some of these young pitchers will be flipped in another trade or will allow us to trade some of our young pitchers as part of a larger package for better ML talent.

[notin]

BREAKING: The New York Yankees are acquiring outfielder Alex Verdugo in a trade with the Boston Red Sox for right-handeres Richard Fitts, Greg Weissert and Nicholas Judice, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.

 

Fitts was their #19 on Fangraphs 2023 list and Weissert (who turns 29 in February) was their #27…

[moonslav59]

Judice is from Louisiana-Monroe, where he had a 10.5 K/9 rate and a 4.0 BB/9 rate.

4.09 ERA and 1.207 WHIP as a RP'er

In summer leagues, he posted a 4.55 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 12.4:6.4 K/BB per 9.

He's 22.

 

Fitts will be 24, soon. He went to Auburn and has been a SP'er all along.

A+ 0.55 ERA/ 0.606 WHIP in 33 IP in 2022

AA 3.48 ERA/1.14 WHIP in 152 IP in 2023. 9.6 K/9 & 2.5 BB/9

 

Weissert turns 28 soon. (RP only)

AA 1.47/1.01 in 37 IP ('19-'21) 11.8:4.4 K/9: BB/9

AAA 2.16/1.03 in 125 IP ('21-'23) 12.1:4.2

MLB 4.60/1.28 in 31 IP ('22-'23) 9.5K:3.7 BB per 9

 

[notin]

Wow! 3 suspects.

 

Fitts is probably ready to make his MLB debut this season, but really needs a third pitch. Weissert made his 2 years ago, and was probably only included to open up the 40 man roster spot…

[Old Red]

Fitts was their #19 on Fangraphs 2023 list and Weissert (who turns 29 in February) was their #27…

 

Dugy will come back to haunt the Red Sox more than once in those Yankee pinstripes.

[notin]

Judice is from Louisiana-Monroe, where he had a 10.5 K/9 rate and a 4.0 BB/9 rate.

4.09 ERA and 1.207 WHIP as a RP'er

In summer leagues, he posted a 4.55 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 12.4:6.4 K/BB per 9.

He's 22.

 

Fitts will be 24, soon. He went to Auburn and has been a SP'er all along.

A+ 0.55 ERA/ 0.606 WHIP in 33 IP in 2022

AA 3.48 ERA/1.14 WHIP in 152 IP in 2023. 9.6 K/9 & 2.5 BB/9

 

Weissert turns 28 soon. (RP only)

AA 1.47/1.01 in 37 IP ('19-'21) 11.8:4.4 K/9: BB/9

AAA 2.16/1.03 in 125 IP ('21-'23) 12.1:4.2

MLB 4.60/1.28 in 31 IP ('22-'23) 9.5K:3.7 BB per 9

 

 

Weissert was born in February, 1995. He’s already had his 28th birthday.

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/weissgr01.shtml

[moonslav59]

Fitts is probably ready to make his MLB debut this season, but really needs a third pitch. Weissert made his 2 years ago, and was probably only included to open up the 40 man roster spot…

 

I'm assuming Weissert has options remaining.

[moonslav59]

Weissert was born in February, 1995. He’s already had his 28th birthday.

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/weissgr01.shtml

 

Yes. He's actually soon to be 29.

 

My bad.

[dgalehouse]

We may never know all the details, but Verdugo obviously had a falling out with Cora. Something like this trade seemed inevitable.