Red Sox: Off Season '23-'24

[notin]

3B backup is Reyes who only played there 13 innings last season?

 

Reyes has over 1,000 innings at 3b in his career, counting MLB, MiLB, and foreign leagues. Granted, that’s only like 111 games, but it’s not inconsequential…

[notin]

He's a platoon bat only like Enmanuel Valdez. Easy enough to ignore.

 

No. He’s a dirt cheap platoon bat. He could and possibly will be replaced if a cheaper, better option presents itself. Of course, that does depend on the Sox finding a talker for his contract.

[Bellhorn04]

Reyes has over 1,000 innings at 3b in his career, counting MLB, MiLB, and foreign leagues. Granted, that’s only like 111 games, but it’s not inconsequential…

 

So a tough word like that you spell perfectly...

[notin]

So a tough word like that you spell perfectly...

 

Sadly, predictive text…

[Nick]

“I do believe that decision-making at 97, 98 (mph) is a lot more difficult than at 90, 91,” Cora said. “And last year we had no velo. We had some nasty pitches. Good sliders, cutters and all that. But velocity wasn’t a part of our repertoire and this year it’s going to be a little bit different.”

 

Sox ranked 25th out of 30 teams with average velocity of 93.8 mph.

 

John Schreiber averaged 93.1 on his fastball, ranking him 267th.

 

Maybe that's why he got traded.

[Nick]

Slaten, who’s listed at 6-foot-4, 222 pounds, posted a 2.87 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, .206 batting average against, 86 strikeouts and 20 walks in 59 ⅔ innings (40 appearances, one start) last season at Double A and Triple A combined. He threw 62 four-seamers in his five Triple-A outings (8.1 innings), topping out at 98.3 mph and never throwing one below 94.1 mph. His average four-seam velo was 96.1 mph or faster in four of his five outings. He also mixes in a cutter, curveball and slider.

 

Cora has taken notice of this Rule 5 guy.

[moonslav59]

“I do believe that decision-making at 97, 98 (mph) is a lot more difficult than at 90, 91,” Cora said. “And last year we had no velo. We had some nasty pitches. Good sliders, cutters and all that. But velocity wasn’t a part of our repertoire and this year it’s going to be a little bit different.”

 

Sox ranked 25th out of 30 teams with average velocity of 93.8 mph.

 

John Schreiber averaged 93.1 on his fastball, ranking him 267th.

 

Maybe that's why he got traded.

 

Where did he rank in 2022, before the injury?

[Nick]

Where did he rank in 2022, before the injury?

 

My guess is it's not all about velocity with Schreiber. His unique angle has more to do with his success? (I had to go to different a site, 94.4 in 2022 and 93.2 in 2023, a slight decrease; it was 92.7 in 2021, 89.8 in 2020)

Edited February 21, 2024 by Nick

[Nick]

Earlier this week, team president Sam Kennedy said the club had talked with “a number” of players about possible deals.

 

So Sox have had discussions with Casas and Bello. Sam Kenney added it's full throttle when it comes to extending young players (2). jk

[sk7326]

“I do believe that decision-making at 97, 98 (mph) is a lot more difficult than at 90, 91,” Cora said. “And last year we had no velo. We had some nasty pitches. Good sliders, cutters and all that. But velocity wasn’t a part of our repertoire and this year it’s going to be a little bit different.”

 

Sox ranked 25th out of 30 teams with average velocity of 93.8 mph.

 

John Schreiber averaged 93.1 on his fastball, ranking him 267th.

 

Maybe that's why he got traded.

 

Maybe. But Royals offered Boston the guy who is likely becomes Boston's #1 pitching prospect in the org for a middle reliever - that is a hard deal to turn down.

[Tedballgame]

Slaten, who’s listed at 6-foot-4, 222 pounds, posted a 2.87 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, .206 batting average against, 86 strikeouts and 20 walks in 59 ⅔ innings (40 appearances, one start) last season at Double A and Triple A combined. He threw 62 four-seamers in his five Triple-A outings (8.1 innings), topping out at 98.3 mph and never throwing one below 94.1 mph. His average four-seam velo was 96.1 mph or faster in four of his five outings. He also mixes in a cutter, curveball and slider.

 

Cora has taken notice of this Rule 5 guy.

 

The Red Sox are going nowhere this year. They might as well hold onto him for the whole season so he will be theirs going forward.

Think

[Tedballgame]

Maybe. But Royals offered Boston the guy who is likely becomes Boston's #1 pitching prospect in the org for a middle reliever - that is a hard deal to turn down.

 

I think it was a good trade for the Red Sox. Schreiber is 35 years old. He was really good in 2022 but so so in 2023. Sell high. Hope the prospect turns into a contributer.

[moonslav59]

Maybe. But Royals offered Boston the guy who is likely becomes Boston's #1 pitching prospect in the org for a middle reliever - that is a hard deal to turn down.

 

While true, being the best pitching prospect in the Sox organization may not mean all that much.

 

I like the deal more, now, than I did at the time of the deal.

 

[moonslav59]

I think it was a good trade for the Red Sox. Schreiber is 35 years old. He was really good in 2022 but so so in 2023. Sell high. Hope the prospect turns into a contributer.

 

Schreiber is 29 and had 2 arbs years left, after 2024.

[notin]

I think it was a good trade for the Red Sox. Schreiber is 35 years old. He was really good in 2022 but so so in 2023. Sell high. Hope the prospect turns into a contributer.

 

Schreiber turns 30 in March…

[moonslav59]

I keep checking in on MLBTR to see if one of the big FAs have signed. This is really weird.

[wyo-sox]

I keep checking in on MLBTR to see if one of the big FAs have signed. This is really weird.

 

Why do you think it's happening? Owners pushing back on some of these massive salaries for journeymen?

[Tedballgame]

Schreiber is 29 and had 2 arbs years left, after 2024.

 

Still was a good deal.

[moonslav59]

Why do you think it's happening? Owners pushing back on some of these massive salaries for journeymen?

 

I think the teams that were spending got what they wanted. Others are waiting for a bargain, and do not think the players left are worth the asking price.

 

There are 4 guys that are far from journeymen.

 

Snell and Monty are top 20 or 30 SP'ers.

Bellinger and Chapman are solid FT plus players.

[moonslav59]

Still was a good deal.

 

Agreed, but we don't have to pretend things about Schreiber to make the trade look better.

[harmony]

Why do you think it's happening? Owners pushing back on some of these massive salaries for journeymen?

Perhaps top free agents are pushing back against increasingly wealthy owners.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I think the teams that were spending got what they wanted. Others are waiting for a bargain, and do not think the players left are worth the asking price.

 

There are 4 guys that are far from journeymen.

 

Snell and Monty are top 20 or 30 SP'ers.

Bellinger and Chapman are solid FT plus players.

 

All four made MLB Channel's Top 100 list... all four are still unsigned.

 

Is winning really more about the laundry than the faces? Since 2018, every team that has won it all had at least five players from the Top 100...

 

This year the Braves have nine guys. Boston has Devers #32 and Casas #97.

 

The Yankees have three in the top 10: Judge #3, Soto #7, up from #12 (those magical pinstripes), and Cole #9.

 

Four ex-Red Sox stars they let leave also made the list.

[Bellhorn04]

Perhaps top free agents are pushing back against increasingly wealthy owners.

 

How do the players win?

[Duran Is The Man]

perhaps increasingly wealthy top free agents are pushing back against increasingly wealthy owners.

 

 

fixt

[mvp 78]

Schreiber is 29 and had 2 arbs years left, after 2024.

 

His 30th birthday is in two weeks. Who cares about control of a middle reliever? Dime a dozen.

[mvp 78]

I think the teams that were spending got what they wanted. Others are waiting for a bargain, and do not think the players left are worth the asking price.

 

There are 4 guys that are far from journeymen.

 

Snell and Monty are top 20 or 30 SP'ers.

Bellinger and Chapman are solid FT plus players.

 

The common bond with with these 4 is they are all Scott Boras guys. This is a repeat of the 2018 offseason. It's just Boras doing Boras things. He misread the market and is holding his guys out.

[moonslav59]

His 30th birthday is in two weeks. Who cares about control of a middle reliever? Dime a dozen.

 

I was just correcting the statement that he is 35.

 

I like the trade, especially since we are not going anywhere, this year.

 

If we don't sign Monty, I'm all for a fire sale of all 1 year guys and anyone else near the end of control and aging or not looking like a key for the 2025 or later teams.

[mvp 78]

@ChrisCotillo

Red Sox re-signed Joely Rodriguez.

[moonslav59]

@ChrisCotillo

Red Sox re-signed Joely Rodriguez.

 

Typical.

 

It's a minor league deal, so no biggie.

Edited February 22, 2024 by moonslav59

[sk7326]

While true, being the best pitching prospect in the Sox organization may not mean all that much.

 

I like the deal more, now, than I did at the time of the deal.

 

 

It's not a great distinction - but the team needed to add quality arms, and Sandlin qualifies. I think the deal was a no-brainer.