Craig Breslow hired as Head Of Baseball Operations

[Old Red]

I can disagree with the poll, BECAUSE 100% OF THE POLL DIDN'T VOTE ONE WAY. Clearly, my opinion would have been the minority vote in that poll, but I guess my vote doesn't count. I thought this was a democracy? One person, one vote!

 

Once again why does a little poll that was done on tv that you wasn’t even involved in bother you so much? I wasn’t involved either, but I thought it was interesting of the different opinions. Sure you can disagree with those who didn’t vote the way that you would have just like they could disagree with you. It’s not that complicated,and no the poll was not all one way, nor would i expect it to be. Usually polls don’t end in a tie, and there is going to be a majority, and a minority. It doesn’t mean that any side is right, or any side was wrong. It’s just an opinion, and everyone has one like it, or not. I’m in the minority opinion more times than not on here, but it’s no big deal.

[mvp 78]

Once again why does a little poll that was done on tv that you wasn’t even involved in bother you so much? I wasn’t involved either, but I thought it was interesting of the different opinions. Sure you can disagree with those who didn’t vote the way that you would have just like they could disagree with you. It’s not that complicated,and no the poll was not all one way, nor would i expect it to be. Usually polls don’t end in a tie, and there is going to be a majority, and a minority. It doesn’t mean that any side is right, or any side was wrong. It’s just an opinion, and everyone has one like it, or not. I’m in the minority opinion more times than not on here, but it’s no big deal.

 

I agree with the minority opinion of the poll. Why are you so triggered by it?

[Old Red]

Sox meet with Yamo...

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/12/yoshinobu-yamamoto-rumors-red-sox-blue-jays.html

Who are the Red Sox going to bring to the meeting to close the deal outside of Sam of course? Papi? Pedro? Yoshida?

[Old Red]

I agree with the minority opinion of the poll. Why are you so triggered by it?

 

I’m not the one being bothered,and going on, and on over someone mentioning a poll. I just happened to be the guilty party by mentioning it.

[Bellhorn04]

Who are the Red Sox going to bring to the meeting to close the deal outside of Sam of course? Papi? Pedro? Yoshida?

 

Henry and Werner are both going to be wearing their 4 rings.

[Old Red]

Henry and Werner are both going to be wearing their 4 rings.

 

I would rather have LL there.

[Old Red]

Henry and Werner are both going to be wearing their 4 rings.

 

I would rather have LL there.

[moonslav59]

Who are the Red Sox going to bring to the meeting to close the deal outside of Sam of course? Papi? Pedro? Yoshida?

 

Only Cora matters, right?

 

Thus spoke The Big Corner.

[mvp 78]

I’m not the one being bothered,and going on, and on over someone mentioning a poll. I just happened to be the guilty party by mentioning it.

 

If you go by word count, you've done the "going on and on" more than I have.

[sk7326]

Why do we deserve it more than other cities?

 

BTW, I'll take the 2014-2023 stretch over '72-'01, ten times over.

 

Yes, 2004-2013 was awesome!

 

Because this fan base pays more than any other.

[moonslav59]

Because this fan base pays more than any other.

 

So, that means we have to spend more than everyone else?

 

The Dodgers make a mint off their TV deal, does that count?

 

Other teams have larger stadiums with more seats.

 

Look, I'm not arguing we don't have reasons to spend more, or that JH should not. My point is about a general sense of entitlement.

 

We've been a top of top 3-5 spending team for much of the last 2 decades or longer, and few teams pass us to knock us down to #12th or 14th, and we expect JH to join the lunacy, or he has to go.

[Old Red]

If you go by word count, you've done the "going on and on" more than I have.

 

Word count maybe, but I’m not the one who had a problem with some little poll that you don’t agree with the other answers, or opinion that is different from yours. It’s just a little poll that in the big scheme of things doesn’t really matter one way, or the other. It’s not going to change anything no matter how the vote went just like any poll on here.

[mvp 78]

So, that means we have to spend more than everyone else?

 

The Dodgers make a mint off their TV deal, does that count?

 

Other teams have larger stadiums with more seats.

 

Look, I'm not arguing we don't have reasons to spend more, or that JH should not. My point is about a general sense of entitlement.

 

We've been a top of top 3-5 spending team for much of the last 2 decades or longer, and few teams pass us to knock us down to #12th or 14th, and we expect JH to join the lunacy, or he has to go.

 

"To join the lunacy."

 

Yeah, I expect the Boston Red Sox to field a competitive team and to have realistic expectations to pay fair market value for their players. Under Bloom, they got washed in FA because they had no clue about the market and vastly underestimated how much it cost to pay FA. That was never the case under Dave, Ben or Theo. Henry has the money. If he wants to maintain control of the Boston Red Sox he should be a good caretaker of it. If not, he should sell.

[moonslav59]

"To join the lunacy."

 

Yeah, I expect the Boston Red Sox to field a competitive team and to have realistic expectations to pay fair market value for their players. Under Bloom, they got washed in FA because they had no clue about the market and vastly underestimated how much it cost to pay FA. That was never the case under Dave, Ben or Theo. Henry has the money. If he wants to maintain control of the Boston Red Sox he should be a good caretaker of it. If not, he should sell.

 

I hope we do. I don't expect it. I don't demand it.

 

Maybe we should spend to the tax line and maybe go to the second one, every now and then. Maybe 2 years in a row when "in a window," but it's not for me to demand JH do it.

 

Okay, he does not have to spend to the level of lunacy for us to compete, and we should have won more than we did by spending what we did after 2018. I agree.

[mvp 78]

I hope we do. I don't expect it. I don't demand it.

 

Maybe we should spend to the tax line and maybe go to the second one, every now and then. Maybe 2 years in a row when "in a window," but it's not for me to demand JH do it.

 

Okay, he does not have to spend to the level of lunacy for us to compete, and we should have won more than we did by spending what we did after 2018. I agree.

 

Why shouldn't they spend as close to the CBT as possible every year? Boston is a big market and the fans pay a lot of money to attend games and watch NESN at home.

 

When the team is in playoff contention, they should be splurging to get above the CBT for at least 2 straight years. Follow the rules and spend when you can. They have the financial might.

 

IDK moon, it just seems like you are making excuses.

[moonslav59]

Why shouldn't they spend as close to the CBT as possible every year? Boston is a big market and the fans pay a lot of money to attend games and watch NESN at home.

 

When the team is in playoff contention, they should be splurging to get above the CBT for at least 2 straight years. Follow the rules and spend when you can. They have the financial might.

 

IDK moon, it just seems like you are making excuses.

 

I said, maybe we should spend up to the line and beyond, but why doesn't every team?

 

I get how we make more money than most, and maybe our owner is richer than most, but every owner can afford to spend to the line. If they all did, we'd expect JH to spend much more, and then more and more.

 

I hope every company owner spends more on his/her employees, but I don't expect it to happen.

 

I'm not making excuses. These guys have shammed us by lying and lying- promising and promising. They have spent more than most teams fort as long as I can remember. Now we want more?

 

I totally expect our GM to be good enough to get us to winning with our budgets. They have not for 5 years.

 

I like the longer term future outlook. I think we can win, again. I think we can win in 2024 or 2025, if a major investment is made, but I don't expect it.

 

[mvp 78]

I said, maybe we should spend up to the line and beyond, but why doesn't every team?

 

I get how we make more money than most, and maybe our owner is richer than most, but every owner can afford to spend to the line. If they all did, we'd expect JH to spend much more, and then more and more.

 

I hope every company owner spends more on his/her employees, but I don't expect it to happen.

 

I'm not making excuses. These guys have shammed us by lying and lying- promising and promising. They have spent more than most teams fort as long as I can remember. Now we want more?

 

I totally expect our GM to be good enough to get us to winning with our budgets. They have not for 5 years.

 

I like the longer term future outlook. I think we can win, again. I think we can win in 2024 or 2025, if a major investment is made, but I don't expect it.

 

 

No, we want them to stop LYING and start fulfilling their promises.

[moonslav59]

No, we want them to stop LYING and start fulfilling their promises.

 

I want that, too.

 

I don't expect it, anymore, and we don't have a right to win, again, anymore than at least half the teams in MLB or more.

[mvp 78]

I want that, too.

 

I don't expect it, anymore, and we don't have a right to win, again, anymore than at least half the teams in MLB or more.

 

Did you just pick the Red Sox out of a hat or something? This doesn't come across as something a fan would write. I'm not trying to call you a pink hat or fair weather or whatever. It just seems lacking in passion. Don't you believe they should win? Don't you feel in your bones that you've earned it as a fan?

[Old Red]

Did you just pick the Red Sox out of a hat or something? This doesn't come across as something a fan would write. I'm not trying to call you a pink hat or fair weather or whatever. It just seems lacking in passion. Don't you believe they should win? Don't you feel in your bones that you've earned it as a fan?

 

Maybe the Red Sox will be good again in 2028 if every single suspect lives up to their hype.🤫

[moonslav59]

Did you just pick the Red Sox out of a hat or something? This doesn't come across as something a fan would write. I'm not trying to call you a pink hat or fair weather or whatever. It just seems lacking in passion. Don't you believe they should win? Don't you feel in your bones that you've earned it as a fan?

 

Ask anyone on my corner: I'm the biggest Sox fan that ever existed.

 

I watch just every play of every game every year, except when I went away to college.

 

I want them to win every single game. I cried in '75.

 

I went through 30 years of near Hell. I used to claim I'd take 10 straight last place finishes for just one ring, and I meant it. Once we won, I admit, I got spoiled and wanted more and more. there was a long time in my life- nearly half of it, where my bones ached for just one ring.

 

That is not the same as looking at MLB and sports, in general and seeing the overall picture. Every fan in every city hopes their team wins a ring. Only one of 30 does, each year. I want us to win 10 in a row, but I do not feel entitled to even one more.

 

I hope we win another, before I croak. I think we will. I'm not sure when, but I'm not going to be a dick, if we don't.

 

"Lacking in passion." Good one. I get pissed when we lose. I get super excited when we win. I don't think feeling entitled equals being passionate.

 

I'm not Robinhood trying to spread the glory. I want us to win every year. You don't watch every play of every game unless you have a boatload of passion.

[moonslav59]

Maybe the Red Sox will be good again in 2028 if every single suspect lives up to their hype.🤫

 

That's what you said in 2014.

[sk7326]

So, that means we have to spend more than everyone else?

 

The Dodgers make a mint off their TV deal, does that count?

 

Other teams have larger stadiums with more seats.

 

Look, I'm not arguing we don't have reasons to spend more, or that JH should not. My point is about a general sense of entitlement.

 

We've been a top of top 3-5 spending team for much of the last 2 decades or longer, and few teams pass us to knock us down to #12th or 14th, and we expect JH to join the lunacy, or he has to go.

 

Fans who pay more have a right to expect more. Yes. It's not lunacy when the industry is drowning in cash.

 

I don't believe the Red Sox are entitled to a title or anything. But consumers of the Red Sox are charged higher prices than any other consumer base by any other team, and so fans rightly have higher expectations of the product. The team does not have to spend more than anybody else, but it is not wrong for consumers to expect that Boston act like a big market team, to be in on big free agents, to retain good players in their primes, all of that.

 

Fans should expect that the Red Sox would take a deadweight contract as a fair price to get a premium asset - heck, sometimes that deadweight contract becomes a World Series MVP - and to push their weight around smartly. Fans should rightly get upset when Sox management scolds them for wanting nice things.

Edited December 12, 2023 by sk7326

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Fans who pay more have a right to expect more. Yes. It's not lunacy when the industry is drowning in cash.

 

Yup, the majority of Red Sox Nation could care less that Fenway used to host a top five spender.

 

This site may be rife with longtime fans, but there are plenty of younger ones across New England and beyond. Imagine college-age Sox fans who maybe became fanatics in 2018, and then have been in a state of shock or dismay most of the time ever since.

 

Many young Red Sox fans have never even heard of Dice K or even Moncada... or that their team once outbid every other club in the world to have them wear Boston uniforms.

[moonslav59]

Fans who pay more have a right to expect more. Yes. It's not lunacy when the industry is drowning in cash.

 

I don't believe the Red Sox are entitled to a title or anything. But consumers of the Red Sox are charged higher prices than any other consumer base by any other team, and so fans rightly have higher expectations of the product. The team does not have to spend more than anybody else, but it is not wrong for consumers to expect that Boston act like a big market team, to be in on big free agents, to retain good players in their primes, all of that.

 

Fans should expect that the Red Sox would take a deadweight contract as a fair price to get a premium asset - heck, sometimes that deadweight contract becomes a World Series MVP - and to push their weight around smartly. Fans should rightly get upset when Sox management scolds them for wanting nice things.

 

I think every fan deserves a chance to see his team win.

 

Yes, I agree, if your team charges more and makes more money, you can expect them to have a higher player budget, but that's not reality in business. You get what the boss pays, or you move on, if you can find something.

 

I don't think we are any more entitled to all that much more than others.

 

BTW, I feel we are acting like a big market team- just not the 2-3 ones that have gone bonkers. We just extended Devers to $300M. How many teams have a $300M player on the roster, and this after spending $240M on Yoshi and Story in the same short time frame?

 

I think we can win while still being in the 4-10 range of team budgets, but who knows?

 

I'm not trying to say I am content losing and watching all the best players sign elsewhere. It SUCKS! I just don't think we should feel entitled to Yamo any more than a handful of other teams or even the low budget teams. What? Their fans should not feel entitled, because they have not been spending much, all along? Because they can get a bleacher seat for $15 to watch crap?

[sk7326]

I think every fan deserves a chance to see his team win.

 

Yes, I agree, if your team charges more and makes more money, you can expect them to have a higher player budget, but that's not reality in business. You get what the boss pays, or you move on, if you can find something.

 

I don't think we are any more entitled to all that much more than others.

 

BTW, I feel we are acting like a big market team- just not the 2-3 ones that have gone bonkers. We just extended Devers to $300M. How many teams have a $300M player on the roster, and this after spending $240M on Yoshi and Story in the same short time frame?

 

I think we can win while still being in the 4-10 range of team budgets, but who knows?

 

I'm not trying to say I am content losing and watching all the best players sign elsewhere. It SUCKS! I just don't think we should feel entitled to Yamo any more than a handful of other teams or even the low budget teams. What? Their fans should not feel entitled, because they have not been spending much, all along? Because they can get a bleacher seat for $15 to watch crap?

 

I question the premise of whether the top 2 or 3 went bonkers. That would imply they are taking ginormous financial losses and there is no evidence that is the case. The industry is doing very very well.

 

Again, management chargest the highest prices in the game - fans rightly expect that the ballclub and the spending choices reflect that. Are the Red Sox fulfilling that? Clearly we disagree. There is no righteous moral cause to not paying for talent. It is particularly striking now where they need to add pitching because they don't have the pitching.

[moonslav59]

I question the premise of whether the top 2 or 3 went bonkers. That would imply they are taking ginormous financial losses and there is no evidence that is the case. The industry is doing very very well.

 

Again, management chargest the highest prices in the game - fans rightly expect that the ballclub and the spending choices reflect that. Are the Red Sox fulfilling that? Clearly we disagree. There is no righteous moral cause to not paying for talent. It is particularly striking now where they need to add pitching because they don't have the pitching.

 

You are missing my point. All 30 teams could spend way more than they do. Some make way more than others, in revenue, and yes, you'd expect them to spend more, but that is not how business works.

 

I'm not implying LAD, NYM and TEX are going to lose money. I already mentioned how LAD mint money from their TV deal. I can still call spending $700M on a DH and 2 TJS pitcher "bonkers." It's not an absurd thought.

 

I'm also not saying it is wrong for fans to expect us to pay more, because we charge more, but my point is, we are not entitled to that. It's not about some righteous moral clause only for the Sox on not paying, and besides, we are paying more than most teams, and some by far. The Devers deal hasn't even kicked in.

 

How do I disagree on the Sox management not meeting fan expectation. I agree 100%. I've been saying they are scamming fans, and this has all been a sham.

 

My point is Sox fans are not entitled to more spending just because we think they should and that we pay more than others or tickets.

 

Any one of these owners could spend like the top 3 and not go broke. You think just because we pay the highest ticket prices, JH is obligated to spend more than everyone, or close to it? Just for one thing, he doesn't have a big stadium to fill or a TV contract like LA & NY. Why is ticket prices the one criteria used for justification?

 

Look, I understand. If I was paying the highest prices, I'd expect higher value on the field. One reason we have not been winning is about not spending what otehrs have been doing recently, but we've also been mismanaged. We've also chosen wrong players to invest in. We've chosen to build for the longer term over the instant gratification plan. It's not just the money.

 

$300M for Devers is one of MLB's highest salaries, even counting the contracts from this winter.

 

[sk7326]

You are missing my point. All 30 teams could spend way more than they do. Some make way more than others, in revenue, and yes, you'd expect them to spend more, but that is not how business works.

 

I'm not implying LAD, NYM and TEX are going to lose money. I already mentioned how LAD mint money from their TV deal. I can still call spending $700M on a DH and 2 TJS pitcher "bonkers." It's not an absurd thought.

 

I'm also not saying it is wrong for fans to expect us to pay more, because we charge more, but my point is, we are not entitled to that. It's not about some righteous moral clause only for the Sox on not paying, and besides, we are paying more than most teams, and some by far. The Devers deal hasn't even kicked in.

 

How do I disagree on the Sox management not meeting fan expectation. I agree 100%. I've been saying they are scamming fans, and this has all been a sham.

 

My point is Sox fans are not entitled to more spending just because we think they should and that we pay more than others or tickets.

 

Any one of these owners could spend like the top 3 and not go broke. You think just because we pay the highest ticket prices, JH is obligated to spend more than everyone, or close to it? Just for one thing, he doesn't have a big stadium to fill or a TV contract like LA & NY. Why is ticket prices the one criteria used for justification?

 

Look, I understand. If I was paying the highest prices, I'd expect higher value on the field. One reason we have not been winning is about not spending what otehrs have been doing recently, but we've also been mismanaged. We've also chosen wrong players to invest in. We've chosen to build for the longer term over the instant gratification plan. It's not just the money.

 

$300M for Devers is one of MLB's highest salaries, even counting the contracts from this winter.

 

 

Devers AAV is 18th in the league. Great.

 

BOS owns its own TV distribution and has very little stadium debt, with basically no real ceiling for what they can charge for tickets. Based on most recent estimate, their TV deal is basically right in line with the Yankees. I mean, the Sox are the 3rd most valuable franchise in the league.

 

We do have a ways to go. What I push back on is the "longer term" vs "instant gratification" thing ... casting this as an either/or deal when for Boston it really should be a both/and one.

[moonslav59]

Devers AAV is 18th in the league. Great.

 

BOS owns its own TV distribution and has very little stadium debt, with basically no real ceiling for what they can charge for tickets. Based on most recent estimate, their TV deal is basically right in line with the Yankees. I mean, the Sox are the 3rd most valuable franchise in the league.

 

We do have a ways to go. What I push back on is the "longer term" vs "instant gratification" thing ... casting this as an either/or deal when for Boston it really should be a both/and one.

 

The $313M to Devers is 12th most and certainly "big market." Looking at the largest current contracts, 10 of the top 15 or so are with 4 teams: LAD (Ohtani & Betts), SDP (Machado, Bogey & Tatis), PHI (Harper & Turner) and NYY (Judge, Stanton & Cole) then TEX (Seager), LAA (Trout)/BOS/NYM (Lindor) w 1. It's not 15 teams spending like we did on Devers. It's 8.

 

Yes, I expected us to do "both" by 2023, at the latest. We could have.

 

Even the Nate trade in '18 was just Beeks. We haven't traded a real good prospect since Sale, Pom & Kimbrell, nearly all at once.

 

I'm not defending that choice, but it was a factor in why we have lost, so much, recently. It's not just letting stars go. It's not just spending less from 2020-2021. It's a bunch of factors creating a nasty storm.

[mvp 78]

Devers AAV is 18th in the league. Great.

 

BOS owns its own TV distribution and has very little stadium debt, with basically no real ceiling for what they can charge for tickets. Based on most recent estimate, their TV deal is basically right in line with the Yankees. I mean, the Sox are the 3rd most valuable franchise in the league.

 

We do have a ways to go. What I push back on is the "longer term" vs "instant gratification" thing ... casting this as an either/or deal when for Boston it really should be a both/and one.

 

FSG is making money hand over fist off the Sox. Not putting money back into the franchise is an embarrassment.