How have the Red Sox fared in past free agent bidding wars?

[Bellhorn04]

First of all I don't think there have been that many of them. Most of the ones I can think of were with the Yankees.

 

Bernie Williams

Mike Mussina

Jose Contreras

Mark Teixeira

 

Lost all those ones!

 

I'm leaving out Johnny Damon, I think the Sox kind of let the Yankees win that one.

 

Dice-K. They won that blind auction very boldly.

 

Jon Lester. Some say the Sox lost that one on purpose too.

 

What other bidding wars can anyone think of?

[moonslav59]

First of all I don't think there have been that many of them. Most of the ones I can think of were with the Yankees.

 

Bernie Williams

Mike Mussina

Jose Contreras

Mark Teixeira

 

Lost all those ones!

 

I'm leaving out Johnny Damon, I think the Sox kind of let the Yankees win that one.

 

Dice-K. They won that blind auction very boldly.

 

Jon Lester. Some say the Sox lost that one on purpose too.

 

What other bidding wars can anyone think of?

 

Was there a war on Manny?

 

Price? Lackey?

 

HRam?

 

I know SFG made an offer for Pabilto and were upset he took more from BOS.

 

We know there was not one on Yoshida.

[Bellhorn04]

Was there a war on Manny?

 

Price? Lackey?

 

HRam?

 

I know SFG made an offer for Pabilto and were upset he took more from BOS.

 

We know there was not one on Yoshida.

 

Probably have to count Sandoval as a "win" LOL

 

I'm sure there were other bidders on Manny but I don't remember any details. I believe Duquette pivoted to Manny after losing out on Mussina. That turned out just fine.

[Old Red]

Probably have to count Sandoval as a "win" LOL

 

I'm sure there were other bidders on Manny but I don't remember any details. I believe Duquette pivoted to Manny after losing out on Mussina. That turned out just fine.

How about Carl Crawford?

[Bellhorn04]

How about Carl Crawford?

 

Another "win". Though I don't recall who we were bidding against.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Just with the Yanks: Sox basically "let" Ellsbury go, with JBJ waiting to take over at minimum wage.

 

ARod wasn't a free agent, but when his Sox trade was voided by the league, NY pounced.

 

Also, in the not-a-big-leaguer division, Sox-Yanks were the two finalists for Moncada, the superduper overhyped amateur who actually helped Boston win its last ring, after being traded for Sale.

[Old Red]

The Yankees wanted Ellsbury awfully bad too that the Red Sox didn’t contest to much.

[moonslav59]

Many of our biggest contracts have been extensions. Here is a list of our biggest contracts- extensions and free agents:

 

Red= FA

314/10 Devers (12th highest contract in MLB history)

217/7 Price (25th in MLB)

160/8 Manny (55th not adjusted for inflation)

154/7 AGon (60)

145/5 Sale (64)

144/7 Crawford (68)

140/6 Story (71)

120/6 Bogaerts (94 w opt out taken)

110/5 JD (106)

110/8 Pedey II (106)

95/5 Pablito (135)

90/5 Yoshida (plus posting fee)

88/4 HRam

83/4 Porcello

83/5 Lackey

73/7 R Castillo

70/5 JD Drew

68/4 Beckett II

68/4 Nate

52/6 Dice-K (plus posting fee)

52/4 Ortiz

41/4 Youk

40/4 Renteria

40/4 Varitek

40/6 Pedey I

39/3 Victorino

38/3 Lowell

36/4 Lugo

32/2 Jansen

32/2 Napoli

31/4 Damon

30/3 Beckett I

30/4 Buchholz

30/5 Lester

Edited December 16, 2023 by moonslav59

[Deja Doh]

The Red Sox have been nothing short of a disaster in FA.

[moonslav59]

The Red Sox have been nothing short of a disaster in FA.

 

Out of all their top signings, I see 2 that worked well:

Manny

JD

 

Damon is way down on the list, but if you adjust for inflation, you could count him.

 

Lackey & JD Drew were okay to good.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Out of all their top signings, I see 2 that worked well:

Manny

JD

 

Damon is way down on the list, but if you adjust for inflation, you could count him.

 

Lackey & JD Drew were okay to good.

 

Lackey was only ok for the Red Sox in the same way Price was -- each had one good October that helped win rings. Both were also sent packing before the ends of their overpaid contracts in Bean Counter Town...

 

Overall, Lackey was a disappointment in Boston, because he was terrible in 2011 and missed the entire 2012 season due to injury, triggering an agreed-upon clause for him to play an additional season at league minimum (a drama which the Sox avoided by trading him to the Cardinals, who restructured the wording so he could earn five times that amount in '15).

 

Lackey and Price were never fan favorites in New England, partly because they were sour to the media -- even Eck! -- a bad look for mercenaries who only sign with the club that offers the most money. They were reportedly liked by teammates, though, and contributed to banners... which are worth it to some at any cost.

 

All told, the Sox inked the Lackey-Price tandem for over $300 Million... back in the day when the front office was not at Full Waddle.

[notin]

Lackey was only ok for the Red Sox in the same way Price was -- each had one good October that helped win rings. Both were also sent packing before the ends of their overpaid contracts in Bean Counter Town...

 

Overall, Lackey was a disappointment in Boston, because he was terrible in 2011 and missed the entire 2012 season due to injury, triggering an agreed-upon clause for him to play an additional season at league minimum (a drama which the Sox avoided by trading him to the Cardinals, who restructured the wording so he could earn five times that amount in '15).

 

Lackey and Price were never fan favorites in New England, partly because they were sour to the media -- even Eck! -- a bad look for mercenaries who only sign with the club that offers the most money. They were reportedly liked by teammates, though, and contributed to banners... which are worth it to some at any cost.

 

All told, the Sox inked the Lackey-Price tandem for over $300 Million... back in the day when the front office was not at Full Waddle.

 

Again, drama totally fabricated by a “desperate for attention” (and potentially illiterate) Tony Massarotti. Lackey never said he wouldn’t honor the deal and in fact said the opposite.

[moonslav59]

Lackey was only ok for the Red Sox in the same way Price was -- each had one good October that helped win rings. Both were also sent packing before the ends of their overpaid contracts in Bean Counter Town...

 

Overall, Lackey was a disappointment in Boston, because he was terrible in 2011 and missed the entire 2012 season due to injury, triggering an agreed-upon clause for him to play an additional season at league minimum (a drama which the Sox avoided by trading him to the Cardinals, who restructured the wording so he could earn five times that amount in '15).

 

Lackey and Price were never fan favorites in New England, partly because they were sour to the media -- even Eck! -- a bad look for mercenaries who only sign with the club that offers the most money. They were reportedly liked by teammates, though, and contributed to banners... which are worth it to some at any cost.

 

All told, the Sox inked the Lackey-Price tandem for over $300 Million... back in the day when the front office was not at Full Waddle.

 

I don't disagree, but both gave us more than just one good October:

 

Lackey

3.52 (189 IP) in '13

3.82 (198) in '14 (3.60 w BOS in 137 IP before the trade)

Had we gotten a better return for him, it would not have looked so bad.

 

Price:

Led the league in GS (35) and 230 IP his first year ('16) 3.99

3.38 in 75 IP in '17 hurt

3.58 in 176 in '18 helped us have the greatest season in Sox history, by the numbers.

 

Yes, both were disappointments, but we could sure use some numbers like these, now. (Just not at that price.)

 

 

[moonslav59]

Again, drama totally fabricated by a “desperate for attention” (and potentially illiterate) Tony Massarotti. Lackey never said he wouldn’t honor the deal and in fact said the opposite.

 

Also, I thought he ended up playing for the minimum w STL that final year, didn't he?

[notin]

Also, I thought he ended up playing for the minimum w STL that final year, didn't he?

 

He publicly said he would. I assume he did.

 

There may have been some incentive clauses in that deal that he reached as well.

 

I’d be hard pressed to believe Lackey signed that deal and then had a hissy fit because he had to live up to it. Of course I don’t have a job where any drama I create increases my readership…

[Bellhorn04]

Manny Ramirez OTOH had a bit of a hissy fit when he found out about the two team options in his contract, as I recall...

[moonslav59]

He publicly said he would. I assume he did.

 

There may have been some incentive clauses in that deal that he reached as well.

 

I’d be hard pressed to believe Lackey signed that deal and then had a hissy fit because he had to live up to it. Of course I don’t have a job where any drama I create increases my readership…

 

B-R shows he made $507K in his final year in STL.

[Randy Red Sox]

the two worst FA signings by FAR were Carl Crawford and Kung Poo Panda

[moonslav59]

Manny Ramirez OTOH had a bit of a hissy fit when he found out about the two team options in his contract, as I recall...

 

That did not end well, but the beginning and middle more than made up for the end.

 

Plus, we got JBay for one year. We then got Workman with JBay's comp pick and Pivetta in a trade for Workman. We are still seeing results from that trade, today!

[moonslav59]

the two worst FA signings by FAR were Carl Crawford and Kung Poo Panda

 

We were lucky to dump CC, but we had to give up AGon & Beckett to do it.

 

Not like losing Betts with Price, but still...

[Bellhorn04]

That did not end well, but the beginning and middle more than made up for the end.

 

Plus, we got JBay for one year. We then got Workman with JBay's comp pick and Pivetta in a trade for Workman. We are still seeing results from that trade, today!

 

Now that's good stuff.

[notin]

That did not end well, but the beginning and middle more than made up for the end.

 

Plus, we got JBay for one year. We then got Workman with JBay's comp pick and Pivetta in a trade for Workman. We are still seeing results from that trade, today!

 

I think Workman was a straight up second round pick. Wasn’t Anthony Ranaudo the comp for losing Bay?

[moonslav59]

I think Workman was a straight up second round pick. Wasn’t Anthony Ranaudo the comp for losing Bay?

 

Soxprospects says:

for JBay

36. Brentz

57. Workman

 

for Wagner

20, Vitek

39. Ranaudo

 

[moonslav59]

Now that's good stuff.

 

That butterfly flapped its wings, so long ago.

[sk7326]

The only thing I'll offer is most autopsies of free agent shopping will look like this ... it's a sucker's game often, but it's also what we have

[notin]

Soxprospects says:

for JBay

36. Brentz

57. Workman

 

for Wagner

20, Vitek

39. Ranaudo

 

Ok

 

I think more shocked I remember Ranaudo existed…

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

The only thing I'll offer is most autopsies of free agent shopping will look like this ... it's a sucker's game often, but it's also what we have

 

"Whew, glad we dodged that trauma," said the Red Sox team doctor... after learning that Mets' new pitcher Yo Yama blew out his elbow from overuse trying to pronate the bigger MLB baseballs.

[moonslav59]

Ok

 

I think more shocked I remember Ranaudo existed…

 

Those days of comp picks really helped the Sox, when it was designed to try to help the poor team's losing free agents for nothing.

 

2005

23. Ellsbury & 45. Lowrie (trade for Melancon who was traded for Holt) for OCab (Nomar trade) See what we got for Jake, later.

42. Buchholz & 57. Egan for Pedro

 

2006

28. Bard & 40. K Johnson for Damon

44. C Clay & 83. A Bates for Mueller

 

2007

55. Hagadone (included in trade for VMart) for Gonzo

62. R Dent for Foulke

 

2008

45. Bryan Price for Gagne

 

2010

20. Vitek & 39, Ranaudo (traded for R Ross) for Wagner

36. Brentz & 57. Workman (later traded for Pivetta) for J Bay

 

2011

19. Barnes & 36 Owens for VMart

26. Swihart & 40. JBJ (kinda soften the blow a bit) for Beltre

 

2012

31. B Johnson & 37. Light (traded for Abad) for Pablebon

 

2014

33. Kopech (part of Sale trade) for Ellsbury

 

Some of those picks are still affecting the team, now.

 

It's amazing how well we did with these picks, most between 20-50th.

[Dipre]

The only thing I'll offer is most autopsies of free agent shopping will look like this ... it's a sucker's game often, but it's also what we have

 

Came here to say this.

[mvp 78]

We were lucky to dump CC, but we had to give up AGon & Beckett to do it.

 

Not like losing Betts with Price, but still...

 

Beckett's career basically ended after leaving the Sox do to injury.