Red Sox: Off Season 2024-2025

[mvp 78]

6 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Unless he felt Gio was the cheapest way to keep us just barely "competitive."

At 19M? I can think of a few cheaper ways. 

[moonslav59]

How much value do we place on these guys returning from major injuries?

Story seems like the most important returning player. His health is essential to improving the defense at 2-3 positions, and his offense could give a big boost from the right side of the plate.

Giolito had issues of concern before he got hurt and may start the season on the IL.

Hendriks was just slowed down in his attempt to return by the end of the 2024 season.

Whitlock looked real good in 4 starts, but many feel he should go and stay in the pen.

Fulmer seems like one giant question mark, but he does have some upside potential.

I Campbell showed some promise with SEA in 2023, but is also a question mark.

Murphy may not help, even if he's 100% healthy.

Players who missed significant time or played hurt, a lot: Devers, Slaten, Yoshida and Criswell.

Personally, I'm getting tired of hoping on hope we get something from returning injured players. I'm not saying I have no hope, but counting on most of these top list guys to help is asking for a letdown.

[moonslav59]

14 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

At 19M? I can think of a few cheaper ways. 

I agree. I didn't say he (they) knew what they were doing, but JH & Co. did cut salary from 2023 while claiming were were going to be competitive.

[Duran Is The Man]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

What's the point in being that far under the budget? It doesn't make sense to me if they are trying to sell us on next year. If they went 20M under and signed a few one year deals, it'd make more sense. 

JH is a greedy, arrogant POS who appears to be obsessed with fielding a winning team with a small budget to show that he's "the smartest guy in the room".  that, or he's got money problems. there's no excuse for THE BOSTON RED SOX to act like f***ing paupers.

[moonslav59]

If the team keeps losing, JH does not look like the smartest guy in the room. He can't be so self-absorbed to not see that. He may just be a greedy guy, but no way does he think people are watching the last 5 years of Sox baseball and calling him smart. If that is what he was trying to do, his time is up.

He could gain some cred by winning and staying under the tax line by $1-5M, but no way he cons anyone by spending at $200M and losing, again.

[mvp 78]

19 minutes ago, Duran Is The Man said:

JH is a greedy, arrogant POS who appears to be obsessed with fielding a winning team with a small budget to show that he's "the smartest guy in the room".  that, or he's got money problems. there's no excuse for THE BOSTON RED SOX to act like f***ing paupers.

I just don't buy the rumor that he'll be that far below the CBT. 20M? Maybe. 40? 

I doubt it!

[Randy Red Sox]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

If that's the case, they wouldn't have signed Giolito. 

they only did that after dumping a portion of Sale's $$

[Randy Red Sox]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Unless he felt Gio was the cheapest way to keep us just barely "competitive."

face it--remaining "competitive" does seem to be all Henry is concerned with as long as he stays well under the cap and RSN doesn't revolt too badly

[moonslav59]

12 minutes ago, Randy Red Sox said:

they only did that after dumping a portion of Sale's $$

One could claim they spent the $10M saved on Sale on Hendriks and O'Neill.

[mvp 78]

8 minutes ago, Randy Red Sox said:

they only did that after dumping a portion of Sale's $$

They would have been better off keeping Sale, expecting a partial season and signing Lorenzen and expecting him to pitch about 120 innings. Vaughn Grissom not being the starting 2B going forward is a real kick in the nuts for this deal. 

[moonslav59]

28 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

I just don't buy the rumor that he'll be that far below the CBT. 20M? Maybe. 40? 

I doubt it!

I don't either, but it would not surprise me to see further budget cuts.

[mvp 78]

Just now, moonslav59 said:

One could claim they spent the $10M saved on Sale on Hendriks and O'Neill.

Verdugo cost the Yankees 8.7M this year. That's where O'Neilll was paid from. 

[mvp 78]

Just now, moonslav59 said:

I don't either, but it would not surprise me to see further budget cuts.

Who started the rumor or where is it coming from? 

[moonslav59]

9 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Who started the rumor or where is it coming from? 

I can't remember who said it, but it was just recently. He said it was reported by some paper.

Was it Randy?

[Larry Cook]

8 hours ago, Hugh2 said:

 

Could Campbell be our Ben Zobrist????

I agree 100 percent. He has skills to be adequate at multiple positions 

[Larry Cook]

8 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I can't remember who said it, but it was just recently. He said it was reported by some paper.

Was it Randy?

One of the Boston baseball writers published that the budget was 200 million. 

[moonslav59]

29 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

I agree 100 percent. He has skills to be adequate at multiple positions 

He's "athletic" enough, but I'm not sure how close to decent ot plus he is at any one position.

[moonslav59]

26 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

One of the Boston baseball writers published that the budget was 200 million. 

Do you have the name or link?

I googled it and got nothing.

26 minutes ago, Larry Cook said:

One of the Boston baseball writers published that the budget was 200 million. 

 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

3 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Unless he felt Gio was the cheapest way to keep us just barely "competitive."

The genius in cheapdom was JH convincing Breslow to give Giolito an opt-out -- which would presumably only be used if Lucas had a good year, worthy of a raise. That way, the Red Sox could benefit from the success that Gio helped generate, and then don't have to pay him adjusted market value.

Instead they could make him a Qualifying Offer, and draft another Anthony when he leaves.

Think of it this way: if you're running a business that can increase profits and have public interest carry over for at least another year -- check attendance records for the year after teams win -- why spend more?

[moonslav59]

17 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

The genius in cheapdom was JH convincing Breslow to give Giolito an opt-out -- which would presumably only be used if Lucas had a good year, worthy of a raise. That way, the Red Sox could benefit from the success that Gio helped generate, and then don't have to pay him adjusted market value.

Instead they could make him a Qualifying Offer, and draft another Anthony when he leaves.

Think of it this way: if you're running a business that can increase profits and have public interest carry over for at least another year -- check attendance records for the year after teams win -- why spend more?

I totally get it. It's a business.

I have said, for a while, I do not expect JH to open his wallet, this winter, and maybe never again, like he did before.

I do think he had a history of spending more than he needed to spend to make money or more money, and that winning might have mattered more to him, then than now, but who knows what he's thinking. He may be looking at the farm infusion we have had and are about to have and decide it is splurge time, but again, I do not know, nor do I expect it to happen.

If I had to guess on the best splurge year for maximizing ring potential, I might say before 2026.

I just hope he spends up close to the line, at this point, but anywhere from $10-30M under would not surprise me. $30-40M under would be a mild surprise and tick me off. 

I'm not sure how much they have their finger on the pulse of Sox Nation, or even if it matters to them, but I think a big chunk is on to the scam, and will be watching closely, this winter. Just my take.

[harmony]

3 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

They would have been better off keeping Sale, expecting a partial season and signing Lorenzen and expecting him to pitch about 120 innings. Vaughn Grissom not being the starting 2B going forward is a real kick in the nuts for this deal. 

Would the Red Sox consider trading Vaughn Grissom?

Asking for a friend.😉

[moonslav59]

30 minutes ago, harmony said:

Would the Red Sox consider trading Vaughn Grissom?

Asking for a friend.😉

Why not? Maybe for Chris Sale! LOL

[harmony]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

Why not? Maybe for Chris Sale! LOL

Vaughn Grissom could be the final piece in a trade for Seattle pitching.

Or not.😁

[moonslav59]

This isn't the Realistic thread, so here it goes...

To SEA: 4 yrs of Casas, E R-C and Yoshida (no money, but we pay CWS a lot to take Haniger and Garver off the books for SEA.)

To BOS: 2 yrs of Crochet and 5 yrs of Bryce Miller

To CWS: M Mayer (Prospect,) DHam and 1 yr of Mitch Haniger ($15.5M) plus 1 yr of Mitch Garver ($12.5M) and $20M from BOS to pay for these two. CWS pay each $3M for the year.

[moonslav59]

39 minutes ago, harmony said:

Vaughn Grissom could be the final piece in a trade for Seattle pitching.

Or not.😁

When I suggested Mayer to SEA, you acted like they had no need for a middle infielder.

[harmony]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

When I suggested Mayer to SEA, you acted like they had no need for a middle infielder.

The Mariners might be interested in an MLB-experienced stopgap infielder who would not cost as much as Marcelo Mayer in a trade.

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, harmony said:

The Mariners might be interested in an MLB-experienced stopgap infielder who would not cost as much as Marcelo Mayer in a trade.

You ... errr, I mean your friend.... prefers Grissom to DHam?

[moonslav59]

To CWS: M. Mayer, Grissom & Yoshida + $8M x 3 years

To BOS: G Crochet & T Banks

Sign: Flaherty, Jansen & Sewald

___________________

SP: Crochet, Houck, Flaherty, Bello, Crawford (Criswell, Fitts & Priester)

RP: Hendriks, Sewald, Slaten, Whitlock, Wink, Criswell,/Fitts/Priester (Fulmer/Weissert/Guerrero/I Campbell/Kelly/Bernardino)

C: Wong & Jansen (Teel)

1B: Casas (Wong/Romy)

2B: Campbell, DHam (Romy/Meidroth)

SS: Story, Romy (Sogard/Meidroth/Campbell)

3B: Devers (Romy/Meidroth)

LF: Duran (Refsnyder/ EValdez)

CF: Rafaela (Duran/Anthony/Campbell)

RF: Anthony (Abreu/Refsnyder)

DH: Abreu-Refsnyder platoon (Gasper/E Valdez)

I think this would even satisfy JH & Co.'s miser ways.

Line-Up:

1. L Duran

2. R Campbell

3. L Devers

4. L Anthony

5. R Story

6. L Casas

7. L Abreu-R Refsnyder

8. R Wong- L Teel

9. R Rafaela

[Nick]

16 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

How much value do we place on these guys returning from major injuries?

Story seems like the most important returning player. His health is essential to improving the defense at 2-3 positions, and his offense could give a big boost from the right side of the plate.

Giolito had issues of concern before he got hurt and may start the season on the IL.

Hendriks was just slowed down in his attempt to return by the end of the 2024 season.

Whitlock looked real good in 4 starts, but many feel he should go and stay in the pen.

Fulmer seems like one giant question mark, but he does have some upside potential.

I Campbell showed some promise with SEA in 2023, but is also a question mark.

Murphy may not help, even if he's 100% healthy.

Players who missed significant time or played hurt, a lot: Devers, Slaten, Yoshida and Criswell.

Personally, I'm getting tired of hoping on hope we get something from returning injured players. I'm not saying I have no hope, but counting on most of these top list guys to help is asking for a letdown.

I'm more in the line of "you're dead to me". That's I feel about all the injured players.

Giolito? Who really knows when he returns. Guys not on the roster when the season opens in 2025 are meaningless. 

Quit feeding us the BS.

 

[notin]

SP potentially available this off-season via trade:

Garrett Crochet

Freddy Peralta ($8mill team option likely picked up)

Zac Gallen 

Aaron Civale 

Tyler Anderson 

Jon Gray

Nate Eovaldi

Zack Eflin