Red Sox: Off Season 2024-2025

[Duran Is The Man]

21 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

The best guys still out there that could make an impact are...

Bregman (only if they moves Devers to a 1B/DH share with casas.)

Scott (I seriously doubt we even make a piddly-ass offer.)

Santander (We'd have to trade Rafaela and or Abreu for a pitcher or catcher or both to make sense.)

Hoffman (might be our best hope for actually winning an auction on someone good.)

Lesser add-ons:

Estevez, Kittredge or Sewald

Or

Trade for Arenado, Castillo/Woo/Miller or Pablo Lopez or _____?

Trade for a catcher or big RHB (Sean Murphy could fill both needs.)

 

anything else that happens will be via trade. John The Con just can't seem to let his dollars go.

[moonslav59]

37 minutes ago, Duran Is The Man said:

anything else that happens will be via trade. John The Con just can't seem to let his dollars go.

Probably true, and trades will mean depleting our future assets. We already lost 3 of our top 8 prospects to obtain a 2 year SP'er. Talk about shrinking the window. (Unless we extend Crochet.)

[notin]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Probably true, and trades will mean depleting our future assets. We already lost 3 of our top 8 prospects to obtain a 2 year SP'er. Talk about shrinking the window. (Unless we extend Crochet.)

I do not think Meidroth was irreplaceable…

[moonslav59]

3 hours ago, notin said:

I do not think Meidroth was irreplaceable…

Agreed, and Campbell can play 3B, so no biggie, but he was a deserving #8 prospect.

[mvp 78]

Just found a "significant move" the Sox could make.

 

[moonslav59]

One unspectacular move could be to sign Kyle Finnegan. If anything, he is the model of consistency:

4 year ERA: 3.62 in and average 67 gms/yr.

His ERA never went over or under by more than 0.14.

His games pitched was always within 2 of 67.

In 2024, he had 38 saves in 43 opportunities.

[Larry Cook]

12 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

One unspectacular move could be to sign Kyle Finnegan. If anything, he is the model of consistency:

4 year ERA: 3.62 in and average 67 gms/yr.

His ERA never went over or under by more than 0.14.

His games pitched was always within 2 of 67.

In 2024, he had 38 saves in 43 opportunities.

His stuff does not overwhelm but yet he consistently gets the job done!!!  

[Randy Red Sox]

On 12/27/2024 at 10:02 PM, moonslav59 said:

Next contract time, they need to do something about the differed money lowering the AAV. The Dodgers are already making a mockery out of the lux tax rules, as it is.

They say the Teoscare signing at $63M/3 will cost them $40M in taxes, which shows you just how much they can outbid anyone for anyone they want, except maybe Cohen, but really, the tax is 110%. They should have to pay $67M tax not $40M. Maybe then, they might not do it.

Don't cry simply because the LAD are actually committed to winning unlike the tightwad that owns the Sox.  He DID care at one time but no longer does. Sox fans better enjoy Crochet for 2 years because if he is not a bust there is ZERO ZERO ZERO chance Henry approves an extension at what it will cost

[notin]

2 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

One unspectacular move could be to sign Kyle Finnegan. If anything, he is the model of consistency:

4 year ERA: 3.62 in and average 67 gms/yr.

His ERA never went over or under by more than 0.14.

His games pitched was always within 2 of 67.

In 2024, he had 38 saves in 43 opportunities.

And his average fastball velocity ranged from 97.2 to 97.3 over that span

[moonslav59]

19 minutes ago, Randy Red Sox said:

Don't cry simply because the LAD are actually committed to winning unlike the tightwad that owns the Sox.  He DID care at one time but no longer does. Sox fans better enjoy Crochet for 2 years because if he is not a bust there is ZERO ZERO ZERO chance Henry approves an extension at what it will cost

What LAD is doing is not really fair to any other teams, and they get out of paying what they should in taxes. I think the loophole needs to get fixed.

The JH issue is totally seperate. If we don't extend Crochet and don't try to open the window wider, I'm done with JH and the whole crew. Time is running out, if it hasn't already.

[mvp 78]

On 12/31/2024 at 7:17 PM, moonslav59 said:

What LAD is doing is not really fair to any other teams, and they get out of paying what they should in taxes. I think the loophole needs to get fixed.

The JH issue is totally seperate. If we don't extend Crochet and don't try to open the window wider, I'm done with JH and the whole crew. Time is running out, if it hasn't already.

Any other team could do what the Dodgers are doing. 

[notin]

19 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Any other team could do what the Dodgers are doing. 

Not with the security of a $334 million per year TV deal…

[mvp 78]

3 minutes ago, notin said:

Not with the security of a $334 million per year TV deal…

But other teams can use the deferred contract trick and have revenue sources of their own. Even the smaller market teams are being funded by the larger market teams and their tv deals to some respect. 

[moonslav59]

5 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Any other team could do what the Dodgers are doing. 

Yes. They can. Some are to lesser extents.

[notin]

5 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

But other teams can use the deferred contract trick and have revenue sources of their own. Even the smaller market teams are being funded by the larger market teams and their tv deals to some respect. 

I’m surprised MLB allows the deferred money trick to reduce AAV when they were denying the longer contract to reduce AAV…

[moonslav59]

24 minutes ago, notin said:

I’m surprised MLB allows the deferred money trick to reduce AAV when they were denying the longer contract to reduce AAV…

This was my point. The rules are the rules, so I guess it's not "wrong," but I think it needs to be fixed and probably will be, at some point.

[mvp 78]

1 hour ago, notin said:

I’m surprised MLB allows the deferred money trick to reduce AAV when they were denying the longer contract to reduce AAV…

I'm not under the assumption the MLB is in the business of making coherent decisions. 

[Larry Cook]

On 1/2/2025 at 2:09 PM, mvp 78 said:

I'm not under the assumption the MLB is in the business of making coherent decisions. 

The next collective bargaining agreement will prove this statement is 100 percent correct 

[a700hitter]

If there is nothing left in the dumpster that isn’t spoiled and mushy, will Breslow make a trip to the assisted living facilities to kick the tires on Scherzer and verlander?

[Bellhorn04]

Mucho buzzo about the Sox and Cardinals talking deals, with Arenado and Casas the primary names involved but other pieces attached.  Credibility of rumors?  Who knows. 

[mvp 78]

5 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Mucho buzzo about the Sox and Cardinals talking deals, with Arenado and Casas the primary names involved but other pieces attached.  Credibility of rumors?  Who knows. 

Trading Arenado for Casas is just terrible even if the Cards were eating the whole contract. 

[Bellhorn04]

4 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Trading Arenado for Casas is just terrible even if the Cards were eating the whole contract. 

Agreed.  The buzz seems to be we'd be getting something of value back for Casas.  (As per rumor mill reporting on Sons of Sam Horn and Sox Prospects forums.)

It's probably all BS but it's boring enough right now to talk about this like it's a real thing, I guess.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

4 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Mucho buzzo about the Sox and Cardinals talking deals, with Arenado and Casas the primary names involved but other pieces attached.  Credibility of rumors?  Who knows. 

If both sides are determined to make this happen, it can only mean both sides are trying to get rid of guys before their value plummets to Yoshida levels. 

And both sides must realize both Arenado and Casas are damaged goods to some extent -- one is past his prime; the other may never reach it because of a specific injury.

The only hope for Red Sox fans is that in order to take on Arenado's contract, Breslow is smart enough to demand someone else actually good, like a pitcher without an elbow issue.

Such a trade would also mean a major shift in the defensive alignment, because Boston can't be that stupid to play one of the best third base gloves of all-time at first base...

[Bellhorn04]

There is some logic to the move, maybe?  Arenado still plays very good D.  This would mean Raffy does indeed move to 1B.

Obviously Brez would have to wring enough money and talent out of the Cards to make it a fair deal.

[mvp 78]

10 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Agreed.  The buzz seems to be we'd be getting something of value back for Casas.  (As per rumor mill reporting on Sons of Sam Horn and Sox Prospects forums.)

It's probably all BS but it's boring enough right now to talk about this like it's a real thing, I guess.

Wonder if it's just smoke to get Bregman's number down? Or it's just smoke to say "well, we did try doing something." 

[Bellhorn04]

Just now, mvp 78 said:

Wonder if it's just smoke to get Bregman's number down? Or it's just smoke to say "well, we did try doing something." 

Some buzzers have it that this indicates they're all out on Bregman.

[Hitch]

1 minute ago, mvp 78 said:

Wonder if it's just smoke to get Bregman's number down? Or it's just smoke to say "well, we did try doing something." 

We do seem to be very active in trade talks, over say the free agent market. Cotillo mentioned on a pod the other day, we've all but signed out of the free agent market (pen arms aside) but are very active on trade talks.

There does feel like there might be something in this. Casas leaving would have to bring back something tasty however, as well as a large chunk or Arenado's contract paid down.

I've zero idea about what the Cards have that would be enticing. 

[mvp 78]

2 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Some buzzers have it that this indicates they're all out on Bregman.

If buzzers are involved, it would indicate that they are clearly in on Bregman. 

[Bellhorn04]

2 minutes ago, Hitch said:

We do seem to be very active in trade talks, over say the free agent market. Cotillo mentioned on a pod the other day, we've all but signed out of the free agent market (pen arms aside) but are very active on trade talks.

There does feel like there might be something in this. Casas leaving would have to bring back something tasty however, as well as a large chunk or Arenado's contract paid down.

I've zero idea about what the Cards have that would be enticing. 

I think it's Cotillo who's leading the charge on these rumors.

Re the bullpen arms, they did make an offer to Martin. 

I'm tentatively OK with what Brez is doing.  The next 2 months are big for him.   

[Hitch]

1 minute ago, Bellhorn04 said:

I think it's Cotillo who's leading the charge on these rumors.

Re the bullpen arms, they did make an offer to Martin. 

I'm tentatively OK with what Brez is doing.  The next 2 months are big for him.   

Yes, I think so, too. He's well connected and alongside McAdams and Speier is one of the only ones I really trust. He's also called Bres out a couple of times for pretending that they aren't trying to move Casas.

I'm really happy with Bres' work so far. But, yeah, big two months coming up.

Apparently we beat out the top offer for Martin but he wanted to move closer to home.