Red Sox: Off Season 2024-2025

[moonslav59]

2 minutes ago, Duran Is The Man said:

Red Sox showing "interest" in AJ Minter.

He's not a bad lefty.

[Duran Is The Man]

1 minute ago, moonslav59 said:

He's not a bad lefty.

no, not at all. wonder what he's wanting.

[moonslav59]

22 minutes ago, Duran Is The Man said:

no, not at all. wonder what he's wanting.

He's not the closer we need, but the more decent set-up guys, the better.

He's better than Wilson or whoever will be out 8th guy.

[notin]

9 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

He's not the closer we need, but the more decent set-up guys, the better.

He's better than Wilson or whoever will be out 8th guy.

Slaten or Chapman?

Minter fits into former LHP Breslow’s off-season plan to horde LHPs…

[Bellhorn04]

15 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

Then who specifically fired Bloom? Was it put up for a shareholder vote or did Henry make the call? 

No one can say.  Omerta.

Henry and Werner own more than 50% together so if they agree on something it's a done deal.

[mvp 78]

10 hours ago, Duran Is The Man said:

Red Sox showing "interest" in AJ Minter.

Good 4 seamer, bad cutter. Seems to be the opposite of what they've been going for. The more arms the better though.

[Hugh2]

A.J. Minter was one of the arms I listed as signing the Sox should make this offseason back in the beginning of this offseason.  

He's sneakily been very good and would certainly make this bullpen better. 

[mvp 78]

Cardinal fan's perspective on the Arenado situation:

https://www.scoopswithdannymac.com/bernies-redbird-review-why-is-the-nolan-arenado-trade-market-so-cold/

The Cardinals will not take on a large sum of Arenado’s contract just for the sake of moving him. 

2021:  41.4 percent pulled, 32 home runs, and 30.7% of his pulled fly balls were homers.

2022: 37.2% pulled, 28 home runs, and 30.7% of his pulled fly balls were homers.

2023: 34.3% pulled, 20 home runs, and 29.4% of his pulled flies were homers.

2024: 32.6% pulled, 13 home runs, and only 20.6% of his pulled flies were homers.

– He had a .459 slugging percentage on fastballs in 2021
– A .606 slug on fastballs in 2022
– A .500 slug on fastballs in 2023
– A .416 slugging percentage on heaters in ’24

Arenado was in the bottom 28 percent of all big-league hitters in bat speed last season.

The lefthanders have been owning Arenado with breaking pitches and offspeed stuff since the start of 2023. He has a .221 average and .286 slug on breaking balls, and a .234 average and .325 slug against offspeed offerings. 

 

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, notin said:

Slaten or Chapman?

Minter fits into former LHP Breslow’s off-season plan to horde LHPs…

It doesn't matter if he's better or worse than Slaten or Chapman, only that he fills a need and is better than the guy he replaces.

I'm thinking AJ will likely be better than half the guys in our 8 man pen. Maybe not Chapman, Slaten and possibly Hendriks and Whitlock, when healthy.

[Larry Cook]

On 1/7/2025 at 9:10 PM, Duran Is The Man said:

Red Sox showing "interest" in AJ Minter.

I would not mind signing him, if he is healthy and can still throw. 

[mvp 78]

 

[mvp 78]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/01/red-sox-have-shown-interest-in-phil-maton.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=bluesky

Thus, Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports the Red Sox have “checked in on a long, long list” of names in pursuit of bullpen upgrades. That includes Tanner Scott, Jeff Hoffman, A.J. Minter, Carlos Estévez, Tommy Kahnle, and Andrew Kittredge. On Wednesday, Cotillo added Phil Maton to that cohort.

Maton, 32 in March, is coming off an up-and-down season split between the Rays and Mets. The right-hander struggled in Tampa Bay after signing a one-year, $6.5MM contract (with a club option for 2025) last offseason. Over 40 games and 35 1/3 innings with the Rays, he pitched to a 4.58 ERA and 4.52 SIERA. By the end of his brief tenure in Tampa Bay, his strikeout rate was sitting at a career-low and his walk rate at a career-high. Despite the highest groundball rate of his career, he was struggling to prevent runs.

[moonslav59]

Maton has been pretty good and turns 32 by opening day. He'd be a nice signing, but I'd prefer a closer, if we are just adding one more pen arm.

1.16 WHIP over the last 3 seasons

3.50 ERA (115 ERA+)

9.5 K/9 to 3.4 BB/9

Averaged about 65 IP per year.

[mvp 78]

 

[mvp 78]

 

[mvp 78]

Shuggart was corresponding DFA. 

Some believe Dabol is more of a fringe 1B/LF/DH than a true C. Don't we already have Nathan Hickey for that? 

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

Shuggart was corresponding DFA. 

Some believe Dabol is more of a fringe 1B/LF/DH than a true C. Don't we already have Nathan Hickey for that? 

Yup, and we had Gasper, before that.

I guess he is the catcher depth, and we will go with Wong and Narvaez.

I think Sabol averages about 20 HRs per 650 (Majors and minors.)

[Randy Red Sox]

On 1/7/2025 at 5:34 AM, mvp 78 said:

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

agree totally

[Randy Red Sox]

On 1/9/2025 at 8:22 AM, mvp 78 said:

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/01/red-sox-have-shown-interest-in-phil-maton.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=bluesky

Thus, Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports the Red Sox have “checked in on a long, long list” of names in pursuit of bullpen upgrades. That includes Tanner Scott, Jeff Hoffman, A.J. Minter, Carlos Estévez, Tommy Kahnle, and Andrew Kittredge. On Wednesday, Cotillo added Phil Maton to that cohort.

Maton, 32 in March, is coming off an up-and-down season split between the Rays and Mets. The right-hander struggled in Tampa Bay after signing a one-year, $6.5MM contract (with a club option for 2025) last offseason. Over 40 games and 35 1/3 innings with the Rays, he pitched to a 4.58 ERA and 4.52 SIERA. By the end of his brief tenure in Tampa Bay, his strikeout rate was sitting at a career-low and his walk rate at a career-high. Despite the highest groundball rate of his career, he was struggling to prevent runs.

sounds like he fits perfectly with Sox ways

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, Randy Red Sox said:

agree totally

Yup, and even adding one year of Helsley is a "no," for me. Add Herrera and I start listening.

[FredLynn]

On 1/7/2025 at 7:10 PM, Duran Is The Man said:

Red Sox showing "interest" in AJ Minter.

Yeah....they have "shown interest" in a lot of players. And they still haven't spent any money on high quality players that would possibly bring the franchise back to relevance. Martin just signed with the Rangers. There are a few good players still unsigned and we still have needs. Henry is STILL trying to do it on the cheap. 

He really needs to sell the team. We deserve better. 

[moonslav59]

22 minutes ago, FredLynn said:

Yeah....they have "shown interest" in a lot of players. And they still haven't spent any money on high quality players that would possibly bring the franchise back to relevance. Martin just signed with the Rangers. There are a few good players still unsigned and we still have needs. Henry is STILL trying to do it on the cheap. 

He really needs to sell the team. We deserve better. 

But hey, cheer up, we graduated from $10M/1 guys like Kluber and Richards to a $20M/1 like Buehler.

We graduated from  $10M/2 injury projects like Paxton and Hendriks to an $18M/2 Sandoval.

We traded good young talent for Crochet and not Wink and Verdugo.

The sky is JH's limit!

[Randy Red Sox]

i DARE John Henry to address the media and RSN.

[Duran Is The Man]

1 hour ago, moonslav59 said:

Yup, and even adding one year of Helsley is a "no," for me. Add Herrera and I start listening.

and Matthews. 

 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

9 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

But hey, cheer up, we graduated from $10M/1 guys like Kluber and Richards to a $20M/1 like Buehler.

We graduated from  $10M/2 injury projects like Paxton and Hendriks to an $18M/2 Sandoval.

We traded good young talent for Crochet and not Wink and Verdugo.

The sky is JH's limit!

Don't forget $38.5 MILLION/2 for Giolito (coming off a disastrous season) -- to pitch one year... maybe...

Henry may not know much about baseball, but after replacing one smart CBO with another smart CBO -- and watching another debacle of a free agent signing -- he had to be sitting there in disbelief. 

No wonder he withdrew all the money from his Red Sox account, stuffed it under his mattress and changed the locks on his doors.

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Don't forget $38.5 MILLION/2 for Giolito (coming off a disastrous season) -- to pitch one year... maybe...

Henry may not know much about baseball, but after replacing one smart CBO with another smart CBO -- and watching another debacle of a free agent signing -- he had to be sitting there in disbelief. 

No wonder he withdrew all the money from his Red Sox account, stuffed it under his mattress and changed the locks on his doors.

JH has to be shaking his head on so many swings and misses. Sure, the odds of missing go up when you spend $10M/1 or $18M/2, instead of larger deals, but our record on $10+M deals is pathetic.

While Gio had some big Qs, when we signed him, one was not health, so that one seems like just bad luck, but knowing our record, had he stayed healthy, he probably would have done worse than Criswell, anyway.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

46 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

JH has to be shaking his head on so many swings and misses. Sure, the odds of missing go up when you spend $10M/1 or $18M/2, instead of larger deals, but our record on $10+M deals is pathetic.

While Gio had some big Qs, when we signed him, one was not health, so that one seems like just bad luck, but knowing our record, had he stayed healthy, he probably would have done worse than Criswell, anyway.

I'll never believe a guy like Gio who was so good and then suddenly so bad was entirely healthy. I think Boston's front office blew it with their "thorough" research before signing him.

Professional veteran pitchers don't forget how to pitch, but physical issues -- even the slightest -- prevent pitchers from sustaining previous years of effectiveness.

The old saying is that any injury for a pitcher is a sore arm -- because any impediment can cause an altered delivery, which can cause arm injuries. 

Tweaked ankle from landing in a hole in front of the mound? You got a sore arm.

Dizzy Dean stubbed his toe, he got a sore arm.

Herb Score got hit in the head, he got a sore arm.

 

[Bellhorn04]

1 minute ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

I'll never believe a guy like Gio who was so good and then suddenly so bad was entirely healthy. I think Boston's front office blew it with their "thorough" research before signing him.

Professional veteran pitchers don't forget how to pitch, but physical issues -- even the slightest -- prevent pitchers from sustaining previous years of effectiveness.

The old saying is that any injury for a pitcher is a sore arm -- because any impediment can cause an altered delivery, which can cause arm injuries. 

Tweaked ankle from landing in a hole in front of the mound? You got a sore arm.

Dizzy Dean stubbed his toe, he got a sore arm.

Herb Score got hit in the head, he got a sore arm.

 

Unfortunately the pitching physically hurt scenario got all muddled up with the pitching emotionally hurt scenario!

[Bellhorn04]

For those keeping track, Gio's 38.5 million is still the standard bearer for the Sox biggest guarantee to a free agent starting pitcher since the year 1 (or 0 if you want to rabbit hole it) AD (After Dombrowski).  It has survived several more months!  

[moonslav59]

47 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

I'll never believe a guy like Gio who was so good and then suddenly so bad was entirely healthy. I think Boston's front office blew it with their "thorough" research before signing him.

Professional veteran pitchers don't forget how to pitch, but physical issues -- even the slightest -- prevent pitchers from sustaining previous years of effectiveness.

The old saying is that any injury for a pitcher is a sore arm -- because any impediment can cause an altered delivery, which can cause arm injuries. 

Tweaked ankle from landing in a hole in front of the mound? You got a sore arm.

Dizzy Dean stubbed his toe, he got a sore arm.

Herb Score got hit in the head, he got a sore arm.

 

And, when someone is months away from their big payday, will they tell the team about a sore arm?