It's time to pretend you're the GM of the Red Sox!

[Brock Beauchamp]

Welcome to the “You’re The General Manager!” tool for the 2024-2025 offseason! This is a fun feature we release every offseason, allowing users to play the role of front office executive and build their dream roster for the 2025 season.

https://talksox.com/payroll-blueprint

The tool is pretty straightforward, though it works better on desktop so keep that in mind (but this kind of work is hard to do on a phone anyway so best to wait until you’re in front of a computer).

In the left two columns, you have the 26-man roster. Fill these out as you see fit and each salary you add for a player will change the Total number on the right. The Budget is set to $200m but that’s just a guideline, there is no penalty for going over or reward for staying under.

Below the 26-man roster you will see the top 50 free agents listed with expected 2025 salary courtesty of MLB Trade Rumors to use as a guideline for building out your roster.

On the right, you will see a title so you can add a custom note for your moves (eg. Sign Juan Soto!) and after you save, your blueprint will save and publish in this forum with the title “YourUsername’s Offseason Blueprint: Sign Juan Soto!”

Below the title, type out your reasoning for your moves, comment on any trades you’ve devised, and set the tone for your roster thread.

If you want to complete this in stages over time, there is a Save As Draft button so you can come back to it later.

When you’re finished and ready to publish, click Share Blueprint To Forums and you’re done!

By the way, you can create as many blueprints as you like over an offseason; this isn’t a one-and-done feature. If you want to re-think your roster in mid-December, come back and try again!

[Brock Beauchamp]

If you have suggestions for the internal options category, please comment here.

[Hugh2]

Trade Duran for Crochet (3 team deal).  Extend Crochet

Sign Max Fried.

Sign Tanner Scott

Sign A.J. Minter

Sign Danny Jansen

 

Lineup:

C: Wong

1B: Casas

2B: Hamilton

SS: Story

3B: Devers

LF: Campbell

CF: Rafaela

RF: Anthony

DH/Bench: Wilyer Abreu/Rob Refsnyder/Yoshida/Jansen/Grissom

Rotation: 

Max Fried

Garret Crochet

Tanner Houck

Bryan Bello

Lucas Giolito

Kutter Crawford

Bullpen:

Tanner Scott

Liam Hendriks

Garret Whitlock

Justin Slaten

A.J. Minter

Michael Fulmer

Brennan Bernardino

ADDITIONS: (including rookies and Sox Debuts) Michael Fulmer/A.J. Minter/Liam Hendriks/Tanner Scott/Lucas Giolito/Garret Crochet/Max Fried/Roman Anthony/Kristian Campbell

EDIT: OMG I can't believe I forgot about Abreu.  I have removed RGON and added Wilyer back in. 

[Bellhorn04]

I'm pretty simple-minded when it comes to this stuff.

Sign Fried.

Sign Kirby Yates or Tanner Scott.

Get another reliever, a short-term catcher like Jansen and a good RH bat by best means possible.  Trade Abreu, not Duran.

 

[Brock Beauchamp]

@Bellhorn04 and @Hugh2 use the payroll tool, you dorks!

https://talksox.com/payroll-blueprint

[Hugh2]

3 minutes ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

@Bellhorn04 and @Hugh2 use the payroll tool, you dorks!

https://talksox.com/payroll-blueprint

I know I know my bad....doing it now

[Bellhorn04]

I promise to take a look at the payroll tool when I get some time.    

[Duran Is The Man]

38 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

I'm pretty simple-minded when it comes to this stuff.

Sign Fried.

Sign Kirby Yates or Tanner Scott.

Get another reliever, a short-term catcher like Jansen and a good RH bat by best means possible.  Trade Abreu, not Duran.

 

exactly. trading Duran is f***ing insane.

[notin]

I like the idea of dealing Abreu (plus?) for 28yo Pablo Lopez.  Obviously Minnesota might feel differently about this deal.

But López has been worth 5.8 bWAR over the past two season, not far off the pace of Fried (6.1) and Burnes (6.9).  But with only 3 years left, his contract expires at the same age both Burnes and Fried will be after their first season under any new deal. (Actually before the first season in the case of Fried.)  To me, they both have the potential to be short term solutions requiring long term commitments.

Another pitcher I’d consider include Sandy Alcantara, whose rapid salary escalation makes him a very likely candidate to move,  His BTV surplus tradevalue is lower than López’, $20mill last I checked.  But not sure what direction the Marlins want with a return. Bleis and Arias? 
 

Im all about Tanner Scott, but Japanese LHRP Shinnsuke Ogarasawa might be in play here as well..

[Brock Beauchamp]

5 minutes ago, notin said:

I like the idea of dealing Abreu (plus?) for 28yo Pablo Lopez.  Obviously Minnesota might feel differently about this deal.

But López has been worth 5.8 bWAR over the past two season, not far off the pace of Fried (6.1) and Burnes (6.9).  But with only 3 years left, his contract expires at the same age both Burnes and Fried will be after their first season under any new deal. (Actually before the first season in the case of Fried.)  To me, they both have the potential to be short term solutions requiring long term commitments.

Another pitcher I’d consider include Sandy Alcantara, whose rapid salary escalation makes him a very likely candidate to move,  His BTV surplus tradevalue is lower than López’, $20mill last I checked.  But not sure what direction the Marlins want with a return. Bleis and Arias? 

Im all about Tanner Scott, but Japanese LHRP Shinnsuke Ogarasawa might be in play here as well..

It would take a lot more than Abreu to get Lopez from the Twins. I doubt Minnesota is interested in a lefty bat, honestly.

[Hitch]

I'll play with the payroll tool when I have some more time, but going off my optimistic take that Pivetta turns down the QO I think we - 

 

Sign one of the big starters, trade for Crochet (and extend him), add Tesocar and some bullpen help. 

 

I also think we will find a way to trade Yoshida while eating half his salary (when he's healed) and add Jansen as back up catcher. 

 

While in fantasy land here, I'm also of the mind they won't be against going over the LT (slightly) this year with Yoshida's half and Giolito's money off the books next year. They certainly won't want to, but I don't think it they'll be as strict looking at the potential of this team with the above moves and with the young cost-controlled talent we will have on the team.

 

Christ that Yoshida contract was bad. 

[notin]

1 hour ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

It would take a lot more than Abreu to get Lopez from the Twins. I doubt Minnesota is interested in a lefty bat, honestly.

It was Abreu (plus?). Using the Trade Simulator on baseballtradevslues.com, Abreu (surplus value of $30.3 mill) plus Arias ($11.5mill) does slightly exceed the value of López ($38.5mill).  From a fair trade perspective using projections and salary, it’s a fair trade on their model.

As I think you’re a Twins fan, you might know their goals better than me.  But Gold Glover Abreu is a decent low-cost replacement for the departed lefty-hitting defensive whiz Max Kepler.  And Arias is an MLB.com Top 100 prospect.  It’s a decent return that allows MN to shed $65.2 mill of López over 3 years.  But you might be right they do not prefer a lefty bat…

[Brock Beauchamp]

13 minutes ago, notin said:

It was Abreu (plus?). Using the Trade Simulator on baseballtradevslues.com, Abreu (surplus value of $30.3 mill) plus Arias ($11.5mill) does slightly exceed the value of López ($38.5mill).  From a fair trade perspective using projections and salary, it’s a fair trade on their model.

As I think you’re a Twins fan, you might know their goals better than me.  But Gold Glover Abreu is a decent low-cost replacement for the departed lefty-hitting defensive whiz Max Kepler.  And Arias is an MLB.com Top 100 prospect.  It’s a decent return that allows MN to shed $65.2 mill of López over 3 years.  But you might be right they do not prefer a lefty bat…

I don’t think the value is bad in the proposal, my quibble is with the players involved. I don’t think the Twins would want to go that route. Lopez is an incredible clubhouse guy on top of being a very good pitcher, it’s going to take a lot to pry him away. 

[moonslav59]

I'd do this...

Trade Abreu, DHam, Wink and Dobbins for Pablo Lopez (Crochet second choice.)

Sign Tanner Scott, Jeff Hoffman, Kyle Higashioka & Clay Holmes

Rotation: Houck, Lopez, Pivetta, Bello, Giolito/Crawford

Pen: Scott, Hoffman, Hendriks, Holmes, Whitlock, Slaten, Criswell, Fulmer/Crawford

1. Duran LF

2. Devers 3B

3. Story SS

4. Casas 1B

5. Yoshida-Refsnyder DH platoon

6. Anthony RF

7. Campbell/Grissom 2B

8. Higgy-Wong C platoon

9. Rafaela CF

I guess I might add a big RH'd bat, but this would probably already put us over the tax line.

If I were a GM with a big budget, sub out Fried for Holmes and add O'Neill or Teoscar.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

The word on MLB Sirius is that Hoffman -- All-Star reliever -- wants to be a starter in '25, and go the route of Crochet, Eflin, Hicks, Lopez, Whitlock ad nauseum... 

Would Barnum and Bailey recruit him for their circus?

[moonslav59]

19 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

The word on MLB Sirius is that Hoffman -- All-Star reliever -- wants to be a starter in '25, and go the route of Crochet, Eflin, Hicks, Lopez, Whitlock ad nauseum... 

Would Barnum and Bailey recruit him for their circus?

How about the Strahm example?

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

17 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

How about the Strahm example?

I thought of him, but he went back to the pen and became an All-Star reliever.

[moonslav59]

4 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

I thought of him, but he went back to the pen and became an All-Star reliever.

Maybe Hoffman can do that.

[moonslav59]

Using the projected contracts from "The Athletic..."

Sign: 

At $55M Budget:
Max Fried $29M x 6

Tanner Scott $15M x 4

Carlos Estevez $11M x 3

At $65M budget:

Jeff Hoffman $9M x 3 or $10M x 2 Danny Jansen

At $75M:

7.5M x 2 (MLBTR) Kyle Higashioka or Clay Holmes $9.25M x 2 

 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

10 hours ago, moonslav59 said:

Using the projected contracts from "The Athletic..."

Sign: 

At $55M Budget:
Max Fried $29M x 6

Tanner Scott $15M x 4

Carlos Estevez $11M x 3

At $65M budget:

Jeff Hoffman $9M x 3 or $10M x 2 Danny Jansen

At $75M:

7.5M x 2 (MLBTR) Kyle Higashioka or Clay Holmes $9.25M x 2 

 

And don't forget, after they trade for Crochet, it's going to cost another $20M once they extend him; $100M for 5 years?

(... using the Phillies' 2020 comp for Dan Wheeler -- 5 for $118M -- at age 29. Wheeler was an innings eater for the Mets but not yet a star or Cy candidate).

 

[Bellhorn04]

7 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

And don't forget, after they trade for Crochet, it's going to cost another $20M once they extend him; $100M for 5 years?

(... using the Phillies' 2020 comp for Dan Wheeler -- 5 for $118M -- at age 29. Wheeler was an innings eater for the Mets but not yet a star or Cy candidate).

 

But there's no Crochet in that post by moon.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

25 minutes ago, Bellhorn04 said:

But there's no Crochet in that post by moon.

Why not? As notin points out, the Red Sox are so rich, they can easily add all three of Fried, Roki and Crokie...

... if John Henry wants.

The rest of the Nation certainly wants -- as opposed to another wrong winter of lowering the gross irrational product.

[moonslav59]

9 hours ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

Why not? As notin points out, the Red Sox are so rich, they can easily add all three of Fried, Roki and Crokie...

... if John Henry wants.

The rest of the Nation certainly wants -- as opposed to another wrong winter of lowering the gross irrational product.

That post was only about FA signings under a specific budget.

[Randy Red Sox]

I would try to trade for Pirates SP Prospect Bubba Chandler and sign Sasaki and Tanner Scott.  Bring back Janssen as a 2nd C.

[moonslav59]

4 minutes ago, Randy Red Sox said:

I would try to trade for Pirates SP Prospect Bubba Chandler and sign Sasaki and Tanner Scott.  Bring back Janssen as a 2nd C.

We have no more Chris Sale's to trade for 2B prospects.

[Slasher9]

burnes and sasaki should be PRIORITIES.  and i would also go after clay holmes...because:  Clay

 

[jdc69]

I think I will go with signing Fried, Eovaldi, David Robertson, and Pete Alonso (as DH if Yoshida can play LF, if not Teoscar or resign O'Neill.) Jansen as backup C too. I feel we need another starting pitcher and bullpen arm still but not for trade unless it's prospects and cash.

[mvp 78]

15 hours ago, Slasher9 said:

burnes and sasaki should be PRIORITIES.  and i would also go after clay holmes...because:  Clay

 

Sasaki needs to be paid with INTL monies. He gets to basically pick and choose where to go because the Sox can't overpay him or give him a 10 year contract. 

[Randy Red Sox]

On 11/11/2024 at 9:02 AM, moonslav59 said:

We have no more Chris Sale's to trade for 2B prospects.

???   BTW--scratch my idea of Tanner Scott.  we just scooped everyone by snagging Justin Wilson on {you guessed it} a 1 year deal

[moonslav59]

3 hours ago, Randy Red Sox said:

???   BTW--scratch my idea of Tanner Scott.  we just scooped everyone by snagging Justin Wilson on {you guessed it} a 1 year deal

He's the lefty, and Scott can be the closer we need.