Article: Red Sox Sign Rehabbing Patrick Sandoval To Two-Year Contract

[moonslav59]

I'm not optimistic.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

1 hour ago, notin said:

It’s also only December 21st, and it’s certainly not uncommon for moves to come later.

As of now, only 17 of the MLBTR Top 50 have signed, including only 4 of the top 11.  It’s not like everyone else in MLB is out there lapping us.

It's never too early when the free agents you want that you know would improve your club -- and you know you can afford -- are signing elsewhere, especially with rivals.

I see -- and hear -- "lapping" when my rescue dogs reach up to the table and devour whatever food is left (this only happens when people turn their heads -- kinda like Boston execs in the offseason). 

Brez needs more ravenous dawgs from the front office at winter meetings.

[Deja Doh]

This is a complete waste of money.  19-45?  Sorry but time to find a new GM.  Breslow is completely useless.

[moonslav59]

Paxton and hendriks were both supposed to be ready by August of the year they signed, and never showed up, until the next year. Paxton did okay/good for a while, then got hurt again (no surprise.) We have yet to see what Hendriks can or will do, but I'm not optimistic.

Sandoval might do better, but I'm just sick and tired of these stabs in the dark vs just signing someone we can count on, day one.

I get how the Gio signing blew that theory up, but that is not the norm and should not dissuade us from going that route, again. (I'd prefer better quality than Gio, but you get my point about seeking dependability.)

 

[Old Red]

34 minutes ago, Deja Doh said:

This is a complete waste of money.  19-45?  Sorry but time to find a new GM.  Breslow is completely useless.

With the 12th pick in the 2024 HOBO draft the Red Sox selected Brez for Prez. 

[notin]

1 hour ago, Larry Cook said:

Have we fired the idiot who thought sims and Garcia would be quality trade deadline acquisitions?????

Hey they were better than Eric Hosmer and Luis Urias…

[notin]

34 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Paxton and hendriks were both supposed to be ready by August of the year they signed, and never showed up, until the next year. Paxton did okay/good for a while, then got hurt again (no surprise.) We have yet to see what Hendriks can or will do, but I'm not optimistic.

Sandoval might do better, but I'm just sick and tired of these stabs in the dark vs just signing someone we can count on, day one.

I get how the Gio signing blew that theory up, but that is not the norm and should not dissuade us from going that route, again. (I'd prefer better quality than Gio, but you get my point about seeking dependability.)

 

I do think it’s getting a bit overboard with building next season’s staff.  It’s not a bad thing, but it’s frustrating sometimes.  But the Sox did add Crochet, which feels like it’s getting overlooked.  And the rotation even as it stands now is actually pretty good…

[moonslav59]

To me, we are down to just a handful of major impact FAs:

Burnes was not my first choice, but he is a bonafide top of rotation SP'er and would put us into the net plus gain for the winter with just one signing. His addition to the rotation would also push Crawford to a plus role in the pen and someone like Guerrero to AAA depth. He's gotta be the number one FA fit for us.

Scott is a longshot. I have not even heard our names mentioned as a suitor. He's a lefty, but the addition of Chapman should not be a reason to  bypass the only real closer on the market.

Bregman would solve two problems with one signing- maybe three. He'd help balance our L-R situation, despite just being a .795 hitter for the last 5 years. He'd greatly improve our 3B depth. (I'm not okay with signing him to play 2B. That would be idiotic.) He may also indirectly improve our 1B defense and add more playing time for Devers and Casas, as they would share 1B and DH duties.

Teoscar does not fill a positional need, at all, but he does give us a better RHB than Bregman. Adding him would almost surely mean we trade Abreu and or Rafaela, and if the fills a second big need, then signing him would be worth it.

Santander is a borderline target, IMO. He wants a longer contract than Teoscar, and he's a switch hitter, but I'm not so sure he'll be that much better than an Abreu-Rafaela platoon over the length of his contract, and at the cost he will get, I could easily say the number is 4, not 5. Hoffman is borderline, too, but our need for a strong pen arm might make him #5.

There are plenty of other FAs that would be helpful and maybe even significant additions, but I'm not so sure the money would be worth the upgrade. We have to be honest with the money aspect. While we all agree Henry can and should spend more,  the reality is, whatever we spend now won't be spent later.

It the upgrade from Crawford to Flaherty worth $130M/5? To Manaea or Pivetta worth $70M/3?

Is signing Alonso and cutting Yoshida loose with Casas to DH worth it, when it also means Devers stays at 3B for years to come?

Profar or Torres? Nope.

Buehler or Estevez? Not major enough.

The numbers are dwindling.

Trade opportunities are still out there, but we already lost  4 Teel, 5 Montgomery and 8 Meidroth. How much more of the future do we want to chip away at?

I hear the talk that it's just December 22nd and over half of the top 50 FAs are still out there, but to me, we needed top quality additions, not several mid-level additions. We don't need to improve on our 5th starter and bench players. We do need an upgrade at catcher, but there are none left on the FA market. 

I'm just not seeing anyway to significantly improve without signing a top 3-4 FA. Maybe a #5 and #6 (Santander + Hoffman) signing would be okay, but after that, I just don't see it.

[moonslav59]

21 minutes ago, notin said:

Hey they were better than Eric Hosmer and Luis Urias…

Bloom set a low bar, there.

[moonslav59]

19 minutes ago, notin said:

I do think it’s getting a bit overboard with building next season’s staff.  It’s not a bad thing, but it’s frustrating sometimes.  But the Sox did add Crochet, which feels like it’s getting overlooked.  And the rotation even as it stands now is actually pretty good…

If we sign Burnes, I'll take back everything I wrote about Sandoval.

Just find a decent catcher or RHB, and the winter will be a net big plus.

Sign Bregman or Teoscar and we still need a pitching fix (via Casas or Abreu trade?)

[Bellhorn04]

19 hours ago, Larry Cook said:

Have we fired the idiot who thought sims and Garcia would be quality trade deadline acquisitions?????

No, Brez is still with us.

[notin]

21 hours ago, Bellhorn04 said:

Unfortunately this post feels like deja vu all over again.

Then you’re going to be very disappointed when you learn the Sox haven’t signed a single one of the 2025-26 MLBTR top 50….

[moonslav59]

2 hours ago, notin said:

Then you’re going to be very disappointed when you learn the Sox haven’t signed a single one of the 2025-26 MLBTR top 50….

I'm seriously doubting we will before opening day.

I doubt it's a pitcher. Apparently, we think Buehler, Sandoval, Wilson  and Chapman have one last hurray, in them.

I doubt it's Bregman. Hell, these guys are talking about using him at 2B, for God's sake!

The best bet might be Teoscar, since Santander wants 5 years, and our OF looks set for 3-5 years.

There is nobody else not mentioned above that would make a big impact.