So Long, Kyle Teel: What Comes Next for the Red Sox at Catcher

I still wonder if the CWS would have taken Mayer over Teel.

5 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Maybe the Sox would rather keep Mayer? 

Yes, that was the main gist of my ask.

The next draft may have some more college catchers. None are projected to go Top Ten; Red Sox pick 15th.

Boston gave up its top picks in the last two drafts for Crochet, but just remember what it really gave up to get those picks: spending to acquire top MLB talent in those offseasons...

... or as many of us spent those winters typing -- the Red Sox organization gave up trying to use all their resources to put them in the best position to win.

A trade for Murphy fills two needs, as he is a good right-handed bat.  He had 4 years/$60 mill left on his deal, a good (offensively at least, unsure of his D) young catcher in AAA named Drake Baldwin.  
 

BTV gives him a negative surplus trade value at -$14mill.  If that’s accurate, the reported “big package” might not hold.  It doesn’t make him free, and certainly doesn’t make Atlanta a dumping ground for Yoshida.  But a good yet potentially overpaid player might entice them.  I’d start the bidding with Garrett Whitlock, who is slated to be a middle reliever making $14mill over the next two seasons.  His surplus value is -$1.1 mill indicating Atlanta should kick in some cash, but I ultimately wouldn’t hold them to it…

7 minutes ago, notin said:

A trade for Murphy fills two needs, as he is a good right-handed bat.  He had 4 years/$60 mill left on his deal, a good (offensively at least, unsure of his D) young catcher in AAA named Drake Baldwin.  
 

BTV gives him a negative surplus trade value at -$14mill.  If that’s accurate, the reported “big package” might not hold.  It doesn’t make him free, and certainly doesn’t make Atlanta a dumping ground for Yoshida.  But a good yet potentially overpaid player might entice them.  I’d start the bidding with Garrett Whitlock, who is slated to be a middle reliever making $14mill over the next two seasons.  His surplus value is -$1.1 mill indicating Atlanta should kick in some cash, but I ultimately wouldn’t hold them to it…

I like it, but Fan-Unfriendly Henry probably wouldn't -- because he ascared of Whitlock winning the Cy Young next year.

9 minutes ago, notin said:

A trade for Murphy fills two needs, as he is a good right-handed bat.  He had 4 years/$60 mill left on his deal, a good (offensively at least, unsure of his D) young catcher in AAA named Drake Baldwin.  
 

BTV gives him a negative surplus trade value at -$14mill.  If that’s accurate, the reported “big package” might not hold.  It doesn’t make him free, and certainly doesn’t make Atlanta a dumping ground for Yoshida.  But a good yet potentially overpaid player might entice them.  I’d start the bidding with Garrett Whitlock, who is slated to be a middle reliever making $14mill over the next two seasons.  His surplus value is -$1.1 mill indicating Atlanta should kick in some cash, but I ultimately wouldn’t hold them to it…

I think I read that ATL might ease him off catching duties, so if he looks be a DH, I'm not sure he's a fit- long term. He also has just one season with 450+ PAs, so that concerns me, but good catchers are hard to find. 

I'd give more than Whitlock for him, and hope for some cash relief or a Yoshida inclusion, with us paying some cash, but not a lot.

What does ATL need?

Would you give Whitlock, Rafaela, Yoshida for Murphy with no money, either way?

32 minutes ago, 5GoldGlovesOF,75 said:

I like it, but Fan-Unfriendly Henry probably wouldn't -- because he ascared of Whitlock winning the Cy Young next year.

I’m sure Henry hates the very idea of a $7mill middle reliever.  Hates it more than he hates poor people, kittens, and joy among the masses…

I think the point was that if we are taking on Murphy's backend of his contract, we may want to "balance" the cost a little bit by returning a contract that is not min wage. (I suggested Rafaela, and I doubt they take Yoshida, even with some cash.)

I'd like to keep Whitlock.

38 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

I think the point was that if we are taking on Murphy's backend of his contract, we may want to "balance" the cost a little bit by returning a contract that is not min wage. (I suggested Rafaela, and I doubt they take Yoshida, even with some cash.)

I'd like to keep Whitlock.

With Marcell Ozuna under contract for 2025, it’s a very safe bet Atlanta wants no part of Yoshida.  They might want Story, but the Sox probably have to kick in some serious cash to make that happen here..

18 minutes ago, notin said:

With Marcell Ozuna under contract for 2025, it’s a very safe bet Atlanta wants no part of Yoshida.  They might want Story, but the Sox probably have to kick in some serious cash to make that happen here..

Rafaela is not a salary dump, but some think he is not worth the money and contract length given to him.

He may also be the type of player ATL likes and thinks they could "fix."

I like Rafaela. I think he'd make an excellent 4th OF'er, back-up 2Bman and maybe emergency SS, but at that cost, it may be rather high. With as many injuries as most teams have, he may still get 350-400+ PAs over every season in a utility role.

Rafaela & Romero for Murphy and a little cash?

19 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Eat the full contract and give up less. 

We can afford him, but ATL will want someone, most likely not Wong. I'm not sure ATL would take a far-away prospect. I doubt we'd give them any top prospects, as good as he still is.

What kind of offer do you think both sides might like?

Name names.

6 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

We can afford him, but ATL will want someone, most likely not Wong. I'm not sure ATL would take a far-away prospect. I doubt we'd give them any top prospects, as good as he still is.

What kind of offer do you think both sides might like?

Name names.

Story plus $15mill for Murphy.

I’d rather have SS and C manned by Mayer and Murphy than Story and Wong…

11 minutes ago, notin said:

Story plus $15mill for Murphy.

I’d rather have SS and C manned by Mayer and Murphy than Story and Wong…

Interesting. We'd probably see Rafaela back at SS, again, once mayer hits the IL.

5 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Not an Arcia fan? 

2024 

Arcia 0.8 fWAR, 0.5 bWAR 157 Games (owed $2M in 2025)

Story 0.6 fWAR, 0.7 bWAR 26 Games

Nobody is an Arcia fan.  Not even Mrs. Arcia…

19 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

Interesting. We'd probably see Rafaela back at SS, again, once mayer hits the IL.

… which might be later than when Story hits it..

7 minutes ago, notin said:

… which might be later than when Story hits it..

Emphasis on "might."

Romy might be okay as the third stringer. Romero & Arias are in the pipeline but too far away for 2025.

While Murphy is due $15M a year from 2025 to 2028 (4 yrs) with a team option for $15M in '29 (no buyout,) his tax hit is just $12.2M a year. That $3M may be helpful, if Jh ever decides to spend up to the line.

They have a very young OF, so I'm not sure they'd need Rafaela or Abreu, but I do think they'd want a player that would help them, right away. The guy is not a salary dump, but his salary might keep the return cost from being something real bad.

Would one or two from Whitlock, Rafaela and Abreu be enough?

Could one plus Kelly and a non 40 man roster good prospect be enough?

33 minutes ago, moonslav59 said:

While Murphy is due $15M a year from 2025 to 2028 (4 yrs) with a team option for $15M in '29 (no buyout,) his tax hit is just $12.2M a year. That $3M may be helpful, if Jh ever decides to spend up to the line.

They have a very young OF, so I'm not sure they'd need Rafaela or Abreu, but I do think they'd want a player that would help them, right away. The guy is not a salary dump, but his salary might keep the return cost from being something real bad.

Would one or two from Whitlock, Rafaela and Abreu be enough?

Could one plus Kelly and a non 40 man roster good prospect be enough?

The Braves need a shortstop.  They have nothing at that position between Orlando “Awful” Arcia and some 18yo kid in A ball.

They do have a good catching prospect in AAA named Drake Baldwin, ranked among their top 5 prospects by most sources.  Sure they won’t turn down pitching, but it also isn’t a shortage for them.

Story for Murphy does make sense for both teams, except with the money.  Someone even posted a video of some Braves vloggers citing Story as a good move for the Braves.  And I think both teams improve their C/SS combos here as the Braves are probably better with Baldwin/Story than with Murphy/Arcia.  
 

But Story is owed roughly $70mill over 3 years.  So the Sox need to pay that down.  Get Murphy, start the Mayer era in Boston.  (Murphy can also DH when he doesn’t catch, since the Sox don’t exactly have Marcell Ozuna hogging those at bats.)

Make it happen, Breslow.  AA is expecting your call…

3 hours ago, notin said:

The Braves need a shortstop.  They have nothing at that position between Orlando “Awful” Arcia and some 18yo kid in A ball.

 

They do have a good catching prospect in AAA named Drake Baldwin, ranked among their top 5 prospects by most sources.  Sure they won’t turn down pitching, but it also isn’t a shortage for them.

Story for Murphy does make sense for both teams, except with the money.  Someone even posted a video of some Braves vloggers citing Story as a good move for the Braves.  And I think both teams improve their C/SS combos here as the Braves are probably better with Baldwin/Story than with Murphy/Arcia.  
 

But Story is owed roughly $70mill over 3 years.  So the Sox need to pay that down.  Get Murphy, start the Mayer era in Boston.  (Murphy can also DH when he doesn’t catch, since the Sox don’t exactly have Marcell Ozuna hogging those at bats.)

 

Make it happen, Breslow.  AA is expecting your call…

Sounds like it might work.

I'm ready to start the Anthony-Campbell-Mayer era. I don't think we can win without them, as things look, now.