Spudboy

Too much common sense. Knock it off. I'd rather the pump 20 mil a year into Porcello than say, Shields. And I have always liked Shields. He's (Porcello) young and very good. This is a risk like all other big $ contracts. It also may be a real bargain relative to what free agent arms will be going for very soon. And one more thing, there is not an inexhaustible supply of quality arms about to hit the market. The Sox just landed one. I'm glad that they did.

Makes sense to me. And I hate big contracts.

Red Sox Sign Rick Porcello To Four-Year Extension By Steve Adams [April 6, 2015 at 6:42pm CDT] The Red Sox announced that they’ve signed right-hander Rick Porcello to a four-year contract extension that covers the 2016-19 seasons. Porcello is a client of Excel Sports Management’s Jim Murray. Alex Speier of the Boston Globe reports (on Twitter) that Porcello will be guaranteed a sizable $82.5MM over the four years. Per Speier, Porcello receives a $500K signing bonus before earning $20MM in 2016 and 2017 then $21MM in 2018 and 2019. Porcello was already slated to earn $12.5MM this season after avoiding arbitration this winter. For the 26-year-old Porcello, there’s certainly risk involved in taking a long-term deal at this juncture, as he was set to hit the open market just six months from now at the age of 27. However, while he’d have had a chance at a lengthier deal, the $20MM+ annual salary is likely one that few would have foreseen a year ago, when the former first-round pick entered the season with a career 4.51 ERA and a career-high of 182 innings. Last year’s excellent performance turned Porcello’s fortunes, however, as he worked to a career-best 3.43 ERA in a new career-high 204 2/3 innings. Porcello averaged 5.7 K/9, 1.8 BB/9 and posted a 49 percent ground-ball rate in 2014 — a significant step forward for a pitcher that many have believed to have untapped potential prior to last year’s breakout. Porcello will surrender his first four free agent seasons by signing this deal, but he’ll retain the right to hit the open market again at the age of 30, setting him up for another significant contract. From the Red Sox’ perspective, the deal provides them with additional certainty in their rotation in the long-term. They’ll now have Porcello under control through 2019, Wade Miley and Joe Kelly under team control through 2018, and Clay Buchholz under team control through the 2017 season.

Porcello has been extended? I thought that he was going to wait until after the season to discuss an extension?

Peedy is back.

Crises over.

His elbow is ticking. Jose Reyes is gimpy already. So glad the Sox never got him.

Just hope Buch does not crap all over himself.

I would like to see he DH in the NL finally.

He's in decline! Look at that ballooned WHIP. Almost doubled from 2012!!! And that ERA is scary too. Up 60% since then.

I think that we all would like to see Barnes as a starter. Most likely because we are all afraid, at least to some extent, about the current rotation. And we certainly would like to see a Sox farm hand step up and be a productive starter. But I see no reason to fear bringing him up to throw from the pen. He will likely be needed there as well. Almost any big league experience will help him to continue to develop and he can always be stretched out later if or when he is needed as a starter. Until then he could be either short relief or long as in 3-4 innings. I assume that he knows how to pitch from the stretch? I wonder how much difference there is in stuff from set to stretch?

This is unusually good for recent year's game threads. Join the fun!

Lester is sharp according to the announcers. But s*** is he getting spanked. What's up with this Solarte (SP) guy in right for the Cubs. He had two early opportunities and butchered both. This guy makes Nava look like Dewey. So he is one of their shining young stars? Must have a bat.

I'm glad that her name did not register in my memory. I had to mute the tv. Just awful.

oye

Another stimulating debate!!!!

Matt Damon

The breakfast of champions! By the way, is it true you are dating Rhonda Rousey?

Is anyone planning on watching the Cubs Cards game tonight? I am. Lester is pitching and I want to see how he does. I'm also curious to see what all the hullabaloo is regarding the Cubs. I usually don't follow the NL too closely. But I am Jonesing for baseball now!

They were not contiguous at at bats. Hitting part time both seasons makes it less likely for you to be able to get your stroke back and to keep it season long. At least this is what I suspect.

The grass always seems greener when you don't have much to look forward to. Leon was a depth signing. I'm not sure the Sox want to spend assets on a starting catcher at this point. Maybe at the deadline if the need is still there and a decent player can be had at a reasonable price. The Sox seem to have enough interchangeable parts at catcher within their system now. None of them stand out ( except of course Swihart ) but they all seem serviceable over a short stint. I think that the Sox probably value this as they are waiting to see some advancement in technique by Swihart before bringing him up 95. If Swihart stumbles in Pawtucket for whatever reason and the Sox believe they still have a chance at a post season run in late June or July that is when they may go shopping. I'd still love to see Curt Suzuki here but it probably won't happen. Navarro is another matter, though.

That's interesting to hear. His other stats must have been very good.

Threw off the mound without pain. That is a start. Hopefully he can shake the problem for good and get back to near what he was.

It was a dumb investment. It had bad written all over it. I say live by the sword, die by the sword. f*** them. If the Sox do this crap I say f*** them too.

I don't see this rotation as durable. Three guys have had numerous maladies last year. One is on the DL before the season starts and two have never pitched 200 innings. The bullpen is a question mark as well. Our 6th starter was almost out of baseball three years ago and while he has improved, his ability to pitch effectively on the big stage has not yet been demonstrated. I'm breathing. But I'm not excited about this team's pitching quite yet.