SoxSport

Extend this guy now. He's making $6 mil and he's their best player. They are paying a bunch of palookas twice as much. That's baseball.

I think it will take a Cinderella year for them to make the playoffs. Especially after Toronto broke the bank with all those sexy players. The Orioles had one of those Cinderella years last year, and a lot of people think they will come down to earth a bit. The Yankees will do what they have to do to stay in contention. It's a must for them in Mediatown. TB gets by on pitching and smallball. The Red Sox are in a tough division. Things will have to break their way, and other teams will have to decline, for them to make the playoffs. Anybody check the Vegas odds?

I don't see how they can justify that level of salary unless they make the playoffs. They are taking a big gamble that they can improve enough with all the salary they added on again, but we'll see. I think they would have improved anyways without the added salary. They were bound to given better luck with injuries and some new coaches on the field and normal FO-manager communications again. Last year was a nightmarish year for that organization. They are due for a rebound. Injuries have been killing this team, and somehow that has to change. Also, somebody has to restore the winning intensity.

I think they'll need that kind of year just to get over .500.

Tough to predict this team. They underperformed so badly last year, had some key injuries, dumped their big impact hitter, AdGon, and one of their starters, Beckett. On top of that the team just seemed to flat out quit after the salary dump. Ortiz certainly had next years' contract in mind with his sore foot...he wasn't going to risk that on a wasted season. Sensible thinking, in my view. The media is not impressed with how they spent their money pre-season. I'm not either, though they managed to get out of one of those 3 year deals with Napoli. That leaves only Victorino, plus a couple of 2 year ones to Gomes and Dempster. It remains for the core holdovers to turn things around this year, especially the pitching. You figure they are going to be much better. But whether they can get much above the .500 mark is debatable. They are in too tough a division, and they have basically the same management that has failed in recent years. We'll see if Farrell can make much of a difference.

I don't think many fans realize it's a media game these days--a TV game. That's where all those millions come from that keeps everybody in gold. The media sets the scheduling, and may even have encouraged those 75 HR seasons. It loves whatever increases ratings--and advertising dollars. Somebody said the bottom line in TV ratings is winning. I believe that. No amount of $20 million stars will get you TV ratings unless you win. They will eat up your piggy bank, but they don't guarantee wins. Henry, like most other owners, had to learn that the hard way. His hedge funds haven't done that well, either, lately.

If his hip holds up, it's costing them $13mil. You just hope he doesn't have a year like last year--which would also cost them $13mil.

Epstein says the media is misinterpreting some things to make upper mgt look bad. For example, he says it was the media consultants they hired(there's the media again) who said they needed more sizzle in the lineup to build up their TV ratings--not the Red Sox mgt. My impression is Shaughnessy is stretching the emphasis a bit, though the mgt probably deserves most of the blame--including Epstein--for the demise of the team. One of the reasons I'm not optimistic about the Sox is the same cast of characters are still running the team--from the FO up. I still think it's 50/50 the team gets sold within 2 years.

If you believe $5 million is chump change, it's not such a bad risk. The downside is he doesn't play 10 games, or hits .227 again. In which case they take a hit at 1B. But then if their pitching doesn't turn around, it won't make any difference if Nap earns $5 mill or the full $13 mil.

Regarding Salty, the system is built such that any mediocre player can be a millionaire after a few years if he can continue to make the team in any capacity. The system is frightfully inflationary.

I can just see them fighting now over Nap's first injury. "That's not my hip, that's my thigh!" Either way, they'll still be in a pickle over who's at first.

Tito may be right about upper management sucking. But he sucked, too. He forgot about fundamentals his last couple years, and let the team get away from him. The players liked him because he left them alone--gave them a lot of leeway. Didn't criticize them publically like V foolishly did. Good guy, but he managed the last couple years like he was bored. Every organization has a life cycle. They peak and they fall. The Red Sox peaked--and fell a couple years ago. The FO, Lucchino and Henry aren't the same as they were 5-10 years ago. They have made a lot of bad decisions. I can't see the current management group turning things around. It's time for them to move on. They need some new blood from the top down which is more interested in the team winning championships than NESN ratings.

My position on Gomez and other Red Sox AAA guys is they have to give them more chances to prove themselves at the major league level, and not block them by signing vets on the downside who eat up salary. As it is now, the team's success this year depends on their core players rebounding, and not on those FAs they signed that quickly ate up the cap advantage the Dodgers gifted to them--along with a couple of damn good pitching prospects. Those prospects need a fair look in ST--they could be better than what they have in their rotation--right now. On other teams, they get a shot at the rotation. Another example is SS. I read where a scout was quoted as saying Iglesias has a chance to be the starting SS over Drew in ST. He would have to show some offense, but more importantly, he needs the opportunity to show it. More likely, he starts in Pawtucket. Kalish is another guy who needs a serious look--to see if he is finally back from his injury. I'm not going to criticize their trade of Sands for Hanrahan, because H is one of the top 5 NL closers. But if Sands turns into gold and H leaves for free agency, they'll be criticism of that deal. I think the message about the youngsters is play them so you know what you are dealing with. Give them a chance to establish their confidence. Don't block them.

All the pitchers available right now except maybe Lohse are about the same level as what the Red Sox already have. And Lohse may be a NL pitcher, as Marcum probably is. Plus the Sox no longer have any luxury cap space unless they ditch Napoli--if you follow Speier's articles. That, by the way, is another factor that makes the Napoli decision so important. They have no salary space committing $13 mil to a guy who has a chance of breaking down this year. If they need to do something, they have to trade salary to do it.Probably Ellsbury. So by respending themselves back up to the luxury cap, they have boxed themselves in again-though nearer term than previously. Their only hope is their core players bounce back. The FAs they signed are not players of high impact, and the middle part of their lineup is missing an impact hitter. Remember the days of Ortiz-Manny? They made the difference in the lineup. It hasn't been the same since Manny left.Too bad they didn't see that need when Hamilton was available.

Cafardo has a quote which says Napoli's hip could go anytime, or in 5 years. Nobody knows. Pretty nuts to guarantee him anything. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/01/cafardo-on-napoli-lohse-upton-bourn-soriano.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

I wonder if they haven't talked to Pitt already about Jones--during the Hanrahan talks. Pitt has one or two other younger guys they want to play at 1B, so he's available. They probably know what it will take to get Jones.

Cherington, in his WEEI interview, sounded pretty upbeat about Gomez. They see him as a viable alternative at 1B, though he still has a lot to prove about hitting at the ML level--especially in the power department. 1B is a power position, not a defensive position. It is the opposite of the SS position--a defensive position. It's essential the Red Sox have a power hitter at 1B--especially since their OF does not contain anybody named Hamilton. That's what they are banking on with Napoli. Morse would do, too, but Rizzo is going to want maybe more than they'll give for a one year rental.On the other hand, that might be offset by the draft pick they would eventually get. They can't wait forever for Napoli because their options outside of Gomez are narrowing all the time. Smoak isn't an option--he has never hit for power in the minors or in Seattle, except that weird last September. Garrett Jones is there, but he would work in a platoon with a rhd bat, and Pitt may want too much for him in the way of prospects. Mourneau the same.

Rosenthal made a big pitch for Morse to the Red Sox, and you wonder how much smoke there is there for him to do that.

They won't get anywhere next year without a big hitting first baseman. Not with their pitching. As it is right now, if they sign Nap for one year, he'll be playing just 1B--not catching, with his hip concerns. So they're paying $13 mil for a guy who is barely acceptable at 1B--maybe no better defensively than Gomez--and who has health questions? It sounds to me they aren't that averse to going into ST with just Gomez, but I don't think that will happen. They'll either sign Nap for a year or trade for Morse or somebody else. They could go with a Garrett Jones/Gomez platoon, but Gomez has shown no pop in Fenway so far. Maybe they'll go with Smoak, though Seattle doesn't show a lot of confidence in him--even with the LF fences in. He is eminently available with Morales traded for.

Pedey IS the Red Sox. 'Nuf said.

Bowden says Nap's agent doesn't have many clients. Translated, that means he wants max commission--max years. My feeling is they are finding out what they have to give up to get Morse right now in the way of prospects. If one of their BP lefties plus a B prospect will do it, they might pull the trigger. Morse costs $7mil, plus they might get a draft pick for him as a FA later. They may also be looking at other options in the trade market. Napoli could be just fine next year. But then he could break down, and then they are in trouble. It's a big gamble. And even $13 million is a lot to gamble.

"Prudent" is walking away with $13 million while you have it.

While the Red Sox are waiting for Napoli, their options are vanishing before their eyes. Morse will be gone shortly unless they get aggressive.

Morse is still an option, though their competition is TB and NY. They may have the pieces with Morales, Breslow or Miller plus somebody else. They won't trade front line prospects, however.

http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2013/01/11/report-red-sox-want-to-make-mike-napolis-deal-for-one-year/ Bowden's latest this evening is the Red Sox want to limit Napoli's deal to one year guaranteed. Their concerns seem to be serious. The one thing I'll say about Red Sox management is they really know how to piss away money. They're not sure the guy will last a year and they still want to give him $13 mil. I say walk away. Trade for Morse.