Palodios

Adding a max bid of 20M will actually increase the total cost of Tanaka, because all the rich teams will bid to the max, and he'll essentially be treated like a MLB free agent, meaning crazy negotiations. Part of me wonders that it might hurt negotiations for Tanaka to only have a known set number of teams bidding for him... but part of me thinks it will be much easier to create mystery bidders when it is clear which teams are actually interested.

Fair enough, let me do some research on this. I compiled a list of GS from each playoff team and AL East team in 2013, excluding the top 6 most frequent starters. I fully understand the flaws in compiling a list in this manner, but as a quick analysis without examining each team's initial five starters at the beginning of the season, it serves its purpose.The Red Sox are pretty much in the middle of the pack. Games started outside top 6 -- Tigers -- 0 Oakland -- 5 Reds -- 6 Yankees -- 7 Rays -- 9 Braves -- 11 Guardians -- 14 Red Sox -- 18 Cardinals -- 21 -- If you include Carpenter who made 0 starts, they are at 30. Pirates -- 25 Dodgers -- 26 Rangers -- 26 Blue Jays -- 27 Orioles -- 30 My point is that if your team has to rely on its #7/8 starters, and 2-3 significant arms get hurt, your team isn't going anywhere anyway. I find it extremely hypocritical to say its a terrible idea to rely on pitching prospects as depth when you are suggesting relying on hitting prospects as starters.

The Red Sox will bid 20 mill for Tanaka. With a talent like that, you need to stick your nose into negotiations. That being said, he won't be available for any less than 7/110 and that is way too much.

2007 was an anomaly, 2013 seemed about average for a playoff team. It is extremely uncommon for a team to lose two significant starters to make the playoffs, the Red Sox lost one with Buchholz, which seems about average.

I'm wondering if 20M is going to be enough for the Eagles. They weren't happy with that number when their league agreed with the MLB, and reports seem to claim they aren't sure if it would be worth it.

Workman will be 25-26, Britton 24-25, Webster will be 24. Rubby will be 25. Ranaudo will be 24. They're not kids on the farm anymore -- it will be sink or swim with some of these guys.

Yes sir, I made the right decision on my roster for once.

I really liked Workman in the bullpen, but I also really like the Mujica signing. Mujica fills Workman's role, freeing him for a longman type role, which Dempster would have filled. I'm not picky on whether the Red Sox trade Dempster or Peavy, but Peavy is the one who might bring something of value back from the team. It just comes down to having more confidence in the young arms for backing up the #6/7 spots than I do in having Bradley guaranteed a spot in center field.

In 2012, the Red Sox put their faith in Doubront as their #4 starter. All I'm asking is that they put their faith into Workman and company as their #6 starter. There is a very big difference.

You could say something very similar about Workman, who proved last year that he's the real deal... and he's currently the #7 option for the rotation. XB is awesome, and is the least of my concerns. Middlebrooks is a big concern, and Bradley hasn't proven anything in the majors -- remember that he didn't even make the playoff roster.

I understand this. However, the Red Sox are looking at 4-5 guys trying to get that one spot. If you don't have confidence that one of those guys are going to be able to win games, why not gut the team and call it a year? These are guys that Baseball America and other scouts are very high on to make an impact in the major leagues.

Girardi managed a team in 2013 who couldn't afford 2.25 million on Scherholtz, and then management went out and spent big money on Wells and Soriano. For the first time in my lifetime, Yankee ownership got cheap. That's now how they win, or how they get fans in their stadium.

There needs to be a balance between introducing young arms slowly and young bats slowly. Why give THREE unproven young players a guaranteed spot in the lineup, and then make your young pitchers the team's 7th option for the rotation?

Adding two solid RHP arms in Mujica and Badenhop free Workman for a long reliever, 6th starter role. With the number of talented young arms in the organization as the #7/8 starter roles, I am open to moving either Dempster or Peavy. You mentioned in another thread that Peavy is the #3 starter "all things considered", but he is just as big an injury risk as Buchholz at this point.

Yes, that is the obvious problem. But the Red Sox probably need a solid speed/leadoff guy who can play center and right and will serve as a stopgap for Bradley. The Yankees need one more starter, have some solid arms that will need more time in the minors, they can afford him. The Yanks don't seem to like Santana/Garza, and might not be interested in adding yet another long term contract.

Is it just me, or does a Peavy-for-Gardner trade make a whole damn lot of sense right now?

I don't think this necessarily applies to most of the rotation. Lester is always the first to say when he sucked... even on days when he threw a quality start out there. He got pissed after missed calls from Salty's pitch framing, but showed he was a very different guy with Ross behind the plate in the playoffs. Peavy and Lackey are about as animated on the mound as any pitchers I've ever seen. Doubront and Buchholz could use a bit more maturity though.

15 teams have called Bailey. They can have him.

The Eagles still seem like they don't want to post Tanaka. Garza and Santana aren't going to wait forever, but it seems like they are slowed down while figuring out the market for Tanaka and Price.

Thanks. Everyone is saying Rainey... I just have trouble trusting Tampa Bay. Jennings has also been someone my team has been able to trust for consistently good points. Tough choices.

There must be a way to get around it. Maybe they could ask Lackey if he would restructure his contract so he will get paid 9, 9 or 16, 1 instead of 16, .5. If it helps the team get under the cap by 5-6 million, he gets a small bump in salary, seems to work for everyone.

That's the difference between the Red Sox and the Yankees. The Red Sox try not to have blind faith in their players -- they would rather let guys go year-to-year and pay them higher rates than get stuck with them in later years. Ortiz is the perfect example.

Aha, sorry about that. He seems to make more sense now than he did at the time. Righthanded complement for Bradley. Plenty of speed makes him a good #9 type guy, and a pinch runner. My biggest concern is that he might not be that great a centerfielder, although his UZR seems to have suffered there in 2010/2011 due to range -- something you wouldn't expect from a 40SB guy -- maybe that was a fluke. With Young, Dejesus and Granderson off the market he might be the best remaining option.

It seems like the Red Sox have pretty much hit the wall with their budget. Current estimates say they are at 187 million under the 189 mark. Even if they trade a pitcher like Dempster and get Kemp, I seriously doubt the Red Sox outbid the Yankees for Drew. The Yanks have essentially rendered the qualifying offer system meaningless (down to a 4th round draft pick), they're spending like drunken sailors, and they have no great options at 2B/3B or SS.

Morrison is another lefthanded bat that can only stick at LF/1B. I'm still high on Denard Span -- he'll be cheap on money, but maybe not so much on prospects.