Palodios

We're talking about the whole 4 outfielders thing, so I figure I need to put in my two cents One of them is J.D. Drew. I'd bet my life on him having some sort of injury this year.

Apparently the Padres are looking into Coco Crisp. I think that's clear enough for me that Buch + Ells for A-Gon aint happening, atleast right now.

So... why didn't he have surgery when the season ended 6 weeks ago?

Its also important to note that with the economy in recession, the sox were afraid that they werent going to sell-out the park every day so they didnt really want to keep up 2007 salary.

A-Rod is only a year younger, and had the same thing, a labrum tear in his hip.

Frugal may have been the wrong word. They have money, but they generally spend their money wisely. Lugo remains a solid hitting shortstop, they just had no idea his defense would be so subpar, he would only hit when no one was on base, and that he would refuse to play any other positions besides shortstop. Dice-K, while I don't agree with the deal, I assume rakes in tons of money from Japanese markets, considering how many Japanese advertisements go up in the park on certain games. The big problem with the Drew deal is that he's such a dead personality that no one goes to see games for the purpose of seeing him.

Worst Case Scenario-- What scares you more? Lowell at 3rd Ortiz at 1st.

But they did use the money they had in 2008. They signed Pedroia, Youk, Lester to long term contracts. Then they filled pitching needs with Smoltz and penny. Both signed with incentive-laden contracts.Who would have thought that future HoF John Smoltz would have been such a bust in Boston? He was an incredible pitcher before, and well, I'm sure he's going to have great numbers if he signs again. No, they didn't sign him a big guaranteed contract, but they did give him an incentive-laden contract. The FO is frugal. Look at wakefield's recent contract. Typically, they generally don't sign big players unless they think they see things in them that other teams don't. J.D. Drew for example... he is such an underrated player, but has nearly a .400 OBP and .500 slug. If Lackey stays health, it will be a very good move. Not because it puts them in a position to beat the yankees this year. It doesn't. It gives them a reliable veteran arm that will give them the flexibility of 6 quality starters so they don't have to bring up any of their young pitchers early. It also gives them an insurance policy incase Beckett leaves. None of their minor league pitchers right now are ready to start at the major league level. This move is the kind of move that I think is very smart because they didn't overpay for Lackey, but it protects the clubs future AKA a bridge year when they have the pitching to win it all, but not the hitting. Do I think the FO is incredibly smart? Yes I do. Do I follow them like gospel? No, I don't. Manny Ramirez for example is one situation where they f***ed up big time, and despite Bay's productivity, I believe it cost them the World Series in 2008. Dice-K I believe was a bad decision for the team and the roster, but at the same time I know the kind of foreign revenue he produces.

There is a mystery team on Holliday. Last year, there was a mystery team on Tex. No one believed it last year, and well, Boras wasn't bluffing, the yankees were the mystery team. The yankees didn't really improve their team all that much this year. Damon/Matsui to Granderson and Johnson. its mostly a wash, but they also traded away a pile of their bullpen. The yankees could still be looking for another outfielder-- I dont know where they'd put one, but they certainly have the money.

Winning attracts fans. You win, you get more fans. Fans buy tickets and watch tv. You make more money. Why do you think the sox have been so good this decade? They've won, sold out fenway for years at a time and have been able to keep revenue consistent. The thing about baseball is that there are a ton more games, and there is a much bigger need to keep the parks full of fans. If someone were to make an investment in the pirates, and stopped trading away their big name players maybe they'd be able to charge more than five dollars a ticket. There is a lot more to it than just who has the money, its more about who makes better use of their money.

Superior management and better talent development? The core of the yankees dynasty... Petite, Rivera, Jeter, Posada, they were all developed. They have lows too.... remember the early 90s?

Wasn't this the same discussion that was going on when we thought Lowell was going?

If you really want to talk league disparities, lets talk NFL. Right now 7 teams have won 70% or more of their games. 5 Teams have 4 or less wins. In the NFL, when the Saints play the Lions, the Saints will always win. In the mlb, teams like Tampa Bay, Minnesota and Colorado can go to the playoffs. Better yet, how about we talk the New Jersey Nets?

I'm saying that LaRoche would be a short-term fix, clearly an upgrade to Kotchman. If Beltre can be an affordable short-term solution, fine. However, the team's pitching and defense already had some serious upgrades this offseason, and putting in someone who would hurt the team's offensive for the long haul just doesn't make a lot of sense if you're planning on him staying around for multiple (read- more than two) years. This is Boras we're talking about. Varitek got paid 5 million last year, and well, considering his offense AND defense, how much did he really deserve?

I've seen people arguing that its been about park factors, and injuries, but the truth of the matter is that Beltre has had only ONE above average season offensively at Safeco OR Dodger Stadium. The sox have Youk locked up for a long time, so if they sign Beltre, they lock an average player for multi-years at third when we could get a better or equal offensive player like Laroche for much cheaper and short term.1st base is such an extremely offensive position that having beltre on a corner instead of waiting for say.. Carlos Pena or Lance Berkman would be a waste. Do you really think the hit to the defense would be worth signing a 4y/30m deal? f*** Scott Boras. And CB+JE+CK? That's roughly what the Padres want. I'm explicitly saying not to make the deal.

In the future, it might be worth taking more risks on foreign players. However, I think the organization has been doing it too much, and I wouldn't want the PR hit of another fiasco like this year's Dice-k situation. Ortiz's numbers seem to indicate that he did stop. I understand the significance of Beltre's defense and his injury. However, what if he's in decline, and its not just an injury? Any more than a one or two year deal would be too great of a risk. I've been reading San Diego Padres news, and the deal that they seem willing to accept was Buch + Ells+ Kelly which is the catalyst for my A-Gon other alternatives topic.

My offseason plans 1. extending VMart asap is absolutely necessary. He's one of the top 3 offensive catchers, and if Mauer extends his contract with the twins it means that VMart will be the best catcher available in 2010, which is the same year Posada's contract is over. VMart will be much more expensive down the line if Mauer is unavailable. 2. Stop signing unproven foreign players to big contracts. Sometimes they're older than they say they are, language bariers frequently hurt the clubhouse, and so many other issues seem to pop up. Also avoid any players who put themselves above the team (Bartolo, Manny). Aka, no more dicey mistakes. 3. Hold on to the minor league players who dropped in value this year, ie LOWRIE Anderson, Bowden, and company. The team would be better off holding on to them and see if they can rebound rather than trading them for a bag of bricks. 4. Get Ortiz on steriods. hey, everyone is doing it now, and well, if he's going to be thought of as a steriod-user, he may as well be hitting like one. 5. Don't be overanxious for a big bat. A-gon is not worth Buch+Ells+Kelly. The team will need one for the playoffs, but it can wait until players become more available. Look into other options for the short term, check out Branyan's health, LaRoche, whatever. At all costs, avoid a long term contract on Beltre, defense is important, but its not worth .683 OPS AND the price Beltre is looking for.

A-gon and Mauer are possibilities at the deadline, but the price for those other guys would be wayyy too high.

Think about it, just because the sox signed lackey/scutaro/cameron doesnt mean they're still not planning on having a bridge year. They appeased the fans by getting good new talent, but at the same time if a team signs Bay, they still get 2 first round picks, and the extra supplementals to restock the system. By adding Lackey, they gave the rotation another veteran reliable pitcher so they don't have to rush up another young arm and risk yet another bad situation like bowden, tazawa, or buchholz. In the 2010 offseason, Ortiz, Lowell and Lugo, VMart, Becket come off the books, meaning a ton of money, especially considering the low values of the first three. There's a pile of aces coming up for FA in 2010, so Becket may not be as expensive/hard to replace as he could have been. Maybe they're planning on Max being the catcher of the future? It really makes sense that it is a rebuilding year, which is why it seems more and more like they won't want to be getting rid of Ells or Buch.

With the Yankees supposedly not picking up either of the big sluggers out there because of the Nick Johnson signing, what are the chances of the sox signing bay or holliday now? By the sound of it, the mets don't want to give Bay any more money than the Sox offered, and the Cardinals are the only ones with a serious offer for Holliday. Do any members of the current roster have any experience at 1st or 3rd base?

Hanley is likely just as untouchable as Agon, and they just filled the hole in SS. There is a reason he goes at #1 in most fantasy drafts, and he's cheap too. If the sox had any intention on getting him, they would have done it before getting Scutaro.

"Unfortunately for the rest of the league, when asked if Votto could be included in a trade this offseason, Reds GM Walt Jocketty replied “Oh God, no!” " http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/vottos-value/ So it basically presents the same problem as AGon. The sox would have to overpay.

I wasn't aware that they planned to boost their payroll that much. If you look at their player salaries, it is incredibly top-heavy, and there is usually a trend for small-market teams to make big moves when that happens, but the payroll bump changes things.

Well, I think we're going to have to disagree on that one. But its really irrelevent, the point is that its a lot of money for a team with a 60 million dollar budget