Elktonnick

Like Dumbrowski says the Sox will probably acquire a front line starter via free agency not via the trade route. Although, they may get lesser lights through possible trades but nothing spectacular IMO.

All things being equal money and years wise, Price will be playing in Chicago. According to MLB radio, Price indicated that he wants to play for Maddon next year. I thing the intangibles favor the Cubbies over any team in Price's case.

If it is true then Ortiz deserves the kind of year-long send off that Mariano and Jeter received.

by Matt Collins baseballprospectus.com November 16, 2015 The following is a series of facts about Craig Kimbrel’s amazing career. They are not meant to sway you one way or the other with respect to the merits of the trade. For once in your life enjoy a sports person doing great sports person things instead of worrying about the value in a transaction. Yes, I’m looking at you. Craig Kimbrel has the second most saves of all time through a player’s age-27 season. He has the most saves of all time through a player’s sixth season. Yes, I know saves are a dumb stat. But they don’t let you keep getting save chances if you suck. So take that, nerds. Craig Kimbrel is the only player in baseball history with at least 150 innings pitched, a FIP below 2.00 and an ERA+ above 200. Craig Kimbrel is one of 11 players in the last 50 years to have pitched at least 50 innings in a season and finish with an ERA+ of at least 300 and a FIP of no more than 2.00. He’s the only one to have done it twice. Craig Kimbrel’s K% was 36.4% in 2015. It was the lowest rate of his career. It was the 37th highest rate of any pitcher with at least 50 innings since the turn of the century. Craig Kimbrel’s FIP was 2.68 in 2015. It was the 32nd best mark in baseball among all pitchers with at least 35 innings last season, tied with Clay Buchholz and better than breakout performers like Jeurys Familia, Roberto Osuna and A.J. Ramos. Craig Kimbrel’s opponents have managed a 35 OPS+ through his career. That is six points lower than any other pitcher with at least 100 career innings has allowed in the last 55 years. Craig Kimbrel threw 62.2 innings in 2012. Opponents managed an OPS+ of 1 against him that season, and struck out 50.2 percent of the time. I don’t think you spent enough time thinking about that last one. Go back and read it again. Craig Kimbrel’s opponents have an .067 ISO over the course of his career. That is the lowest mark for any pitcher with at least 300 career innings in the expansion era. Craig Kimbrel’s career cFIP is 52. Exactly one pitcher bested that mark in 2015, and 14 pitchers not named Craig Kimbrel have bested it in a single season since his career started in 2010. (min 40 IP) Craig Kimbrel had a 21 cFIP in 2012. That’s the best single-season mark since Pedro’s 19 cFIP in 1999. (min 40 IP) Craig Kimbrel has had one calendar month in his career in which his fastball averaged under 95.0 mph. It was the first calendar month of his major-league career when he pitched four innings. He averaged 94.8 mph on his fastball in that month. Craig Kimbrel averaged less than 98.0 mph on his fastball for just one calendar month in 2015. He averaged 97.9 mph on his fastball in that month. Craig Kimbrel has pitched five full seasons in the majors. In those seasons, he has finished 2nd, 1st, 12th, 5th and 6th in swinging strike rate. (min 500 pitches) Craig Kimbrel has two separate scoreless innings streaks of at least 28 innings. Craig Kimbrel threw 37.2 consecutive innings without allowing a run in 2011. During that streak he struck out 49 percent of his opponents and didn’t allow any extra base hits. Craig Kimbrel struck out a batter in 20 straight appearances two separate times in 2015. It was the second season in his career in which he accomplished that feat twice. Craig Kimbrel has appeared in 355 games in his career. He’s allowed more than one earned run in 14 of them. Craig Kimbrel allowed three earned runs on April 29 of last year. It was the first and only time in his career that he allowed more than two earned runs in an outing. Craig Kimbrel looks like a marionette from the “Bye Bye Bye” video when he waits for the sign from the catcher. http://boston.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2015/11/16/fun-facts-about-craig-kimbrel-who-is-now-a-red-sox/ If Kimbrel continues to make 60 appearances per year with only 4 or less blown saves then the deal was worth it. Since none of the prospects are likely to be an impact player in the Major leagues before 2017 if at all.

The question was raised why the Red Sox couldn't get an ace like Hamels by trading a similar level of players, the answer was that the Phillies had an an incompetent GM whose poor management of his ball club over several years placed them in a situation where this was all he thought he could get. Not every club who has an ace is cursed with management as poor as the Phillies had. So using the Hamels trade to question why the Sox couldn't make a deal like that is a poor example.

Ruben Amaro was rated the worst GM in baseball for several years. It was during his tenure that the Rangers made the deal for Hamels. It is unrealistic to think that every GM is as incompetent as was Amaro when that deal was made.

Perhaps he did and perhaps he didn't. The only thing we know for sure is Amaro got fired two months after that deal was made.

And the GM who made that trade is now the 1st base coach for the Boston Red Sox.

Those aren't just 60 innings but rather 60 appearances when the game is usually on the line. If he can make that many appearances in a Red Sox uniform and only blow 4 games a year the way he has for the past few years that means 56 wins per year when he plays. I'll take that from a closer any day.

I guess Dumbrowski doesn't think it is that easy to do otherwise he wouldn't have said on the conference call that the Sox will probably have to get a nbr 1 via free agency.

I think Cherrington tried that last year and got no where. It would take either Betts or Bogaerts plus a prospect or two IMO. That's why Dumbrowski said it was probably going to happen via the free agency route.

A farm system's sole purpose is to provide players for the big club. Few prospects themselves make it to the big club. Many who do never turn out to be a Mookie Betts or a Xander Bogaerts but raather are more likely to be a Will Middlebrooks, Lars Anderson, Manny Delcarmen or a Michael Bowdoiin. So giving up prospects no matter how promising for an established All Star is a very good strategy.

The Kimbrel deal makes it pretty obvious that the only way the Sox will be able to acquire a number 1 starter is through free agency and Dumbrowski just about said so yesterday, just like many of us have been saying all along.

My opinion isn't a fantasy yours is.

Whether you are or you aren't, doesn't change the fact that no competent GM is going to give up a nbr 1 pitcher for a bunch of prospects. Your wishful thinking won't change that.

I can understand why you are backtracking or perhaps you just didn't explain your self well. In any case. a trade for a nbr ! is going to take a Betts,or Bogaerts or a Swihart and MORE to get it done. To think otherwise is a trip to Fantasy Island. It ain't going to happen unless it involves a major league starting position player. Not every GM is as dumb as Cherrington, because it would take one as dumb as him to trade a bonafide nbr 1 starter for anything but a package of players which included one or more starting ML position players.

I think every one forgets that the Red Sox aren't the only ones in the market for a nbr1. As good as their "prospects" are other teams will also join the auction. Beane or any other GM will be able to command a ML ready position player like Bogaerts, Betts or Swihart for Gray or any other nbr 1 if that GM decides to put one up for trade. There is absolutely no reason to believe otherwise. Wanting it to be otherwise won't make it so and is just wishful thinking.

Name one. Not for a nbr 1. You are dreaming and thinking with your heart not your head.

Kimmi even Dombrowski isn't going to get blood out of a stone. every other team knows the situation in Boston. They are sure to play hardball (pardon the pun )with Boston when it comes to a trade.

It is going take more than a packet of farm hands to matter how talented to a get a#1. It is going to take a Betts or a Bogaerts plus. There simply aren't that many available without the sox paying through the nose in terms of giving up ore or more starting position players plus a solid prospect or two.

If Henry's "preference" is a mandate and the Sox don't get the nbr 1 starter and revamp their pitching then they are going to continue to suck. There simply aren't any number 1 or 2 starters out there that can be obtained by trade without stripping the club of its quality ML ready young players. That's why they didn't get it done last year.

If it is Henry's preference then Cafardo is merely writing something to fill space. Every owner has a preference to get something for little or nothing that goes with out saying. The question is whether that preference becomes a command to his baseball operations staff. If it is then Dombrowski has his hands tied because the number of options are few and the cost will be higher in terms of the talent and ML ready players Boston will have to give up.

I wouldn't hesitate giving up Moncada or a Devers but I think it will take a Betts or a Bogaerts plus a Moncada or a Devers. And that still may not be enough. I just don't see it happening through the trade route.

Jack, I think that's my point. For any such young pitcher the price will be exorbitant. There are so few players who fit that profile that any team who has one will be very reluctant to part with them unless a club like the sox literally pay through the nose in terms of giving up one or more of their young studs.

I think the Sox made a run at Carrasco last year but Cleveland's price was too high.