Bellhorn04

The arbitration system itself is kind of wonky. Maybe they should just have an arbitrator assign salaries to the players and do away with any negotiations altogether. What's the point of having a process that everyone wants to avoid?

Man, are things so bad that we're talking about trading for a guy another team just traded for?

That's true, but since buying the team JH has demonstrated commitments to spending and winning. Some of that surely comes from a perceived correlation between on-field success and the economic value of 'the brand'.

To me it's just about adapting to ever-changing circumstances. Some of the Red Sox current payroll issues have nothing whatever to do with mad spending. They have to do with an increasingly quirky pay system that sees a player like Mookie Betts go from minimum wage to $28 million with the team doing nothing.

That's certainly the way it's been going. My only point is that all the revenue comes from the fans, so if the attendance and viewership keep declining, something's gotta give.

I'm no economist, but if attendance is down and viewership is down, how can salaries keep going up?

The main takeaway is that salaries still haven't stopped escalating, which is pretty amazing.

Strasburg's deal includes some deferred money.

8 * 37.5 mill = a nice even 300 mill.

Strasburg stays with Nats. 7/245 Wow.

All starting pitchers are too expensive LOL

Assuming the rumor is accurate, the fact they're even talking to Porcello is sort of interesting. At the moment the Red Sox seem to be in kind of a holding pattern...possibly trying to consummate a trade for Price or Eovaldi. In the meantime some of the cheaper starting pitching options are coming off the board.

Ha, just posted this on moon's thread.

In a bit of a surprise, MLBTR reports that the Red Sox remain engaged in discussions with Porcello.

JBJ was on fire in last spring's games, IIRC. Didn't translate to a good start.

Gammons seems to be suggesting that the Yanks and Cole already have a deal in place.

Personally I would rather keep both Price and Eovaldi. But I'd certainly rather see one of them go than Betts or JDM.

The Red Sox FO doesn't need a trade simulator...they need a trade stimulator.

The Red Sox have stated that it's a "goal, but not a mandate" to get the payroll below $208 million for luxury tax purposes for 2020. $208 million is the "first tax threshold" for 2020. If they can get below that number, they will not only avoid paying luxury tax for the first time in 3 years, their tax rate for 2021 will be re-set to the lowest rates. According to Cot's Contracts, which is as far as I can tell the most accurate, comprehensive and easy to understand of all the payroll trackers, the Red Sox 2020 payroll for tax purposes currently sits at $218,367. This includes estimates for all arbitration salaries, plus the other stuff that has to be added in, including player benefits of about $15 million. So the daunting task assigned to Chaim Bloom and the rest of baseball ops and bean-counters is to somehow shave about $10.5 million of payroll. They could actually achieve this in one simple stroke by removing Jackie Bradley Jr., whose arbitration estimate is $11.5 million. But of course there are other things to be considered, such as who would replace JBJ, who will replace Rick Porcello in the rotation etc. Other prime candidates to be removed from payroll: Mookie Betts - $27.5 million arbitration estimate JD Martinez - $22 million AAV David Price - $31 million AAV (but the Red Sox would almost certainly have to pay at least half of it if they trade him) Nathan Eovaldi $17 million AAV

If/when they trade Price it's because they're dead serious about cutting payroll. Hopefully we can get away with just trading Price or Eovaldi and Bradley.

Then of course there's Waiting for Godot. Now that was a tedious wait.

Cole has refuted the California bias thing. He also has family in the NY area. Maybe it's just part of the ploy to drive up the price. But maybe he just wants the most ridiculous contract any pitcher has every received, and it looks like he will get it and by a good margin.

This might be the perfect season to not contend, sad as it may be. Especially if the Yankees sign Cole as it appears they are going to do their utmost to do.

It feels kind of like the eerie calm before the storm. What will the big news be? Betts traded, JD traded, Bradley traded, Price traded, Eovaldi traded? It seems like at least one of those things has to happen fairly soon, otherwise everything stays in limbo.

"The waiting is the hardest part." - Tom Petty