Kimmi

Holt can be a very good value for $2 mil. I am not in any hurry to DFA him.

Dave did good with this deal. He not only got Nunez back for a good price, but he was creative with the AAV. We are right around the point where we can still sign JD and stay under the big tax hit. That $2 mil might be the difference.

Yeah, it's hard to give up a depth player with options over one without. We'll see how badly the Red Sox need that $2 mil.

Exactly. It's not just wishful thinking with these guys. Improvement should be expected.

That's exactly what my point was a a few posts ago. I don't think any of us are expecting career years from these guys, just that they should be better than they were last year. That said, it wouldn't be surprising if one or two of them had breakout years.

Of course that's always possible, but not what is expected, considering that those guys are still reaching their prime, age wise.

Sounds reasonable to me. I really think that being selectively aggressive will help his offense. That, plus being healthy.

Break out the WAPM! Bogaerts could indeed have a breakout. Mookie could have another MVP type season. It's not that far fetched.

Do we have players on our team that you consider to be dinks?

This is what I've read. His salary is not guaranteed if he does not make the team.

I think he is good for the team, even if he doesn't hit like he did for us last year. From everything I've heard, he's great for the clubhouse.

This is what Speier writes about it: Here’s the skinny: Nunez is guaranteed $6 million (the $4 million for 2018 along with the $2 million buyout). Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, player option years are treated as guaranteed. So, for purposes of calculating the team’s payroll for luxury tax purposes, the Nunez deal is treated as a two-year, $8 million deal with an average annual value of $4 million. If Nunez opts out of the contract after one year, the Red Sox would get hit with the difference between what they actually paid Nunez ($6 million) and the number that they were charged for luxury tax purposes ($8 million over two years). However, the difference between those figures – $2 million – will be assessed as part of the calculation of the team’s 2019 payroll for luxury tax purposes, rather than its 2018 number.

Woot! And at a very reasonable price.

I don't know about the year to year break down, but the total of $110 - $115 sounds about right to me. Even though Dombrowski would be outbidding himself, I think it's a small enough sacrifice to make for JD to feel like the Red Sox were at least working with him a little bit. It would go a long way in making JD feel less bitter. In another tweet from Red Sox Stats, Castellano stated that he spoke to JD, and JD said that no team has offered him more than $100 mil.

You are correct. I read that incorrectly.

I don't think anyone is expecting breakout or career seasons from all of these guys. I'm not even expecting Mookie to repeat his 2016 season. But it is very reasonable to expect that most of the guys improve over what they did last season.

'Should' is the key word. And since so many of them took a step backward last year, I think it's reasonable to expect them to take a step forward this year. They are still approaching their prime.

One of the reasons I like you Hitch. You get it.

Yes. I should have read this post before I made my post to you.

Players who are entering their prime should be on the rise, no?

I'm not being overly sensitive. I take it as a compliment that you are unable to debate me without throwing in the condescending remarks. It shows a lack of confidence on your part when you have to resort to such tactics. I'm just pointing out your hypocrisy.

Pedroia referenced it in his press conference yesterday, response to a question about Mookie's and Xander's comments that last season wasn't always fun: “I just think, for whatever reason, I think our overall outlook was really result-oriented that day. I think that can wear on you as an everyday player and as a pitcher because baseball is so hard, you fail seven out of 10 times, you’re really good. And I think if you’re really result-oriented that day the day you can go home and get a good night’s rest is if your team wins by 10 and you go 4-for-4 with four home runs and that’s not realistic. “So instead of looking at the big picture, you show up you do your work, you prepare to beat the other pitcher, you prepare defensively and over the course of the year it’s a process. You’re going to have your 0-for-10s, your 0-for-15s, your 0-for-20s but if you prepare the right way and stick to the plan you’re going to be fine and I think that gives your mind ease. If I put in the work it’s going to be right there. And your teammates see you put in the work, they know it’s going to be there so there’s less stress, there’s less, technically, panic. You know if you put the work in and do the right things you’ll be successful. It’ll be there in the end. “So I think we kind of went away from that and it was more ‘hey what are our results today? We’ve got to do good today,’ Bogey’s got to get four hits today. Mookie’s got to live up to huge expectations instead of being who you are and that’s especially in this environment that’s how you have to be. You have to understand you’re going to be bad and you’re going to be great. So just keep working and stay with what makes you get to that point and you’ll be fine.”

Yes, some of the declines could be traced to injury. But even something like the stat I posted about taking first pitches down the middle should be cause for alarm. That type of approach is probably contributing to the underperformance of players, and is that not a coaching issue?

It looks like Price is planning on sticking it out through his entire contract. He also thinks that JD will eventually sign with the Sox. Sounds reasonable to me. Red Sox Stats ‏ @redsoxstats 36m36 minutes ago Olney on @weei says he's talked to people in Nashville and there is no way Price is opting out even with a great year because of his elbow. Says he's come to accept that this winter and he is focused on making the next 5 years in Boston go well. Also says he fully expects JD Martinez to end up in camp with the Sox eventually. Says he expects once Boras signals to the Red Sox it's time to push a deal across the finish line the Sox will raise their offer a bit to get it done.

Crazy. It looks like the Padres caved and upped their previous offer by one year. Memo to Dave: Stay strong, my man.