moonslav59

He did mention stepping back, but at age 25, Yamo will be around for when he decides to pounce, again. (Not that $350 for Yamo is less than a pounce.) I do think he has an upper limit and plan B, though.

You think it gets to $340-350M? I doubt the Sox go that far. They could probably get Monty and Imanaga (maybe even a 2Bman, too) for the same money, but not AAV.

That butterfly flapped its wings, so long ago.

Soxprospects says: for JBay 36. Brentz 57. Workman for Wagner 20, Vitek 39. Ranaudo

I hope Yamamoto did not want the secrecy Ohtani demanded, and some fool on the Sox leaked the offer amount. As far as I know, no other team released an offer amount.

So, reports out that we offered Yamo $300M. I think that makes us a top 3 choice.

I wonder, if it's a "final offer."

We were lucky to dump CC, but we had to give up AGon & Beckett to do it. Not like losing Betts with Price, but still...

That did not end well, but the beginning and middle more than made up for the end. Plus, we got JBay for one year. We then got Workman with JBay's comp pick and Pivetta in a trade for Workman. We are still seeing results from that trade, today!

B-R shows he made $507K in his final year in STL.

Who is left (of Sox interest)? Tier 1: Yamamoto Trade candidates Tier 2: Snell Monty Kershaw to LAD or retire?) Trade candidates Tier 3: Imanaga (Tier 2?) -hopefully as our second best SP added Stroman - hopefully as our second best pitcher added. (Imanaga + Stroman might work, but I'd be bummed.) Giolito Clevinger Ryu Duvall (OF) Gurriel (OF) Garver (C/DH) Tier 4: Montas- acceptable, only if Yamo is our first SP signing Paxton - acceptable, only if Yamo is our first SP signing Merrifield (2B) A Rosario (SS/2B) Manaea Lorenzen Turner (DH/1B)

I think Lugo, Wacha and maybe ERod were sort of fall-back options. It's still concerning they are off the boards, if and when we end up missing out on Yamo, Snell and Monty. Maybe we have always viewed Imanaga (or Stroman) as out top fall-back guy, so the plan B is still alive. I'm very concerned, too, bell.

Yes, and he was his own agent. He was underpaid for many years.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I am, too. I'm actually expecting us to miss out on Yamo and Monty, and maybe Imanaga, too. I think our chances are better than you and others seem to think, but my hopes are not based in any facts, except maybe these... We did just extend Devers to the 12th biggest contract in MLB history. We apparently blew everybody away on a guy we have always wanted: Yoshida. The Story signing was not really chump change. We did offer Eflin the same as anyone else. We did offer Nate more than Texas, but bumbled that by spending elsewhere, before he came back to jus, hat in hand. BTW, it appears Nate wanted to play for the "losing" team, and if anyone knew the Sox, it was him. I know, using examples of where we botched things up seems counter to my point, but if it's about the money, there are 5 examples since March 2022, where we have show we are moving away from the period that began after the extensions to Bogey & Sale and Nate trade & extension- Spring '19 to Spring '22. That was a three year stretch of a near total reluctance to spend big. I'm hoping things have changed and we continue to make some serious investments in our 26 man roster, but again, I'll believe it when I see it.

Many of the exceptions extend with their teams at discount rates, before they reach free agency, and we don't count them. Bogey did. Pedey did. Ortiz did it several times.

Possibly counter-offers. I'm pretty sure some teams said, please come back to us, before you sign with someone else. That being said, I think he signs by Monday night.

They may want to, but they almost always take the highest offer, unless it's real close.

If the big committee has decided we will "spend what it takes" to get Yamo or Monty, does it matter how the choice was made? If not, Jad is right- "Meet the new boss..."

Exactly. In one breathe he says we should not overpay free agents and trade suspects, instead, then acts upset the Royals are overpaying for third tier free agents, instead of us. Those three are all Bloom type signings, hell, two were Bloom signings!

Also, I thought he ended up playing for the minimum w STL that final year, didn't he?

I don't disagree, but both gave us more than just one good October: Lackey 3.52 (189 IP) in '13 3.82 (198) in '14 (3.60 w BOS in 137 IP before the trade) Had we gotten a better return for him, it would not have looked so bad. Price: Led the league in GS (35) and 230 IP his first year ('16) 3.99 3.38 in 75 IP in '17 hurt 3.58 in 176 in '18 helped us have the greatest season in Sox history, by the numbers. Yes, both were disappointments, but we could sure use some numbers like these, now. (Just not at that price.)

I’d do this deal without the OFer coming to us with Miller. I’d even add more.

Like Sale & Jansen?

Could the Giants be a source of a good young pitcher with years of team control? https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/12/giants-considering-trading-from-group-of-young-pitchers.html

I hope I'm wrong. I think the sham continues, at least one more winter.