moonslav59

The only successful businessmen are those who concentrate all of their resources into just one venture. Thus spoke The Big Corner.

Red's Big Corner, where he goes to hear what the "true" pulse of Sox Nation thinks is the final arbiter. None of us can possibly know what a wide variety of opinions exists outside our little corner at Talksox. We all need to just get out more, and we'll see the light and agree with Red on everything. The majority of Sox Nation or what he thinks the majority thinks can never be wrong... (I don't want to bother putting this in green.)

Yes, but not because JH spent less than other years. Our payroll has been top 4 in Sox history in 2 of the last 3 seasons. It's been top 5 in the last 3 seasons (not adjusted for inflation, granted.) Other teams are spending like maniacs, and we get pissed Jh won't.

Yes, we forced many to "walk." Others chose to walk or were never offered a new contract.

Only Cora matters, right? Thus spoke The Big Corner.

Will you stop this whole you are the only worldly one on this site, unless we "see and hear" what you do? I used to chuckle at it. Now it's tiring and boring.

What is going on with the Sox payroll? The real problem is what's going on with more and more other teams' payrolls. CB Tax lines: (from 2004-2011, pre CB Tax, it was $116M to $174M) $Millions 178 in '12 178 '13 186 '14 199 '15 204 '16 192 '17 239 '18 244 '19 185 '20 208 '21 236 '22 222 '23 The Devers extension kicks in in 2024 and the tax line is $237M in 2024.

Like when I said we might be spoiled, you answered, You still don’t get it at all. Spoiled? How does not liking finishing in last place 3 out of the last 4 years being spoiled? Where did I equate "not liking" finishing in last place 3 of 4 years to being spoiled. You took it to that point. It wasn't even close to the point I was making. Everything is black and white to you, then you fall back on, "we all have our opinions" BS. Many expect JH to spend whatever it takes to win. Many expect our GMs to get things right, almost all the time, and if we don't beat out 20 other teams enough time, head must roll. To me, you can be pissed at GM incompetence. You can be upset the filthy rich owner doesn't spend enough, but join the club of other team fans that lose more than the win. It's my opinion, Sox fans feel entitled to win every few years, or the blame game kicks into hyperdrive. I admit, I do it, too, sometimes, but to me, this can be seen as being spoiled. When the team had not won a ring in 80+ years, I did not get the sense of Sox fan entitlement. I think we got spoiled, once we won 1, 2 then 3 rings. After the 4th ring, it seems to be expected, or else. Just my opinion. Cue: how the big corner disagrees and I'm in a tiny minority who refuses to understand other disagree beyond what I read, here.

Sox meet with Yamo... https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/12/yoshinobu-yamamoto-rumors-red-sox-blue-jays.html

No. I'd be happy with Burnes (extended) and Lugo plus a good all around 2Bman.

If it is, the sham should be clear for all to see, even if we add a decent 2Bman, Catcher and RF'er, too.

I'm thinking we sign Monty or Lugo. We'll trade Mayer, Yorke and whoever pitcher out of Wikelman, Perales or one from the 26 man roster that Brez likes the least for an ace type pitcher

I could see this, easily. Who is our second arm? A trade? Flaherty? Giolito? Lorenzen?

Is that the same as what Kennedy, Bloom & Co have been saying? "Want" vs "will" is a big difference.

All that matters is the Big Corner agrees with Red, so it's a fact. He won't answer the question about which record he'd rather have over the last 21 years, without twisting his answer into 4 years with Boston and 17 with LAD, which in itself is absurd. We were better in more than just 4 years.

It's all so black and white with you. Where did I say it was okay to like finishing in last place? Your whole "you still don't get it..." shpeel is old and tired, and it's usually followed by something that is your opinion and not a fact, and whether the majority on your corner agree with you or not, it doesn't make it true. I'm not happy with us losing, but 29 teams do, every year, and more than half miss the playoffs, every year. Many teams have missed the playoffs more often than we have, even over these past 4-5 years. You feel we are entitled to win and should cry and mona and call for heads to roll, if we don't. You "still don't get it."

Agreed. At least Pirates fans know there is no effort and no hope. The team is not trying to sham them into thinking it will change.

He is saving the one he thinks he wants to sign with for last. Makes sense.

I'm with you. While I am holding out hope, I refuse to accept things have changed, until I see it happen. I thought Gray was a good idea due to the shorter deal. I think ERod probably wanted to avoid BOS, but I could be wrong. I'd prefer Monty, Imanaga, and of course Yamo to ERod, anyway, so until they are off the boards (and trades are done), a final grade cannot be given.

We were never getting Ohtani or Nola. Gray might have been a steal. We don't know how active he is on pursuing Yamo, or even Snell and Monty. He might be going toe-to-toe. For argument's sake, say the Yamo bidding ends at $360M/12, but JH set the limit at $350M (not likely, but follow along,) who's fault is it, if he signs elsewhere for more? It can't be Breslow's. Are we really going to bash JH for not going to $360 on a kid who has never played MLB? There has to be a line, where it becomes insane. We all probably have a different number in mind. (Jad's is probably $3 billion.)

Yes, I know the difference, but I was answering an inquiry. Also, the tactics amount to the same thing: skirting the AAV and tax system. Differments are fine, but his years of control is 10. IMO, the rule should be the AAV is $70M x 10.

Why don't they deserve an owner that wants to win? Fine, throw out the bottom 10 budget teams, except the Rays, and there are still 10+ teams that all have fanbases that have legitimate gripes about not winning rings and really not trying hard to. IMO, we have not tried hard to win since 2018. I think this all began when JH let KImbrell and Kelly go, without trying to replace them in kind. It's been 5 full years. Other cities have gone way longer than that. Don't get me wrong: I want JH to snap out of his funk and join the big boys, again. I'm just saying, I think we have become spoiled, to some extent. The fan base seems angrier, now than during all the gaffes and heartbreaks from the decades before JH .

Yes. My point is, we let stars go, before. We had spending lulls, before. There was not a big problem with that, until we stopped winning rings. Two sets of last place finishes in 3 of 4 years set off a hunt for the reason why. IMO, it has not been just one thing, but letting stars go is not high on my list, except Betts. Spending cuts hurt the team from 2019-2021, but we had 2-3 year stretches of that before. (Being coupled with losing Betts & others hurt.) To me, the main reasons were: A weaker than weak farm pipeline, highlighted by the stretch from Devers to Bello/Casas. Poor winter budget spending with too little focus on spending on pitching. Letting stars go and cutting winter budgets. A choice to roll the dice on too many oft-injured players. The perfect storm of all these factors went beyond what FEMA could fix.

All the top 11 signings were from Crawford in 2011 and afterwards. The whole top 13 were from Lackey in 2010 and beyond. Of course, contract costs skyrocketed, and Manny was signed before the JH era. Those big signings, back then, when adjusted for inflation and MLB inflation were better. Papi, Pedro, Damon, Foulke, Mueller, Beltre, Beckett. Sure, we had some bad ones, but out hit rate was much higher, so we could absorb them. The farm pipeline helped, too.

One could argue the Porcello contract was just okay, but I agree. The interesting thing is, that from the great stretch of winning, we still let a lot of good to great players walk. (Yes, a few past prime, but some, not really.) Nixon DLowe Nomar Mueller Pedro Manny Youk Papelbon Damon Beltre Agon Beckett Jake Lester, Lester, Doubront, Peavy & Miller, the year after 2013. Hell, some cried we let Masterson go. These are guys let go or traded before DD & Bloom.