moonslav59

Yes, and as much as people are complaining about not spending a lot, this winter, we've actually spent more this winter than most teams. Can I ask you something? Doesn't it suck being a top 3 spending team and sucking, while having a below average farm, at best?

Our defense is lacking at many positions- actually all but maybe one position. Our pitching is anywhere between a big question mark and crap.

Did we not sign Richards, Hernandez & Ottavino (okay add Renfroe, too) with the budget space left open by the loss of the Betts contract? The reality is doom & gloom. This is the cliff you and many of us knew was coming. Why sugar coat it now? That being said, I do think "the cliff" is not as bad as I thought it would be. I see us with an outside chance at making the playoffs, especially if we add a few more low cost pieces, but are the players we just added what you had in mind as what we'd be replacing Betts with? I expected better, but I aslo expected us going over the tax line, this year. I can understand pushing it back a year, but I wasn't expecting this, when we traded Betts.

Yes, 99.9% because of the situation Dave left us in. I get the fact that this is a year after the reset, but we are still spending more than 27 teams, have no farm help for 2020 and would have to go $30M over the lux line to even be the third most favorite team in MLB. You can say that's on Henry, because he is refusing to spend. I say, had Dave left us with a better roster or a better budget, we'd be spending, right now. 99.9% on DD. Don't take that to mean I hate what DD did. I'm thrilled with 2018 and 3 straight AL East fist place finishes. This down time is worth it. That doesn't change whose fault it is.

The truth hurts, sometimes.

Not many repeat names on this list. That being said, I think Betts will age very well. I would have signed him to 12 years.

I can agree to 99.9%.

Yes, and we could even pay part of his salary and still cut a lot from the lux tax budget.

Indeed, but why choose the year he's expected to be on the ML roster to say the trade is basically Sale for Moncada? He did have a pretty decent minor league history (3.05 ERA and 1.21 WHIP)

Or, JD.

LOL Should we be happy Dave got us this number 4?

Kopech does still have 5 years of team control, so I'm not sure writing him off is a good idea, just yet. He is 24 and reached the ML level in 2020.

You'd think with more big games on TV, there's be more money for the pool.

Depends on what they'd have set the budget at for 2022 and 2023, but I'd have liked our chances more.

Okay, I'm no expert on these CBA issues. I did not realize the playoff pool money stays the same while the games increase. That would be a big no from a union man like me. If they shorten the season (and pay) while doing that with the playoffs, I can understand why the union didn't even bother with a counter offer. Like adding the DH makes up for that. The DH is good for the game and owners, too. I get the feeling the next negotiations will be a big pain.

I was for paying Betts. Maybe the hope was we'd be closer to competing by this winter, but they realized one more year was needed, and by not going over in 2021, we could stay big spenders for one more year after we take the plunge. I do think we go over- maybe way over- next winter, despite losing a ton of contracts.

Most likely, but I think it is not unreasonable to think 2021-2022- maybe not to be the favorite, but in the mix.

There are still some high impact free agents on the market, but very few are linked to a possible Sox signing. Personally, I don't think Bauer is "that guy" you put so much of your budget into adding. (Same with Springer & Realmutto.) Here are the top FAs still available (ranked by MLBTR): 1. Bauer 4. Ozuna (We need a SP'er and OF'er, but that doesn't mean automatically sign the top players at those positions.) 11. Odorizzi (Still makes sense, to me, but I seriously doubt we land him.) 14. Turner (We don't need a 3Bman.) 21. JBJ (wants too many years) 22. Paxton (surprise signing, late?) 23. T Walker (see #22) 27. Rosenthal (I doubt we even make an offer.) 46. Porcello (fits the budget but maybe not the need) 47. C Hamels (rather have Porcello) 48. Melancon (would he really be a difference maker?) Honorable mentions of note: Jonathan Schoop Kevin Pillar Brad Miller Shane Greene Jake McGee Brett Gardner Jonathan Villar

They never said we'd go back to spending over the tax line in 2021, but we all kind of expected it. It's not like we're $20M under the line, though, so if we can't put a decent team on the field as the third highest spending team in MLB, something was wrong with the long term plan a few years back. I think we've already done enough to put a decent team on the field but certainly not a top 3 team- not even top 9 or 10. We've improved our long term outlook, for sure. We've set ourselves up to a point where we will be losing some big salary in the next two winter, and much of it is easily replaced when you consider we'll have tens of millions to spend. We would have had to spend like maniacs to be a top contender, this year, so I'm okay with thinking we will go all out next year and be set up for a 3 year window starting in 2022. I'm not sure that is the plan. I'll be more upset, if we don't go over the line, next winter. I'm okay with a longer view. I was hoping we made some big longer term move this winter, but I guess building the farm up can be viewed as "big." Maybe guys like Bauer, Odorizzi and Springer are not the types of players we want to build around. I thought Price was "that type." These three look worse. Now, Odorizzi is not seeking 7 years x $30M either. I tought, and still do, he would fit into a short and long term plan.

I'd say less than 1% on Odorizzi or Ozuna. Less than 20% on Schoop. Less than 50% on Pillar.

This is a tough year to draft, since play was reduced, last year, but you are right. While Trey Ball was a 7th pick, 4th is even more important. We HAVE TO score bigly! Top Sox picks: 3 Mike Garman '67 4 Ken Brett '66 5 Billy Conigliaro '65 7 Beni '15 7 Ball '13 7 Trot Nixon '93 12 Groome '16 12 Adam Everett '98 12 Tom Fischer '88 We haven't had a pick higher than 7th since 1967! Thanks, Dave!

Don't the players get a share of each playoff round they play in? Maybe not enough, but something, right?

b_i_n_g_o!

I'd rather see us sign Schoop & Rosenthal, which I think would allow us to fire sale ourselves back under the tax line, if things go south, but Odorizzi would force a starter to the pen and maybe be even better.

There has been a lot of talk about how very little the Sox have spent in the past 1.5 to 2 years, in terms of new deals and no big deals. I'm just pointing out some needed context. When you are already a top 3 spending team and will still be after the winter moves are made, complaining about not spending enough seems laughable, to me.