moonslav59

The one thing about the Yanks is that I do think they have limits on their budgets, so if they end up going silly on Soto, it could significantly affect their future spending, to the point where it hurts them. The same could be said about the Sox future budgets.

Does the "EBAY+ auction include factoring in taxes and cost of living between NYC and Boston? I guess one could also factor in endorsement possibilities between the two cities as being a plus to NYC.

I'm not so sure the owner's net wealth is as big a factor as you make it out to be. JH is filthy rich, too, and when we are talking about adding another $10-20M, spread over 13-14 years, the percent of cost vs net wealth between Cohen and JH is negligible. If the bidding goes beyond the point of reason (Has it already?) then I guess you can say that if Cohen wants Soto, at any cost, he will win. We know JH sets limits.

The timing depends on other team's asking Soto's agent to "check back" before agreeing with another team. It sounds like the Yankees have moved on from that point. Maybe the Mets are still in that mode. Maybe the Dodgers have asked they be consulted, at the last minute, if such asks are for real. I keep pinching myself to see, if this is all for real.

I understand why we value players differently. I don't understand why STEAMER moves Abreu's defense from +6.3 to -3.1 for 2025. That makes no sense, to me. They also moved his offense from 8.5 to 3.9- a more than 50% drop off. To be fair, they did this to Robles: -0.4 to -4.2 on D and +20.7 to + 5.1 on O (a 75% drop on O.) I think we do match up for a major trade, especially with Castillo. (I agree that Yoshida is highly unlikely as part of a SEA-BOS trade, even as just a money balance.) Of course, if SEA does not value Mayer, Meidroth, DHam or Grissom , then a deal may not work. I doubt we trade Campbell, but if we offered him, I think that changes the likelihood. Involving a third team makes projecting a trade nearly impossible.

What I believe and what 30 other GMs believe may not be the same. I get that. Obviously, they think the PR hit is not worth the possible upside of signing him. I'm just giving my opinion, knowing it does not mesh with others, in this case. I'd sign him to a cheap deal, if we add Soto. I think the massive high we'd get from a Soto signing would help canceL out the negative PR from adding Bauer.

"Cost controlled" at negative value according to some. You can sign a similar pitcher at the same money- even a younger one. Abreu may end up as nothing more than an excellent platoon RF'er, but he has 5 years of control and should improve with age. Of course, Mayer's value is speculative, but so were the prospects you guys traded to get Castillo, in the first place. I think Castillo is clearly in decline. He turns 32, soon. I think you may be thinking he's worth more than he is worth- perhaps the same way we are overvaluing Abreu and Mayer. It's hard to know how much SEA's top brass values players like Mayer and Abreu. Hell, they may want someone else, we haven't even thought of.

My guess is the Mets will or already have countered with something higher than $625/13. With taxes and personal preferences on where to play, maybe a slightly higher offer will not be enough for the Mets to get the prize. I have to think the Sox can and should add a year and another $20-25M. It would bring down the AAV, which might help us stay under the tax line for a year or two, along the way. (Of course the Mets could add a year or two, as well.) I have no evidence to prove this, but I'm thinking Soto might prefer BOS and lower taxes. The Dominican connection may be overblown, but I'm sure when Soto was growing up, watching Manny, Pedro and Papi on the Sox must have made an impression. Being teammates with Devers might tip the choice to Boston. Maybe, I'm being a homer, here, but it's the time of year where hopes and dreams take over.

Major politically incorrect situations can and are forgotten very quickly, in today's society. It would be an issue for about a day- maybe a second day or third, if he gets the call.

Well said. I think a lot of focus is given to "recency" as a pitchers is about to turn 32. OPS Against: .611 age 29 .671 age 30 .705 age 31

Harms has it in for Mayer and always like their prospects more than ours. His point about Robles being better than Abreu makes sense, but they can make room for Abreu's bat vs RHPs by DH'ing him or Robles/Arozarena vs righties.

We know you think every SEA starter is better than our starters. Sox fans probably overvalue SEA pitchers due to park factors inflating their stats. When looking at a trade that involves Castillo and Yoshida, I think the expected further decline of Castillo should be considered. I also think figuring the money saved by SEA would be used to upgrade another area of need should be considered. I know you do not value Mayer & Meidroth as highly as Sox fans or BTV, but having him on your roster would improve it and possibly allow you to trade an IF prospect or player to make room for them. (Neither need to be on the 40, which is a benefit, although not for 2025, if the plan is to play one or both.)

Castillo is a negative on BTV, but we all think that is wrong. I guess we could change the $15M to $24 or $27M to help even it out, but BTV frowns on that, too. Maybe SEA could add another piece in the return, even if just a prospect. How about Mayer, Meidroth & Yoshida for Castillo and Andres Munoz?

So? Nobody would care about PR, with Soto added to the roster. Bauer would be forgotten in a day, unless he ends up getting to the bigs. You mentioned the Dermody situation, before. Are you so sure he'd have been DFA'd had he pitched very well that one game?

Would SEA do Mayer & Yoshida for Castillo and $15M? Would BOS?

Nobody wants to give Bauer a big contract. Most likely it would be $1M or even a minor league deal with an opt out, if not on the ML roster by a certain date. Nobody is thinking that adding him fills an immediate slot in the rotation. He would be signed as possible rotation depth by summer, at the earliest. Nobody is saying that signing him is a good PR move, but if done in the shadow of a Soto addition, I doubt it would matter.

Last year, their RF'er, Haniger, batted .620 and their DH, Garver, batted .627. Their overall numbers at those two positions were better (.716 & .673,) but adding a bat like Abreu to RF, while improving their RF defense would be a major boost. Yoshida is better than Haniger and Garver, their two primary DH's in 2024. I'm not sure, if Meidroth wins the 3B job, but the Mariners had a .643 OPS at 3B in 2024. I'm super high on Jh Garcia, but he's a year or two away. The money part could be adjusted by us adding some cash going to the M's, but they do save some by swapping Castillo's deal for Yoshida's. $22.75M x 3 vs $18M x 3. While $17M does not seem like much, it might be enough to sign a RP'er for $9M x 2. If we add $5-10M in the deal, they could sign someone like Holmes and break even.

I'm a huge Jh Garcia fan, but I think I'd trade Abreu, Jh Garcia & Meidroth for Luis Castillo + 1/3 his contract (about $8M x 3 years.) It would lower Castillo's tax number to $13.6M. I wonder what the trade would be like with no money involved- maybe drop García or Meidroth? (I gotta say it: take away the money and add Yoshida and Garver- done deal.)

Some big upsets, today. It looks like ALA may sneak in, afterall. My top 15 teams: 1. ORE 12-0 (plays Penn St) 2. Texas 11-1 (plays Georgia) 3. Penn St. (Plays Ohio St) 4. Notre Dame 11-1 5. Ohio St 10-2 6. Georgia 10-2 (plays Texas) 7. Indianna 11-1 8. Tennessee 10-2 9. SMU 11-1 (plays Clemson) 10 Boise St. 11-1 (plays UNLV) 11. Alabama 9-3 12. So. Carolina 9-3 13. Ole Miss 9-3 14. Miami 10-2 15. AZ St. 9-3 (plays COL for Big 12 Championship and top 4 berth) Clemson 9-3, IA St 10-2, UNLV 10-2, COL 9-3 (plays AZ St for Conf champ) The college FB Playoffs seed the big 4 conference winners 1-4, so AZ St or COL will get a vert fortunate placement, while better teams have to win a game to advance. The Oregon-Penn St winner should be #1. The loser maybe be the 5-7 seed. The Texas-Georgia winner should be #2. The loser might be #5-7, if Texas or 9-12, if GA. The SMU-Clemson winner will be top 4 seeded. If Clemson loses, they should be out of the top 12. If SMU loses they may slide in at #12. Probably not. The AZ St-COL winner is the 4 seed, while the loser is out. #5 should be ND or the loser of ORE-Penn St. #7 should be the loser of GA-TX or Indiana/Tennessee/Ohio St. (#8-10) Boise St and SMU could move up to #9 or 10, assuming they win, but maybe not. If one loses, AL likely makes it to #12. So. Carolina and Ole Miss could make a case over AL.

I was going to get greedy and add a trade for Crochet, but I'm already beyond the "realistic."

Sign: Soto, Fried, Scott and Higgy. Trade: Abreu, Cespedes, Fitts and Yoshida for Arenado & Helsley. Rotation: Fried, Houck, Bello, Crawford, Giolito (AAA: Criswell, Priester, Fitts, Dobbins) Pen: Scott, Helsley, Slaten, Whitlock, Hendriks, Winckowski, Guerrero, Wilson (AAA: Bernardino, Fulmer, Penrod, Kelly, Weissert, Campbell, Booser, Mata) 1. Duran CF 2. Soto LF 3. Casas DH (1B) 4. Devers 1B (DH) 5. Story SS 6. Anthony RF 7. Campbell 2B 8. Arenado 3B 9. Higgy-Wong C Bench: Rafaela, DHam, Refsnyder, Wong/Higgy (AAA: Teel, Gasper, Grissom, Romy, Mayer, Meidroth, Valdez, Sogard, Zavala)

Go 15 years and keep the AAV as low as possible. I know the league has issues with teams going too long to lower the AAV, but 15 years would go to age 41. We could also pull a Dodger and defer some money to bring the AAV down.

Trey Ball & Jay Groome. Nuff said.

Of course. If he was the second or third pitcher added, probably a no as well.

Agreed. Soto, Fried, Scott and a defensive catcher, and we should be a top 4-6 contender. We could also make a trade for another pitcher, and be a top 3-4 contender.