Rose was the last player-manager, if you count that. Reportedly both Barry Larkin and Paul Konerko were offered chances for that role but turned them down.
The last player-coach (who didn’t manage) I can think of was Ron Schueler, who was a relief pitcher for the 1979 White Sox and also the pitching coach under player-manager Don Kessinger…
So you think this rebuilding team should treat down and rebuild again?
This team won 78 games with a staff where two of the top three in IP were in their first full season. Add some live arms at the top of that rotation.
Beyond that opinions are divided as to what else this team needs. Some say the most important thing is to upgrade the defense. Others say a RH power bat tops all. Others also have said this team needs to return to its OBP approach.
These three traits need not be mutually exclusive. If the Sox could find a RHH patient high-OBP hitter with power who is capable of playing RF at Fenway, that would be perfect.
Luckily have done my research on this and found just such a player. And the good news is he is available this off-season. The bad news is that Dwight Evans is 70 years old…
I would have been fine with dealing Paxtin (and others?) and at least committing one way out the other. Heck I would have been fine with the dual but/sell approach. Any thing would have been a step up over the second straight thing dealing. All that was missing this year was another press conference about how another player no one wanted “fell in to his lap.”
As for trading Martin and Jansen solely for reasons related to age discrimination, I don’t really think it’sa big deal, assuming t to have buyers for their salary (which will be tougher for Jansen than Martin). But don’t get to overcommitted to the logic that relief pitchers are inconsistent, because it’s the wrong way to look at that. I read it in someone’s signature out here once
If all these Sox players like Brasier, Eovaldi, Martinez, Hernandez, Wacha, etc. just got much better once they left Boston - and they appeared to do so - shouldn’t this say something about Cora?
If we’re being honest, are you one of those “get rid of everyone and start over from scratch” types?
Because
1. That’s how this all started, and
2. This is still a 78 win team despite people acting like it’s a 54 win team. The jump from 78 to 90 isn’t all that big…
This story seems a little convoluted and the version we are getting might not be accurate. At some point, didn’t Eovaldi turn down or at least walk away from “the exact amount Bloom offered him?”
There is a $20mill vesting option for 2025.
Eovaldi would need to pitch 156 IP next season for the option to vest. That’s not a given considering he has only reached that total twice in his 12 year career…
Two of the three remaining AL teams were clearly all in at the deadline. Texas all but crawled in to the post season but did so with Scherzer and Montgomery on their roster, and the Astros did with Verlander, who was acquired with an offer the Orioles could have easily topped…