Nick

Moon, see what you think We will also get a bump of $9M in 2019 due to increase in CB Tax Threshold. Thus assuming money is not a big deal for Sox (but losing a draft pick is), beginning in 2019, our payroll budget is $206M plus $40M or $246M. Basically we have $16M to play with for assuming no further additions or subtractions during 2018. That amount I think will cover increases in arbitration money. What to do with $22M allotted for Hanley? Xander is already being paid $7M for 2018. Can we not take that money along with $22M from Xander and sign Machado? Or do we extend both Pom and Kimbrel (Hanley's $22M should cover it). Following year, Porcello's $20M, Sandoval's $18M, Moreland's $6.5 along with Nunez' $4M comes off the books. That's total of $50M (rounding off to easy number). Sale is already making $13.5M so it would take additonal $17M to sign him. We'd still have $30M to reinforce our roster OR go ahead and extend Betts. So in theory, we can add/keep JD Martizez, Machado, Betts along with Beni and Devers. We'd still have Sale and Price along with E Rod. If we say good bye to Kimbrel, then maybe we can have both Machado and Pom. I don't see a cliff. (we do need another starter to emerge and a 1B to emerge also, how tough can that be? it's time our farm produced couple of more major leaguers.)

I'm just not in favor of getting rid of JBJ, especially now with Nunez and JD on board. He will be the best CF in the league from 9th spot.

I'd go to Cot's...https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mVYyinHlYUI0gE98AgFFb5tDFIoEatCfqEo2xDfv1NI/pubhtml# It has everything you need to know. Cot has our AAV for 2018 at $229,934,600. CB Tax Threshhold is $197,000,000, we pay 20% penalty on $32,934,600. We also pay 12% surtax on amount over $217,000,000. We have to get to $237,000,000 to get to the max penalty. We still have $7,000,000 for reinforcement at trade dead line. With Nunez on board, it's time to cut the cord with Holt and save $2.225M. It's time.

He'll start the season at age 33 and 34. How tough can it be to DH at age 34? I'm sure he thinks he will play until he's 40.

I'm taking Cora's word for it ... Betts RF Beni LF Nunez 2B (didn't he have the highest OPS last year?) JD DH Devers 3B Xander SS Mitch 1B Vaz C JBJ CF

It now becomes a must see TV. Solid starting line-up daily. Pitching rotation of Price, Sale, Pom, Porcello and E Rod (at some point). I just hope Porcello gets the run support he did two years ago. He may need it. It's worth every bit of $100!!!!!!!!

I think our OF is set and JD is not starting there. I think the team is set as long as everyone stays healthy.

I think you do the right thing. Let winning baseball games dictate the player usage. Hell it's a long season, you never know who gets hurt. You can really rest players if things work out.

I'd forgotten about Nunez.....yikes.

Where's Moon? I think we still have $9M before we hit the magic $40M+tax threshhold. We have enough room to pick up someone at stretch run. This probably assures us that Hanley will not vest and will be let go after this season. From AAV standpoint, we simply replaced Hanley with JD, and we did it year early. I hope Hanley is pissed off that he goes off this year and force the team to play him little more without getting to 496 at bats.

I suggested it and Kimmi agreed on final amount, 5 years and $110M. We're good, Kimmi.

Yeah, basically Hosmer signed for $100M and 5 years or $20M per year. And he can't lose either way. If he's still productive then he can get out of 3 years at $13M OR if he's a bust, he gets to collect $13M sitting on the bench for 3 years. I'm pretty sure that's what Boras sold Hosmer on.

sometimes it's just good to hear a difference voice.

If we sign JD, HRam can be platooned with Moreland at 1B. Give him few more bats at DH. That way we get some value for paying him $22M. But his 2019 season won't be vested. I serious doubt you'd find any takers that will pay more than $10M of $44M. Get some value in 2018, then save entire $22M in 2019, 50% savings versus 25% savings, and we get 400 at bats for 2018.

Ball's in JD's hand....He can be mad at the world but fair value is what willing buyer and seller comes to terms. He is overestimating his value. Does he really think he'll have more leverage by sitting out a year or settling for a one year deal? Next year's free agent class is loaded and he'll be year older. If I'm Boras, I'd ask for graceful ending with Sox. Beg for few extra millions and be done with it. But he's not getting another year and I only see increase of say $10M over 5 years. That's absolute max. Hell, DD may not want to do that.

Why do we need JD? Does he have leadership quality? How do you know? How many leaders do you need on a team? Can a guy be a leader one season but not the next? Was Pedey ever a leader? Was he a leader when he threw his teammates under the bus? Is he still a leader? Or did we make a mistake that he was a leader when in fact he was not, just pretending to be one? Does Boras ever ask for more money because a guy is a 'proven' leader? Do you take a poll of players and see who is the leader? Is it like God? You can't see it but you know it exists? Is being a good teammate a prerequisite to being a leader? Can you be a leader from day 1? Or do you become a leader after hitting .300 or winning 15 games as a pitcher? Why don't you tell me who the leaders are on this Sox team. I will tell you if we have enough to win the Division.

Maybe instead of wasting $25M on JD we should go look for a "leader".

So you are admitting 'production' > intangibles? You think Ortiz would be loved if he was batting .220? Yes, I do have you. Baseball is a collection of individual talents. Better production beats better leadership. How in the f*** can you refute that?

Laugh all you want......give me statistical leader at every position and I'll beat your leadershipass every time.

in baseball, talent > leadership. We don't share the ball. Every at bat is on you. If I go 4-4 with 4 home runs, I've done pretty much all I can as a hitter. I can be a dick, no one has to like me. I don't need to exhibit leadership skills. My night was perfect. Give me that guy over a leader any day of the week. You guys are getting deep into weeds. Baseball is not complicated.

My apologies. I was thinking we should give him 400 at bats this year and let his contract die.

I apologize if I'm wrong but when do we have to release him? I'm thinking we should give him a platooning opportunity for 2018.

Are you serious? What makes you think another team will want his contract if we don't want it? If he clears waivers, then what are you going to do? Release him? A la Sandoval? Then another team picks him up for league minimum and we're stuck with his 2018 salary and assuming he gets enough at bats, we're stuck with his vesting option for 2019, $22M. I'm not anti Hanley. I'm just looking ahead. Essentially I value Sale and Betts more than I value Hanley. I would like to add JD and/or Machada. Something has to go and I'm proposing Hanley's $22M for 2019, Porcello's $20M for 2019, Kimbrel's FA contract for 2019. It's about choices. I think it's irresponsible to throw out signings, trades, FA acquisition without looking at the total picture. My propsal allows us to pick up Machado, Sale and Betts for $30M, re-sign Pom or someone comparable for $25M. We'll need one young bat to emerge, a #5 starter to emerge and bullpen to be filled on the cheap.

We definitely know the posters who thought "what's the big deal? it's only $13M". We're still boxed in sort of speak from Sandoval contract. I get it that we have more resources than other teams. But without some control, ie luxury threshhold, we'll continue to spend unwisely. We may go over the tax limit, but it better be a good buy. PS. Say what you will about Moreland signing, from where I sit, if it prevents Hanley from gaining vesting rights for 2019 (and $22M), it's a good deal. On surfance his signing brings back entire starting lineup. It's a good place to start. He will give us $6.5M value.

I have Pom at $25M, I have $32M reserved for arb increases. (if Porcello has a great year, then maybe we can keep him. It just means we'll be over $20M above the luxury tax for 2018: we can reset for 2020) There seems to be consensus we shouldn't spend too much on bullpen. Obviously if we start blowing several games, I'd be first to be complaining. I'm not enamored with Kelly to be honest. He throws hard STRAIGHT balls. 2018 we have both E Rod and Porcello 2019 we still have E Rod, Did You Forget about him? I believe Sox have stated their preference is to have full time DH but maybe it can be a shared position, Maybe it should be Pedroia starting as early as 2019. His body is going south fast. Again, if you have Betts and Machado in the lineup along with Beni and Devers, we should be able to score. I'm just not as concerned about our team as others at this point. I would love to have Nunez at right price thought. We can give him enough bats.