oldtimer

Not exactly tearing the cover off the ball tonight, are they?

Young players tend to be underpaid, especially when they turn out to be stars or near stars. Arbitration does boost their pay over time and we will see Mookie in his 4th year of arbitation get paid very well (Moon estimates $28 mil). Most businesses today have risk managers who would look the length of contract as a dollar value. Trying to understand risk as its long term effect on the team's success seems like a complex thing. Ten years could indeed leave the Sox in a tough position for multiple years. I tend to like shorter contracts but free agency is a competitive business. If he truly looks to take the highest paying and longest contract out there, it may well be more than he is worth to the Sox, considering the risk. I can see the dilemma of wanting to keep such a good young player while on the other hand not wanting to handcuff the team going forward. Guys like Devers will also be coming along and looks like he will also draw star contract levels. I have expressed in the past that the clubs should set up a structure of a percent of the budget (assuming $208Mil -$15 mil is the target budget) for each group (pitching and field players) and further budget withing those groups %tages for Ace through 5th starters and Closers through set up men and BP arms. Do the same for field players (up the middle, key positions, DH, etc). Once those %tages are in the plan, it would point out when the contract is too rich and also might point out how many younger players need to be on the roster. Do the Sox have such a plan now? Certainly didn't look that way under DD. Right now the Sox are messed up from a poorly structured set of contracts with 3 possible underperforming pitchers getting a big share and also Pedroia being sunken money. We also have Bogie, JDM and soon to be Betts big contracts along with JBJ's likely price. I would think the Sox should attempt to bring a planned salary structure in over a period of years and stick with it unless there are very strong reasons to deviate. The $208 million is by no means a small total budget and a good GM should be able to live within that number.

It's a dilemma with no correct answer. Whatever the new GM does, he will be criticized.

That has been Cora's mo all season and I believe a weak spot in his style. Of course its arguable that resting players at times may improve the overall results, I just hate to see us playing with a couple of weaker players and then lose by one. My main gripe is that many on the team lack that refuse to lose mentality and parade up to the plate and back. Are we not that good? Is there a lack of drive and desire? Is that coaching sub-standard. I don't know the answers to those questions, but we certainly look very weak as a team so something is wrong.

I don't think we can mess with GM candidates before the season ends for the teams and maybe not before the WS or we will be called for tampering. The sooner we can get our guy the better. We need a mover and shaker since this team seems to be too complacent and in a season long malaise. The manager, coaches and players need to show some fire. Tough on the guys who do as many of them have already packed it in.

We didn't put our best team on the field last night. Cora chose to rest a couple of players. Owings is not ml caliber, makes you wonder why the Sox got him. We are going to be a well rested team in October sitting on the couch and watching the playoffs. I do believe it is on the Mgr., coaches and players. I see little fire with maybe the exception of Mookie of late. A few young players who are out to make a splash would pick up this teams energy level if not talent. Our inability to score against so so pitching is equally hurting us. Our new GM has got to be a bit of a hard ass to get things stirred up a bit and players seeing the game as more than a pay check.

Cora is back to resting players, Bogaerts tonight, maybe Betts tomorrow. Thats Cora's style as he thinks that the turf in Toronto is tough on players. We are playing with less than a full deck and some of those are slumping. Bring in some young players. What difference does it make.

Yes, I knew that but I didn't know the statements about $257 Mil were usiing Castillo's cost until I saw it in the string.

Trades usually work with both parties getting something nearly equal in value which fits their parrticular needs. In this case we got very little and they got something pretty good. Bad result for us but that can and will happen. If it happens too often, the GM may pay the price.

It is confirmed that Cora will be back next year and he probably will have learned from what worked and what didn't this year. One wonders if there will be changes in any of the coaches though. Is it all on the players or are the coaches also held accountable when the results in their area of expertise are subpar? Thats up to the insiders on the team to answer as I doubt fans really have access to enough information to make an informed judgment. Whoever the new GM is, I hope he has the strength of will to get rid of those who underperform whether they be players, coaches or even the manager.

Some names to consider Mike Hazen Matt Arnold Michael Girsch Probably restricted from having conversations until after the WS.

Maybe that explains it. I was thinking it might have been one more reason for firing DD.

I didn't miss JDM, he is listed under possible Opt Out. I also have several who I don't see as detrius that are possible trades and/or DFAs. I certainly am not for blowing the team up. It probably won't be necessary to get below $208 mil for the reset. I did miss Duran though and he could make the team next season as an outfielder. The next GM will have some tough decisions and JDM and perhaps Mookie may make them for him.

An article today under Red Sox Rumors claims we are going to be at $257 mil this year so the draft may be impacted again/I wonder if that number got DD fired?

That's a lot of money, particularly when coupled into a long term contract. Injuries or declining performance are always a consideration. He is really a top of the line players so it is hard to assess what is fair but I would like us to stay strong 1 through 9 and also have good pitching. Will he accept a fair and equitable decision or will he just look for top dollar anywhere? Maybe paying top dollar for a DH is hampering us somewhat in making the Mookie decision. There are financial limits and in the not too distant future Devers will also command big money.

For 2020 the New GM will have his hands full with the roster. I expect him to think along the lines stated below: Core Keepers: Bogaerts, Vazquez, Rodriguez, Benintendi, Devers, D Hernandez, Walden and Taylor Those we will have on contract that we can't move: Price, Sale, Eovaldi, Pedroia (hope for the best) Those we expect to keep: Betts, Barnes, Workman, Holt, Chavis,Latkins, Maddox, Weber, Chacin, Smith Those possibly traded/dfaed: Leon,Hembree, Bradley,Johnson,M Hernandez,Travis, Lin, Poyner, Brewer, Shawayan, Kelley Opt out possible: Martinez Those Gone: Cashner, Moreland, Nunez**, Pearce, Owings, Wright, Hembree,Brasier, Velazquez, G Hernandez, Centeno, Renda Possible Added: Houck,Mata, Dalbec, Chatham, Okimey, Felton Other: Castillo Even this list leaves us possibly short on a backup catcher, starting pitching and also BP pitching. Good luck to our new decision maker. Will it be Mike Hazen?

We have a home grown candidate in Mike Hazen. I imagine he will get a look although due diligence has to be done and there are others out there who might fit. Assistants in the Cardinals or A's organization are mentioned as quality options.

Agreed. Most of us like to reason through what we see as deficiencies and of course we don't know the full story, yet it is interesting to do so and to hear what others are thinking. My view is the ownership will ask for a reset but will still be willing to spend up to the first tier of the competitive balance tax. That is certainly not cheap but does put us in a better place when 2021 comes around. I expect that the FO will try to keep most of the core of good young players while adding from the minors or low cost acquisitions to field a competitive team in 2020. They will also have to let some players go among whom may be one or two some would rather keep. I am looking for the ownership to hire a new GM with a history of farm system development and also one willing to collaborate in making the tough decisions that the current situation will make necessary

Get someone with genuine credentials for building a farm, running a team and making hard decisions. Big Papi is not that guy although he is through and through a baseball man and a Sox legend.

DD should be remembered for both the good he achieved and for the terrible state he has left the team in. Lets learn from it. Money needs to be spent wisely and moves which decimate the farm will have repurcussions in following years. This game needs it stars and it also needs to have a constant flow of players coming from the farm or through low cost acquisitions. That balance is not easy to attain, but is easy to screw up. So instaed of blaming DD we should learn from it and proceed in a positive manner. We can remain somewhatt competitive while rebuilding to a team which competes at the highest level. Thats a positive view and can be accompliished. Those who stand in the way should be gone. Lead, follow but don't get in the way.

Oakland has spent less money that we have in underperforming contracts, yet they are going to the playoffs and wee aren't. Spending big is only one of the criteria, the other is spending wisely.

This is plain silly. The Sox need to develop a mission statement if they don't already have one. I would think it involves resetting the salary structure to below the 1st tier of the competitive balance tax while keeping most or all of their young core players and trying to remain as competitive as possible. This while starting the process of rebuilding a farm system which emphasizes player development and pitching development in particular. Achieving that will require letting underperforming contracts play out if they can't be traded away at a reasonable cost (probably can't) and making hardheaded decisions about every facet of the team. Coaches, Managers, players evaluated on performance. No room for sentimentality here. Clearly it will require fillling some of the field and pitching positions from the minor leagues or with low cost acquisitions. Maybe a couple of diamonds in the rough with come out of that. I hope so as young players can bring some fire that seems to be lacking. Managerial and player leadership is required. Lets see someone who bangs his bat on the dugout or shows some signs of refusing to lose. We have some very good players now so lets mold them and add to them over time. Last night for instance we had a good starting pitching performance but couldn't put together a single run, despite 3 hits from JBJ and 2 by Vaz. Sad showing again.

Yet the team can and does get shutout with the bats going cold. Right now there is a period where we need some fire but the fire has gone out in our bats. Statistics don't tell the story.

These are facts, yet you also chose to annotate with judgments about non tenders, etc. In that case, JBJ is probably a trade or non-tender and Marco is a possible trade or non-tender. Clearly if we non-tender Leon and Centeno, we will have to find a backup catcher, the same with JBJ if we go that route we will have to add a CF.

We aren't privy to the day to day interworkings of the Red Sox and Peter Gammons is much closer than any of us but still probably didn't get a first hand understanding of the issues. I assume that some of the moves that DD made and was further recommending were not supported by many of the insiders in the organization. When those moves, like the Sale and Eovaldi extensions and perhaps the signings of Moreland and Pearce didn't work out, DD was in line to take all of the blame. If his recommendations seemed like he was going in the wrong direction to JH, a change had to be made. After a couple of years of spending up to or over the second tier of the competitive balance tax, it certainly looks like the Sox are headed in the wrong direction. DD apparently confronted ownership and wanted to know if he was going to be extended. Can't blame him for that based on the many rumors floating around. When the told him that he wouldn't be, it was all over and DD vacated his post. In truth, it probably is best that DD is gone early, since the team is out of it this year and needs to start the talent search for the future. There are key decisions to be made. To reset or not to reset. To resign Mookie or not. Ditto with JBJ and maybe JDM. They need to formulate a business plan going forward and have a mission statement. i didn't see DD as the guy to make the difficult changes to draw down below $208 Mil, start to rebuild the farm while retaining our young core and remaining at least somewhat competitive.