5GoldGlovesOF,75

Tom also said, never slow down, never grow old. Man, have I aged the past three winters...

That's ok by me, as long as Sam Kennedy's driving a UHaul.

Rendon's not a good comp for anyone -- we know it, and the industry knows it. But if he got $38.5M AAV at age 30, then Devers' similar production when he's about to enter his prime should be worth $30M, a valid number in the current market. That's not an unreasonable pay rate for Raffy, even if he moves to first base or DH, since his bat always profiles as elite. Here are the all players in MLB history who had 90 extra base hits in their age 22 season: Joe DiMaggio 96, Rafael Devers 90.

bb-ref lists him as slighty below a replacement player, but to me, his personality negates the negative.

Sox need more Strahms... including Strahm.

I agree with this post, except you forgot the lefty-righty platoon plan of JBJ.2 and Christian Arroyo, the Luis Garcia of dancing rightfielders. Also, before the season, Cora said JD would be playing more outfield. So we were all set. It's not Bloom's fault they all somehow underperformed..........................................................................................

But not one of the three posters automatically arguing about D acknowledge that Rendon also got paid for what he already did in his previous "prime" years of age 26-29... of which Devers has yet to embark upon.

I am gobbling this up! Now pass me that bowl of relievers; I'd like a couple more slices of set-up men, please...

If I'm Devers' agent, I just keep pointing at Anthony Rendon, whose contract will pay him $38,571,428 for each of the next four years for his ages 33 through 36... ... a slight overpay according to BIV (Baseball INSANE Values), but Rendon got paid -- starting at age 30 -- because of these 162-game averages for ages 26-29: 29 HRs, 112 RBI, 104 runs. Devers' 162-game averages the past four years through age 25: 34 HRs, 114 RBI, 110 runs. Does anyone really think he won't command an AAV of $30M?

If you agree that Raffy has some maturing to do as a hitter, then he can be even better. His injured hammy in the summer ruined what could have been a career year in '22... look at his splits -- first half: 22 HR, .324, .981; second half: 5 HRs, .249, .713. Even though he was hurt, he just kept swinging from the heels... but it seemed like if he focused on just hitting liners, he could've won the batting title in a year when .316 was the highest average. It still amazes me what he did in obvious pain in the '21 playoffs -- 5 homers, 12 RBIs, 10 runs in 11 games -- swinging the bat with only one healthy arm.

All legit concerns. Should we really be asking if he's worth $60M AAV for five years, since teams know they're effectively paying for only the first half of a decade-long contract? Do you think front offices assume this and have some formula to factor in projected WAR, team wins, gate/TV profits, etc. to calculate some ceiling of investment? If not, let's make one up so Henry will hire us like he did Bill James and Chaim Bloom, who both got started typing blab on similar platforms.

I won't discuss John Henry's money, only what I'm willing to pay: maybe once a year I'll splurge for a $12 can of beer and 50 bucks for parking to see Raffy in person. But my cable bill will probably equate to about $300mil in the next decade, so what the hell.

Brewers were corking the bottle before $11 million leaked out to Hunter. But he's a decent pick-up for a team like the Angels: intent on fielding big leaguers at every position, and busy filling areas of weakness with targeted players while they're available. Angel fans around holiday tables will have legitimate discourse on 2023 upgrades... instead of Red Sox fans, who will be all-in on their just desserts and make every effort to nap by the fireplace so they can stay awake for the first half of the Patriots game.

But is Devers better than Trevor Story, who Boston has already committed to paying $25 million to when he's 34 years old? If so, Raffy -- who is only 26 -- is at least worth more than the $225M "ballpark" offer the Sox are currently floating (according to industry reports on the world wide web).

You mean we're just one James away from acquiring actual starting position players like Mancini and Vazquez... and legitimate bullpen depth every year?

Don't discount (no pun) how spending can be affected by taking on someone else's bad contract to sweeten a trade return. Also, might it be prudent to keep some budget in reserve for midseason in case they have a shot at a wild card and actually want to upgrade and add salary?

I'm not opposed to signing Carlos, but to me that would be more of a stunner than the announcement of a longterm Devers extension (and I agree with Jax that most posters' numbers for what Raffy gets are too low)...

I gotta agree with the aging red one. Hope I'm wrong, but got a feeling if Bogey makes his X on another team's contract, someone in Boston's front office might not see it as a loss, but a gain... ... to be redistributed, of course.

Eovaldi's not a #1 like some of the other oft-injured free agent starters who someone will pay twice as much money. I just think he's more dependable than Taillon, who just lost the first postseason game he ever pitched in (3 batters: double, single, double), and then didn't go 5 in his first start. Someone sitting at home will now start typing about sample size, but I'll still take Nate's 0.97 WHIP in 43 career postseason innings... or just his 9 hits and zero walks in 12.1 IP vs NY. I still want Bloom to sign Senga, re-up Wacha, and make a trade for an under-30 starter. Any team intent on rising from the ashes -- and counting on phantoms like Sale and Paxton -- needs at least six other tangible arms, plus at least three almost-ready prospects, to contribute.

Give me Eovaldi. He's the only free agent starter that won't break the bank who has shown 1) he is a proven postseason winner, and 2) he not only succeeds in Boston, he likes pitching for Boston.

Red Sox fans can't wait to wait until they have to wait again to see if he can take the mound in the second half of next season. He'll be another secret weapon -- better than any deadline acquisition that costs prospects... if only he can be as good as he used to be before he wrecked his arm. Wait -- isn't there a new pitch clock rule on how long a front office can pitch to its customers to wait until the roster is actually complete?

These scenarios are logical, though #1 makes the most sense for the longterm budget -- and I hope it would lead to a Devers' extension... but I just have a bad Mookie feeling about the whole Raffy situation right now. Getting Bloom to part with a good prospect, instead of good money, may be more likely at this stage of the rebuild. And for those who like how his former employer operates, even they dealt a first-rounder recently for a young toolsy player they targeted named Arozarena.

I've never used that label, though a lot of fans and professional writers have. But you're right there is no comparison to a perennial playoff team with Boston clubs that have finished dead last in 66% of the Bloom years so far. No one is trying to spread fear, when there is already plenty to dread. My personal fears as a fan are a bad flashback to the early 1980s, the last time the Red Sox chose not to pay market value for homegrown stars in their primes -- All-Stars like Fisk, Lynn and Burleson. But let's not pretend there was ever a large population of Sox fans -- even budget-crunching posters -- who ever wanted to trade Mookie or Raffy, or let Bogey walk. We're kidding ourselves if we think the rotation will be ok if Kluber is signed and "if Sale and Paxton are healthy." Even if they're all fully recovered and rehabbed, they're all older and more susceptible to new ailments (2017 AL Cy Young voting: 1. Kluber, 2. Sale, will be six years ago by Opening Day). The Sox still need to resign Eovaldi, recruit Senga and trade for Lopez.

Apologies to the board for my dismissing the '22 Red Sox' three highest-scoring games while insinuating their offense was overrated. Maybe I relied too heavily on the fallible eye-test in my assessments. We know the Sox led the league in extra-inning losses, but perhaps it only seemed like they squandered more potential rallies than other teams all year. From now on, I will use a larger sample size of 162 games, like Fangraphs did in its Runners Left in Scoring Position per Game. Boston ranked 30th out of 30 teams.

None of us know exactly what Henry's personal budget is, just the official number that will hit the tax line. You don't honestly think every MLB owner spends precisely up to the league's imposed penalty threshold every year. And please, no more past references to a franchise that someone once worked for at the bottom of the country. This is Boston, Mass...