5GoldGlovesOF,75
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Everything posted by 5GoldGlovesOF,75
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I didn't forget any of those, but mound trends have definitely changed in the just the past year alone. The best postseason starts in '21 came from mostly young guys, many of them rookies (though it's still a bit paranormal how Valdez and Garcia were suddenly hitless in back-to-back games and relatively ineffective the rest of October).
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Assuming they both preferred Boston over the teams with the best records in the AL and NL (in warm-weather states)...
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He always knows what he's doing, which is what he was hired for. Dinosaurs like me always want the best players available to join my team, but young front office guys are looking for the better values. And now that starting pitchers barely work half the innings of games these days, it can make sense to spend half as much on them. How many pennants have the Yankees won with Cole? How did it work out for the '20 champs after they signed the Cy Young winner last year? Why not sign four mediocre pitchers with careers half-full instead of one old Scherzer who could break down at any minute?
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Richard R. was at the top of my list of relief options worth pursuing last year. His dip in performance that left him off the Braves' postseason roster and got him cut either reflects a guy who slumped at the wrong time or someone with an injury (worse than cutting the thumb of his glove hand while chopping peppers). We all know bullpen arms have ups and downs in careers, but it's telling that the world champs already signed two other relievers just this week...
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I'd rather sign Rodon, 29 next month, than Kershaw, who'll be 34 in Spring Training. Both are injury risks, but the 5 WAR guy may actually be cheaper than the Hall of Famer who's looking at Scherzer's deal and thinking, "I was as good as him not too long ago -- and I'm five years younger." Just guessing, but Kershaw may be too proud to sign for one year to show his stuff, and if it's two years, he'll want Verlander pay. Rodon, who's never made $5M per, may be ecstatic with the same AAV as Gausman and Ray...
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I agree with this, but hopefully the Sox intend on locking up Devers soon. If they don't at least try it will be very depressing for this fan. Not because Raffy is my favorite player, but if a rich club won't pay a young guy like that, then who? Of course, negotiations will be private, but PR is important for a devoted fan base.
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Offseasons are obviously different now in Red Sox Nation. But that doesn't mean any poster is unreasonable -- not on a forum called talksox. No one should be hammering any fans who drop names of free agents -- available stars who can improve MLB rosters. For most of us -- old folks who follow the Red Sox closely -- the big leaguers are the only players we actually know about. It's rare for posters to crave the acquisition of some other franchise's callow minor leaguer who has one or two latent talents that young Chaim Bloom and his staff hope to gamble upon soon...
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Bloom was never going to splurge on a $43 million dollar pitcher or a $300 mil infielder (no matter how much "interest" is reported). But there's still time to be at least as good as last year -- on screen -- if he re-signs Schwarber and a good starting pitcher with no QO attached... Stroman? Rodon? Does anyone really believe any of those guys will be inked in Boston... by a CBO who doesn't sign guys for more than two years? Me neither (is this just the wrong decade to join talksox?)... The cost of good pitching in AAVs: Gausman $22M, Ray $23M, Verlander $25M. Stroman won't settle for less than fair market value, and he shouldn't. Rodon may have to, because of his injury-risks, but someone will pay him more than ERod. If Eovaldi has another solid showing in '22, is there any doubt he'll a $20M free agent starter in a year?
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A Realistic View at 2022: Part I
5GoldGlovesOF,75 replied to moonslav59's topic in Boston Red Sox Talk
Maybe the Sale and Bogaerts contracts were extensions, but they were pretty big add-ons to the payroll. And Eovaldi's contract was thought to be big at the time, but now he looks like a bargain -- he'll only be making $2 mil more than ERod next season. Chances are Nate will be worth considerably more soon than the average full-count/walk the leadoff batter/can't throw a shutdown inning type of starter. Apparently, Seager just got his $300+ million. Can anyone imagine Baez now settling for less than $200 mil? Can anyone imagine Bloom paying that to anyone, much less a guy who Ks nearly every three at bats? -
It's just impossible for some fans to ignore the numbers, as if $20 million a year is ok to pay one single human being for any job, but never $30 million or $40 million! For those that can, it may be easier to just accept that the best professionals at any position and industry deserve whatever salary is currently at the top of their market. Scherzer is as good as it gets on the mound right now, Trout is the best all-around player, Betts has proven he's as good as any other position player, Tatis and Franco are the best young stars, etc. etc. etc.
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A Realistic View at 2022: Part I
5GoldGlovesOF,75 replied to moonslav59's topic in Boston Red Sox Talk
I'm not sure what to think. Though some posters are positive Henry -- and thus, Bloom -- are bound to spend big when the right guy comes along "at the right time", that may be presumptive, at best. Boston's strategy the past three offseasons has paid off in the standings and on the farm. Why deter, Jeter? What's odd right now in this last minute spending splurge on free agents (before lockout) isn't the absence of the Red Sox, but the Yankees, and even Dodgers. We'll see what happens in the next day or two, but has any Yankee team ever needed an upgrade more than these pinstripers (at shortstop) -- at the same time the best crop of stars are available at that exact position... and NY has yet to swoop in and overpay immediately for the best guy -- with Steinbrenner money? -
I seem to recall reports at the trade deadline that Scherzer wanted to go the West Coast -- where he went and thrived. If LA offers him $50M for two years, would Max instead sign with NY for $51? I dunno, but I never thought he'd be a realistic candidate for Bloom because of both cost and age. As for Semien, his "most money" goal rules out Boston for sure. Maybe that explains why the Sox are one of three finalists for Baez -- as rumored today. The other clubs are the Tigers and Mets... Detroit is reportedly in on Baez because they don't want to spend $300M on Correa or Seager. But if Boston really wanted him, think of the pitch: "Would you rather play with the Mets -- who just signed three other position players; the Tigers -- to play behind ERod; or the Red Sox -- where you can reunite with Alex Cora? Which team is closest to the World Series?"
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Those who keep repeating it condemn us not to fogedaboudit.
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Well, the team that didn't win that had their Manager of the Year start three rookies in a row against a pretty good offense... Something to ponder about the improved, end-of-year Wacha, who relied more on breaking stuff: his ERA came on the AL's second-best team in Defensive Efficiency. Wacha's new club was last in the majors in '21 (I know it's only November, but where are the better fielders coming from again?).
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Wacha doesn't have to carry the staff, but he should at least carry a tune. Otherwise, peeps who like music aren't going to like this tradeoff. If you watched Sox games on NESN the last month of the season, you'd know Perez gave up a singing career to be a professional pitcher. He told us that in the commercial they ran 78 times a day (but not 78 rpm).
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Come on -- his ERA just went down for '22 because he doesn't have to face Boston hitters. Wander how he'll do vs. Tampa, though...
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A lot of us would -- probably Bloom, too... but for just one year (definitely not five). The main concern Sox fans should have for any pitcher acquired to give us innings is that the term "innings pitched" requires -- for every IP -- a total of three outs to be recorded. Somehow.
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I'd rather spend $7M on a 30-year-old veteran starter than $50M on someone pushing 40... Wacha's biggest challenge will be leaving the ALE's resident genius skipper and having to pitch instead for a guy who wasn't even a finalist for Manager of the Year -- which, to be unfair, some pundits blame on something that happened before 2021 (like getting thrown under the bus by players seeking amnesty, or steering a club with a payroll top-heavy with debts to many ex-Red Sox).
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Wacha has a postseason pedigree -- as a rookie he won four in a row with a 1.00 ERA... Joe Buck and FOX made him a household name with Yankee-love features and ads... and he's already a hero at Fenway Park, where he lost the final game of the 2013 World Series. In his final game in Tampa in this year's ALDS, with the Rays trailing by two runs, he only let the Red Sox score six more on nine hits in 2.2 IP. Wacha is 30 years old, so plenty of prime left. And the underrated aspect he brings to Boston is The Book on all the Rays' hitters that only an alert teammate discerns over time. The Sox' analytics department may be pouring over this very data as we post...
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Good point, and as Bell alluded to, ever-increasing multi-inning roles of relievers have increased their value, while also prompting a rule-adjustment need for assigning victories to pitchers. I would also add, however, that workhorse starters (currently defined as "going five" or "two times through the order", whichever comes first) provide another asset that can't be overlooked or quantified: eating innings, which gives some of the almost-daily bullpen guys a day of R & R -- recovery and reset. Managers, coaches and players talk about it all the time; in that sense, a pitcher who starts 30 games can positively impact around 45 games... if half his starts "go long," and refreshed relievers are better the next game after a day off.
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Total rings in pinstripes for either: 0
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I think at least Seabold and Winckowski take some turns in the rotation, even if they don't break camp in March. Hopefully, a younger guy like Bello has a great first half and makes surprise starts in Boston, as well. Though it's just as likely that all three begin in the MLB bullpen and see steady usage at some point as part of some middle-innings plan. I'd be shocked if any free agent pitcher the Sox sign also costs a QO.
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Better get used to the idea that some will come from Worcester.
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The Red Sox would be remiss if they didn't keep all options open in talks to do due diligence and go all in touching base with targets they're linked to by reportedly showing interest in active conversations at this time.
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You mean the White Sox. They sign players for more than two years.
