Wisebri224

Right now the Sox are at $163 million for 40 man roster with dead money, contracts, and benefits. Next year, the core have another $20 million going on the books with raises from their extensions. Now, you subtract Lynn and Eaton, that cuts $17 million off, but if you re-sign Lynn and extend Gio you are looking at being right back up in that mid $180's range before you do anything else. Like I said maybe you can replace Eaton with a kid and Vaughn is ready and you have $15-$20 million to play with, but it depends on development. Maybe you don't have to extend Lynn because Kopoech and Cease or great but we don't know that right now.

We can spend THIS year. Next year, we are pushing $183 WITHOUT extensions for Lynn and Gio. The longer you wait on Gio, the more likely he goes to FA. Lynn is looking at probably double what he makes this year. If you extend Gio and he's making $12-$15 and Lynn is around $17-$18, you are at the tax door. All of these people talking about 2-3 year deals for guys aren't doing the math, unless Cespedes is ready for RF, that saves a few million and if Vaughn is DH a few more. Still not a big cushion though. That's why the decision soon will be trade guys to get cost control, play with what we have, or sign guys and trade others away making too much

Is it according to the tax threshold???? See my post above. The extensions are starting to set in for the young guys starting next year. If the plan is to extend Gio and Lynn (this year we are $47 million below, next year closer to $27 million below), there is your extra space. It isn't we are at $120 million, go to $150-$160. Jerry's not spending luxury tax dollars, whether we want him to or not. One year deals for big bucks might be the only way

Also, nobody wants to pay attention to the Luxury Tax. It doesn't just play on your 25 man payroll, it's 40. The Sox right now are at $163 million(it includes dead money, benefits, etc) . Cap is $210. Yes, that's a $47 million dollar gap, but here's the deal. Next year with extensions locking in for our core, that number goes up $20 million with adding nothing. No Lynn extension, no Gio extension. You sign Bauer and both of those guys are probably gone. Jerry isn't going into the luxury tax. Would Bauer sign a one year $35 million? Maybe, but that's about the only way that pipedream works I think

Here would be one difference (this may be a new thread): If you take attendance numbers from the last 5 years (I know Jerry is still making money hand over fist), the Sox consistently average between 15-25,000 less people per game. At $30 a ticket that's $600K per game or $48 million over the course of a season. Dude is still counting 100's just from the TV deal, but it is something he could point at. I would counter with, your team has sucked, but it's still something. He will NEVER spend like the NY teams, LAd, or even LAA

vs. Archer. Wainwright is the most stable of the three and is a good leader. Richards vs Archer is all about upside to me (and maybe $$ difference??). For my money I gamble on Archer because the upside is quite a bit more.....

Wainwright (solid vet leader) or Archer (reclamation project), get Flowers to back up Yaz, sign your utility guy (LaStella or Profar) and see what you need or don't at the deadline.

I'm not saying they stay pat, I just figure if they are going to wait for the cheapest SP option (maybe 5-6 million), that maybe they would spend $10 million on a DH type, but if the market for high end DH is $16 million, we can't (won't) do that.

So, does this take Nelson Cruz as a possibility out completely? We don't have $15 million for a bat.........I was just hoping for a cherry on top of our sweet offense since it looks like we are gonna lay low on SP.

Profar - more upside (or LaStella), Flowers, whatever is left on the clearance shelf that can get us 60-70 innings til Kopech is up here.

In all seriousness I guess I go with this too. If we get a second half out of alpha Kopech and Katz can do ANYTHING with Cease, we are set and spent nothing. If either is wrong, we probably take another step forward and lose in the LCS. Dancing with the people you drafted for this very reason. Just go get the vet you hope to get 60-70 innings out of, find your LH/Utility bat, and let's get to it. Right?

I'm going Blue Jays. Still have room and definitely need another SP. Anyway, once Katz gets hold of Cease, all we need is a starter to get us to the All Star break, Kopech comes in, and the rest is history

OK, so let's keep this simple. A majority of the board wants to overvalue our prospects and ride with them for the next 3 years (that's the window folks....once the payroll heads much over $180, Jerry will tell RH to start selling off) and that's fine, but at least two of our SP have to be ready in the next year or so. I hope that's true.........but we aren't getting a #3+ starter for Madrigal and two other wild card prospects like Steiver, Thompson, etc. Go sign Richards, quit screwing around RH, and let's put our team on the floor and see if we can compete. I think we have an LCS team right now, which is much better than we have had, but next level is going to take money or trades and we know we ain't got money

If there aren't teams willing to pay the luxury tax, Bauer's price is heading more toward $25 million. Besides Toronto on a spending spree, most of the other big money players really don't have more than that right now unless they go into tax territory. Is this a game by the Sox to let prices get driven up, then dive in? OK it isn't but it's nice to think they could possibly think that way..........

If RH had one of his guys (Q) at the price he wanted (8 mil) and let him go, he better hit on whatever he is working on or look out. Announcing JA Happ at 8 million isn't going to met with friendly fire.

?

This stays within budget. Still need a backup catcher but all other boxes checked. If somehow taking Cain saves a guy or two....I still think it takes Kopech and another arm, but we keep Madrigal, Kelley, Crotchet, and Vaughn. That is one killer 1-4.

Nowhere near enough. They don’t want a struggling major leaguer and two lottery tickets without huge upside

I’ll add in that I’m for this with Kopech as the centerpiece. Add in another type like Stiever or Thompson and a lottery ticket and let’s go. Everyone saying Butnes has only done it for 150 innings, Kopech has for a tenth of that and hasn’t pitched in two years. Get it done Rick

Tyler Flowers $4 million, Leake, Archer, Q - just get me 5 innings - $6-$8 million, LaStella (flexibility of Madrigal can get you something later) - $6-$7 million. I know that's $19 but for the extra $4 million I'm basically covered everywhere

Love the Flowers idea, I don't think Carlos Quentin could help our pitching staff (LOL I know you mean Quintana), but a decent 4 ERA innings eater would help the pen a ton. One more bat with a good OBP to set up all the sluggers would be great. If you are top 5 in both hitting and pitching (last year top 5 in runs scored and 6th in team era), you will be there at the end.

Instead of being a lock down 6th or 7th inning guy....Crochet can be the middle 3 innings guy when the 4 and 5 starters only go 3-4 innings. Wasting him because "the money" has been spent and we can only shop at the clearance meat department instead of getting a steak

Yes let’s celebrate Jerry being in the bottom third of payroll during this rebuild averaging between 20-50 million under league average. Now he ties his gm’s hands in signing a SP over a few million bucks. Thanks ya cheap b@!*! ard Go find another business where you can count every straw. I am sooooo frustrated with this right now.

All of you saying well have more money next year, we already have over $20 million from the extensions signed last couple years. If he extends Gio and Lynn that’s about a wrap

It hasn’t gone yet but on Yankees Twitter it sounds like Frazier, Schmidt or Garcia (top 2 pitching prospects), and Florial #7 prospect.