JoeC

They're popular, but this takes them to a different level, IMO.

For a team like the Dodgers, the extra revenue they can make from Japan now will be huge. Already a very popular team there. Having Otani (basically a national treasure right now with his own dedicated news updates daily on all channels) on the team now will just add to it. No idea if it will offset the massive cost of the contract, but it's still worth noting that $700M for the Dodgers is more likely to be offset by Japanese revenue than $700M for the Blue Jays of Cubs, for example.

Not at all. And he just went to a high school (not affiliated with the military directly) that used military style structures as a framework for leadership development in its students. The Yankee culture stuff I see DRIPS with that background.

I understand why it's there (Steinbrenner's military school background). The other way to look at it is that you know the players either: a) REALLY want to get paid the big bucks and are willing to shave their faces to do it or b) are willing to make this "sacrifice to join the team; therefore, there's a certain level of buy-in that is already established and ingrained into the clubhouse culture. Is it dumb? Maybe. But I can at least see some of the logic behind it.

If there's nothing of substance to communicate, . . . .

In no order or grouping - limiting it to my lifetime as a fan (born in 1984): Crede Rowand Thome El Duque Dave Martinez Robin Ventura (the player) Durham Jose Valentin Jason Bere Bill Simas for some reason Tad Iguchi Herbert "Milkman" Perry Burger Abreu Pudge Konerko Buehrle

For me: 1. Todd Ritchie 2. Billy Koch 3. Adam La Roche 4. Brett Lawrie 5. Jeff Smardzija 6. Royce Clayton 7. Jamie Navarro 8. David Wells 9. Nick Swisher 10. Adam Eaton 2.0

No. That guy is a leader.

Adam La Roche?

I mean, yeah. But at the end of the day, if the team is going to lose 90 games, nobody's going to bother to come anyways, so what does it matter?

Please note that all of my "this seems like a good signing" or "this seems like a good idea" thoughts are based on the premise that the 2024 team will be atrocious, and the 2025 team will be .500 in the most optimistic, "Getz is a genius - he was able to bring the team back to mediocrity!" kind of way.

Fedde seems like the perfect "show-me" signing for a team like the Sox. A 2-year deal seems reasonable if at $10M total (though I suspect there'll be incentives thrown in there) Essentially give him a big league audition at a low cost. If he does well at the trade deadline, his trade value is high because of the second year on his deal. If he sucks, it's OK - the team will suck, and probably for really cheap, so a hit on 2025 is absorbable.

I mean, I guess the logic is that you'd be stocking up the farm and also replacing Cease with a younger, more cost-controlled pitcher. To me, having "good" players at this point is irrelevant. The team is going to suck, so whether you suck with a stud in CF or you suck with a dud in CF, it doesn't really matter to me.

I think you just figured out a way to cut payroll both now AND in 7 years. A visionary, you are.

The remaining amount owed on his contract.

This is what we’ve been reduced to? Debating the relative merits of Bevington vs LaRussa? welcome to Soxdom….

To add to this... it would cost money to update.

Just glad i get to sing “Kenta Maeda” to the tune of “Guantanamera” for the rest of the day.

"If you have to ask...."

lol It's sink or swim here. "Showing the patience to rebuild his value" would be akin to just letting him flail more before letting him drown. At least other teams would provide structure - or at least a different structure and set of coaching compared to what we would do.

From my memory, Escobar was unhittable and in a groove. He was mowing them down one by one until that play. Dropped third strike or not, that play threw Escobar off. Without it, I agree - we would have lost.

We were the home team, no?

So basically DeJong went to the one team where he'd statistically be considered an offensive upgrade.

7 ex-Sox... and mostly for a season or a half season. That's an impressive number of "that guy DID play for us" guys for one team on one ballot.

Basically 2023 TA with a defensive upgrade.