GreenSox

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 08:03 PM) That post was purely to stir people up. Nothing more. The post, labelled "I WISH" this guy was Met's GM was meant to bring a little levity into the joint. And to point out, using a hyperbolic tweet, that the Sox are in strong position with Alexei. Now back to our regularly scheduled broadcast of which overrated rent can we unload the farm for.

A .316 OBP from a power hitter is absolutely terrible. Sox have been plagued by low obp ozzie-style players for years and years. There is a new philosophy on the southside, thankfully.

Cespedes is a Viciedo profile player: low obp, good arm, bad outfield coverage, good power. He's better than Viciedo, but he's a similar profile. Cespedes does not fit well with a low OBP ballclub like the Sox. He fits perfectly with Oakland, which is why they were hurt when they traded him (even though cespedes for Lester is a super value trade for Oak; Oak just needed the O more than they needed pitching at that point). It was a poor trade for Boston - I think a draft choice > 1 year of Cespedes. I also understand why the Sox don't just want to give Viciedo away; he has skill. they think he might be able to harness it with another year of Steverson's mentorship. We'll see.

The other thing about Cespedes is that Oakland is an OBP machine; he contrasts perfectly with the rest of the lineup that sets up the pins for him to drive in. They have so much OBP that a low OBP hitter like Cespedes fits in.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 01:29 PM) The thing to remember here is that if someone would have talked about us getting Boegarts and Middlebrooks in a deal as little as a year ago, it would have elicited a whole different reaction. The bloom was off the Middlebrooks rose well before a year ago. Boston drafts and develops well, but they hype every prospect they have, and the "prospect media" buys in.. Those guys must be scouted carefully to do a trade with them. I'm not sure Boston's GM knows what he's doing. Why did they need Alan Craig and Cespedes last year? And now they bring in 2 more? They are going to have a hard time unloading most of that excess and aren't going to get much above replacement for any of it.

I wish this guy was the Mets GM Wyatt Derp ‏@NewYorkMehts 38m38 minutes ago Will Wheeler + Syndergaard + DeGrom and Montero get us Alexei Ramirez, lets do it!

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 11:40 AM) If Bogaerts and Cespedes are the throw-ins to go along with Pedroia and Owens, then sure, that's plenty reasonable. That would be terrible. Sox should want on part of this Boston excess. QUOTE (bruni @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 12:36 PM) Judging by the comments, this will not go over well but if someone is willing to trade me Cespedes and Bogaerts plus another throw in (Nava?, Middlebrooks?) for Sale, I make that trade all day long. That would be even worse. HOrrid. Cespedes has a career OBP of .316 and plays lousy defense. We get him for 1 year (we can sign him, and I certainly hope we don't, without giving up anything in a year). He's the same profile as Viciedo, whom people loathe. Bogaerts MAY solve something and he may not. He did bat to a .660 OBP after all. Owens is another hyped up Boston prospect and is not elite, even after attaching Boston hype. Middlebrooks hit a whopping .524 OPS last year. Why do people want these RedSox discards?

QUOTE (Eminor3rd @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 08:24 AM) What? Cespedes is worth like, one quarter of Quintana. Maybe a third. Part of it's because he;s way overrated, but mostly it's because he has only one year of control, whereas Quintana has like 5 under-market years. Quintana would get Cespedes and a couple notable prospects from Boston, and I bet they'd LOVE to make that deal. Please. it IS because he has nowhere near the value of q even at identical contracts. His standard OBP is like .310 and his defense is poor. He's a flawed player.

QUOTE (bruni @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 08:20 AM) I'd be most interested in Middlebrooks on the cheap to solve 3B. Potential delayed with injury and mismanagement but (to me anyway) far more potential and nice power to solve 3B for the long term. Or give up more and try to snag Bogaerts if you can, but Middlebrooks should cost far less and fills a need. Middlebrooks had a .522 OPS last year; I'm not sure what that solves. Boston is neck and neck with the Cubs re hyping their prospects. Even Bogaerts, whose greatness they are still raving about, had a .660 OPS in a full season of play. .660. That's Brian Anderson territory.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Nov 24, 2014 -> 07:26 AM) Every GM makes a lot of mistakes. Beane doesn't have a perfect track record by any means. Bringing in Jim Johnson from Baltimore comes to mind immediately. There's a good 7-8 year run there in the middle of his regime where he made more bad than good trades, other than starting the trend of maximizing value from his closers after their shelf life had expired. his trade for Shark was terrible. He way over-estimated the market as the Price and his subsequent trade for Lester proved. That said, Reddick's OPS is in the mid 700s....he doesn't have much power and he was terrible in 2013....he's not THAT valuable. Get the LF from Alexei and we can sort out our own middle infielders.

he wouldn't be that hard to get (Boston made a terrible trade to get him). But he's a low OBP player with terrible defense. His OPS is maybe 30 points greater than Viciedo, who is reviled. Not a fit. and why the love (other than he plays for another team). Sox need athleticism and defense as well as the ability to hit. And he's a rent.

QUOTE (scs787 @ Nov 23, 2014 -> 09:46 PM) A 2nd half that featured a .971 OPS would suggest otherwise and that he's perhaps trending back into that MVP caliber player. Not with that defense. And perhaps he will be MVP offensively. Maybe. Still I'd prefer young talent over the contract and personality

I'd have to check each individually, but they platoon a lot of their lefties. We have 2 lefties right now who are bad against left handed pitchers. Don't like doing with Beane - his players are hard-used.

QUOTE (Alexeihyeess @ Nov 23, 2014 -> 09:50 PM) How did the Sox win in 05? Seriously. Freak pitching and homers

QUOTE (Vance Law @ Nov 23, 2014 -> 05:35 PM) Kemp was an MVP caliber player. The leg injuries have changed that. He's not the 40 stolen base guy from 2011 (8 SB last year) and is probably average at best as a baserunner. The defensive metrics had him as the worst defensive player in all of baseball last year. Granted, he did a lot of that damage playing CF and is closer to acceptable at one of the corners. He was a top 15 or so hitter in baseball last year which is good. He's paid like an MVP, but he's not going to be that 2011 player again. Exactly. He WAS a MVP caliber player; today, he's a good hitter. He's trending downward. He's moping in L.A. and has a terrible contract. The Sox just got rid of bad contracts. They don't need someone else's problem. Trade Alexei for the best young talent the Sox can get.

I must have looked up the wrong Diaz. So I guess Juan's in the mix. As for aggressive pursuit, the Dodgers may think offering Carl Crawford and cash is aggressive. I guess we'll find out.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Nov 23, 2014 -> 03:36 PM) You may be entirely correct. Isn't the key to who would play SS, the defensive skill of the respective candidates? We know that among all of the young middle infield prospects, only L. Garcia is a really good fielding SS. This is all speculation, but Diaz is 30 I think, had a brief stint in the majors a few years back..he's a AAA player. And we know that L Garcia can field the position so I don't see Diaz with any real chance. If Semien can handle the position defensively, fantastic. I thought Sanchez was a SS more than a 2B. Maybe I'm wrong there.

QUOTE (Lillian @ Nov 23, 2014 -> 03:24 PM) It appears that the front office has addressed this need, and that Juan Diaz has now been added to the mix. Where would you think that he ranks as the most likely candidate to play SS, this season, if Alexei is traded? He doesn't. He was signed for Charlotte, likely, though, because the middle infield herd will be thinned.

Diaz is a AAA shortstop. He was signed for Charlotte. As any sort of prospect to make the Major League team, he's behind 5 ML ready or near-ready Sox Middle infielders (Johnson, Semien, Saldino, Sanchez, L Garcia). L Garcia can field the position and that may have to do for a year. Agree with SoCal on Kemp. Don't want the ego, whining or large contract.

L Garcia can field his position. That may (have to be) good enough for a year if they trade Alexei.

Van Slyke is no throw-in. I'd prefer him (or a number of younger outfielders on their ascending arc) to Kemp, all things considered. I also agree with the comment above about the zeal to become re-encumbered with lengthy and expensive deals.

Is this an actual published rumor or just speculation? Anyway I'd prefer Van Slyke and an extra prospect than a big contractual and perhaps personality liability.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Nov 23, 2014 -> 12:13 PM) Do Joe Savery ,Logan Kensing and Juan Diaz count as our next move ? That's a "We apologize, Charlotte, for giving you a woefully awful team last year; we will do better" move. Juan Diaz might portend a future major league move, as Charlotte has its shortstop and, thus, won't need Sanchez.

QUOTE (LDF @ Nov 23, 2014 -> 10:33 AM) I was wanting pitchers from the dodgers and 1 of the 2 whom I thought the dodgers would give in rtn, we got, Garcia. he is being added to the Cuban factor that the sox already has. now, if the dodger still will give the sox more, esp in a trade for Alexei, they really need to sweeten that deal. (dang after I finally learned to spell his name) side note. I am still stunned at their TV deal. I am absolutely okay with moving Alexei for an outfielder with some upside plus a couple of good pitching prospects. Sox want to compete this year, but it's not an "all in" year. The Sox have MI depth; they have absolutely 0 in the outfield. Young pitching should be stockpiled. Through it all, Alexei was only a 3.3 WAR player. My preference (as I've said a few times) would be Van Slyke from the Dodgers. It would have to be a lot of plus in the prospect side to take Crawford and even more for Ethier. Maybe the Mets, but they have nothing in the outfield to send. Or maybe a 3-way with an assortment of teams (Dodgers get Alexei; Mariners get Kemp; Sox get Saunders plus 2 pitching prospects from Mariners).

QUOTE (Chicago White Sox @ Nov 15, 2014 -> 02:04 PM) Are you serious? You wouldn't do Sanchez for Castro straight up??? That's mind-boggling crazy to me. Even if you don't think he's an upgrade over Flowers, he'd give us a great tandem of catchers to work with when we currently don't even have a backup. Also, Sanchez's ceiling is solid middle infielder and I really think he'll end up being just a utility guy (although a good one). That has some value, but let's not carried away here. There aren't a lot good catchers out there and two years of Castro would be far more valuable than six years of a reserve infielder. Sox are going to need Sanchez after they trade Alexei I just don't understand the zeal to trade assets for marginal upgrades, esp with a team thin on starting pitching, no LF, and thin on quality prospects. I also think Flowers, who posted similar offensive numbers as Castro, is under appreciated for his work with pitchers, holding runners, despite being over-used (to protect Nieto) last year. Flowers had a higher WAR than both Monetero and Castro last year, and yet people want to use scarce resource for these players. I like Fowler, but he's a 1 year rent. He should be on our radar a year from now.