CaliSoxFanViaSWside

My post I'm quoting sniffs around the idea that the Sox rebuilding the past 2 years might've saved some money and along with a new TV deal after the 2019 season might allow for a higher payroll. The other post I'm using by Levine isn't about Harper/Machado . That's old news. What I found more interesting was this part of the article. The Walt Disney Company owns more than 70 percent of MLB streaming rights going forward through its stake in BAMTech, a source said. BAMTech is a subsidiary of MLB Advanced Media that oversees the streaming technology and distribution. MLB will retain a small percentage of this joint venture. For the right to that content, Disney paid each MLB club $68 million over the past two offseasons. So over the last 2 seasons the Sox along with every other team got $68M which just so happens to coincide with the 1st 2 years of our rebuild, Now other teams got the same thing and many more than likely used that money in some fashion for payroll or whatever. Maybe the Sox used there's to pay for Robert . I don't know. I do know I find it a very interesting plot twist. Anyone else got any ideas on this ? I know this isn't the 1st time we've heard about this but it's something to keep in mind.

I"m hoping the best offer will be good enough with the surcharge or premium as some call it coming in the form of what we pay to put around him.

Isn't Camargo pretty good at third for the Braves ? Asking just off the top of my head not sure if he can play other positions.

Most if not all of the most recent posts of are based on landing one of the whales.

Could sign both of them. Even in a down year Gonzalez was 2.5bWAR. Pretty versatile guy, Donaldson gets injured you have a quality backup otherwise Gonzalez can play pretty much any position on the diamond competently except CF and catcher. Of course now with all these FA's you're talking about a massive roster turnover but thats not a huge concern of mine considering last years roster.

Where's the love for the glove ?

I've vacillated on how much he could be worth and I really haven't come up with a number. Originally 2/$40M seemed high to me given his recent injuries and age. Fathom mentioned lower body injuries but the main one I remember is his shoulder, Maybe it'll take $40M given his name recognition and former greatness. I'd still prefer 2/30-35 .

I don't think 3 is too drastic, 4/5 is though. Rather it be 2.

Personally I don't believe that projection/.Is it possible , yea sure it is. Probable ? I doubt it. Guess it all depends on how much he is willing to bet on himself rather than look at it pragmatically.

He used to be a stud maybe he can be again. I wouldn't be terribly opposed to finding out though depending on the contract of course.

He will be 33 in December .He probably knows there's a distinct possibility that his building value days might be over . I see him looking for the longest years deal he can get. A 1 year deal makes him 34 next year looking for a contract.

Now we're talkin' !

I'd target Donaldson Moustakas or Marwin Gonzales for 3rd whoever comes cheapest and with less years. Maybe even Jake Lamb.

Yes it is very hard to tell but even if it is another $200 M I don't see that as being crippling especially with a better TV deal while also phasing out those lesser FA's. Who knows maybe the past few years and a new Tv deal will allow the Sox a bigger payroll in the future.

Ok I am good with your non dogmatic approach and $600M sounds like a lot but $400M might be tied up in 1 player so another $200M sounds high for what I'm proposing especially since I'm not proposing anything very long term at all. I Just want a more linear path that sees us progress each year but it does include a lot of improvement for 2019 and more gradual improvement in the following 2 years.

Well I gave you my capsulized version. I laid it out more completely a few times in this thread and others. Most of the free agent contracts I see are in the 1-4 yr range and include guys like Happ, Miley, Pomeranz, Brantley Donaldson ,a relief pitcher . Nothing too exorbitant in either years or mone who can be flipped at some point to make room for the kids or kept if we end up getting a lot of progress from the kids already on the roster.Maybe you trade Abreu for a short term fix in CF and a prospect , non tender Avi. It all depends on which whale we get. If the whale swims away then hey back to Baltas plan. But I think Baltas vision is way too reliant on so many young pieces providing greatness right away . It;s like Ok lets suck again in 2019 but in 2021 we will be a superteam.

Wait you are Ok with a whale signing but don't think a Harper or Machado on a decent team won't affect the TV contract ? I think it will immensely.

I think we are. My plan is much more aggressive. More like the backwards rebuild. I want to add a lot this year to progress the timeline faster just in time for the new TV deal. Instead of filling in the gaps with free agents like most rebuilds do. I want to fill the roster with FA's and fill in the gaps with the kids when they are ready. Balta wants to land the whale like I do then expects that whale to tread water and wait for the kids with only cheap fill ins for the pitching staff..

I never said Corbin. I mentioned guys like Happ or Wade Miley and have mentioned Pomeranz also. Plus adding other 1-4 year positional player contracts. Unlike you I don't think payroll will be hampered very much by these signings. There's a lot of room on the payroll and trading Abreu and non tendering Avi gets us $20M more. Plus you're completely ignoring the need to field a decent team next year for the new TV contract and the money it could bring. It might not be a team that gets in the playoffs or challenges Cleveland but it's a process that might give us 85 wins then the next year 90 and the year after that 95+ and in that time trade the FA's we signed to make room for the kids allowing payroll to drop while still having even more money from the TV deal. If you expect Moncada and Gio and Lopez to be good for 2021 then I surely can expect some progress from them next year along with a more durable Rodon who also could be traded when the time comes.

I'm just not pulling what I've laid out as my plan out of my rear end. I'm basing it on a few things Hahn has said. He said the Sox will go outside the organization to get pitching. He also said they cannot control when FA's become available. He also has said that the preconceived notions about the Sox won't prevent them from spending or doing things that haven't seemed likely in the past and gave the Sox/Cubs trade and the Luis Robert signing as examples. There's also a new TV deal to consider when the current one expires after the 2019 season. I said in the past that waiting til 2020 and beyond for FA's limits our opportunity's severely before Hahn came out and said almost the exact same thing. My plan hinges on 2 things. 1)Getting the pitching Hahn said we would and 2) Landing a whale this year. Everything is centered around those 2 things happening. If those things happen then the ball starts gathering momentum . Add more FA's and get much better just in time to get a new TV contract that will add more revenue for 2020 and beyond. My plan also allows the kids (Dunning Cease Kopech Robert Gonzales Madrigal Rutherford Basabe Sheets etc) whoever is deemed ready, to ease into the lineup rather than be thrown into the fire and expected to be a superteam in their rookie or 2nd year. If the whale eludes us all else fails and we fall back to your plan and get another high draft pick for 2019 and potentially lose millions on the new TV deal.

OK so no superstar then . No Machado no Harper and a bunch of young pitchers who of course will all be great in 2021 surrounded by who exactly .? Eloy and the Javy Baez version of Moncada and 2 more rookie or 2nd yr. OF's ? Yes I can see it now. Youngest World Series winning team in MLB history.

Maybe not technically but Cease will probably still be classified as a rookie in 2020 depending on how many inning he gets at the end of 2019 if all goes well will be in year 2 Dunning might be a rookie or in year 2 who knows. So yes thats exactly what I said rookies and 2 year pitchers and some rookie and 2ns year OF's either in 2020 or 2021 . Way too many young guys in way too many key roles to be called a superteam by any stretch of the imagination even if Eloy Moncado Eloy Gio and Lopez all turn out good. And I suppose in your team there's also no Machado or Harper ?

I remember how excited you were in the game threads when Avi went on that HR tear for a week or 2.

I don't really understand what your getting at . Do you expect the superteams to dissolve by 2020 or 21 when if we do it your way we have a bunch of really young starting pitching and Of's with just as many question marks as Gio Lopez Moncada have now, Do we depend on a bunch of rookies or 2nd year players to dethrone all these mighty teams ?

No plan guarantees anything not even tanking another year. Hahn mentioned adding pitching right away. Let's say they add Happ and Wade Miley on 2 or 3 year deals. That gives Kopech Dunning Cease all time to arrive and get their feet wet. So now Harper/Machdo see we have a plan when we also explain to them we will try to add more before the season starts. Depending on opt out years we can add more right away and/or wait another year. Add enough to give us a shot at 85+wins depending on which whale signs with us. Donaldson might not get more than 2 or 3 years. Brantley the same. Maybe you trade Abreu for a w/e you can get for him that fills some need and non tender Avi. That will save approx. $20M .Still a FA OF gives time for Robert/Basabe /Gonzales all maybe 2 years away just to be a rookie more time to develop. Since Harper's defense in right is an issue he can be switched to 1st base if he agrees that his bat OBP etc is the main thing because we want him to get back to the type of years he had when he was 22 and 24. DH can be manned by Palka/Davidson . AFA reliever could also be added. If it ends up being Machado same type of thing . Add the pitching 1st add more FA's that give the kids time. I'm not too worried about an overpay for guys getting 1/2/3/4max possible years Then they are traded for more youth or kept if the 2019 season isn't deemed a playoff team by the trade deadline. Sure we need a lot to go right to be a playoff team in 2019 but so do a lot of teams and in 2020 we have a lot more starting pitchers arriving and know more about our minor league OF's.