bmags

DiDi to me only makes sense if his market crashes and he ends up with a pillow contract - but it feels like the Yankees would be there for him in that situation. It doesn’t feel like a fit with the Sox bear term. I like DiDi a lot though.

Certainly leaning that way.

It's almost like large pitching contracts aren't that risky!

You know...charger plates! That's what we all say!

Yes, worst case scenario would be him signing a 2 year deal and then being 2014 paul konerko next year.

Pleasantly surprised by this. This was right move.

You cannot trade future bonus pools, you can only trade within the current year.

Calhoun is fine if we have significantly upgraded pitching. If we have signed Jake Odorizzi and Tanner Rourk and KC, then he is not fine.

I do think last year was instructive that players, elite ones, DO have the ability to create a market. Should Harper have really been able to get a $330 mil deal with only one real team? No, but it’s what it took to sign him and team believed in that number.

Yes, and when it was clear we would not have a surplus of prospects near what braces had with pitching, this became unrealistic for competing.

This is what I worry about. If they are already nodding to needing to be prudent for extensions than our window is already smaller than people think and next year is part of it.

So the real point is that a $125mill payroll will not be championship caliber, but also that we only have 3 years where $125 million even allows substantial outside additions before it just starts moving toward internal assets, especially troubling with a weakening farm and no intl program. Which means they should probably just go high end and seek to trade in a few years imo.

Zach Greinke signed a 6 year/206 mill contract for his age 32 season. He pitched well for that team, and they were even able to trade him for some decent prospects.

Man, always impressive when a national writer can take a detailed view of your team and nail it.

I think the actual issue here is how JDM responds if Boston decides it can’t afford him/doesn’t want him back. Someone mentioned a plausible scenario where they have a handshake agreement that if he agrees to opt out, they won’t give him a QO. JDM could force it, he has a contract, but it would be a weird situation. If he opts in and they keep Betts this year, Sox should see what repercussions are in who they prioritize sending out.

I’d go 6/210 to stras, 8/260-275 for Cole.

No they dont

I really think this is overrated. Bum just hates getting showed up, but also defends his teammates no matter what.

I think this will end up being the best hire of the offseason, personally.

Yes, this is actually the perfect time for this type of draft for the sox, though recently it has felt like if a draft is deep at a position they swerve the other way.

Yeah I agree. I think it will be okay to play market so long as they prioritize some high upgrade players and do what it takes to get them.

Some defenses: - while not a high OBP player, he also doesn’t K, so still a nice alternative. - He did increase his BB% to 9% last year, though I just have a hard time believing that’s gonna stick. I do like the idea of a 2b that starts season there, while a Collins is allowed chance to win DH duties. Then when Madrigal moves in, they can replace Collins, or become a super sub. This fits for Kendrick too. This is acceptable to me if RF is legit upgraded and the majority of funds are spent on significant pitching upgrades.

This has literally been the response to every single story that has come up in 2019 on international free agency, but it's impossible to have this opinion when looking at the whole. They basically voluntarily punted on a 3rd straight latam class. That's a huge disadvantage.

Nats are definitely one of the best free agent spenders (and traders). Their daniel murphy acquisition was also insanely good.