Lillian

Of course, the Red Sox "have no desire" to attach a desirable young player. News flash for Boston; No team has a desire to bail you out of an albatross contract, just as a giant favor. If you want to off load salary, make a reasonable offer. If not, "go pound sand," as someone here said earlier. Enjoy paying your 34 year old pitcher, $32 Million per year, for the next 3 years. If they thought that they were going to "desire" to get out of the last 3 years of that deal, they should have insisted upon a team opt out, when they wrote up the contract. Seriously, I still suspect that it's just posturing. Bloom was brought in to get that payroll under control. I think he eventually gives in, if teams can be patient.

If they acquired Benintendi, I'd use the following line up, vs RHP: 2B Madrigal (If he's successful and getting on base and stealing - if not, he bats 2ND, as a good hit and run guy and TA hits leadoff and steals bases) 3B Moncada LH DH Eloy 1B Abreu C Grandal LH (McCann gets the playing time vs. LHP) SS Anderson LF Benintendi LH CF Robert (Just as a rookie - ultimately much higher in the order) RF Mazara LH (He sits against LHP - Benintendi plays RF & Eloy goes to LF) Collins has no place on this roster - Next year, he could take over for McCann, if he is not resigned.

What kinds of offers are being made for Price? Are most teams asking Boston to kick in money, or another player? Do any teams appear willing to send the Red Sox any decent prospects?

Including prospects, going both ways, complicates any potential deal. I still think that this is about Boston shedding that contract and that will likely be the key. I have read that the Boston front office is insisting that they don't want to include Benintendi, but that could simply be posturing. As you and I have said, if Bloom is desperate enough, he may have to give in to the buyer's demands. The problem is that there might be some GM dumb enough to agree to Bloom's demands. He is in no position to demand anything. Let's hope that Hahn realizes that.

Is Benintendi's arm good enough for RF? I know that he's a better outfielder than Mazara, but Mazara does have a plus arm. Having an adequate arm is more critical in RF, than speed, range and the ability to get good jumps. It would not be acceptable to have opposing teams running with confidence, on our right fielder's arm.

I'm not absolutely fixated on Benintendi. My position is that we should be able to get someone, with additional value and usefulness, if we agree to take on all of Price's contract. Is there another realistic candidate, who would be a better choice?

Thanks. Now let's see if Bloom and Hahn agree with us. LOL. They are probably a lot smarter and certainly better informed than we are.

Absolutely correct. If there is another team, dumb enough to bail out Boston, and agree to give the Red Sox any meaningful prospects, let them be the suckers. This only makes sense, if we get someone extra of value, and don't have to give up anybody who matters.

I agree. That's nuts. If Bloom wants salary relief, he shouldn't be expecting any top prospects back.

I can't imagine that Boston would be willing to include Rodriguez. They still have control over him, for 2 more years, and he's very good. Isn't he considered by them, to be a key part of their rotation?

You are probably right. The question is; Would you rather have some money back from Boston, or try to pry another player from them? Then, which player? I suspect that Bloom would prefer to get the maximum salary relief, and add another player.

This article states precisely what I have surmised. The Red Sox primary goal is off loading the salary. I don't think that they are looking for prospects. Our Sox are ideally positioned to take on Price, whom we could use, and that awful contract. We can probably beat out any of the competition, providing we don't demand any money. Again, whom could we accept, as the carrot, to do this favor, for Bloom?

I thought that the motivation and urgency for Boston was to shed payroll. I think that is more important to them than acquiring prospects. The whole reason it would make sense for these two teams to make a deal is that Boston needs to unload salary and our Sox have the significant payroll flexibility. Therefore, what would likely entice Bloom the most would be to take on the entire Price contract. If we do that, they would probably not need any prospects, save perhaps a lesser guy, just to save face, with their rabid fan base. Now, the question is; Which player would we accept and they be willing to include, in order to entice Hahn to accommodate Bloom's desperate desire to off load that Price contract?

My goodness. Mazara is not a "reclamation project," nor is he merely a "prospect". Please, some perspective is called for, here. He is a young player, who was brought up to the Big Leagues, very early in his professional career and has already performed well enough to be considered a bonafide Major Leaguer. However, given his age, there is still room for more production, and a reasonable chance that he can tap into what is, regarded by many to be, significant untapped potential. He has already put up at least one season that was very impressive, especially for a player who was only 22 at the time. He was injured for a month of the season, last year, but still hit respectably. I just can't understand the hyperbolic reactions to the loss of one of our several young outfield prospects. While Walker may have been ranked above guys like Adolfo, Basabe and Rutherford, he was not clearly that much better of a prospect. They are all in the same tier. Moreover, if the more important objective of the front office is to shore up the pitching, this move only means that they have more money to allocate for the rotation, than they would have, if they had spent big on a right fielder. For me, it all hinges upon what they can accomplish, in the pitching department. I understand that several of the top arms are already off the board, however there are other viable options, especially if the Sox employ the strategy of taking on another team's big contract. That approach offers several advantages. The remaining years are almost certainly going to be less than the length of the new contracts being signed. In addition, there are no draft picks sacrificed. And finally, as I mentioned elsewhere, teams who are saddled with large burdensome contracts, in need of shedding salary, could be sufficiently motivated, even desperate, to unload a viable piece for our rotation. Think Price, from the Bosox. The point is that any conclusions, regarding this off season, are very premature. Isn't the best approach to simply be patient and see what unfolds?

I thought that the Heyman comment had been clarified and that it was intended to apply to the Rangers, not the Sox. Texa is after Rendon, and this move is ostensibly constructive toward that end.

He actually hit the long ball, at a higher rate last year, than any other year, in his short career. He missed over 30 games.

The Red Sox "kicking in money" was my assumption. Those two acquisitions could both be made, within the likely parameters of our projected payroll, while not taking on the risk of a long term, expensive contract. I suspect that is the kind of strategy, which is being contemplated by Hahn.

Would you guys be satisfied with Ryu and Price, if it could get done?

That is precisely what I thought and posted in the thread, regarding trading for a starting pitcher. With all of our regular positions now filled, there is no need for Boston to include Benintendi, in a deal for Price. If Bloom kicks in enough money, Price would be a very reasonable solution. He wouldn't require one of those long term, huge contracts, which our front office is understandably wary of making, with a pitcher.

Having now acquired Mazara, thus filling the RF slot, there is no longer a need for Benintendi to be included in a deal for Price. How much of Price's contract would Bloom have to assume, in order to make him appealing to our Sox? We shouldn't have to give up anyone, unless Boston is paying a significant portion of the contract.

Just to add a little less hyperbolic perspective: Below are Mazara's Career Stats. Putting aside the fact that he is considerably better against RHP, the numbers are still pretty decent, especially for a player as young as he is. As a 22 year old, in just his 2ND season, he had 30 doubles, 20 homers and 101 RBI's. The following season, he matched his home run total, in 20 fewer games and actually improved his Slugging % and OPS. Last year, while dealing with a thumb injury and missing most of the final 2 months, he still hit 27 doubles and 19 homers, while putting up his career best Average, Slugging % and OPS. If you project his totals for last season, over a full 162 games, he would have had 37 doubles, 26 homers and 92 RBI's. I frankly don't understand how those numbers haven't ever translated into a better WAR, but I guess it's the negative defense. At any rate, the kid has actually performed pretty well, and with arguably untapped potential, he's not a bad gamble. The biggest concern is that he only has two more years of control. Year Age Tm Lg G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+ TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB Pos Awards 2016 21 TEX AL 145 568 516 59 137 13 3 20 64 0 2 39 112 .266 .320 .419 .739 93 216 12 6 0 7 1 *97/D RoY-5 2017 22 TEX AL 148 616 554 64 140 30 2 20 101 2 2 55 127 .253 .323 .422 .745 90 234 12 4 0 3 6 *97D 2018 23 TEX AL 128 536 489 61 126 25 1 20 77 1 0 40 116 .258 .317 .436 .753 96 213 13 4 0 3 2 *9D/7 2019 24 TEX AL 116 469 429 69 115 27 1 19 66 4 1 28 108 .268 .318 .469 .786 96 201 5 6 0 6 2 9/D 4 Yrs 537 2189 1988 253 518 95 7 79 308 7 5 162 463 .261 .320 .435 .754 93 864 42 20 0 19 11 162 Game Avg. 162 660 600 76 156 29 2 24 93 2 2 49 140 .261 .320 .435 .754 93 261 13 6 0 6 3

As many of us have said, settling for Mazara to fill the hole in RF, even if only vs RHP, could be acceptable, if the money is used to acquire other more significant pieces. If that move were to end up being the Sox 2ND most impactful move of the off season, I doubt that anyone would consider the off season a success.

Just to clarify, I wouldn't be very pleased, if they settle for Mazara, as their right fielder for 2020, especially if he costs any decent prospects. The Benintendi comps were just for information purposes, not an attempt to argue for Mazara's acquisition.

Career Stats vs RHP for Benintendi and Mazara, respectively: vs RHP 449 1536 1348 219 387 95 12 41 200 44 9 157 265 .287 .363 .467 .830 629 23 12 4 15 9 8 .327 108 vs RHP 503 1615 1448 201 393 76 4 64 240 5 4 138 320 .271 .337 .462 .799 669 31 13 0 16 11 16 .305 112 Mazara has been the better power bat, but Benintendi has the better OBP. They're actually pretty close, vs. RHP. However, he is considerably worse vs LHP. I assume that Mazara's arm is better suited for RF, than Benintendi's. He's also one year younger than Benintendi.

That is what I wanted to know. Thank you.