bear_brian

QUOTE (soxfan2014 @ Dec 13, 2014 -> 10:21 AM) I'd rather pay Tank 4.5 mill than pay Rasmus anything more than that. Same type of player (low obp, high k rate, power potential) except Rasmus can run faster and play defense. Part of me absolutely agrees with you, except that Rasmus's defense does separate him from Tank, and he can also play CF. I do not think highly of him, but it will still seem a step up (albeit with more cost) than Tank.

QUOTE (TheFutureIsNear @ Dec 13, 2014 -> 09:52 AM) I think there are plenty of viable options for the OF still left to say that a Tank/Ichiro platoon is likely. Free Agents- Melky, Rasmus, Aoki Dodgers- Either, Crawford, Van Slyke Phillies- Marlon Byrd Rockies- Blackmon, Cargo Boston- Victorino, Nava, Holt Pirates- Travis Snider And I'm probably missing at least a few Boston has to remove either Victorino or Nava or Craig - Holt is too versatile. Ethier wants out of L.A. Dodgers want to move either Ethier or Crawford's contract. Rasmus is supposedly asking for 11M - do not think anyone will come close to offering him that. We need one very good defensive outfielder, who can spell Eaton. We also need someone who can give us more offensive production than Tank. Perhaps the answer is either a) Aoki and Nava: or b) Rasmus and Nava. In either case, I like Nava because of his versatility.

Melky Cabrera resolves the issue of RH, but it appears doubtful we have the cash to get him. Aoki and prying away Daniel Nava from Boston is another solution. Aoki does hit lefties well, Nava could spell LaRoche or Aoki, plus he is a switch hitter.

It would seem problematic to lose Viciedo without having a ready replacement. Ideally we would want someone who hits at least as well, is superior defensively, and someone who also could play the other outfield positions. If we are limited now in terms of budget, how about one of the following: 1. Aoki at $6M per year and Bonifacio at $3M; that's a net increase of about $4.5M. I know a lot of you don't like either guy, but money now seems to be an issue. Both are passable, are versatile position-wise (both could actually play CF), bring more speed to our lineup, and remove the spectre of both Leury Garcia and Jordan Danks as alternatives. 2. Rasmus (who is asking for over $11M per), but at a salary of about $8M. That still leaves Danks as a backup (I know we have Shuck, but he was dreadful last year), but gives us a versatile defender with some power, tho with lots of K's. 3. ??? - you tell me: Crawford for Danks, Viciedo for Dominic Brown, Ichiro?? None of those are very pleasant.

Has there be any discussion that we may not actually be the "leader" in all of this, but may actually be behind Boston, who is waiting on a Lester decision? They probably have more tradeable pieces to throw at Beane than we do. I only mention that because it would seem that, if not Boston, what is Beane waiting for??

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 26, 2014 -> 04:04 PM) Sox need a RH starter, or at least would like one. Phillies GM just came out and said he had a good offer for Cole Hamels in hand, but it was from a team not yet mentioned in the media about him. I'll go out on a limb and say the Sox may be taking a shot at Hamels. Are you aware that Hamels is a lefty???

I agree wholeheartedly. In my mind, I think the best - and possibly only - deal for Alexei would be with the Mets, and only for Zach Wheeler. That would give us a young cost controlled RH starting pitcher, would also allow us to chase either Headley or Melky, and would allow us to add a closer, or even go after Shields. How about a rotation of Sale, Shields, Quintana, Wheeler and Danks (unless we could move him for Papelbon!)?

There is no way, IMO, that the Dodgers are going to trade Pederson or Seager without getting some salary relief in the form of one of the high-priced veteran outfielders, probably Ethier. So, if there is a "package", it would possibly be Etheir and Pederson or Seager.

LaRoche hit 4th for the Nationals for much of last year. If we spend the money to sign Melky, we then have a very impressive lineup with : Eaton - L Melky - S Abreu - R LaRoche - L A Garcia - R Gillespie - L Ramirez - R Flowers - R Sanchez - S Idealy we figure out how to trade for Dioner Navarro and platoon Flowers and Navarro. We also move that lineup around when we face a lefty, getting Semien in there.

QUOTE (CaliSoxFanViaSWside @ Nov 23, 2014 -> 09:33 PM) So is McCarthy's agent if 3years $12M means only $4M a year. He'll easily get double that. That means 3 year, $12M per year.

QUOTE (hi8is @ Nov 23, 2014 -> 06:11 PM) Pass what you're smoking this way, man. Dodgers want a major league shortstop and want to reduce payroll and open up room in the outfield for Pederson. This deal has the Sox taking on all of Kemp's obligation with the exception of the $12M in cash. Phillies have tired of Papelbon, have lots of unknowns in their own starting staff.

The following scenario would put the Sox payroll slightly over $100M: 1. Trade Alexei Ramirez to the Dodgers for Matt Kemp, Scott Schebler and $12M cash; 2. Trade/DFA Dayan Viciedo 3. Sign a FA RHP to a three year $12M contract - McCarthy, Masterson 4. Swap contracts with the Phillies - Danks for Papelbon 5. Figure out a deal with Toronto for Dioner Navarro with his $5M contract. Let Bassitt be the 5th starter until Rodon is ready. Semien could play SS until Saldino is ready. Could see Semien becoming another Bucky Dent.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Nov 20, 2014 -> 05:16 PM) Pretty much agreed. This is where you have to look at remaining asset allocation. I'd prefer to trade Viciedo (since he's not going to improve with us at this point) for Saunders, bring in Rasmus and sign Morse for DH. That gives you two younger players who have underperformed expectations but have upside and a solid/experienced veteran bat in Morse to solidify the middle of the order and take some of the pressure off Avisail. Same with Rasmus. And you just don't want to go into the season without a decent fix for a possible Eaton injury again. With Rasmus, you don't have to surrender that 2nd round pick that turned into one our more exciting prospects in Adams. I could be misreading things, but Cabrera at $48 million for 3 years or $60 million for 4 just isn't enticing enough because of the PEDs, his so-so defense, erratic results (and sure, Rasmus has been equally inconsistent), in general being leery about overpaying another veteran who could quickly decline and the fact that main reason we're chasing him is that he hits LH. If the main reason is that you could feel confident putting Cabrera behind Abreu in the line-up...that's not enough. Cabrera would not hit behind Abreu, but IN FRONT of him, behind Eaton. We would still need to find a #4 hitter (my suggestion is Morales, since I believe he will come back from a very disjointed season last year). There is no comparison between Rasmus and Melky offensively - Melky hits for average, does not strike out, is a switch hitter, and would totally improve the top of our lineup hitting between those two and allowing Alexei to slide down lower in the order. I like the idea of trading for Saunders. He could provide rest for any of the three OF's, has lots of potential, and is a superior hitter to Jordan Danks.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Nov 20, 2014 -> 09:10 AM) His bat is clearly an upgrade, at least for two seasons....but his defense isn't very good. Certainly, that's better than what we saw out of LF in 2013/14, but how much is it actually worth? Are the Sox willing to go to 4 years for a player beginning the downside of his career? Signing Cabrera might only leave $10 million of new spending on the table, and that's going to have to pay for a DH, a closer and a 3 starter in the rotation. Not possible without trading Ramirez and/or dumping Danks and going with Semien/Sanchez/L.Garcia at SS. Not sure where you are getting the $10 million remaining number from. The Sox could go anywhere from $90 to $100 million total payroll. Right now, including Viciedo's estimated $4.5 million, the total is about $ 62 million. that could leave them with as much as $40 million to spend - $14M for Melky, $9M for Kendry Morales, $12M for McCarthy, Masterson, Maeda or Hammel, and $5M for Luke Gregerson is one way of spending that money. Getting Cabrera as a switch hitter, and getting Kendry Morales as a switcher, greatly improves the overall lineup and its flexibility.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 18, 2014 -> 04:25 PM) Matt Kemp is due $21 million this year, and $21.5 million for each year from 2016 to 2019. John Danks is due $14.25 million for 2015 and 2016. That is a gap of 6.75 million this year, 7.25 million in 2016 and $64.5 million from 2017 to 2019. I am going to say that is about $80 million short of an "offset". Who said anything about Matt Kemp? Dodgers are not moving him for Alexei. It would be Ethier or Crawford., probably Ethier.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 18, 2014 -> 04:14 PM) The Sox are not taking on two big contracts this winter (a Dodger OF and Shields). They finally got to the point where they are in a good payroll position. They aren't about to blow that up again. The Dodger OF contract would be offset with Danks. The Sox can afford Shields; tho McCarthy or Hammel would be cheaper options. Again, I am only commenting on what might happen in the scenario I outlined. I would prefer Alexei straight up for Zack Wheeler, and then take the Alexei money and sign Cabrera or Lowrie.

It is a total and utter pipe dream to think that the Dodgers would include Joc Pederson in any trade. They are trying to move the other guys - Ethier, Crawford - to make room for Pederson. My two cents worth is that the two teams are talking about a deal that would involve Ethier and also include Arruebarrena, as well as another prospect. That would give us a lefty outfield bat and a strong defensive player whose hitting abilities are an unknown at this point, but who could at least replace Leury Garcia. In return they would take Danks. We would then turn around and either sign Cabrera or Lowrie to a 2 year contract, until such time that Tim Anderson is ready. We would go after a "big fish" starter - Shields, perhaps - Put Bassitt in the rotation, use Carroll as the long man and spot starter. This would give us Sale, Shields, Quintana, Noesi and Bassitt until Rodon is ready. I would prefer a trade with the Mets to get a young starter, but that would obviously not include getting rid of Danks. The Mets have a stable of young starters and are in desperate need of a SS.

There isn't a question that it is somewhat of a gamble to tender a three or four year contract to a 36 year old. However, he is not worn down by playing the field, is a switch hitter, has always made excellent contact with low strike out rates, and really fits our lineup "like a glove". In some respects you could consider him a switch hitting Harold Baines, late in his own career (who, by the way, had productive seasons as a 39 and 40 year old). He would mentor all of our young Hispanic hitters, could occasionally rest Abreu by playing a little first base, and would be a major improvement in almost every respect from Adam Dunn. My earlier suggestion for hitters in free agency was to combo Kendry Morales with Melky Cabrera, but I do not have a problem signing V-Mart, even to a four year deal.

If money is no object, then V-Mart is the ultimate answer. I do not think the Tigers will let him get away, and it is probably not a wise diecision to invest in a 36 year old. I am intrigued by Alvarez, but what do we have to offer the Pirates? Dominic Brown is Dayan Viciedo, so no thanks. And - I identified a 2-year deal for Morales because I believe as a Boras client that is what it will take. Don't you guys see Abreu as a catalyst for a Morales comeback? A real Cuban connection This guy was a very good hitter prior to last year, when he held out and missed all of spring training.

QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 22, 2014 -> 10:18 AM) The problem with Morales being part of an "all in" campaign is...what happens if he continues being terrible next year? We spent $40 million on other guys and wound up with a .615 OPS from our DH spot and that costs us a playoff birth. I don't disagree with your question, but we have to find a DH who can replace Dunn with the potential for better production but without tat terrible salary. Morales is a calculated gamble, with a good hitting history.

Here is an "all-in" FA approach for 2015: 1. Chase Headley for 4 years, $56M: great 3B defense, switch hitter, hope power returns, allows Gillaspie as trade chip 2. Kendry Morales for 2 years, $15M: Cuban, throw last year out due to late start, another switch hitter, can DH and play 1B. Teaming with Abreu would facilitate big comeback?? 3. Emilio Bonifacio for 3 year, $10M: versatile, IF/OF, fast, would replace the pathetic L Garcia 4. Bullpen: a) Zach Duke for 3 years, $13M: LH, high K rate b) Luke Gregerson for 3 years, $20M: one of the best RH relief pitchers, could close 5. Jason Hammel for 3 years $25M: gives us the RH starter, allows Bassit to go to bullpen This adds approximately $ 45M to payroll, keeping us around $100M

QUOTE (StRoostifer @ Oct 16, 2014 -> 05:04 PM) I admit I'm kinda leery of Tomas due to the scouting reports are a reminder of Viciedo but if its true that Abreu is pumping Tomas to the front office then maybe there's more than what the scouting reports have to say. I think one possible scenerio is .... Sox trade Viciedo for Alvarez (DH). Sox sign Tomas (LF). Sox sign Headley (3B/LHH). Sox trade Gillaspie. Sanchez, Semien and Johnson battle it out for 2B. Sox lose no draft picks and have plenty of money to sign/ trade for relief help. I'm liking this more and more as we discuss this Balta. Why not sign Kendry Morales instead of picking up Alvarez, who is possibly not much more that another Dunn? Then trade Viciedo for some bullpen help.

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Oct 16, 2014 -> 11:59 AM) The Royals model is flawed. We aren't talking about a great team here. Great story yes and they could retain as they have young players, etc. However, one of the key pieces of what makes them so good is their defense and defense tends to be more consistent. Relievers are less consistent, although if you are talking about a plus reliever, the bulk of them tend to have some staying power, but that comes into more focus on the scouting, etc. and their stuff. Plus relievers with smaller sample sizes can have more variability in general driven by luck. Sox defense sucks and we need to fix it more then anything. Our fielding percentage and the Royals was almost identical. We scored more runs than they did, hit many more homers; they hit for a higher average and stole many more bases. On the surface the difference was indeed pitching - their team ERA was 3.69. ours was 4.09. That is over half a run a game difference. So, one way to look at getting better is to indeed fix the pitching staff, especially the bullpen. No secret, huh!?

The Orioles just declined the option on Markakis. He is not as good as Melky offensively, but would solidify our outfield defense and could hit second behind Eaton. Wonder what he will be asking?

QUOTE (lasttriptotulsa @ Oct 15, 2014 -> 06:57 AM) Are you really trying to say that fielding % has any sort of relevance in deciding how good of a defender an outfielder is? Come on. I think we can just forget the Melky Cabrera talk anyways. Toronto wants to extend him and is going to make a qualifying offer. Melky has also stated he would like to stay in Toronto because they are the ones that gave him a chance after his PED suspension. It's just a matter of time before they sign him to an extension. There is little question that Toronto would like to keep him. I think their issue is that, without Melky, they have somewhere in the neighborhood of $ 150M in potential payroll. I am not sure that, without some kind of commensurate salary dump, they would be prepared to take on another 10% over that number. They finished 13 games behind Baltimore. My hope is that they can't put it together.