ChiSox59

Yep, definitely don't disagree with that. Makes not missing on Grandal pretty important.

I am completely fine with it. Didn't love the Martinez fit from day 1. While obviously I wouldn't have been mad if they signed him, I feel there are much better ways to build the team (with the assumption that Jose Abreu will be around).

BUT BUT BUT!!! HOW WOULD JD MARTINEZ KNOW NO TEAM WAS WILLING TO SPEND MORE! TAMPERING!!!

His salary drops $4.5M for 21-22. While $4.5M isn't a ton in baseball terms, that is almost a 20% decrease. As I said, he was never going to beat $23.75M in AAV in 2020.

I don't think they would, unless the Red Sox basically gave him away for salary relief.

See two posts up.

This also could theoretically allow the Sox to say, "OK, Jose. We love you man. But you're not worth $15M AAV over 3-4 years. Go ahead and test the market, but we'll be here if it doesn't work out." And then in a couple months get him to re-sign closer to the 2/$25M deal we were projecting before his hot end to the season. No one is going to sign Jose Abreu to a multi-year deal and lose a draft pick.

Not really. I don't think he was going to beat $23.75M in AAV in 2020. And his salary drops to $19.25M next year. Which means if he has another JD Martinez-like season, he can opt out a year from and easily beat 2/$38.5M. If he doesn't, he just doesn't opt out. Seems like the way safer route, unless he knew someone was going to give him a 4 year deal at ~$20M AAV, which quite obviously he didn't.

Doesn't necessarily shut the door, but I agree with this move from JD Martinez standpoint. He'd be much better off opting out next year.

Obviously. I think this pretty clearly means that what the Sox are offering and what Jose wants are not matching up. Which, IMO, is probably a good thing. Overpaying Jose Abreu for multiple seasons would be very stupid. Overpaying him for 1 season would be less stupid.

Yah. For the Sox to do this means that Jose must have had no interest in signing a 2 year $25-28M deal the past few months.

WOW. Kind of significant news. Jose should take it.

May as well give Fulmer one more shot. Not going to get anything of value for him right now, and as CWS said, he is out of options.

Other somewhat interesting names to hit the market today: Derek Dietrich Eric Thames Martin Perez

The intent there would obviously be higher AAV for shorter term. Still seems crazy, especially with Turner still there.

Calhoun's option also declined.

Yah, Dietrich definitely looked more interesting before his 2nd half nosedive. But if not for his 2nd half nosedive, he wouldn't be available. And unlike Yolmer, Dietrich can play the OF, has quite a bit of pop and can get on base. I am not proposing the guy as a solution to anything, but he's a decent fit as the 25/26th man type on a cheap 1 year deal. Could fill in at 2B until Madrigal is ready, move around thereafter. Just another option.

Derek Deitrich also just became a FA and is a decent choice as bench piece.

Add Eric Thames to the list of poor fielding RF/DH that make a little if you squint hard enough. At least he hits left handed.

I agree, but it begs the question why it hasn't happened yet.

I am not citing FG as the barometer. I am just sharing the relevant information released by FG this am. I did not recall McDaniel's predictions from last offseason, but obviously that is an important set of data. I do feel like McDaniel's estimates, on the whole, were light - so would not be surprised to hear that is a trend.

That was done by Bowden. 75% of the posters here are more in the loop than Jim fuckin' Bowden. 1/$11M seems light, but 3/$60M is never going to happen. It'll be somewhere in the middle, but hoping McDaniel is closer!

I wasn't talking about you specifically.

Yah, I don't think things are quite that cut and dry. I am sure Boras is aware of who has interest and to what extent. If he is going into this blind, there is no way he is going to opt out this offseason. May as well take the $23.75M and opt out next year.

Timing on free agency is really tough to predict, but if JDM opts out, I feel like his timing may be a bit quicker than that. I would assume he has a pretty good idea that someone is willing to beat his current 3/$63 he has left on his deal if he does in fact opt out today, At this point, I think JD doesn't out out, takes his $23.75M for 2020, and then opts out after next year when his salary reduces to $19.35M. Going to be tough for him to beat $23.75M AAV for 2020.