He stated right after he left the Sox GM position that he was going to take some time off from baseball. I think Ben is a smart guy and does a good job with building a farm system but I'm not sure he's a good GM. I guess we'll see if/when he takes another job.
So you want the Sox to sign one of the top 5 or 6 pitchers in baseball? Why? (And don't say so you can see me become the biggest David Price fan around and all the great photos of Price and Papi smiling and hugging each other).
Terry Collins will be around another 2 years driving me nuts with moves that make no sense but usually work out. I can live....
Because you don't win that contract, he is a 30 year old pitcher who at this time in his career has more inning on his arm than CC did seven years into it...You are going to have to give up a 7 year min at over 25M at a min. plus the draft pick on a team that already has 150M tied up in payroll comittments (which I don't think is a bad thing, they could easily operate at 200).....it actually goes in direct contrast with the Red Sox model. That is going to be the most interesting thing going forward, DD likes to wheel and deal and spend, will it translate with the FO? Now while the draft pick isn't an issue because he is the type of guy you do that for but on a 4-5 year deal.....it all depends on the years, but he is goes Verlander on the years? Yes please bring him to Boston. You would be actually safer with Cueto. And of course to watch you backtrack on how he isn't THAT bad of a guy would be fun too.....
I don't think he is awful either, there are certainly many others in the sport right now who are worse...... I mean he is a whizz with the farm which is most important, 50/50 on trades which most GM's are, and he took some chances this past year on FA contracts that did work out however he didn't salary strap the team like say Ellsbury....
No draft pick attached to him because he got traded in the middle of the year. But I agree with you with everything else. I mean I flip flop each day on whether I want them to get Price or just use some of their prospects to get a Sonny Gray or Carlos Carrasco. Sometimes I want them to do both.
He made a lot of poor trades outside of the Punto deal, Peavy for Iglesias and the Miller for Rodriguez one. Obviously those 3 were huge hits but he got nothing for Lester or Lackey, gave away Melancon, Reddick, Lowrie. And again outside of 2013 basically all of his FA signings were bad. I think someone like Cherington would have been a perfect partner with a DD.
Ahhhhh I forgot about that, see now that makes me nervous that NY is going to break the bank for him .......ugh...
I still can't believe the Dodgers wanted Nick Punto so bad that they agreed to take on Adrian Gonzalez (and his contract) Carl Crawford (and his contract) and Josh Beckett (and his contract) while giving up actual, at the time, well regarded prospects. Even more incredible was depending on who you ask the Red Sox either wanted the Dodgers to also take Lackey (and his contract too) or originally offered them Lackey but the Dodgers said they wanted Beckett instead. Either way the Sox dodged that one too. It's a shame that Ned Colletti isn't still the Dodger GM, otherwise I would bet anything that the Dodger team store would be making Pablo Sandoval t-shirt jerseys by Christmas.
hahaha dude no!!! At least let Cashman try and offload Ellsbury first..... You think the Yanks try and move Gardner?
I think it will all depend on whether they go out and try and sign another OF like Alex Gordon, Jason Heyward or Justin Upton first. Gardner should have some value. Ellsbury on the other hand, I think they're stuck with him.
Right, probably 20 cents on the dollar? I mean I don't even know what Ellsbury's trade value is. His hitting stats (BA, OBP, OPS, SLG, OPS+) have decreased for the past 2 years, he's not stealing bases like he used to while his caught stealing % has increased. He's 32 years old, has played in over 145 games 4 times in 9 years, is injuried a lot, has a weak arm and might have lost a step or two speed wise. He's never hit for power outside of 1 year. If he can't play gold glove defense in CF, while getting on base and stealing what good is he? I mean I made the comparsion a few weeks ago with Carl Crawford, who was similar to Ellsbury in terms of skills, and maybe it's just no wise to invest so much money into light hitting speed guys. At least with Crawford the thought was get him out of Boston and he might rebound but for whatever reason (besides injuries) he's just never got back on track.
If I were an opposing GM of a contending team or a team that might contend and had an injury, I would trade a good AA prospect for him and a young A one as well and have money taken off for the remainder of the duration, or maybe a reliever and a prospect, if you are paying contract money usually a decent prospect comes with it...he has value in the short term in that he still plays good defense and runs the bases well. He is also savvy enough where it wouldn't surprise me at all if he lit up for a playoff series...
What's his value in the short term? That's the problem, no one knows his he's been trending downward offensively for two years and it appears he's no longer an elite base runner anymore. He's been a .265/.324/.387/.710 hitter the last two years. Plus who knows if he'll be able to stay healthy. And you're crazy if you think a contender is going to trade a good prospect(s) for him even if the Yankees pay most of the contract.
Ellsbury is Ellsbury, we're stuck with him like you said, unless we eat most of the contract. And in that case, why not keep him. He still for the most part has his wheels and can still field his position pretty well. My offseason would go something like this - Trade Gardy and Nova/pineda for a Top of the rotation guy (maybe add judge in if it gets you somewhere). Sign J-Hey, since your giving up the pick there, might as well sign a top tier pitcher too. I wouldnt mind Cueto but Price and Zimmerman would be my main targets. If you got something good int he Gardy move, sign Hisashi Iwakuma or Kazmir or the Shark (innings eater) send CC to the bullpen. Sign Darren O'day and Eric O'flaherty -- i like the irish! Sign Zobrist or trade for Prado back - either of those guys can play a ton of positions rotation: Severino, Tanaka - Iwakuma/Kazmir - Pineda/Nova(or guy you get in a trade) - Price/cueto/zimmerman/shark - Eovaldi - Warren as your long man Lineup Ellsbury J-Hey Teix McCann Grandpa Arod Headley Didi Refs/zobrist/prado/Ackley bench zobrist/refs/prado Brendan Ryan Ackley Bird Heathcott
Your plan has the Yankees spending more than 400 million for Heyward, one of Price/Cueto/Zimmerman, Zobrist, O'Day and Flaherty (way more if you want to use Fangraphs Free Agent Contract Predictor but I'm being somewhat conservative). You really think the Yankees will spend that much coin?
Nope....we'll settle for whomever we trade gardy/pineda for sign two relievers, one of zobrist or trade for prado and that will be all. They have Ackley and refs....and I suppose bird and slade. Going to look like almost the same roster as last year. Unless they can somehow move tex or ells...
This would be exciting news if it were 2010, now you're just stuck with a bigoted loud mouth that's not very good at baseball anymore. But truth be told this is exactly the type of player that would probably have a nice rebound year for TB. Still can't believe they turned James Lonely into a good ball player again.
He will rebound. He's in his personal hitting coaches back yard. He will hit 25 HRs next year I believe.
He's never hit that many before in his career but he's still only 27 years old. I wonder if he'll get enough at bats. Where is he going to play mainly? LF or DH and a little 1B when Lonely takes a day off?
I would expect him to DH and 1B while Loney is taking an off day. He hit 17 last year. He will likely only hit vs. RHP, but I think 250 25 is doable.
I'd probably put his over/under on HRs at 18, since his 162 game average is 19. He's oft injured so that needs to be taken into count but he is moving away from Safeco. I wouldn't say you're crazy to think that but think 25 might be a little high for him.
SO, does anyone think that this is the offseason that players start accepting their qualifying offers, or is there simply an edict from the MLBPA prohibiting them from doing so? For some of these guys, either for age, limited experience, questionable upside, or questionable market, it would seem insane not to jump at the one year, 15.8 mil deal.
Marco Estrada is probably the only one who would/should consider it. The rest of the FAs getting them should be able to get better deals in free agency. There's been no edict from the MLBPA to stop them, with the new QO rules, MLB making so much money and contracts being so inflated it's usually in the players best interest to turn them down.
As a Cubs fan, there's no way that Fowler is worth that. They offered it knowing he'll reject it. Now if he signs elsewhere we get compensation. More likely, I think he gets left out in the cold and ends up signing for less per year, either with Chicago or elsewhere.
FFG, apparently Zobrist's wife is very content here ... http://www.kmbc.com/news/new-zobrist-baby-has-a-very-royal-middle-name/36305818
haha, i saw! And **** what are the Mets doing? Daniel Murphy with at QO- he's dumb if he turns that down...this is Stephen drew all over again.
Are you nuts, wrong side of 30, liability in the field and he's riding two weeks of hitting in the post season. If he gets a 4 yr deal, I'll eat crow....I'd venture to say he won't get more than 7 per on a two yr deal. So, I'm thinking he takes that q.o.... The Met fans I know, aren't happy about it.
what do you see? Honest question? 3/9 or 4/10, I mean realistically, he's not a very good player anymore - He not a HR threat like Kendrys or Butler - In 6 yrs he's hit 62 HR's. He's a contact hitter with a nice avg and a career .321 OBP and career +2.25 WAR - he's Bill Mueller without the batting title - He's dropped his K ratio a bit over the last 3 yrs. He's serviceable - but 4 yr - 40/50 mill seems outrageous to me. One more thing that occurred to me - If he leaves the Mets, Kevin Long doesnt get to come with him. Good for him if he gets it - i hope the fans of that team get the best of his baseball yrs. But, im not sure i see it. Edit: apparently i am nuts - 6 mill per war - give him 15 mill a yr - so apparently if we're going that direction - 4 or 5 for 50/60 is the going rate - Im literally astounded at what mediocre baseball players can make. Stephen Drew stole 5 mill from the yanks this yr.
He's a 110 wRC+ from a 2B. A starved offensive position. Would I give it to him? No. But he's 30. You act as if that's old. He will get 3/30-33 IMO. A 30 year old league average hitter, and a 2B. Lefty. He will get some money. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk