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Post by bluechip on Aug 12, 2013 0:52:26 GMT -5
Abreu is obviously a perfect fit, in that he has righthanded power and plays first. The first base market is extremely weak. If the Red Sox do not sign Abreu, the only way to upgrade the offense is to sign a left fielder, which is less desirable since Gomes, Nava and Carp can effectively platoon in that position.
My only hesitation would be wondering if Abreu has injury concerns. I am reading the scouting reports on this guy and I am seeing that he is playing in less games than the other top Cuban players. Does he tend to miss a lot of time due to injury?
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steveofbradenton
Veteran
Watching Spring Training, the FCL, and the Florida State League
Posts: 1,823
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Post by steveofbradenton on Aug 12, 2013 6:46:03 GMT -5
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Post by curll on Aug 12, 2013 7:58:38 GMT -5
Not too shabby, that last video was impressive. Got jammed, HR to straight away center.
He could be a long-term Ortiz replacement, too.
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Post by sibbysisti on Aug 12, 2013 8:01:12 GMT -5
With the lack of quality 1B prospects in the system, unless you convert someone, Abreu looks to fill a need. Napoli strikes out too much and has a poor record for RISP production and is too inconsistent. His contract is up and I doubt it would be renewed unless Cherington fails to improve on the situation.
Sign me up to sign Jose up.
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Post by FenwayFanatic on Aug 12, 2013 8:05:21 GMT -5
How much money do the Sox really have to spend? We've got roughly 60M tied up between Lackey, Peavy, Lester and Dempster next season... Its hard to trade players making that much. Luckily 3 of the 4 are going to be on their last years next season. I think its time to stop overpaying for innings eaters so we can afford some of these quality FAs. The Red Sox are not anywhere near the luxury tax limit. Per Cot's, the Red Sox have $88m guaranteed in 2013, with just a few arb-eligible players-- the only ones I see being tendered are Morales and Miller as third-year arb players and Tazawa and Carp as first-year arb players (I don't think Uehara is actually arb-eligible and think Bailey, Aceves, and Bard will be no-tendered). Let's tentatively and generously budget $15m for those guys and the pre-arb gang. Assuming Lester's $13m option is picked up, that adds up to $116m. The luxury tax line will be $189m, which leaves $73m to spend with 1B, C, and RP/closer as the only obvious holes. The Red Sox can easily afford to spend whatever they want on Abreu if they want him. Thanks!
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Post by sammo420 on Aug 12, 2013 8:08:32 GMT -5
I'm on my way out the door so I don't have time to think about this thoroughly but as I go over the other teams we could be competing with a lot of them already have long term solutions at 1B and would seemingly be out of it.
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Post by sarasoxer on Aug 12, 2013 8:16:42 GMT -5
Wow Steve....Way to be on top of things. Thanks!
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Post by gregblossersbelly on Aug 12, 2013 8:19:23 GMT -5
Number 79. Love it! Come se dice "Vince Wilfork" en espanol? Just kidding. I do remember Juan Diaz and thought he'd be the real deal at 1b.
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Post by tjb21 on Aug 12, 2013 8:33:32 GMT -5
Yes.
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Post by Guidas on Aug 12, 2013 8:35:03 GMT -5
The Red Sox are not anywhere near the luxury tax limit. Per Cot's, the Red Sox have $88m guaranteed in 2013, with just a few arb-eligible players-- the only ones I see being tendered are Morales and Miller as third-year arb players and Tazawa and Carp as first-year arb players (I don't think Uehara is actually arb-eligible and think Bailey, Aceves, and Bard will be no-tendered). Let's tentatively and generously budget $15m for those guys and the pre-arb gang. Assuming Lester's $13m option is picked up, that adds up to $116m. The luxury tax line will be $189m, which leaves $73m to spend with 1B, C, and RP/closer as the only obvious holes. The Red Sox can easily afford to spend whatever they want on Abreu if they want him. Thanks! Essential question: Any one here work for Immigration and Naturalization or The State Department? I know the paperwork can take a year or so in some cases for these defections. Just wondering if one of you can cut through the red-tape so we can sign this guy by Friday and DFA Napoli on Saturday? If you could take care of that, that would be great. Thanks.
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Post by psusox14 on Aug 12, 2013 8:40:32 GMT -5
Number 79. Love it! Come se dice "Vince Wilfork" en espanol? Just kidding. I do remember Juan Diaz and thought he'd be the real deal at 1b. Vince is numero 75 papi
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Post by charliezink16 on Aug 12, 2013 8:44:13 GMT -5
Sure the Red Sox are significantly under the luxury tax, but signing Abreu would most likely end any chances of Ellsbury returning to Boston. Could they resign him too? Sure, but when you have a young cost controller player in Bradley waiting in the wings, a kid who's more of a sure thing to be a regular than most prospects, you let Ells go. And being under the luxury tax doesn't mean "let's spend all of this money", well unless you want to be in. Yankee like situation. So the question is: Would you prefer a combination of Abreu/Bradley or Napoli (or FA)/Ellsbury? I'll take the Abreu combination. It gives us another big time slugger in the lineup w/o trading your farm for Stanton.
Just imagine this lineup:
Bradley - CF Victorino - RF Pedroia - 2B Ortiz - DH Abreu - 1B Salatalamacchia - C Bogaerts - SS Carp/Nava - LF Middlebrooks - 3B
Or something along the lines of that. Suddenly those soft pitching lefties won't be so frightening!
ADD: And considering what deals Puig, Cespedes, and others got previously, I'd assume that Abreu's asking price would be in the range of 5/75. Is that reasonable?
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Post by Guidas on Aug 12, 2013 8:48:36 GMT -5
If this is like the other Cuban defectors, it will probably take a year for him to get his paperwork straight, if not more.
Anyone here got any friends in D.C. who can grease the skids and make this happen, like, now? Seems this administration is pretty good at waiving laws whenever it benefits them or one of theirs. Can we get a mulligan on this guy?
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Post by iakovos11 on Aug 12, 2013 8:52:47 GMT -5
If this is like the other Cuban defectors, it will probably take a year for him to get his paperwork straight, if not more. Anyone here got any friends in D.C. who can grease the skids and make this happen, like, now? Seems this every administration is pretty good at waiving laws whenever it benefits them or one of theirs. Can we get a mulligan on this guy?FIXED
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badfishnbc
Veteran
Doing you all a favor and leaving through the gate in right field since 2012.
Posts: 410
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Post by badfishnbc on Aug 12, 2013 8:53:22 GMT -5
I'm in.
I remain fascinated by the success rates of teams pursuing Cuban defectors. It's interesting that small markets are just as successful as the larger teams. I'm also interested in how defectors perceive other teams with Cubans on their rosters or communities. Doesn't seem to be any edge for the Marlins, but that might be related to how much they're opening the purse.
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Post by iakovos11 on Aug 12, 2013 9:01:27 GMT -5
I am still curious about scouting reports. There must be some if he played in the WBC, right? I am all for signing the guy as he does fit a need perfectly (RHH slugging 1B). Still, if his bat speed is just fair, is he going to get eaten alive by decent velocity fb's up in the zone or in on the hands? Before we break the bank on this guy, let's be pretty damn sure the scouting indicates he'll hit MLB pitching instead of drooling of Cuban league stats and highlights. Callis tweeted that he's "more strength than batspeed".
Help us out here scouts, any good power hitters in MLB with just fair bat speed? Seems like that's a description of many many AA players with decent numbers that either never get past AAA or get nothing more than a cup of coffee in the bigs. From my very amateur eye, those videos show a guy with fair to decent bat speed at best.
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Post by ray88h66 on Aug 12, 2013 9:03:24 GMT -5
Sign me up. Ben has the sox in position to throw big money at this guy. Go for it.
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Post by gregblossersbelly on Aug 12, 2013 9:09:54 GMT -5
Number 79. Love it! Come se dice "Vince Wilfork" en espanol? Just kidding. I do remember Juan Diaz and thought he'd be the real deal at 1b. Vince is numero 75 papi His number is 79. My Vince Wilfork comment was more about his physique.
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Post by wcsoxfan on Aug 12, 2013 9:13:30 GMT -5
Sure the Red Sox are significantly under the luxury tax, but signing Abreu would most likely end any chances of Ellsbury returning to Boston. Could they resign him too? Sure, but when you have a young cost controller player in Bradley waiting in the wings, a kid who's more of a sure thing to be a regular than most prospects, you let Ells go. And being under the luxury tax doesn't mean "let's spend all of this money", well unless you want to be in. Yankee like situation. So the question is: Would you prefer a combination of Abreu/Bradley or Napoli (or FA)/Ellsbury? I'll take the Abreu combination. It gives us another big time slugger in the lineup w/o trading your farm for Stanton. Just imagine this lineup: Bradley - CF Victorino - RF Pedroia - 2B Ortiz - DH Abreu - 1B Salatalamacchia - C Bogaerts - SS Carp/Nava - LF Middlebrooks - 3B Or something along the lines of that. Suddenly those soft pitching lefties won't be so frightening! ADD: And considering what deals Puig, Cespedes, and others got previously, I'd assume that Abreu's asking price would be in the range of 5/75. Is that reasonable? Switch in McCann for Salty, then push Victorino and his low OBP down to the 9-spot and it looks even better. Bradley - CF Pedroia - 2B Ortiz - DH Abreu - 1B McCann - C Bogaerts - SS Carp/Nava - LF Middlebrooks - 3B Victorino - RF This guy has major contact and defensive question marks. Contract should be nowhere close to 5/75 and if it is, the Red Sox should run - but $10 mil per sounds much more reasonable. Admin: this thread is a repeat of the international signing thread info - can you please consolidate? Thanks!
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Post by bluechip on Aug 12, 2013 9:17:38 GMT -5
I asked this in the international signings thread, but I will ask it here:
I see Abreu missed some games in at least one international tournament due to injury. He also had fewer plate appearances than other Cuban stars. Does he have any injury concerns?
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jimoh
Veteran
Posts: 3,966
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Post by jimoh on Aug 12, 2013 9:34:44 GMT -5
You can find a lot of hr vids on the web but to my untrained eye it looks like they are all on batting practice fastballs or a-ball curves. This is a serious scouting challenge though exciting if the verdict is thumbs up. Hard to imagine who else has our combination of need, money and cap space
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Post by semperfisox on Aug 12, 2013 9:43:52 GMT -5
Please get him Cherington
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Post by semperfisox on Aug 12, 2013 10:00:20 GMT -5
It's going to be at least 3-4 months until he's declared a free agent by MLB though.
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Post by James Dunne on Aug 12, 2013 10:05:34 GMT -5
You can find a lot of hr vids on the web but to my untrained eye it looks like they are all on batting practice fastballs or a-ball curves. This is a serious scouting challenge though exciting if the verdict is thumbs up. Hard to imagine who else has our combination of need, money and cap spaceTexas is ahead of the Red Sox based on need. Boston has a .357 OBP from 1B this year, Texas has a .298. I can't see Berkman being back. Moreland is a muchworse player than Napoli - I see them looking for an upgrade there this offseason no matter what. No idea where they want the 2014 payroll to be, but right now they're projected in the $100M to $120M range, so my guess is they could afford to add a high-priced FA. If the Yankees lose out on Cano (or for some reason choose not to go all-out for him, the chances of which seem very remote), they may have the space, and they certainly have the need. My long-shot pick would be the Rockies. Helton is done, they're a near-contender that looks to have a bit of payroll flexibility and may think there is value in making a splash.
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Post by elguapo on Aug 12, 2013 10:06:48 GMT -5
Having a huge budget should allow a team to take risks like this would be.
(Really they should have been all over getting Yu Darvish for $10m/yr (plus posting fee) since a top starter >>>> a first baseman, but that's an old gripe.)
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