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Post by Oregon Norm on Jan 22, 2014 19:56:31 GMT -5
Hard to fault this move, and it's fun to dream about a comeback for someone who was so damned good. When he was on, he was fantastic, an MVP calibre corner outfielder who had the speed and gold-glove defense to play center. If they could count on him for even 50-80 games at 75% of what he was then that's the best 4th outfielder in either league. All for chump change.
Compare with the risk the Yankees have taken on. It's the difference between all in at the baccarat table, and stuffing dollar bills into the slot machine in the corner, the one with the million dollar jackpot that hasn't paid off in three days.
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Post by rjp313jr on Jan 22, 2014 20:00:38 GMT -5
Norm, Sizemore has only ever played CF... He was never a corner OF.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Jan 22, 2014 20:06:19 GMT -5
This is really a low low downside move. Worst case, we lose Villarreal who wasn't going to make the club and would have been DFAed anyways and less than 100k if we cut him in the spring.
We can still work Villareal into a trade if there's interest from a club that wouldn't be top of the DFA pecking order.
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Post by rjp313jr on Jan 22, 2014 20:08:08 GMT -5
Or he can clear waivers and go to AAA
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Post by Oregon Norm on Jan 22, 2014 20:08:41 GMT -5
Norm, Sizemore has only ever played CF... He was never a corner OF. Explanation: The bat was of the calibre that he could easily have been a valuable corner outfielder. I do understand that he never was.
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Post by grandsalami on Jan 22, 2014 20:10:26 GMT -5
Per source: Sizemore's incentives would be based on days spent on #RedSox' roster and plate appearances
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Post by hockeypuck2008 on Jan 22, 2014 20:57:49 GMT -5
Low risk, high reward type move, how can you not like this?
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Post by rjp313jr on Jan 22, 2014 21:11:33 GMT -5
People who feel this is low risk/high reward, what's his ceiling?
Personally, i'm shocked they think he can play center. Very interested to see how fast he can run.
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Post by Guidas on Jan 22, 2014 21:24:48 GMT -5
Decent move. I like it. Two years without hitting though, this will be interesting.
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Post by taftreign on Jan 22, 2014 21:26:55 GMT -5
Was always a big fan of Sizemore. A shame how his career was derailed. I hope the time away has improved his health enough to give him a few years of playing time either with Boston or another team. I'll be rooting for him to surprise us.
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Post by jmei on Jan 22, 2014 21:33:49 GMT -5
Brief interview with Sizemore: www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/01/zach-links-grady-sizemore-2.htmlInteresting bits: Red Sox were talking to him since the start of the offseason, but talks ramped up in the last few weeks. Red Sox training staff laid out a medical game plan that played a role in his choosing to sign with Boston.
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Post by pedey on Jan 22, 2014 21:48:08 GMT -5
I think it's a solid signing. Low-risk, high reward type of player. We'll just have to wait and see what he can do.
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Post by marrcus on Jan 22, 2014 21:54:34 GMT -5
I don't like it because I think it's a distraction. I wanted a healthy OF (pref. rhh) because Victorino is likely to spend time on the DL. I hope GS earns his incentives but I wouldn't count on it. Funny this signing didn't circulate more as a rumor (nice job there by Ben).
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Jan 22, 2014 22:00:10 GMT -5
I don't like it because I think it's a distraction. I wanted a healthy OF (pref. rhh) because Victorino is likely to spend time on the DL. I hope GS earns his incentives but I wouldn't count on it. Funny this signing didn't circulate more as a rumor (nice job there by Ben). How is it a distraction? It's not like the media isn't going to cover the hell out of every possible angle during spring training anyway.
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Post by FenwayFanatic on Jan 22, 2014 22:09:05 GMT -5
How close to the salary cap are the Sox now?
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Post by fenwaythehardway on Jan 22, 2014 22:12:42 GMT -5
I don't like it because I think it's a distraction. I wanted a healthy OF (pref. rhh) because Victorino is likely to spend time on the DL. I hope GS earns his incentives but I wouldn't count on it. Funny this signing didn't circulate more as a rumor (nice job there by Ben). How is it a distraction? It's not like the media isn't going to cover the hell out of every possible angle during spring training anyway.In the first two weeks. Then the true nightmare begins...
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Post by highcheeseandtaters on Jan 22, 2014 22:14:04 GMT -5
I wonder what he can/could show in grapefruit league play that would make him stick? Assume he plays adequately, but doesn't necessarily tear the over off the ball. Health has been always been his issue, what leads them to believe he'll shed the injury bug at age 31? He played 33 games in 2010, and 71 in 2011-- and has been out of the game for 2 years. I'm curious-- how they get from that base to $6 million in incentives on AB/games played? ? You can only play 162, and bat 600 times in any given season. Odd contract. I'm fine with it but have zero expectation.
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Post by sdiaz1 on Jan 22, 2014 22:21:14 GMT -5
I have to say that I agree with rip here. I really do not see how there is much upside in this move. His last year being either healthy or productive was during the George W Bush administration. Hell, Trey Ball was 13.
I always liked Sizemore, he was one the best players from 2005 -2008. And I am happy that he is in our organization, but I think that it is silly that he got a MLB contract. At this point he is Rocco Baldeli (another guy I liked) part 2. I think that a milb contract is more appropriate.
That, or we could have signed him to be our primary second basemen. (BRob Slam)
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Post by Chris Hatfield on Jan 22, 2014 22:38:12 GMT -5
The potential upside is that he's healthy and can be a productive major leaguer. It's probably not realistic to expect anything like his '06-'08 run, but maybe he comes into camp and surprises.
Honestly, 750k is nothing. MLB deal sounds impressive, but the money isn't. Heck, it's not even $300k above the league minimum. In the worst case scenario, you wasted $750k and had to expose Villarreal to waivers, which you were probably going to have to do anyway since he's out of options.
Perspective: Sizemore is getting just over half of what Herrera is getting ($1.3M). In a league where teams increasingly are unable to throw their money around in areas like the draft and IFA market, they might as well do it somewhere. $750k is a drop in the bucket.
Again, the worst-case scenario is that they cut him out of ST and carry on like they would have.
I also don't think they're done acquiring CF depth. PawSox usually enter camp with at least one OF to cut if everyone is healthy. I don't see it yet.
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Post by pedroelgrande on Jan 22, 2014 22:48:04 GMT -5
Some upside, little downside. Nothing more to add.
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Post by thelavarnwayguy on Jan 22, 2014 22:51:02 GMT -5
After thinking about this a little Chris is probably on target. This is throw away money in case he actually does produce. It's very possible he never makes it past spring training. But if he is worth having on the roster what do you do then? That's the problem. But you never know. Someone might be hurt for a while. Maybe he produces enough in ST that they feel great about him. No matter what though, it's throw away money just in case he pans out. It's worth the risk. The same thing the Yanks are doing with Brian Roberts. Who knows, they might actually become good enough to contribute.
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Post by jchang on Jan 22, 2014 22:57:16 GMT -5
Some one who is 31 should not be fundamentally over the hill even in a demanding position as CF. So it must be some aspect of the injury that derailed his career and perhaps it is something that will not heal. I will hope that he might regain some semblance of a MLB player.
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Jan 22, 2014 23:21:41 GMT -5
I like the move. I didn't see it coming. Had it in my mind the Sox would get a RH hitting CF who can also play the corners, someone like a Rajai Davis. Wasn't thinking of a platoon with JBJ though.
At worst Sizemore takes Andrew Bailey's spot of guaranteed long-term DL. No harm done really. Just out $750K. But if Sizemore can be reasonably effective he could come in handy that he was a patient hitter at one point and might be able to lead off if Bradley struggles. He could wind up in RF if Victorino gets hurt again. The Sox might find that more preferable than seeing Gomes in LF and Nava in RF. If Nava slips and Sizemore recaptures a good amount of his value he could even usurp Nava's time, although that's unlikely.
More likely he's a handy OF coming off the bench. If you think of a 25 man roster in your head you figure that Nava becomes the backup 1b and Carp gets dealt, but the odds are that somebody will be injured (most likely Grady) and they'll figure out a way to keep everybody.
It seems obvious to me that the Sox would very much prefer to keep Victorino out of CF, and really don't want to see a Gomes/Victorino/Nava OF alignment if Bradley struggles coming out of the gate.
I don't think Grady will capture the bulk of his main skills he had in his heyday. But perhaps he can still be a patient hitter and bolster the .240ish BA I would expect from him, and perhaps he can still show some pop off the bench and play enough defense in CF to be passable and move over to LF and RF and be decent defensively. I know he hasn't played the corners before but I would think he'd be able to make that adjustment.
Definitely an interesting move. Here's hoping we get more out of Sizemore than we did Rocco Baldelli.
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Post by wcsoxfan on Jan 22, 2014 23:24:38 GMT -5
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kman22
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Post by kman22 on Jan 23, 2014 0:14:24 GMT -5
I have to say that I agree with rip here. I really do not see how there is much upside in this move. His last year being either healthy or productive was during the George W Bush administration. Hell, Trey Ball was 13. I always liked Sizemore, he was one the best players from 2005 -2008. And I am happy that he is in our organization, but I think that it is silly that he got a MLB contract. At this point he is Rocco Baldeli (another guy I liked) part 2. I think that a milb contract is more appropriate. That, or we could have signed him to be our primary second basemen. (BRob Slam) When healthy, Sizemore's peak was far greater than Baldelli's. Also, Baldelli had a disease, Sizemore has been injury prone. I'll be rooting for a successful comeback for Sizemore, but I'm tempering my expectations.
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