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Post by p23w on Jan 10, 2014 11:03:10 GMT -5
The Boddicker trade happened in July 1988, when Hurst was still with the team. It was a good trade too - Boddicker pitched quite well for two and a half years and helped the team to the ALCS twice before leaving as a free agent. Hurst was on is way out the door , despite have his best year. And you are wrong, the Boddicker trade was abysmal. Hurst liked Fenway. He liked some of the players. It was one player in particular that he could not stomach. Management, media and fans were enthralled by this player. Hurst was the #1 playoff pitcher, starting over Clemens. Boddicker was, at best #3. And Schilling turned out to be one of the greatest post season pitchers of all time. Crazy bad trade. Clemens, Hurst and Schilling should/would have won one.
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Post by p23w on Jan 9, 2014 11:49:46 GMT -5
I actually saw Bruce Hurst at a banquet in November. He is such a nice guy. Class act. I really enjoyed meeting him. He didn't really get into the specifics of why he left. The Sox weren't really quick with their offer and he had already committed to San Diego if I can accurately recall what he said. The Sox actually offered more money. He did say that he had wished he had stayed with the Sox. He loved pitching for the Red Sox.
I remember Darryl Strawberry saying about Roger Clemens (and I'm talking 1986 Clemens) that he was no Bruce Hurst. The Mets were really worried about him in 1986. He had a 3-0 lead in the 6th inning of Game 7 after dominating the Mets twice in the Series and he started to run out of gas. He regretted the pitch he made to Keith Hernandez that scored two runs and brought the tying run to 3b with one out. I asked him if he could have pitched the 7th as he was due to lead off. He told me that he said to John McNamara if you need a hit to lead off the inning I'm not your guy, but I have another inning left in me. The foolish manager pinchhit the injured and washed up Tony Armas who struck out. Schiraldi was brought back into the game. By time he and Bob Stanley torched the game it was 6-3 Mets. The Sox actually scored 2 runs in the 8th and had no outs and a runner on 2b before Jesse Orosco came in to shut the Sox down. Then Nipper gave up the other 2 runs in the bottom of the 8th. In a perfect world, Hurst would have gone 6 or 7, Boyd would have been able to pitch the 7th or 7th and 8th (This was most likely not an option although Boyd disputes this vehemently), and Clemens was supposed to close out the Series in relief in the 9th inning. Never happened. Makes me very thankful that the Sox have had 3 championships since then and I haven't had the empty feeling of losing the Series since. There's a lot of 20 and even 30 something year olds on this board who have no idea what it's like. Their biggest disappointment is 2003 Game 7 and the 2011 season and perhaps Game 7 of the 2008 ALCS. None of those hurt as bad as Game 6 and Game 7 of the 86 Series (although Grady Little comes close) or Game 7 of 1975 or the ending of the 1978 season. I think we're pretty lucky. Thanks for this. Games 6 and 7 of 86 crushed me. Don't think I've ever cried for sporting events. Especially game 6. I let myself believe that it was finally going to happen with the 0-2 count to Gary Carter. Then the slow-motion train wreck... And then even though they were up 3-0 in game 7, I absolutely knew they were going to lose. I really liked those teams though. I'd take a Clemens and Hurst any day as my top 2 starters. (duh) If you knew Bruce Hurst you'd know it wasn't about the money. He was very religious and was both embarrassed and offended by a member of the team who had little discretion when it came to his affairs. Yes Hurst like pitching for the Red Sox, but his decision to leave eventually cost the team Brady Anderson and Curt Schilling, in a trade to obtain a #2 to go along with Clemens.
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Post by p23w on Jan 8, 2014 17:09:27 GMT -5
I saw Hurst pitch at Fenway in 1982, when at the age of 24 he threw 117 innings in mlb and gave up 161 hits and 40 bb, with 4.1 k/9. The previous two years in AAA he was walking 4.1 and 4.3/9 (with low k/9), though the h/9 was better. There was no solid case for optimism. I saw him in 83 or 84. I don't even remember the circumstances of how he left, but it was after 4 straight 4.0+ WAR seasons. I was a big fan of his. We had some really decent pitching in the mid 80s. The reason Hurst left.... Margo Adams.
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Post by p23w on Jan 4, 2014 20:45:44 GMT -5
Current owners run the gamut with respect to their backgrounds. The same can be said of minor league owners. Bill Murray and Cal Ripken made there wealth via the entertainment industry and shrewd money management. Both own several minor league teams. Both had the state of florida falling over themselves to make sure that both marquee names had a successful franchise experience. The key for both minor and major league owners is marketing. Television produces insane revenues. Broadband has made tv ubiquitous, mobile as well as extremely profitable. Being in the right place at the right times helps a lot too MLB grew by orders of magnitude once games were broadcast via radio. Again with the advent of night games, another spike came when baseball was broadcast visually. Broadband is the latest source for growth. Growth and profitability are now functions of worldwide distribution. I don't begrudge entrepreneurs from taking advantage of technology anymore than players signing million dollar contracts. I am however amused by both the owners attempts to "police" themselves and by the medias' attempts to "report" on the games and the off field exploits of the players. FWIW the oriole owner, Angelos got "seed" money not only from asbestos litigation but he "won" the right to litigate al Federal tobacco litigation for the state of Mary;land. He got $250M upfront. I always think ARod when Angelos is mentioned.
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Post by p23w on Jan 2, 2014 20:18:29 GMT -5
Seriously though, owners conning taxpayers into paying for new stadiums is pretty ridiculous. But its not nearly as ridiculous as.... ....taxpayers (I use the term loosely) electing politicians who throw money at teams to pay for new stadiums. Eggzactly. Farrell wants Drew, ownership wants salary relief and a draft pick. Thankfully Hal Steinbrenner has nothing to do with Red Sox baseball operations.
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Post by p23w on Dec 30, 2013 17:03:53 GMT -5
I like the idea of signing Tanaka if for no other reason than it keeps him out of NY +6 Best reason to sign Tanaka in this thread.
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Post by p23w on Dec 13, 2013 15:22:45 GMT -5
Doubront went 11-6 with a 4.32 ERA over 162.1 frames this year. These stats lie to an extent though, as he had two relief appearances and got tagged in both of them. He went 11-6 with a 3.87 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 27 starts over 155.2 frames as a starting pitcher. He averaged 5.77 innings per start. I have always liked him as a back-end starter. He is a solid pitcher, although he needs to improve on working deeper into games. Although some say he is better suited for the bullpen, he has certainly performed better as a starter. Considering he improved in his sophomore campaign, can we expect him to improve even more? Is he penciled in as next year's #4 or #5 starter? If he performs very well next year, could he be in line for a team-friendly contract extension that buys out his arbitration years and maybe 1 or 2 of free agency years? I'm not sure how much Doubront will improve, but i would suggest that the litmus test will be his IP. I would set the bar at 180 innings pitched. Should Felix attain this in 2014 I think we are all happy campers. I do believe there is room for improvement. Whether this is based on his conditioning or his adapting and maturation to pitching at this level is up for debate. All things considered if Felix is the #4 or #5 starter for the RS there is a very good chance that the team has a slight advantage against an opponent's #4 or #5. I hope Felix gets better. I think he now knows the rules and the expectations of his employer. We'll just have to see how motivated he is to improve his game.
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Post by p23w on Dec 9, 2013 22:31:19 GMT -5
One fourth outfielder name to watch: Drew Stubbs. The Indians have a full outfield with Bourn, Murphy, Brantley, and Raburn, and Stubbs projects to get $3.8m in arbitration (his second go-around, so he has two years of team control left), which the Indians might want to move. Stubbs strikes out a ton (career 29.3%) but puts up league-averagish walk (8.8%) and power numbers (.142 ISO). Importantly, he hits lefties pretty well (career .274/.349/.448, 117 wRC+) and has a good 4th outfielder skill-set, with solid to better defense in CF (career 2.6 UZR/150, 11 TZ/yr, 0 DRS/yr, although a downturn in 2013 by all three systems) and very good speed (career 30.6 SB/600 PAs at a 81% clip). Meanwhile, the Indians are probably looking for one more cheap rotation arm to fill out the back end of their rotation as well as a third-string catcher for AAA. I see a match here. A potential deal would be something like the Red Sox trading Dempster, cash ($4m?), and Dan Butler to the Indians for Stubbs. (They'd also have to move Carp to open up a roster spot-- maybe to the Pirates?) Thoughts? How about Butler/Morales. I like the Stubbs idea
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Post by p23w on Dec 9, 2013 22:23:27 GMT -5
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Post by p23w on Dec 9, 2013 22:05:56 GMT -5
I think it makes less sense for the Dodgers to do this. I would believe they would prefer to deal one of Kemp or Eithier and ease Peterson into their Of. They have a reasonable 3B in Uribe. I liken this to a trade for Christian Yelich. The Marlins have a black hole at 3B. Middlebrooks works for them better than for the Dodgers. So it comes down to what deal would you pursue. Peterson or Yelich? I like them both, I just think our trade chips match the Marlins better than they do with the Dodgers. Trading one of Kemp and Ethier would still leave them with a Crawford-Puig-Kemp/Ethier outfield. The Marlins, on the other hand, have a bunch of young guys who might not pan out with Yelich, Ozuna, and Marisnick along with Stanton. Given how low some are on Marisnick despite his tools, I really can't see them trading Yelich. Pederson makes a lot more sense as a prospect that might get traded than Yelich. I disagree. Pederson is a ways away. Yelich has shown something at the big league level. The Marlins have expressed an interest in Middlebrooks. Given that were last in the league in home runs, unlike the Dodgers, I think they are more motivated. 416 AB;s with one hone run from 38 yo Placido is not getting;' it done. If Middlebrooks and Yelich are a wash in the OBS department, you have to believe that a full year from Ozuna and Marisnick are going to far exceed Poloncos' pathetic season. Or a three way. Dodgers get Middlebrooks RS get Yelich, Marlins get Uribe and a prospect and Morales and one of Peavy or Dempster. I think it makes more sense for the Dodgers to hold onto Pederson, given their OF health issues even after a trade of Kemp or Ethier. I'm thinking they deal Ethier. Van Slyke can fill in for if Kemp can't answer the bell.
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Post by p23w on Dec 9, 2013 2:32:57 GMT -5
I think most people are happy with the sign because it's 2 years. You can't judge AAV between a 5-7 year deal and a 2-3 year deal. Is Napoli worth 16m? Yes when it's a 2 year deal. Definitely no, if it's 4+. It also depends how it fits into the team during the life of the deal and here it fits perfectly. Personally, I think first base defense is under-rated in how important it can be. Happy? Relieved would be my reaction. The bat is OK (it's the swing and misses that annoy me) I welcome the glove work. Not pretty to look at but who can argue the results? And I concur, first base defense is totally under rated by most.... and definitely by the televised production crews. I think Farrell and the Sox infielders are breathing a lot easier now.
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Post by p23w on Dec 8, 2013 16:22:09 GMT -5
I actually think WMB for Pederson is fairly reasonable. If the Red Sox brought back Drew it is a move that would make a lot of sense. I think it makes less sense for the Dodgers to do this. I would believe they would prefer to deal one of Kemp or Eithier and ease Peterson into their Of. They have a reasonable 3B in Uribe. I liken this to a trade for Christian Yelich. The Marlins have a black hole at 3B. Middlebrooks works for them better than for the Dodgers. So it comes down to what deal would you pursue. Peterson or Yelich? I like them both, I just think our trade chips match the Marlins better than they do with the Dodgers.
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Post by p23w on Dec 7, 2013 3:43:33 GMT -5
Well. in this case, in this ballpark (Fenway) I respectfully disagree. Kalish's instincts and athleticism give him the edge over Victorino in CF (MHO). My memory of Kalish is that he goes back extremely well, and "in" (on fly ball/line drives) not as well. He covers more ground than Victorino (I'll through in the caveat that after his long stint on the DL his routes to balls hit in the air may lacking for several weeks). Victorino's main advantages are his experience, and his ability to come in on balls in the air. I would rate their arms approximately even (again with the caveat that Kalish reverts to his 2010 arm strength.) I don't find either Kalish or Victorino to be consistently accurate with their throws. I'm talking 85-90% Dwight Evans arm strength and 75% Dewey accuracy. They have the kind of arms that can intimidate runners from taking extra bases early in games, but will be challenged in late and close games. This is vastly more acceptable to the arms of Damon and Ellsbury. Finally, Kalish is (?) 7 years younger than Victorino? Kalish has room to improve. Victorino is not going to get any better defensively. None of Kalish's injuries were to his legs/lower body. For all intents and purposes Kalish has the wheels of a 24 yo. Shane is showing wear and tear around his core. Oblique strains and tight hammies. So on my scorecard Shane gets the nod in RF due to his savvy and experience, whereas Ryan is my choice in CF, due to his athleticism and room to improve. FWIW, I saw Ryan and Josh as competitors for RF. But I would have favored Kalish over Reddick for CF, had it not been for Ellsbury. Had it not been for the trades, FA and injuries, I suspect I'd be lobbying to put Reddick in RF, Els in LF and Kalish in CF. How are you reaching these conclusions? Kalish has played 247 pro games in CF compared to Victorino's 1,160. Looking at scouting reports and defensive metrics, Kalish has always been a stretch as a full time center fielder (DRS and UZR absolutely hated him there in a very SSS). Victorino has been a plus center fielder in his career (+13 DRS, +11.7 UZR) and his last few seasons indicate he's around average there. I also believe, even with the hamstring issues, Victorino is still a faster runner than Kalish. You need to factor in the major neck and back injuries + surgeries Kalish has had. By all accounts, and considering all of the injuries both players have endured, Victorino seems to have the edge not only in instincts and athleticism, but I believe he's also clearly faster and has the stronger arm. Kalish probably doesn't come that close to Victorino in range in RF, and I don't see anything that suggests that gap between them disappears when we move to CF. It's certainly not an experience thing. We also can't discount that Victorino had recurring hamstring/groin injuries throughout all of 2013, and yet he was still baseball's best defensive RF (or second to Parra), in large part because of his incredible range and plus throwing arm. Shane shouldn't be getting your nod in RF because he's more savvy and has more experience, he should get it because he's better. Also, I'm not sure how much you're going to see Kalish improve from when we last saw him in 2010 and 2012. His arm, range, and speed are only going to decline from here on out, perhaps significantly, and the latter two of those characteristics of his were questionable for a center fielder back when he was at his fastest. As for Kalish, Reddick, and Ellsbury, I think you'd unquestionably have to go LF Kalish, CF Ellsbury, and RF Reddick. No disrespect, but the fact you're seriously suggesting you think Kalish is a better center fielder than Ellsbury (that's just ridiculous) hints that you're approaching this Kalish vs Victorino debate with a lot of bias. Look, I love Kalish, but at best, he's now an above average corner outfielder who can play center in a pinch. Victorino is an elite corner outfielder who can play center at average-ish levels. Victorinos RF is better than Kalish in RF. What is it that you don't see that convinces you that Victorino RF is better than Kalish in CF? I know the sample size is small but there is a statistical significance to indicate that Kalish has superior range in CF. The RS must have thought Kalish was CF material as 65% of the games he played for the RS in 10' and 12' were at CF. Of the 68 games Kalish started for the RS 60 were in CF. Victorino was signed to play RF. Shane is two years removed from being an everyday CFer. Hell, nobodies seen Kalish on a ball field for 2 years. As for athleticism, we can agree to disagree. To claim that Victorino is faster than Kalish today strikes me as ludicrous. The Sox need to "baseline" Kalish in ST. Once the baseline is established we will have a better understanding of where he belongs and what can be expected of him in 2014. I think an objective evaluation of Victorino and a surgically repaired Kalish would resolve the debate. I freely admit my bias for Kalish. You may wish to consider your own. I would not subscribe to the label "elite corner outfielder " to a player who makes 107 starts as a corner OFer over a 162 game season. Sort of like describing Rafael Palmeiro as an elite 1Bman circa 1999. I very much like both players, and it's fun to knit pick. But i don't see Victorino in CF under anything less than emergency circumstances. Finally. Yes, I would pick Kalish over Ellsbury in CF circa 2010. Nothing against Els and the decision would be close, but the arm factor would seal the deal four me. The RS were thinking along these lines in 2010. While Kalish was rotating at all 3 OF positions in Pawtucket the RS decided to give Jacoby some time in LF at Fenway. Bad ending to that experiment.
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Post by p23w on Dec 7, 2013 1:14:26 GMT -5
Two questions. Would Pimentel make the RS top 10? I noticed he was not on the Pirate top 10, which is probably the strongest top ten that I am aware of. Second, saw old friend Kelly at #5 for the Pads. Has he fully recovered from surgery and would you expect him to contribute to the parent club in 2014? TIA if you care to respond.
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Post by p23w on Dec 7, 2013 1:00:37 GMT -5
Not sure that's such a big problem - Soriano should DH, trade Wells or Gardner. Injuries will probably take care of the logjam by the end of Spring Training. If it doesn't, they can DFA or trade Wells, who is a replacement-level guy at best (-0.8 fWAR last year), and they wouldn't really miss Ichiro or Soriano, either. Soriano IS their RH power. ARod may only be around for a cup of coffee. Nunez is not a threat. Youk is gone. Jeter best case scenario is 10 bombs in 14'. Wells is dead weight. Which leaves a 34 yo SWH coming off a serious wrist injury and a 37 yo SWH with bad knees and declining power stats. I'm loving this. The Yanks come into the Fens and we challenge their RH hitters with high inside heat, and they back down. Better case, it's late in the season ARod gets hit by Dempster. Piersznski does his best Varitek impression. The benches empty. Dempster is tossed. Uehara enters the game. Beltran is at the plate AND Uehara picks Arod off to end the game and Beltran does his best deer in the headlights game #4 impression. It has the makings of a Mastercard commercial.
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Post by p23w on Dec 6, 2013 16:25:47 GMT -5
That almost never happens with players. In a standard ballpark, if you're better than another outfielder in a corner, you're going to be the better bet for center. Even back in the day, Kalish was iffy as a full-time center fielder, as our scouting reports here noted. I can easily recall that cool somersault catch in Tampa and him gunning Coco Crisp out at third in Oakland and thinking, wow this guy is going to be fun to watch for years to come, but he always seemed destined for right field. I'm not sure what shape his throwing arm is in today - remember, most of his shoulder injuries have been on his right (non-throwing) arm, but his arm always erred more on "pretty good" than "absolute cannon." Without question, Victorino is the better defensive center and right fielder today, and I think the same held true years back when Kalish was healthy. Well. in this case, in this ballpark (Fenway) I respectfully disagree. Kalish's instincts and athleticism give him the edge over Victorino in CF (MHO). My memory of Kalish is that he goes back extremely well, and "in" (on fly ball/line drives) not as well. He covers more ground than Victorino (I'll through in the caveat that after his long stint on the DL his routes to balls hit in the air may lacking for several weeks). Victorino's main advantages are his experience, and his ability to come in on balls in the air. I would rate their arms approximately even (again with the caveat that Kalish reverts to his 2010 arm strength.) I don't find either Kalish or Victorino to be consistently accurate with their throws. I'm talking 85-90% Dwight Evans arm strength and 75% Dewey accuracy. They have the kind of arms that can intimidate runners from taking extra bases early in games, but will be challenged in late and close games. This is vastly more acceptable to the arms of Damon and Ellsbury. Finally, Kalish is (?) 7 years younger than Victorino? Kalish has room to improve. Victorino is not going to get any better defensively. None of Kalish's injuries were to his legs/lower body. For all intents and purposes Kalish has the wheels of a 24 yo. Shane is showing wear and tear around his core. Oblique strains and tight hammies. So on my scorecard Shane gets the nod in RF due to his savvy and experience, whereas Ryan is my choice in CF, due to his athleticism and room to improve. FWIW, I saw Ryan and Josh as competitors for RF. But I would have favored Kalish over Reddick for CF, had it not been for Ellsbury. Had it not been for the trades, FA and injuries, I suspect I'd be lobbying to put Reddick in RF, Els in LF and Kalish in CF.
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Post by p23w on Dec 6, 2013 2:05:58 GMT -5
First keep in mind the long shot factor and admitted wishful thinking. Assuming 100% health with no restrictions (a major assumption). Kalish has incredible athleticism, well above average range and above average arm strength. He has a b's out style that is very reminiscent of a young Trot Nixon before Trot started having back issues. In terms of batting, keep in mind that almost everybody in camp will be rusty and I seriously doubt if Ryan is sitting at home watching reruns on TV right now. I think he had progressed enough as a player that as a 26 year old, he should be able to get back to where he was by spring's end. Shane had a great year and he's a decent player but that was a career year in virtually every category and it was well above his career norms. He will be 34 and I am guessing that the list of major league players that sustained age 33 career years is rather small. Given your assumption, I would rate Kalish as the #2 best Ofer (should he get a ST invite). I would rate Victorino as a better RFer than Kalish, but Kalish over Victorino in CF. Yes he had a plus arm last time I saw him play, but that was 3 surgeries ago. The real test will be how quickly he finds his batting eye. I can't see why the Sox wouldn't give him an invite to ST. Minimal risk for a potential huge return at a position (OF) where the RS have there biggest questions both offensively and defensively following the loss of Ellsbury. Heck, I'd make sure I'd see this for myself if they give Ryan the invite.
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Post by p23w on Dec 5, 2013 15:52:57 GMT -5
Scott Lauber ?@scottlauber #RedSox looking more for RH-hitting OF to complement Bradley, so they don't see Curtis Granderson as great fit. Maybe Franklin Gutierrez? No maybe about it for me. For Ben more injury risk analysis.
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Post by p23w on Dec 5, 2013 13:29:28 GMT -5
LOVE THE SIGNING!!! We needed a guy like this and he is a proven setup and 9th inning guy. 2 years 4.75 mill a year is the going rate, if not a tad under market for a guy like him. Now Naploi or a 1B and another bat an mybe a back up IF or platoon CF an were all set baby. Meh. Bailey money for a guy who ended the season with a bad back. The upside is that his results (bb/9 and gb/fb) are right where Farrell likes them.
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Post by p23w on Dec 5, 2013 12:41:59 GMT -5
I like the idea of adding Matt Kemp. Yes there is a lot of risk, but the upside is also sky high. He is still one of the best young power hitting players in the game! I also agree with another poster that I would make the Dodgers pay 30 million, bring Kemp from a little over 20 million a year to around 15. 15 million a year is something a can live with for 6 years. The big question I have his what would it take for the Dodgers to eat 30 million and trade us Kemp? This isn't Vernon Wells, he's been injured, he hasn't lost any skill from what I see. Another poster said two top 10 prospects, but not Barnes and Betts. I would trade Betts in a second for Kemp, one player in our top 10 that is blocked long term by a great player. I would hate to trade anyone other then Betts from our top 10. I like Betts, a plus defender at 2B with a great Bat, but you have to give up something to get something. What do you think of a trade of Betts, Britton and Brentz for Kemp and 30 million? Let me know what you would be willing to trade. If that type of deal can get us Kemp sign me up I tend to agree that Cherrington is quickly adapting a low risk strategy to his needs fulfillment duties. From a numbers, but not necessarily a fans, perspective this casts serious doubt about Kemp. Using the same rationale this would lead one to conclude that Cherrington would be all over Braun, but this may/probably would be at the expense of alienating a significant portion of the fan base. Tough job, trying to keep rabid fans and hedonistic number crunchers both happy. Oh why can't all ball players be like Dustin Pedroia.
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Post by p23w on Dec 5, 2013 12:16:47 GMT -5
If I'm Seattle I have to be in on Tanaka. Already a connection with the Washington area and Japanese players and fans. Additionally if they can't get a bat, even being willing to give Ellsbury a nine year deal and failing, then they should sign pitchers and trade for a bat using T. Walker as bait. In general if it's not a pure money decision for the player then one would hypothesize the most likely landing spots in order may be Seattle, MFY, Boston based on past experiences. Now would be a good time for the Mariners to take Ichiro off the Yankees hands.
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Post by p23w on Dec 5, 2013 12:13:31 GMT -5
?@ken_Rosenthal 26m Source says deal with NPB on new posting system is “very close.” To get Japanese player, MLB clubs must be willing to pay his team $20M. @ken_Rosenthal 24m Clarification: $20M will be the maximum bid, not the required bid. @ken_Rosenthal 27m If multiple clubs willing to pay $20M, Japanese player can negotiate with all of them. Only the signing team will be required to pay $20M. ?@ken_Rosenthal 27m Luxury tax will apply only to salary, not posting fee. So, #Yankees would be exempt only from $20M if they signed Tanaka. Not good for them. ?@ken_Rosenthal 25m MLB expects Tanaka and others will still be posted. Otherwise, Japanese players might demand earlier free agency. Currently must wait 9 yrs. 2 points. Japanese players union must have put real fear into the NBP with regard to their own free agency rules. Would not be at all surprised if the posting team got a piece of the players new contract. An "agents" or "finders" fee.
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Post by p23w on Dec 5, 2013 12:00:11 GMT -5
Difficult to say. A wide band of numerical possibilities. Two issues. 1) Pitch selection. An almost impossible diagnosis at this point. 2) Power. Or better, scary power. Middlebrooks can misread a pitch put an ugly swing on the ball and still hit it 420 feet, The only other guy who can miss a pitch and still hit it out is Ortiz. Make the third issue about defense. Will should definitely have made the pay on Saltalamachia's errant throw in game #3. For me that was a red flag. Even if Middlebrooks makes modest improvements to his offensive game, if he doesn't improve his defense he's just Butch Hobson all over again.
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Post by p23w on Dec 5, 2013 11:44:33 GMT -5
The only positions in the lineup that are pinned down at this point are right field (at least in the sense that Victorino will be in the starting lineup somewhere, and likely there), second base, and DH. Why on earth are we speculating about the batting order? I know this is a long shot and I know the non tender, nonetheless, I'm rooting for Kalish. He's healthy, said to be ready for spring, likely to sign a minor league contract with the Sox and he's a better all around right fielder and leadoff hitter than Victorino . Here's to long shots..... Here, here. Homegrown "comeback" long shots. my personal favorite kind.
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Post by p23w on Dec 5, 2013 2:24:52 GMT -5
I see contracts for posted players soaring from this change. Mebbe yes, then again mebbe not. Japanese are very "brand" loyal. We may see which MLB brands are preferred by Japanese players. The money will be better than they would get at home so the brand appeal may express itself.
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