2018 Red Sox roster building

If you look at Houston last year and the Cubs the year before, one commonality is that the players seemed to want to play for the team so they were willing to sacrifice for the sake of the team. The core of the current team seems to be similarly minded. JDM does not seem to want to commit to any team if he is willing to drag the negotiations into spring training. I would explore signing another starter who would want to pitch in Boston and either Nunez or Reed which may provide the depth to pull a trade for another hitter at the trade deadline.

I can't think of a single player I'd be less concerned about handling Boston.

I'm concerned with giving any player $400 million, especially one who seems to be hurt every other season.

I disagree with the context of "want to to play in Boston." The guy wanst his money.  I'm okay with that. Though I wouldn't mind the sox not signing JDM while getting another quality bat or two. I also like your thinking of Reed. 

You wouldn't be concerned about dedicating that much % of payroll to a single player over a decade though?

Tbh, his whole “The game should be fun” battle with old-school thinking suggests he’d be the kind of character who might do well here. I think he craves, and thrives on, the spotlight. Tough to say. Fwiw, I don’t think you’re psychotic for thinking he might be a bad fit, I just thought “psychopathic” was improper terminology. Personally, my sense is that a high-profile market wouldn’t be an issue, and it might actually feed his drive.

If you think cable money is never going to dry up, maybe.

I actually think he'd love it.

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Not true. My contention has always been that this team is short with respect to pitching. This team won a post season game last year with a "mediocre" Moreland in the line up. This team also surrendered 8 runs twice and could not hold a late inning lead. Of course a JDM or an Ortiz would stand to help, but it is doubtful that either guy would account for 6 runs, not once, but twice in last years playoffs. And the presence of Ortiz did not help enough to win the season series against NY in 2016. It's about match ups. This team does not match up well against Houston or NY.

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There is a problem with that though because it goes both ways. You are using those stats to justify why we don't absolutely need someone like Ortiz/JDM by showing that they didn't contribute much in the postseason. If you understand that the post season numbers don't mean much at all in such a small sample, then you can't possibly use it to justify why an Ortiz/JDM type hitter isn't required.

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I am not opposed to a top of the line bat. I like JDM. He has a career .337 BA against the NYY. I used the post season stats to illustrate the incongruity of labeling Moreland as mediocre. I just think that our top two pitchers (however good their numbers are in the regular season) show a tendency (much like Pedro did) to run out of gas somewhere around the 3200 pitch mark. These guys are not built like Clemens or Verlander. And they are lefties. The Yanks and the Astros' are predominately right hand line ups. This is not a good recipe for a Price or Sale that are not at 100%. FWIW I have more faith, or expectation, with Sale then I have for Price. That said even if one of the two is at the top of his game we still need another top of the line pitcher (preferably a righty) at the top of his game to get to the WS. The difference between standing pat and signing JDM would be negligible come October. The road to a deeper run in the post season lies in rotation management and a quality RHSP in the rotation. Unless Porcello steps up big time (which I have serious doubt, due to the match ups with NY and Hstn) then this team will not advance. Keep in mind both the Astros' and the NYYs' will be adding a front line SP. Most likely a RHSP.

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I guess part of my point (which i admittedly did not get across as well as I was trying to) is that using post season stats for any reason jsut doesn't work.  I agree with you that Moreland, in my opinion, is not mediocre (this then goes into a who other discussion of what mediocre actually means to each person, considering everyone could view it a little differently).  However, showing that he hit well last post season does not prove that he isn't mediocre.  Anyone who is good enough to make it to the majors can hit like that in a few game sample.  Hell, I believe Marrero hit very well with a few HRs in a couple game stretch in the second half of the season if I remember correctly.  That can't be used to make the case that he is anything other than a bad hitter though.

I also don't think its 100% that the Astros and NYYs add a front line SP.  I could definitely see if happening, but its not set in stone yet.  NYY were trying to acquire Cole, but I wouldn't consider him in the same conversation of other TOR SPs like Sale, Kershaw, and Kluber.

The way I view it is I would rather add a JDM now and then trade for a SP closer to the trade deadline if one truly seems to be needed.  This would allow you to see for a few months if A.) Price is healthy, able to pitch regularly and to the effectiveness that he can and B.) if Porcello is his 2016 or 2017 self.
Either way though, I could see the offense being much better than last year even without adding JDM.  Too many hitters were struggling through injuries for a long time during the course of the season, some more than others.  Would not be surprised to be better and more consistent years out of Bogaerts, Bradly, and Betts for this reason (and Benintendi adjusting better in his second year).

I would say that David Ortiz was pretty loyal to the Red Sox. I think he could have made more elsewhere. I think at one point Texas offered more but I don't think Ortiz, for all of his salary complaining, ever took playing elsewhere seriously. He was married to Boston. He was Mr. Boston as a matter of fact.

I don't anticipate a player, even a DH, to make less than Ortiz if he performs in the same ballpark of productivity as Ortiz. Basically the Red Sox got great value out of Ortiz for an awfully long time. I don't think the fact that he was a DH should be a killer to his value. Where would the Sox have been without Ortiz's bat all those years? The Sox were fortunate not to have to pay him $20 something million, but he sure performed like a guy worthy of more than $20 something million regardless of the fact that he didn't play defense. In a way DH is a position even though you don't play defense. Every AL team has that position in their lineup and Ortiz for a lot of years was head and shoulders above the other DHs. Martinez can be that type of guy, too - not to the extreme of Ortiz of course, but very valuable.

So I personally wouldn't balk too hard if the Sox offered 6 years $150 million. I think that's reasonably fair. If he's looking for 6 years $180 million, good luck. A NL team would be stupid to do that because he'd be required to play defense unlike an AL team. So other than the Sox, what AL team would pony up that kind of cash?

I personally think if the Sox don't raise their offer they could lose him to Arizona. The Sox can offer a longer deal because of the fact that he has a DH to fall back onto and the DBacks would have to be concerned about sticking him in the OF for that long a time. I think it's the 6th year that seals it.

Unless the Sox are guaranteed to get Bryce Harper next year then you have to get JDM when you get a legit chance to.

Stick your gun, DD. JDM doesn't worth 30 mil since he's not good enough to be Houston Astros starter from only 4 seasons ago. He hit mere 24 HR in his 3 seasons for Houston in their hitter park as "4th OF". He have 2 best seasons out of 7 MLB seasons which he hit 38 & 45 HR. It's silly to call him as "KING KONG HR hitter" by Scott Boras. He played in less than 123 games during 6 out of 7 seasons.

JDM would be BOO out of Boston right away by fans if he don't live up with monster contract (6/180 or 7/210). Josh Donaldson hit more HR than he does in same 7 MLB seasons and he agreed to makes 23 mil this season for Toronto. So, STICK YOUR GUN by negotiate with Scott Boras. DD will find 2nd choice DH after JDM if he/Boras wastes their time by hold out.