2018 Red Sox roster building

The Red Sox had David Ortiz's bat which was more than just a power bat. He was a legit middle-of-the-order threat. They didn't replace his bat - instead they replaced his value with the acquisition of Sale (although they will lose future value with the loss of Moncada and Kopech from the system but that's a different story.)

So the Sox did what amounted to a wash in the standings as it was. To improve the most they can improve I would think that replacing Ortiz's presence in the lineup would be huge.

You mentioned guys like Frazier, Cargo, or Bautista, or maybe even Moustakas if I can add a name - they all pale in comparison to Martinez. It's not even close.

Those guys can hit home runs, but they're not really good hitters or great offensive players. They're not guys you would prefer to bat in the middle of the order. I could be mistaken but I thought I read that only Trout over the past four years has had a higher slugging average. than JDM and it was close. It's not just about hitting more homers. They don't need a 1 trick pony. They need a guy in the middle of the order that can mash and take the pressure off of a guy like Devers and Benintendi and allow Mookie to bat at the top. It also takes pressure off of Moreland or Hanley as well. Martinez is a hitter unlike those other guys. Bautista is washed up and so is Cargo. Frazier is a 3 true outcomes type of player. Martinez is better than these guys by a lot.

So yes, he can impact the division race. In my mind if the Yankees don't get the starter they need and the Sox get JDM and a decent lefty in the pen then they should be neck-and-neck for the division Right now I think the Yankees are 3 to 5 games better. Getting Martinez would cut into that deficit.

And he would also be impactful for the 2019 division title as well.

And he won't cost 7 years $180 million or whatever you fear. At most we're talking 6 years $150 million and it might not even be that.

He's worth waiting for - especially because the other options aren't so great.

After after a lengthy discussion I could be swayed either way it really depends on what they can get him for. I am not in on a 7-year 180 million that's what was being discussed and after voice of reason spoke and said 5 years at 125 million seems reasonable and remembering that Peter gammons had said that it was possible that the offer was worth 5 years a hundred five million to 115 million I could be sold on that idea. The statement of the Red Sox only having a window of 2018 was the major discussion point for me on this I'm still not in agreement with that or that JDM is the total answer for this team. But but when you have a different opinion from multiple other members you just take their point and move on, I'll just wait and see what Dombrowski does and if I'm wrong and he has a 45 to 50 home run season I'll accept that.

This 7/180 figure is stupid unless we’re intentionally backloading in thoughts that $30M in 2025 isn’t as big of a number as it seems today. I don’t even believe we offered 5/150 because I think Martinez would have taken that. He doesn’t have that many suitors, and everything in the media is just posturing.

This whole saga has been so boring.

4/100 with a opt out after two years would be pretty sweet, and at this point, at least somewhat plausible.

Sorry thelavarnwayguy but i had to drag this post out to show how this all started.
jiant2520 please read

jiant2520 I hope you don't take the last 2 posts wrong way. I I just wanted it to be clear what I was trying to get across and that's the rumors of seven years a hundred and eighty million dollars is too much to pay for a DH I again say I'm sorry

Thank you.

Barring something absurd, there's no way JDM is getting 7 years at this point. I seriously think it's a stretch that he's going to get 6 right now, as his market has shrunk with nearly every deal that's gone down. The Giants have traded for two bats, the Blue Jays just signed Granderson (though low enough to where it might not necessarily exclude them), and then who aside from Arizona, who make little sense at more than 3-4 years without the ability to be the DH & are restricted financially

Has anything broken Martinez's way to justify anything close to what Boras is looking for? Maybe the Santana deal, but that's about it.

Who knows what he ends up signing for or who he signs with, although Boston does seem obvious at this point, but things are definitely breaking in our favor. Kudos to DD for being patient enough and long enough for this all to be playing out in the Sox favor. I give him credit for reading the tea leaves accurately. Yes a bit lucky but if your going to knock him for being brash in the past you have to give him credit now.

JDM with an OPS over 950 is exactly what the Sox need batting 4th to compete for it all. Fark the Yankees and there bandbox of a stadium!

If the Sox had kept Shaw and Hanley was coming off a season like he had in 2016, then probably not.

Shaw would probably be at 1b and Mitch Moreland probably would never have been acquired or maybe Shaw would still be at 3b and we wouldn't know about the wonder that's Rafael Devers or worse perhaps Devers would have been dealt away?

Perhaps even if Shaw was around, if Hanley is coming off the season that he just had in 2017, they'd still be looking for a RH middle of the order hitter which Shaw isn't, being that he's a lefty and with Benintendi and Devers around they still need a reliable RH power bat in the middle of the order which is where JDM comes in.

Regardless, the punditry and media would not be droning on and on how this team needs a power bat and people might start thinking clearly about how this team needs a quality RHSP. Selling low on Shaw and getting nada was a bad move. As it stands there is one, very expensive, RH bat on the market, and several more affordable RHSP pitchers. I guess short term reality drama draws viewers and clicks. It will not win this team a World Series and maybe not even a pennant. A proven RH power bat can always be obtained at the trading deadline. How about we sign JDM and trade him straight up for Grienke?