Long-term CBT considerations on 2025 roster planning

I don't know who he's friends with.  His response to the Taylor Smith being hired for his old role was some barely coherent sputtering about it being a luxury they can't afford while they're trimming fat and a poor allocation of resources.  Just neutrally calling balls and strikes, I'm sure.

Lol no.

The booing was not the reason devers signed that extension.

Thats just talk radio nonsense

I didn't say that's why Devers signed.

I said that's part of the reason why ownership caved in and offered the uncomfortable deal that Henry isn't normally comfortable with. They were listening to the general sentiment of the fan base. Everyone was going to be upset if Devers wasn't signed. That would have been the main story line that season. Why isn't Devers signed yet when he's almost a free agent?

The other reasons were that they really love Devers. Lastly it was at a price point Henry went to before as absolute max dollar offer for Mookie Betts. Mookie Betts didn't accept the offer. Devers did.

Okay sure.

Because this ownership group is a very reactionary ownership group when it comes to GMs (ousting Chaim Bloom for Breslow, ousting Cherrignton for Dombrowski), managers (Bobby Valentine), and players (Pablo Sandoval). They tend to not get involved with baseball decisions until they do.

Devers signing was part loving the player, but part "hey we did do this one mega-deal for our very best offer we could have given. So please get off our backs and renew your regular season tickets please, right in spring training before the season starts. Stop booing and Devers is our face of the franchise."

David Price signing was them leaning on Dombrowski, since they just hired him. Would have been a waste to not listened to him and how he wanted to spend money. It probably wasn't in the owner's best interests to sign Price. Price even made comments about the Sox probably not wanting him, based off the past behaviors from this ownership-

www.masslive.com/redsox/2015/12/david_price_signing_why_did_jo.html

www.bostonherald.com/2015/12/05/how-the-red-sox-courted-david-price-to-boston/amp/

“We know it’s a big risk,” Werner said after the press conference. “It just made sense to take this risk.”


All in all they've shown a pattern of avoiding big contracts. They don't like paying for downside for multiple years at the bottom end of the contract. It's clear as day to me. They made 2 exceptions that were really out of the normal circumstances and timing. I still see them sticking to their philosophy of hating long 7+ year contracts in the future whenever they can, until they get desperate.

FYI you claim that there’s evidence but have yet to provide it, so you can understand why some may be skeptical

Okay not 100 percent evidence (you can never be too sure), but I'll provide what I can.

-Tom Werner's acknowledgement to the Price contract being a risk. That's something to point out that 99 percent of the time, they don't do it. But right place, right time to do it with a new GM with a extensive reputation.

-The lack of a known counteroffer when the Sox offered 300 million for 10 years, when Mookie countered 12 years for 420.

-Almost the same exact offer was offered for Devers as was for Mookie 2 years later.

-Adrian Gonzalez/Carl Crawford being the last 2 players that got more than 6 years the past 15 years. They dumped their contracts as soon as the Dodgers offered.

-This goes way back in time, but the Manny Ramirez contract was a big deterrent to the Sox at the time for the ownership group. Despite him outperforming that contract. They put him on waivers 2 or 3 times hoping someone would just take the contract.

-They tried for the A-Rod contract at one point, but the main figures rejected the notion because the Sox ownership wanted A-Rod to take a huge pay cut to come to Boston.

Okay so just to make sure we're on the same page - your evidence that ownership isn't comfortable giving out big contracts is that they've offered it to players in the past, but some of the players either chose not to sign the deals or the deals didn't work out? That's definitely an interesting approach to the argument.

My main point is, there ARE exceptions to their rule. Right timing, absolute player they must have to contend. Or a fan base about to completely turn away from the team in high numbers because they don't extend their franchise type players.

But their rule is still something they believe in profoundly. The Juan Soto's, Gunner Henderson's of the world won't be bidder number one for the Sox for any of these type of players. Especially since they're not desperate for any of them.