Since we're talking about it in separate threads, we should have one.
Sox are basically over the cap before the stove even starts. How far do they go? Do they just blow past or do they tinker with the team? I think everyone and their brother knows the sox need to add some offense. It will be interesting to see how much cash DD is allotted.
Hal sucks
I could see the Sox - not exactly shopping Bogaerts - but telling teams to make an offer. Now I am not sure how robust the market it is. I tend to chock up this year to injury ... nothing like a hand injury (regardless of what he says to people) to mess up your swing. It is not something which get better during the season. That said, if you save the brinks truck for Betts - then Bogaerts and Bradley are the swing guys here.
Sox need another bat - but the trade market is probably where the best possibility is to get one ... and given that the Sox have used a lot of their best minor league pieces already, looking at one of their young guys has to be on the table. I am sure there will be chatter about trying to get Stanton - which I think for a bunch of reasons (payroll flexibility, cost in players, marginal value) is stupid. I could see kicking the tires on Andrew McCutchen - though again, you only get a year of him and I am not sure what sort of match there is with the Pirates given that.
The free agent class looks horrid. That said, if last year's market is a barometer for the future - it could be a buyer's market for slow, power hitting non-defenders ... the sort of thing where a JD Martinez might be gettable for a surprisingly short hitch a la Encarnacion last year. Getting something like that makes sense. Same with Jay Bruce (less appetizing option) for a 1-year.
"Hating the Yankees like it's a religion since 94'" RIP Mike.
"It's also a simple and indisputable fact that WAR isn't the be-all end-all in valuations, especially in real life. Wanna know why? Because an ace in run-prevention for 120 innings means more often than not, a sub-standard pitcher covering for the rest of the IP that pitcher fails to provide. You can't see value in a vacuum when a player does not provide full-time production."
Giancarlo Stanton, who turns 28 years old next month, has 10 years and $295 million remaining on his contract.
Manny Ramirez was 28 years old in December 2000 when the Red Sox signed the slugger to an eight-year, $160 million contract coming off his injury-plagued season.
Stanton's career line and the latter's line when the Red Sox signed Ramirez:
GS 4120 PA, .268/.360/.554/.914, OPS+ 146. 34.1 fWAR, 35.1 bWAR
MR 4095 PA, .313/.407/.592/.998, OPS+ 152, 30.7 fWAR, 29.9 bWAR
Just food for thought.
Last edited by harmony; 10-10-2017 at 12:24 PM.
Bogaerts this Off-Season is not a Center Piece in any Trade. You have to add, and you might add more than you want. Keep him hope he bounces back, and do a Nomar on him, if Stanton is available.
One thousand times no on Stanton.
The contract alone is absolutely insane.
One name no one's mentioning and with good reason is Miguel Cabrera.
He's signed the same years as Votto but for more money. He'll cost less in players to acquire. And while his contact is horrible, it was written by Dombrowski, so he might feel differently. ..