A Realistic View at 2020: Part I

[Elktonnick]

Your mistake was reading anything by Shaughnessy. He defines Spiro Agnew’s nattering nabob of negativism. I really think he is incapable of writing a positive word about anything.

Shaughnessy basically called the DD firing well before anyone else published anything. He wrote Francona's book. It is obvious he has excellent sources inside the clubhouse. Like him or hate him no one should dismiss what he writes out of hand.

[notin]

Shaughnessy basically called the DD firing well before anyone else published anything. He wrote Francona's book. It is obvious he has excellent sources inside the clubhouse. Like him or hate him no one should dismiss what he writes out of hand.

No doubt Shaughnessy has unimpeachable sources. But it’s definitely true he puts a pessimistic spin on everything as he has for decades...

[Larry Cook]

No doubt Shaughnessy has unimpeachable sources. But it’s definitely true he puts a pessimistic spin on everything as he has for decades...

Could any part of his negative spin be attributable to growing up in an era when the Sox just continually found ways to lose?

[Bellhorn04]

How much is that really worth? When one thinks about what a team could sign for $30M either in a pitcher or in quality defensive players or a combination of those? That's still a lot of money even in today's market.

Sure, $30 million is a lot of money if you spend it wisely - and luckily.

It could get you a Max Scherzer.

Or it could get you a Pablo/Ellsbury-type albatross or two.

[notin]

Could any part of his negative spin be attributable to growing up in an era when the Sox just continually found ways to lose?

No. If that’s the reason, then he never grew up...

[notin]

This is what I keep thinking about now. I KNOW Mookie is an outstanding baseball player, maybe the best player in the game not named Trout, but he's still only one player who comes to bat only once through the rotation and probably makes 4-5 plays a game, nearly all of them routine ones.

How much is that really worth? When one thinks about what a team could sign for $30M either in a pitcher or in quality defensive players or a combination of those? That's still a lot of money even in today's market.

The last pitcher the Sox signed for $30mill didn’t work out so well.

If Betts doesn’t sign with Boston, cross his name off the check and pen in “Rafael Devers”...

[Bellhorn04]

The last pitcher the Sox signed for $30mill didn’t work out so well.

The Price signing has been iffy, and yet there have been far worse signings, crazy as that is.

[moonslav59]

The Price signing has been iffy, and yet there have been far worse signings, crazy as that is.

I remember some posters saying we'd be screwed if he opted out.

[Bellhorn04]

I remember some posters saying we'd be screwed if he opted out.

I think that might be a bit of an overstatement. I think 700hitter probably did a few eye rolls when people said they were hoping he'd opt out.

[notin]

I think that might be a bit of an overstatement. I think 700hitter probably did a few eye rolls when people said they were hoping he'd opt out.

Like me?

[Bellhorn04]

Like me?

Yes like you. I think you may have used more colorful terms than 'hoping', too.

[jacksonianmarch]

Even Price’s deal landed significant value. He was being paid for last performance, but he still performed well enough to belong in the top 3 of a rotation.

The last very long term deal for an elite talent that really backfired was Pujols. Even Teixeira provided positive WAR. Pujols fell off the planet almost immediately, although his fall was likely more due to shifting than anything else

[notin]

Yes like you. I think you may have used more colorful terms than 'hoping', too.

No. Once he spent 2017 basically out of action, I suggested the only possible reason he would opt out was he simply wanted out of Boston, a scenario I considered very unlikely. I was told repeatedly he was not opting out, which was the same thing I said, but still told so rather aggressively...

[moonslav59]

I think that might be a bit of an overstatement. I think 700hitter probably did a few eye rolls when people said they were hoping he'd opt out.

Yes, it was an overstatement.

700's point was this: if he opts out, it will be because he is pitching great, and we'd lose by losing a great pitcher, which makes sense, but I still hoped he'd opt out even if he had stayed healthy and pitched great due to his age and liklihood of decline and our ability to use his $30M wisely.

[notin]

Yes, it was an overstatement.

700's point was this: if he opts out, it will be because he is pitching great, and we'd lose by losing a great pitcher, which makes sense, but I still hoped he'd opt out even if he had stayed healthy and pitched great due to his age and liklihood of decline and our ability to use his $30M wisely.

We all knew if he was great for 3 years he would opt out. But once he got injured that second year, the chances of his opting out plummeted drastically...