In his latest column for the Boston Globe, Nick Cafardo looks at the career earnings for some of the biggest names in baseball, with an eye toward the offseason. Cafardo wonders if players in good situations like Adrian Beltre and Paul Konerko would give their respective clubs a slight discount, or if they'll pursue the most money possible on the open market. Here are some other highlights from Cafardo's piece:
- Konerko negotiated his last contract primarily with White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, and Cafardo wouldn't be surprised to see Reinsdorf step in again to keep Konerko in Chicago.
- Although they don't love his defense behind the plate, the Marlins are a team that will be interested in signing Victor Martinez this winter.
- A National League scout could see Tim Wakefield succeeding on the mound in the NL for another couple years, but questions whether Wakefield would be able to hit and run the bases, as the Senior Circuit requires. Cafardo indicates that the 44-year-old is frustrated with his role in Boston.
- Cafardo predicts that the Red Sox will sign Scott Downs this winter.
- As of Friday, Kevin Towers had only had one conversation with D'Backs president Derrick Hall about the team's GM opening, according to a source. It was on Friday that we heard Towers was the frontrunner for the Arizona job.
Kornerko stays with the Sox. I just can’t, won’t, get my mind around him being on another team. He’s so perfect there, I refuse to imagine a Sox team without him.
Paulie will take a discount, Beltre will absolutely not
Wake’s frustrated with his role? Well I’m frustrated by his pitching…
Wake probably could go to the NL and baffle people there, but really, not his legs as much as that back of his that goes out every single season in late July-August when he is used much at all. Can anyone see him lasting until June even if he had to bat OR run the bases as fragile as he is now?
Wake has stated many times that would retire before leaving Boston, even gave them the “lifetime” 4m recurring team option several years ago after he won 17 games as a show of gratitude towards them. Can’t see him leaving period, just retiring if it ever gets to a certain level of frustration.
Why Boston would still have interest in Downs as a FA in the deepest drat for years is crazy, even if they signed another type A FA and he “only” cost them a 2nd round pick. A 2nd round pick in the upcoming 2011 draft should be the equivalent of a 1st in many others for teams that usually draft/scout well. It is foolishness at it’s worst for a 35YO guy who would be coming in for them no later than the 7th inning.
If anything, Boston should let Beltre and V-Mart go, get some draft picks and refurbish the system. Unless both players sign a team friendly contract.
No way to Scott Downs, basically everything johnsilver said is on the point.
Why oh why would you just let Vic and Beltre go? One I understand but both?! The Sox got money coming off the books this year, it needs to be used to sign Vic long term(4yrs/about 60mil) and used to get a few pen arms, preferably Scott Downs, Joaquin Benoit, (resign) Scott Atchison. The Sox have a lot of good talent still in the system, Anthony Rizzo, Jose Iglesias, Casey Kelly, Anthony Ranaudo, Sotlmey Pimentel, etc. The talent they brought up this year(Daniel Nava, Yamico Navaro, Gustavo Molina, Dusty Brown) aren’t the best the farm has to offer(omit Kalish, Reddick, Anderson)
Point is, the Sox need to focus on resigning/signing players, not letting them walk just to pad a system that already is teaming with talent.
There’s no chance the Sox will offer V-Mart a 4/60 deal and I don’t blame them. The bottom line is that the Sox don’t see him as a long term option for catcher and therefore won’t pay him as such.
The only one I would like to see resigned is Beltre but he is so iffy on whether or not he’ll produce to where I think they should let him walk.
V-Mart…God, I don’t know what they should do. He can’t throw out guys, but he can mash the ball.
Personally though, let them walk and see what the young guys can bring and sign some scabs basically.
The Marlins? They are really going to spend the money? I’d really like to see V-Mart on the Marlins though. It’ll be great for the young players and pitchers and the fans as well. Especially with them moving in to a new ballpark. It’ll be interesting to see if the Marlins do sign V-Mart.
Can Wakefield hit & run the bases? He was a position player before he was a knuckleballer.
Beltre’s rep doesn’t due discounts. And I wouldn’t give him more than 3 years, one year doesn’t promise 2. 2 years out of 10 isn’t a star player…
VMart shouldn’t get 4 years Epstein is doing the right thing pursuing 2 years.
There is no one the Sox should pursue in free-agency this year, They have kids 1-2 years out that would then be blocked and that kind of defeats the whole point of having a good farm system…
They should try making some trades at the minor league level and stock pile catchers.. that seems to be a position of shortages around the leagues…
They are stockpiled at catcher already, so much so that the 2 of the biggest RBI producers in the system for 2010 finished the season at AA in Lavarnway and Exposito. Both are seen as Catchers in the future and Lavarnway has a VERY lethal bat , being Sox ML offensive player of the year for 2009 and finishing up with nearly as strong overall numbers in 2010 between High A ball and AA. He was forced to split C/DH at both levels with prospects Exposito (AA) and Federowicz (A+) and Cuban top prospect just came to the states, Dan Butler is another high impact player they are looking at in High A ball and did very well… NONE of these people ar old for league either, being 23 and younger.
Catching in the 2+ years down the road (along with SP) is the least of the Sox worries in the farm system.
The Red Sox aren’t stockpiled on Catchers. They probably have one of the worst catching departments, and have had a huge hole there for a while. None of them are really gonna make a big impact on an ML club even in the future, as opposed to other guys like Posey, Carlos Santana, Jesus Montero. You’re overvaluing the Sox Catching prospects, and catching is going to be a worry down the strech.
You been reading to much NYY propaganda again it looks like instead of scouting reports on both Exposito and Lavarnway. Lavarnway may eventually be moved to another position (like Montero) because of his defense, but Exposito is strong on defense.
Exposito really isn’t that great of a hitting catcher. He has some gap power which is decent offense in fenway but really nothing special. Lavarnway doesen’t have what you call a “VERY” lethal bat, in a competition with guys like Montero. He has a good bat, with power to all fields, and squares up everything. But he isn’t a developed defensively, which might take him away as your future catcher. Tim Federowicz has line-drive power, good for doubles, not homeruns, with mediocre plate-dicipline, which is something Theo wants implemented in his players. Dan Butler makes good contact, with average power.
Guess an overall line of 462AB, 81R, 27 2B, 22HR, 70BB 104K, .287AVG, .393OBP, .882 OPS is just “squares up” the ball pretty well to some. Kind of like Exposito, at 6’3 215lbs and “gap power” the Sox have been working on cutting his swing DOWN for a couple years now, even though he had 39 2B, 11HR and 94RBI for Portland this year, along with a decent .756 OPS from catching position.
Fed-X is a bit of a free swinger, but might give Butler some credit.. the guy hit over .300 with an OBP over .400 between low and high A ball in his 2nd season of professional ball after being signed as an undrafted FA.
Exposito really isn’t that great of a hitting catcher. He has some gap power which is decent offense in fenway but really nothing special. Lavarnway doesen’t have what you call a “VERY” lethal bat, in a competition with guys like Montero. He has a good bat, with power to all fields, and squares up everything. But he isn’t a developed defensively, which might take him away as your future catcher. Tim Federowicz has line-drive power, good for doubles, not homeruns, with mediocre plate-dicipline, which is something Theo wants implemented in his players. Dan Butler makes good contact, with average power.
It is still Beltre’s decision as to who he signs with. Boras negotiates the contracts and gets offers. If Beltre wants to take 4/60 (not saying he will just a random number) instead of 5/80 (another random number) that is his decision and Boras can’t make it for him.
Wakefield probably needs to retire. He is frustrated, because he can’t pitch. It isn’t the knuckleball that is the problem, it is his change up…
I always thought that if Wakefield had to change teams, the team he should play with is Tampa Bay. Temperature and air currents seemed to be as important for Wakefield’s performance as his health.. The Trop warehouse is probably the best place for Wakefield, If he is healthy.
Wake should just retire.
Wakefield has a change up pitch? Isn’t his knuclerball and fastball 70ish mph?
No. Wakefield does NOT throw a changeup. He throws a knuckleball the vast majority of the time while throwing his fastball once an inning or so to keep the batters honest. Occasionally, he will throw a curveball, but I’ve never seen him throw a changeup.
Ah, I have never seen him throw a change up either. Never seen him throw a curveball either, just knuckleball and the occasional fastball.
I have seen him throw a curveball. But it is even rarer than his FB.
At 70 MPH, maybe his “fastball” just looks like a changeup.
As much as I love what Wake’s meant to the Sox in his career, he is useless to us now. Personally, I think Wake’s best bet is to move to the NL and try to resurrect himself as a closer. He’s done it in the past, so he has experience there. And, I really think he could excel in that role in a league where most of the hitters have never seen him before.
the whole point of having a good farm”
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Is having fungible assets. What you choose to do with them is your business. Every team needs to see if they can use FA to their advantage. I only see a few I’d look at and who knows maybe they don’t want to play in Boston. But to not look at talented people because you are concerned about the draft is silly. Esp. when you could lose several FA of your own (all middle of the order guys).
Regardless of where he comes from, the Red Sox need at least one “banger” in the outfield, and perhaps two, if Beltre leaves and Lowrie moves over to 3B… If the alternative, moving Youkilis back over to 3B comes into play, his replacement, at 1B, has to be someone who can hit with power and average, and an OF hitter “with power is still beomes necessary. Boston’s infield cannot be expected to carry the offensive load for ever….
If sox fans/Organization want a chance of a WS right now they will Keep Martinez Catching, Youk at First, Pedrioa at Second, Scutero SS, Beltre Third, Big power hitting DH- idea’s Fielder Gonzalez Konerko Pena Etc. , Crawford LF, Kalish CF, Drew RF, Bench Saltalamaccia, Lowrie, Hall, Cameron, Staff 1.Lester 2.Bucholz 3.Beckett 4.Lackey 5.Dice K Bullpen starting with Achiston, Bodwen, Doubrant, Bard, Okijima, Two Great FA Bullpen Guys
IF the sox/Organization want a chance of a WS with out giving up prospects they will wait till 2012 and have Saltalamacchia Catching, Rizzo at first, Pedrioa at second, Iglesias SS, Beltre at third, Youk DH, Reddick/Nava LF, Kalish CF, Westmoreland RF, Bench One of the many young catchers sox have in organization, Anderson, Lowrie, Che-Hsuan Lin Staff 1.Lester 2.Bucholz 3.Beckett 4.Lackey 5.Kelly And a whole new bullpen exept Doubrant, Bodwen and a few others
Kalish has played well but he still needs time in the minors. No way he beats Ellsbury out of camp this year. He will replace Drew after his contract is up. And Hall will be gone after this year. They will buy out his contract.
The Marlins will get outbid for V-Mart….I don’t think there’s a question about it. I would love him though, and the offense would be awesome.
Nick Cafardo needs realize Theo would give up his job before giving up those draft picks.