Adrian Beltre and Victor Martinez are two of this winter's most sought-after free agents, but don't discount the possibility that both players remain in Boston next season. In a conference call with media (including WEEI's Alex Speier), Red Sox GM Theo Epstein said that re-signing both Beltre and Martinez are top priorities for his club.
“Our first choice for our third baseman in 2011 and beyond would be to bring back Adrian Beltre,” said Epstein. “Victor would certainly be our first choice to be our 2011 catcher and beyond. He did an outstanding job for us in the year and a half he was here. … I know it’s been portrayed in the media a little bit as if we haven’t been pursuing him. … We absolutely want this guy back.”
The Red Sox are one of the few clubs that can afford signing two high-profile free agents like Beltre and Martinez, though Epstein noted that "it always comes down to years and dollars.” The former is the more important factor for Boston. Both players are 31 years old and signing either to a long-term contract might be tricky for a club that has Josh Beckett and John Lackey signed through 2014 to already borderline-regrettable deals. Signing Beltre and Martinez would also make it virtually impossible that the Red Sox could afford Carl Crawford, their other big target of the winter.
Epstein said the club is "not particularly close to anything at this time" and doesn't expect any major signings before the deadline for teams to offer arbitration to free agents. He also said that the Red Sox will trade or sign "at least one" new reliever this winter, though Epstein expects the market for bullpen help to be very busy this winter given the number of quality arms available.
The Sox have money even if they sign Beltre and V-Mart they could afford Crawford or Werth.
I’d assume Boston also wants to use some money for the bullpen.
Still they could still use money on bullpen, sign Werth or Crawford, and resign Beltre, and Victor anybody who thinks the Red Sox are pinching pennies are really oblivious to the fact that the Sox could spend as much as the Yankees, but they do not do it.
I don’t know about matching the Yanks, especially since they are probably going to jump their payroll up to almost $250MM if they sign Lee, as well as re-sign Jeter and Mo. But the Sox had $49MM, net of raises and arbitration awards, coming off the payroll this offseason, before exercising the Ortiz option, so that’s still $37MM free if we only maintain team payroll at $170MM. We will not just maintain. We’ll go up to maybe $185MM. That means we’ve got $52MM per season in additional salary we could take on. Assuming Beltre ($15MM/Yr.), Martinez ($11MM/Yr.) and Werth ($15MM/Yr.) were signed, that gives us about $11MM more to spend on bullpen help. My suggestion would be to sign Downs and Benoit, and we’d still probably have a couple million left over.
Where the heck do you get $250 million from? lol. Jeter and Mo will make less money than what they made. Vazquez will be gone, Pettitte could retire. Heck there’s a chance even if the Yankees get Lee that their payroll decreases (if Pettitte retires)
I don’t know about matching the Yanks, especially since they are probably going to jump their payroll up to almost $250MM if they sign Lee, as well as re-sign Jeter and Mo. But the Sox had $49MM, net of raises and arbitration awards, coming off the payroll this offseason, before exercising the Ortiz option, so that’s still $37MM free if we only maintain team payroll at $170MM. We will not just maintain. We’ll go up to maybe $185MM. That means we’ve got $52MM per season in additional salary we could take on. Assuming Beltre ($15MM/Yr.), Martinez ($11MM/Yr.) and Werth ($15MM/Yr.) were signed, that gives us about $11MM more to spend on bullpen help. My suggestion would be to sign Downs and Benoit, and we’d still probably have a couple million left over.
wow
The Yankees have a much bigger stadium and a HUGE TV contract. There’s no way in the world the Red Sox (or anyone else) could match them.
The Yankees have a much bigger stadium and a HUGE TV contract. There’s no way in the world the Red Sox (or anyone else) could match them.
Agreed. Removing Lugo, Lowell, Varitek and Okajima from the payroll should free up the $ to sign Werth or Crawford even if both V-Mart and Beltre were to sign with Boston–both players were on last year’s payroll, albeit at lower salaries, so the math isn’t that daunting.
Somebody make an offer to a free agent already!
Exactly I’m getting pretty tired of this.
More of Theo saying the right things before he lets them leave. Same ole BoSox P.R. stuff.
Yup, I agree. What else would he say, they are the backup plans?
What else should he say? Unless he has no intention of resigning them under any circumstances he would be a fool to say anything else.
What else should he say? Unless he has no intention of resigning them under any circumstances he would be a fool to say anything else.
Just formalities here, nothing to see.
Martinez as a battery mate = stolen bases in bunches. As a Rays fan please sign him. Sure he may knock in 5 RBI’s a game versus the Rays but here’s to the Rays starters knowing his weak zones.
What’s Polishuk talking about? Not having to pay Lowell’s salary alone will cover the difference in new salary for both Beltre and V-Mart for the year, not to mention Hall’s millions. Next year, Drew’s $12 mil is gone, plus Cameron’s sweet kiss. Don’t the Sox have $30 mil, or more, to play with before they even reach last year’s salary level? Seems to me they can sign three stars and still break even come next year.
Halls “millions” was paid by the Mariners last year (ultimately the Brewers, who paid the Mariners, who paid the Sox). The Sox were actually only on the hook for Hall for about $1.375mil (salary of $8.525mm, payment of $7.150mm). We did, however, get rid of another $11,150,000 in payments to other clubs for Lugo/Bonser/Wagner/Gonzalez. Add Lowell’s $12.5mm, and you’re looking at around $25mm freed up from last year.
We paid Beltre $10mm last year, so he’d get about a 4 year/48mm contract (increase by $2mm). Vic got $7.7mm, he’ll get another $3mm/year for a 3 year/30mil or 4 year/40mil. That leaves the $20mm left for Carl Crawford. We overpaid Ortiz by $6mm this year.
You missed Varitek’s $3MM. Sox are not giving Crawford $20MM, not no way, not no how. I’m pretty sure the Angels, who will win the auction, will end up paying somewhere around $16-17MM per season for him. He MIGHT get Matt Holliday money, but certainly not more than that.
I guess they have completely given up on getting a big name firstbaseman next year like Agon Pujols or Fielder because if they bring back either one of Beltre or Vmart then where would they play. If they bring back both they are definitely out
Theo needs to immediately change course here. The BoSox are now the 4th most interesting sports team in the Boston market, and sinking fast. NESN revenues are way off and ticket sales are even down (artificially propped up by sticking scalpers with unsold leftovers). The Sox need to bust open the wallet and spend about $185MM in total payroll to bring in at least 4 big FA’s, as well as make some trades. They’ve got to have Downs and Benoit for the bullpen. They could really use two from the group of Werth, Beltre, Martinez, Buck or Olivo. The survival of this F/O is definitely at stake in this offseason. He must be willing to part with quality prospects to get quality players in return. He must be willing to part with draft picks, or swap them out, if necessary. No draft is ever so good as to preclude parting with picks. Less than 1 in 10 of the top 100 picks ever becomes an MLB regular.
Failure to produce a team that wins, boosts ratings and sells tickets this coming season will lead to the dreaded “former” getting stuck in front of the phrase “GM Theo Epstein.” After his 2010 failures, we in Boston are starting to call him “Boy Blunder.” He needs to think again.
The problem with this logic is committing so much money to these free agents is theyre all in there 30’s. Lackey is the perfect example, even if he comes back with a better year, those last years are gonna be regrettable, same as Lowell
I can understand the reticence to have many players in their 30’s, but the Sox are not without youth in the MLB or talent in the minors. To win, we must have some seasoned quality bats and a strong bullpen. No prospect or draft pick is going to bring us those qualities. Money is not a problem for the Sox. Getting the right talent is a huge problem. It can only be answered by signing FA’s or trading. If you trade, then you will be giving up talented youth and/or draft picks. We can’t have our cake and eat it too. So we must do something, and the most effective way is to sign FA’s, where you risk money, not buckets of young talent.
The problem with this logic is committing so much money to these free agents is theyre all in there 30’s. Lackey is the perfect example, even if he comes back with a better year, those last years are gonna be regrettable, same as Lowell
Theo needs to immediately change course here. The BoSox are now the 4th most interesting sports team in the Boston market, and sinking fast. NESN revenues are way off and ticket sales are even down (artificially propped up by sticking scalpers with unsold leftovers). The Sox need to bust open the wallet and spend about $185MM in total payroll to bring in at least 4 big FA’s, as well as make some trades. They’ve got to have Downs and Benoit for the bullpen. They could really use two from the group of Werth, Beltre, Martinez, Buck or Olivo. The survival of this F/O is definitely at stake in this offseason. He must be willing to part with quality prospects to get quality players in return. He must be willing to part with draft picks, or swap them out, if necessary. No draft is ever so good as to preclude parting with picks. Less than 1 in 10 of the top 100 picks ever becomes an MLB regular.
Failure to produce a team that wins, boosts ratings and sells tickets this coming season will lead to the dreaded “former” getting stuck in front of the phrase “GM Theo Epstein.” After his 2010 failures, we in Boston are starting to call him “Boy Blunder.” He needs to think again.
I dont think we need vmart, if we can sign joe buck. I think we need to focus on resigning Beltre, and working on the bullpen. Then we can worry about signing Werth or Crawford.
smart logic kinda doubt you would want want to sign joe buck though unless you want to annoy the team with his banter but john buck if you need a solid to mediocre catcher to help tutor salty
I dont think we need vmart, if we can sign joe buck. I think we need to focus on resigning Beltre, and working on the bullpen. Then we can worry about signing Werth or Crawford.
I hope Red Sox sign both Beltre and Martinez to long term deals, both are gonna be regretable
save the money for the next free agent batch at this rate adrain gonzalez and prince fielder will be available boston if they just be patient will get one of the 2 hopefully not at the risk of there good prospects sign a stopgap 3b or use lowrie and resign bill hall they can field a competitive team with werth vmart youk ortiz pedrioa drew ellsbury and scutaro with lowrie/hall as there combo 3b plus keep there good prospects.i think the smart thing is trade papelbon sign benoit downs and rauch.save a good chunk of money for adrain or prince cuz its the better option long term as opposed to beltre
that is the hardest thing to read ever…my eyes are bleeding! lol but i think i might agree if i read it correctly.
Honestly the Sox have money I’m a Sox fan it’s just that John Henry doesn’t want to spend money. If I were Theo resign V-mart and sign Crawford I dont like Beltre look at the year he hit 48 homers he was on the juice and next year he is gonna be injured and hit 18 homerones and bat .260 and if he is gonna be 32 in the first few games of the year and if he gats 4 or 5 years he would be 36-37 and he has had injuries in the past
I would sign Crawford, Buck, Dunn and a couple of bullpen arms. Start Lowrie at 3rd or Youk, start Youk or Dunn at first with Crawford in right. Saves some cash plus it allows you the flexibility to make a move at the deadline or a big splash next offseason without having your hands tied by bad contracts.
sorry I mean Crawford in left
I look forward to both players leaving while the Red Sox move on to the over hyped Jason Werth. That would finish them off for next season.
i’m hoping the SOX sign WERTH, V-MART and trade for adrian gonzalez. they have about 40m to play with after they picked up papi’s option, and that’s if they don’t up their payroll. they could pick up WERTH for about 14-16m and VMART for about the same. that leaves about 10m to pick up adrian gonzalez’s “club friendly” 5.5m for this year and gives a little bit to work with for the bullpen. that would make for a nasty left/right handed lineup. ells/pedy/youk/gonzo/werth/papi/vmart/drew/scutaro. if that’s not the best lineup top to bottom in baseball, i don’t know what is.