Here's a look at some items out of the AL East..
- Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter) heard from multiple sources today who doubt that the Red Sox will make a play for Hanley Ramirez after trading Marco Scutaro to the Rockies. However, the club is looking at both pitchers and position players now, according to a source (Twitter link).
- The Rays budgeted about $6MM for Carlos Pena but upped their bid to $7.25MM out of fear that the Tigers would jump in after losing Victor Martinez for the season, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter).
- With Pena aboard, the Rays are probably done shopping, writes Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. While there's some talk of adding a right-handed hitter to the bench, it's not likely to be a major signing. A trade is still possible, however, as they have a surplus of starting pitchers.
- Rob Neyer of SB Nation doesn't understand the logic behind the Red Sox trading Scutaro. While the deal saves the club $6MM, it also means a downgrade at the shortstop position. The club is reportedly comfortable with a Nick Punto/Mike Aviles platoon.
- In a perfect world, Boston would add both Roy Oswalt and Cody Ross if GM Ben Cherington can create a little more financial breathing room, writes Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com. The Red Sox, he notes, have kept dialogue open with Oswalt throughout the winter.
- While it's tough to draw conclusions from the Scutaro trade until the money saved is reallocated, it's safe to say that GM Ben Cherington wasn't as comfortable with his pitching as he claimed, says Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal (Twitter links).
- Ken Davidoff of Newsday sees the Yankees signing Raul Ibanez to take some of the at-bats that would have gone to Jesus Montero at DH. The club would prefer a lefty bat and Ibanez isn't terribly concerned about money and plate appearances.
- While he's been given many opportunities to do so, Orioles Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette has never firmly denied interest in Manny Ramirez, notes Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com.
How can the Yankees signing Ibanez take ABs from Montero if he isn’t on the team anymore?
He’d be taking away the at-bats Montero would have been getting.
Ok, the Scut trade is the first move by Cherington that I disapprove of. He was an average shortstop and that’s what the Sox needed. An Aviles/Punto combo has the potential for more disaster than the current rotation. If we sign Oswalt then it makes sense…
I still trust Cherington, but I hope this is part of a larger plan.
i think Aviles has potential, i mean every team has at least one bad player…you can’t be perfect,
But with Aviles + Sweeney in RF, that’s two bad players….plus whatever Crawford is now.
If Cherington can pull off getting Ross + Oswalt, or even better, Marlon Byrd and Oswalt, then I’d be happy. On its own though, this is a bad deal.
aviles isn’t actually a bad player. he’s unlikely to be as good as scutaro has been, but that potential does exist. remember that scutaro used to be aviles before 2009
He’s a downgrade, though, which is what I meant I guess. Sure it’s possible he’ll play around Scut’s level, but we can’t be sure, and platooning him with Punto won’t help either. I’m just saying, it’s not like SS is our only hole now, it’s RF/SS plus LF until Crawford gets back.
And I haven’t even been thinking about Youk and whether he’ll be healthy…I’m getting all nervous again.
no one has mentioned how scutaro has owned mo ….i dont mind seeing him go
Your nerveous about the sox offense? They will probably score at least 850 runs. But i guess when your team is that stacked you have to worry about something.
Yo Zach… any reason why you bolded the Y in yankees?
All of Yankees SHOULD be bolded. That whole bullet is a mess, though.
Ibanez isn’t terribly concerned with money or at bats…
…pass!
I think the Yankees should go after Damon. If they can’t get him, go for Matsui. I’ll pass on Ibanez.
Baseball Operations Dan Duquette has never firmly denied interest……
Well, he’s never confirmed either!
The Red Sox are interested in Oswalt and Ross and the Orioles are interested in Manny World. I wish I knew why! Out of curiousity, where would Cody Ross play in the Red Sox outfield? While he can field all outfield positions his arm strength indicates to me that he is a left fielder and doesn’t Crawford currently patrol there? Duquette please wake up! The Red Sox and Yankees credit card is maxxed out, the Orioles is not. Why do you want to get cheap and sign ManRam when you could get Ross and Oswalt.
With that logic, the Jays are interested in everyone
I feel bad for the Orioles. They should just switch leagues with the Mets. I say Mets because I think it would be even more funny to see them play in the AL East.
Duquette hasn’t denied interest in any players. I don’t really get Steve’s point on this one.
uhmm… right field?
Lefty, I can always count on you for some outrageous comments.
If the Yankees can sign Ibanez on the cheap say for $2MM or less. Decent numbers and power when batting lefty against right handed pitchers. I’d do it in a heartbeat. In my opinion he’s the best option of the “old” guys looking for some work.
I’d rather have Matsui or Damon.
I’d rather have Matsui too. He’s cool. I heart him. In all seriousness, if there is $2mm to be spent, I see no reason why Matsui wouldn’t take that. Plus, we the fans, would love that. My question is what happened to Chavez? He’s a lefty and he would be fine as a DH platoon with Jones and it creates that same type of flexibility they had last year.
There are more than a few teams interested in Chavez, so competition may rise his price a bit. I think he’s a great guy off the bench, and I don’t have to blindfold myself for the half innings he is in the field like I do Nunez.
As for Matsui, I think he’d be reasonable and take 2mm. Not to mention the amount of fanboy love I have for him.
My affection aside, the numbers don’t lie:
2011:
RISP
.285
.352
.416
RISP w/2 Outs
.290
.380
.452
Bases Loaded
.400
.308
.500
His career numbers in those areas are great as well. His career RISP avg is .298 which is about 40 points higher than Jeter’s.
Clutch hitting is something the Yankees need desperately, and is often what hinders them in October.
Leave it to Rob Neyer to say that. Yeah, it’s a downgrade at the shortstop position. The Red Sox also have an unreliable rotation that lacks depth. They need to take a chance on Oswalt. They felt they needed to free up payroll in order to go after him.
Rob Neyer’s annoying anyway. He thinks Derek Jeter is the worst player in baseball. I don’t pay attention to him.
What’s the deal with the Red Sox payroll? Since when do they care about $6 million bucks?
Since this crazy new CBA.
Can you explain a little? Every day I find out something new about the CBA.
If they go under the luxury tax threshold the rate they are taxed at resets to 17.5% instead of the current 40% (and 50% next year, assuming they go over the limit this year). Any large market team that is under the threshold also gets a break on their revenue sharing, so there are multiple incentives to get under the limit.
But as Bob Ryan has already stated on several occasions, the Red Sox are already clearly over it and saving $6mm likely doesn’t change their bottom line. Considering that money is going to be spent on a pitcher, most likely and they will likely have to tack on a few million to get that pitcher, I don’t see what the hoopla is all about. If you’re over already, just go for it and wait till next year. They made multiple errors early in the offseason and now they are trying to compensate for those mistakes. It’s a failed logic and it won’t translate well to the field.
Ok, so I typed a fairly good sized response, but for some unknown reason it has to be approved by the moderators…
Basically, from what I’ve seen they are $2.5M under the threshold after trading Scutaro and assuming Ortiz wins his arbitration bid. They likely will, but if they don’t sign a pitcher this would mean they are under the limit and the tax would reset to 17.5% for next off season when there are going to be a bunch of really good pitchers on the market.
There’s also a (slight?) chance that they could move some, or possibly all, of Jenks’ salary which would open things up quite a bit for them to make some moves.
What has been with the moderators recently? For some reason they have been in a foul mood! Quite unreasonable if you ask me. =P
Are your figures adjusted for the arbitration cases too? Like Ellsbury’s new salary, Bailey, Bard…etc.
Assuming that they don’t move any more salary, then they wouldn’t be able to sign Oswalt without going over the threshold? Then in that case, I would rather not sign Oswalt to stay under, but if they decide to go over, then they shouldn’t have traded Scutaro in the first place.
Yeah, it includes anyone who has signed to this point (Ellsbury, Bard etc), as well as Ortiz assuming Ortiz and Bailey both win their Arb cases (so worst case scenario in other words).
EDIT: Although I actually just saw another estimate that had them about $100,000 still over the limit.
I really thought the O’s were on the verge of getting really good. What happened?
Two years ago they reminded me of the ’07 Rays, a young team with alot of fight. Perhaps they’re trying to finish last to stock pile draft picks like the Rays did for years.
“What happened?” They played.
Good one. Haha. They always seem pesky when they play the Rays. Just can’t get over the hump. Getting Showalter to mange should help if the FO would do something.
Worst owner in pro sports.
Wieters, who has turned into a great player, but his bat didnt develop into the power and average that the organization thought.
The “Baby Birds” Matusz, Tillman, and Arrietta have done all sorts of nothing in the big league.
Signing players who are to old to big money: D Lee and Vlad
Not drafting well: Hobgood.
Not signing any international players.
Bad ownership, bad management, bad luck = very sad O’s fan
Too much emphasis on hitting. They went after Reynolds and Vlad Guerrero as well as Lee. They already had Markakis, Hardy, Wieters, etc. They need pitching. Shoulda just gone after Buerhle and Madson, then whittled away the hitters.
I wouldn’t rule them out. I have every reason to believe they will be a better team. I do agree however as of two years ago, it seemed like this would move a little quicker with some of the talent. They suffered from “boston red sox syndrome” where a handful of important players were injured. I highly expect the Orioles to much more competitive this coming season. Keep in mind they are coming off a terrific finish as the spoiler. Let’s hope that carries over. I like Buck, for the most part and I hope these guys get it together. I also like Duquette.
I wish I could be opptimistic about the upcomming but its going to be bad. Everything rides on if the young former top pitching prospects finally live up to their hype.
And I’m with you on DD, I’m loving the fact that the O’s are looking at guys outside of the US now.
I can imagine its probably infuriating to watch my team and the others in the AL East play relatively well and the O’s not so much. Hold out man, it’s coming soon. I can’t really explain why I think this, but I’m far more optimistic of the Orioles play than most others and if there was a way to go back a year, I’ve been saying this for a while. Keep in mind all the O’s need is a season like the 2010 Padres and you’re in very good shape. You don’t suffer from the same financial constraints the Padres do. Yes having better representation in the Latin markets should pay dividends in the near future.
Last I checked Scutaro was a .270 8 HR 5 SB hitter that has never won a GG…Aviles is pretty close if not better.
Agreed, huge upside on this guy. He could wind up being very good.
Aviles will be 31 heading into this season, so I think it’s safe to say that whatever upside is there has already been seen.
That being said, I watched him play in KC for the last few years and could never understand why he didn’t get more of a chance to be an everyday guy. Remember how Freddy Sanchez, back when he could eat a sandwich without dislocating his shoulder, could rake doubles all day long? That’s Aviles. Give him an everyday shot, and I bet you’ve got a guy who will hit 10 HRs and 40 doubles. His walk rate is Francoeurian, which will drive you guys in Beantown nuts, but he’s a better shortstop than Scutaro. There. I said it. He’s a better shortstop than Scutaro. Seriously.
Oh, and Jose Iglesias will never be a decent hitter in the big leagues. Sorry.
Have to see if he can replicated his 5 WAR season.
Now the Sox have a CPA for GM. Balance the budget boys and toss the usual suspects against the wall and see what sticks. So the two glaring needs can be filled with Oswalt and Ross. Take the Visa card out, Ben, and max it out. If you don’t all that cash will end up on some gawd forsaken Foootball field in Merry Olde England.
I thought the same, any upgrade Oswalt brings would be offset by the downgrade to Aviles/Punto.
Aviles is not ‘as good’ as Scutaro… not at all. Any team with serious WS aspirations should NOT be going into the season with Mike Aviles at SS and Nick Punto as their backup infielder.
Except the Cardinals (with Nick Punto as a backup).
Oswalt would more than offset the downgrade at SS; I don’t think trading Scutaro to create room for Oswalt is the problem, it’s what they got for Scutaro that doesn’t make sense.
I didn’t expect to get much more than that out of Scutaro to be honest. He’s a good shortstop, but he’s 35 and in the last year of his contract. I didn’t think many teams would be willing to give up very much for 1 year of Scutaro.
Scutaro is an above average SS who is owed less than market value, he should have easily brought more back.
It probably didn’t help that he only played in 113 games last year.
Red sox or rays should trade for Danny Espinoza
I hope Boston does get Ross and Oswalt or Floyd. If not, the Scutaro trade was a waste.
Maybe the Red Sox are going for Yoennis Céspedes to play RF? No? Thoughts?
Doubt it.
Actually, I hope not.
I find the idea exciting but scary. I don’t think they are though.
I’m almost positive that there’s still a pretty significant trade coming from the Rays. With and odd man out in both the rotation and the pen, I could see them packaging the two for some sort of starter either at SS or C.
Rotation
SP1 Price
SP2 Shields
SP3 Hellickson
SP4 Niemann/Davis
SP5 Moore
Odd man out: Niemann/Davis
Bullpen
RHP Farnsworth
RHP Peralta
RHP Rodney
RHP Badenhop
LHP Howell
LHP McGee
RHP Lueke
Odd man out: Gomes
So, Niemann/Davis and Gomes to someone for a SS/C. Those are two decent trade chips, hopefully we can make a deal.
it won’t happen cause it’s in the division but Eduardo Nunez + c prospect for Niemann would be kinda cool.
Do the Red Sox even have the prospects to the deal for a star player? Have a feeling they would have to include someone in their current roster to complete a deal.
I love the name. It’s very true.
Rays should sign Derek Lee. He’ll come relatively cheap, add pop to the lineup, and he’ll make Pena see better pitches.
How about HanRam + “Juan Carlos Oviedo” (7th or maybe 8th inning “guy”) for Jacoby Ellsbury?
How about HanRam + “Juan Carlos Oviedo” (7th or maybe 8th inning “guy”) for Jacoby Ellsbury?
To all Boston Fans: RELAX!!! Just because your team just traded away Marco Scutaro, there’s no reason to hope that your team trades for Hanley Ramirez or goes out to sign another SS. There are teams in the MLB like the Mariners, Giants, and Rays for example that have many holes in their lineups and you don’t see them complaining. Boston still has Pedroia, Ellsbury,Gonzalez, Papi, Crawford, Youkillis etc. Boston is completely stacked on offense and can afford to have a hole at SS.