Here’s the latest on the Red Sox:
- An executive with another team says that Boston is “all-in” on third baseman Pablo Sandoval, reports Gordon Edes of ESPN.com. GM Ben Cherington discussed the team’s interest with reporters today. “We’ve met with several [agents], including [Vasquez], and had good constructive conversations with a lot of guys already,” he said. “All those conversations will continue. I don’t expect anything to happen this week, or maybe in the near term. This may play out. I expect many [conversations] to continue over the next few weeks.”
- Cherington says that the Red Sox have no hard and fast rule against giving long-term deals to slightly older starting pitchers, Edes reports. “It’s never been a hard policy,” he said. “We’ve made exceptions, and I’m sure there will be another exception. It’s a case-by-case thing.” As for Lester, specifically, Cherington said that he is “interested in having a conversation with him” and has some added comfort level given the team’s familiarity with Lester. “We need to add to our rotation,” Cherington added. “He’s obviously a known commodity, a proven guy in our market. He’s of obvious interest.” Both Cherington and fellow GM Jed Hoyer of the Cubs foresee a slow-developing market for starters, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe tweets.
- The Sox are open to discussing a contract extension with manager John Farrell before the start of the year, reports Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. As things stand, Farrell is under contract for 2015 with the club holding an option for another year.
- Boston still sees Jackie Bradley Jr. as a future everyday center fielder, Cherington tells Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal. After a productive season in the field and sub-par campaign at the plate, the 24-year-old has perhaps lost some of his luster, though that could be in part due to expectations that raised wildly last spring. “I do think there are some teams that think of him that way — as they should,” Cherington said. “We think of him that way. We don’t know on what date that will happen, but we certainly still think of him that way — as an everyday-caliber center fielder.”
I think it would be a major story if there was a name player with huge salary requirements that was available via free agency or trade, and the Red Sox had no interest in him.
It’s simply because of their lack of interest in a long term commitment to Lester and the comments about 30+ year old pitchers from Henry. Hence the worry about this years free agency.
Jon Lestor?
This has been going on every offseason since free agency started.
Bradley may be the best defensive outfielder I’ve ever seen. That type of defensive talent alone will get him a shot somewhere. But offensively, he has looked so lost. He needs to tweak the swing, lose that slight uppercut.
Is he better than Peter Bourjos?
Yes. Twice the UZR and 10 times the arm.
I’m no math guru, but 18.6 uzr/150 is not double 20.0 uzr/150.
It doesn’t even seem to be bigger.
Who said UZR/150?
8.9 vs 13.8 is 1.55 times him.
-0.9 arm vs. 4.8. You got me….. only 5 times the arm.
Because quoting straight UZR is pretty meaningless. It tells us absolutely nothing about the comparison.
The problem is that he is so bad with the bat that he is a massive liability.
I know – really rooting for him. His offense was brutal.
Gotta have a slight uppercut bud, otherwise you’ll be hitting it on the ground all the time. Remember, the ball is coming at a downwards plane, gotta hit slightly up to hit line drives. As for tweaking his swing, it’s an obvious must. He has pretty good OBP skills IMO so, his pitch recognition skills aren’t something that needs to improve greatly. Personally, I’d probably close his stance off a bit more, from being open to more straight-away, and maybe get him lower in his stance. That way, he has more time to decide to swing or not, and doesn’t have to worry too much about leg movement a.k.a hitting in the bucket. He always seemed to try to pull the ball when he shouldn’t be that type of hitter.
He needs to be slapping the ball. He will have no value as the hitter he is attempting to be right now.
His stance was always closed until this year, when they tried to make adjustments and opened his stance up in an attempt to help him against breaking stuff from lefties (allow him to see them better). Maybe he should go back to closed though, because it doesn’t seem to have worked…
Ever see Willie Mays or Roberto Clemente?
“Best defensive outfielder” might be overstating things a bit. Bradley is excellent with the glove — I wouldn’t deny that. But I can’t put him above Griffey Jr., Andruw Jones, Jim Edmonds, Paul Blair or Kirby Puckett. Give him some time before we hang that label on Bradley.
He has a hitch/double toe-tap in his step that makes him late on every single pitch. I don’t know how the hitting coach hasn’t pointed it out to him; it is obvious on television, it is obvious on replays… if he simplifies his stride in his swing he will be able to time the ball up better. If he doesn’t improve, I am placing at least a bit of blame on lazy coaching.
If the Red Sox players – and particularly their prospects – are so wonderful and they are awash in cash; why do that have to make so many trades, sign so many free agents, and turn over at least 50% of their roster every year?
My guess is that ML teams are onto their ‘can’t miss’ prospects that they offer in trade for established players. I’ll back off here.
How can you say “why do they have to make so many trades” in the first paragraph, and then say teams back away in the second? If they are making trades, other teams are clearly accepting their Anthony Rizzo’s, their FRank Monta’s and their Jose Iglesias’s.. or it is Iglesiai?
boston’s org was ranked #2 in 2010 and only rizzo, among the top 10, amounted to anything. Montas wasn’t hyped and was a nondescript A ball pitcher thrown into a trade a year ago. Iglesias hasn’t done much really yet; we’ll see if he was legit or overhyped.
Yeah, I’m sure that the teams who ended up with Anibal Sanchez, Hanley Ramirez, Jed Lowrie, Anthony Rizzo, Justin Masterson, Josh Reddick, Casey Kelly… Wish they hadn’t traded with the Red Sox for their overhyped prospects who always turn into busts.
And clearly Pedroia, Lester, Youkilis, Papelbon, Ellsbury, Buchholz… were all overrated prospects who never turned into anything.
Who have they traded recently that panned out?
Wait let me get this straight, your criticism of the Red Sox minor league is they don’t trade away anyone good?
You got him there. He might want to retract his earlier question.
If you didn’t win it all…. what team doesn’t look to improve?
Can’t this be said for literally every trade involving prospects?
Boston’s prospects, along with the Cubs, are the most over-hyped year in and year out. San Francisco is rarely highly ranked, and yet they churn out talent year in and year out.
Yeah, I mean look at this list from 2006. I mean who has even heard of Andy Marte? The rest of these guys are probably a bunch of losers too.
1. Andy Marte, 3b
2. Jon Lester, lhp
3. Jonathan Papelbon, rhp
4. Craig Hansen, rhp
5. Dustin Pedroia, 2b/ss
6. Jacoby Ellsbury, of
7. Kelly Shoppach, c
8. Manny Delcarmen, rhp
9. Jed Lowrie, ss/2b
10. Clay Buchholz, rhp
Middlebrooks. Webster. Brantley, Jr. 10 other guys.
The Dodgers had a great farm system until they didn’t. But their rep lived on for a while.
What was your house selling for in 2006? What sort of salary were you making?
You can’t really gauge a minor league by the players who have that little experience. No one is claiming that the Red Sox system is stacked with potential stars. It’s rated high because it has depth, not because it has superstar talent. you can’t judge a system on what it did this year, you can only look at it after the players it has produced have had at least a few years in the majors. Sure some of those guys may be busts, but you haven’t even seen Devers, Owens or Swihart yet. It also produced Betts and Vazquez. Both of them did well last year.
1. Bradley does not have great trade value… they should try to boost it… but they can’t because they have 36 outfielders who all have to share time it seems. Why did they sign Castillo anyway?
2. NYY would be happy to let Boston take Panda and get the better 3rd baseman at a lower cost (Headley).
1. I agree JBJ doesn’t have great trade value but for a contending team you can’t start with a starting CF that hit as bad as he did last year. They learned their lesson last year when they trusted their OF to prospects, injury prone veterans, and platoon partners. This year if all goes right Cespedes, Castillo, Betts will be a very good OF with Nava/Craig as good 1B/OF platoon backups and that’s why they signed Castillo.
2. Debatable that Headley is the better player. He defintly is the better defensive player and that boosts his WAR above Panda but Panda is a better hitter. I would still prefer Headley to Panda though!
1. My point is that they have essentially given up on JBJ if they play Castillo over him. They already have Betts who is presumably better as well. How is JBJ going to play if Castillo and Betts live up to their billing.
2. Red Sox seem to prefer Panda. Yankees seem to prefer Headley. Panda may make 2X Headley (total contract value)… which is absurd.
Yeah I agree with you on point 2.
For Point 1 I would just add that if they didn’t sign Castilo the starting OF would be Cespedes, Betts, Vic. I love Betts but he is still young and Vic is a major injury risk. I think their logic was we think Castillo is easily worth 72 million, we have payroll flexibility, and JBJ didn’t prove enough to give him the starting job next year
I’m sure the Red Sox are aware that Headley is the better defender and has more WAR. I’m sure they are also aware what he is asking for compared to Sandoval. These facts are not industry secrets, they are things that are readily available to anyone with an internet connection. If they continue to pursue Sandoval over Headley, it is because they believe Sandoval will be the better player in Boston going forward.
Am I the only one hoping the Cubs deal for their ace(s) so the Sox have a better chance at Lester? My perfect offseason would be Lester, Headley and a second SP, while finding a decent return on Victorino and Cespedes
I second this
Same here. Please. Not Sandval. Just no.
Here, Here! Lester, Headley, and McCarthy/Liriano would be the perfect offseason for me.
I would add a bullpen arm to the wishlist. Specifically Miller.
It would be nice to find a Decent left handed hitting catcher somewhere.
No to Liriano. Maybe Masterson.
Liriano scares me as well, especially in Fenway.
I would like to see the Giants make a trade for Bradley Jr., maybe sending Stratton in exchange. I’m expecting that Pagan’s career is basically over with these back problems, and maybe I’m mistaken but I still believe that Jackie can develop into a serviceable leadoff hitter with outstanding defense. Granted Blanco is a similar player, but I’d rather have him as a fourth outfielder than leading off every day in Pagan’s absence.
Between Owens, Rodriguez, Johnson, Webster, De la Rosa, Ranaudo, Workman, Barnes, Hembre, and Escober I really don’t think Boston needs more pitching prospects
They also don’t need more outfielders. Plus, there’s no such thing as too much pitching.
You have to think they are going to trade some of those guys because where will they all pitch. 5 in AAA rotation, maybe 2 in the big league rotation, and 3 in the pen but it seems they would be better off trading 2.
Pablo may never know what he’s got ’till he’s gone. Money is the least of his worries.