Here’s the latest from Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe:
- Blue Jays sluggers Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion could be candidates to replace David Ortiz in Boston next offseason, and Cafardo speaks to Bautista about his impending free agency. “Do I want to stay here [in Toronto]? Yes. Do I wish it comes to free agency? Absolutely not,” Bautista says. “But it takes two to tango.” Bautista adds that he isn’t opposed to negotiating with the Jays in-season. At last check, Bautista was reportedly willing to consider a four-year deal to stay with the Jays, although that would cost in the range of $30MM per season.
- Cafardo speaks to Red Sox manager John Farrell about pitchers from the NPB in Japan, who collectively don’t have a particularly strong health record after making the transition to MLB. (Think of Masahiro Tanaka, or Yu Darvish.) One possibility, of course, is that NPB pitchers have trouble adapting to the five-man rotation, but there would be other issues as well. “There are so many things that are different,” Farrell says. “One would think there’s higher stress pitching here, the lineups up and down are tougher. They don’t have time-zone changes there, so how does the travel affect the body? The mound is different, the ball is different.”
- A scout who watched Hyun Soo Kim says the Orioles should be patient with their new outfielder, with whom they’ve already had a high-profile standoff. “It may take him a while, just as it took [Jung Ho] Kang a while to adapt,” the scout says. “The Orioles would be smart to exercise patience because he’s a very good hitter.”
- Not a trade rumor, but a fun fact: Cafardo notes that 492 players on Opening Day rosters are making $1M or more this season.
Not clear why public is being sold on Boston without indicating other teams who may be interested. Why only Boston?
Nick Cafardo works for the Boston Globe
Boston has a couple DH in waiting with their last 2 bad free agent contracts. Boston needs real starting pitching not more bad defensive hitters. Cafardo like he always making stuff up.
who else besides Hanley is a candidate? Sandoval is not a DH candidate due to the fact that he cant hit a baseball.
The Blue Jays will be playing it smart to let Bautista walk. $30MM a season for a 36 year old slugger is ridiculous.
And Boston does well one one-dimensional DHs who cannot play defense. Ok. Got it.
Very surprised Cafardo didn’t mention Teixeira as a possible DH as well. Might as well throw in a return of Beltre too. Cafardo is such a homer.
He mentioned Tex.
Why is he a homer? Because he writes a column about who the Red Sox can sign next year to replace Papi?
They are playing Toronto, both players are Free agents next year. It’s not like he’s proposing a trade for a star to replace Papi. He’s doing his job, and with this being Papi’s last year, this topic is going to come every other week.
Cafardo is a bonehead when it comes to who the Sox should get in a trade or in FA. Hes proposed deals like trading for Joe Mauer and signing Josh Hamilton in the same year a couple years back….thats just one ridiculous example of how this guy thinks. He throws ridiculous proposals out there and see what sticks….for Boston to sign either of these mid 30s guys would be a huge mistake IMO… They already need to get rid of Panda and find more starting pitching. Its the only thing this team lacks behind Price. Offense and bullpen are great.