10/22 - Front Office at the Forefront of News

by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Oct 22, 2009 5:00 AM EDT in Daily Links Comment 24 comments

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First, before we get into the executive news, some good news for the most loyal player in baseball:

Surgery on Wakefield's back successful - MLB.com

Knuckleballer to be fully recovered long before Spring Training

Silence the doubters, Timmeh, silence'em. Here's hoping Wake outperforms his option yet again next year.

Padres set to hire Red Sox executive Jed Hoyer - MLB Daily Dish

Congrats to Mr. Hoyer - he didn't get the Nationals job earlier this year, but I'd think he's probably going to have a better time in California with one of the biggest trade chips in baseball.

Red Sox likely to meet with Cuban LHP - Extra Bases

Unless he really develops into a pitcher, Chapman's going to be a risk, considering his less than perfect mechanics, the cost, and the extreme rawness of his ability. Being a lefty that can throw 100 miles per hour is great, but it helps if you can actually pitch with it - not sure I want the Sox to get involved in a such an expensive project, especially with the amount of resources invested in other projects.

Options Abound for the Red Sox - Full Count

Any options that should be declined? Aside from Wake, NG.

Trades Of The Decade [Runner-Ups] - MLBTradeRumors.com

Okay, so the Beckett-Lowell/Hanley deal is one of the biggest, based on it's absence from this list. Any other obvious ones?

After the jump, we continue to look into who's going to play LF next season, and Fenway continues its domination of the entertainment industry.

Jason Bay Remains Best Option in Left Field for Red Sox - NESN.com

This is going to be a daily thing, isn't it? How about we come up with a definitive strategy, make a nice flowchart, and then follow it like a cult whenever a new user starts suggesting we bring back Damon or something?

Fenway Park Could Turn Badminton Into Masterpiece Theatre - NESN.com

Is there anything Fenway CAN'T do? Seriously, I think I'd attend a showing of paint drying in Fenway.

Comments, links, declarations of alliance with the Phightin' Phils, you know the drill.

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Comments

really quite around here...

where did all the fans go…it is still a baseball blog…and a very good one too.

by figgifig on Oct 22, 2009 5:42 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

please

go back to your home site. Your friends and your team need you in this time of desperation.

by Buzzy on Oct 22, 2009 11:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You find it quite?

Yeah.

It’s quite.

Quite.

Goddamn that DeMarlo Hale.

by Bloggy on Oct 22, 2009 1:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's a Sox blog first.

Not a lot of Sox stuff right now, so a lot of them have moved one to other sports for now.

@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation

by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Oct 22, 2009 9:22 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

When I watch those Phillies,

I see the dynamics of a young powerful team clicking most nights toward a goal. That is not what I saw with the has-been Red Sox. The dead weight of aged players, YES THAT MEANS VARITEK, PAPI, WAKEFIELD, and probably Lowell will continue to weigh this team out of contention. So all you fountain of youth types out there that refuse to see the truth, no good will come out of resigning any of these has beens. We know the known and it was not good enough. Time to take a chance on the unknown which could be much better!

by NG on Oct 22, 2009 7:59 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

pst

There’s nothing that can be done about those contracts for the year. Between them, That’s about $32 million we are stuck with for 2010.
Varitek is probably done, whether he’ll admit it or not. Ortiz we’ll have to see- if he performs like he did from June onward, then he’s absolutely clutch and worth it- if not, then we’re going to struggle. Wakefield was worth well more than his $4 million dollar option because he provides great pitching (albeit probably not for the whole year) and depth to the rotation- plus if he’s on the DL, he isn’t using up a roster spot and it gives some time for young pitchers to come up. Lowell, I’m curious to see, I think he’s about done- can’t run, very little range fielding, a lot of GIDPs, but with the year to recover from the hip surgery, who knows, maybe he’ll be doing better.

The fact is, Wakefield’s option is a lock to take, it’s just a great deal. The others we are stuck with whether we want or not. Even if we weren’t, there is a very weak market this year- there are not any amazing FA sluggers, catchers, or 3rd basemen (OK Figgins, but I don’t think he’d adequately fill in the power gap Lowell would leave) and we don’t have the ability to just eat $12 million and waste all our young prospects on getting one player. Well we could, but it would be stupid for the future. The team cannot perennially be 29 years old.

by wolf9309 on Oct 22, 2009 8:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

29 year olds are something to strive for!

BTW good post, but I want world series contention (always), and I believe getting those 29 year olds or yonger is the way to get there the fastest rather than praying for that elusive and never found fountain of youth.

by NG on Oct 22, 2009 8:30 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Unfortunately, 29 year olds don't sign 1-year contracts.

So your dream is an impossible one.

by USG on Oct 22, 2009 1:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

everybody over the age 29 sucks

more wonderful insight from NG, keep it up bud

also, he is the only one that ALWAYS wants world series contention, Theo just wants it every now and then.

Homer: Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.

by DougieWentDeep on Oct 22, 2009 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

We were in the playoffs.

That would be “world series contention.” Also, good luck getting a consistent stream of players under the age of 29, considering most players don’t get to the Bigs until 25-ish.

@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation

by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Oct 22, 2009 9:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The Phillies are old

sorry to break your bubble-they are older than we are. The only “young” position players are Victorino (28) and Howard (30 in November). As for pitching only Hamels (25) and Happ (26) are young and the pen is ancient. Guys like Ellsbury, Pedroia, Lester, Buchholz, Bard, Lowrie are way younger than any impact players on that team. Guys like VMart, Beckett, Dice-K, Bay, Youk are right in line with their “younger” players, and their average age of position players is 1 year older than the Sox, and 2 years older in pitching on average.

by Buzzy on Oct 22, 2009 9:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly

Nothing like trying to put a square peg into a round hole in order to prove a (flawed) theory.

I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.

by Drugs Delaney on Oct 22, 2009 9:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

although

a lot of the danger with older players is that they are more injury prone- we had issues with that this year while the phillies didn’t really. That’s something that’s hard to count on. Their pen is ancient, but really, as long as the pen is depth, the relievers can potentially work less than the everyday players. Also, the Phillies with giant contracts are all 30 or under, with the exception of Lidge so although they have more older players, they have a smaller percent of their money tied up in them (this comes in cycles because of contracts, in a couple of years it’ll be different)

They are also in a slightly different condition than the Sox in that the Sox are one of really, two teams that absolutely are expected to be contenders and should be in the playoffs every year, so we do need the ability to stay young. That said, the reason we still have players as they age is because those quality of players will only sign for relatively long term contracts. This usually pays off in the end- for example, since joining the red sox, (according to fangraphs), Ortiz has been worth $105.2 Million Dollars of production, and he has made only $43.8 Million. We can afford to pay him for a couple of offyears, and overall, he has still been a bargain.

That’s a lot of thoughts crammed in a little paragraph, I hope it makes sense outside of my train of thought. The fact is that although the Phillies are older than us right now, in a few years, they can take time to rebuild, while we need to be able to contend every year (not that every team wouldn’t like to, but we’re expected to)

by wolf9309 on Oct 22, 2009 10:23 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yo NG

If I was you, I will definitely stop posting my BS comments here (Or anywhere actually): Don’t you get it man? YOU’RE ALWAYS WRONG!
Your perceptions are ALWAYS hammered by FACTS! Face it: You know nothing about baseball… NOTHING!

"Beltre, 30, is pretty inconsistent at the plate and not a very reliable fielder" Eli Greenspan in the daily dish

by bloodysock04 on Oct 22, 2009 11:25 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Hey now.

He’s entitled to his opinion. If nothing else, it gives us something to talk about so that we’re not “quite.”

@bs_uf15bosox9be 12 pieces of bacon, a Red Bull, and go get 'em; Learn to use SB Nation

by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Oct 22, 2009 9:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

This

Goddamn that DeMarlo Hale.

by Bloggy on Oct 23, 2009 2:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I like it when NG posts here

It allows the community to rally together against a common point.

Not to mention it really isn’t hard to come up with some data or facts to argue with him.

DFA Beckett

by South Coast Ghost on Oct 22, 2009 10:47 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It may also surprise you to know that

I truly believe I am correct most of the time when considering the BIG picture. Other than 2007, this team is going downward as their core ages, As most folks seen to agree in the poll posted elsewhere today, they need big help soon,.

by NG on Oct 23, 2009 4:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

MOAR WAKEFIELD

MOAR

Goddamn that DeMarlo Hale.

by Bloggy on Oct 22, 2009 8:04 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

AFL

Troy Patterson gives us an in depth look at the Sox prospects playing in the Arizona Fall League: Always interesting to check Yawkey Way’s Posts.
http://www.ywacademy.com/2009/10/arizona-fall-league-update.html

"That was a lot of fun… You just keep pounding balls into the gap. The one thing you don’t want to do is hit a home run. That’s a rally-killer." Jeff Francoeur

by radiohix on Oct 22, 2009 9:04 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

best rotation in baseball?

If Wake can find a way to come back and start 20+ games, the Sox could have the best 1 through 5 in the game!

And that’s before the try and steal King Felix from Seattle…

Also, I know Penny and Smoltz didn’t really oan out, but Ben Sheets could be a nice buy low option this offseason – http://bottomlinesox.com/2009/10/21/pros-cons-ben-sheets.html

The Bottom Line blog

by bottomlinesox on Oct 22, 2009 11:53 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs