Wagner Bolts for Dixie .....Many Thanks Frank Wren

by dkbilson on Dec 2, 2009 3:12 PM EST

Good news this morning ……Billy Wagner has found a sucker and the Sox can now breathe a giant sigh of relief. Thank you, Atlanta Braves.

Whew ……..that could have been a disaster!

It seems the Braves have a crush on Wagner, given the fact that they decided to pay him $7 million and forfeit a first round pick in next June’s amateur draft. I guess they figured that they were going to get picks back when Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano leave this off-season so the forfeiture is not a big deal. Plus, Wagner grades out as a competent, albeit old, replacement.

Boy was I wrong about this one. I didn’t think there was anyone out there willing to pay Wagner this kind of money and certainly not the tight-fisted Braves. Four million yes. Five million, maybe. Seven million with a vesting option ……no way. Such a deal sounded outrageous to me in August but I guess it now seems reasonable after Milwaukee forked over eight million for Trevor Hoffman.

Anyways, Wagner is now out of the picture and so is the possibility that he would accept arbitration and get “put” back to the Sox for something in the neighborhood of eight million bucks. Such an outcome would have been a minor fiscal disaster and a gross misallocation of RS National treasure.

Putting a bow on Billy Wagner …… the Sox got fourteen innings and two draft picks while forking over $3.5 million and AAAA player Chris Carter. $3.5 million is a healthy amount but Wagner did help and the picks are nice. I call it a small win for Theo.

So what do the Sox do now? Well, they have Papelbon under control for two more years. Bard is obviously in the mix. Oki is arbitration eligible and the Sox will obviously bring him back, perhaps on a two year deal. Ram Ram and Delco are still sitting out there, trying to figure out ways to put more men on base. Dustin Richardson, a lefty, looks like he is in line for a spot. Saito is gone. Hunter Jones is gone. You see where I am going here? The Sox need to bring in another guy and perhaps two if Delco is trade-bait or release-bait.

A couple of names …..Gonzalez and Soriano. Gonzo gives you a second lefty out there and one who can crush lefties. And Soriano against right-handers is like a Polar Bear against a seal. I also like Justin Duchshcerer out there as a seventh inning guy who could start if depth is needed. These guys will all be pricey ($4M/yr) and two of them have health issues, but I don’t think this is the place where you suddenly get cheap. And please Theo ……no “high ceiling” re-treads …… that means no JJ Putz!

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Comments

I don't predict a lot of upheavel in the Sox pen.

Papelbon
Okajima
Bard
Ramon Ramirez
MDC (Ugh)
Dustin Richardson (Unless he sucks in ST)
Robert Manuel

We might end up with Wakefield playing long relief guy depending on how FA signings/trades work out. But I think the main problem here is that we’d be depending a bit too much on either MDC or RamRam to have a resurgence. I’m not too worried about the pen if one of them can get their stuff together. And if Oki has an up year than we’re just fine . But there’s the unfortunate possibility of a “perfect storm” scenario.

by Ben Buchanan on Dec 2, 2009 5:06 PM EST reply actions

I actually had an eye on Oakland's Joey Devine, who is coming off injury,but he already signed with them.

"Hating the New York Yankees is as American as apple pie, unwed mothers and cheating on your income tax." -- Mike Royko

by sox-inda-south on Dec 2, 2009 10:30 PM EST up reply actions

I still think they will bring in one, maybe two, more arms for the pen. Maybe a top notch reliever (like Gonzalez, Soriano or Putz), otherwise an experienced arm (such as Calero). I think Richardson will start the year in AAA as pen insurance.

by mg050369 on Dec 5, 2009 8:56 PM EST up reply actions