Winter Meetings, Day One Recap: Red Sox Make Minor Moves
by Randy Booth on Dec 8, 2009 6:00 AM EST
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PrintDay one of the winter meetings has come and gone with a few splashes here and there. The big three (Jason Bay, Matt Holliday and John Lackey) have yet to move, but there's a lot of buzz surrounding potential new teams.
Oh, yeah. And Brad Penny is still too overpaid for 2010.
RED SOX RUMBLINGS
Full Count " Reports: Red Sox sign Castro, Gabbard
More minor moves. Castro is a "sign and see" type, where he's shown decent production at the minor league level, but hasn't pitched in the bigs since 2007. Gabbard, as we all know, was re-acquired last season from Texas but struggled once he went to the Sox. Actually, he struggled before that, too. This re-signing is probably just a last-ditch effort to see if he can give the Sox anything.
Twitter / Michael Silverman: Red Sox are one team that ...
The Red Sox are not interested in going after Detroit's Edwin Jackson, who will most likely be moved this offseason.
No shocker here. We knew he would do this about 12 months ago. I'm pretty sure he could make a tad more money in free agency. With that said...
Bay remains Sox's top priority | redsox.com: News
Really? To quote Theo, Bay is "one of" the team's priorities. There have been multiple reports: some say the Sox really want him back, others saying they'd rather go after Matt Holliday. But who really knows? There's also reports about Bay, that the Mariners are going hard after him (or not) and the Angels are really interested (or not). Who knows what is actually true? My bet: he stays with the Sox. Four years, $17M with a good amount of incentives.
Twitter / Jayson Stark: Hear Seatt has Nick Johnso ...
The Red Sox are interested in OBP-machine and injury-prone first baseman Nick Johnson. One question: where does he fit on this team? Oh, and the really important question: how much?
Full Count " Duchscherer’s agent, Red Sox meet
Justin Duchscherer wouldn't be a bad pickup for the Red Sox, barring his knee and depression is taken care of. He doesn't want to be in the 'pen either, though
Tim Wakefield, Daniel Bard want to see Jason Bay stay - BostonHerald.com
Your standard "find a teammate that likes the guy trying to get a contract" story. I'm sure they could find more, but there isn't a more interesting duo than Wake and Bard. We also find out that Bard follows offseason transactions closely (because he doesn't know if he'll get traded) and Wake doesn't (because he knows there's not a shot in hell he is traded).
NON-RED SOX RUMBLINGS
Shortstop Adam Everett re-signs with Tigers | freep.com | Detroit Free Press
My shortstop preference has gone back to his homeland a.k.a former team the Tigers. The deal is worth $1.55. That is absolutely peanuts for one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball.
New York Yankees trade Brian Bruney to Washington Nationals for draft pick
FIRESALE! OK, but not really.
Twitter / Ed Price: Hearing #Brewers closing i ...
Randy Wolf is close to signing with the Brewers. Depending on the money, this is a good pickup for the Brewers. He's going to be effective and not cost nearly as much money as John Lackey, one of only a handful (if that) of better starting pitchers that are in free agency.
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Bay
4 years for 17 millions plus incentives is an awful awful deal.
"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
It is
I’m really pulling for Holliday here. A quiet day overall but in Theo I trust.
"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.
I loved that line from Dave Camroun about Bay desire to play in Seattle:
Geoff Baker suggests that Jason Bay would twist himself into a pretzel to play in Seattle. I suggest that the M’s offer him $10 million for one year and ask him to prove it. When he turns it down, tell him to enjoy Boston
"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
Duchscherer
His type B status doesn’t cost us anything extra to sign them, just gives the A’s an extra sandwich pick. That’s no reason not to sign him.
Bruney for draft pick
I thought you couldn’t trade for draft picks in MLB. The Rule 5 is exempt from that?
Nah, the Natinals are going to pick who we want.
Then trade him. Reds and Cubs had the same type of deal to snag Hamilton in 2007.
Strikeouts are boring- Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic.
by CasanovaWong on Dec 8, 2009 10:15 AM EST up reply actions
it's technically a "player-to-be-named later"
with the understood agreement being that the yankees will tell the nationals who to draft and then will receive that player.
Predictions for Free Agents
Lackey => NYY
The Yanks need a starter, and they’ll pay through the nose to get him.
Holliday => NYY
With the failure of the farm system in 2008, the Yanks are back to their freespending ways.
Bay => whoever overpays (maybe M’s, Angels, probably not Sox)
"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.
How did the farm system fail?
You keep harping on this, I’m telling you it’s not gonna happen. Last off season was the perfect storm. 2 legitimate stars in their prime, a boatload of money off the books and 2 protected first round picks.
Strikeouts are boring- Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic.
by CasanovaWong on Dec 8, 2009 12:54 PM EST up reply actions
Alright, I'll bite.
What do YOU see the Yankees doing this offseason? Just resigning Damon, and taking a flyer on free agent starters?
"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.
Well, they seem to've traded for Granderson for a start.
That’ll help their outfield quandry some.
USG
I'm annoyed about that
I’ve always liked Granderson a lot. I’m not looking forward to having to hate him.
Bah.
For serious?
WTF…
"It's just a tiny little nick, but it hurts when I get champagne in there."
- Jason Bay, on getting spiked scoring the winning run in ALDS Game Four.
yeah
three way trade with the D-backs- Yankees get Granderson, Dbacks get Ian Kennedy and Edwin Jackson, and Tigers get Austin Jackson, Phil Coke, Max Scherzer, and Daniel Schlereth.
Pretty sweet move for the Tigers I think. Shed a decent amount of salary over coming years and got some young, cheap, high-ceiling pitchers.
For Austin Jackson as the centerpiece
We can’t seem to GIVE Bowden away (or maybe we haven’t tried) and the Yanks manage to create trade value for Ian fucking Kennedy.
Not saying Jackson is a bust, but he’s a step down from Granderson, even WITH Curtis’ weakness against lefties, he’ll mash righties in that stadium.
DFA Beckett
by South Coast Ghost on Dec 8, 2009 2:36 PM EST up reply actions
I think that Detroit
is trying to save up salary to keep Verlander on, because Granderson gets fairly expensive over the next few years.
I think Kennedy was mostly a throw in. Actually I don’t know what the DBacks were thinking, deal looks terrible for them.
I don’t know anything about the two players the D-Backs gave up, but Jackson could do quite well in Arizona. Aren’t they a pitcher’s park?
Jackson'll do okay in the NL West, certainly better than staying in the AL
But Arizona gave up too much, IMO, seems like they’re not willing to be patient on Scherzer and they’re trying to win now.
DFA Beckett
by South Coast Ghost on Dec 8, 2009 2:49 PM EST up reply actions
They were both
1st round pick, pretty high ceiling, well-regarded young pitchers, under control for I believe 6 and 5 more years respectively. Jackson could do pretty well there, but his peripherals don’t show him being near as good as he looked this year
This.
Cashman turned basically: Kalish, Bowden and Hunter Jones into Ganderson? Un-Fucking-believable!
But after that trade, do you think that Boras has lost some leverage in his negotiation for Holliday’s contract?
"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
Yes, he's lost some leverage
Not much, but it’s there. Damon really lost some leverage though. Holliday will still get a really good payday, because if his price drops down far enough other teams (including the Yanks) will rejoin the chase.
DFA Beckett
by South Coast Ghost on Dec 8, 2009 3:10 PM EST up reply actions
yeah, I can see that
I still think he won’t get the 100+ millions he’ll be looking for.
"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
Well I WOULD have said
Sign Cammy to keep CF warm for a year until AJAX was ready.
Sign Damon for 2 and inevitably overpay maybe 2 yrs 20 mil.
Bring back MAtsui for 1
Resign Pettitte
But now I dunno, I’m not exactly thrilled with Granderson. Mostly bc I lurve Ajax and do not like Grandy’s LHP splits and declining tripleslash.
Strikeouts are boring- Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic.
Nah
that was a great move for the Yankees. I will bet you that AJax will never be Granderson. Granderson had an ISO similar to Bay last year (and 30 HRs in a big ball park) despite his low BABIP-hitting related troubles. He is in his prime, a reasonable defender and a guy that will mash at the new stadium. Plus, while his splits are bad, the Yankees can surround him with guys that can hit well from both sides. He does not have to be the guy for the Yankees. He will be a 4+ WAR player, and that is hard to do. Makes me sad…
this is true
that the yankees have so many switch hitters, they won’t collapse with one guy who can’t hit lefties.
Granderson’s definitely a pretty impressive player.
Yeah, I know I should be estatic
but the old emotions get in the way for now, which is why I’d be a terrible GM. In my mind Ajax is gonna discover that power stroke and basically be a better version of Granderson. That’s highly unlikely of course, so I’m just a dummy.
Strikeouts are boring- Besides that, they're fascist. Throw some ground balls - it's more democratic.
Thats alot of money the Yanks are spending
I’m not keen on what Holliday’s asking price is, 140-180 range?
I’m guessing Lackey gets a Burnett-like contract.
Say the Yanks sign them both, then Matsui, Damon, and Nady are gone? I picture them going after someone cheaper for SP, maybe a Randy wolf type. Assuming they sign Holliday then that may open up negotiations for Halladay? Something like Jackson, Hughes, Joba/Montero ? All speculation on my part, hell Chone Figgins ended up on the M’s…who woulda thunk.
Right
soon we will see the disparity between what he would like to get and what teams are willing to give. I doubt it’s above 6 years/$110 million
But then Boras seems to be able to work magic.
Sometimes
Boras SOMETIMES seems to be able to work magic. Sometimes he poses, grandstands, bullshits, and then gets little or nothing better. Tek and Manny come to mind.
Galactus does as he pleases. Because Galactus is drunk.
This is true
he can’t always win. I’m at least confident that if he manages to squeeze too much money out of anyone, it won’t be the Sox.
so far
it seems like the more well-known FAs are taking deals for less than most people were anticipating- Figgins, Scutaro. I think Bay and Holliday are both going to get less than projected, which is a good thing because I don’t think either is worth what people have been projecting.
But Penny is getting paid SO MUCH MONEY
Kind of ridiculous.
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Penny at $7.5 million (+$1.5 million in incentives) isn't as crazy as Oliver Perez at $13 million
How about Barry Zito averaging $19 million a year from 2010 to 2013?
There are some really bad contracts out there.
I gotta go 'cause I'm probably definitely gonna nod out again.
by Drugs Delaney on Dec 8, 2009 2:18 PM EST up reply actions
Yes
But this is the “economic depression” version. Zito was signed too many years ago and that number, while inflated, wasn’t way off the norm. It just seems like this is big money for Penny at this point in baseball.
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Not as ridiculous as your 17 millions for 4 years PLUS incencites ;)
"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
The Red Sox will budge
But not budge a lot. He turned down 15 mill, so add two more and throw in some incentives.
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Won't happen
No way Theo will pay 17 millions for a guy who’ll be a DH for 3 years.
"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
I'll be very angry if that happens
I don’t think he’s going to even be worth $15 million/year, honestly. Throwing in an extra $8 million + over 4 years is a decent amount of budging. I love Bay, really, but he’s not a $17 million + per year player.
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