Trust

[MongoLikeSox]

I was reading a Hot Stove piece last night on the Braves denying any sort of trade rumor that might have involved one of their top kids. Something stuck me as being very scary for Red Sox fans these days. From the article:

"While the club, as a matter of policy, does not award no-trade clauses, a player who signs an extension does it with the implicit understanding he will not be traded. Obviously, things can change â€" a player, for example, eventually might want out. But if the Braves break the trust they’ve created internally, players will become more resistant to the extensions that have positioned the team for long-term success."

I underlined a very important piece of that bit. Trust. It became very clear to me over the past couple of seasons that Red Sox players have lost their trust in the organization as a whole and every layer in it. I have mostly sided with the organization in the past. It's certainly not above some players to be prima-donnas. Prima Donna types just love blabbing to the press and walking up the back stairs to the home office to cause trouble. This goes for AAA and AA players, too, as they find their way climbing up a greased pole towards the Majors.

This time, though, this is all on Chaim Bloom's organization under ownership's umbrella. Pick a layer, there's trouble. It's all been talked about over and over again. We've all seen bad management and bad politics ooze out of the Red Sox over the years, but these days is as bad as it gets.

So ask yourself this. Is it possible for Chaim Bloom to regain or even gain the trust from his MLB and Minor League players? No matter how you answer that, one has to wonder if ANYONE could while still having Alex Cora and the current ownership group in place? We've seen plenty of messes over the years. This is one of the really bad ones. It takes a special breed to play in Boston. It's difficulties are amplified - again.

[longgame]

Clearly all Bloom needs to do is hit a home run (excuse the metaphor) with his offseason work.  I doubt that will happen.  If Bogey goes I think he loses the team completely, Devers tanks, the rest aren't very good anyhow.  That's the real problem though isn't it?  They don't have many good players on this team at all.  The guys know who are the studs and who aren't and they know they can't win without more studs in the lineup and certainly don't want to play with guys who simply aren't up to MLB level. 

When the players go, so will the fans. 

[Sea Dog 23]

I can see Bloom’s desire to make Marcelo Mayer the future of the Sox, and he plays SS.  I read that in an article.  CB probably analyzed how Peña at Houston come in as a rookie SS and win WS MVP.  He only played 20 games in AAA.  But Mayer just finished a year in A ball.

Bloom would like to sign Bogey and move him to 3B when Devers is unsignable.  But something tells me he would stupidly let Bogey walk and blow up what we and the fan base know as the Red Sox. These are not good baseball people.

[elktonnick]

I think the three previous posts are spot on.  Right now this team sucks.  An outfield that is absolutely punchesless.  Only one infielder who is all star quality who is likely to want leave as soon as possible and two barely serviceable catchers.  Moreover clearly no one respects Chaim Bloom or has any confidence that he can escape the mess he has created.  This team at present is not good enough to be considered mediocre.

[SeaBeachFred]

I think the three previous posts are spot on.  Right now this team sucks.  An outfield that is absolutely punchesless.  Only one infielder who is all star quality who is likely to want leave as soon as possible and two barely serviceable catchers.  Moreover clearly no one respects Chaim Bloom or has any confidence that he can escape the mess he has created.  This team at present is not good enough to be considered mediocre.

And one has to wonder where John Henry has been hiding all these months.  Correct me if I'm wrong but he hasn't been heard from in quite some time and I just keep wondering if Bloom's incompetence is just a signpost to what the owner really wants to do.  We know Henry has pretty much blown up much of the great group from the 2018 team and now we may be losing a couple more of those players.  Meanwhile Bloom keeps looking for bargains in the dumpster and we all know that very seldom works, especially when those dumpsters involve pitchers, key to the success of any franchise.

[longgame]

I have to wonder if Bloom is also a laughingstock among his peers.  The guy has tanked a perennial threat and doesn't show any interest in improving it.  Henry has allowed the boom and bust cycles.  I'd be trying to unload all my bums on this guy if I were an opposing GM.

[MongoLikeSox]

The Blue Jays got more proven talent for Teoscar Hernandez than we got for Mookie Betts.

[MongoLikeSox]

I just wanted to show you what a veteran role player (and now a Free Agent) sounds like when he wants to stay with the team after his contract expires. Excerpt taken back in May, but read this morning an a Hot Stove article.

"“I feel like I owe them another year of me,” Pérez said in May. “I love it here. Great organization. They have treated me well. I love the coaching staff. I love the people around them. The players. The front office. They have been so good to me, and I feel like I owe them. Hopefully I'll be back. I'm hoping to come back.”"

100% endorsement, right? Or, was it saying all the right things to appease a fan base, media and touchy front office execs?

Not sure I've seen that sort of chatter come out of the Red Sox, save for maybe - MAYBE - when Kike re-signed. Must be nice. I bet the fans love rooting for them.

[MongoLikeSox]

Sean Murphy just signed an extension with the Braves after the Braves went all out to get the catcher from Oakland. Murphy had 3 years of control left. He signed an extension for another 3 years with a club option 4th additional year. So 6 years, $73M could be 7 years, $88M. This is just a few weeks after the trade, and for not exceptionally high money. It's team friendly, for sure.

This excerpt below is from Murphy on why he jumped all in. 
""I immediately felt comfortable with the staff in Atlanta," Murphy said. "It was reassuring that through the conversations we had with people, this was a good place to commit to. I got glowing reviews from teammates and everything has good things to say about it.""  - Sean Murphy

One might say Murphy took security over a potential big payday. Definitely a team friendly deal, but probably a fair one. Ultimately, it's evident he trusted the organization as being both stable and dedicated.

Of course we are talking about the same organization that let Freeman and Swanson walk in consecutive off-seasons. This is kind of telling about how far the Red Sox are from being a good organization. They might put on a great show at times, like when they got Papi flown up to Boston after getting shot. While things are not all bad, it's far from being one of those places where the players WANT to come and play for.

[longgame]

If a player gets an offer from a team like Atlanta or most ball clubs they consider it was fair and can work from there.  Seems like the Sox have a consistent tactic of lowballing guys out of the box, poisoning negotiations and destroying any trust.

[SeaBeachFred]

Sean Murphy just signed an extension with the Braves after the Braves went all out to get the catcher from Oakland. Murphy had 3 years of control left. He signed an extension for another 3 years with a club option 4th additional year. So 6 years, $73M could be 7 years, $88M. This is just a few weeks after the trade, and for not exceptionally high money. It's team friendly, for sure.

This excerpt below is from Murphy on why he jumped all in. 
""I immediately felt comfortable with the staff in Atlanta," Murphy said. "It was reassuring that through the conversations we had with people, this was a good place to commit to. I got glowing reviews from teammates and everything has good things to say about it.""  - Sean Murphy

One might say Murphy took security over a potential big payday. Definitely a team friendly deal, but probably a fair one. Ultimately, it's evident he trusted the organization as being both stable and dedicated.

Of course we are talking about the same organization that let Freeman and Swanson walk in consecutive off-seasons. This is kind of telling about how far the Red Sox are from being a good organization. They might put on a great show at times, like when they got Papi flown up to Boston after getting shot. While things are not all bad, it's far from being one of those places where the players WANT to come and play for.

And who can blame anyone for doubting the sincerity and commitment of the bungling and stupid Red Sos front office?  To be outspent even by the Pittsburgh Pirates is enough to make all of us on this board cringe. The biggest show of stupidity was when DS Bloomer showed utter shock when he heard that Bogaerts had signed that $280 million, eleven year contract with the Padres.  What kind of moron is BD Blomer anyway?

[Sea Dog 23]

Sean Murphy just signed an extension with the Braves after the Braves went all out to get the catcher from Oakland. Murphy had 3 years of control left. He signed an extension for another 3 years with a club option 4th additional year. So 6 years, $73M could be 7 years, $88M. This is just a few weeks after the trade, and for not exceptionally high money. It's team friendly, for sure.

This excerpt below is from Murphy on why he jumped all in. 
""I immediately felt comfortable with the staff in Atlanta," Murphy said. "It was reassuring that through the conversations we had with people, this was a good place to commit to. I got glowing reviews from teammates and everything has good things to say about it.""  - Sean Murphy

One might say Murphy took security over a potential big payday. Definitely a team friendly deal, but probably a fair one. Ultimately, it's evident he trusted the organization as being both stable and dedicated.

Of course we are talking about the same organization that let Freeman and Swanson walk in consecutive off-seasons. This is kind of telling about how far the Red Sox are from being a good organization. They might put on a great show at times, like when they got Papi flown up to Boston after getting shot. While things are not all bad, it's far from being one of those places where the players WANT to come and play for.

And who can blame anyone for doubting the sincerity and commitment of the bungling and stupid Red Sos front office?  To be outspent even by the Pittsburgh Pirates is enough to make all of us on this board cringe. The biggest show of stupidity was when DS Bloomer showed utter shock when he heard that Bogaerts had signed that $280 million, eleven year contract with the Padres.  What kind of moron is BD Blomer anyway?

Fred, I can   decrypt the "DS Bloomer" but  I'm drawing  a blank on the " BD Bloomer ". HA!

[SeaBeachFred]

Sean Murphy just signed an extension with the Braves after the Braves went all out to get the catcher from Oakland. Murphy had 3 years of control left. He signed an extension for another 3 years with a club option 4th additional year. So 6 years, $73M could be 7 years, $88M. This is just a few weeks after the trade, and for not exceptionally high money. It's team friendly, for sure.

This excerpt below is from Murphy on why he jumped all in. 
""I immediately felt comfortable with the staff in Atlanta," Murphy said. "It was reassuring that through the conversations we had with people, this was a good place to commit to. I got glowing reviews from teammates and everything has good things to say about it.""  - Sean Murphy

One might say Murphy took security over a potential big payday. Definitely a team friendly deal, but probably a fair one. Ultimately, it's evident he trusted the organization as being both stable and dedicated.

Of course we are talking about the same organization that let Freeman and Swanson walk in consecutive off-seasons. This is kind of telling about how far the Red Sox are from being a good organization. They might put on a great show at times, like when they got Papi flown up to Boston after getting shot. While things are not all bad, it's far from being one of those places where the players WANT to come and play for.

And who can blame anyone for doubting the sincerity and commitment of the bungling and stupid Red Sos front office?  To be outspent even by the Pittsburgh Pirates is enough to make all of us on this board cringe. The biggest show of stupidity was when DS Bloomer showed utter shock when he heard that Bogaerts had signed that $280 million, eleven year contract with the Padres.  What kind of moron is BD Blomer anyway?

Fred, I can   decrypt the "DS Bloomer" but  I'm drawing  a blank on the " BD Bloomer ". HA!

Bumbling Dumbbell my friend, somewhat kinder than dumb shit though I wonder if the guy deserves any kindness at all.  He sure has made our feelings go sour with his incompetence.

[MongoLikeSox]

It would seem to me that we are seeing the dangers of untethered analytics. Joe Maddon's parting words for the Angels might be prophetic. He spoke of too much control by the analytics departments in baseball. What we're seeing here is the untethered variety where we gave the analysts the keys.

Does it seem like Cora is in between a rock and a hard place now?

Speaking of Cora, how much trust is there between him and his bullpen? We don't seem to be able to keep anyone that we might want to. Small sample size.

[Sea Dog 23]

The photo op at the news conference with MGT guys and Cora (on the end), said a lot of things.  This was right after the Bogey departure.  Cora had his head bowed and looked like a man who wanted to be somewhere else that day.