From Jason Mastrodonato,
Red Sox payroll currently around ~$206m for CBT purposes. The new CBT of $230m means they've got money to spend, holes to fill and no excuse not to fill them.
4:08 PM · Mar 10, 2022
ESPN says FA signings can begin tonight, IF players have signed off on the deal. If a big name drops, it will be suspicious as they were not able to negotiate for the last 99 days.
Looks like Martin Perez will pitch this year for the Rangers. Deal is 1 year at $4mil.
The Sox have inquired about Collin McHugh, 34 yo RH for 2022.
The Giants struck early, getting a mid rotation arm in Carlos Rodon. 2 yrs. $44mil total contract. That's a jump for Rodon, paid $3 mil in 2021, and his high was $4.3mil in 2019 during the arb years. But he is oft injured, which is the risk for San Fran.
Sox and Dodgers are talking to Jorge Soler, possibly as a fallback plan if they miss on OF Suzuki. They’re also kicking the tires on INF Villar (former Mets)
The Rangers, Red Sox, Astros, Marlins & Dodgers are in talks with Jorge Soler, per @hgomez27
Quote from: Sea Dog 23 on March 12, 2022, 11:25:24 AM
Sox and Dodgers are talking to Jorge Soler, possibly as a fallback plan if they miss on OF Suzuki. They’re also kicking the tires on INF Villar (former Mets)
The Rangers, Red Sox, Astros, Marlins & Dodgers are in talks with Jorge Soler, per @hgomez27
Soler?????? He of the strikeout and bad attitude character? Talk about teaming him up with Jackie Bradshitley to have almost 400 strikeouts set a new record for an traumatic duo. That cheap bastard of an owner needs to start spending money for good players and not stopgaps. He needs to pay what is needed to get Suzuki on our team to make up some of the power and run production lost when he traded Renfroe for Shitbradley. Henry hasn't signed a quality free agent since early 2019 when Dombrowski signed Bogaerts to one before the Prune fired him. Signing a guy like Soler, already a disappointment for two other teams, isn't the kind of quality player we need. About time we started acting like something other than a small market team.
EDIT: THIS LOOKS LIKE A BOGUS Twitter ("baseball insider/fan"). No one else confirmed this deal.
The Yanks went after a big fish this weekend, Correa agreed to 10yrs/$300mil
https://twitter.com/mlbhawk/status/1502811718669332484?s=21
The Sox get on the board with a FA for the bull pen in Matt Strahm. Although he has also pitched as an opener.
The Boston Red Sox are in agreement with reliever Matt Strahm on a one-year deal, per Robert Murray of FanSided (via Twitter). The deal is pending a physical. The contract is worth $3MM, per Jon Heyman of the MLB Network (via Twitter).
Strahm spent the past four seasons with the Padres after two years with the Royals, the team that drafted him out of Neosho County Community College in Kansas. The 30-year-old southpaw has mostly pitched out of the bullpen, but he does boast swingman potential, having made 25 starts over his six-year career.
Last season, however, was a bit of a lost year for Strahm. He logged just 6 1/3 innings over six appearances for the Padres, with another three appearances in Triple-A. Strahm missed most of the year after surgery to repair the patellar tendon in his knee. He returned in August, only to land back on the injured list later in the month with knee inflammation.
The contract total, while not at all exorbitant, does reflect an expectation for Strahm to hold down a place in Boston’s bullpen. Before the knee injury cut short his 2020 season, Strahm had posted a 3.66 ERA/4.14 FIP in 196 2/3 innings from 2018 to 2020, so there’s certainly reason to assume the lefty can make an impact in Boston.
Looks like the Sox are concentrating n bullpen arms.
Chris Cotillo,
Red Sox have been talking to Jake Diekman and a deal could come together quickly there, sources say.
12:21 PM · Mar 13, 2022·Twitter
Started in Philly, two years Royals, last two years at Oakland He is a LH 6-4 195. 2021 67 games 3-3 3.86era, 7 saves, 60.2 IP 83 Ks, 34 BB, 1.34 WHIP
Career 3.73 era
Other names out there, Mets signed Ottavino for 1 yr, $4mil.
Yankees made a great move dumping Sanchez for Josh Donaldson. Sox let Iglesias go who signed a $5M 1 year deal with someone, maybe Texas? Even though they need middle infielders.
But hey, they did sign two lefty relievers.
Right now it's shaping up that JBJ will play RF while Hernandez plays CF. I'm guessing Kike doesn't have the arm for RF but JBJ is the better CF, and is also the worst hitter in the league. Arroyo I guess is penciled in for 2B if he can make it a couple of weeks without getting hurt (in other words, no chance). We have to address that position and seriously need a hot bat at 1B because Dalbec striking out back to back with Bradley is going to kill a lot of rallies.
Someone wake up the front office please.
So the Sox have addressed their pitching. Three additions in December with Waccha, Paxton, and Hill. Losing ERod means a net gain of two. The weekend gave us two bullpen arms. Yesterday Bloom addressed the need for a big hitting RH outfielder, I guess to replace Renfro. Bloom said they could still go after Schwarber, a LH bat, because they have the flexibility in the lineup to take another lefty hitter. In that regard JBJ sounds more like a situational player, bats against righties, and serves a key defensive player later in games.
News today, the Japanese press says Suzuki has signed with the Padres. That is a piece that the Sox had wanted for awhile. They may have to trade a prospect to some club to get the outfielder they really need.
Quote from: Sea Dog 23 on March 14, 2022, 01:59:34 PM
So the Sox have addressed their pitching. Three additions in December with Waccha, Paxton, and Hill. Losing ERod means a net gain of two. The weekend gave us two bullpen arms. Yesterday Bloom addressed the need for a big hitting RH outfielder, I guess to replace Renfro. Bloom said they could still go after Schwarber, a LH bat, because they have the flexibility in the lineup to take another lefty hitter. In that regard JBJ sounds more like a situational player, bats against righties, and serves a key defensive player later in games.
News today, the Japanese press says Suzuki has signed with the Padres. That is a piece that the Sox had wanted for awhile. They may have to trade a prospect to some club to get the outfielder they really need.
The fix is in. Bradshitley, the worst hitter in baseball last season, will be in the starting lineup come hell or high water. He is a personal favorite of both Prune Face Henry and Alex Cora. Can you imagine trying to put a lineup together when you have the worst hitter in baseball playing a position that is tailor made for a power hitter? If they have to move Hernandez to second to have a spot open for Bradshitley, they will do it. If Christian Arroyo wasn't such a flimsy and injury prone snow flake he could hit and field well enough to give us a good second sacker because he can hit and he can field.....if he could only stay healthy. In the meantime that cheap bastard of an owner sits on his yacht picking his nose and ass and smiling all the way to the bank while he runs a proud franchise into the pits.
From the Boston Herald yesterday ...
Said Bloom: “I don’t think we should start chasing moves based on the size of the move in the abstract."
There you have it. A Harvard answer to what a big market team in Boston thinks about competing with stacked teams in baseballs toughest division. Really? From the looks of it, the Sox may be saving their CBT dollars just to sweeten the contracts of Bogey and Devers, as they enter an opt out/ free agent year.
For the two holes they need to fill, the best solution I've seen is an idea to trade a combo of Downs/Duran/Dalbec with the Mariners for RF Mitch Haniger, .253, 39HR, 100 RBI (2021). 2B, possibly Jonathan Villar. If this is another reset year, the "new" outfielder could be Schwarber or Dalbec awaiting Casas to takeover 1B. I'm really sorry, that's all I got!!
Rumors abound this morning that the Sox are hot on Freeman. I'd love to see him in a Sox uni but they have to be careful to not give him a contract that outlives his productive years. A five year deal would be perfect. He plays 1B this year, JDM moves on next year, Freeman becomes DH and Casas takes over at 1B.
Quote from: longgame on March 15, 2022, 08:24:18 AM
Rumors abound this morning that the Sox are hot on Freeman. I'd love to see him in a Sox uni but they have to be careful to not give him a contract that outlives his productive years. A five year deal would be perfect. He plays 1B this year, JDM moves on next year, Freeman becomes DH and Casas takes over at 1B.
That's the most ridiculous rumor I have ever heard with respect to our team Ted. Prune Face is holding onto his wallet with every fiber of his being and to even surmise that this rumor has any legs is the epitome of brainless thinking and that is why I know you don't believe a word of it. Henry is just fine going into the season with what we have since his pet BradSHITley is back on the team.
Rizzo re-ups with the Yankees. Chapman to the Jays. Sox diddle while Bloom looks for bargain basement irregulars.
Also Suzuki signed with the Cubs this week, an OF we wanted for a long while. I really don't know what Bloom's plan is. Unless we are transferring to the AL Central, I see no results Sox are planning to compete with the East, where three clubs have improved greatly over two years. Meanwhile Bloom has himself signed only two players to multi year deals (Kike' and Diekman). The rest were one year wonders in 2021 and now gone.
Could Chaim be way over his head with the Sox. Meanwhile the two cornerstones of the franchise, Bogey and Devers are nearing the end of their contracts in Boston. And as Fred suggests, Bloom's hands could well be tied by Henry, whose ownerships are spread all over the world in sports franchises. I'm just clueless about Boston this year. Maybe he sees the Sox future in collecting prospects.
Serious question, has Bloom ever signed a top free agent? Probably not and he may be getting outplayed.
Meanwhile there is this from Alex Speier:
Sale: “I don’t have any idea†how long it will be before he can pitch in games. “The last couple years have sucked…What can you do?â€
Schwarber signed with the Phillies. He'll kill it in that park.
Quote from: longgame on March 16, 2022, 09:09:33 AM
Serious question, has Bloom ever signed a top free agent? Probably not and he may be getting outplayed.
Meanwhile there is this from Alex Speier:
Sale: “I don’t have any idea†how long it will be before he can pitch in games. “The last couple years have sucked…What can you do?â€
Apparently the skinny guy who probably lost weight and muscle during his injury, broke his ribs. Well we had one good season from him.
Chaim Bloom has spent more money on Jackie Bradley Jr than any other player during his entire three year stint as Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer.
Quote from: longgame on March 16, 2022, 09:18:40 AM
Quote from: longgame on March 16, 2022, 09:09:33 AM
Serious question, has Bloom ever signed a top free agent? Probably not and he may be getting outplayed.
Meanwhile there is this from Alex Speier:
Sale: “I don’t have any idea†how long it will be before he can pitch in games. “The last couple years have sucked…What can you do?â€
Apparently the skinny guy who probably lost weight and muscle during his injury, broke his ribs. Well we had one good season from him.
And by the way he's not vaxxed so he's at risk for more time out from sickness like when he had to stop his comeback last year.
The Sox adventures and misadventures are reaching the bizarre stage. Freddie Freeman's agent is demanding every team bidding must cut their total player salaries to sign Freeman (to avoid a team hitting the CBT limit ?) We're spending a lot of time chasing 1B, unless FF is to be a DH, in which we two or three of those.
The primary needs are OF, 2B, some depth for the Sale injury. Maybe they're holding bets that some combination of youngsters Seabold/Crawford/Winchowski can be spot starters.
Phils outbid everybody for LH OF Schwarber, getting 4/$79mil. Rockies signed RH OF Kris Bryant for 7 yrs/ $27 mil AAV.
Freeman to the Dodgers. Quite a contrast from the Sox. Wish I could find the tweet, but Bloom said he doesn't think big free agents are a good idea. The Dodgers, who will once again go deep in the postseason, disagree. I can't get over how bad this guy is.
Baseball Boss Chaim Bloom today on whether #RedSox are behind in signing new roster talent: "When you start looking at it that way, that's when you get in trouble. The important thing is to focus on what you're doing…not to focus on what kind of splash you're able to make."
Quote from: longgame on March 17, 2022, 08:51:04 AM
Freeman to the Dodgers. Quite a contrast from the Sox. Wish I could find the tweet, but Bloom said he doesn't think big free agents are a good idea. The Dodgers, who will once again go deep in the postseason, disagree. I can't get over how bad this guy is.
Right now Bloom is a total disaster and his only hope of ever getting out from under is for him and his cheap bastard of a boss is to undertake a full rebuilding job with hope that his good prospects develop within the next three years and we can become contenders again. One thing is certain. Prune Face is not only a cheap bastard but a damn lying one as well. As I shouted yesterday and the day before any talk that we were serious about signing Freddie Freeman was bullshit at its worst. With so many prospects being garnered by Bloomer Boy, he will have duplicates at many positions so the challenge becomes which ones playing the same position do the Red Sox choose. Then if they pick the wrong guy for a certain spot and let the better one get away we are back to sq uare one and then nothing can save Bloom who is screwing up our team royally right now---with a big hand from the prune.
Fred, it seems the "strategy" is to get injured pitchers and stick them on the 60 day DL, or coddle guys like Sale who will miss at least the first month or two. Meanwhile very talented ballplayers go to other teams. I'm not hung up one player or the other, but I know this lineup needs someone to pitch around so teams end up making mistakes with guys like Bogey and Devers. That's just modern baseball 101. Who do you pitch around in the Dodgers' lineup? I just don't get the outfield - Verdugo is okay, he's no superstar but he's a dirt dog. Kike is a 2B who plays a decent CF and JBJ can't make enough catches to make up for his abysmal hitting.
Bryant to Rockies. He should thrive there.
I think I've checked out of the Bloom the boy genius club. He either has such a convoluted plan for free-agents that the red tape structure prevents him from pulling the trigger before another big market team gets the player. OR, he is nickle and diming the field, managing like a smaller market franchise, looking for patchwork, one-year contracts like in 2021.
IMO Sox really failed in hiring this guy, and on top of that Henry is in his head and he is acting really confused. Lots of pitchers are on the mend. Maybe they can get those arms healthy by July
Next up, according to Jon Heyman, is Sox 'interest' in Nick Castelanos. Good 2021 ,309avg, 34 homers, 100 rbi, .939 OPS. A RF (bats RH) although erratic in the field. Could DH in Boston. Phils and Padres also looking.
It seems to me the Sox could also be maneuvering for a trade, with all the infielder prospects they have throughout their system. They still need another pitcher with Sale, Paxton, Hill(?) nursing injuries.
Quote from: Sea Dog 23 on March 18, 2022, 10:26:14 AM
Next up, according to Jon Heyman, is Sox 'interest' in Nick Castelanos. Good 2021 ,309avg, 34 homers, 100 rbi, .939 OPS. A RF (bats RH) although erratic in the field. Could DH in Boston. Phils and Padres also looking.
It seems to me the Sox could also be maneuvering for a trade, with all the infielder prospects they have throughout their system. They still need another pitcher with Sale, Paxton, Hill(?) nursing injuries.
We're not getting Castelanos; we are not getting Story; we are not getting Correa or anyone worth shit. As for angling for a trade, we'll see just how smart a judge of talent Bloom is besides being a damn analytical crud. Hey Bloomer Boy, here;s a message for you. In any trade, you do not trade CASAS, YORKE OR MAYER AND IF YOU WANT I CAN THROW IN ANOTHER NAME OR TWO IF YOU WANT.
Fred, there’s some brouhaha today that Story is talking to Sox. Jason Carrabis has a pic that follows articles by Hayman and Rosenthal. It could be going down another rabbit hole â€" again â€" but you’d think Bloom would get off the schnide by now. Story does not have a lot of leveridge, an off year in 2021 and an elbow issue. The Bogey/Scott Boras duo is gonna be a problem end of this year, whatever works out.
https://twitter.com/Jared_Carrabis/status/1504923200756539399?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1504923200756539399%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fforum.soxprospects.com%2Fthread%2F6103%2F2021-22-free-agents%3Fpage%3D98
The Sox picked up RP Kyle Tyler who was waived by the Angels. He is assigned to Worchester. To make room they DFA'd Hudson Potts. Tyler pitched college ball at UofOklahoma. 2.92 era, 1.14 WHIP for LAA in 2021.
Keep stockpiling those arms. We know we had enough bums in the bullpen last year!