$30 Mil for Devers??

[Sea Dog 23]

Theyre not talking right now, but $30 mil AAV will probably get Devers, a future DH, over the length of contract he demands.  The Sox best young hitter. 

But hold the phone, John Henry decided to buy a $25mil estate in Nantucket today.  Not a good show for the Sox players asking for an extension and not a fond memory for Sox fans if Devers gets short changed and walks in 2023.

[longgame]

They probably should figure out how to sign Bogaerts first.  The guy keeps getting it done day after day and shouldn't be a $30MM guy, but should get his pay day.  They've got plenty of room to pay those two guys since they don't have any big contracts on the offensive side that I can think of.  Sox seem to be far more willing spend a lot of money on bad pitching though so they can get 5 innings out of a guy once a week for about 20 starts. 

[SeaBeachFred]

They probably should figure out how to sign Bogaerts first.  The guy keeps getting it done day after day and shouldn't be a $30MM guy, but should get his pay day.  They've got plenty of room to pay those two guys since they don't have any big contracts on the offensive side that I can think of.  Sox seem to be far more willing spend a lot of money on bad pitching though so they can get 5 innings out of a guy once a week for about 20 starts.

If they lose tomorrow to the Orioles they will  be in last place with the arrow pointing straight down while Prune Face buys himself a $25 million estate in Rhode Island and penny pinches his team. Is it any wonder that in less than four full seasons the team has gone from being the best team in baseball and reigning World Champions to a sad and sorry excuse for a team.  I can only hope that those prospects that grade very high will man the team in two or three years and help us build a team that will get us to a World Series or two before the end of the decade, but I'm beginning to have my doubts that Prune Face even gives a shit any more.

[Sea Dog 23]

Sox do some more excavating from the scrap heap.  Giants released Right fielder Jaylin Davis.  in his MLB experience 68 plate appearances for a cool .159 avg. over three years.

"Davis had overcome his swing-and-miss issues to post massive numbers at Triple-A. Over parts of three seasons, he’s a .293/.371/.612 hitter at that level. The Triple-A hitting environment has been very favorable in recent years, which no doubt helps, but Davis’ 38 homers in 523 plate appearances are eye-catching even in a supercharged offensive league. He’s in his final option year, so the Sox can keep him at Worcester as outfield depth for the rest of this season if he sticks on the 40-man roster."

[MongoLikeSox]

I'm going to have to repeat my statement, not in verbatim, that Devers will end up being a good 3B. He's got the physical skills to do so. He's back to making strides again like he did lat in 2019.

Historically, Devers' defense can run hot and cold. I'm looking forward to seeing his error count in a few months. That's not a complete picture, of course. But will Devers even be around for us to appreciate? Let's hope so. I'm sure the 'Sox brass have noticed their fans still not filling Fenway. I hope the Sox brass take care and realize that the increasing number of empty seats is not all Pandemic related. We keep losing stars - our own stars - that will be a long term trend. That is the cost of holding out for top value. Nothing is free.

I say give the kid his money. Someone will.

We've already lost so many. We missed Shaw's golden years because they jerked him around then traded him for fodder. We ruined Benny in Beantown and killed any chance or keeping Betts after that Arbitration thing. Players in the minors have nothing to play for because the system is way beyond acceptable politics. When they get here, there's every bit as probable that they will screw with your PT or even seniority with the bus ride to AAA and back. And then the favoritism.

It's never been easy in here. The one guy who dealt with it better than anyone is being dicked with. Imagine the Yankees doing that with Jeter, or the Angels doing that with Trout?

[elktonnick]

I'm going to have to repeat my statement, not in verbatim, that Devers will end up being a good 3B. He's got the physical skills to do so. He's back to making strides again like he did lat in 2019.

Historically, Devers' defense can run hot and cold. I'm looking forward to seeing his error count in a few months. That's not a complete picture, of course. But will Devers even be around for us to appreciate? Let's hope so. I'm sure the 'Sox brass have noticed their fans still not filling Fenway. I hope the Sox brass take care and realize that the increasing number of empty seats is not all Pandemic related. We keep losing stars - our own stars - that will be a long term trend. That is the cost of holding out for top value. Nothing is free.

I say give the kid his money. Someone will.

We've already lost so many. We missed Shaw's golden years because they jerked him around then traded him for fodder. We ruined Benny in Beantown and killed any chance or keeping Betts after that Arbitration thing. Players in the minors have nothing to play for because the system is way beyond acceptable politics. When they get here, there's every bit as probable that they will screw with your PT or even seniority with the bus ride to AAA and back. And then the favoritism.

It's never been easy in here. The one guy who dealt with it better than anyone is being dicked with. Imagine the Yankees doing that with Jeter, or the Angels doing that with Trout?

I think you nailed it.  I have said it many times before this front office and team as a whole has zero people skills.  Hence they move from one pr disaster to another.  I think fans are beginning notice.

[longgame]

I say give the kid his money. Someone will.

That's the problem.  Henry and Co think they set the market.  Problem is the Yankees and Dodgers set the market and other teams aren't afraid to lock in big names either.  Why not sign a guy who is carrying the offense?  Why not sign a guy who typically a guy you know whose defense has improved every year?

Maybe Henry doesn't want to pay for any more statues since nobody will ever have a long enough Sox career to merit one.  I don't want to cheer for guys knowing they're going to be traded or for a team that is unrecognizable from one year to the next.  In TB they have to root for laundry, not players, so nobody cares.

[SeaBeachFred]

Then we can now all agree that owner John "Prune Face" Henry has become a rotten cheap bastard who cares more for his yachts and estates that he does for his team.  The stupid bastard learned from that former rotten moron Larry Lucchino that  they an set the market when they  time and again forget that they do NOT set the market.  Henry as a capitalist should know supply and demand carries the day but apparently he doesn't.  He has been lucky in the past.  We lost Damon and soon won another World Series.  We lost Ramirez and Beckett and still were able to have that miracle year or 2013.  We let Lester get lowballed away from our team (which cost us two last place finishes in a row) and still managed to win a WS in 2018 with the best team in team history.  Well I have news for the prune.  It might not work that way again.  Losing Betts was a disaster in the making, losing Benintendi was a blunder, and Kelly, Price, Holt, and Moreland were bad moves.  We might not get another chance to test fate since the gods of fate are now seemingly a very angry bunch with long memories.  Please Henry, sell the damn team.

One more thing....we allow our best players to leave and also trade power hitters like Renfroe for garbage like Henry's favorite, the miserable hitting Bradley.  I still cannot understand how  the team did not try to replace Hunter's power with a solid RH power hitter and instead opted to put the worst hit ter in baseball into a position that has always been designated as a power hitting spot.  How @#$%&? up can this team be.

[MongoLikeSox]

My biggest point of wonderment with everyone is simply this. How can you give buckets of money to a FA, but not keep your own talent that has already proven successful on your club? It's a huge risk either way, sure, but you can eliminate the whole question of whether or not the free agent will be comfortable on your organization.

So, the home team discount thing. I get it. I'm just saying that there should be a home-grown is known factor. To me, it's simple common sense.

I still can't believe Cashman whining about what Judge turned down in a presser before the season. He's gonna pay for that maneuver.

[longgame]

It’s interesting, Story and Bogey for example are the same age and Bogey is a much better player.  But they shelled out bucks for Story that could be used to keep Bogey and Devers.  We know what Bogaerts does - hit .300 every year and play a decent SS.  Story doesn’t hit that well and his historic numbers outside of Coors Field are Bradley-esque.  Devers, being younger and one of the top 10 players in MLB should be a no-brained, but alas, Bloom has no brain.

[Sea Dog 23]

As far as Story, one writer quoted him as saying that in some ways he did not like the Boston signing.  Maybe being a Texas native, he was hoping to land in Houston.  Near the end of almost signing no field players, this seemed like a real desperate move.  Maybe they had already given up on Bogey at that point.  I'm thinking Verdugo and Vaz are the only players happy in Boston after the bitter lockout.

[MongoLikeSox]

Bogey looks as if he's in the worst mood of his career right now. Can't blame him for all the reasons everyone's mentioned, including increased trade talk. Imagine the ill-will that happens if A: The Qualified Offer structure is still in place in MLB and B: Bogey opts out and receives the QO from the Sox? Man, oh man, what a nasty divorce that will be. That'll be up there with Fisk and Haywood.

Story parted way with his agents after all of this. The same agency that gave us the Freddie Freeman/Atlanta/LA disaster. Story's old agents still get their dough. Think his new agent is going to advise Story to stay in Boston when his first option comes up? Me neither. His new agent might be getting paid a separate fee, but he's not getting the big 5% (or whatever) on the current contract.