Hey if they are willing to pay him over 14 million dollars a year or giving him a fairly large 2 year deal, but somehow I don't see that happening.
What if TB matches a 1 yr qualifying offer? He has wanted a 2 year deal now for years but didnt get it....at this point it is literally "Does Papi want to stick around with the Sox anymore?" Time will tell.... TB should do it, that guy does damage in that lineup if they get him......
You really think that if the money/contract is completely equal between TB and Boston he would go to TB simply because he wanted a 2 year deal now for years and didn't get it? I don't think TB could even realistically afford to match Boston's offer. That's not their style nor has it ever been. They simply can't afford to pay a older DH 15 million dollars.
It depends what Ortiz thinks about the Sox in terms of where they are headed.....if he thinks they are going to that more than 2 years, he could walk.... And I doubt Ortiz gets 15 million...
Ortiz has won 2 WS titles, has been a franchise player in Boston for 9 years, he's lived in the city for that time and is a legend there. I would find it hard to believe he would walk away from the Sox if everything was equal in terms of contract etc. The 15 million figure is what he's get at a minimum is he were to go through arbititration with the Sox. Worst case for him is (again assuming the Sox offer him arbititration which that would be crazy not to) is another 1 year deal at 15 million or so. If no other team is going to offer him that and he can't find a team that's willing to give him multiple years he'll be a Sox again. I was against signing him for 2 years but at this point, I think the Sox should offer him a 2 year deal for 26 to 30 million with nice bonuses etc. Keep him happy so he doesn't have the annual "Ortiz is whining about his contract" rants plus it shows good faith with him and other FA players that the Sox treat their superstar players well.
Again so bittersweet. It's a joy to beat up on TB and watch them implode (another day another dugout incident) but again the Sox winning baseball games hurts their draft position. Plus I fear now that Tazawa has stepped up his performance big time, Valentine is going to burn him out trying to win as many games as possible to pad his record. But such a joy to beat TB. And man the attendance there is pathetic too. I realize TB has started to slide but they are still in the race, somewhat. They need to get out of there in the worst way.
They didnt show up a few weeks ago when they were right there in the standings and were playing NY...crazy.... What is going on with the dugout incidents, I lost power last night, only to come back on at 330AM EST and the Balt/Sea game was still going on.... btw...kudos to Showalter for being able to hold out bringing in JJ until the 18th.....solid managing job there...
Sean Rodriguez (who has turned into Eddie NunEEEEEEEEEz the past few nights) made another error on a throw that pulled Keppinger off the 1st base bag. Apparently Rodriguez thought Kepp should have stayed on the bag to try and make the play and we having an discussion about it. It was like the Pedroia/Aceves one in Oakland a few weeks ago. It wasn't heated but not just a normal conversation. It was enough to have cameras on them. And as far as Buck, I think it was a completely boneheaded discussion that ended up working out for him and Baltimore. I HATE it when visiting managers (and not to pick on Buck because 99% of them do it) leave their closer, who is usually the best pitcher in the pen, on the bench just in case the team scores a run or 2 in extra innings so the closer can get the save. You risk the chance that your team could lose a game without your best RPer pitching. How does that make sense? Plus Buck had Johnson warming up 3 times before he actually got in the game, so he's not only risking losing a baseball game by not going to his best guy but he was risking injury to his best pitcher. It makes zero sense and it's all because of a dumb save stat. If I were a MLB manager my best pitcher would absolutely be in the game once it reached extra innings or if my top of the order or heart of the order was coming up. Why wait to pitch him just in case the opportunity comes up? Just dumb.
But the most important part of it is closing the game out no?? Maybe he has full faith in all of his BP...they have been pretty damn good this year...
Not always. Plus why would you risk holding back your best RPer for a situation that may never come up? You risk the chance of losing a game without even putting your best RPer in the game, how is that smart? What's the difference in letting a visiting relief pitcher pitch in a tie game compared to letting that same relief pitcher pitch with the lead? Isn't there more risk of letting a lesser pitcher pitch in a tie game then the pitcher pitch with a lead? Makes no sense, yet managers do it all the time, they are willing to hold out their closer for the last guy in the pen simply because they want that closer to close out the game. I just don't get the logic.
Yes this point is very valid.....but if it does IDK I would like having my main gun to close it out....
In my opinion you should put your closer in whenever you are at most risk of losing the game. It shouldn't matter if you're up by one run in the seventh with the bases loaded and one out. The idea that you wouldn't use your best reliever in the most opportune time has always struck me as ridiculous so I see where you're coming from on that one. In a way I resent the save statistic. It changes the way a bullpen is used.
But how can you possibly tell what inning an extra inning game is going to end? Are you willing to risk losing a game and have your best option on the bench at that time? Or worse you put your best option out on the mound but he's already tired because he warmed up 2 or 3 times before he ever went in, so his stuff isn't 100%? Yes, I completely agree. Which is why set up men like Venters, Downs, Marshall, Robertson to name a few off the top of my head are sometimes more valueble to a team NOT being the closer since they are the ones who come in when the game is really on the line. Which against just goes to show you how silly that save stat is. All a pitcher has to do to get a save is get 3 outs in the 9th with his team being up 3 runs or less or pitch at least 3 innings while finishing the game. Big deal. That's one of the reasons why Francona was such a great manager, especially in the playoffs, because in must win games he had no problem bringing in his closer, whether it was Foulke or Papelbon into the 7th innings of games in big spots. If the team is going to lose a game, don't you want the team to lose with the best relief pitcher on the mound instead of the 6th or 7th best?
It's all I have left this year. I check the box score daily for gems like that, or Bard, read a few things here and there. The team that trots on the field now will look totally different next spring. I can't wait for that. Cody Ross, Papi, are the only guys that had great years, I am just glad the Dodgers got really frisky and Cherington took advantage big time. I do check the Dodgers standing too...
Yeah the only things worth watching is the continued play of Pedroia and the development of Lavarnway, Iglesias and Kalish (when he plays). It's just strange seeing the team so far out of it, hasn't really happened since 2002ish but at least then we still had Pedro, Nomar and Manny to watch. I still think having a season like this is good for the long term health of the franchise and organization. I truly hope that now they take a step back and truly realize the mistakes they have all made in the last 2 or 3 years, even though the team had been successful. I check the Dodgers box scores each day too. It's amazing what a nose dive Adrian Gonzalez has had since the 2nd half of last year. He's just not the same player for whatever reason. Again, it's a small sample size but I don't think we will ever see the "Padres version" of Gonzalez again. Kind of makes me bitter we let Rizzo and Kelly go but I'm hopeful De La Rosa and Webster will be nice replacements in the long run. And yes it's still mind blowing that the Dodgers took on all that money AND gave up prospects for 3 players over 30, one of which is coming off of TJ and wrist surgeries, a pitcher who's at the tail end of his career and another player who may not be the player they think he is. It's possible the Dodgers will end up regretting that deal much sooner than later. You have to give the Sox credit for being able to load those guys at the perfect time, even if the players they got do nothing at the MLB level (assuming of course the Sox don't do something dumb with the freed up cash).
ESPN's Jim Bowden lists ten of the top managerial candidates, a compilation that includes nine men who have never managed at the Major League level and two-time World Series winner Terry Francona. Two names on Bowden's list (Tim Bogar and Dave Martinez) are reportedly the top candidates to become the Astros' new manager. The Sox should move quickly to find a new manager, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, arguing that the team can't afford another long managerial search or protracted negotiations with the Blue Jays over John Farrell. "The easiest choice" would be to hire bench coach Tim Bogar.
Not a fan of Cafardo or his writing but he's 100% correct in that the team needs to act fast. Fire Valentine after the day after the season ends to make the whole "will he stay or not" story end before it can start and quickly interview managers and get it done as soon as possible, hopefully before free agency starts whether it be Farrell or whoever. Last year it simply took way too long. As far as Bogar, no clue if he would be a good manager or not but I think they should bring someone new in, just for a change of fresh air. I would prefer not to have anyone that was with the team the past 2 years be the manager.
It's just of potential names to be managers next year, it's not just specific to a single team. It's not just "The Red Sox top 10 list of new managers".
Most members of the Red Sox braintrust are keeping a close eye on whether the team will have a top-ten pick in this year's draft, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com. Outside of the obvious benefits of having a higher pick, top ten selections are protected, giving the Red Sox flexibility in the event that they wanted to pursue a free agent such as Josh Hamilton. In the case of Hamilton, multiple sources say that Boston is unlikely to join the fray for the 31-year-old, which is in line with what has been previously reported.
God no to Hamilton. The last thing this team needs is an over 30 year old often injured player that probably can't handle playing in Boston. I think we're going to hear tons of FA rumors linked to Boston simply because they have the money to spend but I'm thinking (and hoping) they are smarter than that to. To simply spend money because they have money is foolish, that's why Vince Young is broke and most one hit wonder rappers and MC Hammer.
Thanks to a loose definition of the word, the Red Sox have baseball's longest sellout streak, but that doesn't mean the team can take its season ticket holders for granted following its disaster of a season. According to the Boston Globe, the team has scheduled three days of fan batting practice at Fenway Park. Fans with Red Sox accounts get to swing at five pitches from a pitching machine on the field. Only one person per account can take BP, but others can watch form the seats and also take tours of the park and enjoy half-price concessions. The fan BP will take place Oct. 5, Oct. 7 and Oct. 8 -- because Fenway Park won't be needed for anything else those days.
I actually think that's a pretty nice idea to kiss up to the season ticket holders. Actually they should let the season ticket holders take BP even during years when the team does well. A nice thank you goes a long way.
Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe makes a few predictions and thoughts about what the Red Sox need to do this offseason. Abraham guesses Farrell, Tim Bogar or Torey Lovullo will manage the Sox next year, David Ortiz and Cody Ross will re-sign and the Sox will hire a "director of pitching" to oversee pitchers throughout the organization.
Long-time Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek tells Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston that he is "close" to taking a job with the team. Varitek will likely be a special assistant to GM Ben Cherington, though Edes notes that Varitek's teammates from Boston's 2004 World Series squad think he should be the next Red Sox manager.
The Red Sox now have a 69-86 record, which means they’re at risk of losing 90 games for the first time in 46 years. The last time they reached the 90-loss threshold, back in 1966, Ben Cherington hadn’t been born, Bobby Valentine was in high school, and Carl Yastrzemski and Tony Conigliaro roamed the Fenway Park outfield.
Well after hearing Ben Cherington's WEEI interview this morning, sure as hell sounds like Valentine is a goner. Seems like Cherington is starting to get power now, thankfully.
LOL Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said he'd like his manager search to be quick, despite the fact he hasn't fired current manager Bobby Valentine. We've all assumed the Red Sox would fire Bobby Valentine, but did general manager Ben Cherington just tip his hand? Speaking on WEEI in Boston, Cherington was asked about the timing of a managerial change, and this is what he had to say (from the Boston Globe):
I can see a huge blowout in the clubhouse with them...the players have to had heard that, he is a lame duck at this point.... I can picture the Pedroia "Dead Man Walking" bombs being dropped....I totally would too, screw Bobby V....what loyality or respect show you show him at this point if you are a Sox player...
He would be a lame duck even if he was brought back for the 2013 season. I seriously just don't understand why they won't fire the guy already. Houston has already named their new manager for 2013, Cleveland just fired Acta so they have a head start. Just fire the guy already and start the new manager process now and have a decision by the middle of October and then get to work with the offseason team building. I mean I have to assume the FO and owners know if or if not Bobby will be back and hopefully they have a list of guys they're going to interview for the position but why wait? If he's coming back, say it, if not fire him. It just makes zero sense. Lucchino needs an ego check.
