The Official 2011 Boston Red Sox Thread

Yeah but did you hear the actual question and his full response though or did you just hear that one small quote without hearing it in full context? In case you didn't (and sorry in advance for assuming you didn't hear the full context of it) in a nutshell he was asked about the Angels interest in him and his interest in the Angels and he said while he was interested in the Angels and they gave him a good offer but he thought his situation would be better in Boston and that at the end of the day his heart was here in Boston. So yes while I'm sure 98% of the decision was based on money, it wasn't as over the top as Damon's comment. Obviously if you put the quote in context it loses a bit of the headline like most quote often do.

 

I actually am relaxed, just explaining the context of it, that's all.

 

Really interesting article detailing the Crawford signing:

http://www.csnne.com/12/11/10/How-C...anding_redsox.html?blockID=371195&feedID=3352

I found it pretty interesting that (again assuming it is true), the Sox had really scouted Crawford hard during the 2nd half of the year and tried to find out everything they could about him as a player and person, that Crawford had decided that if the offers between the Angels and Red Sox were even he'd pick Boston which surprised everyone since he was linked to LA very early. Also that the Sox told him he was their #1 target this winter and they were going to meet with Werth as misdirection and he was a Plan B for them.

Anyway very interesting article and I recommend any Sox (or non Sox fans) to read it. It really must be pretty interesting to be a GM or part of the front office.

 

Yeah I like the Jenk move and glad it's only a 2 year deal. Gives the Sox 3 options at the closer position now just in case. Hopefully the Sox can trade for or sign a LHP now. Also adding one more arm can't hurt in the pen either.

Just saw the Red Sox have traded Eric Patterson to SD. I wonder if it's just to free up a 40 man roster spot or if he was the PTBN in the Gonzalez for Kelly/Rizzo/Fuentes deal. Either way not a big deal/loss for the Sox at all.

EDIT: Patterson IS the PTBN.

 

Exactly. Give me 2 years of Jenks instead of 3 years of Downs/Benoit/Crain/Guerrier.

Benoit is getting what 5.5 million per year for 3 years, Downs is getting 5 for 3, Crain is getting 4.3 million for 3, Guerrier is getting 4 for 3. So 6 million for 2 isn't so crazy. And I love the fact that it's only for 2 years.

I would only trade Papelbon if they can get something of value for him, the Sox just aren't going to give him away. Plus again I'm not sure how much value a guy who's going to be making around 11 million this year and is a FA after the season coming off his worst year in his career. People are acting like the guy is crap, he's not he's still a valuable pitcher, just not as good as he once was.

 

Sox also resigned Andrew Miller, who had been non-tendered, to a minor league deal. Which is huge that way he can work on whatever he needs to in the minors first since he's out of options now.

 

No you're wrong and that article was poorly worded. Since the Red Sox non-tendered him a contract he was a FA and thus allowed to sign with any MLB team. Because the Sox then signed him to a minor league deal he can start the season in the minors, however since he is out of options, if/once he's called up to the MLB roster he can't go back to the minors unless he clears waivers first. So he can start the season in the minors since he's not on the MLB roster.

 

He IS out of options, that is correct. However he was signed by the Sox to a MINOR LEAGUE deal (aka not on the 40 man roster) with an invite to spring training. Meaning if he doesn't make the Sox out of ST, he just stays in the minors hence the minor league deal part. The confusion is coming because the article Peter Abrahm wrote (who is a very good writer) was both poorly worded and incorrect.

 

Well we do need someone to pitch at Triple A. I'd be really surprised if DiNardo plays a meaningful role with the Sox this year, unless of course someone gets hurt. He's probably 8th or 9th on the starting pitcher depth chart but I guess he could make the team as a LHP out of the pen if Rich Hill or Andrew Miller doesn't make the club and they don't sign anyone else.

What's the point of signing him to a minor league deal with an invite to ST then? Why wouldn't the Red Sox simply just give him a MLB contract? The whole point of the minor league deal is to make sure the Sox will be able to retain his services if he doesn't make the team out of ST, the Sox might still think he needs to work on things in the minors first before calling him up. It's more of an advantage to the team than the player.

 

Again that would make the 'minor league deal' part pointless if he wasn't allowed to go straight to the minor leagues if he had to clear waivers first. There would be no point in even having minor league deals in the first place that way. Because really if you signed a minor league contract and didn't make the team out of ST and had to go through waivers first to get there that would be the exactly same case if he signed a major league deal. It just doesn't make any sense if that was the case.

 

Pretty good article(s) on the Adrian Gonzalez deal by Gordon Edes at ESPNBoston.com

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/mlb/columns/story?columnist=edes_gordon&id=5945168

It's a 3 part series, the last part is coming out tomorrow but pretty interesting.

 

Red Sox have apparently resigned Hideki Okajima to a 1 year deal rumored to be around 1 to 2 million. While he's declined every year since 2007 maybe Curt Young can work some magic with him. There's never anything wrong with a 1 year deal, especially for a RPer. So the bullpen locks right now looks like:

Papelbon (R)
Bard (R)
Jenks (R)
Wheeler (R)
Wakefield (R)

Which leaves 2 spots for:

Hideki Okajima (L)
Rich Hill (L)
Felix Doubront (L)
Andrew Miller (L)
Lenny DiNardo (L)
Scott Atchison (R)
Michael Bowden (R)
Matt Albers (R)

Personally I think Felix Doubront showed a lot last year and should have one of the spots but it is possible that the Sox might stick him back in Triple A and have him work as a starter especially since the Red Sox like to have at least 7 or 8 starters between the MLB and Triple A ready to fill in and after the starting 5, they have Wakefield at #6, Tazawa #7 (although he might be a more of a mid-season at best option since he had TJ surgery last April/May) and the others in Triple A are Brandon Duckworth and Matt Fox. I also liked what I saw out of Rich Hill in his brief call up last year too.

In a perfect world, I'd love to par ways with Wakefield since the only way he can pitch out of the pen is if the Sox are up or down big so it's almost like a wasted spot. I'd love to have Hill, Doubront and I guess Okajima in the pen. Of course Atchison pitched well for the Sox last year too. And obviously with pitchers, someone could always get hurt but right now the pen looks on paper pretty solid and there are still some interesting names available like Soriano and Fuentes but I doubt the Sox would talk to either since the price tag will be high.

 

Reasonable? No but that's what an overrated stat will do for a player. Will he survive the season? Yes, he wasn't as bad as people seem to think he was last year. He's declining but he's still a top 10 closer.

 

Oh I agree with you that no sports contract is reasonable. They're all overpaid but it's not my money so I don't care.

I doubt Papelbon will be dealt during the year unless the Sox are out of the race and the team feels they could get a nice return for him. The market for him due to his contract will be limited, even if the Sox trade him in July he'd still be owed around 6 million or so plus if he falls off the table and stinks why would any team trade anything useful for him? And if he pitches well why would the Sox trade him? I'd be shocked if Papelbon is on the team in 2012 but I'd be just as shocked if he's moving during the season.

 

Red Sox signed RHP Alfredo Aceves to a major league deal and LHP Dennys Reyes to a minor league deal. Aceves has 2 options left so if he doesn't make the team out of ST he could be optioned to the minors. The Sox view him as a SP and he hasn't pitched horribly when he was with the Yankees. It's never a bad thing to have options/depth as the Sox have a lot of arms fighting for spots. The Sox do need to make a roster move to clear space for Aceves, my guess is Daniel Nava, Mark Wagner or Robert Coello are the front runners to be most likely cut. I'd guess Nava will be the one since he'd have the easiest time clearing waivers.

 

As long as it's nothing about his arm or back.... Pretty uneventiful last few weeks in Sox camp though, which I like.

 

Interesting Tom Verducci has reported the Red Sox offered TB Victor Martinez straight up for Carl Crawford last off season. TB didn't reject the offer but told the Sox they needed to make a few trades first before they could accept but those other trades fell through.

I found that extremely interesting, just goes to show you the Sox brass didn't really like the idea of Martinez as a catcher. Makes you wonder who the Sox would have had catch for them last year.

 

Red Sox have set their pitching rotation:

Lester, Lackey, Buchholz, Beckett, Matsuzaka

Interesting that Lackey is in the 2nd spot (although not like the rotation in the regular season really matters) instead of Beckett. I wonder if the Sox are trying to give Beckett a few less starts to try and keep him fresh for the 2nd half since the past year years he seems to get hurt.

 

The only thing I worry about in ST is the health or the players and the velo of the pitchers. Everything else is meaningless.

With that being said it should be a very fun season. If the team stays healthy it's going to be a fun year.

 

The roster and line up is set:

Ellsbury- CF
Pedroia- 2B
Crawford- LF
Youkilis- 3B
Gonzalez- 1B
Ortiz- DH
Cameron- RF
Saltalamacchia- C
Scutaro- SS
Lester- P

Bench: Varitek, Drew, Lowrie, McDonald

Starters: Lackey, Buchholz, Beckett, Matsuzaka
Bullpen: Papelbon, Bard, Jenks, Wheeler, Albers, Wakefield, Reyes (L)

I'm glad Francona isn't screwing around and is planning on platooning Drew and Cameron depending on the pitcher. I wouldn't be shocked to see Lowrie get some at bats against LHPs at Ortiz's expense either.

I would have liked to have another LHP in the bullpen (with Wakefield being the odd man out) but because of contracts/options this is probably the best way to go to start the season. I wouldn't be shocked to see Rich Hill on the team for most of the year as all account his new side arm delivery is just nasty vs. LHH. Okajima is probably shot as a useful pitcher now and Andrew Miller still has a lot of work to do in the minors. And of course Felix Doubront is lurking, ready to get the call when he's fully healthy. I kind of feel bad for Scott Atchison who did pitch pretty well last year but I think Matt Albers has more potential (and is out of options) so it was the smart move sending down Atchison.

I'm pumped and ready to go for this afternoon's game. It's been a long winter. Let's go Sox!