Hanley DFA'd (5/25 Update)

YTF

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Would you all quit making this about Swihart again? Thanks.
Does this mean that you prefer I didn't remind RR that we don't have a weakness at catcher? WE HAVE THREE OF THEM.

In all seriousness this is the sort of move I was hinting at up thread. It may be for insurance purposes, but Lind has been a pretty good major leaguer. He's hit for a decent career avg, has some power, he's been serviceable in LF (though he's not played there recently) and in his case there is really no risk involved at all.
 

The Red Industry

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They have the second best offense in MLB just a tick behind the Yankees and they are in first place.
It would be great to get more out of CF and catcher but as for how long can they keep going like this I would answer all season.

Edit: The other two guys are right as well, Sandy and JBJ have both been better recently.
Sandy and Jackie lately. Things are looking up. Both are streaky as we all know but positive regression makes for some nice games.
 

sean1562

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What is this thread even about anymore? Getting a Hanley replacement? Improving the lineup?
 

strek1

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What is this thread even about anymore? Getting a Hanley replacement? Improving the lineup?
Maybe it should survive until Hanley gets signed by somebody. Might be a worthwhile next step in the life of this thread. I am curious who is going to end up with him.
 

Pozo the Clown

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It'll be very interesting to see who he signs with and how he performs for his new team. Anyone care to speculate on his new team?
 

MikeM

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It'll be very interesting to see who he signs with and how he performs for his new team. Anyone care to speculate on his new team?
Times are tough for free agent firstbaseman. At 34yo and being on the clear decline, I'm not sure it's even a given he finds a MLB job in today's market.
 

chawson

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It'll be very interesting to see who he signs with and how he performs for his new team. Anyone care to speculate on his new team?
If the Rockies weren’t so unpredictable I’d still say there. It’s his clearest path to playing time and a key role in a potential pennant run in what is now a contract year.
 

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If the Rockies weren’t so unpredictable I’d still say there. It’s his clearest path to playing time and a key role in a potential pennant run in what is now a contract year.
I know Desmond got off to a horrible start, but they're on the hook for $38 million to him after this year. What are they going to do with him if they pick up Hanley?
 

chawson

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I know Desmond got off to a horrible start, but they're on the hook for $38 million to him after this year. What are they going to do with him if they pick up Hanley?
I think they’d put Desmond, who’s unmoveable and a mess at the plate right now, in the outfield where he’s an actual asset. Parra/Dahl/Cargo/Desmond in some combination of left and right.

But like I said, unpredictable. At least they’re not still making roster decisions based on religious faith.
 

grimshaw

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I don't think he's better than Adam Lind at this point who the Sox just signed to the minor league deal. That may be the best Hanley can get until an injury opens something up, unless some team wants him as a platoon guy.
 

EllisTheRimMan

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An interesting scenario would be if all player made say $1.5 M per year, but the playoff bonuses were huge, like $15 to $20M per player. I think Finley hap proposed something like that once upon a time.
$1.5 million base with the rest non-guaranteed in today’s market?! Sounds like Dr. Evil’s One Million Dollar ransom. That is, extremely low.

Not to mention this would be a massive redisbution of wealth from the players to the owners.

I’m all for outside of the box ideas for improving the game for the players, owners and fans etc. with a better salary structure. I just believe your proposal is too far outside. Also, basing compensation on playoff performance is silly when we have tons of advanced and objective statistics to give everyone a reasonable idea of a player’s worth.
 

simplicio

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It would also destroy clubhouses. Imagine how it would be for the guys left on a rebuilding team, or the pitcher who gives up the deciding run that keeps the team out of the playoffs.
 

Average Reds

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Times are tough for free agent firstbaseman. At 34yo and being on the clear decline, I'm not sure it's even a given he finds a MLB job in today's market.
Any team that signs him will be paying him a pro-rated share of the minimum. He'll have a job in no time.

Edit: I mean, for fuck's sake, Panda is playing for San Fran. Hanley is Mitch Moreland in the field and Ted Williams at the plate compared with Panda. He'll have his choice of several teams.
 
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MikeM

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Any team that signs him will be paying him a pro-rated share of the minimum. He'll have a job in no time.

Edit: I mean, for fuck's sake, Panda is playing for San Fran. Hanley is Mitch Moreland in the field and Ted Williams at the plate compared with Panda. He'll have his choice of several teams.
Panda can play 3B and obviously carries a lot of name value in SF.

It's not even really about the money with Hanley. Especially now that he's not actually owed anything that was previously making the argument of it being worthwhile to see what he might have left. The opportunity needs be there. With benches shortening up on the positional side around the league and considering some teams already having their own version of Hanley under current contract, I'm just not sure I see it.

Again, guys like Lind who came into this year as a better current reality bet to hit can't find a MLB job, but the 34yo declining guy who might give you the short side of a 1B platoon isn't going to struggle to find work? Ehh
 

Average Reds

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Again, guys like Lind who came into this year as a better current reality bet to hit can't find a MLB job, but the 34yo declining guy who might give you the short side of a 1B platoon isn't going to struggle to find work? Ehh
No, he's not.

He'll be signed shortly. Mid-June at the latest.
 

grimshaw

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Panda can play 3B and obviously carries a lot of name value in SF.
I think it's more the latter than the former and zero other teams had interest
No, he's not.

He'll be signed shortly. Mid-June at the latest.
I don't doubt he'll eventually find a job, but there just aren't that many opportunities. Maybe he cares less about playing time now that his vesting option is no longer in play, but I don't see a starting 1b job available unless there is an injury. The Mets were mentioned but Gonzalez has been fine, and Flores had been his platoon guy until he got hurt. Desmond has been awful in Colorado but he's signed through 2021.

I guess maybe the Jays could use an upgrade over Morales at DH or Logan Morrison could have a platoon option in Minnesota.
 

Savin Hillbilly

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The wrong side of the bridge....
I think he'll end up with the Marlins. The team that signs him will be a non-contender (because all the contenders have comparable or better players in the slots he could fill) that could get some extra butts into the seats with the news of his signing. As his original MLB team, Miami fits that bill better than anyone.
 

timlinin8th

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Maybe he cares less about playing time now that his vesting option is no longer in play, but I don't see a starting 1b job available unless there is an injury.
I would think he’d be caring MORE about playing time now - with no vesting option he’s a FA at the end of the year, every game he’s on the shelf costs him in his future contract. He’ll find a landing spot but he’s gonna have to play to re-establish value and may not like platooning.
 

MikeM

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Apparently he played 2b as well yesterday. In a related matter, the Giants are 26-30.
Two starts at 2B, and he can pitch too :)

Seriously though and ironically enough, I honestly think it's the team that just dropped him that would probably make the most overall sense as a potential paper fit atm...and that's not happening.
 

grimshaw

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I would think he’d be caring MORE about playing time now - with no vesting option he’s a FA at the end of the year, every game he’s on the shelf costs him in his future contract. He’ll find a landing spot but he’s gonna have to play to re-establish value and may not like platooning.
I agree which makes more sense for him to wait at least a few weeks before conceding whatever he can get.

I think he'll end up with the Marlins. The team that signs him will be a non-contender (because all the contenders have comparable or better players in the slots he could fill) that could get some extra butts into the seats with the news of his signing. As his original MLB team, Miami fits that bill better than anyone.
What about Bour? Do you think Hanley would be agreeable to starting once a week? There isn't much of a market for the former either in terms of trades. I don't think Ichiro added much revenue in a part time role, but he had already deteriorated by then. I could be wrong.

I actually think Toronto is the likeliest though Guerrero could be up and force someone else to DH.
 
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timlinin8th

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I agree which makes more sense for him to wait at least a few weeks before conceding whatever he can get.
Yeah, you’re probably right that he’s going to wait to try and at least get on a team that promises playing time. Whether or not that materializes remains to be seen. It is a long season though, if a team ends up with an injury at 1B a team will absolutely snatch him up for pro-rated minimum.
 

dhappy42

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Two starts at 2B, and he can pitch too :)

Seriously though and ironically enough, I honestly think it's the team that just dropped him that would probably make the most overall sense as a potential paper fit atm...and that's not happening.
Well... if Mookie’s injury is worse than appears and Pedroia’s back on the DL...
 

sean1562

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Well... if Mookie’s injury is worse than appears and Pedroia’s back on the DL...
If that is the case then I am sure we will be seeing Lind up in Boston soon enough. The guy had an OPS of .875 in 116 games last year. If he could only get a mL deal I really don't see how Hanley is gonna get anything better
 

Reverend

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If I were running a crappy but future oriented team and had the position/slot not blocked, I’d pay him the $250k just to tell stories about Papi to develop clubhouse culture.
 

luckysox

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I hope someone picks him up and I hope he rakes. Hanley was a good egg here, despite not meeting every expectation. I genuinely like the guy and how he approached the game in Boston.
 

sean1562

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Hanley was not good. Kind of wish we would have brought up Lind, but I guess the thinking is "lets see what we have in Travis right now". He is 25 in August, so might as well see what he can do now.
 

grimshaw

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Cora said the lineup was a bit lefty heavy and they will be facing some lefties coming up, which explains Travis being up before Lind.
 

Minneapolis Millers

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With Mauer still concussed, the Twins could sign him as a RHH to sub for Mauer now and then platoon with Mauer and Morrison.

I’m sure LoMo and Hanley would love to be reunited...
 

Van Everyman

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So I’m somewhat surprised that there hasn’t been more buzz about where Hanley might sign.

The Sox got out of his option by releasing him. Supposedly he was disheartened (or some such descriptor for being sad about it) as he felt like he had been being a good soldier and a veteran leader. But the general reaction to this across the board was that the Sox were going to miss his bat. And of course, now Mookie and Pedroia are on the DL replaced by the likes of Sam Travis.

So with that, and while I recognize the likelihood for this sort of thing is low if for no other reason than pride, is there *any* chance Hanley actually ends up back with the Sox?

Is there any precedent for a player of his caliber being DFA’d, released and re-signing with his original team to void future option years? If not, would the union even allow such a thing?

Just trying to imagine who would actually be a better fit for Hanley than the Sox – assuming he accepts his fate that he has to be a bench player.

Edit: clarity
 
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sean1562

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I can't imagine DD makes any effort whatsoever to get Hanley back on this team. They saw what he had left, werent impressed, and moved on. I am sure Hanley would rather play somewhere else as well
 

grimshaw

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Is there any precedent for a player of his caliber being DFA’d, released and re-signing with his original team to void future option years? If not, would the union even allow such a thing?

Just trying to imagine who would actually be a better fit for Hanley than the Sox – assuming he accepts his fate that he has to be a bench player.

Edit: clarity
They don't need to replace a DH or a 1b though. They need a healthy non statue 2b and to see what they have in Swihart.

I can't imagine any scenario where Dombrowski calls Cora into his office and tells him that Hanley is back on the roster, and to make him happy as a bench player after listening to Alex' input about Ramirez not being the type of guy who enjoys sitting.