Assorted Sox Rumors
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As in immediately? Nice to have something to keep us busy now that the SB is over and pitchers/catchers haven't reported.pjr said:
With MLB Rule Change, Yoan Moncada Cleared To Sign
By Jeff Todd [February 3, 2015 at 2:51pm CST]
2:52pm: With a so-called “specific license” from OFAC no longer needed, MLB will now accept a “general license” combined with a “sworn statement [by the player] that the prospect permanently resides outside of Cuba and has no intent to return to Cuba,” Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs reports on Twitter (quoting from a league memo).
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/02/with-mlb-rule-change-yoan-moncada-cleared-to-sign.html
By Jeff Todd [February 3, 2015 at 2:51pm CST]
2:52pm: With a so-called “specific license” from OFAC no longer needed, MLB will now accept a “general license” combined with a “sworn statement [by the player] that the prospect permanently resides outside of Cuba and has no intent to return to Cuba,” Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs reports on Twitter (quoting from a league memo).
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2015/02/with-mlb-rule-change-yoan-moncada-cleared-to-sign.html
ArgentinaSOXfan said:Great timing
Smells like Yankees.
It also smells like a risky and not cost effective (possibly close to or above $100 million) Dice-K fiasco. Moncado might command close to or more than proven but still in his prime Pablo Sandoval just signed for with the Sox. Not being tied to international free agent spending cap penalties, draft slot signing limitations or draft pick compensation, what he will receive will probably dwarf what a less speculative college amateur prospect like Kris Bryant received at the top of his draft (comparable to where Moncado reputedly would be picked if draft eligible). In this scenario, perhaps Cherington will encourage the Sox to keep their name in Moncado's rumor mill hoping to emulate Bill Belichick when he just recently baited Pete Carroll into calling a more advantageously defensible play call.
Gammons saying on MLB network this am dodgers, Sox and Yankees and likely Tigers are in on Moncada. thinks he starts at high-A, so only teams with ability to wait can bid. Doesn't think it goes $40M however
Seeing as how all teams are going to be paying virtually double what the offer will be, I'm guessing it tops out at 30m max. 40 (meaning 80) seems like a reach - even for the Dodgers and MFY.
Welcome to freedom, Yuan Moncada! A conspiracy of huge corporations will now be claiming half your paycheck based on a Byzantine set of rules way too complicated for anyone to understand, much less justify, but amounts to because we say so.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2015/02/04/cubans-playing-in-caribbean-series-defect-dainer-moreira-vladimir-gutierrez/22836253/
Two more players defect. Gutierrez is a decent prospect
Two more players defect. Gutierrez is a decent prospect
“@SPWill: Moncada said to http://MLB.com goal is to make it to majors ASAP. LAD/NYY roster has easier path to MLB at 2B/SS/3B than #RedSox.”
Well sure, but there is just about a zero chance he doesn't sign with the team that offers him the most money.soxhop411 said:
According to reports he's wants a clear path to the majors because he thinks he'll be ready soon. Napoli is leaving next winter, so an IF position will be opening up. We've already heard that longterm Sandoval wants to DH, so if Moncada really is ready in 2016 then Boston will have a spot at 3b open for him. If not then that's fine, because they have plenty of other options. But, in their sales pitch to Moncada, they're going to be saying "Hey, the 3b we just signed wants to replace David Ortiz, so 3b will be open when you're ready."Rasputin said:
Well, I mean they could refuse to sign a switch hitter with power and tell him "Look kid, we don't care what you want, go sign with the Yankees." But given the scarcity of hitting in MLB these days I rather think they'll probably say "Hey, our new 3b only signed here because he wants to replace David Ortiz as the DH, so 3b is going to be open whenever you're ready."Rasputin said:
nighthob said:
I don't really care what they tell him, other than that I'd prefer they be honest. And if they're being honest, they're not going to tell him he can have third base in 2016 because he's going to be 20 in 2016 and probably not ready to play in the majors. And I'm sure as hell not planning on having my third baseman that we just signed to a big contract move to first base after one year. If I thought that was going to happen, I wouldn't have signed him to play third in the first place.
Well, the Red Sox could have refused to plug the hole and gamble that Yoan Moncada would defect, get cleared in time to be signed by by them, and get signed by them. Instead they chose to sign a guy whose entire purpose was to ultimately replace Ortiz, so even Sandoval is anticipating moving off third in the very near future. And if Moncada's the real deal then Sandoval's presence isn't a problem.
nighthob said:
Are you just completely bored? You're making some very silly arguments.
The Sox could have signed a third baseman for a lot less than they signed Sandoval. Sandoval could change positions after three years and not have it be substantially different than what you're suggesting. Also, the notion that Sandoval is somehow going to replace Ortiz is just silly. He may ultimately DH, but he's not remotely going to be as good as Ortiz. Perhaps more to the point, I think it's fairly likely that Hanley Ramirez is the DH and Sandoval is told to go screw. Not to mention that it's entirely possible that Moncada isn't even an infielder anymore by the time he gets to the majors.
nighthob do you have a source on the Sandoval to DH thing? I've only ever read that as a bad idea emanating from here. I'm pretty sure Sandoval stated the opposite when asked about DH recently.
The more likely guy to take over at DH down the road, to me, is Ramirez, but this idea that you move Sandoval after one year to DH so you can play a 20 year old just because he's dictating that to you--that's just not going to happen.
The more likely guy to take over at DH down the road, to me, is Ramirez, but this idea that you move Sandoval after one year to DH so you can play a 20 year old just because he's dictating that to you--that's just not going to happen.
OK, let's try it this way, the 19 year old power hitting switch hitter thinks he's going to be ready for the major leagues soon. If they sign him and he really is that good, they aren't burying him in the minors with a 'Sorry, kid, you're just going to have to wait your turn," and if the scouting department is convinced he's the real deal, they're not blowing him off with a "Sorry, kid, you'll take what we give you and like it." Again, if he's as good as Puig they'll find a spot for him.JohntheBaptist said:
nighthob said:
So no source on the Sandoval DH thing I take it.
edit--no one is suggesting blowing him off. If you're responding to his desire to move up quickly by offering to rearrange the roster on the unrealistic expectation that he's ready and contributing at 20, you're making a mistake. They'll make their best pitch and then let him decide. As others have pointed out, if his priority is accelerated ETA, he and his agent can figure pretty easily that Boston might not be the ideal landing spot vs LAD/ NYY.
nighthob said:
Puig was 22 when he cracked the majors. If he's as good as Puig, he's probably 3 seasons away. Also, there's a thread for Moncada talk now. It's not really a rumor anymore that he's going to sign or that the Red Sox are one of the teams being aggressive in pursuing him.
They don't need to offer to rearrange the roster as the roster is going to get rearranged anyway. My controversial claim was that Boston would find an IF spot for him which sent everyone up in arms. If he really is that good they will find a spot for him.JohntheBaptist said:
Puig defected at 21 and only needed a year of minor league time. If Moncada is as good he would be up after a year in the minors. As the Cuban National League is a little more advanced than the GCL or NYPL it would not be a shock to see him finish 2015 in AA or even AAA.Snodgrass'Muff said:
.nighthob said:
I can't speak for anyone else, but I was reacting to the completely made up "they signed Sandoval to take over DH" and "Sandoval has mentioned he'll be taking over DH" claims. Plus the initial post that stated that the roster "could be moved around" as a response to a 19 year old wanting them to do so, and the suggestion that he'll be playing in MLB in 2016, which is exceptionally unlikely. Oh, and this:
They will not be saying this to Moncada in their sales pitch. This isn't the case.
They'll try to sign him. They won't do it by selling him on how they can get him on the roster in 2016 by moving Sandoval to DH.
Who was the last teenager to play (a lot) in the majors? I'm thinking Robin Yount. Didn't he go from playing HS ball in June to the Brewers SS in August?
Arod and King Felix got solid playing time at 19 but not full time/ full season. Gooden is another, closer to Yount.gryoung said:
nighthob said:
If, at 19, he's as good as Puig was at 21, then he's a better player than Puig. Development time takes... well... time. If he's the same player as Puig, he wouldn't be major league ready until he was 21 or so, which means very likely spending 2 years in the minors. Despite the popularity of the character, the Doctor was incorrect in describing time as "wibbly wobbly." Yoan Moncada will move through it in a linear fashion.
Edgar Renteria, Luis Castillo, Ivan Rodiguez, Adrian Beltre off the top of my head. Andruw Jones, Jr and Harper were already named. Furcal, maybe.
Going back a ways, but was Ainge close? I remember watching one BYU game when the announcers pointed out what his summer job was.bosox79 said:
Omar's Wacky Neighbor said:
Danny Ainge being in the majors at age 20 is an utter mystery to me, I've Googled it can't find anything. His minor league numbers sucked too. Best guess is that it was part of the agreement to get him to play pro baseball.
No need to Google when baseballreference exists for this specific reason.moondog80 said:
Yup, he had turned 20 just before the season started, and became the Jays everyday 2nd baseman by end of May.
moondog80 said:
moondog80 said:
Much lower offense, esp. for MI, in those days. Burleson was an all-star at SS hitting 248/295/633 in 78 (although most of his value came from D). Ainge was 6' 4", a great athlete, and in 1978 had a .533 OPS with ten doubles in AAA at age 19 then .636 in AAA the next year before (I think) going up to the majors.
Toronto was an expansion team two years before, didn't have many options, rushed Ainge but he didn't hit. Pre-arrangement or not, he was certainly likely to take NBA money if he wasn't in the majors.
Ainge wasn't a middle infielder past his rookie season. He played CF for awhile then was the Jays starting 3B prior to retiring from baseball.ji oh said:
Sports on Earth dude says the Sox have the #1 lineup headed into 2015: http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/108731352/mlb-lineups-best-in-2015-toronto-blue-jays-boston-red-sox