Hanley DFA'd (5/25 Update)

OurF'ingCity

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Hypothetically could the Sox sign him if/when he clears waivers?
Hypothetically, yes. But wouldn't that put them right back where they are now? I find it hard to believe that Hanley's contract is written in such a way that would allow the Sox to game his option like that, and even if they could I would think the union would have something to say.

Edit: Also, Hanley would have to agree to come back, which I am assuming he would have no interest in doing since (at least in his mind, I'm sure) the Sox just screwed him out of $22 million.
 

Minneapolis Millers

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I'm surprised at the timing generally, although as others noted we have a roster crunch with Pedey coming back, so it makes sense. As for the move itself, didn't we ID this as one of the logical options the team had going into the year, to avoid the 2019 year vesting? It was only complicated by the possibility that Hanley could be playing well enough that cutting him would hurt the team. Unfortunately, he's continued to be lousy, so the move makes sense now and for the future.

Still a bummer, though, that he didn't rebound. Someone will likely take a flyer on him for cheap after he passes waivers.
 

Todd Benzinger

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Hypothetically could the Sox sign him if/when he clears waivers?
Yes, technically... But that kind of makes no sense, unless Moreland broke his leg in the 10 day DFA period or something. And if they did resign him and played him a bunch, they would be creating a clubhouse, PR and legal headache over the option...

If a guy is DFA'd and clears waivers and stays with the team, it's usually because he accepts an assignment to the minors, ala Allan Craig or the previously mentioned memorial to our ex-GM in Pawtucket. In which case, they are under the same contract, but it is not on the lux cap books.
 
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RG33

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The bold and correct move by Dombrowski.

DD just went all Danny Ainge on us. These are the kinds of moves this team needs to make, no possible way they should have let that vesting option vest.

Somewhere today, IT4 softly weeps for HanRam.
 

curly2

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I’m not upset by this at all. Bogaerts to the 3 hole or Martinez?
It might take a while for Pedey to find his stroke, but when he does, how about:


Betts
Pedroia
Benintendi
Martinez
Moreland
Bogaerts
Devers
Vazquez/Leon
Bradley

Or you could do the same except swap Bogaerts and Pedey.
 

chawson

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Hopefully the saved option money goes towards retaining Kimbrel.
Or extending Mookie
Absolutely more possible.

I was researching this more deeply last winter, but the Sox expected arb increases basically negate the money saved by Kimbrel, Pom, and Kelly coming off the books.

It's hard to guess at 2019 arbitration increases (though Mookie will get a huuuuge one), but even without Hanley's 2019 option, we stand to enter next offseason with roughly the same payroll we have now.
 

Cuzittt

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What was the old Epstein 2 month quote? Something to the affect of 2 months to evaluate, 2 months to acquire, 2 months to gel.

The first 2 months are nearly done. And, the primary recipient of evaluation was Hanley. The Sox gave him every opportunity to show he was worth the option. That was likely the point of continuing to bat him 3rd.

No one.... Including Hanley... Can say that he was not given the chance to show his worth. It didn't work out.
 

Al Zarilla

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For once, having the TV on MLBNet in the bedroom while dressing paid off. Kind of cool getting news first hand, or close to it. Rarely happens for a west coaster. Unfortunately, one of my lasting memories of Hanley will be his watching JDM’s double last week that missed by inches of a home run instead of busting it with a two outs run on anything situation. I know Manny did stuff like that all the time (remember all the way back to when he played for Cleveland). But Manny hit like Miguel or Frank T so you put up with it.

Can’t say this might shake the team up because they’ve been for the most part playing very well. Maybe think a bit more on the basepaths.
 

Rovin Romine

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Yes, though they've built a memorial to his career that will be on display in Pawtucket through 2020.
Yep. Rusney goes to 2020, and Sandoval is being paid through 2019 (and a 2020 option of some kind as well.)

The main factor in the HRam DFA is the option. I'd assume there's a strong argument for the option not kicking in - otherwise they're committing to sinking $50 mil to Sandoval, Hanley, and Rusney in 2019.
 

DanoooME

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I wonder if this makes JD the full time DH now.
I'd expect the he takes most of the DH PAs, but they could now use it as a rotating spot to give guys a day off from the field. For example, let Mookie DH on a Sunday before a day off and he gets extra rest without losing his bat completely
 

curly2

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Absolutely more possible.

I was researching this more deeply last winter, but the Sox expected arb increases basically negate the money saved by Kimbrel, Pom, and Kelly coming off the books.

It's hard to guess at 2019 arbitration increases (though Mookie will get a huuuuge one), but even without Hanley's 2019 option, we stand to enter next offseason with roughly the same payroll we have now.
Is the rule still the same about an extension announced during the season not kicking in until the following season?

If so, if Mookie is going to sign long-term (after seeing what Machado and Harper get) I would think it would be announced just after the 2019 season opens, with the high AAV kicking in in 2020, when Sandoval -- finally! -- and Porcello will be off the books.
 

Buck Showalter

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Obviously it's a bold-move.

For this to work - for the remainder of the '18 season - we will need another presence in the line-up IMO.

Play-off baseball games are not generally not won by scraping walks and singles together. And right now as the roster stands, you "could" pitch around JD.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Yes, technically... But that kind of makes no sense, unless Moreland broke his leg in the 10 day DFA period or something. And if they did resign him and played him a bunch, they would be creating a clubhouse, PR and legal headache over the option...

If a guy is DFA'd and clears waivers and stays with the team, it's usually because he accepts an assignment to the minors, ala Allan Craig or the previously mentioned memorial to our ex-GM in Pawtucket. In which case, they are under the same contract, but it is not on the lux cap books.
They closed that loophole so his salary remains on the luxury tax books unless they trade him to another big league team that takes the contract on. That's a huge reason why Castillo isn't going to get called up even for a short stint...his contract sticks permanently if he's added to the 40-man, even if he's outrighted back to Pawtucket again.
 

DanoooME

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Yep. Rusney goes to 2020, and Sandoval is being paid through 2019 (and a 2020 option of some kind as well.)

The main factor in the HRam DFA is the option. I'd assume there's a strong argument for the option not kicking in - otherwise they're committing to sinking $50 mil to Sandoval, Hanley, and Rusney in 2019.
Pablo in 2020 is the buyout on his team option.
 

chawson

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I'd expect the he takes most of the DH PAs, but they could now use it as a rotating spot to give guys a day off from the field. For example, let Mookie DH on a Sunday before a day off and he gets extra rest without losing his bat completely
I expect this too, but Sox hitters have a collective 77 wRC+ against left-handed pitching (28th in MLB), and that's worse without Hanley, who had a 132 wRC+ this year. I imagine someone will be brought in for this.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Obviously it's a bold-move.

For this to work - for the remainder of the '18 season - we will need another presence in the line-up IMO.

Play-off baseball games are not generally not won by scraping walks and singles together. And right now as the roster stands, you "could" pitch around JD.
Hanley was hitting in front of Martinez, so I'm not sure how losing him changes the equation in terms of "protecting" Martinez.
 

Ale Xander

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WTFFFF

Count me against this move if there's any chance he's picked up, doubly so Cleve or Hou or LAA, triply so if MFY.

Is John Henry that cheap?
 

JimD

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The bold and correct move by Dombrowski.

DD just went all Danny Ainge on us. These are the kinds of moves this team needs to make, no possible way they should have let that vesting option vest.
This. The 'why now' is pretty evident, in my opinion - the timing was perfect (Pedey out to start the year, Hanley given many opportunities by Cora to sho he can still hit, he doesn't hit, rest of 1B/DH players healthy). He had his chance and couldn't cash it in.

Can’t say this might shake the team up because they’ve been for the most part playing very well. Maybe think a bit more on the basepaths.
I wonder if a younger team like the Sox might be less bothered by this than an older veteran team would be - how many of them were looking at Swihart being nailed to the bench with few opportunities to play, while Hanley gets the starting nod over and over again over a better hitter like Moreland, and wondered 'WTF?'.
 

Ale Xander

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Then again, when stiffs like Vasquez had a Gnome Day, and Hanram didn't have a 2018 collectible Day, this is to be expected.

I'm so mad I don;t know what year it is
 
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pk1627

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I think the decision was that Moreland won the job, and the cost of Hanley on the bench dwarfed any benefit.

I’ll credit TKAA for this: hopefully this move results in an extension for one of the kids.
 

Marbleheader

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Cherington will always have the 2012-13 offseason. After that, good lord. Pablo, Hanley, Rusney, Trey Ball at 7 overall, the Lester non-contract, the Lackey trade...gross.
 

grimshaw

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Curious what the clubhouse reaction will be.

I thought this was going to happen before the season started, but this was the best way for them to handle it. They gave him all sorts of time and no f'ing with his playing time.

I wonder if they'll try JDM at first vs. lefties.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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WTFFFF

Count me against this move if there's any chance he's picked up, doubly so Cleve or Hou or LAA, triply so if MFY.

Is John Henry that cheap?
Cheap? He's paying Hanley $22M to play elsewhere (or not at all). Hardly what I'd call cheap.

As for Hanley moving on to another team and "haunting" the Red Sox...as others have pointed out, the Yankees have no use for him. Nor do the Indians (they're all set at 1B and DH). The Astros and Angels have those positions covered as well. Even Seattle is good with what they have. At least, Hanley isn't really an upgrade for any of those teams.
 

Rasputin

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Something must have happened besides his recent hitting woes
I don't think so.

He's not performing now.

He has a recent history of not performing.

He's old enough that the most likely cause of his non-performance is age related decline.

There's a better option already on the roster.

If he were making three million with no option to vest, we wouldn't be surprised at this.

The only reason we are surprised is that they're paying him a ton of money. When you consider the vesting option there's every reason to make this move.

There's no need for further explanations. There might be one, but everything we already know is enough to make this the right decision.
 

Rasputin

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This is a good move. The team is a lot better with Martinez at DH and Bradley in the OF, even when he's struggling with the bat.

That said, it's pretty weird to DFA your #3 hitter. I think that's what's fueling the concern that Cora and Dombrowski aren't on the same page.
If you look at it as Cora giving him every chance to prove himself before the hammer came down, it kinda makes sense.
 

Rovin Romine

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I forgot about Masterson.

Fuck all the moves by Cherington in 2014
He's such a mixed bag.
2012 - Valentine Disaster, last place finish + Punto Trade.
2013 - WS, Farrell's first year, crap draft, signed Devers.
2014 - regression/hang-over, last place finish, crap draft, signed Moncada.
2015 - FA blunders, last place finish, drafted Benintendi.
 

foulkehampshire

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Cherington will always have the 2012-13 offseason. After that, good lord. Pablo, Hanley, Rusney, Trey Ball at 7 overall, the Lester non-contract, the Lackey trade...gross.
The Hanley/Sandoval positional logjam pretty much forced that Shaw trade as well.

Can't say I was a huge believer in Shaw but boy does it hurt now.
 

curly2

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He's such a mixed bag.
2012 - Valentine Disaster, last place finish + Punto Trade.
2013 - WS, Farrell's first year, crap draft, signed Devers.
2014 - regression/hang-over, last place finish, crap draft, signed Moncada.
2015 - FA blunders, last place finish, drafted Benintendi.
Don't want to derail the thread too much -- and I think he sometimes has ALL the bad moves blamed on him too much -- but I think Valentine was Lucchino's call. And the lowball offer to Lester may have been him too.
 

Ale Xander

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I'm surprised at the timing generally, although as others noted we have a roster crunch with Pedey coming back, so it makes sense. As for the move itself, didn't we ID this as one of the logical options the team had going into the year, to avoid the 2019 year vesting? It was only complicated by the possibility that Hanley could be playing well enough that cutting him would hurt the team. Unfortunately, he's continued to be lousy, so the move makes sense now and for the future.

Still a bummer, though, that he didn't rebound. Someone will likely take a flyer on him for cheap after he passes waivers.
Surprised at the timing?
Friday before a holiday weekend, with all the town attention on the Celtics and Patriots?
 

Adrian's Dome

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As a Cherington hater since Day 1, I finally feel somewhat vindicated, even if the payroll's still taking it.

Man, those 2014 moves. Easy to forget on top of the other commentary he paid Masterson the same AAV Andrew Miller got.