No worries as I wasn't sure how clear I was. Saul Goodman. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Offseason rumors
- Thread starter opes
- Start date
- Status
If they're going after German they might as well sign Bauer and Urias and go all in on pieces of $%#&.
Not a rumor, but something to keep in mind, from Rosenthal:
Boras represents the top four remaining free agents in The Athletic’s Top 40 Big Board — center fielder Cody Bellinger, left-handers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery and third baseman Matt Chapman. He also represents the two pitchers most in demand on the trade market — White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease and Brewers righty Corbin Burnes.
Boras represents the top four remaining free agents in The Athletic’s Top 40 Big Board — center fielder Cody Bellinger, left-handers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery and third baseman Matt Chapman. He also represents the two pitchers most in demand on the trade market — White Sox right-hander Dylan Cease and Brewers righty Corbin Burnes.
And hopefully the Red Sox aren't in on any of them. Bellinger is not a need at what he'll get, JM will be payed like an ace while he is more like a #3 SP on a good team, Snell walked 100 dudes last year, gets hurt and comes with a QO, and Chapman has a great glove, but his bat was pretty awful for the majority of last season. I like Burnes better than Cease, but Boras is known for taking his guys to free agency, so to me the prospect cost for possibly a year of him will be too great. I'd much rather see them sign two of Imanaga, Giolito, Stroman, re-sign Duvall, then get creative on a trade for a 2B, with Houck, Crawford, Yorke, Dalbec all on the table.
I like Craeford a very serviceable 4 or 5 starter and IMO better than Houck.
Both guys are worth keeping to work with Bailey. Because they each carry the possibility of being decent mid rotation starters with some tweaks.
They are also cost controlled, which has value to small market teams or ones looking to shed payroll. You have to give quality to get something in return and they are potential trade chips. There is some redundancy in a bunch of the Red Sox potential mid to back of the rotation starters/multi-inning relievers. Houck, Crawford, Pivetta, Winkowski, Whitlock, Murphy, Walter..If Breslow follows thru on adding 2 SP as has been the stated need, there may not be room for them all. Identify the ones you think Bailey has the best chance to get to the next level. Maybe those are the same guys other teams want, or maybe other teams see something in a guy(s) that we deem expendable at the right return.
This is why I'm not sold on buying the Montgomery / Stroman aisle. We already have a bunch of guys who I'm reasonably confident can get us average innings at minimal cost. I don't see why we should pay 9 figures or close to it for somewhat above average. If we're going to pay big money for a free agent pitcher I want a star. I thought whoever runs Red Sox Stats on twitter put this well the other day:
View: https://twitter.com/redsoxstats/status/1736797474067492989
Stroman produced 0.3 more WAR than Crawford last year, and Kutter had a better xERA than Montgomery, who of course had a much better defense behind him.
I want to add somebody who could really make a difference, at least in terms of upside: Snell but only if the cost doesn't get out of control, Kershaw for a half season and beyond, Luzardo, Cease, Burns, etc etc. I think Edward Cabrera would be an interesting add if you believe in Bailey, maybe get in on the ground floor with someone before they become a star rather than after. This team has too much average.
Looks like we added another catcher to a minor league contract - Mark Kolozsvary -
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/12/red-sox-sign-mark-kolozsvary-to-minor-league-deal.html
https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2023/12/red-sox-sign-mark-kolozsvary-to-minor-league-deal.html
Feels like there has been a lot of movement of pitchers and catchers ‘on the margins’ so to speak: rule 5, AAA, etc.
Maybe these, and other similar moves, just went under my radar in years past but it looks like Breslow is building up a new infrastructure around the battery quite systematically. Godspeed.
If there is a trade for a top of the rotation guy, there had better be an extension that goes with it.
So you’re giving up one bonafide top 25 prospect (Mayer), a high-upside fringey top 100 teenager coming off a lost season (Bleis), and a 27 year old outfielder that finally broke out with a 2 month hot streak fueled by a .400 BABIP (Duran).
In return you get a 26 year old starter with a 3.40 FIP in his last 50 starts with elite K% and not too shabby BB%. And he’s not a free agent until 2026-2027.
Seems to me like the exact kind of situation where I’d be OK with trading Mayer.
I think it would be a different third player (lower rated than Bleis) involved. Maybe Nathan Hickey and another prospect in that range?
We were saying last season that they needed a third string catcher who could be parked at Worcester. Aquaman was only a catcher in the sense that pitches didn't usually go to the backstop.
I’m not even against moving Mayer for Luzardo. I just think packaging him along side major league contributors is foolish.
I have zero interest in Stroman, and really little to none in Montgomery. They need an ace and neither of these guys tick that box. Not sure who is really available via trade, but they need to find something. Tired of this team acting like a small market team that does little to nothing year after year to improve themselves.
Stroman isn’t top of anything. Either would be fine as an addition, but if signing one of those two guys is “full throttle” then I think the Sox ownership needs to rethink what their plan actually is.
In fact it was great but not otherworldly Derek Lowe that ‘became the first pitcher in history to earn the win in three series-clinching games in the same postseason’.
I don’t know much about Luzardo, except he now gets mentioned a lot (I’m not sure if it’s just you, or a couple posters).
Just a look at a baseball reference and Wikipedia pages has some big questions for me - this is a pitcher who is already arbitration eligible this year, had a huge innings spike last year, from 112 to 178 2/3, and had two shoulder-related issues (rotator cuff and lat strain in 2019) and forearm in 2022.
I’d want to see him on someone else’s prospect dollar this year, much less for Mayer, much less for that package of Mayer plus.
Do you have reason to believe Luzardo is likely to reproduce last year, or could he just be the player he was in prior years?
Also, I feel compelled to remind people, this “Ace” narrative is fools gold.
The fatal flaw with the 2023 team wasn’t their top end pitching, it was their bottom end pitching, which was simply horrific. Getting legit starters pushing out the bottom level pitching would go a very long way, whether you consider them an “ace” or not.
That and the defense simply doesn’t get enough blame. Must be addressed
id love to see something bold but smart
what if you could acquire Chapman, move raffy to first and move casas to dh…isn’t the team suddenly much much better?
I feel like they need to shake some things up wrt to the defense which was garbage
I think it's still too early to give up on any of Casas/Devers/Yoshida on defense, especially given the new management, for a guy like Chapman who seems to be declining and costs a QO pick. There's a good chance at least one of them could improve substantially next year, and having having good D at SS and 2B (assuming an acquisition there) is going to make for a substantially different defensive picture compared to 2023.
Wouldn’t mind it on a one year deal, but think there’s better options out there for similar money.
In hindsight, I vastly preferred it when there weren’t actual rumors in this thread.
I like the Paxton idea. He had a solid stretch of brilliance before, predictably, tiring out after a herculean stretch of rehab but no MLB pitching. If his offseason habits have been good, we could see more of the good James Paxton. I have no interest in paying a prospect premium for a year of Burnes. I'm not familiar enough with Luzardo, but people here have raised subtle questions about his track record—enough to make me want to hold onto Mayer/Teel/Anthony and company.
If Story is all glove, no hit, we'll be looking for a different MI composition sooner rather than later, and there's a big chance of dealer's remorse if Mayer has gone, Rafaela is still swinging from his heels, and Valdez is cuffing routine plays. Pablo Reyes is an easy guy to be rooting for, but I'm less sure about actually relying on him.
Stroman has pitched for seemingly 22 different teams and whispers about his clubhouse presence begin to suggest why he's always on the move despite good—even occasionally electric—stuff.
Idling so long at the mercy of YY has just about killed full throttle, but we can still avoid any potentially dangerous maneuvering with the choke.
Give me Paxton and give me Imanaga. Rework his pitch-mix to anticipate the bigger boppers of MLB, and let him paint away. His control looks outstanding, but in Fenway and most places, he'll need to minimize his reliance on a middling fastball that catches too much plate inside to righties.
Yes, we'll be lefty heavy but maybe Fitts forces his way into the 2nd half rotation picture, enough that Whitlock and Houck can find their best roles without too much pressure on them. The gathering glut of OF options portends a deal—may it be a difference-maker.
I would prefer Giolito, even though it would cost more probably. He’s younger and has stayed healthy, which I think if crucial for this rotation. I think he will have a bounce back year, probably not back to his numbers from a few years ago, but would be a great #3 or #4 option.
I don’t think Giolito would cost all that much more and I think it’d be a better fit. He’s healthy younger and I think is going to have a bounce back year. I would even prefer Kershaw on a one year deal. Not a whole lot of guys left but I don’t like the injury issues with Paxton and this rotation desperately needs continuity.
SI had something about the Marlins trading BOTH Edward Cabrera and Jesus Luzardo to Boston. Now this is something that would be an amazing get. Not sure why Miami would do this, but it’s interesting.
It would probably cost 2 or 3 of our top 5 prospects to get this done, unfortunately.
Thrity five year old Kershaw is recovering from shoulder surgery. I'm not sure what his time table is.
I don’t know that this is unfortunate. It’s just what something like this would likely cost.
Sort of interesting to think about, as unlikely as it is.
E Cabrera AND Luzardo? Tasty. But there’s injury risk (of course, with what pitcher is there not?)
Those would be some excellent arms in the Sox rotation.
Of course, the poorer D and better hitting ballpark would also affect their numbers..
but as stated, why would Miami do this, I dunno.
Those would be some excellent arms in the Sox rotation.
Of course, the poorer D and better hitting ballpark would also affect their numbers..
but as stated, why would Miami do this, I dunno.
I understand the cost, but I think sometimes these guys are overvalued based on controllable years rather than actual results. I’m not as big on Luzardo as many just because he was so terrible early in his career and really has only one full year of success. I really like Cabrera and would probably prefer just trading for him individually if he was made available. Just not sure I could justify trading our future SS, C, and OF for two guys that’ll probably be around a 4.00 ERA.
You want the guy fresh off of shoulder surgery who may not start the season vs the guy who looks like he'll be good to start and at a lesser cost? Personally I don't want either because neither one IMO fills the need of a top of the rotation type.
I wouldn’t give up 3 of the top 5, but I’d move 2 and someone else for them. Bello/Luzardo/Cabrera is rather appealing.
I probably would too, although I can’t say I really know what to think of Luzardo
I did read your post, in fact I read all of them pertaining to Kershaw. You brought him up as a choice over Paxton, I questioned it.
Regarding Kershaw. What makes anyone thing Kershaw would be interested in leaving LA for Boston. Texas is his home so maybe.
No chance he comes to Boston. None chance.
No chance he comes to Boston. None chance.
25 year old who put up ERA+ of 125 last year and a K/9 over 10. What’s not to like?
For comparison Montgomery has has a better ERA+ once, and it was last year, and he’s 30+ and doesn’t strike out guys like that.
- Status