Miller's agent says his client wants to close next year, so he is probably off the shopping list for the time being.
Danny_Darwin said:Miller's agent says his client wants to close next year, so he is probably off the shopping list for the time being.
someoneanywhere said:
That's not what he said.
He said: "For us, there are no demands or expectations on what role it's going to be,'' Rodgers said. "A team that signs Andrew Miller is a team that has put a premium on its bullpen -- because no matter how the bullpen is, he's going to make it better.''
What he means is: My client expects to be paid like a closer whether he closes or not.
"I think Andrew's evolution in the bullpen and his numbers this year fortify the belief in baseball that he's a closer-in-waiting -- and maybe the time for waiting is over,'' Rodgers said Tuesday from the MLB general managers' meetings.
The bolded is interesting. It seems that whoever signs him is banking on that being the real Pablo Sandoval for the foreseeable future. Was there some kind of adjustment made? Or, could it be that the reason for the apparent "decline" is really just the effects of two hamate bone injuries; isn't it true that some players take a while to fully recover from those, to the extent that the following season can be an "off-year?" If so, then maybe that's answer to the "What am I missing here?" question about the Sox seeming interest in betting $100 million on this acquisition.KillerBs said:You certainly cant discount his post season production. Adding in his 2014 post season his 2014 slash line goes from 324/415/739 to 333/420/753, ie a near insignificant decline from his 2013 OPS of 758.
Add in his Ortizian 2012 post season, and his regular season 342/447/789 becomes 349/481/830.
Also his production from around mid May 2014 to the end of the year (including post season) makes me doubt that he is already in a steep decline. In his last 137 games of the year, his BA was .315 and he OPS'd in excess of 800.
That's pretty similar to what I offered as a projected roster last week, hoping SP2 would be Cueto.KillerBs said:Sandoval does go opposite field as a LHB frequently. Maybe the Sox think he is unusually well-suited for Fenway too.
One obvious option for the off-season, which would suit me fine: Sign Pablo, Hundley and Lester, deal Cespedes (and Ranaudo or Webster (plus Marrero, Margot or Coyle etc if need be for the right guy)) for the best SP you can get.
1. Betts 9
2. Pedroia 4
3. Ortiz
4. Napoli 3
5. Sandoval 5
6. Bogaerts 6
7. Nava 7
8. Castillo 8
9. Vazquez 2
Bench -- Hundley, Holt, Victorino, Craig
Lester, SP2, Buchholz, Kelly, RDLR.
Uehara, Tazawa, Mujica, Barnes, Webster, Wright, Layne
I had been wondering, now that they have realized the 2014 revenue sharing windfall, if they would be hyper aggressive this offseason. This is the first validation that position my be so.Clears Cleaver said:Sounds like some FAs may be visiting Boston. Sox willing to set market. Tenor seems to be Sox are going to be very aggressive. At least according to Gordon Edes. Lester. Etc
Did any of the writers mention any names connected to the Red Sox that haven't been rumored or reported? Anything outside the box?Clears Cleaver said:Sounds like some FAs may be visiting Boston. Sox willing to set market. Tenor seems to be Sox are going to be very aggressive. At least according to Gordon Edes. Lester. Etc
No. Lester. Sandoval. And I'm not sure cherington mentioned them by name. Doesn't sound like anything is imminent but parameters being set on guys they like. And coming 40 man glut means trades are likely. Nothing we hadn't heard before.RedOctober3829 said:Did any of the writers mention any names connected to the Red Sox that haven't been rumored or reported? Anything outside the box?
Why are you still using Tapatalk? Download the SoSH app, it's a million times better.CaskNFappin said:I'm on the Tapatalk App....I'd be happy for a tutorial.
Been seeing Ross as that solid #2 starter. Ground ball machine, and the issue for the Pads is numbers, in that they need a volume of prospects, as much as they need premier prospects.CaskNFappin said:<a class='bbc_url' href='http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2014/11/12/7205285/padres-will-listen-on-pitchers-ian-kennedy-andrew-cashner-tyson-ross'>http://www.mlbdailydish.com/2014/11/12/7205285/padres-will-listen-on-pitchers-ian-kennedy-andrew-cashner-tyson-ross</a><br />
<br />
Ross and Cashner are very enticing. Padres are looking for hitting....
Agreed, SoSH app works great.rodderick said:Why are you still using Tapatalk? Download the SoSH app, it's a million times better.
http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/post/_/id/41113/other-teams-say-sox-would-deal-cespedes
Despite GM Ben Cherington’s comments that he views Yoenis Cespedes as a key component of Boston’s 2015 lineup, executives with other clubs said that the Red Sox have made it clear to teams they would be willing to move him. One executive said he would be “shocked” if the Sox don’t trade Cespedes by Christmas.
“He’ll hit home runs in Boston,” one evaluator said, “but he played below-average defense in left field at Fenway and would be worse in right field. He has poor plate discipline and doesn’t seem as motivated as when he first arrived. And with next year his walk year, it will all be about Yoenis Cespedes, not the Red Sox.”
Cespedes swung at 38.7 percent of the pitches he saw out of the strike zone in 2014, the highest percentage of his career, according to Fangraphs.com.
Cespedes will have a market as soon as Tomas signs. No one is going to trade for Cespedes until they know what Tomas costs.cahlton said:
Apparently him and Chili Davis have a great relationship. Wouldn't be stunned if Cespedes stayed. It feels like the Boston media just wants him gone because he was traded for Jon Lester.Papelbon's Poutine said:If next year is "all about Yoenis Cespedes", then it seems like he would be somewhat motivated next season, no?
One would think, and a highly motivated Yoenis Cespedes when looking to prove himself in the majors posted an .861 OPS, since then he's hovered in the mid-.700's. I'd love to see what a self-motivated Cespedes could do in Fenway.Papelbon's Poutine said:If next year is "all about Yoenis Cespedes", then it seems like he would be somewhat motivated next season, no?
Doesn't hold water. LF in Fenway plays against Cespedes' strengths as a fielder. RF is just the opposite. He's got wheels, he's got a rocket arm, he just isn't that good at reading and reacting. He needs a spacious corner OF job to roam in. That's someone looking to downplay his value if I've ever seen it.but he played below-average defense in left field at Fenway and would be worse in right field.
Tyrone Biggums said:Apparently him and Chili Davis have a great relationship. Wouldn't be stunned if Cespedes stayed. It feels like the Boston media just wants him gone because he was traded for Jon Lester.
Well, first you'd have to assume that all 6 go into the season healthy. A big question in and of itself given the health concerns of Craig and Victorino.KillerBs said:So which of 6 OFers are off the 25 man and how. The Cespedes trade talk is being driven by need to lose an OF i think.
Drek717 said:They'll keep Cespedes unless someone offers good value for him, he's a valuable player and lets say they sign Sandoval, a lineup of this:
Betts
Pedroia
Ortiz
Napoli
Sandoval
Cespedes
Bogaerts
Vazquez
Castillo
Looks pretty good.
Drek717 said:
Looks pretty good.
With Nava on the bench and a guy like Avila (reported interest) splitting time with Vazquez, it could work.nvalvo said:
Betts RHH
Pedroia RHH
Ortiz LHH
Napoli RHH
Sandoval SH, better LH
Cespedes RHH
Bogaerts RHH
Vazquez RHH
Castillo RHH
Six righties in a row is hard to stomach, even if not all of them have big splits.
Yup. Reminds me of the depth and versatility that the 2013 Red Sox were built around. A deep lineup filled with multi-talented players and few one trick ponies.ivanvamp said:
That would be a very nice lineup. Speed (Betts/Castillo/Pedroia). Power (Ortiz/Napoli/Sandoval/Cespedes). Pretty solid up the middle defensively (Castillo/Pedroia/Vazquez). IF defense should be nice.
Then go after Lester and make a deal for a Cueto and suddenly that team is absolutely a top contender for the AL pennant.
Drek717 said:One would think, and a highly motivated Yoenis Cespedes when looking to prove himself in the majors posted an .861 OPS, since then he's hovered in the mid-.700's. I'd love to see what a self-motivated Cespedes could do in Fenway.
Also, this statement from Edes source:
Doesn't hold water. LF in Fenway plays against Cespedes' strengths as a fielder. RF is just the opposite. He's got wheels, he's got a rocket arm, he just isn't that good at reading and reacting. He needs a spacious corner OF job to roam in. That's someone looking to downplay his value if I've ever seen it.
Except, if he's traded, the chances of him being extended probably go up.MakMan44 said:They is no chance they trade for Heyward when they should be able to just sign him next offseason.
Why did they trade for Cespedes then?MakMan44 said:They is no chance they trade for Heyward when they should be able to just sign him next offseason.
Because we really weren't giving up anything for Cespedes.grimshaw said:Why did they trade for Cespedes then?
And we don't really know what the Braves are looking for either. If he's a year out from free agency it shouldn't be anything the Red Sox can't bear to part with. They can put a QO on him at the very worst in 2015. He's in his age 26 season and a 5 win player. Worth rolling the dice on.BornToRun said:Because we really weren't giving up anything for Cespedes.
They'll likely have at least two positions (corner OF and 1B) as well as a partial position (Vaz and Swihart at C) where they can get more left handed next off-season. I'd rather take quality players over LRLR lineup construction when given either/or choices, and that is what this off-season really amounts to.nvalvo said:
Betts RHH
Pedroia RHH
Ortiz LHH
Napoli RHH
Sandoval SH, better LH
Cespedes RHH
Bogaerts RHH
Vazquez RHH
Castillo RHH
Six righties in a row is hard to stomach, even if not all of them have big splits.
I'd want to see that before believing it. In a lot of ways Fenway's RF pairs well with his skill set. He's fast and he's got a strong arm, he takes mediocre reads to be sure, but once he gets after it he runs down a lot of balls.Harry Hooper said:
Cespedes in Fenway's RF would be turning should-be outs into doubles and triples.
It makes NO sense for the Braves to trade him now when they're still trying to compete. I could maybe see it at midseason, if they're out of it, but by then, Heyward's not taking an extension.Snodgrass'Muff said:Except, if he's traded, the chances of him being extended probably go up.
Exactly. It'll take a whole lot more than a half year of Lester in a lost season to get Heyward.BornToRun said:Because we really weren't giving up anything for Cespedes.
BornToRun said:Because we really weren't giving up anything for Cespedes.
Ben chose Cespedes because he wanted to retool the offense. If he wanted prospects, he could have had prospects.Hendu for Kutch said:
I feel like this is a good spot for the "Not sure if serious" Joker meme to go, but I'll press on in the assumption that this is serious.
Of course we gave up something for Cespedes. You can say losing Lester doesn't hurt at all for the next season since he was a free agent, but losing out on the prospect haul he would have brought sure does. There was an opportunity cost to acquiring Cespedes.
MakMan44 said:Ben chose Cespedes because he wanted to retool the offense. If he wanted prospects, he could have had prospects.
In Heyward's case, you're going to be moving at least one good prospect, probably top 10, maybe top 5. I don't see the gap between Cespedes and Heyward as being so large that it's worth shuffling all the chairs and giving up the package the Braves would want because they're planning on competing next season. I'm not saying it's not worth exploring, I'm just saying that, realistically, it makes more sense to play out the season with what you have (because it's pretty good) and going after Heyward HARD in FA.
Check my post above. There's a chance that happens but, IMO, it's pretty remote.moondog80 said:
The risk is that someone else trades for Heyward and signs him. If they've identified Heyward as a primary target, start kicking the tires now.
jimbobim said:Newly hired John Hart has been on MLB Network frequently the last couple of days and message sure seems to be they're open to dealing Heyward or J Upton if the right kind of opportunity comes along. They desperately want to unload B.J but I doubt someone swallows that pill.
I would rather have Heyward over Cespedes long term and they are both FA's after next year. Perhaps a three team trade could work for the Braves Red Sox and Reds
Red Sox
Heyward
Reds
Cespedes
one of our young left handers or de la rosa ?
Braves
Simon
Leake
Braves get pitching which they sorely need. Reds get Cespedes in a park and division where he could dominate in a year they are going for it with Cueto and host the AS game. On top of that they get a controllable pitcher to mitigate the loss of two starters they trade. Just a framework but I would be creative to get Heyward's glove work in right. I also think his bat is going to improve.
Edit
more summarily a collection of flawed but talented players where the new teams get to decide how they want to approach looking long term