191 replies to this topic

[RedOctober3829]

nick punto agrees to #redsox deal

The new Lowrie?

https://twitter.com/?lang=en&logged_out=1#!/JonHeymanCBS/status/147052544500318208

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

Ugh. The only good offensive season he's ever had was this year. He was a terrible hitter in Minnesota.

Can play 3 or 4 positions but can't hit in any of them.

[NomarRS05]

Paging Foulkey Reese...

[SoxScout]

I'm already sick of "intangibles" talk.

[jsinger121]

JonHeymanCBS

hearing punto will get about $3.5M for 2 years from boston.

[mikeford]

TWO YEARS?

Someone put Foulkey on suicide watch.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

It's like Cafardo's the new GM.

[TheYellowDart5]

A two-year deal for one of the worst offensive players in baseball and someone who is thoroughly fungible?

This offseason continues to underwhelm in an unbelievable way.

[Foulkey Reese]

Christmas is ruined. I hate God.

[ElcaballitoMVP]

Glad we opened up a spot on the 40 man roster for...Nick Punto?

Good late inning defensive replacement at SS or 3B, I guess. Another "meh" move.

Edit: Jebus, a 2 year deal? We had to guarantee him a 2nd year? This offseason sucks.

Edited by ElcaballitoMVP, 14 December 2011 - 03:47 PM.

[Laser Show]

I thought we just traded Lowrie because (among other factors) we had a utility infielder surplus.

I guess the positional flexibility is nice, but I don't like this signing.

[TomRicardo]

SJH screams "AT LEAST IT ISN'T LOWRIE" then hums to himself

Flashforward six months:

"PUNTOOOOOOOOOO" SJH rips off his shirt and kills three neighborhood children until he is finally put down.

[Snodgrass'Muff]

This offseason continues to underwhelm in an unbelievable way.

I almost want to stop following news on the team until March. There hasn't been a single bit of truly good news. The best thing we've had happen is learning that Papi will be back so the offense shouldn't be much different than last year, but at 14+ million with a payroll crunch going on, that good news is tempered a bit.

If they won the bidding on Darvish it'll lighten my mood significantly, but I'm not holding my breath there.

[MannysDestination]

This is not a signing for a starting gig... right?

[RedOctober3829]

2000 innings each at 3 positions. Career UZR numbers are 6.9 at 2B, 19.0 at 3B, and 18.1 at SS. Career Defensive Runs Saved are 17 at 2B, 36 at 3B, and 14 at SS. Looks to be a solid late-inning defensive replacement. He won't be starting at any position unless Scutaro or Youkilis gets traded, so let's not freak out about Punto.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

SJH screams "AT LEAST IT ISN'T LOWRIE" then hums to himself

Flashforward six months:

"PUNTOOOOOOOOOO" SJH rips off his shirt and kills three neighborhood children until he is finally put down.

Dude, I'm happy Lowrie is gone but I in NO WAY wanted his roster spot to replaced by Nick Fucking Punto.

My God. This guy sucks in every way. What a terrible signing. Ben really meant it that he was going to sign players who looked like they cared, eh? Never mind that whole "being good at baseball" thing.

Bring on Eckstein! Why not? Complete the cycle of shitty players who get dirty and crap.

[Laser Show]

I almost want to stop following news on the team until March. There hasn't been a single bit of truly good news. The best thing we've had happen is learning that Papi will be back so the offense shouldn't be much different than last year, but at 14+ million with a payroll crunch going on, that good news is tempered a bit.

If they won the bidding on Darvish it'll lighten my mood significantly, but I'm not holding my breath there.

This is what really bothers me about the signing. We've got a big payroll crunch, but we can still spend 1.75 million AAV on Nick Punto? What?

EDIT: I does mathz good

Edited by Laser Show, 14 December 2011 - 04:24 PM.

[Hendu's Gait]

Has designated fielder become an official MLB position?

And he doesn't bring Duncan or La Russa (neither Tony nor Lorusso Cucina's Mushroom trio appetizer) with him.

LS, it's 1.75 if my math is right.

Edited by Hendu's Gait, 14 December 2011 - 03:50 PM.

[NomarRS05]

Can't wait until the second season of this deal when Punto is 36.

[drleather2001]

Oh fuck me.

I made fun of him for two years in Minnesota because he sucked and played "In the Air Tonight" as his batting song.

Least favorite player.

[jsinger121]

JonHeymanCBS

punto deal is $3M guaranteed plus 500 grand in incentives. sounds like a lot. but guy is a winner. #redsox

[Bucknahs Bum Ankle]

HOAX? Pretty please!

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

A winner? Yeah, I guess he won the life lottery. He's terrible at baseball yet will make millions.

Another example of Eckstein Syndrome at work.

[Jack Sox]

I like the move, he pretty clearly adds some versatility off of the bench along with solid D. I wouldn't be shocked if Bobby V pushed for this signing.

[judyb]

This is not a signing for a starting gig... right?

Of course not, at least not until they trade Pedroia for the real closer.

[kazuneko]

Two years $3.5 million? For a guy who a season ago would have been the type you might offer a minor league deal to..
So he has the first productive 133 ABs of his career (at age 34) and all of a sudden he's worth a multi-year deal?
The only way 2011 wasn't a fluke is if he's somehow found a way around the steroids test...
Not the type of move that really matters, but pretty odd use of resources for a team that says its broke..

[dbn]

His baseball reference page sponsor:

Vegetarian Piranha: The Story of Nick Punto sponsor(s) this page.

Follow along with the original M&M Boy and track a $4 million year of 240 foot pop-ups, missed sacrifice bunts, booted grounders and errant throws. Minnesota Twins! Get to know 'em!

Edited by dbn, 14 December 2011 - 03:56 PM.

[Corsi]

Dustin Pedroia on WEEI discussing his newest teammate Nick Punto: He's a winning player. That's a huge pickup for us.

https://twitter.com/#!/WEEI/status/147056546159923200

[Lose Remerswaal]

Easy name to make jokes about. That's about all I got.

[Smiling Joe Hesketh]

https://twitter.com/#!/WEEI/status/147056546159923200

What the hell does "winning player" even mean? His postseason hitting line is .214/.328/.232. He's been in the playoffs three times, twice with the Twins where they got ushered out in the first round both times, and this year with the cardinals where he hit TERRIBLY in each of the three postseason series, contributing almost nothing to the WS win. It's nonsense, unless it's codespeak for "Small white dude with no obvious baseball skills."

[Rough Carrigan]

Are you shitting me? This guy is the kind of player I've laughed at teams like the Twins and Angels obsessing over. What does this guy bring to the table that Mike Aviles doesn't and that requires the Sox to give him $3.5 million to provide?! Are they really going to dole out the last few millions of bucks under the luxury tax threshold to the likes of Nick freaking Pendejo?!

[CaptainLaddie]

[E5 Yaz]

Bobby Valentine likes bunting

[greek_gawd_of_walks]

Valentine will exchange the DH for the Designated Sacrificer, and Punto will not record an official AB all year. Nick will official change his name to Bunto.

And I thought giving Mike Cameron a 2 year deal was asinine...

Edited by greek_gawd_of_walks, 14 December 2011 - 04:07 PM.

[SeanBerry]

This is what I imagined life would be like if Larry Lucchino ran the Red Sox.

Bobby Valentine as manager. Signing guys like Nick Punto.

[rembrat]

Worst day ever. Darvish to the Yankees and I murder someone.

[Bucknahs Bum Ankle]

It's like they're making moves now based solely on how much it will piss off SoSH. OK Ben, you've proved it, you're not a Theo clone. We believe you!

[Harry Hooper]

A two-year deal to a guy who by all rights should be scrapping with ST invitees to earn that 25th roster spot?

It's puke-tastic.

[Rudy Pemberton]

Anytime you can give a 2 year deal to a 34-year old with a 249 / 325 / 327 career line, you do it.

Was Alex Cora not available? this reminds me of the sox singing mark lemke, another proven winner, back in the day.

Miller, Shoppach, Punto, Melancon. A hell of a week.

Edited by Rudy Pemberton, 14 December 2011 - 04:17 PM.

[TomRicardo]

[EP Sox Fan]

Nothing says Hot Stove excitement like Melancon and Punto. My initial reaction was visceral as well. However, Fangraphs had an interesting perspective on Punto's role on a contender. His last decent offensive season was 2008 when he had a LD% of 20%, OPS of .726 (but with a BABIP of .335) and good defense at multiple positions. In a nutshell, it's okay if he's a role player, occasional fill-in, late inning replacement etc. Look at it this way, if he's getting more than 200ABs, the season's probably in the tank anyway due to injuries.

That got me off the ledge a bit. The window is still open though.

[rembrat]

Not pictured: LL with his hand up Cherington's butt.

[glennhoffmania]

I'm staying optimistic. Last year was the "Best Offseason Ever"™ and look what happened. This might end up being the worst offseason ever, so the opposite result must occur.

[kazuneko]

I would have been against a signing him for the minimum..
A contract like this implies you're going to get playing time. This means there are gonna be plenty of days when Aviles' far superior bat is sitting on the bench watching Punto swing like a pitcher...
Jeez...If Cherington keeps on making boneheaded moves like this maybe Theo will finally realize his value and send us Garza..

Edited by kazuneko, 14 December 2011 - 04:10 PM.

[mikeford]

Anytime you can give a 2 year deal to a 34-year old with a 249 / 325 / 327 career line, you do it.

Was Alex Cora not available?

Alex Cora was probably smart enough to avoid a team with Bobby V as manager.

[RedOctober3829]

I would have been against a signing him for the minimum..
A contract like this implies you're going to get playing time. This means there are gonna be plenty of days when Aviles' far superior bat is sitting on the bench watching Punto swing like a pitcher...
Jeez...If Cherington keeps on making boneheaded moves like this maybe Theo will finally realize his value and send us Garza..

With Aviles playing RF in the Puerto Rican winter league, it would suggest to me that they could be looking at Aviles for a 4th-5th OF job(who also can play in the IF). Punto is going to get the utility player role in the infield, but Aviles will get his share of ABs.

[Rudy Pemberton]

With Aviles playing RF in the Puerto Rican winter league, it would suggest to me that they could be looking at Aviles for a 4th-5th OF job(who also can play in the IF). Punto is going to get the utility player role in the infield, but Aviles will get his share of ABs.

This isn't exactly comforting. Aviles is 30, and last year was his first time playing OF since college, he was lousy, and now the Sox think he can be taught how to play RF in Fenway? Never mind the fact that he doesn't hit enough for a corner OF anyways.

[Wingack]

Christmas is ruined. I hate God.

We can make room for you on our side.

[glennhoffmania]

We can make room for you on our side.

What side is that? Jew or atheist?

[Harry Hooper]

With Aviles playing RF in the Puerto Rican winter league, it would suggest to me that they could be looking at Aviles for a 4th-5th OF job(who also can play in the IF). Punto is going to get the utility player role in the infield, but Aviles will get his share of ABs.

Perhaps, or maybe Scutaro or Aviles is getting traded.