359 replies to this topic

[Foulkey Reese]

https://twitter.com/#!/JonHeymanCBS

fresh off acquisition of closer bailey, #redsox shooting for a starter. some possibilities: kuroda, garza, oswalt, saunders, ejax

Since there has been a lot of talk about the Sox adding another starter, who should they be targeting?

[NoLastCall125]

I'd love to have Garza as the fourth starter on this team, but the cost is too scary.

So Oswalt would be my choice. Even though he was injured last year, it was the first time since 2003 he made fewer than 30 starts. Yes, he'll be 34, but Kuroda will be 37 and (as it's been mentioned before) Oswalt has apparently shown a willingness to take a one year contract.

Jackson is a guy I'd want to stay away from entirely though. He'll probably get a few years and that's something I'd want to avoid with a pitcher who has been as inconsistent as him.

EDIT: And I'm in shock that reports have Saunders linked for a spot on this team, let alone the rotation. No way.

Edited by NoLastCall125, 29 December 2011 - 02:04 PM.

[rembrat]

Other - Gavin Floyd.

To borrow a Bayless description, he is a gamer. Dude has made 30 starts 4 years straight. Doesnt have a shiny ERA but his FIP is great. And the best thing is he'll only make $7MM in 12' & a club option of $9.5MM in 13'. A steal for a guy that gives you 200 innings and a FIP in the mid 3's.

Beckett, Lester, Buchholz, Floyd. That's a quality and deep front 4.

KW said the CWS are rebuilding, trades his closer, but then overpays in locking up Danks. He has no idea what he is doing. In short, Floyd can be had. Ben just needs to call everyday and dangle some toolsy prospects.

Edited by rembrat, 29 December 2011 - 02:09 PM.

[Rasputin]

If you can get Garza at a reasonable price--and I am not sure what that is--then do so.

If not, then my answer is whoever is cheapest.

[C4CRVT]

Given the previous moves that Ben's made, I'm half expecting a top 15 RS position prospect plus a couple of filler pieces for a #3-4 type starter with a few years of team control to add depth and stay under the salary cap.

Edited by C4CRVT, 29 December 2011 - 02:17 PM.

[FL4WL3SS]

This is pretty easy IMO - Garza will cost prospects + $$, all Oswalt will cost is $$ and on (presumably) a one year deal. Garza would be fun, but Oswalt will be serviceable.

I think you go into the season with Oswalt and if he doesn't pan out/gets hurt then you (re)evaluate the trade market. We're talking about a 4th starter here, so I don't think they need to hit a home run with this spot.

[TomRicardo]

I would say Garza simply because they can put Theo's compensation as a chip towards the trade.

[mt8thsw9th]

What exactly about Edwin "97 ERA+ and Boras client" Jackson has people enamored?

[Toe Nash]

It's been said before, but the team doesn't need to add a great starter. They need someone who can eat innings and is unlikely to get hurt or shit the bed. If Lackey, Buchholz or Dice-K had been able to do this last year they would have made the playoffs. Or if Weiland, Tazawa or Wakefield could have done that. That's all.

All of the players listed can do this, but Garza is on another team and Jackson and Saunders seem to want 2+ year deals. We've seen how important it is to build from within, and failing that how it's important not to tie up lots of money in middling free agents (Lackey). So I'd want either Oswalt or Kuroda. Kuroda seems like the lesser health risk, so I'd prefer him. Then after 2012 you have Lackey back and hopefully better, and you have a better idea what your prospects are looking like (Barnes, Ranaudo, etc), so you can make a decision about the strong FA class without having $9 mil tied up in Edwin Jackson or Joe Saunders.

[PrometheusWakefield]

Jackson is a guy I'd want to stay away from entirely though. He'll probably get a few years and that's something I'd want to avoid with a pitcher who has been as inconsistent as him.

inconsistent? His WAR over the past 3 years is 3.6, 3.8, 3.8. He's made 30+ starts every year since 2007 and he's still only 28. You'd have a hard time finding a more consistent pitcher in all of baseball than Jackson.

The gap between the conventional wisdom on Jackson and his actual performance on the field is staggering and one of the strongest arguments in favor of pursuing him.

[Toe Nash]

What exactly about Edwin "97 ERA+ and Boras client" Jackson has people enamored?

I don't particularly like him for what he's likely to cost, but he has put up a 106 ERA+ for the last 4 years and has thrown 806 innings with a >2 K:BB ratio, pretty solid. His career numbers blow because he was called up early with Tampa because they didn't have anyone better.

[ngruz25]

What exactly about Edwin "97 ERA+ and Boras client" Jackson has people enamored?

His mediocre career numbers are largely reflective of his years with the Rays when he was in his early 20's and had no idea where the strike zone was. He seems to have a reputation for being wild but he's actually really harnessed his stuff since 2008: his 2.8 BB/9 last year was better than every Sox starter other than Beckett and Wakefield. His K/BB numbers have been solid since he left the Rays, he's healthy and durable, and he'll only be 28.

[Yaz4Ever]

In a vacuum, you get Garza immediately. The trouble is, as many have already said, his cost. If it's subsidized as part of the mysterious Theo compensation package (which I no longer believes exists), you have to consider it based on his experience in the AL East and because he's the best on the list.

Because cost is a consideration, however, I'm inclined to think that Ben will be forced to look at someone on a short, cheap contract. I'd go with Oswalt, Kuroda, EJax, Floyd in that order.

I also don't think we should only be looking at one of these guys. If we can net two of them at reasonable 1 or 2-year deals, we'd be crazy not to. That allows us to leave Bard and, more importantly, Aceves in the pen.

If Ben went out tomorrow and picked up any two of the five guys mentioned, I'd be thrilled and would likely consider this offseason a pretty solid success - Punto, notwithstanding.

With that said, if Ben nets King Felix in an under-the-radar mega-deal, would anyone remember his predecessor?

[E5 Yaz]

Other, Gavin Floyd ... because I think it might actually be doable, given that Chicago has locked up Danks and might prefer to get players for Floyd.

Saunders and Oswalt seem injury risks to me and Garza is a longshot at best (they can't even agree on compensation for Theo).

[glennhoffmania]

Garza will cost too much in prospects. Jackson will cost too much in cash. Saunders is below mediocre. Kuroda will probably want more than one year. Take Oswalt on a one year deal, make Bard the 5th starter, Dice-K becomes the injury replacement starter in July, Lackey comes back next year for a rotation of Lester/Beckett/Buchholz/Bard/Lackey.

[bosockboy]

I wonder how little the package would be for Garza if we took back Marlon Byrd and his 6.5 million.....

[EddieYost]

Garza if its a steal with the Theo compensation factored in, otherwise Oswalt. So really Oswalt.

[E5 Yaz]

I wonder how little the package would be for Garza if we took back Marlon Byrd and his 6.5 million.....

See, I don't think that's a direction the Cubs want to go in. They know Garza's their best chance at getting a quality return. I can't envision them do that sort of deal, given how much they need to improve their prospect pool

[RedOctober3829]

Best fits for the Cubs in a potential Matt Garza trade: 1. Toronto 2. Boston 3. Detroit 4. Texas 5.New York

Jim Bowden

[bosockboy]

See, I don't think that's a direction the Cubs want to go in. They know Garza's their best chance at getting a quality return. I can't envision them do that sort of deal, given how much they need to improve their prospect pool

True....but you can invest that money in the draft also.

[Snodgrass'Muff]

Oswalt seems the most likely to take an incentive laden one year deal, so I'm voting for him. Between him, Bard and Daisuke, I think you try to get around 320 to 360 quality innings, and fill in the rest of with spot starts from guys like Miller, Doubront and Bowden. With Lester, Beckett and Buchholz, you don't need a dominant starter. You need to fill in 360-400 innings that don't suck.

[gammoseditor]

I don't get the argument for Oswalt over Kuroda unless you think Kuroda won't come here or would be much more expensive. It sounds like you would only need to offer him a one year deal. He's been healthy which you can't say about Oswalt and he was better than Oswalt when Oswalt actually pitched last year.

[Snodgrass'Muff]

I think Kuroda will be more expensive, and I don't think a 4th or 5th starter is a good place to start spending extra money you might not need to. If Kuroda would cost the same as Oswalt, he'd be a fine decision as well.

[BucketOBalls]

The only guy I would rule out is Jackson, as I can't imagine getting him on a 1 or 2 year deal and I would hate to lock up a spot for longer than that(even 2 would be pushing it IMHO). His 1.4ish and increasing WHIP scares me. I don't think the monster would be kind to him.

Other than that, it depends on cost. Garza will probably cost to much in prospects though. Oswalt on a 1 year deal or Kuroda on up to 2 years would be fine I think. The main knock on Kuroda is his age, of course, he was 36 last year and was fine and 35 the year before and was fine, etc. Maybe he can teach Dice how to throw an American ball...

[Doctor G]

I would call KW in Chicago and offer him a package built around Doubront for Floyd.
With two lefty starters gone from last year, Doubront under Don Cooper's tutelage might be attractive to them.
They tried to pry Banuelos out of NY, maybe they'll settle for Felix.

[Carroll Hardy]

I would say Garza simply because they can put Theo's compensation as a chip towards the trade.

Think TRic has bingo here. Creativity around the deal, and using Theo's compensation as a fig leaf, could get Garza and stay within luxury tax threshold.

What got me thinking this was the fact that Billy Beane took Miles Head - and not MLB-ready native son Lars Anderson. Oakland 1B-men hit a robust .219 with 7 HRs in 2011. I suspect it was because Lars was not offered to Billy Beane. I suspect Theo wants Lars back, and it will be key to a Garza deal, so Ben kept him back.

[JohntheBaptist]

Using the Theo compensation to water down what wed give up for Garza is fine in theory, but they rightly see him as their best shot to reap some prospect value from their current roster. It would be a really bad idea for Theo to cash that chip in w Bos specifically if the compensation becomes part of the calculus of the trade.

Just cant see them doing that.

[Savin Hillbilly]

I said Oswalt because I suspect he will sign for a bit less money than Kuroda; he's three years younger and will be hoping to show he's healthy for a 2- or 3-year deal in 2013. Also, after all the reports of Kuroda not wanting to go east, I'm a little leery of him; he's obviously changed his mind because he couldn't find a West Coast taker at the right price, but is he going to be a clubhouse problem? Also, there were a few signs of age last year in the form of harder contact (mild LD% and HR/FB spikes) that make me worry about his potential for a cliff dive, especially in the AL East. OTOH, he's been a solid, incredibly consistent pitcher--the Madson of the SP market--and I wouldn't be unhappy to see the Sox sign him. But I just have a better feeling about Oswalt.

Garza would be my top target all things being equal, but I don't want to give up any more prospects this winter if we can help it. The Theo discount concept is intriguing, but I think JTB nailed the problem with it.

[SoxScout]

I feel like the Theo compensation as part of a Garza deal would be:

"We want Chris Balcom-Miller"
"We'll give you Keith Couch"
"OK we will take Couch instead as the compensation."
"Great, we have just settled on the 5th prospect heading to you!"

I don't see the huge investment being made in Garza.

Kuroda on a 1 year deal would be the best option IMO. If Oswalt's main goal is to have a big and healthy year, why would he come try to do it in the AL East? If he dominated, sure, that would be awesome for everyone, I just don't see it happening.

[Clears Cleaver]

I think Kuroda will be more expensive, and I don't think a 4th or 5th starter is a good place to start spending extra money you might not need to. If Kuroda would cost the same as Oswalt, he'd be a fine decision as well.

the one place the red Sox can improve materially is replacing whomever is the current #5 starter with a Kuroda or an EJax or a Garza. Right now the #5 starter is a <1 WAR player and you could be getting a 3+ WAR player. Where else on the roster can you potentially add three wins?

[MoGator71]

the one place the red Sox can improve materially is replacing whomever is the current #5 starter with a Kuroda or an EJax or a Garza. Right now the #5 starter is a <1 WAR player and you could be getting a 3+ WAR player. Where else on the roster can you potentially add three wins?

Not only that, but the point that "we only need a 4/5 starter" keeps popping up...and it's not really true. Theoretically it is, but is everyone really 100% confident in Buchholz being just fine after his back issues? If you add a cheap starter, or hand the other spot to Aceves, you're looking at Beckett-Lester and 3 question marks. Without adding a quality SP we're just one injury away from another run of Wake/Miller starts.

[Sprowl]

I see three real options: Garza, Kuroda, and Oswalt. I leave out Edwin Jackson because he strikes me as a workhorse innings-eater for a second-division team. Garza will probably be overpriced, but if Theo is willing to take on toolsy low-minors prospects, then a deal is possible for a horse with AL East experience. Nevertheless, Garza strikes me as a long shot because the Blue Jays need a horse more than the Red Sox, and will probably bid higher.

Oswalt and Kuroda have veteran experience, top-notch stuff, similarly outstanding Bill James K/BB projections, and limited shelf life suitable for a one-year contract.

Oswalt+: great fastball command, great track record.
Oswalt-: velocity loss is a big concern -- is his late 2011 trend a reliable indicator of recovery? Oswalt with only 91 mph on the fastball and mediocre offspeed stuff will run into trouble in the AL East.

Kuroda+: consistent velocity, better swinging strike %, no immediate injury concerns
Kuroda-: pitched in easier parks and against weaker teams than Oswalt, probably hopes to stay on the west coast, and he's bumping on 37 years old.

[Toe Nash]

Think TRic has bingo here. Creativity around the deal, and using Theo's compensation as a fig leaf, could get Garza and stay within luxury tax threshold.

What got me thinking this was the fact that Billy Beane took Miles Head - and not MLB-ready native son Lars Anderson. Oakland 1B-men hit a robust .219 with 7 HRs in 2011. I suspect it was because Lars was not offered to Billy Beane. I suspect Theo wants Lars back, and it will be key to a Garza deal, so Ben kept him back.

Lars was not held back because Ben wants to trade him to Theo. Lars was held back because he isn't a good prospect anymore. He had a .761 OPS at AAA last year at age 23. That's not going to cut it. He's only MLB ready if you want one of the worst-hitting 1Bmen in the majors.

[JMDurron]

It's been said before, but the team doesn't need to add a great starter. They need someone who can eat innings and is unlikely to get hurt or shit the bed. If Lackey, Buchholz or Dice-K had been able to do this last year they would have made the playoffs. Or if Weiland, Tazawa or Wakefield could have done that. That's all.

All of the players listed can do this, but Garza is on another team and Jackson and Saunders seem to want 2+ year deals. We've seen how important it is to build from within, and failing that how it's important not to tie up lots of money in middling free agents (Lackey). So I'd want either Oswalt or Kuroda. Kuroda seems like the lesser health risk, so I'd prefer him. Then after 2012 you have Lackey back and hopefully better, and you have a better idea what your prospects are looking like (Barnes, Ranaudo, etc), so you can make a decision about the strong FA class without having $9 mil tied up in Edwin Jackson or Joe Saunders.

This is my reasoning exactly. The problem isn't necessarily just performance, it's the ability to throw enough innings. Roy Oswalt, fresh off a back injury, is not the guy to mitigate injury (Buchholz, Beckett usually, Matsuzaka's return) and conversion-related (Bard, Aceves) IP risk. We saw first-hand how lousy the readily available SP depth in the farm system was last season, so keeping the Doubront-Miller types out of the rotation has to be a top priority. That means an older, but still less injury-risky option like Kuroda is the best choice between the two 1-year potential starter signings. Kuroda's age and strength of opposition doesn't trump Oswalt's very recent injury problem in my mind.

Not only that, but the point that "we only need a 4/5 starter" keeps popping up...and it's not really true. Theoretically it is, but is everyone really 100% confident in Buchholz being just fine after his back issues? If you add a cheap starter, or hand the other spot to Aceves, you're looking at Beckett-Lester and 3 question marks. Without adding a quality SP we're just one injury away from another run of Wake/Miller starts.

That would be even year, poorly-conditioned (until proven otherwise) Beckett, no less. I see Lester and 4 question marks. We need someone who can stay on the mound, hopefully who isn't any worse than league average, and then we have to hope that the offense can keep up with the other team.

[tims4wins]

I leave out Edwin Jackson because he strikes me as a workhorse innings-eater for a second-division team.

Care to elaborate? Given the amount of pitching injuries, a workhorse innings-eater sounds like a perfect fit to me. A guy who can give them 200+ innings at a league average ERA would be extremely valuable, IMO.

[Van Everyman]

I don't quite get why Bedard wasn't brought back. I get that he's fragile -- but he def had good stuff (if unlucky results) when he pitched for us. And as he proved in the McClelland game, he was steady on the mound.

Yes, he'd almost certainly miss time. But if you viewed it as a depth move for the rotation instead of a permanent "solution" for the 4 or 5 slot, bringing Bedard back on short money struck me as a no-brainer.

[Savin Hillbilly]

Care to elaborate? Given the amount of pitching injuries, a workhorse innings-eater sounds like a perfect fit to me. A guy who can give them 200+ innings at a league average ERA would be extremely valuable, IMO.

I agree. The problem with Jackson isn't that he's not a good fit but simply that he'll cost too much, probably in AAV and certainly in years.

[Plympton91]

True....but you can invest that money in the draft also.

Not anymore. The collective bargaining agreement makes that much harder.

If Oswalt is healthy and ready to go 100 percent out of the gate, I'd sign him and make Bard the 5th starter. Aceves provides a plan B if Oswalt gets hurt early while Tazawa and Matsuzaka provide insurance in case he breaks down late and Bard hits an innings cap.

If they didn't have Lackey's albatross and likely return in 2013, I'd be very much in favor of getting Jackson on a 3 or 4 yesr deal, because I think he is being undervaled right now. He's not that much worse than Danks.

I fear that even Oswalt is too rich for the current payroll structure. I think they may just wait until the end of January and try to get a semi-reliable veteran, back-of-the-rotation guy to fill the 5th spot. Perhaps not even that. Indeed, rather than that, I'd prefer they just make Aceves the presumptive 5th starter while bringing in someone on a nonguaranteed contract as Aceves insurance.

Edited by Plympton91, 30 December 2011 - 12:05 PM.

[The Boomer]

If he tests healthy before spring training, I'm hoping that Maholm is the bargain they are looking for. A decent #2 or #3 starter on several awful Pittsburgh teams can be a strong #5 on a contender. Another decent lefty starter is also a plus for the Sox.

[Carroll Hardy]

Lars was not held back because Ben wants to trade him to Theo. Lars was held back because he isn't a good prospect anymore. He had a .761 OPS at AAA last year at age 23. That's not going to cut it. He's only MLB ready if you want one of the worst-hitting 1Bmen in the majors.

A couple of things: Lars put up a .791 OPS (not .761 OPS) last season, very much in line with a career 800 OPS type, with back to back AAA 30+ 2B seasons, and a much improved eye, again as a 24 year old now. And doing this all the while in an organization where he knows he has virtually ZERO chance of ever making the major league ball club. I think Billy Beane believes that he would do better than what he had with Daric Barton in 2010.

Not going to argue that he isn't a prospect anymore: So what? It's easy to fall from grace, when you are a Red Sox prospect with the curse of unlimited potential. I can see where he would be blocked by Adrian Gonzalez. But at 24, Adrian Gonzalez was still in the process of putting it all together, having joined his third organization. Carlos Pena, Casey Kotchmann, lots of guys fell from grace, but still ended up being everyday serviceable players for second division ball clubs.

[The Boomer]

If he tests healthy before spring training, I'm hoping that Maholm is the bargain they are looking for. A decent #2 or #3 starter on several awful Pittsburgh teams can be a strong #5 on a contender. Another decent lefty starter is also a plus for the Sox.

We are not talking about an Ace but, if healthy, a decent major league pitcher just entering his prime:

http://www.fangraphs...8678&position=P

http://www.fangraphs...age=7&type=full

IMO he will be better than Saunders and, because of the unfortunate timing of his sore shoulder, hopefully much more of a bargain. They can also afford to be patient with him if they can start the season with Doubront, Tazawa, Miller or Bowden while they pursue a careful rehab while also waiting on Dice-K.

[Savin Hillbilly]

We are not talking about an Ace but, if healthy, a decent major league pitcher just entering his prime:

http://www.fangraphs...8678&position=P

http://www.fangraphs...age=7&type=full

IMO he will be better than Saunders and, because of the unfortunate timing of his sore shoulder, hopefully much more of a bargain. They can also afford to be patient with him if they can start the season with Doubront, Tazawa, Miller or Bowden while they pursue a careful rehab while also waiting on Dice-K.

Is there any chance Maholm would go for a one-year deal? If so, he might be an intriguing bargain-bin option. Though if we're going to give a one-year deal to a SP with injury questions, I'd rather it be Oswalt. But then it isn't my money.

[PrometheusWakefield]

To help bolster the case for Edwin Jackson, I thought I'd check out how many decent starting pitching free agents there have been below the age of 30. Here's the complete list since 2006:









It's very, very rare in these days of revenue sharing to have an opportunity to acquire a pitcher for his 28-32 years without giving up prospects via trade. Jackson has always had terrific tools, I think there's plenty of evidence inside his numbers that suggest he's learning how to pitch. To whit, his walk rate:


And his HR/9 rate:


Overall, how you evaluate his performance in 2011 depends largely on what you make of his BABIP, which was second worst in the league at .330, behind only perennial FIP laggard Ricky Nolasco. Like Nolasco, Jackson's LD% jumped last year from 18.8% to 24.9%. If you look at those numbers and see random fluctuation, then it could mean Edwin Jackson is undervalued.

[Sprowl]

Care to elaborate? Given the amount of pitching injuries, a workhorse innings-eater sounds like a perfect fit to me. A guy who can give them 200+ innings at a league average ERA would be extremely valuable, IMO.

I think Jackson's workhorse abilities with limited ceiling are what make him more valuable to a second-division team. The limited ceiling is based on his lack of fastball command. His velocity numbers are fine, but I think there's very little deception on his hard stuff, he's inclined to be wild in the strike zone, and batters hammer his fastball. I haven't watched him very much in the last two years, so he may have improved, but my gut impression is that his stuff just isn't that good, and that returning to the AL East would be bad for him and whatever team signs him.

[Kramerica Industries]

FWIW, Gammons is saying that ownership may only allow Ben to spend "5 or 6 million" on a starter rather than 10 or 12 million.

http://mlb.mlb.com/v...opic_id=7417714

(video)

[Sprowl]

FWIW, Gammons is saying that ownership may only allow Ben to spend "5 or 6 million" on a starter rather than 10 or 12 million.

http://mlb.mlb.com/v...opic_id=7417714

(video)

That sounds like a current position in an ongoing negotiation. Town crier Gammons is at work again.

[Hee-Seop's Fable]

That sounds like a current position in an ongoing negotiation. Town crier Gammons is at work again.

Maybe so, but he is talking to those in command and we're not. Whether they 'authorize' Ben or not, it's pretty clear the reigns are much tighter than they were prior to signing Lackey or Crawford, and in the long run that has to be a good thing. Theo talked a good game about not paying for past performance, but to much of that has happened since '07, and if they are going to get locked into high tax rates later going over the luxury threshold now, there is going to have to be very good justification. Loading up the responsibility for the success of the team on players still under team control like Melancon, Bailey, Bard, Ellsbury, Salty, Aceves, etc., and even guys like Lester, Buchholz, an Pedy that they have mutual commitments with makes more sense than depending on a big free agent or two every winter.

That may leave apparent holes in the construction of the team going into Spring Training, but I lean much more towards Ras' type of POV that depending on every season's shiny new toy to fix our team is a bit too entitled for my taste. It's not our money, and if they've blown their wad and aren't willing to blow the budget and pay high tax rates every year, that's the bargain they made with the commitments already made. Other teams have bigger problems, and the Red Sox players and management may need to prioritize the long run over the short run for a change and make it work as is.

If they are going to go over the threshold this year, Ben's going to have to argue it's merits doing so not only for this year's team, but for the '13 team that might otherwise be able to go over the limit and pay a much lower premium on the privilege. We don't have all the facts on the whole scenario; maybe Ben can make a good case for Kuroda or Oswalt, maybe not. I'd be shocked if they make any kind of long term commitment. They'd only have to unload a starter next year or abandon Bard as a starter even if he succeeds wildly. Doesn't sound like a gamble a team with a tight budget would make.

Paul Maholm is looking pretty good right now.

Edited by Hee-Seop's Fable, 31 December 2011 - 01:17 AM.

[Savin Hillbilly]

Paul Maholm is looking pretty good right now.

I don't think we could get even Maholm for 5 or 6 million. If that's our budget, we should be looking at somebody like Francis.

[Carl Everetts Therapist]

How about someone like Javier Vazquez who seems to be the journeymen type flying under the radar. I know his track record against the AL East is piss poor, but he seems to be the kind who can eat innings and as a 4th or 5th starter I think he could give you slightly above league average pitching... Plus he might have added motivation to beat the Yankees

[BucketOBalls]

How about someone like Javier Vazquez who seems to be the journeymen type flying under the radar. I know his track record against the AL East is piss poor, but he seems to be the kind who can eat innings and as a 4th or 5th starter I think he could give you slightly above league average pitching... Plus he might have added motivation to beat the Yankees

JV's career ERA+ in the AL(never mind the ALE) is 99 in 5 years and almost 1000 innings, and most of that is a career year with the '07 Pale Hose. I don't think motivation was really Vazquez's problem. That fact that he isn't very good was the problem. He's also gonna be 35, which can't be helping in the stuff category. It's pretty unlikely he could even be average. This might be one of those situations where you do just need to spend the money to get someone competent.