Boston’s taxing pursuit of Juan Soto is over. (Mets)

Cassvt2023

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Jan 17, 2023
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In Boston, athletes are the most famous and recognizable people in the city. In NYC, Juan Soto is unlikely to be the most famous person in his building let alone block.

If anyone really wants to be left alone, NYC is the place to do it. Whether you're the guy peeing in the subway station or some movie star it is truly a place where no one notices let alone cares. There's just so much more happening in NYC at any given moment it dilutes the attention that any one thing or person receives at a given moment.

Even NY sports fans and media aren't anywhere near as intense as a place like Philly.
This was my exact point.
 

54thMA

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Aug 15, 2012
10,320
Westwood MA
I'm probably in the minority here regarding this, but I'd prefer that the Red Sox do not sign him.

They won 81 games last year with a starting staff that went 44-51, offense IMO is not the problem with this team, starting pitching/bullpen is, I'd prefer they sign/acquire two front line starters and some bullpen help over signing Soto.

Let the Yankees or the Mets break the bank for him.
 

grimshaw

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May 16, 2007
4,516
Portland
I'm probably in the minority here regarding this, but I'd prefer that the Red Sox do not sign him.

They won 81 games last year with a starting staff that went 44-51, offense IMO is not the problem with this team, starting pitching/bullpen is, I'd prefer they sign/acquire two front line starters and some bullpen help over signing Soto.

Let the Yankees or the Mets break the bank for him.
I was of a similar mind - more because I hate megadeals at low priority defensive positions, but the fact that they are real players makes it more difficult to remember that.
 

glennhoffmania

ass to the commish
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Jul 25, 2005
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NYC tax is completely optional - just don’t live in NYC and the tax doesn’t apply. Top state rate (which in NY doesn’t occur until 25M+) is only ~1% higher than MA. Once you take into account duty days out of state and the like, this is just completely noise. For example, a FL resident playing for the Yankees will certainly be better off than a MA resident playing for the Sox.

Soto isn’t making any part of his decision on tax rates between NY and MA. He just isn’t.
Thank you. This side issue is so irrelevant.
 

LogansDad

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Nov 15, 2006
33,169
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I'm probably in the minority here regarding this, but I'd prefer that the Red Sox do not sign him.

They won 81 games last year with a starting staff that went 44-51, offense IMO is not the problem with this team, starting pitching/bullpen is, I'd prefer they sign/acquire two front line starters and some bullpen help over signing Soto.

Let the Yankees or the Mets break the bank for him.
I think most of us actually agree that the offense is not "a problem", necessarily, but it also has holes and question marks. Juan Soto is, in my opinion, the ultimate #2 hitter in the game. His combination of OBP and SLG make him absolutely perfect for batting behind a guy like Duran and in front of Devers, even with all three of them being left handed.

I could live with him going to the Mets.... I absolutely do not want to see him paired with Judge for the next seven years and anchoring the Yankee lineup for the next 10+.
 

NickEsasky

Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em
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Jul 24, 2001
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Beomoose

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An unreliable source and Carrabis add up to an unreliable source, but they qualify as part of the Mania.
 

sezwho

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Jul 20, 2005
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I'm probably in the minority here regarding this, but I'd prefer that the Red Sox do not sign him.

They won 81 games last year with a starting staff that went 44-51, offense IMO is not the problem with this team, starting pitching/bullpen is, I'd prefer they sign/acquire two front line starters and some bullpen help over signing Soto.

Let the Yankees or the Mets break the bank for him.
You are not alone.

I may get this post sent to the 'so cheeeep' thread : ) but I 100% doubt the Sox willingness to invest sustainably (in pitching and otherwise) around him, especially should his contract become an albatross. At some point in 15 years that seems likely, but their PhD thesis worthy customized Soto Black Scholes model has that probability (distribution) for them. I've heard observations like "who cares what happens 10 years from now!?!" I know who, Private Equity and Bond Investors who would still be writing a $50m check.

The Beckett then Sale contracts were enough to seemingly send them into a years long tailspin where they were more invested in gaslighting the fanbase than bothering to invest in the roster. Those contracts weren't half as onerous (even inflation adjusted) as Soto's could be.

Buy a nice pitcher for yourself, don't go chasing waterfalls. (Note, I'll buy my first RS jersey if they do : )...edit - and match for Jimmy...and now that I said it $50 for Jimmy either way Happy Thanksgiving all!
 

Hank Scorpio

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Apr 1, 2013
8,181
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I'm probably in the minority here regarding this, but I'd prefer that the Red Sox do not sign him.

They won 81 games last year with a starting staff that went 44-51, offense IMO is not the problem with this team, starting pitching/bullpen is, I'd prefer they sign/acquire two front line starters and some bullpen help over signing Soto.

Let the Yankees or the Mets break the bank for him.
The starting staff going 44-51 isn't an indication that the starters are necessarily the problem.

Kutter Crawford went 9-16, but had a 4.36 ERA. Pivetta went 6-12 with a 4.14 ERA. Houck went 9-10 with a 3.12 ERA.

And then Bello went 14-8 with the worst ERA of any of them, at 4.49.

Crawford, Pivetta, and Houck ranged from "great" to "not bad" last year - but their W-L records were all pretty poor to terrible. Two explanations: Bad defense and bad run support.

Houck allowed 13 unearned runs. Crawford 8. Pivetta and Bello only 3 each.

The offense scored a measly 35 runs in Crawford's 16 losses. 22 runs in Houk's 10 losses. 21 runs in Pivetta's 12 losses.

With Pivetta, it's even crazier if you throw out the 7/24 game where the Sox lost 20-7. Without that game, it's 14 runs in 11 losses, and his ERA would be 3.77.

On May 30, Pivetta was 2-4 with three of his losses being shutouts.

The team can certainly use pitching help - but if the offense was more consistent, our pitchers would have won a lot more games.

Let's compare some of our pitchers with those of the D-Backs, a team that scored 135 more runs than us, but also allowed 37 more runs than we did.

Tanner Houck: 9-10, 3.12 ERA
Zac Gallen: 14-6, 3.65 ERA

Kutter Crawford: 9-16, 4.36 ERA
Ryne Nelson: 10-6, 4.24 ERA

Nick Pivetta: 6-12, 4.14 ERA
Brandon Pfaadt: 11-10 4.71 ERA

Cooper Criswell: 6-5, 4.08 ERA
Jordan Montgomery: 8-7, 6.23 ERA

Upgrading the offense makes tons of sense.
 

Hank Scorpio

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Apr 1, 2013
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An open invitation to Juan Soto to visit SoSH and converse with those of us back in 2003 who joined Curt Schilling in a private chat.
Juan Soto: "So you guys all sat down and had a chat with Schilling back in 2003? How did that work out?"

SoSH: "Great at first. But he's a pariah now. We all hate him."
 

E5 Yaz

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I'm probably in the minority here regarding this, but I'd prefer that the Red Sox do not sign him.

They won 81 games last year with a starting staff that went 44-51, offense IMO is not the problem with this team, starting pitching/bullpen is, I'd prefer they sign/acquire two front line starters and some bullpen help over signing Soto.

Let the Yankees or the Mets break the bank for him.
I suspect that were they to sign Soto, that would give them trade flexibility to acquire a pitcher and maybe sign a second-tier starter
 

Beomoose

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Juan Soto: "So you guys all sat down and had a chat with Schilling back in 2003? How did that work out?"

SoSH: "Great at first. But he's a pariah now. We all hate him."
2024, Red Sox sign Juan Soto. 2041, the Red Sox AAA affiliate is moved back to Rhode Island.
 

Van Everyman

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Apr 30, 2009
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Juan Soto: "So you guys all sat down and had a chat with Schilling back in 2003? How did that work out?"

SoSH: "Great at first. But he's a pariah now. We all hate him."
In fairness: it is true that Schilling will never have to buy himself a beer in Boston again.
 

E5 Yaz

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I’ve seen the Mick report. Don’t know if it’s true. Just over here trying to eat dessert early and fantasize about Juan Soto on my baseball team.

Key word ... fantasize